South AfricaStarting with a simple string of guitar chords, gentle tempo, and sweetly deep vocals that blaze with bass and emotive tones, If you/I knew is the joint that'll have you enveloped in introspection, submerged in affection, and taking in the lessons. Thakgalo Monawa delivers it all with a hint of desire and a fire pit of despair. If you/I knew sonically dives into a split of feelings, there's an element of longing, nostalgia, and a potential resolution that's met with regret, distance, and resentment. The two energies delicately dance around each other throughout the song, and Thakgalo Monawa serves a melodic consistency that creates an intentional barrier within the tune, playing on the theme of wishful thinking and needing change; it's giving a subtle salute to Aaliyah's We Need a Resolution and ends on indecision. "I broke the song down into two related narratives. In the first verse, you get to know about things I wish the significant other knew while we were in a relationship. In the second verse, I talk about the things I wish I knew while I was in a relationship, followed by how I would’ve wished for the significant other to have felt how I felt. The chorus talks about how I can’t keep going back and forth on a situation that was stagnant and that one of us will have to change in order to move forward." - Thakgalo Monawa Producer LYKO hit an era rewind on the instrumentals and channelled classic Old School R'n'b, giving If you/I knew the perfect soundscape for this emotional release. "I’ve always been in love with the 90s R&B style because I grew up listening to those a lot. I always knew how I wanted the song to sound, so I went all over looking for a good producer, and that’s when I found LYKO, who executed that beautifully." - Thakgalo Monawa 2024 is yet to see a new release from Thakgalo Monawa, and only time will tell when the next drop will lift off, so in the meantime, connect with If you/I knew below on the IYCM Spotify rotation.
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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIAKara Bree enters the earthly realms with ethereal vocals, a touch of sweetness, and a deliverance in the form of a full R’N’B experience with the track Water Fairy. Water Fairy is a mesmerizing auditory journey overflowing with introspection and enchantment. It begins with a gentle cascade of harp strokes, instantly setting a dreamy atmosphere that feels both familiar and otherworldly. She glides through each verse, exposing her sensitivity and sending listeners on an audible vacation. Kara Bree strips down to emotional nakedness, allowing delicate vocal intricacies to take center stage. As the song name insinuates, there’s an engulfment of fantasy in her writing and singing that meets reality; thoughts meet feelings; her words have found a place to reside. There is a multi-faceted element at play with hopeful love, self-love, and unhealthy love. “I wrote this at quite a vulnerable time, though; it's kind of like I was having a fight with my mind. I wanted to say things but knew I couldn't say them, so I wrote them instead. A conversation with my emotions. It was definitely a moment of frustration from me and 'her'. My feelings were really raw; I was craving certain moments. There were things I wanted to say, but I knew I couldn't. I guess I thought to myself, Let's just write a pretty sex song instead. My mind is already naked, so why not? In saying that, I also wanted to express my soft side, which you can hear." - Kara Bree The immersive production paints a vivid backdrop of flow, feel, flirtation, and intimacy. Zechariah lifts listeners to a higher frequency with each choice of instrumentation. “I came across the perfect beat from Zechariah, originally recorded it at home, and decided to then record it right at the end of a session at the studio one day. Most of the parts in there are actually one-take, which I love even more about this track. Not until about a month later, I went back to it. Mixtri added his magic touches as usual, and it was all flowing just how I wanted." - Kara Bree If you love Water Fairy, then Kara Bree's latest release, When You’re Ready, is bound to make an appearance on your playlist. Continuing her journey of vulnerability and breathy, angelic-like tones, it makes for the perfect transition between both tracks. "When You're Ready is about putting an end to falling in love with potential, it's the most dangerous thing my heart tends to do. I had a self reality check. Eventually, you choose yourself." - Kara Bree To listen to Water Fairy, click the link below! Houston, Texas, USAThis tune pulsates gently with energy that feels like reflective glimmers across a water surface! When you plug into producer Wavy Jones, you’re catching a new vibe and an excuse to get your hips to whine on his track Ketch Di Pree with Blvk H3ro, Jeeby Lyricist, and Kione Zaire. Feeling low? Irritable? Sad even? Ketch Di Pree will instantly improve your mood and remove any bad juju from your aura with its high-vibrational lyrics and dancehall-infused production. You’ll be bouncing in no time and becoming