Month: April 2021

Following the release of an impressive mixtape ‘92 Degrees’ at the end of last year, Irish rap caviar drill collective, A92, continue to prove why they are the hottest topic. With enough talent and charisma to silence any doubters and a platter of street bangers such as ‘Take It (Yuck)’ and ‘Repeat It’ under their belt this year, A92 continue infiltrating every level of global rap.

The new single ‘Bite’ combines the melody of commercial rap with the bass and pressure of drill, they show why they have broken into charts worldwide. With resident vocalist Andre Fazaz delivering a hook inspired by UKG classic Babycakes, Ksav and BT trade typically slickly delivered battle bars. Produced by 18-year-old Navan native JBJ, who’s earned credit’s on Ivan Dolls’ GRM Daily Dupy, AJ Tracy’s latest project ‘FLU GAME’ and the likes of Rap Man’s ‘Premier League Wrap Up’ alongside catching the attention of UK rappers Mist, Krept & Konan, Headie One and more. This warms up for their 2nd mixtape, set to drop June 2021!

Crashing into the mainstream from their hometown of Drogheda, Ireland (the area code of which gives them their name), the group of seven Irish-Nigerians, namely Offica, Dbo, Ksav, Kebz, BT, Andre Fazaz and Nikz, have gone from local heroes to globally charting phenomenon in a few short months.

Signed to Moves Recordings in May 2020 (following the solo success of Offica on the label), they dropped a string of singles – ‘Who’s On Who’, ‘Duck Duck Goose’, ‘See Me Now’ and ‘A9 Link Up’ – each bigger than the last, building momentum until their major breakthrough came in October 2020; ‘Plugged In Freestyle’. Written and recorded with in half a day and shot as part of the Fumez the Engineer Plugged In freestyle series, the track featured Ksav, Dbo, Kebz and Offica spitting back to back bars over a jumpy drill riddim produced by 16 year old Irish wonderkid Charlie Mockler. Filmed in a couple of takes, this hookless drill freestyle flooded across social media, first in the UK, then beyond. It broke into Spotify’s viral charts in over fifteen countries simultaneously, went wild on Tik Tok, and also raced into the UK and Ireland’s official single charts, breaking into the Top 40 of both – rare enough for a freestyle, let alone one on an indie label, produced by a group of underdog kids fighting to be heard from a forgotten, down-at-heel Irish town.

A92 – https://www.instagram.com/a9ineofficial/

ANDRE – https://www.instagram.com/andrefazaz/

BT – https://www.instagram.com/a9trapboy/

KSAV – https://www.instagram.com/ksav.a9/

Pillow Queens have rescheduled their upcoming Irish shows for December 2021 as well as adding an additional show.

“Due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, we’ve had to reschedule our Irish shows for December 2021. If you cannot make the new date please contact your point of purchase for information on refunds.” – Pillow Queens

Thursday,  2 Dec 2021 Ulster Sports Club, Belfast

*NEW SHOW ADDED*

Wednesday, 8th Dec 2021, Cyprus Avenue, Cork

Tickets available from www.pillowqueens.com

Friday, 17 Dec 2021 Button Factory, Dublin

Sat 18 Dec 2021 Button Factory, Dublin

All purchased tickets will remain valid for the new show dates

All ticket enquiries please contact Tickets.ie

Proudly presented by Singular Artists

https://pillowqueens.com/
https://twitter.com/PillowQueens
www.facebook.com/pillowqueens
www.instagram.com/pillowqueensband

Dublin indie-pop artist PureGrand has released a new single, ‘Pictures’. The song is the third single from his upcoming EP that will be released at the end of this year.

‘Pictures’ features PureGrand’s signature retro-pop sound. The playful mid tempo tune owes influence to 90’s boy band ballads, built on hooks and harmonies. He constructs an earnest 90s love song with a modern twist, with lyrics about contemporary dating and attraction.

