Category: instrumental

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Prefuse 73 Shares Cinematic “Vast Wildlife Poison”

Miami-born, New York-based Guillermo Scott Herren is a pioneering electronic musician, producer and creative mastermind behind the acclaimed recording project Prefuse 73. Slated for a June 28, 2024 release through Lex Records, Herren’s latest Prefuse 73 album New Strategies for Modern Crime, Vol. 2 serves as a companion album to New Strategies for Modern Crime, Vol. 1, which was released back in March.

New Strategies for Modern Crime, Vol. 2 reportedly continues Herren’s groundbreaking take on experimental composition through the lens of media sensationalism of crime, blended with influences from lost soundtracks, musique concréte and beat-tape music to create something wholly unique yet extremely accessible.

“I always have a movie or some random visuals playing on mute behind me in the studio,” Herren says of his creative process. “It could be horror from any era or just an old Fellini film; they tend to be playing on a loop. I will turn around from the mixing board and just stare at the images to get inspired.”

He adds, “It means that when you do finally hear my music, it’s hopefully created in a way that prompts you to see a whole scene play out in your head.”

New Strategies for Modern Crime, Vol. 2‘s second and latest single “Vast Wildlife Poison” continues a remarkable run of cinematic material that would perfectly complement a true crime series — or French Connection-meets-Mission Impossible-like thriller with the song anchored around a strutting and slithering jazz-inspired bass line, reverb-drenched, plucked guitar bursts, jazz syncopated beats and intermittent synth blasts.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Offline Shares Breezy “Pour Nael”

Felix Müller is a Hamburg-born and-based photographer, composer and creative mastermind behind the cinematic soul project The Offline. Müller can trace the origins of The Offline to his travels along the the Atlantic coastline of southern France with an analog camera, capturing beach life. Upon his return to Hamburg, he started writing song as the sonic counterpart to his visuals. 

The German-born photographer and composer’s The Offline debut, En Clair-Obscur captured the essence of his trip while evoking a chilled out, summer soundtrack that sonically channeled the likes of Surprise Chef and Robohands. 

Müller’s full-length debut, last year’s Timor Litzenberg co-produced La couleur de la mer was inspired by the work of Francois de Roubaix — and saw him creating a soundtrack to an imaginary film. The album’s material evoked images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the ocean’s edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of the imaginary film’s hero. The album experimented with themes and atypical song structures, moving from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism while incorporating psychedelia, retro soul and hip-hop, inspired by and informed by his extensive record collection. 

The Hamburg-based artist’s work has received airplay from BBC Radio 6, Rinse FM, Radio FIP and Jazz FM while amassing millions of streams. Building upon a growing profile across Europe, Müller shared “Les Cavaliers” last month. The single continues his collaboration with Chris Hill (drums), Hans-Christian Stephan (flugelhorn) and Kimo Eiserback (flute) on a breezy and cinematic bit of 1970s AM radio soul anchored around a strutting, feel good groove reminiscent of Chicago and the like, wah-wah pedaled guitar and a regal flugelhorn.

“Les Cavaliers” also continued the German-born artist’s ongoing homage to surf spots in southern France, and the song manages to evoke the warm summer breeze, the smell and taste of salt in the air and the laid-back vibe of sun-kissed beach days. “’Les Cavaliers’ pays tribute to the Aquitaine region of France, which has been a big influence on my music,” the German-born artist explains. “The track came about a few days after my debut album was released, capturing a moment of relief to turn the page on one chapter, yet anticipation of what will come.”

Müller’s latest The Offline single “Pour Nael” continues the German artist’s long-held obsession of capturing the essence of the sun-kissed French Atlantic coast — but with a slightly different different message. Anchored around shimmering and jangling guitar, a laid-back yet propulsive rhythm section, twinkling Rhodes and a percussive yet languid flute and horn melody, the remarkably Bob James-like arrangement was written to pay tribute to a fan named Nael, who gave Müller some kind words about the effect of The Offline’s music had on him.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 98th Birthday, Miles Davis!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 98th anniversary of Miles Davis’ birth.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Don Glori Shares Breezy “All Seeds”

Gordon Li is a Melbourne-born, London-based producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as Don Glori. Following the release of his acclaimed 2022 full-length debut Welcome, which was supported with a run across the Aussie festival circuit and an European Union and UK tour, Li found himself right back in the studio. But he found himself coming up short.

