Julia Mascetti – An Intelligently Dark Lullaby

It’s not often that a collection of songs captures the imagination in a way that is both innovative, and steeped in history, but this is exactly what Julia Mascetti has achieved with her new EP – In Distance, Everything is Poetry.

Growing up in the UK, Julia was raised on a solid diet of English folk music and storytelling, but took to the harp after relocating to Tokyo to live with her boyfriend. It was at this point that her new passion for the harp was born, and inevitably, the cross pollination of her influences began.

Her lead track In Bloom is a haunting, crawling mish-mash of sound and emotion, driven by a dreamlike, picked harp that weaves in and out of subtle, tasteful sonic details that decorate the production of the track. It is this attention to detail that gives the track its brooding, dream like atmosphere, providing the perfect platform for Julia’s storytelling to really shine.

If you’re a fan of Joanna Newsom, Nick Cave or Kate Bush, Julia’s new EP will not disappoint. Check out a live version of In Bloom here and be sure to pick up In Distance, Everything is Poetry on the 10^th of November!

 

https://www.youtube.com/juliamascetti

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https://www.instagram.com/juliamascetti

https://tokyoharp.blog

 

Ethereal and experimental new EP ‘Circus’ from alternative pop artist Daisy and The Dark

‘Somewhere between the ghostly gliding & luscious laments of Kate Bush, the boldness of Björk and the haunting images of Kylie Minogue floating in a lake, comes Sarah Kayte Foster.’ – Backseat Mafia

‘Resplendent, bold and ambitious.  It’s her daringness to experiment  – and those ethereal, oscillating vocals – that sets Daisy and The Dark apart’ – Chart Shaker

Cinematic in atmosphere and brimming with carnivalesque creativity, Circus is the brand new exciting EP from experimental pop artist Daisy and The Dark (aka Sarah Kayte Foster).

Previously a member of classical chart-topping band the Mediaeval Baebes for five years, Sarah left the band in 2014, after charting at No. 8 in the UK Classical Charts with the double album ‘Of Kings and Angels’.

She has since poured her musical talent into a solo career as Daisy, performing theatrical shows at Secret Garden Party and the Royal Albert Hall, and releasing her 2015 debut EP ‘Red Planet’ as a new interactive app which IBM called ‘the best collaboration between music and technology I’ve seen in a long time.’   The record went on to receive a whole host of online coverage, garnering praise from the likes of SupaJam, Chart Shaker and Noizze.

Her new EP ‘Circus’ is set for release July 8th.

Stream lead single ‘Circus’ here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgPTG6bLTDg

A vibrant video directed by BAFTA award winning Shreepali Patel accompanies lead single and title track ‘Circus’, with cinematography coming courtesy of award-winner Nicola Daley – making it one of the few music videos to have an all female team at the helm.

Sarah’s creative energy extends beyond music and she has worked extensively as a professional actress, as well as creating artwork, videos, costume and performance art all inspired, like her songs, by her great love of cinema and magic.

Her ethereal and other-worldly style is sure to appeal to fans of artists like Kate Bush, Bjork, FKA Twigs, Bat for Lashes and David Bowie.

Circus EP will be released on July 8th via Foster’s own label, Red Planet Records, and she will play a special free show at Miranda, Ace Hotel London on July 8th to mark the release.  For limited free guest list contact info@daisyandthedark.com.

 

Links:

https://twitter.com/DaisyandtheDark

https://www.facebook.com/DaisyAndTheDark/

https://soundcloud.com/daisy-and-the-dark

Influenced by the golden era of hip hop, UK producer / rapper Zero Dinero comes through with this electrifying new EP The Time Has Come demonstrating some energetic flows, tight rhymes and some very impressive instrumentals.

Guest appearances include Kool Keith (aka Dr Octagon) and Blackalicous’s Gift of Gab, as well as famous scratch DJ, Sir BEANS OBE. The artwork and video meanwhile comes courtesy of Graham Dews (aka PARIS), the artist behind Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto cover. An impressive coup for this Swindon debutant.

