Riotmiloo – Get In Her Ears

Track Of The Day: Riotmiloo – ‘4 Women’ (Nina Simone Cover)

A jagged, heavy re-working of an iconic Nina Simone song, London-based industrial riot grrrl Riotmiloo has shared her latest single ‘4 Women’. The opening track to Furnace Record’s new charity album Black is the New Black: The Power & Privilege Industrial Culture Compilation, Riotmiloo has kept Simone’s powerful observational lyrics at the centre, but she’s twisted the jazzy score to further reflect the insidious nature of the racial stereotypes Simone originally sang about.

“Simply put, Nina Simone was a very talented, feminist and political artist. She sang stories filled with pain and racism with eloquence and exquisitely well,” Riotmiloo explains. “Someone highlighted the similarities between the theme of her song ‘Four Women’ and the stories in my album, La Pierre Soudée. From there I fell in love with this particular song. I cry each time I listen to her renditions.”

“When Darryl Montgomery-Hell from Furnace Records called on artists to give one track for his fundraiser for the Radical Monarchs, it had to be this song. I am so glad it found a home in this varied compilation for such a noble cause. I am so honoured to open the album. Proceeds will be donated to the Radical Monarchs, an organisation that empowers young girls of colour.”

Listen to ‘4 Women’ below.

Follow Riotmiloo on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Listen to, download & donate to Black is the New Black: The Power & Privilege Industrial Culture Compilation on bandcamp

Photo Credit: Blauerosen

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Riotmiloo – ‘Vile Butterflies’

Abrasive beats, pulverizing electronics and seething vocals mesh together on ‘Vile Butterflies’, the latest single from London-based industrial riot grrrl Riotmiloo. Released as part of Chaos Theory’s fundraising compilation album 11 Years Of Chaos, the track bristles with intense unease, mimicking the nervous twitches of the wings of the titular insect.

“The idea behind this song is to not to let negative thoughts suppress your potential. Don’t listen to your vile butterflies,” Riotmiloo explains. Due to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic, Riotmiloo and London-based music promoters Chaos Theory have been unable to perform live shows at one of their favourite venues, The Black Heart in Camden, for over a year. ‘Vile Butterflies’ is one of twenty-six tracks on 11 Years Of Chaos, a compilation album that aims to raise much-needed funds for the venue, as well as promoting many of the artists Chaos Theory have worked with too.

Currently available on bandcamp, 10% of the profits made before 22nd March will be donated to the #SaveTheBlackHeart campaign, with other profits being shared fairly between artists and Chaos Theory so they can invest in more livestreaming equipment. The alternative, genre-defying collection features tracks from heavy rockers Vodun, a beguiling Cocteau Twins cover by Maud The Moth, as well as contributions from Brigitte Handley, Kate Arnold, Prisa Mata, Årabrot, Black Orchids and more.

The album is a fierce, cathartic soundtrack for escapism, but it’s also a heartening reminder that the DIY music community provides a crucial support network for artists, venues and promoters during this unpredictable and difficult time.

Listen to Riotmiloo’s ‘Vile Butterflies’ below.

Download your copy of 11 Years Of Chaos from bandcamp.

Follow Riotmiloo on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Follow Chaos Theory on bandcamp, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment

Track Of The Day: Riotmiloo – ‘Want: I don’t want it’ (Riotmiloo & Eva|3 remix)

Blending Riot Grrrl ethics with dense industrial sounds, London-based Riotmiloo has shared ‘Want: I don’t want it’, a remix of New Zealand trip-hop artist Scalper’s track ‘Want’. Working alongside her musical collaborator Eva|3, Riotmiloo has deconstructed the original song and altered its context to reflect her feelings about consent and the #MeToo movement.

“When Scalper asked me to remix one of his tracks, I chose ‘Want’. It had to be this one,” Riotmiloo explains. “What if I approached it with the “Don’t want” idea? News, various articles and experiences around me lit up my feminist flame. I had never tackled the subject of consent in a song and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I asked Eva|3 if he would agree and then our remix was born.”

A cathartic, raw experience, the dual vocals on ‘Want: I don’t want it’ relay a menacing encounter centered around consent. The role reversal by the end of the track reflects Riotmiloo’s belief that the issues surrounding consent can be dealt with. She extrapolates on this: “Consent is more than ever a subject that ought to be discussed. Social movements like #MeToo and Balance ton Porc (Report your Pig) in France have been decried. Questions like: ‘What was she wearing then?’ or ‘Wasn’t she looking for it to advance her career?’ have been said. There’s no need to say them – ‘no’ means ‘no.'”

Riotmiloo released her debut album La Pierre Soudée, on German label Ant-zen in 2015. Each track is inspired by a real life story which highlights the suffering of women. Listen to ‘Want: I don’t want it’ below and follow Riotlmiloo on Facebook for more updates.