Track Of The Day: Jackie Mendoza – ‘Seahorse’

An ethereal ode to the symbiotic nature of the creatures her new track is named after, Jackie Mendoza has shared her latest single ‘Seahorse’ taken from her debut EP LuvHz (Love Hurts). Set for release on April 26 via Luminelle Recordings, Mendoza has said this track “encapsulates the EP sonically and thematically”, and it’s atmospheric beats and dreamy vocals make for an intriguing listen.

Born and raised in the border city of Chula Vista, California, Jackie Mendoza blends the cultural influences of her hometown and her motherland of Tijuana, Mexico, creating eccentric pop, Latin-driven dance beats and vibrant soundscapes. It wasn’t until she took a course for Ableton in college that she became interested in producing her own beats. These skills have taken her to SXSW this year and have assisted her in the creation of her debut EP.

Mendoza’s LuvHz is an exploration of love and relationships. She’s used her personal experiences to unravel the feelings of online unrequited love, the indecisiveness of a new romance, and the toll that being away for long periods of time has taken on her relationship with her home. The EP was recorded with Rusty Santos (Panda Bear’s Buoys), a collaborator that Mendoza quickly realized she had many parallels with. Both have lived in Los Angeles, New York, and Mexico and have an appreciation for Latin producers and Reggaeton artists.

Listen to ‘Seahorse’ below an follow Jackie Mendoza on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order Jackie Mendoza’s EP LuvHz here.

Photo credit: Tayo Okeyan

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears Live @ Notting Hill Arts Club w/ Foxgluvv 16.03.19

Get In Her Ears returned to Notting Hill Arts Club on Saturday night to host another eclectic evening of alt-pop sounds. Headliner Foxgluvv was joined by Party Fears and Grapefruit who performed to a buzzing crowd.

First up were five piece Grapefruit, who delivered their dreamy and intoxicating blend of atmospheric guitar tunes with intricacy and precision. Frontwoman Angela’s captivating vocals were especially impressive on singles ‘Colder’ and the band’s latest release ‘Black and Blue’. Guitarist Grace may have broken a string, but Party Fears came to her rescue….

The Berlin-based duo took to the stage afterwards and played a raucously enjoyable set filled with disco-punk bangers. Joined by their friend Sean on bass, Maggie (guitars & vocals) & Eilis (drums) played a knockout set which featured their latest single ‘Sun King II’, delivered with an energy and charisma that won over the crowd in a heartbeat.

Closing the night was “hungover pop” artist Foxgluvv, who was joined on stage by producer Scott. The pair clearly enjoyed playing and singing to every beat, as they danced away to their buoyant and infectious tunes. ‘Fries’ and ‘Expensive’ were definite set highlights – during ‘Expensive’ Foxgluvv even brandished her own personalised dollar bills and showered the crowd with them. Her soft vocals and sassy attitude worked perfectly together, cementing her as a firm Get In Her Ears favourite.

Huge thanks to the bands, sound engineer and staff at Notting Hill Arts Club. Keep your eyes peeled for more gig announcements from us soon!

Photo Credit: Jon Mo Photography

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LISTEN: Nadia Tehran – ‘Down’

Iranian-Swedish artist and producer Nadia Tehran has shared her new single ‘Down’, and it’s an atmospheric, sharply produced piece of songwriting. Taken from her upcoming debut album which is set for release later this year, Nadia’s vocals rise and fall over glitchy beats and enthralling melodies.

‘Down’ features production from Nadia herself, as well as Fabian “DJ Haydn” Berglund & Patrick Alvarsson, and was mixed by Lexxx (Björk, Fatima Al Qadiri, Jamie Woon). The artist is set to perform at the YEAR0001 Official SXSW showcase on March 14th 2019 alongside Merely, Bladee, Nadia Tehran, Thaiboy Digital, V**gra Boys and Yung Lean too.

Growing up in a Muslim Iranian family in a small Christian town in the middle of Sweden, Nadia Tehran is no stranger to the exploration of cultures and boundaries, and her music is reflective of her ability to mesh these existing worlds together to create something entirely new. Listen to ‘Down’ below and follow Nadia on Facebook for more updates.

Credit: Joakim Eklof

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Cosey Fanni Tutti – ‘TUTTI’

Known for her work as an avant-garde artist and a former member of Throbbing Gristle, Cosey Fanni Tutti has shared her most personal work to date on new instrumental album TUTTI. Released via Conspiracy International, the record is full of ambiguous and gripping soundscapes that provide an aural reflection on Cosey’s life so far.

Originally, the release was conceived as a soundtrack to Tutti’s autobiographical film ‘Harmonic Coumaction’, which she performed live in 2017 as part of the COUM Transmissions retrospective in Hull (UK City of Culture 2017), and then later as an audio-visual installation for her solo exhibition at Cabinet Gallery in London. Since then, the release has taken on new life as an album in its own right.

Recorded at her studio in Norfolk, Cosey’s music speaks volumes without the presence of lyrics. It can be interpreted and enjoyed most effectively when it’s simply left to play out. No track falls below the four minute mark, but time is not something to be conscious of when listening to TUTTI, as each soundscape has an immersive, distracting quality.

The title track opens the record with a mixture of sax samples, mesmeric beats and sharp production. It seamlessly merges in to the aptly named ‘Drone’, followed by ‘Moe’ which retains the edge of both tracks. There’s a more echoic, ambient element present in some of the synths textures, which are interrupted intermittently by glitchy noises. The sparse yet urgent ‘Sophic Ripple’ stands out among the collection, with its tight yet widening progression. ‘Split’ is a slow, uneasy, jagged listen, whilst ‘Heliy’ is another venture into Cosey’s more ambient world – her distant siren-like vocal gently stretching out over considered beats. The penultimate ‘En’ is a slow-burning, engrossing tune and the ornately produced ‘Orenda’ closes the album.

Cosey cites “my life is my art, my art is my life” as her personal motto, and we see no need to contradict her output. An extraordinary life has formed the basis of this unusual and affecting record – we urge you to put TUTTI on now, and see for yourself what this talented artist has to say.

Photo Credit: Chris Carter

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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