Please listen to the track ‘Be and Make’ from the EP below:

https://soundcloud.com/nil-cash/be-and-make/s-EPgdg

A multi-talented musician, Zero Dinero (who’s given name is Nilkesh Mehta) handles all his own production. As well as rapping alongside hip hop legends he also plays guitar, sitar, tablas (Indian percussion), harmonium (Indian Keyboard), and has experience as a hip-hop/ funk/ reggae DJ starting out aged only 14.

Embracing his Indian roots, Zero weaves elements of Eastern philosophy into his lyricism. Some of the themes include meditation, Yoga and reading philosophy – which are uniquely presented for the first time in a Hip hop context.

The rapper’s life has been one of many challenges. Between 1999 and 2000 he travelled the world teaching English to UNICEF kids and learning Spanish fluently, something that has helped him to have such a clear outlook on life. Following a degree in International relations and Law he found himself in a corporate environment, which never sat well with him. He also recently had a serious health scare battling early Testicular Cancer.

Having overcome all this, Zero Dinero is now ready to fully pursue his true calling and has devoted himself to the career in hip hop that he always wanted. Due to his Indian background, his parents thought he should keep music strictly as a ‘hobby’ when he was younger, rather than pursue it as a ‘profession’. The Time Has Come sees him finally overcoming obstacles and following his passions.

With such endorsements from Hip hop royalty; Zero Dinero’s unique eastern influenced debut release will truly add a new dimension to both the UK and global Hip Hop scenes.

The Time Has Come is out May 21st

 

Links:

http://www.zero-dinero.com

https://www.facebook.com/zerodinero/

https://twitter.com/zero_dinero

Andrea Di Giovanni releases atmospheric new electropop single ‘I’ll Take Care of Myself’

21-year-old Italian-born singer, Andrea Giovanni (photo credit: Barbara Gallozzi – Photo Studio Imag&vents), is set to release atmospheric new electropop song, ‘I’ll Take Care of Myself’, set to drop April 15th. Taking influence vocally from Sam Smith and Jess Glynne, the artist delivers a soaring vocal performance that has the potential to appeal both to underground fans and the masses. Marco Casaluce produces the instrumental, opening with brooding synth swells before erupting with some hard-hitting bass.

Catch a teaser here: https://soundcloud.com/andrea-di-giovanni-2/ill-take-care-of-myself-teaser-andrea-di-giovanni

https://soundcloud.com/andrea-di-giovanni-2/ill-take-care-of-myself-teaser-andrea-di-giovanni

Raised in Rome, Andrea moved to the UK in 2013 to pursue his dreams as a singer. A sufferer of the rare skin condition vitiligo, Andrea was bullied in the youth for the affliction putting him in a very dark place. His strict Catholic upbringing also made it hard for him to openly come to terms with his bixesuality. Moving to the UK, he was able to finally find acceptance, learning to embrace them as strengths instead of weaknesses.

As he explains himself, ‘I started to see vitiligo as my edge and distinctive characteristic of my personality, a strength. I decided to show it in the covert art-work of the single, ‘taking care of myself’ means also the ability to transform what you’ve always considered weaknesses into beautiful strengths.’

Andrea also has an EP ‘Soultrip’ on the way scheduled for release in July.

 

Links:

Website: http://andreadigiovanni.it/

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/andrea-di-giovanni-2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreadigiovannimusic/?fref=ts

Twitter: @adigiovannioff

Profound electro-pop EP ‘Circles’ from up-and-coming singer Francesco, aka 1ofUs

Up-and-coming Italian singer and songwriter, 1ofUs delivers his debut EP, CIRCLES, a stunning electropop record themed around his life’s journey.

Having attempted to pursue a career in music over two decades ago (he was signed to Warner at one point), the artist was forced to abandon his dreams after his project due to ‘reasons not pertaining to the music, regrettably, in the end, never eventuated’.

Pouring his creative energy into a career in Architecture, he opened his own studio in Frankfurt, Germany where he spent the next three years. He then moved back to Northern Italy where he continued to work for the next 20 years projecting buildings and vast urban areas across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Listen to ‘Home’ here: https://soundcloud.com/user-584708832

This long overdue EP sees the artist finally returning to music, reflecting on his experience with a newfound wisdom.

