All the Latest Music News on Nagamag

Grass Is Greener is Broughton's latest release, a banger that is featured on DiSCOVERY Rap's first mixtape.

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For the new entry in the long-running Far Cry series, Brazilian composer Pedro Bromfman— known for his work on Narcos and Robocop — creates music that is drenched in lush soundscapes, driving percussion, processed organic instruments and a ton of synthesizers. The game takes place in the Caribbean island of Yara, and the music reflects its surroundings with roots in traditional Latin American and Caribbean music, while being completely free to experiment with contemporary sounds, elements and techniques.

Today “Libertad”, marked by a layered build of guitars and thick atmosphere, makes its way into the world as well. A theme Bromfman created for Yara’s revolution, it’s part of a greater body of work marked by expanding synths wrapped around dark-cloaked strings with a distinct pulse.

“We needed a powerful melody, full of beauty and longing like the island itself, that could also encompass the grit, darkness and pain of a bloody war,” he describes. “With heavy percussion and electric guitar, it quickly builds and explodes into an anthem for Yara’s, young and old, fighting for their freedom.”

Bromfman’s score for Far Cry 6 has a clear artistic vision, with distinctive, haunting melodies and character themes, fully immersing the listener. He calls it “a journey full of beauty, violence, adrenaline and passion,” and it’s hard to disagree with those descriptions once the entirety of the score is taken in.

The Far Cry 6 (Original Game Soundtrack) is out today, with the expanded Far Cry 6: Complete Music (Original Game Soundtrack) out 10/21 via Ubisoft Music.

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“Love Like Mine” is the latest single from Sam Hutton and Al Wreaves AKA South-London soul duo fika, collaborating with songwriter, vocalist and artist Bambie, taken from their upcoming “Coffee & Clouds” EP. Co-produced by Berlin-based producer Fabich, “Love Like Mine” (out 30th September) is an elevated groove as slick as the Isaac Hayes sample at its heart. fika’s previous singles and EPs have seen the duo garner support from the likes of Jamz Supernova (BBC Radio 1Xtra), Jess Iszatt (BBC London Introducing) and from Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Chill Vibes and R&B UK playlists.

“Love Like Mine” muses on the idea of a toxic crush; the feeling of really liking someone despite knowing they’re no good and undeserving of the love. Laced with the self-affirming hook from which it takes its name, the track centres around a section of spoken word from Bambie, offering a modern spin on Corinthians infamous “Love is patient / Love is kind” extract. “It’s a beautiful poem that almost feels iconic. Simply couldn’t believe what we were hearing when Bambie wrote and performed that section to us”, fika add.

The release follows single “How Can I Love? (When I Can’t Get Away From You)” taken from the “Coffee & Clouds” EP (out 4th November) from fika and Bambie, co-produced by Fabich. “He’s a bit like the Godfather of fika”, the duo explain, speaking of their relationship with the producer. “He’s been a massive inspiration and taught us a lot. He was one of our very first collaborators and we’ve never looked back since. We met Bambie through Fabich They’re long-term collaborators and we always wanted to work with them. The EP was created in the first couple of sessions we all did together”.

With a sample of Isaac Hayes’ “The Later It Gets” (sample cleared through Tracklib) at it’s core, the added key changes, beat kicks and a lazy bassline of “Love Like Mine” come together to form an old-school Hip Hop sound. “We built the foundations of the beat together with Chris (Fabich) on the day he arrived.” fika recall, “the following day when Bambie came we fleshed it out as they wrote and recorded all the verses and chorus’ in 30 minutes, which was absolutely insane to witness”.

Stemming from a two-day session between fika, Bambie and Berlin-based producer Fabich, the “Coffee & Clouds” EP explores “the peaks and troughs of toxic feelings”, looking at the beauty and ugliness of love, stemming from a cathartic emotional outpouring for Bambie. The EP expertly balances nuanced musicality with generously open song writing. Speaking of the pleasure of the collaborative element of the project and the admiration they have for Bambie’s songwriting, fika muse: “by the time we made a beat, Bambie would have written most of the song and performed it back to us. We’d get this one magical moment of listening back to our song, for the very first time, in real time”.

fika’s ever-growing community of collaborators and irresistible releases has seen them perform at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s and garner support from BBC presenters Phil Taggart (BBC Radio 1), Jess Iszatt and Abbie Mac (BBC Radio Kent) and from the wider radio community including Jyoty (Rinse FM) and El Train (Soho Radio). The duo have also seen press and online support from the likes of TRENCH, Indie Shuffle, Notion, Acid Stag, Beautiful Buzz, Somewhere Soul and Discobelle. A project born out of collaborative joy and mutual admiration; the “Coffee & Clouds” EP is set to further cement fika’s place as a one-to-watch in the realms of Neo-Soul, Hip Hop and Contemporary RnB.

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U.S. immigrants live in the dualities of cultures and identities. ON & BETWEEN is a musical exploration of the dualities and the accompanying anticipation, agony, pride and compromise – poignantly capturing the states of mind of an immigrant on the journey of home-seeking and assimilation.

Award winning composer Zhen Chen explores new possibilities by weaving traditional Chinese music instruments and folk tone with piano and Western style chamber music. A sweeping and at times epic recording, ON & BETWEEN is a masterstroke of sophisticated storytelling performed by a stellar ensemble of musicians.

Played by Lin Ma, the solo instrument and protagonist on this recording is the pipa (Chinese Lute), a traditional musical instrument with more than two thousand years of history. Collaborating artists include Grammy-nominees Cho-Liang Lin and Elmira Darvarova (violin), Manhattan School of Music’s David Geber (cello), the New York Philharmonic’s Liang Wang (oboe) and Howard Wall (French horn), MET Orchestra’s Shenghua Hu (violin) and Milan Milisavljević (viola). Jazz musicians Braxton Cook (saxophone) and Curtis Nowosad (drums) add yet another dimension to this multilayered recording.

ON & BETWEEN’s first track, “Arrival,” deftly references the “Going Home” theme from the second movement of Dvorak’s New World Symphony to display the solemn respect and sense of promise the United States places in the hearts of new immigrants. The rolling piano figures and long cello phrases combine render a scene of the gradual landing of an airplane and the beginning of new life and discovery.

“Lost in the Midtown” bursts forth with inspired personification of each instrument as they create a tango inspired arrangement depicting an immigrant’s fight against social institutions. The monotony of the cello represents a cold, harsh institutional structure, while the pipa displays an immigrant’s sense of stress and panic in navigating political bureaucracy. The music contracts into a vertigo like quiet section spreading out into a rapid glissando articulating depression, anguish, and helplessness.

As the recording unfolds, we discover love at first sight (“Encounter”), the NYC nightlife (“Cocktails”), and a jazzy stroll through the city on “Walk on the Fifth” displaying our protagonist’s increased comfort in their new home.

ON & BETWEEN’s concluding track, “Harmony,” revisits the opening “Going Home” motif. This time, played on the pipa, the foreign becomes familiar. Subtly showing the immigrant’s adoption of their new home while bringing the entire recording to a wholly satisfying and affirming close.

"Chandra" is a chill track from TAUK's latest LP, Chaos Companion.

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For Manchester’s Marconi Union, “Blowback” is both spectral and somehow comforting. Gauzy textures are laid thick throughout the track's duration, with a contemplative drum beat taking a supporting role to the synth explorations put forth by the trio.

"Blowback is an unusual track in that it’s quite cinematic with power and momentum but at the same time it’s tinted with nostalgia and an underlying sense of loss or disappointment,” Richard Talbot describes.

Marconi Union have offered up their introspective blend of electronics and atmosphere over the course of the discography, and there’s a certain graceful manner in how their richly melodic compositions unfold, evoking a weight and emotion through experimentation and boundary pushing. For the first time on Signals, out November 5th on Just Music, there is a distinct propulsive nature to the proceedings that add a more rhythmic touch and wide-reaching perspective. The upcoming album combines synthetic textures with organic sound, and merges the familiar with the unknown, transporting the listener deep into their imagination.

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After a slew of Freestyles Rxtherapper showcases his ability to use his pen & story tell.

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“Like We Used To” is a tropical collaboration between artists Daniel Bunting and J Velo. This their first collaboration of many and infuses J Velo’s R&B style with Daniel’s pop style.

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