Causing A Commotion/Subconscious - The New Citizen Kane (Pop) The New Citizen Kane is feeling a bit randy this week! His hormones are “Causing a Commotion” on the title track on his latest 8-track EP. The song is a funky cut, with a plucky synth bass pulling the song along a gentle mid-tempo groove. The track has a disco flare, and is a great arrival for the end of summer. Similar vibes abound on single “Subconscious”, a track about an unexpected attraction to a friend. With an 80s influence in the synths, both tracks are bonafide 2 steppers great for both dance floors or windows-down commutes.
abeatchemist - Space Is Deep (LP)
Space Is Deep - abeatchemist (Hiphop) We’re taking a trip through the galaxy this week with veteran producer abeatchemist. New to our blog, but not to the music scene, abeatchemist has shared his latest LP, “Space Is Deep”, with us for our thoughts. But before we dig into the album, let’s start with a bit about the man behind the music.
Hailing from Chicago, abeatchemist began producing in the early 2000s as half of the now disbanded group Soul Survivas. Frustrated by his dependency on other producers for beats, abeatchemist took it upon himself to purchase his own gear and begin producing for himself. In addition to producing his own work, he’s worked with many other Chicago artists to bring their dreams to fruition. The self-produced “Space Is Deep” was created to be a cosmic journey through the galaxy, addressing heady concepts of geopolitics, mortality, pain, grief, love and more.
We found, however, that “Space Is Deep” turned out to be a lesson in not judging a book by its cover. On first approaching this work, we noted the large number of tracks and self-described metaphysical subject matter, concerned that we might get weighed down in something overwrought or bloated—a common issue in self produced works. We were happy to find, however, that “Space Is Deep” is a tightly constructed 30 minute journey that, while certainly reaching into broader concepts, more often than not hits on deeply personal stories of loss. As much as abeatchemist may portray this work as a journey through the universe, we think it is much more of a journey inward, and listeners will certainly come out of the experience feeling connected to abeatchemist on a personal level.
With a Nas-like flow, the production feels steeped in mid-90s East Coast hip hop, and often made us think of the Biggie records of the era—”Drugs” in particular. The sound is consistent with few outliers, and certainly works as an ode to that gold era of hip hop. abeatchemist’s pen game is on point, with thoughtful and interesting lyrics that often take several listens to truly unpack. As stated in the intro track, hip hop is an art form used to educate, and that is clearly what abeatchemist is doing on this project. The production is lush, using hard hitting drums, vocal samples, swirling synths, sparkling rhodes and a bevy of ear candy stabs to create dense sonic atmospheres that soar on big speakers.
Stand out tracks include “The Big Bang Theory”, the first autobiographical record on the project, where we start to get to know a bit about abeatchemist’s story and point of view. Similarly, title track “Space Is Deep” touches on the last moments abeatchemist had with his father in a way that is both touching and uplifting. Finally, “Sound Waves (Testimony)”, the album closer, is our favorite production sonically, with the dreamy keys working like a hypnotic music box. But overall there are no skips on this one, and the project deserves a straight through listen as constructed to get the full experience. This is not a collection of songs, this is a holistic work that deserves the proper attention.
TRACKLIST
Speaker Notes (Intro)
Forever
The Big Bang Theory
Lethal
Strip Down
Drowning (WTF)
Tuning
Frequency
O’Hare
Space Is Deep
Its Been Clear
Letter To Heaven (ft Matte Black and Martin Grow)
Beyond Understanding
Streaming
Transmission
Sound Waves (Testimony)
V.Of - La Grande Motte
La Grande Motte - V.Of (Pop) We welcome V.Of to the blog this week with the plucky pop production “La Grande Motte.” A perfect jam for summer evenings, this dancey cut tells the story of a euphoric paradise—an ultimate vacation destination by the sea. Our artist has a deep attachment to this city as the creator of La Grande Motte et ses Bons Plans, telling us that La Grande Motte attracts over 2 million tourists per year. In a lot of ways the song made us think of Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita”, an ode to a paradise, but in this case it’s a place you can actually visit for yourself! The track’s production is sharp, with a clean mix and punchy master, led by a hard hitting kick drum surrounded by island vibes. The song is a perfect soundtrack for summertime beach excursions, whether in La Grande Motte or not, and is certainly set to become the official theme of this idyllic town.
