Featured Artists, Songs and Posts
Feautures
Songs, Artists and Music News that has win Nagamag’s attention. Timeless sound harmony and unique pesonalities that are worthing extra attention! With no specific release date or music genre, fine music never expires.
Constant Follower – The Merry Dancers on TV (Official Shimmy-Disc Video) (Video)
“Feel good and dreamy is the expression of this imaginative sound. Constant Follower has done it, bottled up the sounds of a beautiful dream . ”
-Nagamag.com
*Video premiered on Brooklyn Vegan, Glide Magazine, Indie Music Blog and A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed. We’re looking for video/song coverage from Friday 20th Aug.
“The Merry Dancers on TV is gently affecting. A haunting ramble pitched at the place occupied by both Arab Strap and Bon Iver, this elegantly mellow song is something special indeed. It also helps that the video for the composition is just as memorable.” A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed
“The Merry Dancers on TV combines the introspective chamber folk of Fleet Foxes and The Frames, atop a mystical nod laid beneath stunning simplicity.” Glide Magazine
“The Merry Dancers on TV is a lovely piece of delicate folk rock and comes with a gorgeous stop-motion animated video.” Brooklyn Vegan
The Merry Dancers on TV is the first single from Constant Follower’s debut album ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’ on the legendary Shimmy Disc label (Low, Galaxie 500, Daniel Johnston, Bonnie Prince Billy).
In ‘Scots’ (a traditional language spoken in Scotland), natural phenomena are often given beautiful phrasing – the ‘Merry Dancers’ of the song being the Scots term for the Aurora Borealis. The song speaks to the things in life we miss in the bustle and stresses of modern living. In writing the song, McAll was thinking of a particular episode where friends missed the real Merry Dancers above their cottage whilst they were indoors watching a documentary about them.
Co-produced by Scottish singer-songwriter Stephen McAll and renowned producer and Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer (Low, Galaxie 500, Will Oldham), the recording for Neither Is, Nor Ever Was began in early 2020 at La Chunky studios in Glasgow with engineer Johnny Smillie. This was interrupted by the birth of McAll’s daughter (if you listen closely, her cries are just audible during some of Kessi’s backing vocals on ‘Little Marble’), and shortly afterwards by Covid 19 restrictions. McAll began recording the rest at his own CFFC studio in Stirling. The resulting recordings were then mixed and mastered by Kramer at his Noise Miami Studio, to breathtaking effect.
Each album track is accompanied by its own short film. McAll sought-out the most exciting new talents in Scottish film and animation and invited them to be part of the album project. Each video, the artist’s personal response to the song, with no direction or interference from the band, resulting in incredibly moving and enchanting short ‘films’ in their own right (with multiple film festival considerations including Edinburgh International Film Festival and Manchester Film Festival in process).
“Making art together is something that transcends any distance and that was definitely confirmed over the period of making this film. Being able to work with a local band while being trusted with such a stunning song made any physical distance feel obsolete. Constant Follower’s choice to work with new and emerging artists for their videos meant that I, as an artist, was able to create something unlike anything I’ve had the ability to before. This is my second foray into stop motion and I have learned so much from this project alone- skills that would have taken me years to learn in any other setting. The film, at its core; is about connection and how easy it is to lose it if we start taking things for granted in life. I liked the idea that even the moon herself could tire of being taken for granted and head off on a holiday only for one child to notice it missing and go on a voyage to let it know how much it is loved and respected.” – Fiona (Video Director)
“One of the most beautiful records I have ever been privileged to be a part of, filled to the very brim with moment after moment of poetic clarity, and not a moment too late…an interior force to be reckoned with. I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. It weaves elements of the past around a future I was wholly unaware of before hearing these breath-taking songs, each one a kind of memorial to a memory that may or may not have merely been imagined or hoped into existence.” – Kramer
https://twitter.com/constantfollowr
https://www.instagram.com/constantfollower
https://www.facebook.com/theconstantfollower
David Lindmer – Omen feat. Johanson (Video)
“In this gentle, easy listening track, you will discover the world of wonderful harmonies and unexpected musical worlds. Melodic Techno & House, with inclusions of excellent vocals and crystal sound. The dense atmosphere is replaced by an unexpected pressure, and ends smoothly. Great job!”
“В этом нежном, лёгком треке, вы откроете для себя мир чудесных гармоний и неожиданных музыкальных решений. -Omen- сочетает в себе мелодию и ритм Techno & House, с вкраплениями отличного вокала и кристального звучания. Плотная атмосфера сменяется неожиданным напором, а затем так же плавно завершается. Отличная работа!”
-Nagamag.com
Label boss David Lindmer returns to Running Clouds for a very special release. A very personal piece written during the lockdown, Omen is a collaboration with Berlin based vocalist Johanson and lands alongside a stunning music video created by director DRUST.
David Lindmer is a UK born artist based out of New York. It was in 2018 David really found his signature sound characterized by driving, powerful techno that is rich in melody and cinematic drama. Having worked within the VFX industry for many years, David’s passion for sound design and cinematic scores also led him to explore the relationship between audio and the visual arts.
David is also the co-owner of Melodic Techno label Running Clouds founded in 2018 and the Chromia Sound collective. With recent high profile support from the likes of Tale of Us, Mind Against, and many more, David continues to develop as an artist and push the boundaries of immersive audio.
With Omen, David delivers his signature driving melodic techno, rich with emotion and charged with a melancholic atmosphere while maintaining enough low-end punch to absolutely work on the dancefloor. Luscious pads grace the breakdown and create a comforting blanket, wrapping around Johanson’s evocative vocals before resolving into a highly distinctive, synth-heavy, 80’s influenced finale.
Omen is accompanied by a stunning music video created by DRUST, a director raised between Paris & London with a European sensibility to filmmaking. The starting point for the Omen video was to explore the theme of doomed relationships and witness the nuanced moments where things take a wrong turn.
“Bringing emotion to the forefront of the viewers’ experience was key to the storytelling. David was a fantastic artist to engage with because of his openness to the collaborative effort of the whole piece. Early on we decided that the images shouldn’t feel like they’d just been tacked onto the track, but that pictures enhance the music and vice versa. This feeling of both being fully bedded together was of primary importance to us.” DRUST
https://www.instagram.com/davidlindmer/
Son of Zev Interview on Nagamag
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Nagamag:
Which are the genres that describe your music style better?
Son of Zev:
Techno, Breakbeat, Electro, Experimental Electronica. I'm a very wide listener of all styles of music. There are many influences that get pulled into my production.
Nagamag:
Few words about your musical background and career?
Son of Zev:
I've been involved with music since I was about 8. I struggled to settle on an instrument till I was 11 which was piano/keyboards. My school actually had synthesizer lessons and my classes were on an Alpha Juno.. That was in about 1987. I had no idea that I was playing on one of the original machines that could make the classic "hoover" rave sound..
My first experience trying to program my own synth (a DX27) was trying to make Hammond and Rhodes sounds out of it.. I was jamming blues with mates at the time as a teenager.
In 1994, after being self professed "anti sequencer" I found myself in the rave scene and loving some of the more underground sounds I was hearing (Melbourne was/is very Detroit influenced). By 1995 I was playing around with synths for synths sake, and occasionally playing as a regular guest of Melbourne clan analog band "Signal To Noise"
In early 1998 I played my first gig as Son of Zev at the iconic Punters Club, a venue I'd literally seen hundreds of bands and a handful of electronic acts. I played for half an hour, slotted into the very start of the gig. I was home. Andrez Bergen of IF? Records was apologetic for the early start and short time slot and low fee... I didn't care.
I went on to play at least 100 more shows (I lost count somewhere along the way) between 1998 and 2001, many of them with If? Records. I kept playing semi-regularly through till 1998.
Although I could put together a great live set, I was never very good at finishing tunes. Something I've since learned is most likely a product of my (very) late diagnosed ADHD..
After some big life changes, in about 2016 I set up a new studio and have released a couple of EP's and the odd single... WIth my recent diagnosis and some therapy on the horizon, I'm hoping I can channel my energies better and release a lot more music.
Nagamag:
Do you remember your first connection of love to music that was the right impact to be a music artist now?
Son of Zev:
While not my first connection, I can remember 2 very pivotal moments..
Somewhere around 1994 I saw Jammin' Unit play a live set at Club Filter in Melbourne. It's where I truly understood that electronic music could have be very live and organic. Seeing someone working their gear like that, clearly arranging and manipulating what was going on broke my perception of a person pressing play on a computer sequencer with nothing to do.
The second pivotal moment was dancing front and centre to Thomas P Heckmann playing live and changing what he was doing according to the crowd reactions and realising I really wanted to be on the other side playing my music and being at one with the crowd like that.
Nagamag:
Do you have any new music coming out?
Son of Zev:
I have 2 releases coming in the near future. Both 2 track singles.
The first "Escaped From the Vault" is a couple of tracks I found while digging through some old boxes. Backups of a demo that really hold up today. They are of a more strictly Techno sound, dark and hard, but with a lot of rhythmic exploration. It's due out on the 27th of August on Slice Records.
The second is a collaboration with Arcane Trickster. We've remixed each other's work, these should also be out later this year on Slice Records.
Aside from those, I've been in the studio a lot, and I expect that by next year there should be some more music ready for release.
Nagamag:
You mentioned that you used to play a lot of live sets, do you still do that, and are there any gigs coming up?
Son of Zev:
Absolutely, I love playing live and still like to perform a few times a year.
Lockdowns permitting I am playing at Red Betty in Brunswick on the 14th of August for a Live Electronic Musicians of Melbourne Showcase gig.
I'm also playing on the 3rd of September at Acid Slice Presents 303 909 .. At Bar 303, Northcote.. (expect Acid)
Nagamag:
Many artists listen to genres that they are not producing music for. Which track is your favorite that is NOT similar to yours?
Son of Zev:
Jimmy Smith "Root Down"
Nagamag:
Of Course Nagamag would love to listen also which is the track from a similar artist you admire?
Son of Zev:
Joey Beltram Forklift (Luke Slater's remix)
Olexandr Ignatov – Arrival (Spotify)
“The Synthwave music style is unique, because it acts as a time machine and sends its listeners into their own unique universe. The sound in -Arrival- is saturated with lamp analog synthesizers, light rhythm and excellent dynamics.”
“Жанр Synthwave уникален тем, что он действует как Машина Времени и отправляет своего слушателя в свою, уникальную вселенную. Звук в -Arrival- насыщен ламповыми аналоговыми синтезаторами, лёгким ритмом и прекрасной динамикой.”
-Nagamag.com
https://olexandrignatov.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/olexandrignatovofficial
https://www.instagram.com/olexandrignatov
Born and raised in Lviv, Ukraine. Started playing piano at an early age, Olexandr quickly adopted the love for music and everything connected to it. Years later - and unlike most artists that work in one specific genre, Olexandr finds himself comfortable in many, dominant of which are inspiring piano music, epic and powerful epic orchestral compositions, heavy-hitting rock and metal pieces, ambient, and a little bit of electronic music too. So there is a high chance you might find something you like by listening to Olexandr’s discography.
The biggest reward for him as a composer is changing people’s lives for the better through music. So fasten your seatbelts and prepare to embark on a journey!
Sea Asylum, Leah Culver, Beau Davis – Lies Between the Waves – song by Sea Asylum, Leah Culver, Beau Davis | Spotify (Spotify)
“All-consuming atmosphere of increasing sound elements and sensual vocal duet. It is amazing how the rhythm, tone, instrumental component and emotional singing are virtuosively intertwined. A treasure in the music collection.”
“Всепоглощающая атмосфера нарастающих звуковых элементов и чувственный вокальный дуэт. Поразительно, как виртуозно переплетаются ритм, тона, инструментальная составляющая и эмоциональное пение. Настоящее сокровище в коллекции.”
-Nagamag.com
This is the Single for the forthcoming "Alyson Jane Parker" Album by Sea Asylum coming soon! Alyson Jane Parker is a concept album about a character and her story. More info at www.seaasylum.com
https://www.instagram.com/SeaAsylum
Anton Commissaris – Love Is Like the Blues (Spotify)
“Low light, ringing crystal glasses, whispers at the next table and as background the music of -Anton Commissaris - Love Is Like The Blues-. Light background blues, virtuoso performance and a whole bouquet of impressions. The best thing you can wish at the end of a hard day.”
“Приглушённый свет, звон хрустальных бокалов, шепот за соседним столиком и музыка -Anton Commissaris - Love Is Like the Blues-. Лёгкий фоновый блюз, виртуозное исполнение и целый букет впечатлений. Лучшее, что можно себе пожелать в завершение дня. ”
-Nagamag.com
A song about a guy who's never going to get what he needs from a gal he's madly in love with. For him, love is like the blues.
https://antoncommissaris.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/antoniusego
https://www.facebook.com/anton.commissaris
https://www.instagram.com/antoncego/