well acquainted with Wavy Jones carom and Jamaican patois. Ketch Di Pree will set any dance floor ablaze and light up every dimly lit pre-gaming balcony; it’s audibly abundant, rhythmically colourful, and brightly spirited, like the Bacchanal Carnival. There’s a smidge of smooth sensuality, the vocals are soul-fueling and decadent, and each artist has a flow that glides with ease. The vibe of this track can convince anyone that they’re being blessed. Cue the hidden awakening waiting in plain sight; this is definitely daily commute approved. “The inspiration came from being in lockdown during COVID. During this time, it became evident that this might not be the greatest studio or environment, but you can most definitely craft a dope record. Ketch Di Pree was the first record made from the Sine Energy EP.” - Wavy Jones Self-produced, Wavy Jones let his creativity loose and cleaned out house with the instrumentals of this track. The sonical sacral connection brews with every bpm; every ad lib catches a ray of sun, unravelling another layer to the progression. Wavvy combines numerous genre elements from hip-hop, rap, and bounce and merges them seamlessly with beats from the urban streets. “I am the producer of the track. For this record, I wanted to put in a feeling of confidence and fuse dancehall with some elements of trap and hip-hop. I like to define my sound as carom. Carom basically means bounce.” - Wavy Jones Ketch Di Pree is from the Sine Energy EP and should be high on the queued next list for all first time listeners. Keep an eye out for future projects from Wavy Jones, and like a spliff, hit our rotation below. Perth, AustraliaGriffin RL defies categorisation and draws inspiration from numerous iconic bands, and then bottles up every ounce of creativity to let it explode across a slightly dark and immensely heavy soundscape on his track Smile. We have drawn-out, throaty vocals that make their way through a structured smashing of instrumentals. Smile emphasizes feelings of hopelessness and heart-wrenching, soul-numbing intensity that sprout with complete vulnerability. Griffin RL delivers an addictive hit of longing, a need for approval, and a remedy that is only found within two upward curves of simplicity: a single smile. Each verse climbs into a higher octave, the tempo builds, and the guitar strums kick into final gear as Griffin RL bursts into infectious emotion, leaning into the final lap of expression and leading to an outro climax. It's accelerated, volatile, sudden, and beautifully sharp! “Over the years, I’ve created and listened to an array of different genres and musical styles. I was brought up on Jeff Buckley, Gorillaz, Leonard Cohen, and Frank Zappa, just to name a few. The inspiration for Smile came from an obsession with a heavier style of music that occurred throughout my adolescence and into my early adulthood. The attention-grabbing lyricism and songwriting of some of the earlier influences I mentioned, combined with the distorted landscapes of bands like Bring Me the Horizion, Citizen, Deafheaven, and The Story So Far, inspired me to create something that reflected the isolation and anguish I felt at the time of writing.” - Griffin RL Recorded and mixed by the seasoned hands of Matt Templeman, whose fingers have adorned projects by Sly Withers and Pot Plant House Party, Smile finds its sonic home. Then there's the touch of Michael "Jelly" Jelinek, who completed the mastering, elevating Smile to new heights. “The track was recorded and mixed by Matt Templeman (Sly Withers, Pot Plant House Party, late 90’s) and mastered by Michael “Jelly” Jelinek (Psychedelic Porn Crumpets). Over time, I have maintained a good friendship with both of these creatives. Matt’s undeniable ability and perfectionism made him the ideal engineer for my process, and I’m thrilled with the sound we formed in the studio together. Meanwhile, Jelly is an absolute master of his craft (no pun intended). His work on the track added a real oomph to the final product, and I couldn’t now imagine it sounding any other way.” - Griffin RL With a couple of musical gems under his belt, Griffin RL has created space for more variety in the near future. Stay in the loop and keep Smile in your rotation. North Carolina, USAWhen Kami Michelle and Toyin create, it's soul-soothing, like the moon to the stars and fire to a candle. These two are mesmerising and enticing while they're harmonizing, and as they vocally ascend, they emotionally submerge into the profound depths of love with their release, Go Round. This track is heaven on earth, delivering angelic tones and delicately airy exhales. Kami Michelle and Toyin's tune dances in melodic lightness; their songwriting captures the essence of falling and surrendering to love; the guitar strokes vibrate with gentle peace and emanate a slow burn of pure euphoria. Go Round is a perfect addition to any playlist featuring Alex Isley. The song transition between the two exudes the energy of connection and the pleasantries felt when discovering the planet of love. Kami Michelle is fearless when it comes to wearing her heart on her sleeve, and this is reflected in her pen. "Go Round was influenced by Love Makes the World Go Round by Deon Jackson, and the cadence of the song was influenced by Into Orbit by Alex Isley. What started off as a content idea for a TikTok I was doing called If I Wrote for Alex Isley turned into the making of this song. In 2021, I was listening to some of my unfinished songs with my college roommate/friend Dorothy, and I played the track for her. She told me that she thought her best friend from Ohio, Toyin, would compliment the song very well since our voices mesh together. Toyin and I co-wrote it via Zoom calls and sent the track-outs to each other to create the song in its entirety. We dream of getting this track placed on film or television for black love scenes." - Kami Michelle Produced by SFR Beats and mixed and mastered by BRNDN, Go Round further proves the breath of life that is still bubbling in the hearts and minds of producers when it comes to the soundscape of R'N'B. "The beat was already made by SFR, but the mix and master were done by BRNDN. (@brn.d.n) is a singer as well, so I got him to mix our vocals, as I knew he would add an organic touch to it." - Kami Michelle Kami Michelle is an artist to keep an eye on this year and beyond as she explores her musicality and dives even deeper into her heart and mind space to produce more soul hits. Take a listen below to her catalog, and be sure to tell a friend to tell a friend that R'N'B ain't dead. Here we have a full range of eclectic acoustics and gently guided vocals on Dylan Lounsberry’s 7-track EP, Mastication 2. Using three foundational elements that drive the whole listening experience, Dylan takes it in stride to polish his skills and produce an instinctively wild chamber of emotions controlled by drum patterns, guitar strings, and synths. At the forefront, Mastication 2 feels like it’s beaming with light sprouts of positivity; however, a closer listen reveals the digestion of unfortunate events in this life's journey. “The creation of this EP was bred entirely out of a drive to be better when I felt I was failing everything that I cared about. It was an outlet for grief, rage, and apathy towards the world at large. It took many years and many iterations for me to be comfortable enough with my abilities as a musician, engineer, and producer to get it to a point where it could be presented to the world. This was written almost entirely through and out of grief for a number of loved ones lost from 2019 to 2021. It was originally sketches on an iPad that I waited until I had the necessary skill set to make sure they had a light to shine. I refuse to pigeonhole myself to any specific influence or sound, so this EP reads more like a box of chocolates than a dime store romance. Though it may never resonate as being outright sad, I know it has a malaise air throughout.” Do You Mind If I Talk For Awhile The opening track of Mastication 2 is an upbeat crowd-pleaser. Listeners will instantly feel uplifted by the drum patterns that invite you to release every bit of tension with each rhythmic thump playing within the center of the track. In Position And Without Words Continuing on the dopamine escapade with jelly-infused synths that bounce freely, lightly stroked guitar strings are quickly kissed by the added component of keys. Expect to slowly yet happily drown in the wonderful production of Dylan Lounsberry. Rose Sequence A welcomed switch-up of instrumentals and an added touch of distorted mic vocals call for a focus refresh. The soundscape exhibits a strumming seriousness and flows with electric string reverb that rewrites the sound of a rose. An Act Of Trust In The Unknown Dylan Lounsberry creates a structure with his cinematic drizzle of sounds. It’s giving movie credits, art show intros, runway themes—any creative endeavour where the music can lead and suggest the emotional narrative taking place. You can't control the music; you must let it flow through you. Purge Releasing loop bursts of guitar and drums, this track symbolises the essence of a purge quite well. You don’t know where it will go or how it will end up, there is no structure, just a release of frequencies plus some snazzy synths. Radioactive Nomenclature Laced with an eerie echo and a fascinating deceleration of mental stimulation, each string stroke exposes Dylan’s mastermind ability to manipulate the senses with each tempo switch. What To Do The closer comes with a sense of sonic relief from what Mastication 2 has achieved; it sums up the Dylan Lounsberry experience with gentle vocals of freedom and a soft ending that takes listeners on an audible glide through the sky while discovering what’s hidden below. Since the release of his progressive Mastication 2 EP, Dylan Lounsberry has dedicated his time and energy to improving his skills before his next big drop. His recently released single Stay (Remix) features Grungik and explores a variety of millennial, arcade-like sounds. Click the link below and explore the world of Dylan Lounsberry and IYCM’s uncovered tracks and EPs of 2024 thus far. |
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