“What am I to build, if my hands are broken, if I’m not the chosen one?” sings Steven McKellar of Civil Twilight on “Story of An Immigrant”, over a lush, dynamic beat that evokes the sounds of his native South Africa while steeped in the band’s everevolving present. The foursome (Steven, his brother and guitarist Andrew, drummer Richard Wouters and Kevin Dailey on keys and guitar) are living proof of what happens when you stop worrying about being the chosen one and make music built on both the roots that grew you and the love that keeps you thriving every day. Civil Twilight’s songs embrace every corner of human emotion, balancing delicate, poetic lyrics with sweeping arrangements that touch all the senses: a phrase to make you think; a rolling drumbeat you can feel in your bones; a guitar vamp as illustrative as a picture; a shimmer of keys whose light can nearly be seen and heard. Produced by Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cut Copy), their third record on Wind-Up is built on this vibrancy, on the permanent dust of a Cape Town youth; on the connection that unites them all as brothers beyond blood and on their new home in America where they pull from the innate, thriving musicianship of Nashville, where they live. When you listen to Civil Twilight, from their self-titled debut, to 2012’s widely lauded Holy Weather to now, it’s easy to understand why the band has topped five million YouTube views and reached historic success with film and television syncs – because it’s music you can’t shake, that translates experience into moments and creates melodies that become imbedded deep under the skin. We’re all immigrants, in some way, and Civil Twilight’s singing our national anthem.

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Vic rose to public awareness as a member of the eclectic hip-hop band Kids These Days and founder of the Chicago collective SAVEMONEY alongside Chance The Rapper and other local upstarts Joey Purp and Peter CottonTale. His solo debut mixtape INNANETAPE dropped in 2013, igniting immediate accolades (including a spot on the XXL Freshman cover in 2014), and a fortuitous introduction to Jay Z that led to a record deal with Roc Nation. Mensa went on to help Kanye West pen his esoteric song “Wolves” from The Life of Pablo, drop three critically acclaimed EPs (2016’s There’s A Lot Going On, 2018’s Hooligans, and 2020’s V TAPE) and his debut full length The Autobiography (2017), as well as furthering social causes in his hometown through his nonprofit SAVEMONEYSAVELIFE. In both music and his social activism, Vic challenges the American system responsible for a history of overcriminalization, racial injustice, and issues that affect the lives of people in underserved communities, while showcasing profound levels of consciousness and self-reflection.

home of 
10LEC6 / BREAKBOT / BOSTON BUN / BUSY P / DJ MEHDI / DSL / FEADZ / JUSTICE / KRAZY BALDHEAD / MICKEY MOONLIGHT / MR FLASH / MR OIZO / MYD / PARA ONE / RITON / SABRINA & SAMANTHA / SEBASTIAN / SO ME / UFFIE / VLADIMIR CAUCHEMAR

Galak Spiritual is a conscious and highly energetic solo artist, DJ and frontman whose music is a blend of reggae, hip hop, jungle and soul. Renowned in both the UK and his native France for his incredibly versatile vocal skills, Galak has stunned audiences across the UK & Europe with his ability to flip from spine-tingling soulful melodies to his unmistakable raw ragga mc’ing and lyrical rap flows.

Influenced early on by reggae, soul, afro-cuban & jazz music, Galak developed his unique vocal abilities as a staple figure on the early Paris hip hop scene, and continues to release music in both French and English under his Galak Spiritual and Galak monikers.

On moving to London in 2011, Galak became a key member of the respected sound system and music collective Unit 137, and frontman for the mighty 8 piece reggae outfit OnlyJoe - whose sensational live show has earned regular festival appearances at Boomtown Fair, Secret Garden Party, Glastonbury, Fusion and many more.

Galak’s ability to command the stage and set the dance on fire has seen him perform alongside industry giants such as Horace Andy, Capleton, Julian Marley, Mad Professor, Channel One, Congo Natty and many more.. he is a regular DJ Selecta at club nights around the country. With radio play from David Rodigan and collaborations with the likes of General Levy, Skibadee and DJ Vadim, Galak Spiritual is a talent with game-changing potential and a career on the up and up. With forthcoming solo projects in the pipeline and a debut album from OnlyJoe scheduled for release this year, Galak is set to make waves in 2019 and beyond.

user800773409 is following