He says, “The rules have changed, they’re not as clear, so the song is poking fun at the complexities of modern dating. Often we are infatuated by people, but also keep them at arm’s length. In a way the song is quite sincere, but there’s also tongue in cheek sarcasm as well.”

The song was produced and recorded by PureGrand. A photographer and visual artist, the song accompanies self portrait press photos and a lyric video, also self- produced.

PureGrand is a solo audio/visual project by Dublin native Luke Faulkner. A self confessed pop music freak, he is fast making a name for himself on the Irish music scene with his distinct marriage of strong pop hooks, introspective lyrics and striking visuals which he writes, produces and creates himself. PureGrand takes the sounds and aesthetics of the 80s and 90s and merges them with contemporary themes and lyrics.

Most recently PureGrand was selected by Nialler9’s Best New Acts 2020 as well as Hot Press’s Hot for 2021. Though it started as a bedroom DIY endeavour, PureGrand has gone on to preform at Ireland’ s best homegrown alternative nights including Glitterhole, Avoca’s Queer Cabaret, and Dublin Fringe festival. He most recently performed with Jack Rua, CMAT and Gold Blooded Woman as part of Gotta Tell You, a pop event about the future of Irish pop as part of Music Town Dublin.

Dublin-based singer/songwriter/producer Dunluvly is set to release a new single, ‘Hazey’ on 14th May. The track is a three year project that features layered guitars and contemporary bedroom-pop production. The wavy flanger fingerstyle guitar carries you into a trance-like state, that is complemented by a creative use of guitar delay effects.

This is the first single Dunluvly has released since his EP ‘Plethora’. The EP caught features on Hot Press Magazine, The AU Review and The Thin Air in the wake of 2020.

Dunluvly says, “I wrote this track about a state of distracted anxiety that I named ‘the haze’ at a young age. Through many years of being a bit of a hippie, I developed a way to map the things that would lead me into this state of mind. This song is the story of that process.”

He goes on to say, “This was probably the most delicate recording process I’ve ever encountered. I caught the sound in the original demo, but failed to recreate it for so long. That’s probably why this track took three years to complete.”

Dunluvly is a multi-instrumentalist and producer born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. With roots in traditional Irish music and psychedelic indie, his sound is often described as a sonically rich experience.

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Cork based producer Bantum releases his latest single ‘New Leaf’ on Tuesday May 4th followed by a 3 track EP on May 25th. After the success of ‘Gully’, ‘Tower’ and ‘NGLA’ with Loah last year this is a return to Bantum’s instrumental electro funk sound with a new feel.

‘New Leaf’ introduces a new sound and direction for Bantum inspired by the disco funk soul sound of Stardust, Cassius, Royksopp, Daft Punk, Jungle and Four Tet among many others. Having garnered a reputation for collaborating with artists across Ireland and the UK spanning multiple genres, Bantum has produced a trio of tracks for the inevitable return to the dancefloor. In his own words, “I had this constant image in my mind of going back to a club or a party while writing the record. It’s funny that these are arguably the most danceable and upbeat tracks I’ve written when there’s nowhere to go yet to let loose! It’s been cathartic to produce this record and I can’t wait to play it live someday. The title is a direct reference to how I feel about this, like I’m turning a new leaf sonically.”

Written and produced entirely at home in Cork, ‘New Leaf’ will be the first of multiple Bantum projects over the coming year.

Ruairi Lynch is a Cork native electronic music producer who performs and records under the name Bantum. Mixing elements of electronica, funk, dance and hip hop, he has been releasing music for close to 11 years culminating in the 2016 RTE Choice prize nominated album ‘Move’. He has performed in Ireland, the USA and the UK and has held slots at festivals including Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Sounds from a Safe Harbour, It Takes A Village and many more while opening for the likes of Jon Hopkins and Kiasmos’ Janus Rasmussen. A keen collaborator, Bantum has released music across multiple genres spanning R&B, Soul and Hip Hop in multiple languages. Having spent 2020 steadily releasing singles such as ‘Gully’, ‘Tower’, ‘NGLA’ and working on critically acclaimed short films, Bantum is changing things up again with his upcoming EP ‘New Leaf’. Citing influences as diverse as Nicolas Jaar, Prince, Soulwax, Daft Punk, Four Set and many more, ‘New Leaf ‘ is a step in an even funkier, beat driven instrumental direction to be played at home and in the club.

