“The only mindset I had was to make myself feel happy by doing what I love to do, and that hasn’t changed. Songwriting truly does that for me. It quickly cures any feelings of being down or stressed.”
Producer
Adam Layne Fisher is the man behind Kings of Men, a musician blending traditional instrumentation with generative AI, resulting in a fascinatingly successful take on what AI can mean for the future of music.
From ambient and atmospheric hyper trap through a series of emotional deep-dives in relation to self-destruction, pain and hope all intertwined – producer Axtronomical intoxicates listeners, throughout the sixteen-track album DYSPHORIA.
Coming in at over six minutes of exploration, Time Irrelevant sees its listeners plunged into a web of multiple layers of distorted guitars and classic eighties rhythms. At the same time, subtle waves of synth and electronic instrumentation meet with organic, acoustic ones, to craft something that’s both a looping realm of comfort, and a consistently evolving delivery of rising anticipation.
Introducing an intoxicating balance of high-octane rhythms and euphoric production – Child of SP fuses genres with relevance and fluidity, for the boldly thought-provoking single Halo.
The intimate piano format and cleanly-mixed vocals seem incredibly rare these days. Even the biggest pop ballads of recent years have had some kind of huge moment where drums crash and a choir joins the process. Rafael Montecruz keeps things refreshingly genuine though, and the song is so well written and performed, that really, nothing else is needed to communicate its intentions.
Featuring a compelling fusion of smooth rhythms and enchanting tunes, Soul’d Duets acts as a timeless reminder of the precision and heart combined that Waithaka brings to the RnB and Soul Pop production space. It’s an album of easy hits, but it’s also a simple pleasure to let play – an uplifting listen, often celebratory and bright, and one that effectively bridges the gap between fans of RnB past and present.
Retro electronic production introduces a boldly descending riff that instantly works its way into your headspace. AZ131 is quick to redirect expectations though, with the upfront rap vocals and characterful evolution of Keep It Authentic.
An ever-elusive OWBY delivers an intoxicating ocean of harmonies and ambient escapism, with the uniquely genre-blending tones and togetherness of Closer.
An anthem at its core, a call for listeners to scream out the word and concept of Liberty – this is a song that encapsulates the modern day frustrations and lingering hopes of those experiencing repression. As such, it’s boldly relevant in our world right now, universal in its poetry and its intricate balancing of the uncertain and the confident and hopeful.
That producer and performer combination is rare to find at such a distinguished and still humble, honest level, and this duo have it mastered. Their music is consistently a pleasure to escape into, always thoughtful, heartfelt and intricate, and the ethereal waves of synth and the sheer gratitude of the lyrics throughout Separate all exemplifies that truth in a beautiful way.
The project unites a multitude of philosophical thoughts and ideas, with the vastness and juxtaposed intimacy of these soaring sonic arrangements; the likes of which truly embrace the listener in a calming to outright euphoric realm of audio warmth.