EP: Rookes – ‘Liminal’

Rookes is a solo electro-pop project based in London. She has just released her second EP, Liminal, using ’80s synth sounds as a frame for her powerful voice, reminiscent of the best of the Eurythmics or Yazoo. This sets the scene for a four track EP, in which Rookes explores her own love experiences during two years of exploration of her queer identity across the London dating scene. 

‘Salvage’ is a slow, shimmering start dealing with post-breakup feelings, becoming more urgent and uptempo with the chorus, whereas ‘New Lovers’ has an eerie ’80s feel, with spiralling synths. However, the synths gain a harder edge as the song goes on, expressing the fear of a dangerous love (“do me no harm”). 

Lead single, ‘Liminal’, is catchy and poppier, where a lover is asked to take a romantic risk; suggesting both hope and caution, it’s a beautifully uplifting ballad. ‘Constellations’, however, closes the EP on a poetic note, oozing a dreamy warmth alongside soaring strings and shimmering synths.

This EP is polished, dramatic, and features intriguing songwriting. And you can dance to it! The emotions and experiences are completely relatable in songs centred on looking for love; finding it (but not being ready), and then losing it again. A stirring collection that will leave you wanting more of Rookes’ glistening soundscapes. 

Liminal is out now. Stream on all online platforms.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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EP STREAM: TABS – ‘Love Like This’

“It’s so powerful for butch women to take that feeling of hate and being ‘incorrect’, and turn it into something amazing.”
(‘Why I Love My Butch Lesbian Identity‘ – Cosmopolitan)

TABS (previously writing and releasing under the name Detour City) tells her story of being a butch lesbian in an increasingly hostile world in new EP Love Like This.

A singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer based in East London, TABS has written, recorded and produced the EP herself. Inspired by the soundscapes of Massive Attack and Bjork, as well as the storytelling songs of Joni Mitchell and k.d lang, it’s a poignant and powerful collection.

Whilst signed to major labels (Polydor, BMG) TABS felt misunderstood. As a club promoter of Butch, Please! – an amazing lesbian club night which we love – she connected with butch lesbians all over the world and began the journey of making the EP. Seeking authenticity, she self-releases this EP with the support of her queer community.

Speaking about the EP, TABS explains:

“My story. My way. As a woman and a butch lesbian trying to write music I found the industry difficult and I found it hard to be heard. It took guts to walk away and choose a different path. I can’t help but write music. I’ve done it since I was two years old and singing has saved me over and over again. So, in these turbulent and unsettling times, I want this music to tell my story.” 

Dealing with themes of family rejection, the struggle to be herself and the violence she has suffered – Love Like This is a deeply personal exploration of hopes and fears in these turbulent times. Go listen, we love it!

 

Love Like This is out now. Buy a digital or hard copy over on TABS’ Bandcamp. To hear more from TABS check out her Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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Track By Track: Ziv – ‘Near Mint’

22 year old singer, rapper and beatmaker from Jerusalem. Ziv has been making music since the age of 13. Writing, recording and producing all her music herself, she’s had a strong sense of dedication to her own music from early on, quitting high school at the age of 16 to pursue her dream of studying music, which she did at the esteemed RIMON School for Jazz and Modern Music.

Now, having just released her new EP Near Mint, Ziv has showcased her shimmering, dreamy sounds and seductive vocals by creating an exquisitely crafted blend of mega chilled, lo-fi hip hop.

To tell us more about the EP, Ziv has given us the lowdown on each track:

‘Fav Shirt’
This song is a harmonic depiction of my bed as a deserted island, shared with a lover, a joint, and Netflix binge watching, while wearing my fav shirt – his huge T-shirt. A memory of me and my ex-boyfriend.

‘Lips To Kiss You’ 
This is a song about experiencing and sharing an intimate moment, compared to other habits of nature.

‘9/11’
My heart got broken so bad, it felt like a 9/11 attack on my body. The pain in my heart was so physical, and the struggle was real and harsh, but singing about it made it easier to cope through.

‘Bigger me’
‘Bigger me’ is an experimental pop song, the only song from ‘Near Mint’ to use auto-tune, which gives it a strange sound and a strong feeling of tension. The lyrics are about the relationship between a therapist and her client, finding himself in a familiar dark place in life, in a loss of control and the fight to get out to a better place.

‘Feels like’
I wrote this song on Yom Kippur, the holiest day according to Jewish tradition, a day of self-examination, observed mainly with a fast. I personally self-examined by smoking weed in my room and thinking about my ex-boyfriend – the first time I felt love, and everything I learned from it. I was flipping through samples and this one hit my heart – I knew it was meant to be.

Huge thanks to Ziv for this track by track lowdown. Listen to Near Mint in full on Spotify now. 

Photo Credit: Silvi Cohen

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