Ria Moran announces her debut album ‘Cubico’
Listen to the albums first offering ‘No Reason (Ode to You)’ ft. Paul Grant
Liverpool-raised, London-based alt-soul singer-songwriter Ria Moran announces her debut album ‘Cubico’ with the release of lead single ‘No Reason (Ode to You)’. The track delves into Ria’s forward-thinking take on soul music, blending silky electronics with neo-soul and alternative influences.
Carefully constructed with groove at its core, the track sees Ria and co-producer Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist, Ego Ella May) create a dreamy concoction of hazy synths and weaving vocal melodies, complimented by additional guitar work from prolific US-based guitarist-producer Paul Grant. An ode to future love and trust that builds on previous lessons in relationships and vulnerability, the track acts as a supportive letter to Ria’s future self. She shares: “The lyrics of No Reason (Ode to You) explore my hopes for future relationships. Trust and romantic love can often feel confusing and complicated, so writing from this perspective gave me the space to reflect on the kind of love I want to experience—one that is kind, supportive and takes me as I am.”
Ria’s forthcoming debut album ‘Cubico’ showcases her adventurous tendencies as a producer, composer and lyricist, perfectly balancing playful arrangements with sincere, emotionally resonant lyricism. Drawing on her experiences of psychotherapy, as well as reflecting on acclaimed physician Gabor Maté’s writing around trauma, the record builds a strong narrative around self-care, love and connection: “I wanted the album to feel authentic to me and my experiences, without fear of exploration. It takes listeners down a few different paths, but at its core, it’s always about feeling something real. The album serves as a therapy journal, guiding listeners through deep emotional landscapes while offering solace and connection.”
Inspired by pioneers of soul music including Jill Scott and D’Angelo, the alternative RnB hues of H.E.R, and Cleo Sol’s warming tones, Ria’s approach to songwriting across ‘Cubico’ also channels the beauty and introspective lyricism of Jeff Buckley and childhood favourites Sonic Youth. To distil this eclectic mix of influences into the sound she envisioned for the project, she collaborated with a stellar line-up of additional producers and musicians, including Luke Wynter (Lava La Rue), Tal Janes (Jordan Rakei, Waaju), Tom Excell, and Lewis Moody (CHERISE, 30/70). With a focus on looping progressions, strong melodic hooks, and stacked harmonies, her background as an instrumentalist also shaped her approach, with bass and drums playing as much of a role in storytelling as her lyrics and melodies.
Welcoming Yesterday’s Princess to the DeepMatter / Root Records family, with their debut single ‘Anemoia’
Welcoming Yesterday’s Princess to the Root Records family, with their debut single ‘Anemoia’
We’re excited to announce the signing Stockholm-based library and instrumental soul revivalists Yesterday's Princess to the DeepMatter & Root Records Family! Their debut single ‘Anemoia’ is available everywhere now, taken from their forthcoming debut EP ‘Tomorrow’s Yearning’.
The culmination of 10 years of extensive collaboration between producers Fredrik Bergsten and Marcus Larsson, Yesterday’s Princess came together as a vehicle for the duo to explore their desire to create an encompassing atmosphere—led by tone, production, and well-trained ears for the perfect loop. They share: “Growing up as hip-hop producers and both being schooled audio engineers, we value sound almost as greatly as the music itself. Tone is very important yet often forgotten—music is what you hear and tone is a huge part of that. Chops have no value if it touches no-one, and what touches you might be the tone of the instrument, rather than the note it played.”
Across the project’s four tracks, Fredrik and Marcus draw influence from the ground-breaking library music style pioneered by the KPM and Music de Wolfe music libraries, whilst also pulling in psychedelia, modal jazz and melancholic flavours from Swedish folk and prog music. Due to their foundations in hip-hop, the duo also opted to pull in hooky melodies and riffs to anchor the spaciness of the arrangements. Lead single Anemoia provides the perfect example, with haunting Fender Rhodes pads decorating melodic basslines and dynamic guitar lines: “Describing music is always tough, and we could maybe say that we just did the music we heard in our heads, but to break it down further you could see it as modal jazz-funk with a feel of a song ‘too good to sample’—a homage to our hip-hop upbringing.”
Most groups writing in this style tend to adopt a throwback approach to the production and mixing process; however, Fredrik and Marcus decided to steer away from this. Instead, they opted for a cleaner sound that takes full advantage of modern sound libraries and digital production techniques—“we wanted to make the mix big and full with a modern soundscape.” The original demos for the project were created around drum sample packs from A.J. Hall—also sampled by the likes of The Alchemist, Nas and Ari Lennox—who was then brought in to rework the breaks into full parts: “After that we re-recorded all instruments to fit the swing of the new drums and hired a bassist to replay some of our basslines.”
Fredrik Bergsten and Marcus Larsson met in 2010, striking up a relationship based on making music and digging for records to sample for hip-hop beats. Growing up with idols such as Pete Rock, J Dilla, Madlib and Beatminerz, they invested in the gear their heroes used, with SP-1200s and MPCs becoming a foundation of their creative practice. As their tastes grew, the limits of sample-based music became evident, so they began incorporating real instruments into their compositions, later on ditching the samples altogether. During COVID, they decided to join forces officially, rather than just making music side by side, leading to the birth of Yesterday’s Princess.
Quinn Oulton - Lead You To Water EP
Quinn Oulton continues to push the boundaries on his new EP ‘Lead You To Water’ Buy Vinyl
Over the past year, prolific multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Quinn Oulton has been refining his sound and production style. Collaborating with artists including Linden Jay, Reuben James and Col3trane, and relocating from his London base to LA and Berlin, he’s been on a creative drive, pushing his forward-thinking RnB to new places. As a culmination of his efforts, Quinn is excited to share his ‘Lead You To Water’ EP, out now on DeepMatter Records.
Across the project, Quinn takes on a range of immediately relatable subject material, spanning from heartfelt love songs like ‘When You’re Near’ - a soulful reflection upon love’s infectious and mind-clouding qualities - through to ‘Heavy Breathing’, where Quinn strips away superficial worries and uncovers a change of perspective when a loved one receives worrying news about their health. He shares: “I started this song just after my partner received some scary news about her health - our life went from totally normal to suddenly questioning what our future could look like. Thankfully everything turned out okay, but it gave both of us a very different outlook on how we appreciate our lives and make the most of what we have whilst we have it.”
Across the project, Quinn takes on a range of immediately relatable subject material, spanning from heartfelt love songs like ‘When You’re Near’ - a soulful reflection upon love’s infectious and mind-clouding qualities - through to ‘Heavy Breathing’, where Quinn strips away superficial worries and uncovers a change of perspective when a loved one receives worrying news about their health. He shares: “I started this song just after my partner received some scary news about her health - our life went from totally normal to suddenly questioning what our future could look like. Thankfully everything turned out okay, but it gave both of us a very different outlook on how we appreciate our lives and make the most of what we have whilst we have it.”
Elsewhere, title track dives back into themes of self-destruction and alcoholism, a subject material taken on by Quinn and Col3tranepreviously on their collaboration ‘Lately’, whilst ‘Just Calm Down’ takes a look at how different people process anger and frustration, encouraging listeners to focus on positive intentions, rather than succumbing to a negative mindset. The four tracks are woven together with Quinn’s signature, off-beat production style and his ear for memorable melodies, making for a captivating listening experience.
Elsewhere, title track dives back into themes of self-destruction and alcoholism, a subject material taken on by Quinn and Col3tranepreviously on their collaboration ‘Lately’, whilst ‘Just Calm Down’ takes a look at how different people process anger and frustration, encouraging listeners to focus on positive intentions, rather than succumbing to a negative mindset. The four tracks are woven together with Quinn’s signature, off-beat production style and his ear for memorable melodies, making for a captivating listening experience.
‘Lead You To Water’ marks a new chapter for Quinn, built around the foundations of 90s and 2000s RnB, whilst carving room for his unconventional production techniques and distinctive songwriting voice. Sitting somewhere in between Sampha, Mk.gee and Nick Hakim, a central thread to his approach on the project is simplicity – rather than relying overtly on production elements to embellish the sound of the songs, Quinn instead sought to create spacious pieces that stand on their own, stripping the core of his creativity down to voice and acoustic guitar. He shares:
“For years, I’ve been obsessed with pushing my production skills as far as I can, exploring unique ways to manipulate conventional sounds in ways that I haven’t heard before. Following on from my album and a series of singles from through which I began to truly form my own voice, I aimed to consolidate everything I’d discovered into one project. My goal was to create a truly cohesive, refined EP that features one consistent sound at its core. The songs stand strong on their own in this context, which allowed me to build and around their foundations in any way I wanted, whilst always making sure that each song has space to breathe and shine in their own right.”
SHOLTO - Letting Go of Forever
SHOLTO shares his ambitious 2-6 track double LP ‘Letting Go of Forever’ Buy Vinyl
Following the success of 2023’s ‘The Changing Tides of Dreams’, SHOLTO shares his debut double LP ‘Letting Go of Forever’ .
‘Letting Go Of Forever’ is an ambitious, 26-track project that pulls from the worlds of jazz, soul, kraut rock, and 60s & 70s soundtracks, spanning influences ranging from Piero Umiliani & David Axelrod, through to ‘On The Corner’-era Miles Davis and Mozart’s ‘Lacrimosa’. SHOLTO’s ability to channel these influences - recontextualising musical forms spanning over a hundred years and capturing a retro, analogue feel with a contemporary twist - is beautifully reflective of the record’s main theme. He shares: “The concept of letting go has always struck me as a painfully natural ritual, yet mastering its art is filled with complexities and anguish. Some may find it morbid, but to me, it's beautifully freeing - letting go of the notion that anything should be forever ultimately brings immense relief. Confronted by the deaths of friends, loved ones, and the breakdown of relationships, I've come to realize that everything is transient, just passing through.”
Cooked up in his studio in Hackney, London, but dreamt up on international escapades - stormy train rides from Milan to Liguria, or packed into cars and vans as a touring musician (Confidence Man) and producer (Katy J Pearson, Sunglasses For Jaws) - the album sees Oscar reignite his relationship with several of the musicians who added their unique flavour to his debut EP, whilst inviting new collaborators to build out the SHOLTO dreamscape. The standout core of the band across the album includes Oscar on drums, the crisp bass tones of Syd Kemp, and an other-worldly combination of James Larter’s twinkling vibraphone, Clementine Brown’s breath-taking string arrangements and the cascading harp of Rachel Horton Kitchlew.
Early singles ‘For The Love of Stripes’ and ‘Ligurian Storm’ create a mystical atmosphere through sweeping orchestrations, delicate, percussive loops and choral pads, whilst ‘Tell Me Myths’ sees SHOLTO invite Australian songwriter and painter Elle Músa for his first vocal feature – a clever blend of French and English that explores the concept of ‘never letting the truth get in the way of a good story’. ‘Moki’ is a sentimental, string-led dedication to Don Cherry’s wife Moki, reflecting her artistic aesthetic and playfulness, and ‘Love Lagoon’ dives headfirst into the world of psychedelia, as swirling synths and swooning vocals transport listeners on a journey from dark to light. Oscar shares: “Love Lagoon started from exploring a reoccurring nightmare that turned into a haven of tranquillity. I dreamed I was being chased, by an unidentifiable presence, and just as it is about to catch up with me, I’d stumble through this bush of bracken and enter into the most serene still, peaceful clearing in the world.”
Oscar’s music career began in 2013, when a record deal took him to LA, leading to him working with producers like Nick Waterhouse (Allah-Las) before returning to the UK and collaborating with the likes of Inflo (Cleo Sol), and Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Squid). He is also one half of production duo Sunglasses For Jaws. His writing style is inspired by soundtrack composers from the 1950s-1970s, and he sits alongside soulful-soundtrack contemporaries like The Cinematic Orchestra, Robohands and The Ironsides. 2023’s ‘The Changing Tides Of Dreams’ introduced listeners to his world of psychedelic-infused, euphoric arrangements, drawing on disciplines from the world of film & classical music, as well as jazz and experimental arrangement techniques.
Welcoming Ria Moran to the family + new single 'Take It or Leave It' (ft. Nubiyan Twist)
Listen to ‘Take It Or Leave It’, featuring Nubiyan Twist Listen
We’re excited to announce the signing of Liverpool-raised, London-based alt-soul singer-songwriter Ria Moran to DeepMatter Records, for her first offering, Take It Or Leave It’.
The track sees her reunite with UK afro-jazz fusion heavyweights Nubiyan Twist, who she has toured and recorded with extensively over the past four years. Celebrating deep friendships that began many years ago when Ria and the band were students in Leeds, this single is a full circle moment, honouring the past before moving towards Ria’s future.
Inspired by shared experiences with the band, including performing on Glastonbury's West Holts stage, this horn-heavy, afro-infused neo-soul instrumental lays a solid foundation for Ria to reflect on the importance of boundary setting, and becoming more unapologetic. She shares: “Writing the lyrics came at a time when I was learning about boundary setting in my psychotherapy sessions, and honestly, I really struggled with the question, what do we owe each other? My gut says ‘everything’ - we have to care for each other, but we also need to remember boundary setting is healthy, a love letter to yourself reminding people how you want to be treated. ‘This is me, take it or leave it.”
The single is Ria’s first solo release since her 2019 EP ‘Moving into the Light’, a project that received widespread support from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 6, Worldwide FM and DSP editorial, and has amassed more than one million streams. Her music sits at the juncture of forward-thinking UK soul music and nu-jazz, placing her alongside contemporaries including Ego Ella May, Yazmin Lacey and Cleo Sol, whilst also nodding to pioneers like Sade and Erykah Badu. An in-demand collaborator, her work on Nubiyan Twist’s ‘Freedom Fables’ saw Ria and the band nominated for a MOBO Award, before going on to release music via legendary jazz label Blue Note Records for their ‘Blue Note Re:Imagined” album, culminating in a live session for BBC Radio 2 at the iconic Maida Vale Studios.
Not content with being a part of one critically acclaimed project, Ria also collaborated with bassist Daniel Casimir for his acclaimed ‘Boxed In’ album for a fusion of modern jazz, soul and orchestral music that featured a who’s-who of UK jazz stars, including Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd. Since 2019, she’s also been the touring vocalist for Yorkshire cinematic soul-jazz instrumentalists Gotts Street Park, sharing stages with the likes of Celeste, ENNY and Pip Millet and building her profile as a standout voice within the UK scene.
The Offline - Les Cigales EP
Prolific Hamburg-based composer-producer The Offline (AKA Felix Müller) share’s his brand new EP ‘Les Cigales’ – the follow up to his acclaimed 2023 debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’ Buy Vinyl
Prolific Hamburg-based composer-producer The Offline (AKA Felix Müller) share’s his brand nee EP ‘Les Cigales’ – the follow up to his acclaimed 2023 debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’.
The EP builds upon the psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities established on the previous record, but with a sharp focus on storytelling. Singles ‘Fumée’, ‘Les Amis’ and ‘Un long été chaud’ established the narrative of a love story between two friends, mirroring the story of Gyptis and Protis – the founding myth of Marseilles, whose love broke convention and welcomed the arrival of foreign people on French soil.
Accompanied by a series of music videos that can be watched here, The Offline’s ear for auditory storytelling has been finely honed on this expertly crafted EP, which takes its sonic cues from the structure of film and TV music from the 1960s and 70s, channelling the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and David Axelrod. However, the influences don’t stop here - The Offline’s love for hip-hop shines through too, with subtle nods to the work of MF Doom and The Alchemist. On the record, he shares:
“The EP transports the listener to the Mediterranean coastline of France. As some may know, Hamburg is not known for the best weather, especially the winters with little daylight, cold winds and rain lashing down on your face. Maybe that's why this longing for light, warmth and the sea is always a big part of my music - by composing the songs, I can be in these places."
Early singles ‘Fumée’ and ‘Les Amis’ found support from Jamie Cullum on BBC Radio 2, as well as various shows across Jazz FM, Rinse FM and NTS in the UK, whilst also being picked up by Radio FIP in France. These tracks perhaps best personify what The Offline’s sound is all about, featuring breezy guitar tones, haunting vibraphone embellishments, and bopping hip-hop shuffles. Title track ‘Les Cigales’ provides an emphatic peak to the record, with crunchy guitar lines giving way to a bold horn fanfare. On the track, The Offline shares:
“Les Cigales is about the sound of crickets that can be heard everywhere in the pine forests of southern France. The track begins with suspenseful accents and moves into a rolling beat with a distorted wah-wah guitar until the melody is finally taken over by the horns. This track was inspired by The Alchemist, and I could imagine Action Bronson or Westside Gunn rapping over it."
The project follows The Offline’s debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’, released in November 2023, which saw him create his own soundtrack to a film yet to be made. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the seas edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. ‘Les Cigales’ sees him continue to build upon a distinctive sound that moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism, incorporating psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by his extensive record collection.
The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After returning to his native Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ captured the essence of his journey, and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack. His music has seen support from Huey Morgan and Deb Grant (BBCR6), plus Somewhere Soul, Rinse FM, Radio FIP, Jazz FM and more, amassing millions of streams and selling hundreds of records.
Quinn Oulton - Lead You To Water
The third single lifted from his forthcoming EP, ‘Lead You To Water’ picks up on the themes of alcohol dependence explored by Quinn previously on 'Lately' - his 2023 collaboration with Col3trane - diving into the struggle of dealing with a friend’s self-destructive habits, and the frustration of trying to help someone who won’t change. The title track from his forthcoming EP, it's an understated alt-RnB bopper, featuring his signature weaving saxophone flutters alongside an intimate vocal performance and acoustic guitar tones that are the centrepiece of his forthcoming EP.
The third single lifted from his forthcoming EP, ‘Lead You To Water’ picks up on the themes of alcohol dependence explored by Quinn previously on 'Lately' - his 2023 collaboration with Col3trane - diving into the struggle of dealing with a friend’s self-destructive habits, and the frustration of trying to help someone who won’t change. The title track from his forthcoming EP, it's an understated alt-RnB bopper, featuring his signature weaving saxophone flutters alongside an intimate vocal performance and acoustic guitar tones that are the centrepiece of his forthcoming EP.
‘Lead You To Water’ marks a new chapter for Quinn, built around the foundations of 90s and 2000s RnB, whilst carving room for his unconventional production techniques and distinctive songwriting voice. Sitting somewhere in between Sampha, Mk.gee and Nick Hakim, a central thread to his approach on the project is simplicity – rather than relying overtly on production elements to embellish the sound of the songs, Quinn instead sought to create spacious pieces that stand on their own, stripping the core of his creativity down to voice and acoustic guitar. He shares:
“For years, I’ve been obsessed with pushing my production skills as far as I can, exploring unique ways to manipulate conventional sounds in ways that I haven’t heard before. Following on from my album and a series of singles from through which I began to truly form my own voice, I aimed to consolidate everything I’d discovered into one project. My goal was to create a truly cohesive, refined EP that features one consistent sound at its core. The songs stand strong on their own in this context, which allowed me to build and around their foundations in any way I wanted, whilst always making sure that each song has space to breathe and shine in their own right.”
Across the project, Quinn takes on a range of immediately relatable subject material, spanning from heartfelt love songs like ‘When You’re Near’ - a soulful reflection upon love’s infectious and mind-clouding qualities - through to ‘Heavy Breathing’, where Quinn strips away superficial worries and uncovers a change of perspective when a loved one receives worrying news about their health. He shares: “I started this song just after my partner received some scary news about her health - our life went from totally normal to suddenly questioning what our future could look like. Thankfully everything turned out okay, but it gave both of us a very different outlook on how we appreciate our lives and make the most of what we have whilst we have it.”
Elsewhere, title track dives back into themes of self-destruction and alcoholism, a subject material taken on by Quinn and Col3tranepreviously on their collaboration ‘Lately’, whilst ‘Just Calm Down’ takes a look at how different people process anger and frustration, encouraging listeners to focus on positive intentions, rather than succumbing to a negative mindset. The four tracks are woven together with Quinn’s signature, off-beat production style and his ear for memorable melodies, making for a captivating listening experience.
He shares: “I’ve always admired artists whose voice alone can fully carry a song. I remember finding a video of Rich online, just him singing at his piano, and his voice totally blew me away. I’ve often found myself trying to make my music denser or more complicated, out of fear that the song won’t stand strong without the distractions – with this project I’ve tried to hone in on this, and having Rich on When You’re Near is such an honour given his impact on this part of my creative process.”
![SHOLTO - The Sunrise Fool [New Single + Music Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52e3fd1ae4b027d7b2c02a88/1731081096897-O1L0LQDWF20DWL2313NM/SHOLTO%2B01.jpg)
SHOLTO - The Sunrise Fool [New Single + Music Video]
Fast becoming a key player in the ever-growing resurgence of cinematic psychedelia and library music, Oscar ‘SHOLTO’ Robertson is set to share his debut album ‘Letting Go of Forever’ via Root Records on Friday 15th November.
Fast becoming a key player in the ever-growing resurgence of cinematic psychedelia and library music, Oscar ‘SHOLTO’ Robertson is set to share his debut album ‘Letting Go of Forever’ via Root Records on Friday 15th November.
‘Letting Go Of Forever’ is an ambitious, 26-track project that pulls from the worlds of jazz, soul, kraut rock, and 60s & 70s soundtracks, spanning influences ranging from Piero Umiliani & David Axelrod, through to ‘On The Corner’-era Miles Davis and Mozart’s ‘Lacrimosa’. SHOLTO’s ability to channel these influences - recontextualising musical forms spanning over a hundred years and capturing a retro, analogue feel with a contemporary twist - is beautifully reflective of the record’s main theme.
He shares: “The concept of letting go has always struck me as a painfully natural ritual, yet mastering its art is filled with complexities and anguish. Some may find it morbid, but to me, it's beautifully freeing - letting go of the notion that anything should be forever ultimately brings immense relief. Confronted by the deaths of friends, loved ones, and the breakdown of relationships, I've come to realize that everything is transient, just passing through.”
Cooked up in his studio in Hackney, London, but dreamt up on international escapades - stormy train rides from Milan to Liguria, or packed into cars and vans as a touring musician (Confidence Man) and producer (Katy J Pearson, Sunglasses For Jaws) - the album sees Oscar reignite his relationship with several of the musicians who added their unique flavour to his debut EP, whilst inviting new collaborators to build out the SHOLTO dreamscape. The standout core of the band across the album includes Oscar on drums, the crisp bass tones of Syd Kemp, and an other-worldly combination of James Larter’s twinkling vibraphone, Clementine Brown’s breath-taking string arrangements and the cascading harp of Rachel Horton Kitchlew.
Early singles ‘For The Love of Stripes’ and ‘Ligurian Storm’ create a mystical atmosphere through sweeping orchestrations, delicate, percussive loops and choral pads, whilst ‘Tell Me Myths’ sees SHOLTO invite Australian songwriter and painter Elle Músa for his first vocal feature – a clever blend of French and English that explores the concept of ‘never letting the truth get in the way of a good story’. ‘Moki’ is a sentimental, string-led dedication to Don Cherry’s wife Moki, reflecting her artistic aesthetic and playfulness, and ‘Love Lagoon’ dives headfirst into the world of psychedelia, as swirling synths and swooning vocals transport listeners on a journey from dark to light. Oscar shares: “Love Lagoon started from exploring a reoccurring nightmare that turned into a haven of tranquillity. I dreamed I was being chased, by an unidentifiable presence, and just as it is about to catch up with me, I’d stumble through this bush of bracken and enter into the most serene still, peaceful clearing in the world.”