Kiah Olivea - Let Love In
Let Love In - Kiah Olivea (Pop/R&B) Kiah Olivea debuts on our blog this week with the intimate R&B/Pop crossover track “Let Love In.” The record is an ode to healing post betrayal. A mellow guitar leads us into the track, immediately setting the mood, joined by a punchy percussion and some soft synth keys. The song simmers, dreamy and melancholy, as Kiah’s vulnerable vocal delivers some masterfully crafted lyrics that really touch the soul. Kiah relates to her listeners in their feelings of betrayal and their impulse to close off as a response, demonstrating that she knows this all too familiar pain very well, but ultimately suggests that the only way forward is to open up. The lyrics that she brings to life to tell this story are specific and beautiful, and will definitely strike a chord with anyone who’s been in this kind of situation.
Best Lyric: “Say you don’t care, but your hands shake.”
Proklaim - NOTHA 1 DOWN (MINI TRACK)
NOTHA 1 DOWN (MINI) - Proklaim (Rap) Our good friend Proklaim returns this week after a small hiatus with his latest track “NOTHA 1 DOWN (MINI TRACK).” For anyone who reads or blog regularly, you already know Proklaim’s work as he stands as our most featured artist, whose evolution we’ve gotten to witness over the last few years. On “NOTHA 1 DOWN”, we get just a taste of his latest sound, which showcases an African sonic influence. From the chanting choruses we’ve come to expect from Proklaim to the ominous synth laying the groundwork for the track, it didn’t surprise us that the track was engineered at Audio Art Namibia. Bringing his usual good vibes and positive messaging, Proklaim delivers to his fans what could be their new morning or evening mantra.
Best Lyric: “I’m in the sky like the Enterprise.“
ALLEGRA - Wildfire
Wildfire - ALLEGRA (Pop/Dance) Allegra returns to us with another dance pop anthem, this time with latest single “Wildfire”. Featuring an ominous instrumental with a great build, we are immediately transported to the 2010s with the thudding kick pushing the track forward over a droning bass and cavernous synth that weaves a thread of tension throughout the track. The production reminds us a lot of the Zedd “Clarity” and Rihanna “We Found Love In A Hopeless Place” time in music where songs crafted specifically for the dance floor ruled the charts. The record feels like a perfect fit for the summer months and is destined for beach party DJ sets and rooftop dances.
Jimmy Scott Free - Turn Back Time
Turn Back Time - Jimmy Scott Free (Pop) We have a first timer for the blog to share with you this week, Jimmy Scott Free, who brings us his latest track “Turn Back Time” featuring the late house legend Kim English. Jimmy returns to the spotlight following a 10 year hiatus, with the Southend-born artist now based between the Midlands and Barcelona. This track is straight up 90s house and a tribute to its genre and references, thankfully released just in time for summer. It’s a dance floor anthem for sure, with a driving piano and house beat supporting a soaring vocal from Kim. The record is a miasma of sounds, swirling and bubbling in dense reverbs that cast a hypnotic spell on the listener as a punchy kick propels this euphoric track forward. You’ll want the summer sun on your back and a cocktail in hand when listening to this one.
Magdalia - Out of Focus
Out of Focus- Magdalia (Pop) Musician and storyteller Magdalia returns to the blog for the sixth time with latest single “Out of Focus,” following our previous reviews of “Housewife”, “Hold it Up”, “Tunnel Vision”, “Great Expectations” and “Fault Line”. On “Out of Focus”, Magdalia has had a prolific epiphany—that when it comes to her life struggle with feeling aimless, the call is coming from inside the house. This therapeutic revelation comes paired with a Robyn-style synth dance beat, marrying introspection with a dance floor sensibility. The track is driven by its kick, which cuts through and otherwise bubbling and hypnotic production. We love when a dance track says something more than just encouraging people to get up and move.
Best Lyric: “When everybody’s talking over you, it’s easy to believe the lie.”
Dax - Man I Used To Be
Man I Used To Be - Dax (Pop) Our prolific musician and music video superstar Dax is back with us this week for the eleventh time, bringing us his latest track “Man I Used To Be.” We know Dax for his fusion of country sensibility into pop and hiphop productions, and with “Man I Used To Be” we’re dealing with a crossover country/pop track with a soulful guitar leading a sparse production that focuses mostly on the vocal. With a strong vocal that gives just a hint of twang, Dax illustrates something else we’ve come to know him for—vulnerability. Dax’s artistic point of view is typically based in introspection, setting himself as the ideal for the everyman who is not threatened by therapy and self reflection. Dax might feel he’s half the man he used to be due to his life’s trauma, but his clear point of view and polished mixes make him twice the artist of his peers.
