Tag: Trip Hop

MISSIO – Interview & Album Review: “I AM CINCO”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews23 Comments

This is a very long post, so grab your favorite adult beverage, get comfortable and enjoy!

As a blogger who writes primarily about current music, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few musicians and bands, at least online. Needless to say, it’s especially gratifying when a more widely-known act acknowledges me by liking or commenting on some of my social media posts, or even going so far as to follow me! One that ranks pretty high is Austin, Texas-based MISSIO, who’ve been one of my favorite acts for more than six years.

The exceptionally talented and absurdly creative duo consists of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and musician David Butler, as well as their silent third partner, producer and frequent collaborator Dwight Baker and their drummer Jaydon Bean. Not only do I love their great songwriting, uniquely original and edgy sound that’s an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes, and Matthew’s distinctive tenor vocals, I also have mad respect for them. Exuding a genuine coolness, yet unafraid to share their anxieties and vulnerabilities in their music and social media posts, they’ve earned a legion of loyal fans they’ve affectionately dubbed the ‘MISSIO Mafia’ (of which I proudly consider myself a member),

Photo of David Butler and Matthew Brue by Ima Leupp

Starting with their brilliant debut album Loner in 2017, MISSIO has consistently released an exceptional catalog of music,. They followed with three more studio albums, the magnificent The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 3,300 views, making it my most-viewed album review ever), Can You Feel The Sun in 2020, and VILLAIN in September 2022 (which I also reviewed), as well as numerous singles and “Skeleton” EPs, consisting of stripped-down versions of some of their songs. In 2020, they also dropped a gorgeous soundtrack album for their film Love Me Whole. Several of their songs have charted on my Weekly Top 30, four of which – “I See You”, “Underground”, “Can You Feel the Sun” and “Time”– have reached #1. 

In February 2023, they began releasing a series of EPs and singles that would continue over the next 14 months for what would ultimately become their fifth studio album I Am Cinco, a monumental work consisting of 26 songs that dropped May 3rd. The album is divided into five EPs or chapters, each containing between four and six tracks focusing on a different human emotion: I Am Sad, I Am High, I Am Awesome, I Am Angry and I Am Crazy.  

To gain a bit more insight into the album and their creative approach, I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing Matthew and David via Zoom. Idiot that I am, I neglected to hit the ‘record’ button at the beginning of our conversation, so have no record of what we talked about for the first five minutes or so, which was essentially about how they met and began working together as MISSIO. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of discussion.

EML: One of the things I really love about your music, and I think you do it better than almost any act I know of, is how you draw from so many different genres and styles of music to create your own sound. You have beautiful, heartbreaking songs like “Time” and “I See You”, which you know I love, to raucous, hard-driving songs like “Fuck It”, and everything in between. No two songs of yours ever sound the same, which I think is awesome. What are some of the bands or artists you guys loved growing up or love now, who influence your sound?

David: It’s interesting, because so much of it has to do with a couple of random things that just are who we are. First of all, I don’t think either of us identify as, like, “I’m a guitar player, or I’m a bass player, or I’m anything other than a songwriter”. We still like to rock, and both grew up on very heavy music, and for me a lot more punk rock. We both loved Korn growing up, though I grew up idolizing older stuff like Led Zeppelin, which is the reason I started bands to write songs.

Matthew: To me, it’s a yin and yang, where David brings a lot of the technical side of the older music that I didn’t really listen to. I’ve always been more into the exploratory side of what’s next or what’s coming, and I think the meshing of the two comes together in a really cool way where we bring old school and new school, and create this thing in the middle. Bands like Korn, System of a Down, Missy Elliott, Gorillaz, Cage the Elephant… we listen to so many different things, and I don’t think we’ve ever gone ‘hey, let’s try and write this type of song that sounds like this type of band’.  I think it’s more us not being afraid to fail.

David: Unless you’re pretty sophisticated musically, you probably wouldn’t get that Matthew comes from classical music; he grew up in choirs from an early age, and is an incredibly gifted classical piano player. And so you hear voicings and harmonies in the chord progressions you don’t typically hear in rock music, because there’s a level of sophistication that Matthew has in his ear that’s pretty incredible. And then you combine that with me, who likes to fuck shit up – and he does too – and I think that’s what he likes about me. So I bring this punk rock spirit to the engineering; I hate electronic music that sounds like it was made with a lab coat on. This does not move me as a human, so I’m trying to distort, to move it off the grid, to make it human.

Matthew: I’ll be honest, it doesn’t work for everybody, which is the cool thing. Our fans who get it, fucking get it. And that’s what I love, as we have die-hard fans who love what we do. But we will frequently hear, ‘dude, I don’t know what the fuck you guys are doing over there’.

EML: What you were just describing is perfectly encapsulated in your song “Underground”, which I love so much. It’s got such hard driving beats and synths, and yet there are moments of incredible beauty, especially in the way your voice rises and falls. It’s just a fantastic song. That contrast that makes for such an exciting song. Same thing with “New Gold” from Gorillaz, Tame Impala and Bootie Brown. What a great mix of artists; you’ve got the rapping, a beautiful melody…

Matthew: I wish more artists knew this, but you can do anything you want in this day and age, but I think people are afraid of failing. Just try some shit and see what happens.

EML: You’ve touched on how you guys collaborate, but do you generally collaborate on all of your songs, or in some cases one of you come up with a concept or a melody or beat, and go from there?

David: It varies quite a bit. We both will start ideas on our own, then come together and do a show and tell. There will be a group of songs where we’re both, ‘that’s cool, this is the best of this bunch’, then we’ll finish them together. We sort of fall into roles we’re comfortable with; Matthew will take a bunch of the lyric and melody writing that’s left, because he’s the singer and that’s also one of his incredible gifts. I’m doing a lot of the arrangement and piecing of songs together. Matthew being the keyboard player that he is, is seated in front of the midi controller, and I am either controlling the synth or pulling up sounds, and he’s finding things as the sound is changing. There’s also a third process where we start from scratch, with either just us or us and a third person or even fourth person, and those are always wild and fun, because you never know what’s gonna come of it.

Matthew: And actually a fourth. A lot of times, I may pull up the bass and play some part that’s super non-sensical and that works, or sometimes David will hop on the keys and play some part that maybe I wouldn’t play, and that’s cool. Sometimes we’ll both get on the drums and do some weird shit. There’s a really fun element of that too, where you never know who’s gonna play what.

EML: I would guess that not sticking to certain defined roles gives you more artistic freedom to try new stuff.

Matthew: There’s a reason why I chose to be an artist and musician, and it was to get away from the monotony of corporate bullshit. What the fuck are we doing if we’re not having a good time? And part of having a good time is getting weird and exploring and being a fucking artist and getting messy with it.

EML: That’s a great segue into your latest work ‘I Am Cinco’. I think it’s brilliant how you guys have approached it, and decided to release it in chapters or installments. Partly because it’s so monumental, and rather than just wait until releasing a 26-track album, you’re giving your fans snippets every few weeks or months, which whets our appetite and keeps us drawn in for what’s coming next. It’s an interesting concept how you’ve also chosen to focus on different human emotions in each chapter. You’ve guys have always been very open about your interest in emotional well-being, and have shared your own frustrations and issues, and also your artistic honesty and how that plays into your music. What actually inspired you to create this work?

David: Part of art for me, is there’s an inspiration, and in the process something comes out and it’s like ‘whoa’, and I assign some meaning to it. The inspiration for this was, eight to ten songs in, recorded toward this unknown fifth album that we’d done randomly over time, plus 20-30 demos that we had piled up, we wondered ‘what are we going to do with this fifth album?’ There began to be a natural grouping, where it was like, ‘hey, these songs feel like they go together.’ I would say that was the inspiration moment, where we thought, what if we do five EPs, each with its own specific emotional theme and genre? We’re going to showcase one of the things that we love and are proud of with this band, that we’re prolific songwriters. We wanted to do a major fifth album that’s a statement.

Matthew: One of our collective gifts is doing the business side as well, and in this day and age, it’s incredibly important as artists to be involved. We want our music to be heard, and what is the strategy behind this?  If you’re a MISSIO fan, and you really want to be on this journey,  what would you want to see, hear, feel? And to your point Jeff, rather than waiting to drop some giant album, we also realized that attention spans now are so short, and it’s really hard to get someone to sit down for almost two hours and listen to this whole thing. So let’s do an EP, EP, EP, and drop some singles to give it to people in chunks, because we want every song to be heard.

David: Music is therapy. I want the world to rediscover the power of music, and not just by listening to MISSIO songs, but music in general. We’ve minimized its role in our lives to just a playlist in the background while you’re doing the dishes. That’s why we broke this up. This is also a medicinal thing that you can say, ‘I can connect in this emotional state and address some emotional shit’, with music as your friend. That’s what I’ve been doing since I was an angsty teenager.

