THINGS I WAS LISTENING TO THIS WEEK (1/29/21)

Stream/Buy: https://lnk.to/waynesnow-figurine

Out September 24th via @rochemusique 

There’s nothing cold about the music of WAYNE SNOW. The Nigerian-born neo-soul artist has been channeling the sun-kissed, soulful vibes of his homeland ever since his first encounter with a synthesizer as a child. Now Berlin-based, Snow has been spreading warmth and his unique creative vision across the globe together with Roche Musique and highly acclaimed collaborations with FKJ, Folamour, Darius, Max Graef and Glenn Astro. And now he stands ready to release Figurine, his most ambitious solo project yet.  

Across it’s ten tracks, Snow deftly weaves neo-soul, alternative pop, R&B, soultronica, and hints of jazz into a mesmerizing stew. His music is studied and stylish, quiet passages of calm giving way to vivid bursts of energy and colour. Produced together with Crayon, Nu Guinea, Brandt Brauer Frick and featuring acclaimed future-jazz artist Oscar Jerome, Snow employs a delightful array of neat details and flourishes that highlight his compositional brilliance. 

Four years in the making, Figurine is a conceptual, personal work of depth and reflection, one that critically considers humanity’s obsession with masks and our creation of avatars. Inspired as much by nature and the work of social psychologist Erich Fromm, as the music of Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade, Figurine is not a full stop. Rather, it’s an invitation – to think, to probe, and to sink into Snow’s bright, storied music. 

It’s a record based around a simple question - “Who is the real you?” – and led Snow to explore rebirth, individuality, and our unhealthy obsession with social media. Love and our increasing sense of alienation are deconstructed, as is the reality of modern day relationships. And intertwined with all this is Snow’s Nigerian heritage, and the deep sense of pride and admiration he feels towards his country of birth. 

Figurine’s visual identity have been crafted by the album’s Art / Video Director Travys Owen, a collaboration in every sense with another truly visionary artist. The tightly knit creative team was lead by the award winning producer Allison Swank, recent winner of the IMDB Independent Shorts Awards, known for her work with the likes of The Roots, Flying Lotus, Erykah Badu, Mumford & Sons and Burnaboy. Shot across  Tankwa Karoo National Park, Johannesburg and Cape Town, the accompanying videos pay homage to Afrofuturism and the vibrancy and beauty of his homeland. Contemporarily styled, figurines dance through otherworldly, colourful landscapes, exploring relationships, both to each other and to nature. The sense of life -of vitality – is palpable; his music, and the message it conveys, is equally as alive. 

Following a string of singles which received critical acclaim from NPR Music, The Evening Standard, Vogue, BBC Radio 1 + 6 Music, Le Monde, Clash, The Vinyl Factory, Notion, Afropunk and L’Obs amongst many others, Wayne recently stepped up to the COLORS stage to deliver a breath taking live performance of the album title track.

Magnetic feat. Oscar Jerome (Roche Musique)

We Can

RISE

Knockin

Knockin (feat. George Porter Jr., Ian Neville & Ivan Neville)

Don't Gotta Lie · Vintaj

Don't Gotta Lie

℗ 2022 Vintaj

Released on: 2022-06-22

Producer: Jackson D Lewis Jr.
Composer: Isaiah D'Angelo Gilbert
Composer: Jackson D Lewis Jr.
Lyricist: Isaiah D'Angelo Gilbert
Writer: Isaiah D'Angelo Gilbert

Don't Gotta Lie

Believer

Closure

Recording Engineer: Dylan Del Olmo, Yilun (Jason) Zhang
Mixing Engineer: Dylan Del Olmo
Mastering Engineer: Dave Kutch
Drums:  Cardiak  
Bass: Larrance “Rance1500” Dopson
Keys: Quintín “Q” Gulledge
Guitar: Chris Payton

Like Girls

Past

Past (with Ant Clemons)

Terrace Martin - Oblivion (feat. Malaya)

San Diego's sweetest export is back with two sublime sides of West Coast flavored soul. The soft, tremolo-kissed intro of "Will I See You Again" seeps out of the speakers like a cool Cali breeze, allowing the drop to hit like Thor's hammer on the dancefloor. As the groove gets in you, Josh Lane's vocals send you to a place transcendent of time and space... A world where lovers love, and hate has no place. "It's Our Love"'s mellow but funky feel grinds out a vibe that tempers the "beat" in Beat-Ballad. Thee Sacred Souls are raising the bar to heady, unattainable heights.

Thee Sacred Souls "Will I See You Again?"

Calling - Single

Calling

Watch "Fellowship" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rld75JvoN48

New album DEACON is out now: serpentwithfeet.ffm.to/deacon

DEACON

Fellowship

Don't Judge Me

Change

i don't try to be different, i am. SVP of Creative Synch @ Kobalt Music.  Weekly playlist up at Spotify (search: 'mcxyz')

Calling

The Bramantes

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