Tag: Ushuaia

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Houis Teams up with Foreignlocal. and Ushuaia On Vibey and Intimate “Can’t Explain”

Houis (pronounced “weece”) is French-American, New York-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and visual artist, who has developed an R&B lo-fi sound with elements of indie electro pop and indie house, influenced by Bonobo and Tom Misch. 

The New York-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and visual artist’s debut album Outgrown is slated for release early this year though Berlin-based label Lekker Collective. The album reportedly depicts the full range of Houis’ influences, including UK garage inspired lo-fi instrumentals, 80s inspired indie pop, R&B and neo soul while featuring guest spots from Emmett Kai, Blush’ko and and others. 

Late last year, I wrote about album single “Longtemps,” a woozy, neo-soul-like instrumental built around boom bap beats, glistening keys, reverb-drenched guitars and a funky hook. The song manages to subtly nod at  J. Dilla instrumental beat tapes while evoking a desperately needed feeling of serenity in a mad, mad, mad world.

“With ‘Longtemps’, I was definitely gravitating towards a more mellow/cozy vibe than some of the other tracks on my upcoming album,” Houis explains. “The intention was to write something with a romantic essence: like being in the arms of the person you love and feeling a sense of serenity.”

“Can’t Explain,” Houis’ latest single continues a remarkable run of vibey, neo-soul-inspired bops centered around glistening Rhodes, skittering boom bap paired with Foriegnlocal.’s coquettish delivery and Ushuaia‘s blasts of fluttering guitar. “Can’t Explain” manages to feel warm, intimate, and dreamlike yet subtly melancholy.

The track is described by Foriegnlocal. as feeling like the sun peeking out from behind the clouds on a winter day: “the lyrics reflect on feeling so lucky to have that ray of sunshine in your life, feeling their warmth, making you feel loved and comforted whenever they’re around.”

“I knew Foriegnlocal’s organic and soulful style of singing would be a perfect fit, and Ushuaia’s guitar had a beautiful neo-soul influence which added just the right colour to the entire track,” Houis adds.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: James Rubiolo Teams up with Rosie Timmon on an Euphoric Club Banger

James Rubiolo is an emerging Sydney, Australia-born and-based producer, who has been honing and perfecting his sound over the past couple of years. His second studio single “How You Make Me Love” is a slickly produced, euphoric house track centered around twinkling and shimmering synth arpeggios, tweeter and woofer rocking beats and an anthemic and sultry hook wrapped around sultry vocals sung by Irish-born, New York-based Rosie Timmon. The song evokes the swooning euphoria of falling madly in love — but with the subtle undertones of uncertainty and anxiousness over what it’ll mean for you if it works — or worse yet, if it fails. 

Interestingly, the track can trace its origins to when the emerging Sydney-born and-based producer, met the Irish-born, New York-based producer on a night out in Bali. After meeting, they duo shortly made the single over a series of Instagram voice messages. “I made the riff while sitting back in a bed in a gross motel room in Bali and worked on a vocal with Timmon the next day over voice messages.” Rubiolo goes on to explain that the track which draws from the likes of MK and Sigala, is an attempt to recall sultry summers at Ibiza-based clubs like Ushuaia and Cafe Mambo. 

The recently released video follows Aussie dance and vibe creatorTommy Franklin, in cut off shorts, brightly colored Hawaiian shirt and chucks dancing and rocking out to the song around Sydney’s world-famous Bondi Beach. And from the video, Franklin’s life is full of explosive, life affirming joy.