EML: That’s what I think makes people relate to your music so deeply, and why your fans are so loyal and fervent in their love for you guys, because your music really does touch us. I have a question about the whole nature of needing to be so present on social media, and how exhausting and frustrating that must be, as it’s a necessary evil. I’ve heard a lot of artists that I follow complain about how much time they must spend on social media, when they’d rather be creating music. What are your thoughts about this and how do you keep it from driving yourselves crazy?

Matthew: There are two schools of thought about this. One is, it’s the best time to be alive in regards to getting your music heard, because you can share it with anybody in one click of a button. Which is different from the 80s and 90s where you had these gatekeepers who ran a few magazines or MTV, and it was virtually impossible to get your music heard.  But now the overwhelming thing I hear is that there’s too much, so it’s hard to actually poke through. But I’d rather be on this side where you at least have a chance. But also, people need to learn self-discipline, and if you start to notice that social media is having an effect on your mental health, have the discipline to put it down for a second. Your fans will be OK if you don’t post for a week. I’d rather focus on the art and music itself and make sure it’s the best it can be, and post however and whenever we can, and take care of our mental health and have a good time.

David: You need to basically have a plan and be able to live with the results. I find beauty in that. We’re not going to win at this because we’re great influencers. That’s not our gift, our gifts are in music, in songwriting and performance. Social media is an agreement we have to make and have to use. Matthew and I are both willing to be vulnerable and share as much as we can about our personal lives that help to point people back to the music. My goals are never gonna be ‘we got to do our Instagram to this number or nothing’.

Matthew: We even had somebody comment the other day ‘Do you even care about what your fans have to say, comments-wise?’ The harsh reality is ‘no’. We hardly read the comments, and I’m honestly learning to tune some of that shit out. We do what we do, we love what we love, we’re gonna write music because we love it.

David: It inspires me greatly seeing so many people resonating positively with our music. It encourages me as an artist who got into the business for the reason I was on the other side of that. I am still many times the fan in the crowd that gets blown away. Frankly, all the bands I like would be saying the same shit we’re saying. You can’t create from a space of wanting to be a Walmart band, the most generic version that you could sell to the most people with the least amount of jagged edges. That’s just not fun for us.

EML: Your first two albums ‘Loner’ and ‘The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man’ were released through RCA, but then you left. Are you now you’re independently releasing your music?

David: We did the third album on BMG, then released independently, and now recently, we’re on a label named Nettwerk for this album. We’re always learning more about the business, and ultimately, we’ve taken back massive creative control. With RCA we had creative control, but it was hard to accomplish the business goals through their machine. There’s so many layers, nothing happens fast, and we’re DIY, entrepreneurial spirits. We don’t like having guys telling us what to do. So far so good with Nettwerk, and we’re really enjoying working with them.

EML:  That’s pretty much all I had, and don’t want to take too much more of your time. I really appreciate you guys talking with me, and it’s an honor again to interface with you and talk about stuff. I do plan to review the album when it comes out.

Matthew:  Thanks so much man. I know for a fact that you’re one of the people that will sit down front to back and listen to ‘I Am Cinco’, which is awesome. I’m really excited to hear what you have to say; you’re always an elegant writer.

OK, let’s get to I Am Cinco, shall we! Given the album’s enormous number of tracks, I won’t be discussing them all, but will touch on all five distinct EPs that comprise I Am Cinco, highlighting my favorite songs from each one. The EPs are arranged chronologically in the order they were released beginning with I Am Sad, which was released on Valentines Day 2023 and features six tracks exploring various aspects of anxiety, sadness and depression. When they dropped the EP, they remarked on Facebook “If you’re a little extra lonely because Valentine’s Day is a hard day for you, then this E.P. is for you. If you’re struggling, depressed, experiencing loss, or honestly feeling fucking nothing at all, this E.P. is also for you. It’s helped us personally heal by being able to write out some of our own sad feelings & we hope those same feelings resonate with y’all.”

The first track, “I’m Sad and I Can’t Speak“, encapsulates this overall theme of how when you’re in the throes of depression, you feel nothing but emptiness and desolation, emotions I’ve experienced myself, unfortunately. The song is melancholy, yet strangely beautiful, with unsettling woozy synths accompanied by some lovely piano keys. Matthew’s vocals sound especially vulnerable and fragile as he somberly laments “I’m sad and I can’t speak. I’m scared and I can’t think. When I can’t speak I write out the things that mean a lot to me. At times I feel nothing.”

Though I love all six tracks on I Am Sad, I think my favorite is “Read Your Mind“, another hauntingly beautiful, downtempo song that’s also incredibly melodic. Here, the lyrics are directed toward another person who’s hurting: “I don’t need to read your mind now, I can see the pain in your eyes.” The surreal video, which has a pretty spooky vibe, was directed by Matthew and filmed in his house and edited by the band’s frequent photographer Ima Leupp of Seamless Loop Productions. They used six cakes in the production of the video, which they smashed into their faces to symbolize the foolish or irrational behavior people sometimes engage in to draw attention to their pain. The guys were cleaning cake residue out of their beards, hair and ears for days.

The saddest song of this group is “What Can You Say“, which was inspired by the suicides of both a friend of David’s and a friend of Dwight’s, who left a wife and two children behind. Matthew was overwhelmed with sadness that someone could feel so despondent and hopeless, they would take their own life and leave loved ones behind, expressed in these heart-wrenching lyrics: “What can you say to a man willing to throw his life away? What can you say when you can’t always come to save the day?” The acoustic guitars and piano are particularly beautiful, and Matthew’s vocals are steeped in sadness.

Well, I wasn’t going to talk about every track, but damn, they’re all so good I can’t help myself. “Ring Ting” is a cool trip hop song calling out those who become slaves to material possessions and money in an attempt to fulfill their definitions of success, losing their humanity in the process. The sixth track of this series, “Monsters (Inside of Us)“, is positively gorgeous, with a soaring orchestral soundscape forming a dramatic backdrop for Matthew’s plaintive vocals as he sings “You’re not a monster. I’m not a monster. But we have monsters inside of us.”

Opening the second chapter of EPs, a collection of six feel-good songs grouped under the appropriately-titled I Am High, is the delightfully celebratory “Good Vibrations“, which I reviewed last summer. With its powerful synth bass groove, heavy, pulsating beats and colorful spacey synths, it’s is one of my favorites of the entire album. Though Matthew had some initial misgivings about releasing “Good Vibrations”, given that it shares the same title as the iconic Beach Boys song, he thought that with all the bullshit and negativity bombarding us, we could use a little more love and positivity. The song spent several months on my Top 30 chart, peaking at #3. For the wonderful music video, they gathered a few skater friends together and shot the video at a skate park in San Marcos, Texas. The video features Matthew and David, along with skaters Kat Frances, Mason Lapena and Abel Rodriguez.

MISSIO let their freak flag fly high and proud on “Big Stacks“, a collaboration with British rapper Jelani Blackman. The song is a celebration of the joys of stoner culture, as well as an assessment of the challenges of living the good life and getting high: “Big stacks and big racks. If you got that shit you better light it up. It’s 4:20 and we ‘bout to take a puff. Wait, I think I’m out of options. I gotta’ solve this. Guess I gotta work hard, try to get these options.” With it’s heavy trip hop beats and rapping vocals, the song sounds about as different as could be from the songs on I Am Sad. The guys had a lot of fun making the trippy and hilarious video, and consider it their favorite of all the ones they’ve made.

Other standouts in this chapter are the mellow love song “Easy“, the Latin-flavored hip-hop romp “Thang Thang“, featuring L.A.-based artist DEADFOOT, and the lovely and mesmerizing “I’m Coming Home“.

The third chapter of songs, grouped under I Am Awesome, explore self-affirmation and healing from past traumas and abuse. Case in point is “Not My Fault“, an anthemic pop-rock song calling out someone who’s belittled and disrespected you: “I don’t like how you took my heart, and you burned it down on a funeral pyre. Where the ashes rise from the darkest days, this is not my fault. No it’s not my fault it’s you.” On the exuberant “Heart Made of Dynamite“, Matthew sings of breaking free from another’s control and negativity, and not keep your feelings bottled up inside: “I’m like a body with a heart made of dynamite. Won’t be long until it explodes.” And on the delightfully upbeat “Making Me Nervous“, he tells his love interest of the spellbinding effects she has on him.

My favorite track of this group is “Say Goodbye to the Old Me“, thanks to it’s wonderful melody, dramatic instrumentation and uplifting vibes. The lyrics speak to letting go of negative energy and stress that keep holding you back, and embracing a healthier, more positive outlook: “Say goodbye to the old me. The future is too bright. Just say goodbye, this time I’m gonna’ get it right.” The beautiful video, featuring dancers Kornelia Klys, Julia Trelka, and Agata Weirzcholowska, was filmed in Gdansk, Poland.

Next up are the I Am Angry songs, of which there are five. And as their titles would suggest, these are some of the heaviest, most aggressive songs on the album. “Fuck It” is a perfect song for when you just want to break some shit and sound off on an asshole who’s stepped on your very last nerve. MISSIO definitely tap into their darker side on this one, with a barrage of tortured industrial synths and pummeling trap beats, overlain with wailing sirens and grinding bass. Matthew sounds downright menacing as he snarls “You’re a fuckin’ problem, did you know? I don’t think you do. I think I can solve it, did you know? You don’t get to choose.” The video, filmed in black and white, is pretty dark too, and YouTube is making us do a bit of extra work to watch it.

The best track of this bunch, to my ears at least, is “Aztec Death Whistle“. The song hits hard in all my dark side feels, both sonically and lyrically, as I love that savage chugging beat, those gnarly instrumentals and Matthew’s dangerously seductive vocals as he rails about the reasons why his soul is so dark: “Cast out by sixteen when I was just looking for home. I felt fucked & abandoned. Gave up by twenty and thought God had saved my dark soul. Stop fuckin’ with my head.” Bordering on metal, the song has a bit of a Nine Inch Nails vibe, but sounds distinctly MISSIO.

“This World Is Better When It’s Sick” is a fine example of how MISSIO expertly mixes up different styles and sound textures in a song. The track is brutally aggressive and spooky for much of its three and a half minute run time, except for beautiful piano interlude lasting 20 seconds in the bridge that makes for a dramatic aural constrast. The fifth track “Go Fuck Yourself” is the ultimate kiss-off song to someone who’s treated you badly and spread lies about you. Against a harsh backdrop of grinding industrial synths and ominous vibes, Matthew’s vocals are dripping with venom as he practically spits the lyrics “You’re talking shit. Can’t let it go. You gotta’ know I can hear your filth. Can you hear your filth? Go fuck yourself. I’ll be fine.”

The fifth and final chapter is I Am Crazy, featuring four tracks touching on various aspects of mental health, more specifically, trying to keep one’s sanity amidst all the surrounding craziness. The punkish “Fall into a Blackhole” is a denunciation of someone who’s been gaslighting you, wishing they’d disappear by falling into a blackhole, while “Pulled Down Low” seems to describe a dysfunctional and toxic relationship: “You might be crazy, I know you are. That look you’re given’ me is sure bizarre. You stab with knives, I stab with my words. You’re so damn beautiful it fucking hurts.”

“The Higher You Climb” sort of continues on the theme introduced earlier by “Ring Ting”, namely that achieving the success and acclaim you crave may come with serious downsides you hadn’t anticipated: “They say on top is where you find the freedom that you’re looking for. The higher you climb the farther you fall. They say, you got what it takes but you gotta throw your friends away. They say, if you want to be rich then you gotta learn to play the game.” The aggressive stomping beat and blaring synths make for an exhilarating listen, and the video’s great as well.

Closing out the album is “Time“, my favorite track on I Am Cinco. With its achingly beautiful arrangement and Matthew’s powerful, heartfelt vocals, “Time” now ranks among my very favorite MISSIO songs, and currently sits at the top of my Weekly Top 30 chart. The simple but profound lyrics touch on anxieties the guys have experienced over some of the issues facing our current world and society. They explain: “We spend our lives chasing things in our futures that don’t even exist in reality yet. We all want to think and believe that everything we desire will eventually come to fruition, but sometimes it never does. Time goes wherever you are, now, in each moment. Live like it’s your last because you’re not guaranteed a tomorrow. No one is.” It’s a perfect and fitting end to a monumental, flawlessly crafted and supremely impactful tour de force.

Here’s the album on Spotify:

In June, MISSIO will embark on a nine-city European tour:

Follow MISSIO:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok
Find their music on  Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube / Amazon

SIVAN LEVY – EP Review: “SIDE:W”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

Sivan Levy is a multi-faceted Queer Israeli artist currently based in Tel Aviv, who’s not only a talented singer-songwriter and musician, but also a successful actress and filmmaker. She’s starred in several highly acclaimed films and television series, earning multiple awards for her exceptional work. Her latest film, My Daughter My Love, written and directed by Eitan Green, premiered last summer at the prestigious Jerusalem Film Festival. Also last summer, in June, Levy released a beautiful EP side:s, her first music release since her self-titled three-song EP in 2015. The EP features six captivating tracks written and sung by her, one of which, “Jacaranda”, received a special live performance that was captured in a lovely video. Levy released that video last August, which I featured on this blog (you can read my article about it here). 

Now Levy returns with a new EP side:w (‘w’ is for winter, whereas the ‘s’ in her previous EP side:s represented summer). Continuing the journey that began with side:s, side:w takes us on an emotional rollercoaster through the human psyche with introspective songs exploring relationships, love and loss, and emotional well-being, served up with dreamy and often dramatic instrumentals and Levy’s arresting ethereal vocals. Like side:s, side:w was recorded and co-produced by Levy and Yoav Rosenthal, who also played guitar and bass, handled programming, and sang backing vocals. Levy played piano and keyboards, Giori Politi played drums, percussion, and programmed beats, Maya Belsitzman played cello, and Yael Enosh played additional synths. Mixing was done by Nicolas Vernhes.

The EP opens with “Forgot“, a haunting song mourning the dissipation of a once-torrid love affair. Starting off with rather unsettling scraping sounds accompanied by a gentle pounding drumbeat, the music gradually expands into a mysterious, darkly beautiful soundscape, whereupon Levy softly laments of her memories of what it felt like to be in love, feelings she no longer shares: “I got used to breathing on my neck. To the warmness that caresses all night long. To mornings full of joy or fight or silence. My love had faded through the years, and I forgot, oh, everything. I’m just a rock inside a sea, that’s waiting floods to be.” The piano and cello are particularly affecting and along with the airy synths, create a gorgeous backdrop for Levy’s enchanting breathy vocals. By song’s end, Levy asks whether life is worth living without love: “And there’s no one in my mind. And I’m in no one’s mind. Am I alive when I’m not loved? When I can’t love no more.“

On the equally haunting and cinematic “Kick Off“, Levy sings of not allowing fears and self-doubt to keep you from living your life to the fullest: “I will not run I won’t get scared. I will stay here and I’ll breathe / Kick-off that voice in your head that just judge and judge and judge and judge and suddenly, you’ll see how the green is greener. How the blue is bluer.” The lovely video utilizes AI-generated imagery to great effect.

The captivating “My Far Away Femme” seems to touch on a brief romantic encounter, and how the other person’s idealized image and adoration of you is not based in reality – a sentiment I’m afraid I’ve fallen victim of more than once: “My far-away femme. You see someone in your sleep, and you’re in love with her completely. She’s everything you’re dreaming. Your fantasy (does not exist). And this someone has my face and has my body. This someone has my eyes and has my voice. But this someone who’s so present in your head is so far away from being me. Your fantasy (does not exist).”

“When the Winter’s Coming In” is an achingly beautiful and emotionally powerful song, and I may be way off, but my take on its meaning is that it seems to be about coming to terms with one’s eventual passing from this earth, with winter a metaphor for the end of life. There is no despair, only acceptance and a hope of being reborn in another life. Levy’s vocals are appropriately chilling as she plaintively sings “When the winter’s coming in, no, I will not miss so much. Everything that’ll never be, I will be enough. Wild sky. Smoking velvet, brutal pink. Pure me up and bare me down. Rebirth me, please.“

On the melancholy “Steams“, she remorsefully sings of a love affair that now appears to be broken beyond repair, and my guess is that steam signifies feelings of suffocation in a toxic relationship: “The air got thicker in the room. The steams have nowhere to get clear / I didn’t think we’d dare to leave the maze we’ve built in so much pain. You were so brave to rip the chords and breathe me into air. Our eyes are empty. There’s nothing left of us. Everything is, Everything is over now.” And on the captivating closing track “Silent Legs“, Levy sings of searching for solace in the tempest of life, and our tendency to want to wall ourselves off in order to avoid being hurt and subjected to pain: “Now you’ve found how to build that wall around you, you can’t get hurt, you can’t get hurt anymore. Silent legs, silent eyes. Your heart made too much noise.” The mournful cello and atmospheric synths create a doleful but lovely backdrop for Levy’s haunting, emotive vocals.

side:w is an exquisite, brilliantly executed work of almost surreal beauty. With a run time of over 29 minutes, and such deeply impactful and breathtaking soundscapes and vocals that take us on an enthralling sonic journey, it feels more like a full album than an EP. Sivan Levy and company should be very proud of what they’ve created here.

Connect with Sivan:  Facebook / Twitter/X / Instagram / TikTok

Find her music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube / Soundcloud / deezer

NAVE – Interview & Album Review: “God’s Waiting Room”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews26 Comments

Though my feelings about social media are conflicted and complicated – a sentiment I’m confident many others share – one of the things I do like about it is that it’s allowed me to connect with a lot of really talented musicians and bands. One I’m happy to know is NAVE, the solo music project of British singer-songwriter, composer and producer Nathan Evans. Incorporating a broad array of genres and styles, including alternative rock, electronica, trip-hop, ambient, orchestral and dark wave, the hyper-talented Bournemouth-based artist creates dramatic, incredibly compelling music that’s often atmospheric and gorgeous, but sometimes also harsh and disturbing. Nathan is a thoughtful guy who’s unafraid to tackle issues relating to social justice and mental health, calling out the incessant bullshit and hypocrisy we seem to be faced with on a daily basis.