Bantum website: bantumsound.com

Bantum on Facebook: facebook.com/bantummusic

Bantum on Instagram: instagram.com/bantumruairi/

Bantum on Twitter: twitter.com/RuairiLBantum

Bantum on YouTube: youtube.com/user/BantumMusic

Photo: Celeste Burdon.

Singer/songwriter/spoken word artist Elina Filice returns with her third release of the year, an infectiously groovy tune ‘Everything About You’. Another genre-defying track, Elina this time enlists the help of friend and groove-master Neolithic. The pair met while studying at BIMM Dublin, and have collaborated on projects and performances over the years. 

The song features a laid back beat, jazzy guitar licks, and a stuck-in-your-head chorus. Sprinkled with hooks and layered vocals, the thoughtful lyrics are coupled with intricate production and a surprise acapella outro. 

Elina says, “This song is about when love gets hard. It’s realizing that love goes through seasons, and even the less shiny things about someone or a relationship are still your favourite parts. All of the imperfections make up a perfect whole.”

Neolithic says, “For me, the song represents the moments when you take a second to reflect the little details of a partner, whether preferred or not, as a means to remind yourself how much you adore them, even when they have their own things that might irritate you or vice versa, it’s about taking in the little things that make their personality whole – the beauty that truly be includes our perfect imperfections.”

The song was recorded at Wavefarm Productions (Dublin) and produced by Zachary MacPherson and Elina Filice.

Elina Filice is gaining attention for songs that defy genre and interactive live performances. Her music is soulful and melodic while being influenced by blues and spoken word. Born to Canadian parents, Elina spent her formative years in Singapore before moving to Canada to attend university. She then relocated to Dublin where she worked extensively in the music industry and founded Red Vine Records. Her past releases have been met with critical acclaim from dozens of outlets as well as official Spotify playlists. 

Neolithic has been active in the Irish music scene both solo and with his band, Nobody’s Heroes, for over a decade. A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Neolithic’s music blends genres and influences to bring listeners a groove-heavy and truly engaging experience. 

Connect with Elina: Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  Spotify  Youtube   

Connect with Neolithic: Facebook  Instagram  Spotify  Youtube  

Declan Doyle has just released the music video for his second single, ‘The Bridge’ from his debut album ‘Stress Fractures’, following on from the release of his first single ‘My Baby’ in February.

In contrast to his first release, the music video for ‘The Bridge’ is performance focused and allows the audience to connect directly with the artist and his craft and attach their own story to the song’s emotive lyrics.

‘The Bridge’ and ‘Stress Fractures’ were both recorded and produced by Maurice Seezer (The Stunning, Gavin Friday, The Boxer) in Dunbeacon, Cork and were mastered by Fergal Davis (Muse, Sinead O’Connor).

‘The Bridge’ Single – https://open.spotify.com/track/1Q1Mbf3s41ARQBF2gFEkfc?si=47f94aadaf644a80

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NEOMADiC have just released their brand new single ‘WAVES’ featuring shiv today, alongside announcing the release of their EP ‘AFTER DARK’ due to be released this summer.

The single ‘WAVES’ sees two of Ireland’s most up and coming acts join forces – with NEOMADiC having been championed by Highsnobiety, The Irish Times and Red Bull as well as making their TV debut on RTE’s Other Voices, while shiv was named by RTE 2FM as one of their Rising Artists for 2021 as well as being selected as Hot for 2021 by Hot Press and capturing the attention of the BBC.

