Discover Blogwave Music and Artists on Nagamag Music Magazine!

Young-Borra – U Get What U Pay 4 (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Electro Pop, Indietronica, Nu-disco, Review (EN), Young-Borra|

Young-Borra – U Get What U Pay 4
(Spotify)

“We can't resist at one more Nu-disco candy as the crystal synthesizer loops fill the air with energy bubbles! Don't miss this fabulous dancing vibe from Young-Borra. Truly special and proffessional.”

-Nagamag.com

— NYC-based Young-Borra shares his latest offering “U Get What U Pay 4” on Casablanca Sunset Records.

Born in the Bronx and raised in New York City, Jonas Young-Borra (AKA Young-Borra) is today’s answer to yesterday’s pop-star. He believes in quality over quantity in a world that is flooded with the latter. He listens more than he speaks and speaks more when he needs to. He is well-informed and he is a much-needed character in a character business.

His new single, “U Get What U Pay 4” is an anthemic 80s-esque tune that features uplifting instrumentation highlighted by infectious sing-a-long vocals, groovy up-tempo rhythm, and dangerously energetic synth melodies. The song is also highlighted by an explosive guitar solo in the second half recorded by the legendary New York-based guitarist Paul Pesco. Pesco is best known for penning a portion of the guitar arrangement in Madonna’s “Lucky Star” and C+C Music Factory’s jock-jam “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” in addition to working closely with a number of superstars like Hall & Oates, Jennifer Lopez and more.

As a singer-songwriter and artist, Young-Borra is no stranger to working alongside talented musicians. “U Get What U Pay 4” was produced by the NYC-based producer Alex Suarez (AKA LEFTI) who is known for his involvement in the band Cobra Starship. Borra's father is a jazz musician who played saxophone with a number of artists including shows with Phoebe Legere and Huey Lewis & the News. His mother was also a talented Broadway actress/singer.

Recently doubling down on his artist career, Borra draws from his previous work experience as an event curator, DJ, doorman and promoter in some of New York’s best clubs. Many of these experiences influence the context of his music and lyrical input; nightlife, heartbreak, striving for love and success, relationships, sex, parties, breakups, makeups and living under the bright lights of the big city. Now, after several years of creating, producing and fine-tuning his sound, Young-Borra is releasing his original material; ushering in a new wave of music to accompany the start of the new decade. Look out!

Stream: https://smarturl.it/UGetWhatUPay4

http://www.youngborra.com/
http://spoti.fi/3cJEGM5
https://www.facebook.com/youngborra
https://www.instagram.com/youngborra/
https://soundcloud.com/youngborra

Highschool Jacob – Open Sickness (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Funk, Highschool Jacob, Indietronica, Nu-disco, Review (EN-RU)|

Highschool Jacob – Open Sickness
(Spotify)

“Funk and Nu-disco has long been a favorite of many music charts. And the music Highschool Jacob no exception. New single Open Sickness filled with vintage sound of analog and digital synthesizers, drum machine and quality samples.”

“Funk и Nu-disco уже давно стали фаворитами многих музыкальных хит-парадов. И музыка Highschool Jacob не исключение. Новый сингл Open Sickness наполнен винтажным звучанием аналоговых и цифровых синтезаторов, драм-машиной и качественными семплами.”

-Nagamag.com

Los Angeles' Highschool Jacob is ready to share his highly awaited single "Open Sickness," the fourth release from his "HSJ 2020" collection. The series of singles each come with a corresponding video game (yes video game!) and have garnered praise from tastemakers worldwide.

The alternative-pop project based out of Los Angeles was started with the intention to combine elements from modern pop and R&B. Inspired by art pop, indie rock, and nu-disco, Highschool Jacob (HSJ) continuously delivers music that is both deeply personal and sonically riveting. Having mastered retro-inspired jams, HSJ shares feel-good music influenced by our favorite parts of the '70s and '80s.

"breezy, funky, alt-pop single du jour" - EARMILK

"HighSchool Jacob's retro synth soundscape is a breath of fresh air amongst the sea of hip hop and grunge" - Atwood Magazine

"full of soulful synths that pair well with its downtempo beat." - mxdwn

"Nostalgic in name and in sound this song hits all the notes." - Beat Lab Academy

"It's not hard to understand the magnetism to this curious alt-pop act." - The Music Ninja

HSJ takes it back to his roots with the gorgeous indie-pop tune "Open Sickness." A memorable guitar melody opens the track and leads you into soaring harmonies and echoing verses swirling in a dreamy, synth-laden soundscape. This elevated-ballad is an ode to moving on and accepting responsibility; Highschool Jacob embraces the hard conversations we need to have with ourselves in the wake of emotional grief.