A truly prolific songwriter, he’s released a staggering amount of music over the past 10 years, both as NAVE (also sometimes represented as Nave or N.A.V.E.) and as front man of alternative psychedelic rock band Native Tongue. He’s been on a creative tear since 2021, and from what I can tell, he dropped eight singles last year, including “Broken Record”, a hauntingly beautiful song decrying the addictive nature of social media and its negative impacts on our emotional well-being. I love it so much, it went all the way to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ranks #14 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

He’s continued to release lots of new music in 2023, and on February 19th, he dropped God’s Waiting Room, a monumental work which I believe is his first full-length album. The words “full-length” are a massive understatement, as the album contains a mind-boggling 31 tracks! Because of its daunting length, it was a few days before I was able to give it my full attention, but once I did, I was literally blown away! The word “masterpiece” is often overused and lightly awarded, but I can say with all certainty that in the case of God’s Waiting Room, it’s well-earned. Listening to this brilliant and stunning album is an immersive experience that takes us on a sonic journey through the many moods, ideas and emotions of NAVE’s creative mind.

In order to gain a bit of insight into his inspiration for creating such an epic work, I asked Nathan to answer a few questions, which he was more than eager to do. Here’s what we talked about:

EML: You’re an astonishingly prolific musician and composer Nathan, and I’m truly in awe of your tremendous output. Not only have you released an epic 31-track album, you’ve also recently released a number of other stand-alone songs. Where and how do you find your inspiration for all this music?

NAVE: First off, thank you for your continued support and kind words. You have been a true rare find in this shallow industry. The lack of camaraderie and true music lovers is scarce and we need more people like yourself who truly care about new music. 

My 31 track album is a collection of songs and ideas spanning over 8 years to now. The majority of those songs were never intended to be released, but after going back and listening, I felt it was important because they carry so much emotion. I tend to release stand-alone songs that I spend a lot of time on and have that feeling of “oh this is a single”. The reason I called the album ‘Gods Waiting Room’ is because most of the songs aren’t singles, but more snapshots of moments in my life. What was going on and how I was feeling. I could imagine them all being played in a waiting room because they are so random and odd. 

In answer to your question though, the honest response is I don’t know where and how I find the inspiration to have such a high output. Maybe I feel I have something to prove to myself and others who never believed in me. I was written off in school for having ADHD, and was medicated for 6 years with Ritalin so I always felt like an outcast. Maybe my subconscious wants to leave behind a large library of work that I feel is important. Maybe I’m on an autistic spectrum and I can’t stop jumping from one idea to the other, constantly trying to outdo myself and find my “smells like teen spirit” banger. Maybe I am trying to refine my tools and become the best I can be, which is very similar to the mentality I had when I was competing in trampolining from the age 5-11 and had to come 1st in all competitions. If I would come in 2nd ever, it would be crushing. I knew I had the magic and that has translated to music today 

EML: Continuing on the theme of inspiration, some of the tracks on ‘God’s Waiting Room’ seem to have titles and/or lyrics dealing with self-assessment, mental health or personal well-being – e.g. “Jealous Little Bitch”, “Passive Aggressive”, “Son of a Rich Man”, “Computer Is My Friend” and “Kiss My Bad Side”. Are any of these songs autobiographical, or a means of addressing some inner demons or conflict?

NAVE: I find my songs either have a personal meaning, a message, or they don’t mean anything to me. Some tracks are blunt, some are cryptic, which means something to me, but to someone else interpreting them, it is completely different (which tends to happen often). Someone will tell me what my song means to them and I’ll be like “whoa, that’s not what I had in mind”. But I love that and it’s become clear from people’s comments that my music/lyrics creates imagery and causes multiple interpretations which I love.

For example, the songs you’ve mentioned. “Jealous Little Bitch” is an instrumental song, but made at a time when I was angry at certain people in my life and patterns of behaviour where I felt jealousy from “friends” or “family” instead of support and love. “Son of a Rich Man” was a dig at certain people that would never know the stress and uncertainty of having no money. They have an easy ride almost in a world where billionaires exist, and shouldn’t. I compare them to cartoon characters in a fairy tale paradise.

My track ‘Rose Tinted Glasses”, which was a stand alone release, was probably the most personal and therapeutic song I’ve ever written, about the loss of my Mum at 26. I put out a music video of it and I would cry every time I’d watch it. I’ve never had that with any song I’ve ever written and it addressed grief, anger and such sadness in me.

Another driving force isn’t so much facing inner demons but a feeling of obligation and duty to spread truth, love and light. Call out corruption, bullshit and lies. I made a tune called “blood thirsty billionaires” and made a video calling out certain people and shone a light on the ridiculous injustice and imbalance. It pisses me off that actors, musicians, sportsmen and whoever don’t use their platform enough to stand up to the lies we are fed everyday. The food we eat is full of harmful pesticides, the water we drink contains high levels of chlorine and the doctors don’t have our best interest at heart. They just read from a script or give us big pharma products. Cancer is 1 in 2 from the water, food and air, yet we freak out over a flu that mainly kills old and vulnerable people. We keep bending over to the government and accepting their lies and obeying without thinking for ourselves and truly questioning. Can you tell I am passionate about all this stuff. Can you see maybe why I make so much music lol?

EML: You certainly have a lot to say! When recording your songs as a solo artist, do you play and record all the music yourself? And besides the piano as your primary instrument, accompanied by what I’m guessing are lots of programmed synths, what other instruments do you play?

NAVE: Yeah, I mostly use the keyboard to write in synths, then programme and edit the drums. Then I finally add vocals. The vocals are always hit and miss. Sometimes they come quick and other times its a slog. I focus on the beat, atmosphere, melody and bass to create a vibe and if it makes me feel something, I quickly know whether to spend more time or move on. There always comes a time when I produce where that moment happens. Its like a magic. A transition occurs when the song comes to life and its amazing. I play drums, piano, guitar, bass and hope to learn the violin one day. I tried once and was terrible. The noise was so bad, I was unable to persist. So big respect to you violin players out there. You truly have to crawl through thorns and stinging nettles to reach the roses.

EML: With 31 amazing tracks, you could have broken them up into two or even three separate albums. Why the decision to include them all in one monumental album?

NAVE: I had considered that, but it felt they were all from a chapter in my life and belonged together. It also shows my progression till now and it was appealing to release a large body of work, particularly under such a poignant album title.

EML: That certainly makes sense. What other musicians or bands do you consider primary influences for your music?

NAVE: I ingested a lot of music as a teenager, but over the years I tend to stay away from listening to music as I find it better to be naive and not influenced by others’ music. The more music I listen to, the more chance I might feel I am copying them or “I cant do that because that sounds like that” if you know what I mean? But obviously Radiohead, Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age, Muse, BRMC, UNKLE, Jose Gonzalez, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Morcheeba, Moby were big influences. Our bass player in my band Native Tongue is a music freak so he shows me a lot of new music and one track in particular that blew me away recently and inspired me to write my track “CONNIFER” is the track “NOT” by Big Thief. Incredible song.

EML: Is there anything I’ve neglected to ask that you’d like people to know about yourself or your music?

NAVE: I have struggled not finding the audience I was hoping to. It hurts when I put my heart and soul into these songs and I can’t reach anyone new or build my fan base, no matter how hard I try. I feel I’m finally coming to peace with that and doing this because I love it, not for people’s validation. My main drive has always been to reach people, and its been a painful road reaching so few people and not building that fan base I hoped for. Obviously there is still time but if it never happens, then fuck it. I still touched you and others, and devoted myself to an outlet which has kept me sane for so many years. Without it, I may not even be here now to answer these questions. 

So my final thing to say is to everyone out there, do what makes you happy and try not to seek happiness externally. Think for yourself and question authority. We have been boxed up like objects and we are still treated like slaves working long hours for no money. It doesn’t have to be this way. Seek the truth within yourself and the world will open up like a flower. Independent thought. Love yourself and be kind to others. 

Thank you Jeff. You are a star. 

EML: Thank YOU Nathan for taking the time to answer my questions, and for all your incredible music. Hopefully, this review and interview will bring you at least a few more fans.

Okay, let’s get to God’s Waiting Room, shall we? Because it contains so many tracks – all of which are outstanding – I won’t be doing my usual track-by-track discussion, as it would take me forever and besides, no one would read it all! Instead, I’ll touch on my favorites, as well as some of the more fascinating and impactful tracks. Of the album’s 31 offerings, 17 are instrumentals, whereas 14 feature lyrics and vocals of some kind or another.

On the unsettling opening track “The Speaker“, NAVE talk-sings in a mysterious whispered voice “Why do you listen to the speaker? Isn’t that, in listening to the speaker, you’re listening to yourself? Is that what is taking place? The speaker is only pointing something out. Acting as a mirror in which you only see yourself. Your own state of mind. Your own consciousness. And if at the end of these talks, you say to yourself ‘I have not changed’, why, it is your fault.” Though I didn’t ask him, my guess is that the song set the overall tone for the album, also serving as a kind of introduction.

As the album unfolds, each new track brings a different mood and vibe, keeping it sounding fresh and holding our attention. The second track “Sleepy Head” is a darkly beautiful instrumental featuring a mesmerizing trip hop groove and rather spooky string synths. And speaking of spooky, “White Witch” is downright chilling as NAVE drones “Never again, will you and I suffer. Never again, will the world go by unnoticed” against a mysterious cinematic backdrop that would make a great opening for a horror film.

Several instrumental tracks, like “Into the Abyss“, “Twilight Zone” and “Watch It Unfold“, are atmospheric and beautiful, with haunting piano movements, sparkling synths and cinematic strings. One of my favorites is the stunning “Linda’s Song“, with its vibrant piano keys, soaring strings and pleasing guitar chords. I also love “Jealous Little Bitch“, with its gorgeous violin notes and eerie synths layered over an assertive skittering beat.

Another favorite (on an album full of favorites) is “Passive Aggressive“, with its trippy hip hop groove, highlighted by menacing industrial synths sprinkled here and there with twinkling little touches that keep the song from sounding too heavy and dark. NAVE does a great job rapping the wonderful lyrics about an encounter with an unpleasant receptionist at a medical appointment: “Walk in the door, time for my appointment. Ignored by a lady unhappy in employment. Making me wait for a good few minutes. Grittin’ my teeth, pushed to the limit. I calm myself, instant reflection dealing with this middle-aged bitch on reception. Stay strong, try not to break. Refrain from explaining, I’m here cuz my balls ache. I’ve come a long way, massive obsessive, passive aggressive.“

“Swim Away With Me” is so quietly majestic and beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes. Then, abruptly changing the mood with “Millions of Wilfully Ignorant Sleepwalkers“, he skillfully uses a droning melody and rather ghostly, dream-like synths to convey a sense of people moving through life like zombies, seemingly unaware of their surroundings. The darkly beautiful “Breath With Me” has a strong Radiohead vibe, thanks in large part to the beguiling falsetto by appropriately-named guest vocalist Ethereal, which seems to channel Thom Yorke.

The terrific “Son of a Rich Man” is a languid and bluesy, guitar-driven song that NAVE touched on earlier as being a dig at people born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I love the pointed lyrics: “I don’t know who I am anymore. In fact, I don’t think I ever did. I’m indecisive, with hindsight bias. Sure, the grass could always be greener./ But who knows, paradise could just be a fairly tale, only fit for cartoon characters and billionaires. Maybe I should make a plan, or wait to reincarnate as the son of a rich man.”

One of the most beautiful tracks on the album is “Infinite Ground“, where NAVE’s dreamy echoed vocals meld so perfectly with the delicate acoustic guitar notes, it nearly takes my breath away. The unusual “Tashi Delek” is a dark song, featuring a strong trip hop beat, deep bass and harsh industrial synths, punctuated by contrasting delicate xylophone sounds. NAVE’s otherworldly vocals add to the song’s edgy vibe as he wails “I looked at your face. I couldn’t help but stare. I got you on my mind. There ain’t nothing wrong. Just a slip of the tongue. Can you feel my pain? And I miss you.”

The album closes with the contemplative piano piece “My Goodbye“, a beautiful and fitting end to this exquisite work of musical art. I’ve probably listened to God’s Waiting Room more than 15 times, and it manages to reveal new sounds, textures and meanings each time I hear it. I love this album, and hope at least some of my readers will appreciate and enjoy it too.

Connect with NAVE: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube / Soundcloud

WINACHI – Single Review: “Heaven in Hell.A”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

British electro-funk/soul collective WINACHI are all about fun and having a good time. Their infectious sexy grooves – which they describe as “swaggering Mancunian tenacity spliced with smooth Californian G Funk soul” – are guaranteed to have you shaking your ass with a smile on your face.

Based in and around Manchester, WINACHI originally formed in 2015 as The Winachi Tribe, and have undergone a few personnel changes over the years. They’re now comprised of founding members Liam Croker (lyrics and vocals), Antony Egerton (keyboards, programming) and Inder Goldfinger (percussion), along with Andy McKay (lead guitar), Richard Ritchie (bass) and Paul Lawrence (drums), all accomplished musicians with diverse musical backgrounds.

I first learned about them in Spring of 2018, around the time they released their funky dance single “Transition”. I instantly loved it, as well as all their subsequent releases, and have featured them on this blog more times than I can remember (you can find links to some of those reviews under “Related” at the end of this post.)

WINACHI has collaborated over the years with musicians and producers in both the UK and Southern California, and this past March, Liam, Antony and Inder returned to Los Angeles to work with producers John X (who’s worked with such artists as David Bowie, the Rolling Stones & Reeves Gabrels) and Joe Hirst (Ian Brown, Bloc Party). Together they recorded the single “Heaven In Hell.A“, which they released along with an entertaining video on Halloween. The song is the lead single from their forthcoming full length debut album Sympathy For The Future, due for release next year. The song and video were recorded and produced at the Earthstar Creation Centre in the L.A. community of Venice.

Musically, the features a delicious signature WINACHI dance groove, over which they layer thick drum-bass beats, spooky psychedelic synths, and lots of funky guitar. Liam’s distinctive vocals, which sit in a sweet spot between sultry and raspy, perfectly complement the music’s mysterious, yet lighthearted, vibe.

As to the song’s meaning, my take is that it speaks to the seductive nature of Los Angeles (Liam loves the city) and how, despite its many shortcomings, it’s also a magical place that can really get under your skin. (I lived there for eight years in the 1980s, and have a conflicted love/hate feeling for it myself.) He uses a demonic she-devil woman as a metaphor for L.A.’s seductive, intoxicating power: “The city’s heart is burning, hotter than the sun, The life you taste upon your breath is the proof you’ve had your fun. The city’s pulse it’s beating to the rhythm of her drum. You know she’s gonna love you, as long as you keep breathing. Once you’re in hell and under her spell, then you know that you won’t be leaving.”

The video, written and directed by Tom Muhl, shows the three members of WINACHI arriving at a party, whereupon they meet a man played by John X and a woman played by Frankie Clarke of L.A. band Frankie + The Studs. They give the guys little black pills that appear to be in the shape of a devil’s head, and soon after ingesting them they start tripping out, with the other party attendees appearing to be zombies with skeletal faces. The guys escape in a car, roaming the nighttime streets of L.A., where they continue to encounter more skeletal demons, and eventually, Antony becomes a zombie himself. The next morning, Liam is shown chilling on a beach, seemingly relieved that last night’s events appear to have been just a nightmare. But then, he sees the she-devil standing nearby, holding an hourglass and shrieking with macabre laughter.

Here’s just the track itself:

While in Los Angeles last March, WINACHI played a gig at the landmark club The Mint, which, other than for a couple of brief closures, has been in almost continuous operation since 1937. I had the pleasure of finally meeting Liam, Antony and Inder, and seeing them perform some of their songs that I love.

Connect with WINACHI: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  Bandcamp / iTunes / Amazon

LEWCA – Album Review: “Friday Night Rockstar”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

England-born, and now France-based, singer-songwriter and musician Lewca is one of the most creative, funny and irreverent artists I’ve come across, with a deliciously bawdy sense of humour. As he cheekily explains in his bio, “Lewca was born in a squat in Brixton, by age nineteen he was living in a squat in Paris, go figure… After studying fine art and dabbling in film, he started making music just before he was too old to die young. His influences range from class A drugs to expensive rum, and also The Clash, A$AP Rocky, Sleaford Mods, LCD Soundsystem, Bob Dylan, Eminem, Tom Waits…whoever is making decent music. He currently lives in Normandy, has three kids and a mortgage, and a semi-domesticated hedgehog named ‘Sonic’.”

Lewca’s been making music for years, and after being in a few bands “that fell apart for the usual reasons”, he decided to embark on his own music project as Lewca in 2018. Although he collaborates with lots of different musicians on his projects (most often ex band members or musicians he’s met on Twitter) his main partner in crime is S.O.A.P. (shorthand for Son of A Pitch), a Parisian composer, producer, drum & bass DJ and beatmaker he met when they shared a billing at a gig together in 2013. Their partnership grew from a shared love of wonky beats, British soundscapes and a healthy dose of humour, along with an “expectation of absolute world domination and unfathomable wealth, obviously”. They’re also both fervent players of Dragon Ball Fighterz, and if the music thing doesn’t pan out they’re considering pro gaming as a viable alternative.

