May 2021 – BILLCSMUSIC BLOG

The double whammy of talent that is @SanHolobeats and @ChetPorter bring you anthemic “you’ve changed, i’ve changed”

SAN HOLO and CHET PORTER, “you’ve changed, i’ve changed”

“you’ve changed, i’ve changed” is a straight-forward song that is loaded with ear-grabbing power, thanks to its larger than life chorus, as brought to you by the dynamic talents that are San Holo and Chet Porter. Although both artists’ biggest successes have been in progressive electronic genre, “you’ve changed, i’ve changed” is a rock song through and through. Included are keyboard and xylophone interjections provided by Chet, who also sings lead with a vocal that will sit especially well with Porter Robinson fans. Anyone else who has seen San Holo in concert knows he is a real crowd pleaser rock star-type who immediately draws in the audience. And likewise, I’ve seen Chet perform, and he’s an unpredictable melodic perfectionist. Bringing the two together is indeed a really good thing that needs to be repeated. I can certainly visualize “you’ve changed, i’ve changed” as the opener at a San Holo concert. It’s included in San Holo’s new album, out this Friday, called bb u ok (album 2).

Listen to reflective and reassuring “We Know Who We Are” by @SaidTheSky and @OlivverTheKid

SAID THE SKY and OLIVVER THE KID, “We Know Who We Are”

“We Know Who We Are” is a brand new anthem for the sad boi/progressive electronica crowd courtesy of Said The Sky and Olivver The Kid. Said The Sky (aka Denver-born Trevor Christensen) of course is part of the House of Illenium and played as part of Illenium’s band when I saw his show in September 2019, and “We Know Who We Are” is released on Illenium’s 12Tone label. It’s got a friendly vocal by Olivver, and it’s a well-written and well-rounded song that takes the listeners through many reflective, happy, emotional times of the past, and then brings them back grounded and full of confidence with a huge singalong chorus. With festivals and shows resuming, expect to be hearing “We Know Who We Are” regularly for the rest of the year.

Check out “rot” by Axel Mansoor @iamaxelm from his EP “i hadn’t ever loved myself”

AXEL MANSOOR, “rot”

While I’ve written several times about SoCal-based singer/songwriter Axel Mansoor, the recent Clubhouse Icon and Emmy Award nominee spent some time overseas in his family home in Mauritius, and has shared a lot of personal release through his EP “i hadn’t ever loved myself”, from which is culled “rot”. The EP also contains “kids can be so stupid”, which I wrote about not long ago. “rot” took me longer to figure out and process, with its jangly arrangement and fuzzy production (below, reminding me of Chet Porter and Alison Wonderland’s wonderful collaboration of last year called “Bummed”) which tends to obscure some of the lyrics but is an enjoyable listen nonetheless. But do check out the acoustic video of “rot” above. What I’ve appreciated most about Axel in writing about him since 2017 is how genuine he is. He takes this with him on the Clubhouse APP in his Lullaby Club, and to his Facebook and Instagram videos. It’s a lovely version of “rot”, and now we can hear all of the lyrics, which strip away the “rot” of our younger years (which we always take with us anyway) in favour of our eventual growth and maturity, which make us better people in the end.

Australia’s @NeedsNoSleep_ teams up with Germany’s @FabMassimo for festival anthem “Get Up”

NEEDS NO SLEEP and FAB MASSIMO, “Get Up”

Simply put, “Get Up” is designed for a good time, and once you’re up you’re gonna stay there if Australia’s Needs No Sleep and Germany’s Fab Massimo have their way. The song features a cool sung/spoken vocal that brings a number of other songs come to mind (90’s dance smash “People Are Still Having Sex” by LaTour and “Right Here Right Now” by Famba, among them). It’s designed for loud play at festivals and clubs, and there it will find its greatest success with its rich deep house groove and huge synth beats. Just….. dance!!

