All the Latest Music News on Nagamag
The Latest
All Nagamag’s online magazine music articles in one place. Here you will find our latest posts and whole back catalog of articles.
MAXI MERAKI – Way Too Long (Spotify)
“"MAXI MERAKI" strikes with a dancing bomb. Are you into House? Be prepared to dive in a mix of wave vibrations, melodic atmosphere and strong emotions. The Belgian artist has given emphasis in his percussion patterns, edited vocals and sound effects, creating an addictive vibe.”
-Nagamag.com
Funky feels from Antwerp’s Maxi Meraki with his first release ‘Way Too Long’ on Dutch House label artwrk. Targeting the Balearic hot spots he’s become accustomed to with deep, focused house composing suave vocals and pianos striding about the place with a splash of salsa to them. While there’s plenty of groove as standard from the Roger Sanchez/Mark Knight-supported spinner - springy bass, a warm blast of synths on a breakdown of calming motivation - Meraki builds an aura and gives the track time and space to explore itself, as per the knowledge-of-self lyrics.
Antwerp resident Maxi Meraki grew up with music and started to play records at high end clubs in Belgium and Amsterdam. A first memorable highlight was noted during the summer of 2018 with a 4 hour set at the Pacha Destino in Ibiza.
Forward to the middle of 2019, the summer season residencies at the W hotel in Barcelona and Izakaya Ibiza set the tone for a bright summer. A sunny season filled with extra gigs: Soho House (Barcelona), Bagatelle (Ibiza), Plage Casanis (Marbella) and the absolute highlight playing on Ibiza’s most popular boat party “Pirata’s Ibiza”, warming up for Circoloco’s DC10 resident DJ Nathan Barato.
https://www.instagram.com/maximeraki__/
https://twitter.com/thisisartwrk/
Hagiga – Night Walk (Spotify)
“Jazz sound with unimaginable improvisation and melancholic spirit from three different artists. A very multifaceted composition, which you can listen with no feeling of sorrow and sentimentality.”
“Джазовое звучание, невообразимая импровизация и меланхолия из облака и дыма. Весьма многогранная композиция, которую можно и нужно слушать без лишнего ощущения печали и сентиментальности.”
-Nagamag.com
https://www.instagram.com/hagiga1/
A beautiful ballad, simple and expressive
Capture the meditative mood of a night walk
First part of a 4 piece suite (New Directions Suite) in an album by the same name
The tune features the amazing alto sax of Hagai Amir
The instrumentation here is quite unique: Soprano sax, alto sax, trombone, piano, bass, drums & percussion
FeelFree – “Big Shot Man” (Video)
“”FeelFree” new single in Reggae mood and protesting spirit. Lyrics full of meaning in a song with fighting attitude against control and human manipulation. The sound that gives courage and can replace our lost energy. Don’t miss it.”
-Nagamag.com
Big Shot Man” the latest single from FeelFree unloads a full lyrical clip into the greed-fueled, divisive culture that has pervaded American politics for far too long. This rootsy protest anthem from the D.C. based band features FeelFree’s hard-hitting horns and a memorable chorus that sings, “we will never be afraid, though you wanna manipulate, we love what you hate, and we’ll build what you break.
https://www.facebook.com/feelfree703
https://www.instagram.com/feelfreemusic
http://feelfreemusic.com/
Hannah Wilhelm & FATCAT – Oh Welt | WeLive on Tour – Live in der Sternenberghalle | Episode I (Video)
“Exceptionally balanced instrumental mix from “FATCAT” & “Hannah Wilhelm”. Find your favourite acoustic sound in this collaborative Funk gem and feed your ears with its elegant vibrations. We really liked the vocal duo, which acts in strict synchronization with all the rest.”
-Nagamag.com
https://www.instagram.com/hannahwilhelmofficial/
The teaser from the first episode of the concert film series “WeLive on Tour” is here and comes up with a highly exciting combination: The concert film combines the singer Hannah Wilhelm from Lahr and the already well-known funk band FATCAT – singer-songwriter meets funk. The live video for “Oh Welt”, written by Hannah Wilhelm and arranged by FATCAT, released on 8 June, offers a first taste. German lyrics meet funky brass interludes and great voices.
