Press Releases For November: Here Are The Artists
Ben Darwish, Hien, Yot Club, The KVB, Garden City Movement, , EELS Are among these press releases for November
Ben Darwish – “Sleepwalkin”: A high R&B falsetto for an all-percussive and synth track with traces of dance and weird electro dream-pop. “Sleepwalkin'” is a song to get lost in. Infusing elements of RnB, soul and electronic music, Darwish’s knack for production is unmistakable, effortlessly fusing sounds and genres akin to the likes of Francis and the Lights and Jai Paul. The song is about being disconnected from reality, constantly looking for something pleasing without appreciating what’s directly in front of you. The refrain “Come alive when you kill something… you never dream if you’re sleepwalkin” describes breaking away from a life unlived. The track comes from the Los Angeles-based artist’s upcoming EP, due out in early 2022, which revolves around themes of technology and voyeurism. “We are obsessed with looking into other people’s lives to fill the gaps of our own,” comments Darwish. Additionally, Darwish has been working for nearly 2 years on presenting a 3D element that will follow interconnected storylines between the songs and the world it takes place in.
Hien –“Bloom”: An airy song with Hien’s ethereal vocals above confident beats and sprawling soundscapes. The Vietnamese-Hungarian and Brooklyn-based artist has announced her upcoming EP, “BLOOM, “ due out this November. The lead single “Bloom” conjures an ethereal, lush soundscape, uplifted by Hien’s airy vocals. With her songwriting coupled with her pristine production, “BLOOM” is a perfect encapsulation of what to expect from the full EP out later this fall. In tandem with the audio, she shares a stunning music video to complement the track, writing: “While writing the songs for my upcoming EP, I visualized the initial music video idea for “Bloom”. I envisioned young girls living blissfully within the rich nature of Vietnam. After learning more about Vietnam’s tribal cultures, I knew I wanted this film to represent girls who were raised in a matrilineal social structure. The Mnong are 1 of the 54 ethnic groups native to Vietnam. They are also one of the few matriarchal tribes, in which the youngest daughter inherits their family wealth, children take their mother’s surname, and women propose to men. The girls in “Bloom” are precious to me – their magic lies in their infectious joy and pure hearts. The music video “Bloom” celebrates young girls, sisterhood, and the cultural diversity of indigenous Vietnam. “
Yot Club – “Alive”: a joyful and light pop tune for a sunny lazy afternoon in the suburbs. This is the brand new single by Yot Club (the project of Ryan Kaiser) and the first track off their forthcoming EP, “Santolina,” due January 2022 via Nice Guys Records. The track was released alongside an accompanying music video. On the track, Ryan said: “‘Alive’ is a song about living in the suburbs. The suburbs are a surreal place because no matter where you are in America it often feels like it’s the same street with all the same stores – like there’s a giant copy-and-paste button somewhere pumping these places out. I wanted the video to illustrate the suburbs through a positive lens, however – highlighting the satisfying repetition and comforting predictability. I had a lot of fun working with director Troy Lustick and the rest of his crew. Troy is an extremely talented and creative guy and I look forward to making more stuff with him in the future.” “The suburbs are a shitty place to be from, but they’re not at the same time,” adds Kaiser. “I was fortunate to be from a place where kids were playing baseball in the streets and building clubs in the woods, but as you get older, you gain a bleaker perspective on everything. That’s the whole vibe of the EP really.” The title nods to the proposed Santolina development in New Mexico, which promises flawless suburban streets and identical houses while sucking local rivers dry to sustain the desert community Ryan’s lo-fi indie-pop project Yot Club stems from a diverse array of influences and offers a unique and recognizable brand of vibrant, sunny pop-rock. Since 2019, Yot Club has released three EPs and more than thirty tracks.
The KVB – “Unité”: A electronic track in the coldwave tradition with cascading drums, pulsing beats, mechanical robotic vocals. and swirls of melodic synths. The duo explains that this new single is “a homage to our time living in Berlin, with the pounding kick drum and grinding electronics.” The song comes from their new record “Unity,” an exciting development in the band’s sonic journey that will be released on November 26 via Invada Records. The music video for their “Unité” perfectly aligns the dark and light sensibilities of the album by lyrically referencing urbanization, and a dystopian potential future wrapped up in a euphoric, rave-tinged groove. Throughout the album lyrical themes combine double meanings and sleight of hand is present; Le Corbusier’s brutalist ‘Unité d’habitation’ informs the title track and via the French-to-English translation ‘Unité’ becomes ‘Unity’ – a rallying cry to totality on the dancefloor. Produced and mixed by Andy Savours (Black Country New Road, My Bloody Valentine, The Horrors), The KVB masterfully pull together all their trademark components across the album’s ten songs; radiant guitars, textural synths and an ear for a moody, brooding melody all presented here with a renewed dynamism.
Garden City Movement – “Summer Night”: A catchy song with infectious dancing grooves and Lola Marsh’s youthful/sexy vocals. The video for the song was recorded live on a soccer field to fit with the FIFA 22 theme as the track is featured on their new soundtrack. Of their inclusion on the FIFA 22 soundtrack, the trio recalls, “It’s the summer of ’97, the three of us, very young boys, each in a different place had the same crazy feeling when ‘FIFA: Road to World Cup 98’ popped up on the screen for the first time. When Blur’s drums hit and the guitar of ‘Song 2’ started playing our minds were blown away but only for a short second as Damon started shouting and the player on-screen performs an insane bicycle kick. At this moment each of us knew that this is the coolest thing on earth and having our song featured in FIFA’s OST is sweeter than most of the things life has to offer. We couldn’t be more humbled and honored to enter this holy grail.” “It’s an amazing feeling to be part of a soundtrack with great artists, like Tame Impala,” notes Lola Marsh. “As kids, we played FIFA 98 and discovered a lot of new songs, we hope that our song, with Garden City Movement, will reach more hearts in the world. Of course, we had to shoot a live version in a soccer field to be as close as we can to the FIFA vibes, it was a whole lot of fun.”
Kidi Band – “So Good”: A nervous dry guitar, complex rhythmical percussion, and multi-voice harmonies echoing in a cathedral chamber: the song is completely original and enjoyable with its polyphonic approach. The Los Angeles-based trio combines unlikely material and uncommon instrumentation (three percussionists, one guitar, and four voices) to make catchy, energizing, and organic music. They clap, slap, buzz, and croon, Linnea Sablosky, and Cooper Wolken play percussion while Steven Kai Van Betten plays a guitar with a piece of paper woven through the strings. All three sing harmonies, precise and sinewy. All parts of a Kidi Band song—melodic and percussive—create an interlocking rhythm soundscape, played and sung as one collective dance. The band has announced their tour in support of Buck Meek (Big Thief), set to begin in Cambridge, MA on November 2. Additionally, they have just signed to Earth Libraries and are sharing their new album, “So Good”, on vinyl for the first time.
EELS – “Steam Engine”: An old-school R&B-inspired song with retro guitars and Mr. E.’s signature croon. This is another one from EELS’ upcoming fourteenth studio album “Extreme Witchcraft,” out January 28 via PIAS, and the band’s own E Works Records. EELS leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, co-produced the record with PJ Harvey producer and guitarist John Parish, marking the first time the two have recorded together since 2001’s “Souljacker” album. E says “John Parish is one of the most even-tempered, polite people I’ve ever met. A true gentleman. Actually, he’s probably THE most polite person I’ve ever met. But when he gets into the studio he becomes a mad scientist. If you make music with John Parish, you get stuff no one else does. He has a really unique toolbox and musical outlook. Perhaps his politeness is a coping mechanism to keep Mr. Hyde under control when he’s out of his laboratory.” EELS are also set for their upcoming Spring, 2022 Lockdown Hurricane tour of Europe and America, starting March 11 in Belfast.