He explains, "This song was written after a difficult conversation with an ex on a cold winter day in New York City when I was crushed with the realization that she had undoubtedly moved on. I began writing the song focused on how sorry I felt for myself, but then I realized I was the reason for the circumstances in the first place. How dare I approach someone I had been apart from for so long and expect them to feel the same way I did? How dare I meet their emotional maturity with tears? Often these sort of songs (especially from the male perspective) look to demonize and shift blame to the other person, and I wanted to draw attention to how that is often not the case. I wanted to write the angry breakup song where my ex was some crazy mean girl and make myself the victim, but in the end it was my fault. I couldn't make her the bad guy no matter how hard I tried."

Tastemakers like Atwood Magazine, Earmilk, and mxdwn have supported the project from the start and HSJ has climbed HypeMachine charts hitting the #1 Spot on the Popular Charts. Additionally, he has been featured on coveted Spotify playlists like Fresh Finds and more.

With every single release, Highschool Jacob and creative collaborator Jack Herzog created a flash game available on the Highschool Jacob website to coincide with the single release, giving listeners a chance to further dive into the world and ideas wrapped into each song. Inspired by vintage video game advertising, they carried that theme over to the artwork for each track release as well. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantine, HSJ realized that everyone could use some fun until life gets back to normal.

Follow Highschool Jacob
https://www.facebook.com/hsjacob/
https://www.instagram.com/highschooljacob/

Blue Canopy – Banji (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Blue Canopy, Chillwave, Indie Electronic, Indie Pop, Review (EN-RU)|

Blue Canopy – Banji
(Spotify)

“Warm, soothing music of Blue Canopy. The composition combines tube synthesizers, sampling and competent job with the vocals. Clearly a favorite from the lastest Chillwave releases.”

“Тёплая, умиротворяющая музыка Blue Canopy. Композиция Banji сочетает в себе ламповые синтезаторы, грамотное семплирование и работу с вокалом. Чистый и такой любимый нами Chillwave.”

-Nagamag.com

Second single from forthcoming Blue Canopy EP 'Sleep While You Can' (out March 5) -- featuring Patrick from A Beacon School on guitar.

Blue Canopy's 'Sleep While You Can' is the newest entry from Portland-based multi-instrumentalist, Alex Schiff. Exploring the often unspoken anxiety related to having a child and what that means for losing the past version of one's self, the EP is beautifully introspective at a time where self-reflection is incredibly crucial.

Formerly the keyboardist and co-writer for indie band, Modern Rivals, the EP is a follow up to his 2020 debut, Mild Anxiety, which was produced alongside Patrick J Smith (A Beacon School), a frequent collaborator.

---

Quote from artist: "I'm really intrigued by the relationship developing between our dog Banjo and our first born, Graham. When my wife was pregnant with Graham, I had a funny thought, "what life advice would Banjo give Graham when he meets him?"

https://www.instagram.com/blue.canopy/

Bootmasters, Efimia – Hot Hot (Original) (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Bootmasters, Commercial, Disco, Efimia, Review (EN), Synthpop|

Bootmasters, Efimia – Hot Hot (Original)
(Spotify)

“A big bomb has come to burn down the dancefloor. Hot like fire, this short track carries all the power of sound magic, along with a favourite past, retro taste. Respect to the Bootmasters for delivering so much joy within less than three minutes time.”

-Nagamag.com

Efimia is known from collaboration with Bootmasters, Visioneight and many more. Her song "Kaleidoscope" achieved top positions in the charts. # 1 Dance - Charts Germany, # 1 Dance - Charts Switzerland, # 1 Dance - Charts Austria and many more

https://www.instagram.com/efimia__

Loome – Love is Pretty (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Chillwave, Indie Electronic, Loome, Review (EN), Synthwave|

Loome – Love is Pretty
(Spotify)

“Loome expresses his deep feelings with a song full of descriptive words and light melodies. Sometimes we may find ourselves experiencing the same situation with the singer and need to chill out with a suitable sound.”

-Nagamag.com

The phrase 'Love is Pretty' morphs into "Love is Pretty Savage" a phrase for a Valentine Release for sure.

https://www.instagram.com/tomasfrankson/
https://www.facebook.com/loomeearth

Different DNA – Wanna Be Your Lover (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Different DNA, Electro Pop, Review (EN-RU)|

Different DNA – Wanna Be Your Lover
(Spotify)

“We hasten to draw your attention to the song -Wanne Be Your Lover- by melodic synthpop -Different DNA- project, which was included in self-titled EP. Nostalgic charm of unforgettable 80th sounds.”

“Спешим обратить ваше внимание на песню Wanne Be Your Lover от мелодичного synthpop проекта Different DNA, которая вошла в его одноимённый EP. Ностальгический шарм незабываемых 80-ых.”

-Nagamag.com

Sometimes we are not able to find the right words to show our fondness. But it is Love that rules the World. Wanna Be Your Lover - declaration of love to the closest person

Different DNA

Based in Milano, Different DNA is a completely brand new project. It is 100% unique as the music combines the legendary 80’s vibe of Thompson Twins, Pet Shop Boys, A-HA etc with a modern sound that can remind you the best works of TheWeeknd, Timberlake, Hurts

Kowloon – Late Last Night (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Chillwave, Indie Electronic, Indietronica, Kowloon, Review (EN-RU)|

Kowloon – Late Last Night
(Spotify)

“Kowloon's, Late Last Night, is music for semantic unloading. Vintage synthesizers , echoes of a bygone era, where the calm bass and vocals draw a memorable picture.”

“Kowloon - это музыка для смысловой разгрузки. Винтажные синтезаторы в Late Last Night это отголоски ушедшей эпохи, где спокойные басовые партии и вокал рисуют запоминающиеся картины.”

-Nagamag.com

A Break-up to make-up to break-up to make-up-again anthem for Valentines day. Gently surging bass guitar, low fi drum machines and guitars that warble like the warped images on an old vhs tape. A vocal at once tired, romantic, hopeful and defeated. A plea for a second chance, and ultimately a celebration of love. The song ends with a triumphant disco-guitar riff and the repeated refrain "I believe."

https://www.instagram.com/officialkowloon/

Kowloon is a musician and filmmaker from Los Angeles, California. His debut album, ‘Come Over’, was written, performed, recorded and mixed in his home-studio in the industrial outskirts of the city. Blending vintage synths, drum machines, and bubbling bass lines with vocals inspired equally by The Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, and Sly Stone, ‘Come Over’ is 35 minutes of danceable love songs - albeit love songs set in a time of digital malaise and looming ecological catastrophe, with anxious, dread-filled lyrics that are as timely as they are post-apocalyptic.

LukHash – Code Veronica (Audio) (Video)

Categories: Blogwave, The Latest, Video|Tags: LukHash, Review (EN), Synthwave|

LukHash – Code Veronica (Audio)
(Video)

“LukHash is back with a blast. Original retro, Synthwave super track; Code Veronica bringing various emotions from the unforgiven past. Give it a try and the molodies will keep (re)playing in your mind.”

-Nagamag.com

Residing in Edinburgh but originally from Poland, LukHash, continues to turn heads with his innovative approach to making music. ‘Code Veronica’ is the first single from his album, ‘We Are Stardust’, forthcoming on influential, retro synth label NRW Records, and is a perfect example of his ability to blend of modern electronic music production, with 80’s nostalgia, dystopian cyberpunk and retro arcade gaming culture. Videos of his experimentation with custom-modified Commodore 64 computers and hacked, original Nintendo Gameboys went viral on YouTube (and more recently TikTok) as more people joined his obsession. LukHash’s productions deliver a futuristic vibe while integrating nostalgic sounds of an electronic past. His reputation and following has grown fast. His last two albums topped the electronic sales charts on Bandcamp, (with ‘Transient Offworld’ hitting #8 in the overall Bandcamp sales chart), and his music has crashed through 10 million streams on Spotify and rising. ‘Code Veronica’ is out now on NRW Records – stream / download here: https://Lukhash.lnk.to/CodeVeronica.

LukHash is a classically trained guitarist but grew up listening to the original 8-bit and 16-bit computer music of the ‘80s, as well as the 80’s pop and rock his parents loved. As a child, he made his own mix tapes with video game music recorded directly from a TV speaker on to cassette tapes, listening back on as Sony Walkman. Fast forward to 2009 and LukHash bought an old Commodore 64 and original Nintendo Gameboys to experiment with the sound chips he used to love. The machine-generated sounds evoked a real sense of nostalgia, of childhood nights gaming in his bedroom, and so he began to fuse these sounds with his new music productions. He shared videos of his ideas to his YouTube channel and watched as they began to go viral among retro synth fans, ‘chiptune’ fanatics and gamers, before reaching out to electronic music lovers across the world.