‘This is the origin of the EP title, CIRCLES,’ he explains. ‘Everything in life comes back somehow, like a circle.’

No longer young, CIRCLES nonetheless feels surprisingly fresh in sound, sporting some very flashy and modern electronic instrumentation courtesy of producers Andy Whitmore and Matt Knight. Born on the border between Italy and Slovenia, his music also contains a touch of Italian/Balkan influence. The album was recorded and produced in London. Lead single ‘Home’ takes inspiration from the November 2015 Paris bombings, reflecting on the need for home as a place of peace for oneself and for others. It is a topical and highly relatable song that proves Francesco’s musical relevance and his talents as a lyricist.

As he further explains: ‘the song touches on the difficulties of being free, of loving, of being together, and the fact that this hardship must not stop the journey towards our soul.’

A music video is in the works scheduled to be finished by mid-April.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/1ofUsUk/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf

https://twitter.com/1ofUs_Music

Jay-Jay Johanson ‘Moonshine’ EP Released April 13th on Kwaidan Records

Releases new cover of ‘Laura’ by Bat For Lashes

 

Swedish producer, songwriter and avant-garde extraordinaire Jay-Jay Johanson returns with his ‘Moonshine’ EP, out April 13^th on Kwaidan Records. The 4-track EP consists of two original new songs and two new covers, ‘Moonshine’ demonstrates more of Johanson’s masterful musicianship and soulful, melancholic vocals and showcases his rich artistic universe with the healthy dose of experimentation that makes his work consistent and daring, utterly modern and always surprising.

The EP opens with the lead single of the same name. ‘Moonshine’, out individually on March 23^rd, is a tragic love letter told against a dark, cinematic backdrop, with a pulsating and eerie beat and heavy electronics. Johanson composed the track with the soundtracks of both Ennio Morricone and John Barry in mind, and explains “The song tells a story of being in love with someone that might not be the best one for you, but sometimes you just can’t resist the choice of your heart.”

 

 

‘Capricorn’ provides a slower, more sombre beat reminiscent of Portishead, Barry Adamson and Son Lux. Here, Johanson’s beautifully romantic voice takes centre stage and his keen ear for retrocentric pop hooks is obvious. It’s plain with tracks such as these why Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins has been, and continues to be, such a close collaborator.

Next we’re taken through a carefully executed version of Brian Eno’s ‘By This River’, stripped back with piano lead and close vocal harmonies that provide an almost untampered interpretation, one that’s dreamier, more soulful, but an obvious homage. A feeling that’s echoed in the next track, a cover of ‘Laura’ by Bat For Lashes. With trip-hop beats and a low-fi delivery, Johanson offers his own story amongst these heartfelt lyrics. A feeling that is mirrored by the deep heartbeat that ends this beautifully composed rendition.

The artwork itself, a crossword offered out to fans over social media to complete, is a testament to Johanson’s poetic mind and his fondness for the written word, whilst keeping fans involved in a more modern fashion.

With further touring plans and an album release planned later in the year, ‘Moonshine’ is a perfect taster that leaves you wanting more, and a gateway drug into the rich and diverse world of Jay-Jay Johanson.

 

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THE WINDMILLS PROJECT – DEATH DISCO EP (STATION K RECORDS)

Coming Soon on limited edition 10” vinyl only, The Death Disco EP represents the first of 3 x 10” vinyl only Chapters comprising the debut album to be released by The Windmills Project  – a rock opera influenced but not contained by the classics of the genre (Tommy, Quadrophenia) and Nic Roeg’s celluloid masterpiece “The Man Who Fell To Earth.”

There is no Bowie or Sting, no Elton, but a young sorceress lands on Earth nonetheless to document a small world obsessed with, and about to be consumed by, sex, propaganda, powerlust, religious war & social carnage. Is she an archangel of redemption or the darkangel sent to cast the planet down in misery? There’s the rub.

The Death Disco EP is now available to be watched and stripped at YouTube via the Station K channel. Rip it up: