Category: Video

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Emerging New York-based Artist Michael Love Michael Vamps Through Paris in Visual for “Richard”

Michael Love Michael is an emerging, New York-based singer/songwriter and pop artist, who crafts earnest and heartfelt material that’s inspired by and draws from a number of different genres — often simultaneously.

The New York-based artist is putting the finishing touches on their forthcoming sophomore album. The album’s second album “Richard” is a heady and slickly produced synthesis of trap, synth pop and neo-soul centered around atmospheric synths, skittering beats and Michael Love Michael’s plaintive falsetto. Underneath the sleek, hyper modern production is an achingly wistful and nostalgic song, detailing the memories of a loved one, who has passed away way too soon.

Directed by André Atangana, the recently released video for “Richard” follows the New York-based artist through beautiful Paris as they vamp, wander around and just be fierce as fuck. As Michael Love Micheal explains, the video was shot during a trip to Paris during their birthday in July.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Introducing Toronto’s Ass-kicking, Hard Rocking SATE

SATE is a Toronto-based singer/songwriter and rock frontperson, who sings empowering messages backed by a band that meshes blistering hard rock and gritty blues. The Canadian artist and her backing band have developed and honed an emotionally charged and critically applauded live show, which has led to tours across Canada, the States and Europe, and festival appearances at Afropunk Brooklyn, Paris and London, Paleo Festival, Lott Festival and Secret Garden Party.

Her full-length debut, 2017’s Red, Black, and Blue, the Toronto-based artist thematically pursued her spiritual connection to the black panther, the red robin and the blue butterfly. With her recently released sophomore album, The Fool, the rising Canadian artist pursues her connection to the tarot — with the album’s title derived from the hero of the tarot deck, The Fool. In tarot, The Fool card is about beginnings and trust; of essentially jumping off a cliff with no real plan but an ultimate faith and trust in the universe.

According to SATE, The Fool is an anthem for anyone who has dared to dream and work towards their greatest self. Album title track “The Fool,” is a slow-burning synthesis of soul, neo-soul and power chord-based arena rock centered around SATE’s powerhouse vocals.

Earlier this year, the Toronto-based artist released a gorgeously shot, short film, which features “The Fool,” as well as a sampling of other material from the album — and from what you’ll hear, SATE is a badass, kick ass and take names sort of superstar in the making. And goodness that voice! The video is centered around themes tackled on the album, while showing the Toronto-based artist railing against stereotypes of all sorts, along with a collection of women who kick ass.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: French Act DAISIESFIELDS Release a Trippy and Symbolic Visual for Atmospheric “Odila”

Founded in Le Mans, France back in 2016, the multinational indie outfit DAISIESFIELDS — Daisy (vocals, primary lyricist), Florent (guitar, electronic drum) and Anne (cello, looper and effects pedals) — quickly established a sound that meshed electronics with lush, organic arrangements and plaintive vocals.

Spotted by Le Mans-based venue Superforma `back in 2017, the French-based indie outfit played shows and residencies at Superforma and SMAC, as well as playing a set with Chloé Lacan as part of the BeBop Festival. They also played with Tue-Loup‘s Xavier Plumas. Building upon a growing profile, the act was selected to play at last year’s Le Mans Pop Festival — but unfortunately, as a result of the pandemic, the festival was postponed.

Last August, the act refined their set with the assistance of Alexis Hk and de Daran. And after several months of live shows, the French act went into the studio to record their Thierry Chassang produced, full-length debut Pariedolie, which was released earlier this year. Interestingly, the album’s title is derived from pareidolia, the tendency to precise a meaningful image on a random or ambiguous visual pattern. The most common instances include seeing animals, faces or other objects in inanimate objects, like clouds or the surface of the Moon — like the Man in the Moon. It can sometimes extend to hidden messages and voices within recorded music if played backwards or at higher or slower speeds.

Pariedolie‘s latest single “Odila” is a slow-burning and atmospheric song, centered around twinkling keys, thumping beats, shimmering guitars and Daisy’s plaintive and yearning vocals. The end result is a song that sees the French act meshing elements of trip-hop, alt pop and indie rock in a way that brings Portishead, Goldfrapp, and Cubicolor to mind.

The recently released video for “Odila” is a symbolic, fever dream that follows a woman performing tricks on a skateboard throughout a French town, near the sea.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Mysterious French Artist Kwoon Launches Guitar into Space

Kwoon is the musical project of a rather mysterious French musician, producer and composer, only known as Sandy. And with his full-length debut, 2006’s Tales & Dreams, the mysterious mastermind behind Kwoon quickly established the project’s sound — a dreamy take on post-rock and prog rock, seemingly inspired by the likes of Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, and even Pink Floyd.

Sandy followed up with 2009’s When the flowers were singing and 2011’s The Guillotine Show, which was released through Fin de Siécle. Over the past year or so, the mysterious French producer and musician has released a series of live performances shot in some truly mesmerizing locations including a vocal and cliff on the island of Lanzarote, the Tévennec Lighthouse, near the stormy Breton sea.

Kwoon’s latest single, “Stratofear” continues a run of dreamy, slow-burning and cinematic material. But in this case, with the composition centered around shimmering, pedal effected guitars, a soaring string sample and skittering beats. Interestingly, “Stratosfear to my ears sees the mysterious French artist meshing elements of textured A Storm in Heaven-like shoegaze, neo-classical and Sigur Ros and Collapse Under the Empire-like post rock.

Shot at Quiberon Airport, in Quiberon, France, the live footage features the mysterious artist performing the composition on their airfield, next to a Wright Brothers-era airplane. Just behind him, a balloon with a guitar attached is launched into space. And as he performs the song, we see footage from the perspective of the newly-launched space guitar. It’s gorgeous, trippy and badass.