John Lennon sightings in Argentina, Austria and Iceland. Is he back?

Across the Universe: Austrian-Argentinian Band collaboration brings John Lennon back to life.

Keine Angst. That means No Fear.

That is the answer the Austrian-Icelandic pop duo Oehl offer up to the most burning issue of our times, the climate crises. Don‘t be afraid of change, it‘s inevitable. The only choice we have is to be an active part of it.

And what better icon of hope could there be, other than the 20th century messiah, John Lennon, himself.

But how can this be? Is it really John himself or a state-of-the-art deepfake? See for yourself.

https://www.oehlmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/oehlmusic
https://www.instagram.com/oehlmusic

Steve Barakatt Unveils His New Album Néoréalité

https://stevebarakatt.com/

Director Francis Bordeleau chosen by the world-renowned composer to helm a musical short film

Quebec City, July 7, 2021 — Today, award-winning composer and pianist Steve Barakatt unveils his 10th album, Néoréalité. After a career spanning more than 30 years, 5 million albums sold and over 500 concerts on five continents, the artist introduces a new musical universe. Alone at the piano, recorded in the intimacy of his studio in Old Quebec, Steve Barakatt’s work lulls and transports us in music and images through a powerfully moving musical short film.

It was after watching Francis Bordeleau’s first feature film that the composer and pianist wanted to collaborate with the rising film star. A Quebec director, producer and screenwriter, Bordeleau made a name for himself with the acclaimed release of Carnasse and Wolfe (TVA Films), two productions that helped the artist make a name for himself on Quebec’s cultural scene.

A fan of his work, Steve Barakatt needed only a few minutes to issue the director a challenge: to make a film about his own music.

“Néoréalité is about creating a parallel world. The situation of great social changes was ideal for me to be alone at the piano and create with authenticity. The creative process for Néoréalité was like a long journey into the land of imagination. A quest for purpose,” says Steve Barakatt.

The new album is being released worldwide today under the Universal Music MENA label.

The making of Néoréalité presented the young director with a perfect opportunity. “Steve Barakatt gave me carte blanche on everything I wanted to create. On my very first listen, the album transported me to a cinematic universe. It was my first collaboration with an artist from the musical world and I while the reflexes of a feature film director. This collaboration has allowed me to grow and surprise myself,” says Bordeleau.

Néoréalité is presented as a living fresco that leaves the audience in an introspective mindset. Evoking the fragility of life, the uncertainty caused by our environment or the anguish of losing what is most precious to us, this musical short film is both moving and fascinating. This universal work can be heard around the world starting today.

About Steve Barakatt

For more than three decades, award-winning composer, pianist, singer, producer and internationally acclaimed creative director Steve Barakatt has produced hundreds of projects in collaboration with the world’s top artists, studios and companies. A true artist-entrepreneur-philanthropist, Barakatt has performed over 500 concerts on five continents. As an artist, he has sold over 5 million albums worldwide. He is the composer of numerous official anthems for major organizations such as UNICEF, the City of Saemangeum (South Korea), the world’s 66 Royal Golf Clubs and the Mortherland anthem marking the centenary of Greater Lebanon. He recently composed Devenir—L’Hymne officiel de l’Ordre national du Québec which was unveiled by Quebec’s Prime Minister on June 22.

About Francis Bordeleau

Francis Bordeleau is a young Montreal filmmaker with a degree in communications and politics. He has created singular and striking works, in which he portrays colourful characters in their never-ending quest for freedom. In 2016, he wrote, directed and produced his first short film, Iceland, which was launched the same year at the Short Film Corner in Cannes. Later that year, he wrote and directed Carnasse, an ambitious short film for which he won the Gold Audience Award at the Fantasia Film Festival. His first feature film, Wolfe, was released in October 2018 in Canadian theaters.

https://twitter.com/SteveBarakatt
https://www.facebook.com/stevebarakattofficial
https://www.instagram.com/stevebarakatt/

Modelo lässt sich in keine Schublade stecken. Er vermischt zwei Sprachen: Deutsch und Griechisch.

Modelo ist sehr Sommerlich, ist leicht und macht spaß. Die Hook regt zum Tanzen an und nistet sich wie ein kleiner Ohrwurm ein. Eine Mischung aus Pop, Rap & Dancehall runden den Song komplett ab.

https://www.instagram.com/rafa_dimitriou/

Modelo cannot be pigeonholed. He mixes two languages: German and Greek.

Modelo is very summery, light and fun. The hook encourages you to dance and nests like a catchy tune. A mixture of pop, rap & dancehall round off the song completely.

The serene beauty of duo Mirabai Ceiba’s upcoming album The Quiet Hour is a timely antidote, set for an August 27th release on Spirit Voyage. Mastered by Martyn Heyne (7K!), gently plucked strings and beckoning textures lead the listener on an inward journey of calm centeredness. Markus Sieber aka Aukai’s detailed multi-instrumentalist work compliments Angelika Baumbach’s voice, which wells up like an undulating stream, blossoming forth with sublime poetry.

