LISTEN: BABii – ‘Phantom’

Don’t be fooled by the name of youthful newcomer BABii; she’s a fully-fledged producer, songwriter and performer who crafts her own electro-pop beats and her new single ‘Phantom’ showcases her ability to do so.

Taken from her debut LP HiiDE, which is set for release in 2019 via Deathwaltz Originals, ‘Phantom’ is one of many tracks which  “focuses on the key themes of hiding and secrets”. BABii’s upbeat synths and gentle vocals mask the vulnerability in the lyrics to ‘Phantom’, making it a playful and easy listening experience.

With her upcoming tour dates supporting Miho Hatouri (listed below) and after receiving support from Iglooghost’s Diplo & Friends mix for BBC Radio 1, one thing’s for sure: it’ll be hard for BABii to hide from an exciting new career in electronic pop music. Listen to ‘Phantom’ below and follow BABii on Facebook for more updates.

BABii 2018/2019 Live Dates
10/12 – Shacklewell Arms, LONDON UK (supporting Miho Hatori)
12/12 – Green Door Store, Brighton UK (supporting Miho Hatori)
8-17/3 – SXSW Festival USA

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears Live @ Notting Hill Arts Club w/ Alyss 01.12.18

Get In Her Ears returned to West London’s Notting Hill Arts Club on Saturday night to host another successful night full of alternative electronic music. For our second gig at the venue, we chose Alyss to headline; with support coming from the brilliant Elsa Hewitt, Temples of Youth and Varley.

First up were Berlin-based trio Varley, who played a beautiful stripped back set to an appreciative, respectfully quiet crowd. Vocalist Claire-Ann Varley’s gentle, clear voice was perfectly accompanied by the acoustic & electric guitar sounds of bandmates Matthias Heising & Joschka Bender. When she cautiously asked for a little audience participation during one particular song, she was rewarded with attempts to mimic her soft voice, and the trio left the stage to well deserved and rapturous applause.

 

 

Up next were our favourites, electronic duo Temples Of Youth, who (as always) performed a stunning set. Jo & Paul’s blend of old and new songs – including ‘Darker Places’, the title track from their latest EP – captivated the crowd with their ambient guitar sounds and Jo’s standout vocals. We never tire of seeing these two live, and we were thrilled to have them on the bill with other talented electronic artists.

Penultimate act Elsa Hewitt was a one woman music machine. She played a hypnotising set, which included her latest single ‘Invisible Threads’. It’s always a pleasure to watch artists lose themselves within their own sound, and watching Elsa perform her intricate tuning and triggering, whilst simultaneously performing her soft vocals so seamlessly was a genuine pleasure to witness. We were so caught up in her soundscapes we lost track of time, and as we gently ushered her set to a close, electro-pop Queen Alyss took centre stage.

Clad in a shiny cape and black-rimmed hat, headline act Alyss dominated the stage with her powerful vocals and uncompromising attitude. Performing as a one woman band, she had the room packed full of fans who were dancing along to her pop hooks and bouncing beats.

Huge thanks to the bands and to Notting Hill Arts Club, and extended thanks to all those who donated their spare change on the door to National AIDS Trust on #WorldAIDSday – we appreciate your generosity!

Keep your eyes peeled for more gig announcements from us soon.

Photo Credit: Jon Mo Photography

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LISTEN: Susanna – ‘City Of Hope’

Norwegian artist Susanna has shared her new single ‘City Of Hope’ alongside the news she’ll be releasing her new album Garden of Earthly Delights on 22nd February via her own label, SusannaSonata. The track is inspired by the works of medieval Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.

Bosch was hailed as an incredible “ahead-of-his-time artist”, and his artwork bears strong comparison with Susanna’s music. Bosch’s iconic images range from the panoramic to the intimate, and express bliss, torment and tortuous inner conflicts. Visionary, disturbing, spiritual; vivid images of darkness and light, good and evil, heaven and hell and the folly of mankind – Susanna uses Bosch as a template to construct her own art.

On her new record, she has enlisted the help of a team of musicians called The Brotherhood of Our Lady. Together, Susanna and her band have crafted minimal but meaningful sounds, and ‘City Of Hope’ is an exciting taste of what’s to come. Speaking about the track, Susanna explains: “‘City of Hope’ is a manic chant for guiding in love and life, with hints of ecstasy in the horizon even though something’s lurking in the undertow.”

Listen to ‘City Of Hope’ below and follow Susanna on Facebook for more updates.

Photo credit: Signe Fuglesteg Luksengard

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: SPELLLING – ‘Haunted Water’

Sacred Bones signee SPELLLING has shared her new single, the aptly named ‘Haunted Water’ alongside the news she’ll be releasing her new album Mazy Fly on 22nd February in 2019. The track is a spell-binding listen with a sinister context; recounting memories of colonial violence that haunt the historical slave ship routes of the Middle Passage.

SPELLLING (aka Chrystia Cabral) began experimenting with music production in 2015 in an effort to continue the creative legacy of a lost loved one, and released her first record Pantheon of Me, in September 2017 via Bandcamp. Inspired by the messages in her dreams, her sound breaches the void between clarity and obscurity – and latest single ‘Haunted Water’ is a perfect example of this.

Despite the track’s painful but important context, SPELLLING’s soft vocals give the song a softer quality, amidst slow, intense synths and steady beats. She embraces the negative side of human nature, and explores it by blending R&B sensibilities with intriguing electronics.  Listen to ‘Haunted Water’ below and follow SPELLLING on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of Mazy Fly here.

Photo credit: Catalina Xavlena

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment