Bring Me The Mountain marks a slight departure from Uma’s previous work. Her debut EP Bel.li, which came out earlier this year, fit more in the indie folk cannon. Filled with ‘intimate lyricism and intricate arrangements’, the album harkened back to the sounds of artists such as Sibylle Baier and Linda Perhacs. Her recent collaborations with Lucy Lu, including a cover of Little Dragon’s Twice, have had a more intense and distinctly modern feel. Perhaps this shift in tone is a reflection of the world in which her more recent music was created.

Uma wrote Bring Me The Mountain with Lucy Lu, whose real name is Luke Bower, during the Covid-19 lockdown, at her house in Spain. The track has a mounting sense of urgency, enhanced by the presence of a pulsating beat and a creeping bass-line which feels like its getting closer and closer. The lyrics, too, have a prophetic feel to them. Uma’s haunting voice sings: ‘Bring me the mountain before the end of the world// Bring me the myrrh and the incense…’

At its heart, the song explores human connection. In Uma’s words, it is ‘about being seen when you are in pain and vulnerable… about the people who help you out of that and the people who stand by and watch.’ When Uma sings ‘Tell me a story… give me a hand’, it sounds like an appeal for comfort and warmth at a time of difficulty. In this way, the track is a beautifully honest homage to being vulnerable.

A mixture of vulnerability and determination has always flowed through Uma’s music, and this song is no different. ‘Life’s too short to run away…’, she repeats twice in the final section, her voice clear and powerful.

The unique sound effects and instrumentation exhibit Luke Bower’s usual playful feel, drawing influences from a multitude of genres such as dance music and jazz. In the words of Uma, ‘there’s definitely an exploration of acoustic and electronic sounds… I think that is a result of the balance of Luke’s style and my own’.

The collaboration between them began at the start of lockdown and gave the pair the ‘time and space to write together’ for the first time. This experience was described by Uma as a ‘real lesson in loving someone, being honest and having a sense of humour’. Bower concurred that ‘Working together, the music develops in a natural yet unpredictable way’.  The joy of collaboration can truly be felt in the song. Uma and Bower’s separate verses are given the space to stand alone and breath, but you also get a strong sense of dialogue between them. Their vocals bounce off one another to create a sonic world entirely their own.

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My sweet boys @glassanimals asked me to hop onto their timeless banger “Tangerine” off their album “Dreamland”! It was a pleasure to be a feature and have a boogie on stage with them for their livestream. Love you boys go smash the link in my bio to listen

A post shared by Arlo Parks (@arlo.parks) on Oct 17, 2020 at 9:58am PDT

The livestream show, that took place on Friday, was titled Glass Animals: Live In The Internet. The band wanted to promote their new album and unfortunately had to do so with a virtual performance due to obvious reasons. The event was, however, enhanced by elaborate sets and visuals -each designed to reflect one of their three EPs.

The presence of special guests Arlo Parks and Denzel Curry, the latter of whom features on the album in song Tokyo Drifting, made the live-stream even more exciting. Park’s verse on Tangerine gives the track a more varied and melancholy feel. In her signature soft vocals she sings wistfully about missing a past love: I wanna see you blooming like a tulip with your hair dyed peach… I used to know the way you smiled// And how you liked your tea// Now your spirited away… I miss that sweet little tangerine.

This is not the first time Parks has collaborated with Glass Animals. Back in April she teamed up with the Oxford band’s frontman Dave Bayley to deliver a cover of Drake’s hit single Hotline Bling. Incidentally, Tangerine and Hotline Bling both have that Timmy Thomas Why Can’t We Live Together backing beat that gives both songs a foot-tapping vibe.

Glass Animal’s Dreamland was a sleekly produced introspective album, that saw the band writing about personal experiences more than before. It was created after a period of intense trauma for the band, due to the fact that drummer Joe Seaward was hit by a truck in Dublin and nearly died. Seaward, who suffered extensive brain damage, had to relearn how to ‘walk, talk, and drum again’.

It is good to see the band being so active after such a period of distress. Hopefully there will be more collaborations, music and live-streamed shows in the near future!