“Ma” is a meditative yet engaging piece with lush vocals and delicate plucked strings, with an accompanying video with soaring cinematography shot in the legendary Cliffs of Moher in Ireland.

https://www.mirabaiceiba.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mirabaiceiba/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2qBg3GRK1U9XCkJ9JabBt3
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnjjMT2nK6LEQyUta6sCgTA

Sweet Megg and Ricky Alexander give their take on the Louis Armstrong classic, “Squeeze Me” in the latest cut off of the duo’s new album, “I’m in Love Again”- a delightful compilation of 20’s and 30’s jazz songs.

https://www.facebook.com/sweetmegg
https://www.instagram.com/sweet.megg/

Bloom is a fast and intense trio for guitarist Jordan Dodson, clarinetist Stas Chernyshev, and cellist Gabe Cabezas (Paul Simon). Its patterning is inspired by digital delay audio effects used in electronic music production, but with the echoes all played live. It’s the opening set of my album Nightflower. (It’s 1 piece in 4 parts — all one track on YouTube, but broken out into 4 tracks on Spotify.)

http://elliotcole.com/

Elliot Cole (*1984) is a composer, music technologist, and “charismatic contemporary bard” (NY Times). He scored Evolver (e.d. Terrence Malick), alongside Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) and Wu Tang Clan, and he has written for and performed with GRAMMY Winners Roomful of Teeth, GRAMMY Nominees A Far Cry and Metropolis Ensemble, as well as Alkemie Early Music Ensemble, the Lucerne Festival Academy, and as a member of the book-club-band Oracle Hysterical. His percussion music evokes “sparkling icicles of sound” (Rolling Stone) and has been performed by over 250 ensembles all over the world, including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, the Swedish Royal Opera, the Toho Orchestra Academy in Japan, and at the Big Ears music festival. Community performances of his Flowerpot Music through Make Music Day are becoming an annual tradition; in 2021 over 500 participants brought the piece to parks in 40 cities around the world. He has taught courses at Juilliard, Princeton, Manhattan School of Music, and The New School, and was invited to Google to share his explorations in music through computer programming. He is currently on faculty at the The New School and Juilliard Evening Division, and is Program Director of Musicambia at Sing Sing, where he runs a music school for incarcerated men.

https://www.michaelkobrin.com/
https://www.instagram.com/michaelkobrin

Kobrin performs in numerous countries at festivals and at major events and is internationally recognized as a “jaw-dropping” artist. He has released his 2nd album under the renowned label, “Candyrat records”.

Michael has received more than 16 million views on social media of his performances from fans worldwide, and with his unique style, he is often invited to collaborate with other artists.

Michael has also performed in TV shows such as The next star.

RANI delivers a love-filled summer with Sugar Rush

https://rani.lnk.to/SUGARRUSH

She is the voice of Sam Feldt’s hit song Post Malone, and collaborated with David Guetta on the single ‘Get Together’. Earlier, we saw RANI release two EPs of her own. Now RANI releases her third solo EP, called EP6.

https://www.facebook.com/RANIOFFICIAL2020

Out now RANI’s new single Sugar Rush, the first of three tracks on her latest EP: EP6. An EP dedicated to love and all its facets, as RANI herself explains:

‘We feel love in all kinds of ways and forms. EP6 is about love for the people around me. About falling in love, that high feeling and those crazy feelings you get the moment you really like someone. It’s about friendship and the worries you can have about someone. But also about the dark side of love and going through the pain of a broken heart’.

https://www.instagram.com/shannonrani_/

In addition to Sugar Rush, EP6 also features tracks Mr. Perfect and Rewind, a sneak preview of the debut album 396 that will be released later this year. Earlier, we saw RANI release her first two solo EPs: EP3 and EP9. The three tracks on EP6 showcase another fine piece of songwriting. RANI writes with a vulnerability and honesty about finding her way to adulthood and all of that in a pop/R&B/hip-hop sauce. Something the singer will be able to show live in November when she performs as a support act during Greyson Chance’s European tour. This will be followed by another tour of RANI along the Dutch pop stages.

RANI saw her breakthrough in 2019 and could be heard on Sam Feldt’s hit Post Malone. Earlier this year, she also saw the release of ‘Get Together’, on which she collaborated with David Guetta as singer and co-writer. This single was part of a global campaign for Tuborg. Her previous releases EP3 and EP9 were received with great enthusiasm at home and abroad. The international music blog Unheard Gems wrote that RANI is ‘fast becoming the new queen of R&B pop’. MTV also named her MTV Push Artist of the Month in March this year and she became Kickstart Artist at XITE in April. According to Glamour, RANI is ‘the empowering singer that the Netherlands needs’.

Middlesborough-based, LGBT+ singer Sarah Proctor releases third single ‘Worse’, a devastating song ruminating on failed love following ‘Lost’ & ‘The Breaks’

https://www.instagram.com/sarahproctor/

https://www.instagram.com/therealjuanburgundy/