LukHash is a prolific artist, counting ‘We Are Stardust’ as his ninth album. He has now found the perfect home in NRW Records. NewRetroWave is the driving force behind the burgeoning retro synth sound and has provided a platform for every significant artist in the scene at some point as its YouTube channel has grown to over 1.1 million followers.

‘Code Veronica’ opens with an almost dreamlike, futuristic riff which drops into sounds reminiscent of a retro arcade game as it builds. The track slams into a distorted bassline with hard hitting beats and an infectious guitar riff which soars above the rest. With real melody at its centre, ‘Code Veronica’ delivers a sense of nostalgia while pulling the listener into an unknown dystopian future.

Rather than making music for others there is a sense that LukHash is on his own journey. We are simply coming along for the ride as he continues to push the boundaries of his creativity. Undoubtedly there is a lot more to come from this undeniably talented artist.

https://www.instagram.com/lukhashdotcom

Mint Julep – A Rising Sun (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, The Latest|Tags: Dream pop, Indie Electronic, Mint Julep, Review (EN), Shoegaze|

Mint Julep – A Rising Sun
(Spotify)

“Harmonic, spiritual and carefully composed Electronic piece awaited for March. A rising desire to explore the world of Mind Julep, makes us look forward to tasting an effort that is heading towards success.”

-Nagamag.com

The Portland husband/wife duo of Mint Julep have been experimenting with dream pop for over a decade now, but their recent output has taken an even more introspective turn toward the intimate vein of bedroom recordings established by projects like Foxes in Fiction and their Orchid Tapes peers.

The latest single “A Rising Sun" from Hollie and Keith Kenniff’s newest record, In a Deep and Dreamless Sleep out March 19th on Western Vinyl, constructs this dreamy atmosphere with softly plucked acoustic guitar and a basic beat before smearing more layers of instrumentation over the course of the track. After Hollie’s voice comes in, tapping snare, dreamy guitar, and ambient synth flourishes take the song to a dreamy finish.

https://www.unseen-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mintjulepmusic/

https://www.instagram.com/kenniffs/

https://twitter.com/_Helios

Harry Nathan – Last Call (Spotify)

Categories: Audio, Blogwave, Blogwave Features, Features, The Latest|Tags: Harry Nathan, Review (EN), Synthpop|

Harry Nathan – Last Call
(Spotify)

“Are you worried about losing your other half? Do you find yourself dissapointed of an unexpected change in a personal relationship? This "Last Call" can release from any fear of loss, because in fact we own nothing at all.”

-Nagamag.com

Australian artist Harry Nathan closed out 2020 with news of his upcoming EP “Songs About Falling” while also sharing its first single ‘High’ (released via Majestic Casual Records). He’s coming back to us this month with that EP’s second single ‘Last Call’.

Throughout all of the songs on this new EP, Harry draws nostalgic inspiration via 80’s drum machines and synthesisers, reminiscent of Todd Terje, Client Liaison and Touch Sensitive. For the story behind this particular song, the singer/songwriter and producer portrays a tale of emotional heartache, written via the viewpoint of his close friend..

“I wrote this song from the perspective of one of my best friends, who was going through a tricky break up. Matters of the heart are never easy, we’ve all been in that situation where a once loving relationship nears its fatal end. We scramble for clarity in the abyss as our world shifts into the emotional unknown.”

"The song wrote itself in an hour. Mr. Moustache was at my place in LA and showing me some instrumental ideas, I heard "Last Call" and the lyrics and story began pouring out of me."– Harry Nathan

A few words that come to mind while listening to ‘Last Call’ are “smooth”, “nostalgic” and “dreamy” just to name a few, and that can all easily be associated with the 80’s drum machines and synthesisers that Harry has used throughout the EP.

‘Last Call’ is one of those songs that would perfectly suit a late-night cruise through a city or coastal road on a warm summer’s eve.

Stay tuned for the “Songs About Falling” EP, scheduled for release in March 2021.

Stream:
http://smarturl.it/last*call

Listen to ‘High’ via Majestic Casual:
https://youtu.be/fWcD0P-dIgA

Artist Connect:
www.instagram.com/harrynathan_
www.facebook.com/harrynathan
www.soundcloud.com/harrynathan
www.twitter.com/harrynathan_