 

 

 

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In a year where everyone’s live shows have gone down the drain. I’m so exited to be putting on a show in my dream venue. I will be live streaming a live performance for you guys in the mf Tate Morden!!!!! Save the date. The rona won’t stop us

A post shared by Griff (@wiffygriffy) on Oct 15, 2020 at 9:05am PDT

Griff’s first EP ‘The Mirror Talk EP‘ was released with Warner Records back in November 2019. Since then she has taken the UK music scene by storm, having been described as the UK’s ‘Brightest New Pop Star‘. Griff is only 19 years old, but her song writing skills have matured a lot over her short time in the industry. Her debut EP was certainly impressive, but her 2020 creations such as singles ‘Good Stuff‘ and ‘Forgive Myself‘ feel more emotionally mature and also more distinctively her own style.

In the last few months, Griff has branched out into collaborations with exciting names such as HONNE and TSHA, lending her smooth vocals to their complex beat arrangements. 1,000,000 X Better, collab with HONNE, saw Griff singing about the support a loving relationship can give: ‘…I know sometimes I’m heard to love… When I got clouds hanging over my head// Yeah I get irrational, crazy, upset// But you// Pick me back up and// You tell me it’s okay’. 

The beat and electronic arrangements gave the track a dreaminess reminiscent of Owl City’s music. Her collaboration with TSHA, released in August this year, was a more upbeat affair. However the lyrics of that song, too, explored serious themes. Griff stated that Say It Again was written when ‘a lot of her friends were going through mental health issues, and [she] felt so helpless. This song is basically [her] helpless self trying to reassure a friend whose going through a really difficult time’. 

Griff’s ability to make serious and vulnerable music that can also get you dancing is quite unique. Perhaps this is one reason why she is a nominee for the first ever Ivor Novello Rising Star Award. This year must have been difficult for her as an artist, as she has been unable to perform live shows due to the Covid-19 pandemic; It is good news that she can at least fulfil her dream of performing at the Tate!

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Last week I shared a song I’d made about my Dad. I was unbelievably nervous about putting it out into the world, but I can’t begin to describe how it felt to receive so many messages from people who connected with it and opened up to me about their own experiences. I’ve had some amazing conversations about it all week and this afternoon the song is getting played on @bbcradio1 , at 5pm on Life Hacks with @katiethistleton and @vicknhope – I can’t even begin to tell you what this means to me. The song is now also available to stream in all the places you’d expect it to as I was keen for people to be able to listen to it easily. You can find it by searching for: Aymee Weir- Your Car Again, thanks so much to @aymeeweir for working on this with me. I’ve stuck the Spotify link to the song in my bio.

A post shared by Matt Edmondson (@matthewedmondson) on Oct 11, 2020 at 8:00am PDT

The track, which contains lyrics like ‘I always felt second best ‘cos I know your depression kinda made me depressed’, is about Edmondson’s father who suffered from bipolar disorder and alcoholism. His father eventually killed himself when Matt was 22, an event that had a profound effect on him. Matt has said that he has only began to come to terms with the tragedy recently, stating that he started going to counselling a couple of years ago.

The process of writing this song apparently had a therapeutic affect too, as having hidden his pain for so long Edmondson now feels a weight of his shoulders and has experience much support since its release.‘I’d never spoken about this because I’d hidden it, I was worried other people would feel pain or I’d bring the vibe down…I also didn’t know if the song was any good but more importantly I’d never spoken about this before. I felt very vulnerable. But the reaction has been unbelievable.’

This sentiment is echoed in the lyrics when Weir sings that ‘My friends ask me but I get upset// They know you were sick but I leave out the rest’. Now that Edmondson has opened up he feels ‘connected’ to listeners who have contacted him about their own personal experiences. It is vital that music like this is made, as it contributes to the on-going conversation about mental health within the music industry, and is an example of how creativity can help heal emotional wounds.

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Angels! As part of the 6th annual Everyman Cinema Music Film Festival, I’ll be hosting a one-off event at the magnificent Screen On The Green venue in Islington on October 20th. There’ll be lovely guests n I’ll be premiering my next release + music video WITH a Q&A and a few other special surprises. It’ll all be safe and masked! tickets are supa limited ofc so smash the link in my bio I miss y’all

A post shared by Arlo Parks (@arlo.parks) on Oct 11, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

South London singer-songwriter Arlo Parks has been busy this year. She has released three powerful singles: Eugene, Black Dog and Hurt, as well as a cover of Radiohead’s Creep. In addition to this, she has appeared on countless platforms such as COLORSXSTUDIOS, BBC Live Lounge and most recently a Channel 4 special for World Mental Health Day.

Park’s spoken words are as eloquent as her song-lyrics. At only the age of twenty, she is incredibly self-aware about her mental health and the creative process. Talking to Jordan Stephens of Rizzle Kicks, she articulately discusses the dissonance between the way one sees oneself vs. the way the world sees you: ‘things can be going incredibly in terms of your career… but the internal landscape is so detached from the success around you’.

The Everyman’s annual Music Film Festival is a way of celebrating the ‘crossover and creativity between the fields of music and film’. It has been running for six years now, and in the past has involved Q&A’s, live music and film screenings of films such as Amazing Grace and Teen Spirit. This year, alongside Parks, there will be a feature of Nick Cave playing his songs alone at Alexandra Palace; as well as an exclusive screening of Billie Holiday tapes and interviews.

Park’s session is set to feature ‘a selection of music videos’ which will then presumably be discussed in the Q&A. She is a well chosen candidate for this conversation, given the artful nature of her music videos. The video for Eugene, directed by Loyle Carner and his brother, was an evocative accompaniment to the track. The birds-eye view of Parks and her best friend lounging about in a bedroom gives the viewer the sense of observing perfectly undisturbed and intimate moments.

This connection between film and music, of how the two can enhance and affect each other, is an interesting topic of conversation. To buy tickets to the Everyman Cinema Music Film Festival or to find out more, please click here.

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Lovely stuff. New album #E3AF out October 30th pre order link in bio.

A post shared by Dizzee Rascal (@dizzeerascal) on Oct 10, 2020 at 11:25am PDT

Dizzee took to his Instagram to comment on the award, saying ‘Lovely stuff’, and to remind followers that his highly anticipated new album E3AF is due for release on October 30th. Dizzee Rascal is no stranger to awards. His sensational debut album, Boy in da Corner, made him the youngest person ever to receive a Mercury Prize at 19 years old.

His contribution to the UK grime scene is unquestionable. Though his main achievement is surely bringing grime to the mainstream with Boy in da Corner, he also started Dirtee Stank Records in 2003 with a view to promoting promising artists with ‘social problems’ that might make major labels reluctant to take them on. Dirtee Stank has released several successful artists like Klass A and Newham Generals.

When Dizzee self produced his first single, aged 16, it was clear that he was operating in a different league from his musical contemporaries. I Luv U, with its glitchy beat, rapid cymbals and furious flow, put Dizzee on the map. The tonality of his voice here sounds like an instrument in itself, and his lyrics – although pretty derogatory by todays standards – feel entirely authentic.

This talent was first spotted by a music teacher at Langdon Park school, who was thanked in in the credits on Boy in da Corner‘s album sleeve. Dizzee wrote: ‘Special thanx to Mr. Smith, da best music teacher Langdon Park ever let go (you fools). I’ll never forget da way you kept the faith in me, even when things looked grim.’

Since then, Dizzee Rascal has released six albums, each one more innovative than the last. His most recent, Raskit, saw him ‘reclaim his crown’. It definitely signified a departure from the cocky lyricism of his earlier work, with tracks like Wot U Gonna Do? sounding like the concerns of an artist worried about fading into obscurity: ‘What you gonna do when they won’t play your records// And you don’t get booked ’cause your buzz is all gone’.

But Dizzee doesn’t have to worry about that. October 2nd release Body Loose, that sampled its beat from 2000’s garage classic Body Groove, was a catchy and inventive party-track and the rest of E3AF will be sure to deliver too. His MBE award is a well deserved reminder that the East London rapper is still very much relevant.

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“Hear My Voice” a new song written for the film @trialofchicago7 Directed by Aaron Sorkin Song Written by Myself & Daniel Pemberton it’s out now! I hope you like it. Watch the video now. The film itself is out October 16th on @netflix

A post shared by Celeste (@celeste) on Oct 8, 2020 at 11:03am PDT

Hear My Voice was co-written with Ivor Novello winning composer Daniel Pemberton. It was created to be the final song of the film, something to leave the viewer with a ‘sense of hope and possibility, of light beyond the darkness.’ Pemberton said that he ‘knew straight away that [he] wanted to collaborate with Celeste, as her voice is one of the most magical things [he] has heard in recent times…’.

The film explores the corruption within the Chicago court system, following on from the anti-Vietnam War protest in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention and resulting trial of seven high profile counter-culture figures. Overall, the film is about America’s ‘prickly relationship with dissent’, so ironic for a country that prides itself on ideals of democracy and free speech.

One storyline within this is the mistreatment of the only black man on trial, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, Bobby Seale. In one scene, Seale is shackled and gagged on the orders of the judge. The horrific treatment he receives forces the audience to question whether things are better, or worse, for a black man living in America today.

The pertinence of this subject matter is acknowledged by Pemberton who says that he and Celeste have made a song ‘with a strong, powerful and simple message at its heart that feels as relevant now as it does to the events in Chicago in 1969′. Celeste agreed that the message of both the film and song is ‘important…timely [and] relevant’.

It is incredibly sad that the message of Hear My Voice is still so relevant today, but Celeste and Pemberton manage to inject the song with the ‘sense of hope’ intended. Bright string arrangements and plucky piano chords combine with Celeste’s determined vocals to create a song that is both heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time.

In the chorus Celeste appeals to the listener: ‘Let us make a world in which in we believe’. The song is a call to action against oppression, a request for unity in overcoming it.

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Franchise T™️ 1

A post shared by M.I.A. (@miamatangi) on Oct 5, 2020 at 2:48pm PDT

2020 marks a return to music for M.I.A, who has in recent years been focussing on her political activism. The 45 year old musician is vocal in critiquing the Sri Lankan government and has provided much aid to those suffering within the country. Her music is often politically charged. For instance, Paper Planes was a comment on the prejudices and stereotypes that people have toward immigrants.

The catchy chorus ‘All I wanna do is [bang bang bang bang]// And a [click ka-ching]] And take your money’ is an example of M.I.A’s lyrical ability to use irony in making commentary about social issues. Her input on Franchise is, however, not quite so serious.

Her verse sees her rapping: ‘Golf buggy, Kawasaki// Catch a fish, sushi, maki// livin’life// London city, left the town (Ah)// Thug and Travis be the fam’. These slightly random lyrics have been criticised by listeners, to the point of someone starting a change.org petition to have M.I.A’s verse removed from the track!

Others have jumped to her defence, commenting on her Instagram: ‘MIA your verse was good, don’t let the haters get to you!’ and ‘…her verse was the only good thing in this song’. Regardless of the controversy, it is good to hear new music from M.I.A, who surely deserves the No.1 spot after all this time.

On another note, M.I.A’s biopic – an intimate documentary made up of hundreds of hours of personal footage of her – is coming to Netflix later this month. It is titled MATANGI/ MAYA/ M.I.A in reference to the several facets of her identity.

Matangi is her Sri Lankan birth name that was replaced with Maya when she and her family moved to England because ‘people had a hard time pronouncing it at school’. M.I.A, of course, is her musical moniker. The documentary is hitting Netflix screens on October 15th, so be sure to check it out if you want to find out more about M.I.A and her achievements.

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We can’t wait to share the album with you on the 20th of November! Here is the final artwork by the amazing @rivercousin Keep on listening to Craziest Things it’s a banger link up top

A post shared by babeheaven (@babeheavenband) on Oct 6, 2020 at 3:31am PDT

The track opens with a velvety bass line underpinning a reverberating electric guitar. A steady drum-beat soon enters alongside Nancy Andersen’s angelic voice singing: ‘I have been losing sleep// My minds on the craziest things// I lie in bed, trying not to think// but my heads on the ceiling.’ 

Front-woman Andersen says that the song is about ‘[her] anxiety and insomnia, not being able to make sense of [her] emotions and mania’. This can be felt in those opening lyrics, which beautifully depict the all too relatable feeling of racing thoughts before sleep.

As the song continues, the echoing chorus ‘I’m sorry I’m climbing up the walls// I couldn’t lay their anymore…’ gets more insistent. There is a continuous motif running through the track, which sounds like a harp but is in fact a detuned ukulele, giving it a dreaminess typical of Babeheaven’s music.

The fluorescent-hued video, directed by award-winning animator Sacha Beeley, is a playful and surreal depiction of sleepless anxiety. The trippy visuals of dripping taps and floating hearts on the ceiling mirror the ‘Craziest thoughts’ that Anderson describes.

Jamie Travis and Nancy Andersen, the band’s main members, have known each other since they were about 13. They used to go back to one of their houses after finishing their day jobs and ‘mess about recording songs’. This friendly intimacy permeates Babeheaven’s music.

In 2016 Nancy spoke to FADER about the band’s debut video for Heaven, explaining that she and Jamie both grew up ‘in an area knowing everybody… all our siblings are friends, and our parents are friends too’. The video ‘shows [them] in [their] natural habitat’ of West London streets and bedrooms.

A personal warmth runs through all of Babeheaven’s music as a result of this. Tracks like November and It’s Not Easy feel like they come straight from the pages of Andersen’s diary. The latter is a misty ode to guitarist Jamie in which Andersen sings: ‘I am glad you made me go and perform…my legs were shaking throughout// Jamie it’s not easy but you play so beautifully.’

Talking about Craziest Things, she speaks about her anxiety toward performing, stating: ‘As a person of colour and a plus-size woman, I’ve never felt that comfortable with myself as a performer’. Over lockdown she has worked on remembering that she ‘is on that stage for a reason, particularly as a person of colour.’ There is no doubt that Nancy and the band truly deserve their place on the stage.

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  We are very excited to announce that @lateworks_  of Noise will be out on @slowdancerecords on 10TH NOVEMBER You can pre-order the limited edition vinyl now via our website in our bio and on @roughtrade The 40 minute album features members of @bmblackmidi @goatgirlofficial @404guild @sorrybanduk @powerplant___  @curlrecordings & more who came into a studio in six groups to record with a set of instruments sculpted by @mathildabgreene @a4ngus @joe.bradleyhill & @jonaspequeno     The groups were only allowed to sample the instruments and their voice, and any lyrics had to be written in the time (of which they only had six hours). You can listen to a sampler and find more information on the Slow Dance & Late Works websites. Tracklist: A1 – “forged in fire” ft.( @djdairy2020 @thegreep @agaujma @silkarmour100 & @jerskinfendrix ) A2 – “diggy diggy fuck off” ft.( @plopper5000 @mrinstargram @maxsyedtollan & @tobyevansjesra ) A3 – “don’t sleep on” ft.( @glowsmusic & @felix.raman ) A4 – “unmenacingly violent” ft.( @marthaskye @krnlnrd @skrillig & @cajm_ ) B1 – “DRAIN MYTH” ft.( @bathwater.404 @devenny.404 @eliot.404 & @sonny.404 ( @404guild )) B2 – “DARK LORE BINGO” ft.( @bianca_scout @jacobfsamuel @homerhands @j_b_glazer @h__smart & @elenaisolini ) Musicians selected by @ggskips @joe.bradleyhill @maddymokeefe & @biancascout . All tracks mixed by the respective artists and @felix.raman and mastered for vinyl by @technodaddy666 (@pva_are_ok ) . Concept + vinyl design by @joe.bradleyhill inspired by Luigi Russolo’s 1913 manifesto “The Art of Noises”.

A post shared by Slow Dance (@slowdancerecords) on Oct 5, 2020 at 4:06am PDT

Ventures like this are typical of Slow Dance, run by three entrepreneurial music lovers Marco Pini, Darius Williams and Maddy O’Keefe. Slow Dance is a label, management, radio and events company that grew organically out of a college art zine. It has been recognised for its status as ‘one of the capital’s finest arbiters of taste’, and for its grassroots ethos, by publications such as NME, Dazed and The Quietus.

Fitting with their artistic origins, Slow Dance have collaborated with intermedia arts organisation Late Works on this project. Late Works founder Joseph Bradley Hill, who designed the concept, was inspired by Luigi Russolo’s 1913 manifesto The Art of Noises which classifies noises into six categories. Hill chose the four sculptors to contribute while O’Keefe, Pini and Bianca Scout weighed in to choose the musicians.

One group of musicians includes Lottie Pendlebury and Rosy Jones from the Rough Trade signed band Goat Girl while another saw DJ Dairy & MC Spritz, from the 2019 Mercury nominated black midi, team up with burgeoning experimental-folk musician Aga Ujma. The musicians were only able to sample the instruments and their own voices. The result is a fascinating cross-genre set of tracks, created over six hours, that demonstrates the innate musicality of its participants.

The physical product is covered in interesting graphics and contains a black and white risographed concertina booklet detailing the project. Projects like these are important because they question the purpose of music and push its parameters.