‘WAVES’ is a soulful intro into ‘AFTER DARK’ and sets the tone for an EP packed with personality and originality, setting the mood for late night listening. NEOMADiC trade verses over lush mellow productions, pulling you into a world of introspective lyrics that detail personal issues along with subtle spiritual and pop culture references. The EP was recorded in Vancouver Canada, summer 2020.

“I’ve been working for tips, with lyrics on the tip of my tongue, I’m at the tip of my cliff, I got a tip I should jump”

‘WAVES’ is the first release since NEOMADiC’s 2017 debut tape ‘The NEOMADiC Tape’ which caught the attention of the Irish Hip hop scene, resulting in headline slots at festivals such as Electric Picnic and KnockanStockan, as well as support slots with hip/hop legends Souls of Mischief and Pharoah Monch.

NEOMADiC are representative of a new Irish generation, kids of multicultural heritage drawing inspiration from their experiences and beyond. Dyramid is Irish and South Sudanese, and Yake Loga is Irish and Zimbabwean. Yake Loga, having moved to Ireland from South Africa around the age of 17, had been making music as a hobby. After meeting Dyramid in school the pair began collaborating and formed NEOMADiC. This 7 track EP comes after the pair spent a couple of years living in Canada, it is a culmination of their experiences over the past couple of years and an expression of what they have to offer.

‘WAVES’ the brand new single from NEOMADiC featuring shiv is out now across all digital platforms, with the EP ‘AFTER DARK’ due to be released this summer.

Peco’s new single ‘Three Deep Breaths’ is the first from his new album due out later this year. It’s a mid-tempo Americana tinged Indie-folk song, with some thoughtful production and a hook that will refuse to leave your head for some time after listening!

Underneath the airy melody is a more weighty subject matter – the search for mindfulness and calm in a period of turmoil. Peco sings of time being the only currency that matters. The song was written as a comfort to a friend in crisis and ironically has nothing to do with the last year, which I think we’d all rather not talk about any more anyway.

‘Three Deep Breaths’ is out now.

Strange Boy is a 1000-year-old poet channeling through the body of a young man from Limerick. With hard-hitting, thought-provoking lyrics, Strange Boy’s unique mastery of flow renders him one of the most important rappers of our time.

Today Friday 16^th April, Strange Boy shares ‘Waiting’, the song that announces his debut album Holy/Unholy coming this summer.

With genius and poetry, Strange Boy paints a living picture of the raw truth country’s youth – Waiting.

Unfiltered and nuanced, it’s a slow scene of the rapper’s inner life and the lives of those in his community. Strange Boy combines hip-hop and Irish traditional music, the old and new cultural influences dominant in this country.

The music was composed and produced by Enda Gallery in Kilfenora, Co. Clare during lockdown. A master of multitudes of genres, Enda also releases music under his own name, and is currently writing and producing debut albums for not only Strange Boy, but also Tolü Makay and Willzee.

Speaking about the track, Strange Boy says: “I’ve lots of memories of growing up in Limerick, good and bad. With ‘Waiting’ I wanted to put into perspective how my hometown shaped my personality.” Enda Gallery adds “It breaks my heart open to hear it. Every time. I feel like we are witnessing one of the all-time greats.”–

‘Waiting’ by Strange Boy, produced by Enda Gallery, is out on all digital platforms now:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/2J5lJG98pAEd95rDRV5aWL?si=h8gpY4zBTyWFbVu4g1EDOg

Watch Strange Boy’s Live Performance at Ireland Music Week 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn3I3_hy1ok

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strange.boy.theweirdo/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/strangeboywha?lang=en

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LXxi3hXUQ0TEeQtmuWLY4?si=OEwMBarbTn-d4p1P7WPAoQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/de/artist/strange-boy/1215627698?l=en

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCmRNfYRfsyAbxkMRXErwlpg?feature=share