Best Lyric: “Generational curses from daddy and mama.“
Kristen Banana - Lanternbones and Ghosts (LP)
Lanternbones and Ghosts (LP) - Kristen Banana (Pop) Kristen Banana makes her debut on our blog this week with a soulful collection of midtempos, her 9 track debut LP “Lanternbones and Ghosts”. With inspiration found in the Alaskan wilderness which followed her to Austin, TX, each track on “Laternbones and Ghosts” feels like a soothing lullaby. The dreamy record pulls from deeply personal experiences of trauma, isolation and personal loss. Throughout the production, Kristen’s vocal strikes us as deeply intimate, allowing her to deftly tug on the listener’s heartstrings. Despite a good layer of melancholy, each song has a glowing ember at the center, a warmth that fills the chest. Kirsten excels at the torch song. Listening to this collection feels like sitting next to a roaring campfire—warm, peaceful and intoxicating.
Amara-Fe - To good for that
To good for that - Amara-Fe (Pop) Amara-Fe brings us some feel good hype music with her first track to appear on our blog, “To good for that” from her recent REBORN LP. The vibes are right on this poppy production which is full of self confidence and empowerment, much in the way Lizzo’s “Good as Hell” brought that kind of feeling. On the track, Amara-Fe isn’t sweating romantic interests that passed her by because she is fully aware that missing a chance with her is completely on them. The production itself is total Top 40, with a bouncy bass line propelling an old school Ariana Grande R&B/Pop crossover instrumentation as Amara-Fe’s vocals hit hard with a theatricality that elevates the track. The entire record screams ‘boy, bye!’
Best Lyric: “I don’t chase boys who forget my name.”
Shelita - You Will Want My Love
You Will Want My Love - Shelita (Pop) Shelita joins our blog this week with “You Will Want My Love.” Penned by William Henshall of Londonbeat and Bellringer, the track is the first single from the upcoming album “Into the Depths.” The record sports a crisp production with a subtle build that carries the listener through the track. But as stellar as the mix is, the true star of this mid tempo is Shelita’s theatrical vocal performance which carries an affectation that reminds us a lot of Bjork. With minimal instrumentation, Shelita stands front and center, carrying the track with a solo vocal line, casting aside the bells and whistles and gimmicks of production and relies instead on the strength of the vocal performance.
Best Lyric: “I already know what you see in me, I can feel it.”
Stephanie Happening - We Move In Pieces
We Move In Pieces - Stephanie Happening (Pop) Completing our triad of Stephanie Happening tracks this week, following funky “My Groove” and the seductive “Don’t Believe The Lies”, we have “We Move In Pieces”, a track that continues Stephanie’s track record for creating dance floor bops. A wild violin flies over the thudding dance track full of rises and falls to create a record that is made for DJ sets. Of the three tracks, this feels the most anthemic, with a vocal performance that reminds us of Florence and the Machine. From the pulse of the track to the soaring chorus, this is one of those songs you put on to get you hype. We congratulate Stephanie Happening on her trio of dance floor cuts, which showcase Stephanie’s artistic versatility in providing three unique sonic landscapes.
Best Lyric: “Still I rise, still I stir.”
Stephanie Happening - Don't Believe The Lies
Don’t Believe The Lies - Stephanie Happening (Pop) In our second of a triad of Stephanie Happening records this week we have “Don’t Believe The Lies”, which takes a dark turn after the funky “My Groove.” Just as dancey as the aforementioned track, “Don’t Believe The Lies” is a punchy dark pop number that seems perfectly crafted for today’s top 40. Giving us vibes of Charlie XCX “Guess”, Stephanie’s seductive growl crawls all over a thudding and all consuming bass, delivering a bevy of creatively crafted lyrics, eventually dipping into a deep verb before the track slams into full after party underground club vibes. Dark, dangerous and incredibly sexy, this is one we’ll have on repeat.
Best Lyric: “Truth got legs and it walk right through.”
Stephanie Happening - My Groove
My Groove - Stephanie Happening (Pop) We welcome Stephanie Happening to the blog this week with latest record “My Groove.” Stephanie is the embodiment of both the feminine and masculine, the creation of an artist living with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). That duality is expressed on the funky dance-floor spinner “My Groove” with dueting male and female vocals for a track that feels like a Sam Smith/Demi Lovato collaboration. As the beat pumps along, the male falsetto and punchy female vocal beckon listeners to defy their labels, break free of their boxes, be themselves and, most importantly, get to the dance floor.
Best Lyric: “They can watch me from the sidelines while I move to my own design.”
BLOODLIN3 - No Mercy (LP)
No Mercy (LP) - BLOODLIN3 (HipHop/Rap) We have had the privilege of getting to know this week’s featured artist over the last few years, and are happy to get another opportunity to review another LP. This week, BLOODLIN3 returns with latest album “No mercy“, following 2023’s “Mercy” LP.
Hailing from Paducah, Kentucky and El Paso, Texas, BLOODLIN3 comprises three brothers who blend Southern, East, West, and Midwest flows into their own unique sound. In reviewing prior BLOODLIN3 singles (“Until I Fall”, “Say Less”, “No Mercy”, “Please Don’t Bother Me” and “Blessed Today”) over the years, we’ve lauded the heavy influence of 90s hiphop nostalgia, with the last LP we reviewed, “Mercy”, self proclaimed as an homage to the golden era of hip hop in the 1990s, infused with elements of the here and now.
We got our first tastes of “No Mercy” last year with the title track, featuring Twista, “Say Less” and “Blessed Today” featuring Project Pat. Looking back at our prior reviews, we said of the title track that Twista didn’t disappoint by bringing his famous rapid fire spit, while at the same time never leaving BLOODLIN3 in the dust, who always held their own, and lauded them for their mission to avoid vulgarity in their lyrics. We noted the West Coast vibe of “Say Less”, pointing to the foreboding instrumentation that intoduced a sense of danger to the track and a good dose of whimsy in the vocal delivery. These elements persist on the completed “No Mercy” LP as we note below. Finally, on “Blessed Today”, we noticed a decade jump in nostalgia, bringing us to 2000’s Timbaland territory for a feel good track that would feel at home on a pregame playlist.
Now with the release of the full LP, we get a few interludes, a remix and 10 new tracks to complete the collection. As a whole, BLOODLIN3 delivers a project whose lyrics are as complex as they are dense, and all laid over hard hitting midtempo grooves. The project boats strong points of view and a whole lot of lyrical cleverness that keeps the listener from ever drifting away from the record. We also really appreciate the craft of album composition and sequencing. This is more than a collection of tracks, these tracks are thoughtfully placed for the purpose of creating a complete work, and one with no skippable tracks.
That album-mindedness is on display best with the first 30 seconds of “Test The Water”, which uses a spin through the radio dial to preview tracks to come before getting into the meat of that specific record. Having not heard the rest of the album yet, we hoped, and were happy that, these weren’t wasted beats on a gimmick—especially that one that turned out to be “Take Me Away, Pt. 2” which really knocks.
Focusing on our favorite tracks, carrying off from “No Mercy”, “Test The Water” and “Cross Tha Line” feel like a suite unto themselves as each are imbued with that sense of palpable danger. “Test The Water” does this with a flow that feels like an incantation over a haunting choir while “Cross Tha Line” gives us a monstrous vocal synth.
“Circus of Clowns” is a standout for its demented quirkiness—conjuring images of a haunted fun house. Here, BLOODLIN3 puts the industry in the crosshairs, pointedly stating that fame doesn’t necessarily mean talent in the game these days. Shots fired.
Getting the taste in “Test The Water”, we were very happy when “Take Me Away, Pt. 2”, came on with its R&B infused beat. Telling a story about being burned in love, there’s a emotional vulnerability and sexiness to this track we haven’t heard much on BLOODLIN3 tracks. That vibe continues in the early Kanye feeling “Heartache”.
Finally, we have to recognize the immaculate album closer “Streets of Gold”, which fuses BLOODLIN3’s signature flow with a gospel and motown instrumental. While staying true to their roots and sound, we think “No Mercy” shows a great deal of growth in the group’s artistry by infusing a surprising amount of heart.