Since 2018, they’ve released three EPs, which culminated in a colossal album Year One, released this past June, featuring all 17 tracks originally contained in the three EPs. In addition, the dynamic duo have been working for the last eighteen months on two more albums: Friday Night Rockstar, set for release on December 16th, and Boombap for Boomers, to be released some time in 2023. It’s the first of these, Friday Night Rockstar, I’m reviewing today.

The album features 13 tracks addressing such topics as the passage of time, personal doubts and demons, substance abuse, romantic love, and dreams that may never come true, expressed through Lewca’s honest and heartfelt, sometimes shocking, and often laugh-out-loud funny lyrics. The superb music and beats, composed by S.O.A.P. and influenced by the music they both loved while growing up, range from 80’s new wave and 90’s alternative rock to modern lo-fi indie pop and hip hop. Besides Lewca and S.O.A.P., additional vocals and/or instrumentals were performed by the artists Mondo Trasho, Victory Flow, Oh! Paulo, Chris James Willows, Ambre, Orange G, The JMC, Shark Star, Zar Acoustic, Ian Williamson, Ben Todd and Ben Samama.

The album opens with “Such a Cunt“, which I loved the moment I heard it. The lyrics are so wonderful I want to quote them all (but will control myself). It starts off with what sounds like Lewca clicking start on a tape recording of piano music while he addresses an audience from a stage: “Good evening. Thank you so much for coming out, ladies and gentlemen. It’s an honor. I love you so much. Hi mom. This is a song about cheese.” He than launches into song, admonishing us to live our lives to the fullest, but also try and be a nice person while doing our thing: “Done a lot of crazy shit in my life, but I’d do it all again. Dodged a bullet maybe once or twice. Played the fool every now and then. Hey, you, yeah you in the back, do you get what I’m trying to say? We’re gonna die, mate, that’s a fact, so let the chips fall where they may. But most importantly, stop being such a cunt!” The song has a skittering drum & bass groove, with wobbly industrial synths and sharp percussion, nicely accented by some colorful piano keys and delightfully twangy guitars. Lewca’s gritty vocals are wonderful, oozing with in-your-face swagger that’s a glorious mash-up of Mick Jagger, Joe Strummer and Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods.

Next up is the raucous title track “Friday Night Rockstar“, featuring British garage rock band Mondo Trasho. The lyrics are a humorous take on a guy who thinks he’d gonna be rock’s next big thing, except he’s been waiting for it to happen for years: “World famous in my neighbourhood. If I touch my dick, just assume that I’m touching wood. I could take Tyson, in his fucking prime. Two glasses and a bottle and I’ll make that bitch mine. Ain’t even made it. Already overrated. If a fuck was given mate, I never gave it. Since the late nineties, I’ve been sedated. Still ain’t got a deal, but it’s being negotiate./ They say I got million dollar mind. Shit I ain’t never made a dime. Killing it one weekend at a time. I’m a part time punk, but when I’m drunk I’m a rockstar. Bitch, I’m a rockstar. Friday night rockstar.“

“Harmony Korine” is a poignant but amusing look back at his childhood that seemed more innocent. To a bouncy new wave groove, Lewca sings “My generation, born in the 80s, lived in a world that didn’t give a fuck mate. The Iron Curtain, the Iron Lady, and my old man chain-smoking in the car with the windows up, and the kids in the back with no seat belts on./ We were poor, like the kids next door. It was my childhood, and I wished for no other./ The world that I knew ain’t coming back. Gotta try and face the facts, and get a move on./ Guess we ran out of time, cuz we ain’t kids no more. And Harmony Korine is like 50 now.”

One of the many things I love about the album is that every song sounds completely different, surprising us as each new track unfolds. “A Million Things” has an endearing, lighthearted groove, with quirky, carnival-like synths and Lewca’s alternately gruff and playful vocals as he sings about some of the shit that’s bothering him, apologizing that he “may be an asshole, but it ain’t by design.” He expands on this theme on “Everyday Struggle“, bemoaning the drudgeries of making a living to a rousing trip hop beat: “Six in the morning, I’m at the train station. Every damn day I take the same destination. Gotta get to work, I gotta pay them bills. Pay for them nappies and them cheap ass thrills. Nine hour shifts all day on your feet. Five days a week just to make ends meet. It’s hard labor, yet I ain’t done no crime. I’m selling my life, one day at a time. Oh lord, it’s an everyday struggle.”

“Forget My Name” is a beautiful, deeply affecting track about the idea of success, and that even though you’re at rock bottom, you’re never going to stop chasing that dream: “I’m gonna make, I can fuckin’ take it. Man I’m on a roll now. I’m the king of rock’n’roll now. Don’t forget my name.” Though I love Lewca’s gruff, melancholy vocals, the highlight for me are the stunning soulful vocals by Maryland-based transgender artist Victory Flow. Musically, the song features gorgeous intricate guitar work, somber piano keys, and achingly beautiful notes from a baby trombone.

One of my favorite songs (out of an album full of favorites) is “Incredible“, featuring added vocals by Chris James Willows and Ambre. Over a languid, drum and bass-driven groove, Lewca cheekily raps about his ‘I don’t give a fuck’ approach to music: “I’m at a party and I’m off my face. Falling around, I’m all over the place. High as fuck, I just have to sing. Can’t contain the diva within./ People let me know they ain’t digging the flow. But now I got the the microphone, I ain’t never letting go. I hope you got a sense of humour, turn up the fucking boomer. I don’t give a fuck If I’m ruining the song. Got a mic in hand this is where I belong. Anyway mate, these drugs are way too strong. Ain’t got a fucking clue what the fuck’s going on.” Then we hear an adoring girl, sung by Ambre, croon “You’re so wicked baby, loving your song. Gonna listen to ya all night long“, to which he replies “You’re gonna hear me baby all night long” followed by Chris James Willows’ chorus of “I feel incredible, I feel fucking awesome.” I love it!

The great songs keep on coming, and by now I’m thinking that Friday Night Rockstar might just be one of my favorite albums of the year. “The Love Within” is a hilarious love song that will never get played on the radio. To S.O.A.P.’s deliciously funky dub step beat, Lewca croons to his woman “I only wanna see you smile. I’d drive a thousand fucking miles. Girl I got you under my skin. I need to feel the love within.” But then he gets very sexually explicit in his adoration for her as he raps “I love looking in your eyes when you suck my dick, and listening to your sigh when I licked your clit. When I’m up between your thighs, when I cum on your tits.”

The next few songs touch on the highs and lows of rock stardom. On “Radio Gigolo“, Lewca sings of his dreams of becoming a huge star with a hit song, and willingness to sell himself out to get there: “One day they’ll play my song on the radio. They’ll play it all day long on the radio. I’ll feel like 10 feet tall. Big shots will take my call./ One day I’ll sell myself like a gigolo. I’ll be like someone else I don’t even know. So hungry for fame, I’ll even sell my name, for a spicy chicken wing on some TV show.” Opening with words spoken in French by S.O.A.P., “Golden God” transitions into a trap song with Lewca rapping about how his identity has been subsumed by his rockstar persona: “I’m a golden god, ex officio. Least that’s what I’m told. You can see it all in the video./ Guess I must have lost my mind somehow, somewhere along the line. Take a look into my eyes, mate, I’m not there./ I guess I’m strange mate, yeah I’m all over the place. I’ll keep on being strange until they turn out the light.”

Lewca lets loose on “A Song“, a wonderfully frantic and trippy punk song with a bit of an East Indian vibe, thanks to what sounds like a sitar. He rapidly raps through a litany of grievances, with the recipients of his complaints telling him to “write a fucking song about it“. He really channels his inner Mick Jagger on “I Fell in Love With a Serial Killer“, which sounds like a song the Stones forgot to record. I love the rousing rock’n’roll groove, and the guitars and percussion are fantastic. Album closer “Smoke in the Air” is wonderful too, with a rapid drum-bass groove, highlighted by wobbly synths, jangly guitars and skittering percussion. Throughout the album, I’ve been blown away by S.O.A.P.’s amazing beats and instrumentation, and this song nicely showcases his impressive talents.

I don’t what more I can say about Friday Night Rockstar that I haven’t already written, except to say that I absolutely love it! Lewca and S.O.A.P. have really outdone themselves here in the creation of a unique and brilliant album, for which they should be quite proud. The various artists who contributed vocals and/or instrumentals to the project must also be commended as well.

You can pre-save Friday Night Rockstar on one of these platforms

To learn more about Lewca, check out his Website

Connect with him on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

Stream his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

Purchase on Bandcamp

MISSIO – Album Review: “VILLAIN”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

“Am I a villain or a saint?” MISSIO asks on the title track of their brilliant new album VILLAIN. It’s an aural and emotional roller-coaster, encompassing the yin and yang of evil and goodness that exists within most of us. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the Austin, Texas-based duo, which consists of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler. On the strength of their exceptional music catalog, as well as their honesty and openness with their fans and followers, they’ve earned a place among my favorite music acts of all time, and I’ve featured them several times on this blog. Their edgy, thoroughly original sound is an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes. Matthew’s beautiful, deeply emotive vocals add to their distinctive sound that’s totally unlike any other act.