“It’s totally amazing to see the result for the first time,” Hannah Willhelm said happily after the release. Even on stage, she didn’t notice exactly what was happening around her, “because I just had so much fun. What FATCAT has done with the song is unbelievable. And also what the WeLive team did with the song is unbelievable. I’m just ultra happy happy happy” about the result, says the singer.
FATCAT frontman Kenny Joyner is also satisfied with the film, shot in the Sternenberghalle Friesenheim. Because of Corona, they couldn’t rehearse as usual before a gig, so they had to make do via digital rehearsals. “It was something new for all of us. But it was a lot of fun,” says Joyner.
Hannah Wilhelm achieved nationwide fame in 2020 through her participation in the German casting show “The Voice of Germany”. The funk band FATCAT from Freiburg, on the other hand, is no longer a newcomer and has even been on the main stage of the Montreux Jazz Festival. The concert film series “WeLive on Tour” will release their first joint concert film with titles by Hannah Wilhelm and FATCAT on 20 June 2021, so you can look forward to it!
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Der Teaser für die erste Episode der Konzertfilm-Serie “WeLive on Tour” ist da und wartet gleich mit einer hochspannenden Kombination auf: Der Konzerfilm vereint die Lahrer Sängerin Hannah Wilhelm und die bereits bestens bekannte Funkband FATCAT – Singer-Songwriter trifft also auf Funk. Ein erster Vorgeschmack bietet das am 08. Juni veröffentlichte Live-Video zu “Oh Welt”, geschrieben von Hannah Wilhelm, arrangiert von FATCAT. Deutsche Texte treffen auf funkige Bläsereinlagen und großartige Stimmen. “Es ist total krass, jetzt erstmals das Ergebnis zu sehen”, freute sich Hannah Willhelm nach der Veröffentlichung. Sie habe selbst auf der Bühne gar nicht genau mitbekommen, was alles um sie herum passiert ist, “weil ich einfach so viel Spaß hatte. Was FATCAT aus dem Song gemacht hat ist unfassbar. Und auch was das WeLive-Team aus dem Song gemacht hat ist unfassbar. Ich bin einfach nur ultra happy happy happy”, so die Sängerin.
Auch FATCAT-Frontman Kenny Joyner zeigt sich zufrieden mit dem in der Sternenberghalle gedrehten Film. Man habe wegen Corona nicht wie gewohnt vor einem Auftritt proben können, deshalb musste man sich über digitale Proben behelfen. “Es war für uns alle etwas neues. Aber es hat richtig viel Spaß gemacht”, so Joyner.
Hannah Wilhelm erreichte im Jahr 2020 durch ihre Teilnahme an der deutschen Casting-Show “The Voice of Germany” bundesweite Bekanntheit. Die Funkband FATCAT aus Freiburg ist hingegen kein Newcomer mehr und stand sogar bereits auf der Hauptbühne des Montreux Jazz Festival. Ihren ersten gemeinsamen Konzertfilm mit Titeln von Hannah Wilhelm und von FATCAT veröffentlicht die Konzertfilm-Serie “WeLive on Tour” am 20. Juni 2021. Man darf also gespannt sein!
Project AER – Lark Rise (Spotify)
“Goosebumps appear under the skin, your heartbeat becomes rapid and there is no possibility to breathe. After a moment, it is felt like a glass of mental peace filled to the edge. Rhythms of Downtempo, Jazz and Chill-hop formed by the talent of -Project Aer-, which goes beyond our world.”
“Ощущение мурашек под кожей, учащённое сердцебиение и нет возможности вдохнуть. Через мгновение чувствуется, как бокал душевного покоя заполняется до краёв. Ритмы downtempo, jazz и chill-hop и талант -Project AER-, который выходит за рамки нашего мира.”
-Nagamag.com
Lark Rise is the first single from the first Project AER full-length album 'Motions'. Out now ahead of the album launch on July 15th.
Lark Rise is the first track on the album and the first track I wanted people to hear, and sets up the album's tone and exploration of nostalgia, sadness, and getting through each day.
https://instagram.com/thisisprojectaer
Modernlove. – lmk (if you wanna see me) – (Video)
“-LMK (If You Wanna See Me)- can snatch a heart from its own body. Take off above the clouds, recharge from the rays of the sun and return. Music felt as if wrapping you into an imaginary blanket and in this cozy atmosphere you are able to forget about everything. Are you ready to dive in the song, as if in the bottomless ocean?”
“Припев в – lmk (if you wanna see me)- способен вырвать сердце из собственного тела; взлететь выше облаков, зарядиться лучами солнца и вернуться. Музыка словно заворачивает вас в воображаемое одеяло и в этой уютной атмосфере вы способны забыть обо всём. Вы готовы утонуть в песне, словно в бездонном океане? ”
-Nagamag.com
If you wanna see me is a song about a formative period of your life ending.
https://www.facebook.com/modernloveband
https://twitter.com/modernlove_band
https://www.instagram.com/modernlove_band/
Julien Daïan Quintet, Alex Tassel – September Nine (Spotify)
“The level of musicianship displayed by the Julien Daian Quintet on the track ‘September Nine’ from the album ‘Cut-Up’ is quite breath-taking. Constantly shifting rhythms, melodies & dynamics being the perfect vehicle for the variety of superb solos. The track has a traditional feel good vibe that will lift your spirits, kiss your ears & feed your mind. This is definitely an album to add to your collection.”
-Nagamag.com
EN - Loose cannon innovator of French Jazz Julien Daian is back at the helm of the Julien Daian Quintet for their third album CUT-UP, 10 tracks creating a deeply personal montage drawn from influences and experience, of emotions and memories, of landscapes and longings. True to form he steers Jazz forms into uncharted waters in collusion with Hip Hop, heavy electronic beats, hypnotic tribal rhythms, reggae touches and always an unstoppable groove. How do you make three “Groundbreaking” albums in a row? Ask Julien Daian, CUT-UP proves he knows exactly how it’s done.
https://www.instagram.com/juliendaianquintet/
FR - Trublion du jazz, véritable alchimiste du son, Julien Daïan est de retour avec un troisième album résolument contemporain - fascinant brassage d’influences et de styles, à la croisée du jazz et des musiques actuelles. Sans oublier ce sens du groove qui pulse sur chacune de ces 10 nouvelles pistes.
CUT UP, is the third album from the Julien Daian Quintet (JDQ), led, of course, by Julien Daian, the audacious, reckless innovator who earned his stripes as the maverick of French Jazz. Incapable of compromise as he creates music of its time and place with the vocabulary of his own lived experience. Known for bringing Jazz into uncharted waters in collusion with Hip Hop forms, heavy electronic beats and hypnotic tribal rhythms.
Picking up the vibe and momentum of JDQ’s first two albums French Paradox and Behind the Reef, the ten tracks on CUT UP really break new ground, taking this vision, this compulsion to greater heights and ever deeper depths. This isn’t about fusion, it never was. The mastery lies in Daian’s supreme ability at divining the natural points of confluence between forms, where jazz, hip hop, dub and electronica merge naturally, creating a sound and a vibe that speaks eloquently of the moment it comes into being. Each track is a unique and vivid expression, an episode in an album that forms, as a whole, a varied and provocative freefall soundscape. A deeply personal patchwork, a montage drawn from influences and experience, of emotions and memories, of landscapes and longings.
Summoning a deeply sunny reggae vibe, through Jazz themed progressions, Daian remembers the Patate Records 45’s of his youth, bringing in Luciano and Mikey General on vocals to crystalize the magic on Bring Some Love, a call to the good times yet to come, an irrepressible expression of hope and the power of unity. While Everybody Love me is straight up and down Jazz informed Hip Hop (think New York with a Spike Lee twist) as North Carolinan Rapper Biship Chasten keeps the groove going against a sparse, edgy backdrop.
In the album’s debut single Trop C’est Trop (Too Much is Too Much) the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg is brought into play as his vocal from Ecce homo et caetera is woven through an urban smokescreen of ever intensifying mood and syncopation, and you just know he would have loved it beyond doubt. Right on the edge, an unstoppable, shuffling groove, a hint of a cult 70’s detective theme perhaps? Layer by layer, beat by beat, the menace moves forward as a tribal chorus illuminates the shadows it casts. A sound that could just as easily send the listener on an unknown highway as to the dancefloor.
Vincent Boot – Out Of The Box (Spotify)
“The wounded heart is easy to heal with music, especially if it is a gentle piano touch to our tired soul. -Out of the box- is clean, natural dopamine for your body capable of healing every wound.”
“Раненое сердце легко излечить музыкой, в особенности, если это нежнейшие прикосновения фортепиано нашей утомлённой души. -Out Of The Box- это чистый, природный дофамин для вашего тела, способный затянуть любую рану.”
-Nagamag.com
https://www.instagram.com/vincent_boot/
Vainis – En Tarvii Mitään (Spotify)
“An excellent hip-hop tune of an old school style. Virtuoso execution in a wild mix. The main musical theme is deployed and also available to the sophisticated listener. Energetic rhythm, excellent gradation and many bold musical moves.”
“Превосходный hip-hop старой школы. Виртуозное исполнение, трек пестрит масштабом, главная музыкальная тема развёрнута и доступна даже искушённому слушателю. Энергичный ритм, отличная градация и много смелых музыкальных ходов.”
-Nagamag.com
https://www.instagram.com/vainis.mansesteri/
Specific Coast – Wasn’t Love (Spotify)
“-Wasn't love- tells an emotional, picturesque story. Gentle vocals from -Specific coast- virtuoso who combines soft sound feed with highlighting strong emotions in priority. The song is atmospheric, the overall tone and structure is designed in a special, cozy way and with a deep emotional promise.”
“-Wasn't Love- повествует эмоциональную, живописную историю. Нежный вокал -Specific Coast- виртуозно сочетается с мягкой подачей, тем самым выделяя сильные эмоции в приоритет. Песня атмосферная, общий тон и структура выдержана в особой, уютной атмосфере и с глубоким эмоциональным посылом.”
-Nagamag.com
“Wasn’t Love” is the latest single from Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, Specific Coast. His debut single “Home” found success having been prominently featured in the hit Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia. With over 5k playlist adds, 10k Shazam’s, and his first airplay on BBC Scotland’s The Roddy Hart Show under his belt, Specific Coast returns with his melancholic single, “Wasn’t Love.”
Specific Coast is singer-songwriter, Matt Dunne. Dunne picked up the guitar at the age of 13 and soon after began teaching himself how to sing. Drawing comparisons to bands like The Lumineers and The Head and the Heart, Specific Coast often mixes finger-picking acoustic guitars with heartfelt lyrics.
“‘Wasn’t Love’ might be my most relatable song I’ve written. Everyone has experienced a relationship ending too soon. Maybe it’s bad timing. Maybe it’s a childish fight or a miscommunication. Either way, someone gets hurt. The song itself feels ancient to me. I wrote it in 2016 when I was struggling with relationships, both platonic and romantic.” - Matt Dunne
A veteran of the music industry, Dunne has held positions in concert promotion, artist management, music publishing, and label management. After multiple peers in the industry had come to him for guidance, Dunne created Cactus Coast, a community where artists, songwriters, engineers, and producers could help each other achieve their goals. Dunne began hosting backyard concerts at his home in Silver Lake, providing a unique, intimate setting for artists like Royal & the Serpent to perform. Dunne used this safe space to test out new material for his own project, Specific Coast. Eventually the house shows turned into networking events, which turned into writing sessions, which turned into songs, which turned into several placements in a Netflix series. After years of helping others transform their dreams into realities, Specific Coast returns with his second single of 2021, “Wasn’t Love.”
https://www.instagram.com/specificcoast/