The Aussie-born, British-based artist explains that his forthcoming sophomore effort “Don’t Forget To Have Fun was initially recorded in mid 2022 after several months touring my first album Welcome and at a semi-tumultuous time in my life. Add in a tough 3 days in the studio – broken equipment, illness, burn out from the touring, 40 degree Australian summer heat, a bike accident, and I was left finding it quite hard to enjoy the music. All these things combined made me decide to put the DFTHF session recordings on ice indefinitely.”

After relocating to London last year, Li managed to tape into a potent creative current by taking himself out of his comfort zone and going to the basics while allowing additional room for experimentation. “I revisited the album after moving to London in May 2023. I was living in a tiny room with barely any equipment and my only income was from the slight bit of touring I was doing, which was going to towards rent and groceries. It was a good opportunity to redefine the songs from the DFTHF sessions and inject some new life into them,” Li recalls. “I had just finished touring Europe, moved to a new city, didn’t know anyone, and had all the free time in the world to experiment with wacky, zany ideas.”

“In the end I re-recorded a lot of the parts on the record in the kitchen of my Whitechapel flat while my housemates were at work. (You can hear the ambulances in the background when you isolate some of the tracks).”

This approached helped the Melbourne-born, London-based artist to distill the initial sketches into a compelling and intoxicating listening experiences, with all the tracks sharing similar subtle themes and commonalities throughout, while sonically channeling Lynda Dawn, Sade, John Carrol Kirby and others — with the album’s material featuring elements of jazz, smooth jazz, funk, soul, R&B, samba and others.

The album’s title as the rising producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist explains “. . . is a nice reminder to myself about the journey of the album. How you can chance the narrative by keeping a positive attitude, trusting the process and continually experimenting.”

Don’t Forget To Have Fun’s third and latest single “All Seeds” is a breezy tune anchored around a slinky bossa nova-meets cosmic jazz fusion-like groove featuring flowing and strummed guitar, soulful bursts of saxophone, congo-driven percussion, a strutting bass line and glistening synths paired with murmured backing vocals. The result is a composition that simultaneously recalls JOVM mainstays Mildlife and the recently departed David Sanborn and others while revealing an artist that can craft a catchy hook.

Don’t Forget To Have Fun is slated for a June 7, 2024 release through DeepMatter Records.

women who kick ass by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Initial Orchestra Shares Hypnotic “Dynamic Tube”

Currently splitting her time between Paris and Brussels, Sarah Chièze is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer, filmmaker and visual artist, who can trace her curiosity and passion for sound to growing up in a family of musicians.

Chièze started studying at the conservatory before she could actually write. But as a musical prodigy, she learned piano, flute, guitar and singing. And although piano is her preferred instrument, singing has informed her compositional approach and the thematic concern of her work — the construction of language.

When Chiéze went to college, she studied cinema and visual art, which have become important parts of both her professional and personal lives: She composes scores for film and has developed a digital graphics price that allows her to create the artwork for her releases.

Her multimedia project Initial Orchestra sees her crafting compositions that draw from a range of influences, including flamenco, prog rock and classical music among others — and pairing that with sci-fi-inspired images that invite the listener and viewer’s mind and body to freely wander.

Chièze recently released her debut EP, the six-song Resolution. The EP sees the emerging multimedia artist taking the listener on an epic journey while crafting melodies that are simultaneously euphoric and deep. Throughout the run of the EP, its six songs echo and contrast each other.

Anchored around a painterly layers of a looping and repetitive, twinkling melodic phrase that twists and turns around skittering and pulsing trap-like thump, the EP’s latest single “Dynamic Tube” is a mind-bending, cinematic bit of electronic music that channels Trans Europe Express-era Kraftwerk.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Offline Shares Breezy and Summery “Les Cavaliers”

Felix Müller is a Hamburg-born and-based photographer, composer and creative mastermind behind the cinematic soul project The Offline. Müller can trace the origins of The Offline to his travels along the the Atlantic coastline of southern France with an analog camera, capturing beach life. Upon his return to Hamburg, he started writing song as the sonic counterpart to his visuals.