David Butler and Matthew Brue

Beginning with the release of their debut album Loner in 2017, they’ve consistently put out a tremendous amount of outstanding music, including their magnificent second album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 2,900 views, making it my highest-viewed album review ever). They released their gorgeous fourth album Can You Feel The Sun in October 2020, and their fifth and latest album VILLAIN dropped September 23rd. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my own Weekly Top 30 chart, with “I See You” also being my #1 song of 2019 and #10 of the entire decade of the 2010s.

Though most of MISSIO’s songs are inspired by personal experiences, both good and bad, VILLAIN is perhaps their most deeply personal and introspective: “This is the first album we’ve chosen to release independently, and we poured our hearts into it. We always aim to write vulnerably about what we are feeling in the moment, and honestly, the last few years have been filled with a lot of difficult moments for us. Therefore, this album was written and inspired from some of the darkest spaces / heaviest emotions that we’ve experienced. It’s an album cultivated over hundreds of hours of internal/external dialogue within ourselves and each other about the meaning of the world and our place in it.“

The ten tracks touch on such topics as the conflict between good vs. evil, feelings of self-worth, anger and resentment, and the need for love and acceptance. The title track “Villain” seems to encapsulate all of these: “Complicated and a mess, slightly OCD. Take for granted many things that mean a lot to me. I know, I’ve got a lot to learn. I was raised as a scorpion. Being pulled by the moon in a high tide. That’s why I’m broken. I know, this hurts a lot. It’s not my fault it never was. And I know, I’m tough like stone. But right now, please hug me, I feel alone.” Musically, the song alternates between pensive, atmospheric moods and urgent, beat-driven grooves, nicely conveying the inner conflict touched on earlier.

Here’s a video, released in January 2023, of MISSIO performing the song.

On the menacing trip hop song “Demons“, Matthew starts off lamenting of his shortcomings “I feel I am letting go. And that makes me angry because I’m not who I want to be. It seems like I’m fading. And that makes me terrified because I’m not who I want to be.” But then he seems to take on the persona of the devil as he malevolently snarls, perhaps in reply to himself “Ay boy, what the fuck you think you’re doing here? This is Hell, don’t you know that you were coming here? I’ve been playing with your demons all day.”

MISSIO summon their inner beast on the bombastic “Say Something” and “#gimmeakiss“, which according to Spotify streaming stats are two of the most popular tracks on VILLAIN. Both tracks last barely two minutes, but blast through the speakers like a sonic battering ram of grinding industrial synths and pummeling beats. It’s clear the guys had a lot of fun recording these bangers, which are more frantic than their usual style, and both need to be played at full volume!

“I Wanna Fight And You Know It” is an eerie, aggressive song in which Matthew speaks to his darker, more combative side: “People tell me that I may be the disease. Like I’m the crazy bitches in the sea. Maybe all of ’em are right when it comes to being shady. I wanna fight and you know it. I got my fists up tonight and you know it.” And on the anthemic “We Are Who We Are“, Matthew addresses the importance of being true to ourselves, and accepting our imperfections in order to live a life that’s honest and real: “Why do we try to live a lie? It isn’t worth it. Who you tryna please? ‘Cause if it’s me, it isn’t working. We are who we are. That can be hard to accept. We are all fucked up human beings.”

One of the more enjoyable tracks on the album is “Does Anybody Love Me“. I love the infectious upbeat vibe and hearty piano and bass-driven groove. The lyrics speak to overthinking and worrying too much about what others think of you, but also cognizant of the fact that many others do the same: “Does anybody love me? I don’t know. Is everybody lonely? I think so.”

The final three tracks on VILLAIN are more contemplative and melodic, beginning with “Failure to Comply“, a beautiful, powerfully moving song about a narcissist who’s unable to love or show empathy toward others: “What is it you’re looking for? What is it that leaves you wanting more? Will you ever fight for me? Will you ever love someone other than you?” The mournful piano and dramatic, sweeping instrumentals are gorgeous, as are Matthew’s deeply heartfelt vocals. My favorite song on the album, it’s spent the past three months and counting on my Weekly Top 30.

“Picture in My Pocket” is a beautiful love song, with a languid, almost jazzy feel. The warm piano keys, subtle percussion and strummed guitar are positively sublime, and Matthew’s gentle vocals have an enchanting ethereal quality as he softly croons “Hang on to love if it’s real. I want to believe. I have this picture in my pocket of a peace I won’t grieve. And then I saw you. And you saw me. And suddenly the world wasn’t as bad as once before.”

VILLAIN closes on a positive note with the stunning and cinematic “To the Universe“. The lyrics speak to living life with an open mind and an open heart, unafraid to take chances and follow your dreams: “Open your mind to ideas that you don’t like. It’s a beautiful world if you quit puttin’ up a fight. You can let your walls down and be who you want to be. ‘Cause it’s a beautiful world, you can scream it when you don’t believe. To the universe, to the universe. It’s where we’re headed.”

Their previous albums are all so exceptional, I wasn’t sure how MISSIO could possibly keep matching their quality, let alone top them. But how shortsighted and wrong I was to doubt them, as once again they’ve gifted us with a phenomenal album in the form of VILLAIN. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, which is not something that can be said about very many albums. I remain a faithful and devoted fan.

Follow MISSIO:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube
Purchase on Amazon

WINACHI – Single Review: “Characters”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews5 Comments

British electro-funk/soul collective WINACHI call their sound a blend of “swaggering Mancunian tenacity spliced with smooth Californian G Funk soul”, a perfect description for their delectable music stew of infectious sexy grooves. Based in Warrington, situated roughly halfway between Liverpool and Manchester, WINACHI consists of Liam Croker (lyrics and vocals) and Antony Egerton (keyboards, programming), Inder Goldfinger (percussion), Andy McKay (lead guitar), Richard Ritchie (bass) and Paul Lawrence (drums), all accomplished musicians with diverse musical backgrounds.

They formed in 2015, but I first learned about them in Spring of 2018, around the time they released their funky dance single “Transition”. I instantly loved it, as well as all their subsequent releases, and have featured them numerous times on this blog, most recently last November when I reviewed their PARASITICAL ELIMINATION E.P. (You can find links to some of those reviews under “Related” at the end of this post.) That EP included four great collaborative remixes of three of their previous songs by international artists and producers Howie B, Paolo Baldini, Jim Spencer, and Impey. Now WINACHI are back with a marvelous new single “CHARACTERS“, the first of a long line of singles they plan to release in 2022.

The track, which features additional keyboards by Lee ‘Latch’ Parker, was engineered and mixed by Jim Spencer and mastered by Ben Booker. About the song, front man Liam Croker explains: “CHARACTERS is about how we’re all living together in this extremely beautiful yet completely fucked up world, and how once you get past all the prejudice, hate and judgmental bullshit, we’re all just the same, living under the same sky…we’re human beings and without each other we’re nothing. When writing and producing this track we wanted to make something that sounded like a cross between Beck, George Clinton and a Looney Tunes cartoon, I think we succeeded with that. The world’s such a dark, insane place at the moment that we wanted to put out our own little slice of madness…except exchanging the darkness for a bit of a colour. CHARACTERS is exactly that, a funked-up Bugs Bunny cartoon.”  

I’m not sure I can improve on Liam’s description of the song, so I’ll just elaborate on what I love about it. Firstly, there’s that seductive and funky bass-driven trip hop groove that grabs you by the hips and shoulders, compelling you to move! Then there’s the colorful mix of magical glittery and darker industrial synths, punctuated with flourishes of sci-fi and cartoonish sound effects, hand claps and wonderful jangly guitar chords, all of which come together to create a trippy, enchanting soundscape.

Liam’s distinctive vocals are smooth, but with a seductive, slightly raspy undercurrent that conveys an air of mystery as he croons “The people that we meet, will paint the pictures of our lives. Some make a fortune, some shoot to get by. Some walk on the moon, while some just shoot to get high. We’re all just faces in the crowd./ We’re characters of the world.”

WINACHI never disappoints, and with “CHARACTERS” they deliver another stellar track for our listening enjoyment. I’m certain we’ll continue to hear more great songs from them in the coming months.

Here’s the song on YouTube:

And Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/thewinachitribe/character

Connect with WINACHI:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase:  Bandcamp / iTunes / Amazon

THE RED LOCKS – Album Review: “Arena Dream Trap”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews5 Comments

As EclecticMusicLover, I enjoy listening to a broad range of music genres and styles. And while my tastes generally lean toward alternative rock, dream pop, folk rock, synth pop and R&B, I’m always open to expanding my musical horizons by venturing outside my comfort zone. With that in mind, I was intrigued when singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leah Al-Uqdah reached out to me about her band The Red Locks and their debut album Arena Dream Trap. Blending together elements of trap, hip hop, arena rock and dream pop, they create their own distinctly unique sound they’ve labeled ‘Arena Dream Trap’.