Oscar’s music career began in 2013, when a record deal took him to LA, leading to him working with producers like Nick Waterhouse (Allah-Las) before returning to the UK and collaborating with the likes of Inflo (Cleo Sol), and Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Squid). He is also one half of production duo Sunglasses For Jaws. His writing style is inspired by soundtrack composers from the 1950s-1970s, and he sits alongside soulful-soundtrack contemporaries like The Cinematic Orchestra, Robohands and The Ironsides. 2023’s ‘The Changing Tides Of Dreams’ introduced listeners to his world of psychedelic-infused, euphoric arrangements, drawing on disciplines from the world of film & classical music, as well as jazz and experimental arrangement techniques.
Natty Reeves - Mist Over Water EP
Following the success of singles ‘Bloom’, ‘Why Are You’ and ‘It’s Your Move’, Natty Reeves releases his brand new EP ‘Mist Over Water’. The EP marks a couple of years since the last project from Brighton-based songwriter and producer.
Following the success of singles ‘Bloom’, ‘Why Are You’ and ‘It’s Your Move’, Natty Reeves releases his brand new EP ‘Mist Over Water’. The EP marks a couple of years since the last project from Brighton-based songwriter and producer.
In his time away, Natty found himself digging into the world of Brazilian jazz and nylon string guitar, crafting a distinctive sound that shifts away from hip-hop and deeper into the world of Brazilian and singer-songwriter music.
Informed in equal parts by the songwriting discipline of artists including Ben Watt and James Taylor, as well as the deep harmonic and rhythmic language of Brazilian jazz pioneers João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá, Natty’s ‘Mist Over Water’ EP sees him craft a sound that is distinctly his own. Stripped back and raw, the music places Spanish guitar and Natty’s vocals front-and-centre for a free-flowing, tender journey, during which he reflects on the fleeting nature of life, and the importance of looking inwards to grow without putting too much pressure on each moment.
Natty shares: “I wanted to make a project that felt honest to who I am, something that represented my thoughts at this stage of my life. Recently I’ve been thinking about second chances, new growth and how fleeting life is - coming back to the sounds and rhythms I love, not trying too hard to make something that people would find impressive, this is a bit more introspective and forgiving of myself. I just hope that listeners enjoy the sounds and find some peace of their own in these songs!”
Lead single ‘Bloom’ saw Natty encourage listeners to look out for new opportunities, and not be afraid to take a leap of faith, rekindling a partnership with long-time collaborator and trumpet player Jackson Mathod. The gentle atmosphere of this track - characterised by rhythmic percussion, serene guitars and warm horn layers – is an energy that carries through into ‘Why Are You?’, a delicate song exploring the push and pull of manipulation in a relationship, and featuring flautist Ruta Sipola.
FELLAS - 'NDONTI EP
Toulouse’s quintet FELLAS release their debut EP ‘NDONTI’ via Root Records.
Toulouse’s quintet FELLAS release their debut EP ‘NDONTI’ via Root Records.
The ‘NDONTI’ EP has been approached by the band as the trailer for future LP ‘DINDI’, introducing listeners to their distinctive, cinematic nu-jazz blend. Moving between brooding trip-hop moods and boom-bap grooves, with disco and neo-soul in the mix for good measure, the compositions on the EP are centred around the concept of wabi-sabi – capturing a raw energy, complete with the unashamed imperfections that are a cornerstone of human nature.
On opening track DINDI, the band shares: “Dindi Is the main character. The song tells the story of a young man who arrives in a new city. He’s alone and delves deeper into a city that becomes increasingly crowded and dirty. We come to understand that he has arrived with bad intentions.”
Alongside bandleader Charlie Burg, FELLAS consists of Robin Safaru (drums), Séraphin Vergniot (bass), Robin Espagnet (guitar) and Léo Colman (keyboards) – a group of friends obsessed with the intersection of film, fashion, and music. Formed from the fire of the Toulouse jazz and hip-hop scene, the band cut their teeth at clubs, where they’re known to collaborate with MC’s and additional musicians to expand their sound even further. Much of their inspiration comes from Charlie’s upbringing – trips back to Italy to see his family and understand his roots – and the rich traditions of black American music, spanning the raw sounds of Pharoah Sanders and Dexter Gordon, all the way through to D’Angelo and 50 Cent.