The German-born photographer and composer’s The Offline debut, En Clair-Obscur captured the essence of his trip while evoking a chilled out, summer soundtrack that sonically channeled the likes of Surprise Chef and Robohands.

Müller’s full-length debut, last year’s Timor Litzenberg co-produced La couleur de la mer was inspired by the work of Francois de Roubaix — and saw him creating a soundtrack to an imaginary film. The album’s material evoked images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the ocean’s edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of the imaginary film’s hero. The album experimented with themes and atypical song structures, moving from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism while incorporating psychedelia, retro soul and hip-hop, inspired by and informed by his extensive record collection.

The Hamburg-based artist’s work has received airplay from BBC Radio 6, Rinse FM, Radio FIP and Jazz FM while amassing millions of streams. Building upon a growing profile, Müller’s first single of the year, “Les Cavaliers,” which continues Müller’s collaborations with Chris Hill (drums), Hans-Christian Stephan (flugelhorn) and Kimo Eiserback (flute) is a breezy and cinematic bit of 1970s AM radio soul anchored around a strutting, feel good groove reminiscent of Chicago and others, wah wah pedaled guitar and a regal flugelhorn melody. “Les Cavaliers” continues Müller’s ongoing homage to surf spots in southern France, and in some way, the song evokes the warm summer breeze, the smell and taste of salt and the laid-back vibes of a sun-kissed beach days.

“’Les Cavaliers’ pays tribute to the Aquitaine region of France, which has been a big influence on my music,” the German-born artist explains. “The track came about a few days after my debut album was released, capturing a moment of relief to turn the page on one chapter, yet anticipation of what will come.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 87th Birthday, Ron Carter!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 87th birthday of the legendary Ron Carter.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: VAAMP Shares a Cinematic and Minimalist Composition

VAAMP is the solo recording project of a mysterious composer, multi-instrumentalist and creative mastermind, who actively attempts to push limits of creativity and genre. Sonically, the project sees its mysterious mastermind employing multiple layers of synths, drums, bass, keys, guitar and experimental sounds to create a captivating musical experience.

VAAMP’s latest single “New Way of Being” is the first bit of new material since the release of his debut EP, Time Sensitive Material earlier this year. “New Way of Being” is a cinematic and minimalist composition featuring twinkling and reverb-soaked keys, fluttering synths and a supple bass line. The result is a song that seemingly channels a synthesis of Collapse Under The Empire and John Carpenter, complete with a retro-futuristic feel and vibe.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Los Bitchos Share Glittery Visual for Disco-Inspired Romp “La Bomba”

Acclaimed London-based instrumental outfit Los Bitchos — Australian-born, Serra Petale (guitar); Uruguayan-born Agustina Ruiz (keytar); Swedish-born, Josefine Jonsson (bass) and London-born Nic Crawshaw (drums) — can trace their origins to meeting at various late-night parties and through mutual friends. Inspired by their individual members’ different upbringings and backgrounds, the acclaimed British outfit have firmly established a genre-blurring and retro-futuristic sound that blends elements of Peruvian chica, Argentine cumbia, Turkish psych, surf rock, and the music each individual member grew up with: 

  • The Uruguayan-born Ruiz had a Latin-American music collection that the members of the band fell in love with

  • The Swedish-born Jonsson “brings a touch of out of control pop,” her bandmates often joke

  • Aussie-born Petale is deeply inspired by her mother’s 70s Anatolian rock records

  • And the London-born Crawshaw played in a number of local punk bands before joining Los Bitchos

“Coming from all these different places,” Los Bitchos’ Serra Petale says, “it means we’re not stuck in one genre and we can rip up the rulebook a bit when it comes to our influences.”

Los Bitchos’ Alex Kapranos-produced, critically applauded, full-length debut, 2022’s Let The Festivities Begin! was recorded at Gallery Studios, and saw the band cementing their reputation for crafting playful, lysergic yet party friendly grooves.