Based in Chicago, The Red Locks are also a rather unusual band, comprised of the aforementioned Leah Al-Uqdah, her husband DJ Privileged (aka David M Pospiech), and their 14-year-old son, percussion savant David Henry Pospiech. DJ Privileged has also been part of Chicago band Virga Trollyp, while Leah has played with bands Off The Radar and Another Pretty Lush. Both DJ Privileged and Leah play guitar, bass and keyboards, while their son David plays drums and keyboards. With a vocal range and timbre somewhat reminiscent of Björk, Leah sings lead vocals, and DJ Privileged sings back-up.

About their album, Leah confided to me: “So many years and tears have gone into these songs. I really feel the world needs these songs, to share a bottled remedy to aid in a hurtful world. I can help others grow from my pain and pensive notes from my very private spiritual journey. We titled the album ‘Arena Dream Trap’, because it’s the sum of our parts.” 

Well, let me say that the instant I pressed play and heard the opening track “Our Father“, I was taken aback by it’s trippy vibes and explicit lyrics. I was not expecting to hear “The Lord’s Prayer” and the words “You know, eating pussy cures cancer” together in the same song, but I get it. My guess is that the song is a statement on the nature of what constitutes as ‘sin’ in our rather hypocritical Judeo-Christian culture. To drive home their message, The Red Locks layer spooky ethereal synths over a throbbing trap bass groove as Leah talk-sings the lyrics in her breathy echoed vocals.

That deep, pulsating trap bass groove continues on the next track “$I4R“, short for “$o Impractical For Real”, only this time overlain by DJ Privileged’s jarringly beautiful psychedelic guitar chords that hover in a sweet spot between distorted and jangly, accompanied by recurring hand claps. I have no clue as to the song’s meaning, but I really like those resonant guitars. The curiously titled “Helen Keller” is even trippier, with spacey synths, otherworldly male voices and a discordant melody. But the most notable aspect of the song are Leah’s amazing vocal gymnastics, which go from oddly seductive baby-like croons to reverb-soaked menacing wails.

“Overrated” is more melodic and upbeat than the previous tracks, with swirling, almost carnival-like synths and cheerful drumbeats, accompanied by Leah’s lilting vocals. I think it’s the prettiest song on the album. But “Spinning to Survive” has a harsher lo-fi sound, with grungy guitars and David’s assertive and marvelously intricate drumbeats. Leah’s colorful vocals sound almost like another instrument in themselves, adding to the song’s rich texture and enchanting vibe.

Perhaps the most unusual track on the album, both musically and lyrically, is “This Semester“. The song has a fairly simple trap beat, but features an exotic and complex blend of spacey instrumentals and sounds. My interpretation of the lyrics is that they seem address pregnancy and sex, however, Leah told me they’re actually conceptual, and meant to explore an abusive one-sided relationship an artist develops with music. Leah starts off with a series of la-la-las in a sing-song manner, then sings in a baby-like voice “I think I really fucked up this semester, ’cause I think I know what’s best for her. A new way of expressing her true temperature. For an even cure, believe in her ability to grow that seed in her, the need to know that she’s for sure I’m keeping her, close to my heart. Because it’s not about pain. We’ll make sure no one gets fucked, but like everyone came.” Later in the song, DJ Privilege gets even more explicit, speaking lyrics I won’t repeat here.

“I Don’t Recall” is tasty little psychedelic acid rock trip, while “It Takes Like” is an acid trip on steroids. The eerie industrial synths, discordant percussion, gnarly distorted guitars and Leah’s almost maniacal vocals create a deeply unsettling vibe. I didn’t think the songs could get any more strange, but “1000 Words” proved me wrong. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing, as despite the very discordant triphop melody, skittering chirpy synths and Leah’s starkly contrasting blend of tortured and sing-song vocals, followed by DJ Privilege’s rapped verses, the song has a certain bizarre appeal. They close the album with “Strung Along“, a fairly mellow and gauzy rock track, featuring grainy distorted guitars, restrained percussion and Leah’s quirky warbling vocals. The song ends with her saying “thank you”, in humble appreciation for our having listened to their album.

While Arena Dream Trap won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s a unique and utterly fascinating work that deserves attention. I applaud The Red Locks’ strong originality, imagination and musicianship, and if you like quirky trap music that pushes the envelope, you will enjoy this record.

Arena Dream Trap is available for streaming or download on Spotify / Soundcloud / YouTube 

Sub Urban & Two Feet Release a Trippy Single and Surreal Video “PATCHWERK”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

Sub Urban is the music project of New Jersey-based singer-songwriter and producer Daniel Virgil Maisonneuve. The highly imaginative and insanely creative 21-year-old exploded onto the alternative music scene early last year with his breakout hit “Cradles”. The song went to #1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, and has been streamed 330 million times on Spotify. He followed up in March 2020 with his outstanding debut EP Thrill Seeker.

Regular readers of this blog know I’m a huge fan of the artist Two Feet, a massively talented New York-born and now Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and guitarist who’s song “Fire” is currently enjoying a long run at #1 on my Weekly Top 30. I love all his music, and have written about him numerous times. Over the past few months, he’s collaborated with other artists such as electronic producer Gryffin on “I Want Love”, electro-pop band SHAED on “Part Time Psycho” and now Sub Urban on a trippy new song “PATCHWERK“.

The song, which was written and sung by both Sub Urban and Two Feet, and produced by Sub Urban, has an eerie, yet oddly sexy vibe. The skittering trip hop beat, discordant melody and piercing, goth-like synths are incredibly dramatic and deliciously creepy, unlike anything I’ve heard before. Two Feet sings his verses in his signature seductive vocal style, whereas Sub Urban’s go from spookily breathy to electronically-altered otherworldliness, perfectly complementing the unsettling music. The lyrics are rather ambiguous and abstract, but seem to speak to living an empty, hedonistic existence: “Cause I’ve got no soul. Live in a hole I dug. And I’ll fall apart if I don’t get it./ I’m sewing the patches right onto my skin. I’m counting the dollars to buy me out. I’m losing myself to the competition. At what point did I start to think that I’d win.“

Every bit as eerie as the song is the accompanying video, which features a surreal mix of classical Greek imagery, kabuki-inspired choreography, and macabre body horror. The video was conceived and created by Sub Urban, directed by Andrew Donoho and produced by Valerie Bush of Huffman Creative. As with the song itself, Sub Urban wanted to produce a video that was different and shocking, drawing inspiration from Tim Burton films, as well as his mother’s Japanese and Chinese dramas. In the Official YouTube Premier for the video, he stated that he wanted it to “feel scary and uncomfortable and inhuman, as I thought that those kabuki characters in my mother’s films made me feel as a child.” He went on to say that the first thing he visualized was Two Feet singing as a Greek bust, then later immersed in a pool of wine, like a drunken Greek god. Sub Urban himself portrays two characters – a man like one from a Renaissance painting, only whose body is a creepy patchwork of stapled-together pieces, and a bald, alien-looking kabuki character all in white. Check it out:

Follow Sub Urban:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Follow Two Feet:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

BUEL – Single Review: “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews13 Comments

BUEL is a bewitching, smoky-voiced singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, who’s released a number of marvelous singles over the past four years or so. Her recent single “Lemon Smile”, released last October, is a gentle but powerful take-down of phony, duplicitous people, with a mesmerizing, sophisticated synth-pop melody that, to my ears at least, calls to mind some of Madonna’s early songs (not in terms of vocals, but rather in their style and feel). The YouTube video for the song has been streamed over half a million times. Now BUEL returns with a surprising new single – a thoroughly captivating reimagining of the Nirvana classic “Smells Like Teen Spirit“. The song was recorded at Wakeful Studios in Los Angeles, and produced by Burak Yerebakan (who plays guitar for L.A. band Yard of Blondes), who also played the theremin, an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact.

It’s an audacious undertaking to try and cover such an iconic and beloved classic, but she and Yerebakan pull it off with finesse. The song opens with otherworldly, siren-like sounds produced by the theremin, creating a decidedly portentous vibe. Then BUEL’S languid vocals enter along with a deep synth bass-driven trip hop beat, followed by delicate fluttering keyboards and accompanied by an enchanting mix of glittery synths, chiming guitar notes and the spacey warbling of the theremin. Her sultry vocals are gorgeous, with a haunting vulnerability that results in a completely different, but equally compelling, interpretation of Cobain’s provocative and sometimes impenetrable lyrics. Their treatment of the song is more melodic and dreamy, yet still manages to capture the dark rebelliousness of the Nirvana original.

The fascinating video was conceived and directed by BUEL, and shows her and Yerebakan performing the song in what appears to be a vacant derelict meeting hall of some kind, interspersed with scenes of an alien (also played by BUEL) and another shadowy man trying to solve a Rubik’s cube type of puzzle, but ultimately giving up. Watch and listen:

Here’s the original 4:18-minute long version of the song:

Follow BUEL:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream/purchase her music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon