KTEE serves relatable anthem about the journey to self-love with ‘Back in Time’

KTEE (Katharina Aigner) is an Austrian singer based in Vienna. Her latest single ‘Back in Time’ is a relatable electro pop offering about wishing to go back in time to tell her younger self that everything will be all right, and that what seemed like insurmountable issues at the time will one day become insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

The confidence that comes with maturity reflects in the vocal delivery. The melodies are sung with conviction, and it is obvious that KTEE is an accomplished vocalist with a great technique, soulful tone and a recognisable timbre.

The song has a crisp arrangement, with a groovy synth bass that supports the arrangement and adds to the danceable feel of the track, and synth patterns reminiscent of the Chain Smokers. It wastes no time with introductions, and gets to the chorus before the 50 seconds mark, like a veritable pop bop. The chorus is catchy and well crafted. We also especially enjoyed the short but sweet middle eight with the change in the chord progression and the ‘sci-fi’ synth accentuating the time-machine narrative.

The punchy lyrics punchy are written in retrospective, effectively depicting the image of young KTEE as an outsider at school, and the journey to achieving self-love, to being comfortable in one’s skin and becoming a successful person despite the mean comments and people who were bringing her down.

Photo credit: Bern Wagner

Taking about the song, KTEE explains:

Life can be tough and sometimes it is not easy to believe that everything is going to be okay again and that time actually is indeed a great healer. Sometimes you need a little distance to see things more clearly.

Overall, KTEE’s new single is radio-ready pop hit, well-crafted and well-delivered, and based around a witty idea that many of us will be able to relate to.

Find about more about KTEE on:

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Tiny Anthem transports us to luxury lounge bar with new single ‘Take My Money’

Tiny Anthem is the moniker of Danish singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Peter Monrad.

‘Take My Money’ was recorded during lockdown, the lyrics reflecting the longing for something that we’ve all been missing: going away for a change of scenery, holidays and entertainment.

As Peter is a bassist with a ton of experience, having toured all over the world, it’s not a surprise that the track is fantastically groovy and relies on an excellent bass line that is both rhythmical and melodic, moving up and down the scales effortlessly.

Add to that a funky guitar, a mellow retro lead synth and a delicious chord progression, and you get an instrumental that reminisces of 80’s lounge funk/soul music, and could fit on an Ibiza Chill compilation, therefore recreating perfectly the intended holiday vibes. In fact, when I closed my eyes and first listened to the track, I could visualise a classy late night party on a yacht in Monaco, some decades ago, where everybody is dressed up and sipping expensive cocktails.

Just like Tame Impala, who Tiny Anthem reminds me of, the track becomes even more impressive when one realises that everything on it is the work of only one person, including the vocals that deliver the melodies with ease, including the pretty catchy ‘Shut up and take my money’ hook in the chorus.

Talking about the track, Peter says:

“I want to make music that grooves and moves people. I love 90s hiphop and all their original samples and I want to have that come through in my music.”

I’d say that it does come through brilliantly, and the inspiration most likely goes back even further than the 90’s. One thing is for sure though, ‘Take My Money’ is one hell of a groovy track!

Follow Tiny Anthem on Instagram and Spotify.

Katie Kittermaster releases bittersweet summer bop ‘Out of Love’

Katie Kittermaster is a pop singer-songwriter on the rise, hailing from Kent, England. With impressive stats on Spotify and TikTok, and a sold out headline show in London this September, she has recently secured a publishing deal with BMG.

Her latest song ‘Out of Love’ is a radio-ready pop single with bittersweet lyrics, a driving pop beat and a remarkably catchy chorus.

The song doesn’t waste time with instrumental introductions and dives straight into the verse, introducing us to Katie’s gorgeous voice, which has a uniquely sweet timbre and manages to project strength while staying youthful and vulnerable.

Just like with Katie’s other previous releases, the production is top-notch, but with more upbeat, summery vibes, and peppered with ear candy and reverb throws. We especially enjoyed the engaging pop guitars, and the vocoder harmonies, and also the unexpected minor chord brought in at the end of the middle eight.

The lyrics are evocative and relatable, simple words painting an engaging narrative of scenes from the past relationship, or addressing the lover that she is now ready to move on from. Talking about the inspiration behind the song, Katie says:

“Out Of Love” is a track about realising a love you once knew has turned bitter and quite honestly boring. I think I’m safe to say this feeling was mutual, thank god!! However it still sucked.

One thing that definitely doesn’t suck is Katie’s new single, and we are looking forward to hearing of her future music career achievements – they are sure to come!

Find out more about Katie on Instagram, Facebook and her website.

Roos Meijer unveils profound new single ‘In My Name’

Dutch alt-folk artist Roos Meijer releases ‘In My Name’, the first single from her upcoming debut LP ‘Why Don’t We Give It A Try?’, set for release in November 2021.

Roos has set herself for quite an ambitious and unique project, with the songs on her upcoming album being inspired by conversations with eight societal change-makers for causes relating to climate, anti-racism, feminism, human rights, orphans, LGBTQ+ youth, and homelessness. ‘In My Name’ is inspired by a conversation with Julia Jouwe, an activist for a free West Papua who took up the legacy of her late grandfather, in the fight for the freedom of his native people.

Musically, ‘In My Name’ is an atmospheric number with dreamy double tracked vocals and deceptively simple vocal melodies, stretched over chord changes that surprise and delight, with profound, politically charged lyrics.

Opening with a strong statement about how history betrayed so many voices, Roos continues with what is a poignant social commentary, that manages to stay elegant at all times, and not fall on the preachy side. This is achieved through the contrast between the uplifting message and the reflective, subdued nature of the music. The arrangement is eclectic, an alt-folk with sparse chamber pop elements and an unexpected but extremely effective ethnic instrument solo at the end. The fade out is longer than usual, maybe depicting those unheard voices that faded away from history.

The music of Roos Meijer is interesting and thought challenging. If the rest of the songs follow the same vein, this will be an album to look out for!

Find out more about Roos on:

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Mikara – ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’

‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ is the newest single from California based Japanese American pop artist Mikara.

Comprising of just an acoustic guitar and Mikara’s sweet-toned vocals, ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’ possesses the charming simplicity of a diary entry. Sung over a chord progression that stays the same all throughout the song, yet somehow does not become monotonous, the hazy vocal is imbued with the nostalgia of a relationship that is already becoming a memory.

The delivery flows naturally, a musing monologue with unpretentious lyrics exuding the youthful air of a first love, and first heartbreak. The recurring line that also gives the title of the song, is a subtle hook, but one that proves to be a bit of an ear-worm by the end of the song.

Written, recorded and produced in her bedroom, “You’re Gonna Miss Me’ is an excellent bedroom pop piece.It is intimate, honest and does not need artifice to create a memorable piece that excellently portrays the emotional numbness that comes after a disappointment in a relationship.

Talking about the inspiration behind the song, Mikara explains:

“Breaking up with your best friend HURTS. I went through the stages of heartbreak, anger and disappointment. I felt like I was trapped with these feelings, held hostage to a toxic relationship grasping for a sense of normalcy. It took some time but I’m finally free. I’ve started a new chapter and this is my rebirth.”

Mikara plans to release her debut EP later this year, so if you want to stay up to date with her new music, do make sure to follow her socials:

Instagram

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Official Website

Find the song on all platforms: https://withkoji.com/@Mikara

Air Circus (feat. DJ Maisie Mais) – ‘The Last Time’

Bournmouth-based duo Air Circus share a refreshing take on pop with their latest collaboration with DJ Maisie Mais.

The group, comprising of Adam Adrian, Dan Follant and collaborator Maisie Mais, have just released the single, which is a wonderfully bizzare combination of eclectic layers and instrumental elements, all tied together by Maisie’s sweet, straight-forward-pop voice.

DJ Maisie Mais performed the lead vocals

The instrumental is a throbbing culmination of warped and detuned, jangly guitars, bouncing electronic elements and retro off-beat synth bass, and the vocals are very Lily Allen. The chorus contains an ingenious instrumental hook intertwined with catchy vocal melodies, on top of a bouncy, fabulously danceable rhythm.

The production draws inspiration from artists such as FINEAS (brother and producer of Billie Eilish), who uses found sounds to create instrumental parts, such as striking a matchstick to create a snare drum sound. Air Circus used the sound of a deoderant can discharging to create a hi-hat sound. It took many takes to get the sound they wanted, and it wasn’t long before they had to open a window.

The track was written and recorded over lockdown, but unlike Leeds-based duo Lines of Flight, Air Circus did not find that working separately really got the creative juices flowing. UK restrictions were only allowing separate households to meet up outside at the time, so the solution? Set up a recording studio in the garden. In fact, two gardens, one at each home. Every part (excluding the vocal, which Maisie Mais recorded at her home and sent over) was recorded outside in this way, with the result that some birds and neighbour sounds can be heard in the recording.

On the meaning of the song, Air Circus explain:

“The Last Time’ explores Maisie’s experience of holding desperately onto friendships and relationships, despite knowing that theoutcome of every single day will be an argument. This self-awareness acts as a sounding board of frustrations, questioning whether she will make it ‘the last time’ or keep getting hurt.”

‘The Last Time’ really is a refreshing take on pop; unusual, interesting yet infectiously catchy. It is the first release as part of a larger project, and we are looking forward to seeing what else will come out of it.

Stream ‘The Last Time’ on Spotify now

Follow Air Circus on:
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Freddy Hall – ‘Something Good’

Brooklyn-based artist Freddy Hall answers lockdown loneliness with determined optimism in upbeat, Motown inspired single, ‘Something Good’.

The first release in anticipation of upcoming album, ‘Dazy’, Hall delights us with a refreshingly retro track arranged for big band in the style of Amy Winehouse and Motown artists such as Stevie Wonder or The Supremes. Produced by Anthony ‘Rocky’ Gallo (John Legend, Cigarettes After Sex, Gavin DeGraw) and featuring the wonderful horns arrangement of Broadway director Cian McCarthy (Moulin Rouge, The Book of Mormon), ’Something Good’ takes a stand against what Hall describes as the ‘loneliness epidemic’. 

The bright, upbeat arrangement is contrasted by Hall’s dreamy indie vocals, and honest lyrics:

“I don’t need much, I just want something good. I’ve been on my own for way too long, and well, something good might stay, yeah, something good might change how I’m feeling now.”

The arrangement is an interesting blend of 70s soul and indie pop, and it’s refreshing to hear a recording with so many live elements – all the parts are recorded by live players. McCarthy has arranged the horns masterfully, adding wonderful texture, depth and dynamics to the track with bouncing counterpoints and filling the gaps with joyful bursts of melody. Gallo’s production is also top-notch, with a crisp and clear mix that jumps out of the speakers, and the nice additions of crowd ambience contribute to the message of the song – by adding an atmosphere of live performance, one thing we’ve all been missing throughout the pandemic.

Of all the artistic responses to Covid we’ve seen this year, this one stands out. While many have fully embraced themes such as the ticking clock and boredom, our powerlessness in the face of the situation or the loneliness of isolation, this track boldly antithesises these simultaneously acknowledging them in a tasteful way. The song is about the innate human need to socialise and connect with others.

On the release, Hall says:

“This song has been swirling in my head for many years now but I didn’t know exactly where to take it. I revisited it a few months into isolation and everything just poured out. […] This track has a fun sound juxtaposed with a serious, at times too-honest, and very relateble theme. At the end of the day, don’t we all just want ‘Something Good’?”

The track is also accompanied by a charming stop-motion music lyric video featuring magazine cutout lyrics and a lego concert:

Stream ’Something Good’ on Spotify now!

You can find Freddy Hall on socials using the links below:

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Spotify

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Instagram

Website

Lines of Flight – ‘Heading Out To You’

Separated by lockdown but connected through technology, Lines of Flight have achieved something special: producing an album worth of material with nothing more than an iPhone each and an internet connection.

The Leeds-based duo, comprising of Matthew Henderson (vocals & synths/programming) and Helen Whale (vocals), met online and began collaborating using the free GarageBand app which comes pre-installed on the iPhone, sending files to each other via WhatsApp and recording vocals using iPhone headphones and mics. By the time the duo finally met each other, they had already written five songs. Five more followed to create a ten-track album, ’Signs of Life’, which Lines of Flight have since had mixed by Leeds-based producer Ed Heaton, are putting out one track at a time throughout 2021.

Track number three is ‘Heading Out To You’, which was recently dropped on Spotify:

‘Heading Out To You’ is a dreamy synth-pop track that calls back to 80s artists such as Depeche Mode, awash with retro synths and underscored by a dramatic piano and computerised drum beat. The vocals are produced in a lo-fi way, which on first listen I thought was a conscious, artistic decision that works rather nicely, rather than due to working around the limitations of iPhone microphones. Multiple layers of vocals fill out the sound nicely, and when coupled with a lo-fi effect, you get that washy sound popularised by artists such as Sufjan Stevens. It’s also nice that the vocals are not over-produced, and still retain that human touch.

The song itself is about yearning for escape. Of the track’s origins, Matthew writes:
‘This song came about following a drive out to the north-east coast. I was reminded of driving up Sutton Bank in the snow, in a wonderful old car that my dad drove – a 1970’s Datsun Laurel. It felt so luxurious! At the time I was driving to a party and all the anxieties of that I had as a teenager, but in the song I reposition it to be my final drive to reach my dad – to be reunited with him, in his car – to travel to the ‘other side’ as referenced in the song (which in itself is a reference to the ‘why did the chicken cross the road’ joke – the dark existential humour of ‘to get to the other side’, always appealed to me). I did this by remembering that when I was driving to the party I nearly crashed – which I then reframed as a means to reaching my dad.’

‘Heading Out To You’ is also accompanied by a music video directed by Amy Cutler, which was also filmed on (you guessed it) an iPhone:

It’s great to hear how Lines of Flight have taken the constraints of the situation, having to work remotely and having no access to a recording studio, and use these creatively to create something new and unique.

To follow Lines of Flight and hear the rest of the album as it is released, follow them on social media using the links below:

Lines of Flight on Twitter

Lines of Flight on Instagram

Lines of Flight on Spotify

Lines of Flight on Bandcamp

Lines of Flight on YouTube

boywithahalo – ‘Story’

Shoegaze artist Boywithahalo releases contemplative track about life stagnation and isolation.  


‘Story’ opens with an atmospheric sweeping texture of flanged vocalising goodness, before the pounding drums underscore a sing-song two and a half minute contemplation from boywithahalo. 

The vocals are delivered with an air of fragility and resignation as the song opens with a familiar thought, “what’s the point to my story?”. Boywithahalo wrote “story” while stuck overseas in mainland China during the pandemic lockdowns, cut off from friends and family:

“I had no job, I had no audience, and all of the little amount of friends I had back in the US were inaccessible now due to the firewall and distance, and everything stood still for a long while.”


These feelings of isolation and apathy are conveyed in the song, as boywithahalo explains: “At times it felt like I have lost direction, stuck frozen in place and going nowhere at the same time. This song embodies my inner struggle with belonging, and ends on an optimistic note of approaching acceptance and confidence”. This is a very relatable feeling that I’m sure most of us have felt at some point, lockdown or no lockdown.

This mood is effectively conveyed in a number of ways: the laid-back tempo almost ticking like a clock, the simplistic melody and same two chords strummed on the guitar, and the apathetic and almost satirical tone of the vocals hold a quality that really conveys the layered emotions running through his head: he is fed up, unable to do anything or go anywhere, unsure what to do with his life, rearing to go and yet simultanously resigned to the slow tempo of the new normal. It’s remarkable how he manages to convey this with just two chords and a simple melody, and a testament to his artistry.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The track ends with a note of optimism and resolve, with the lyrical punchline “I’ll find a way to make it out there and I’ll tell you my story”. This is a track to listen to when you just want to slow down and take things a step at a time.

This is the 5th single from boywithahalo, and we are looking forward to the next part of the story.

Stream ‘story’ now

boywithahalo on Spotify

boywithahalo on Instagram

boywithahalo on Twitter

Neon Gru – ‘Moonlight’

London-based 6-piece Neon Gru released their debut EP ‘I Am A Bird’ in March, an eclectic and imaginative blend of sounds and styles that bears the mark of great musicianship.

To promote the EP, they released a music video for ‘Moonlight’, track number 4 of the release. The music video was directed by Anna Andersen and Stephanie Sutherland, featuring the latter as choreographer and dancer evocative of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights.  

‘Moonlight’ is an atmospheric yet vibrant alt-pop track that strays boldly from formulaic song writing.

It is a five-minute musical journey that draws you in from the start, with tasty tones from the guitar and keys setting the stage before a Radiohead King Of Limbs-esque drum beat rolls us through to the verse. Ny Oh’s smooth and acrobatic vocals come in here and sound great throughout. The guitars and keys dance around the lead vocals until the two-minute mark where there is the first main tonal shift on ‘overcomplicated’.

We hear the first backing vocals, spreading out the sound stage, and simultaneously the drums open out to a side-sticked bossa beat with a more major tonality which really contrasts nicely from what came before. Atmospheric guitars and keys continue to noodle in both ears until we reach the music punchline on the lyrics “A beautiful star / Hiding in the moonlight…”

After a moment’s reflection, the music takes a darker turn, with a restless bass riff underscoring menacing pick scrapes on guitar and soundscape elements. Ny Oh’s vocals, previously pure in tone, returns with a distortion effect with the hook, “Coming in hot, I’ve been waiting…”, on repeat with growing arrangements underneath, until the production opens out with the band’s backing vocals taking up the hook and Ny Oh ad-libbing on top in a dramatic climax of the song.

The track dies down again with the return of the familiar verse drum beat and distorted vocalising bringing us to the close of the piece.

‘Moonlight’ deviates notably from verse-chorus structure we are so used to. It is more of an A/B, with everything before the build-up as section A, and “coming in hot” to the end as section B. This, and constantly evolving arrangement, makes for a really interesting and engaging track which really doesn’t feel like five minutes.

We hope you enjoy this introduction to Neon Guru’s music and their debut EP ‘I Am A Bird’. It is definitely worth checking out the other tracks on the record. Find out more below:

Click here to stream ‘I Am A Bird’ EP on Spotify

Neon Gru on Facebook

Neon Gru on Instagram

Neon Gru on YouTube

Neon Gru on Bandcamp