The London-based JOVM mainstays capped off a breakthrough year with two Serra Petale and Javier Weyler-co-produced singles “Tip Tapp” and “Los Chrismos,” their first Christmas-themed composition. Fittingly, “Los Chrismos” is a celebratory party-starting romp built around a psych rock-inspired, dexterous and looping guitar line, atmospheric synths, cumbia rhythms paired with holiday appropriate cheers and shouts. Simply put, the song is a much-needed hope and joy bomb in desperate, uneasy time.

The tracks were released digitally and physically on a flexi-disc, bundled with a red vinyl re-pressing of their debut — for that year’s holiday season..

Building upon a growing profile internationally, the London-based JOVM mainstays released 2023’s PAH! EP, a two-track effort that featured a mischievously, rowdy and downright boozy cover of The Champs‘ oft-covered “Tequila,” a song that has become a fan favorite during the band’s live shows. The EP also featured a reworking of King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard‘s “Trapdoor.”

The British outfit’s latest single, the Oli Barton Wood-produced “La Bomba,” the first bit of new material from the band since last year’s PAH! EP. The track is an hook-driven 80s Turkish psych pop-inspired bop anchored around a shuffling dance floor rhythm, a twangy and looping guitar line, a disco-influenced bass line, some video game-like beats paired with glistening synths and ecstatic shouts.

“‘La Bomba’ is a burst of energy and power! It’s just such a fun song – we started playing it at festivals last summer and the energy felt so good!” The band says in press notes.

“The beginning stabs are what came to me (Serra) first as I was cooking in my kitchen. There’s something quite heroic and powerful about the opening guitar tone and the stabs underneath them. The twangy guitar tone cuts through the chaotic landscape of claps, pumping disco bassline and dreamy swirling synth sounds. The disco era influence is quite evident in this song, and I think the bassline sets the tone perfectly for this. Structurally the song delivers straight into a chorus (as Nile Rodgers said, ‘why wait?’). We wanted to keep this as close to a classic pop structure as possible, everything straight to the point. 

“The cherries on top are the little ping pong drum sounds (think Ring My Bell, Anita Ward) – they just make the track go off and totally emulate the feelings of euphoria and pure energy running through it.”

Directed by the band’s long-term artistic collaborator Tom Mitchell, the accompanying video, features some high-energy, glittery visuals that at points playfully nods at Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

The band says of the video “As it’s a high energy, pumping song, we needed to have really dynamic visuals to go with that and bring the song to life. The video has lots of shiny, glitterball moments and moves between performance and surreal segments. We had so much fun with make-up and styling for this video. Josefine saw this thing on Tik Tok where you film in a way which gives the illusion you’re riding a horse, so obviously we had a go and put that in the video last minute on set.”

Throwback by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 102nd Birthday, Charles Mingus!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 102nd anniversary of Charles Mingus’ birth.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Ohnarp Janson Shares Sleek and Funky “I Remember”

Ohnarp Janson is a French jazz musician and composer, who over the past 30 years has specialized in a genre and convention-defying jazz fusion sound that blends elements of jazz, funk and electronic music. In that time, Janson has played at renowned festivals and clubs across the world, while releasing albums that showcase material that’s innovative and dynamic.

Janson’s latest single “I Remember” is a sleek and funky composition that seemingly channels Bob James, Herbie Hancock, Return to Forever and Jaco Pastorius that features glistening Rhodes, a propulsive and funky drum pattern, a brooding yet soulful horn line, and a supple yet chugging bass line within an expansive arrangement that showcases musicians, who know how to really swing when it counts — and when to allow room for some dexterous and impressive soloing.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: AC Grüns Shares Woozy and Hypnotic “Cosmic WiFi (Radio Free Babble On Mix)”

AC Grüns is a Pacific Northwest-based electronic music artist and producer, who has quickly established a unique sound that’s simultaneously ethereal and immersive and sees him blending house, techno and downtempo paired with crisp beats and deep bass.

His latest single, the sparse and minimalist “Cosmic WiFi (Radio Free Babble On Mix)” is a woozy and hypnotic track anchored around looping and arpeggiated bursts of analog synths and twinkling keys paired with skittering beats. Sonically seeming to channel The Chemical Brothers‘ “Star Guitar” and Kraftwerk, is a mind-bending yet accessible bit of playful experimentation with a cosmic sheen.