Meet 19 year old singer/songwriter @LillianHepler with “I Only Love You When I’m Sad”

LILLIAN HEPLER, “I Only Love You When I’m Sad”

Lillian Hepler is a 19 year old singer/songwriter who grew up in Utah and Arizona, with artists like Taylor Swift, Adele and Justin Bieber as inspiration. So naturally, she followed them on social media and took their lead when developing her own social media identity, particularly through Instagram and Tik Tok. She’s got a gentle, sincere voice and approach which is captured in her new single “I Only Love You When I’m Sad”. It’s a reflective song about regret – unintentionally using someone as a safety net after a relationship, but not wanting that new relationship to go beyond friendship… and not articulating this to that person. Lillian definitely has a flair for concise and direct songwriting, and listeners will easily understand her perspective and enjoy how she gets it all across musically. Lillian Hepler is someone from whom you will certainly hear more very soon.

“Kiss That” peppers a theme of obsession with R&B flavours by Norway’s F/L/P @flp_music

F/L/P, “Kiss That”

F/L/P is a new performer from Norway who is quickly coming into his own with the sensual and atmospheric “Kiss That”. Though he’s only released a few singles to date, F/L/P (otherwise known as Philip Dementiev) grew up surrounded by music that ran the gamut from classical to hip hop in a multi-cultural household raised by Russian parents. Currently based out of Boston and attending Berklee College of Music, F/L/P uses his vocal astutely to alter the mood of “Kiss That”, from passionate to seductive to obsessive. The production is carefully crafted, paying attention to fine details which make the backdrop really pop. Though some of the lyrics sound a little cliché at times, “Kiss That” comes together nicely as a whole, making it well worth your attention.

“Only One” brings the many talents of @FelixCartal and @KarenHarding together

FELIX CARTAL and KAREN HARDING, “Only One”

I appreciate whoever thought of the brilliant idea to partner Canada’s Felix Cartal and England’s Karen Harding together. Both artists are coming off some of the best music of their careers, and it makes sense to combine the talents while lightning continues to strike. Karen’s silky and soulful vocal is a match for Felix’s precise production and melodies, which always seem to stay a few steps ahead of the game. The result is rich-sounding, sophisticated house music that favours pop flavours over a heavier dance beat. That makes it very radio-ready, as both artists have experienced recently with songs like Felix’s “Happy Hour” (with Kiiara) currently all over Top 40 radio in Canada, and Karen’s “Undo My Heart” a Top 10 smash at dance radio last year, while also chalking up millions of regular streams.

In “Punching Bag”, Brandyn Burnette @EMAN8 gets candid about post-relationship feelings

BRANDYN BURNETTE, “Punching Bag”

Breakups: we all have had them, and some are worse than others, after a longer period of time than others. Since the end of a previous long relationship, Brandyn Burnette has reflected to gather his thoughts about it in “Punching Bag”. Every relationship is different, so these are a unique set of lyrics that capture his perspective. And you can’t just put on airs or trash the relationship in a pop song because neither approach works. Brandyn has opted for some eloquence amid other direct words, including the title, because most people feel exactly like that in the same circumstances. The melody is on the bright side and the song looks out for the better for both parties as they move on. “Punching Bag” is probably one of Brandyn’s best recent songs, capturing the thoughtfulness of some of his earlier songs circa 2015-16 and continuing to show the diversity in the scope of his growing repertoire. The video above has another interpretation of the song, which is the aftermath of a spat rather than a relationship.

Electronic dance producer @BobbyNourmand continues to challenge listeners with “FADE” from new EP “Life On Mars”

BOBBY NOURMAND, “FADE”

Ever the experimentalist, progressive L.A.-based electronic dance producer maintains his groove but with a different vision now with the songs in his new EP Life On Mars, including “SANTO”, which I previously wrote about, and “FADE”. Bobby’s new music is heavily instrumental and big on atmosphere, and would be a video artist’s field day. “FADE” is a song that would be a segue into the wee hours at a club, in preparation of what might come during a night out. I can picture DJ’s playing it to reach just past the two minute mark, when the only words are uttered, in a whisper – just to get that moment of awestruck silence from the audience which would then be followed by cheers. “FADE” is an enjoyable and very creative release with an undeniably hypnotic rhythm.

Premiere house music vocalist @LeeWilsonmusic teams with producer El Funkador @FunkadorEl with cover of The Gap Band’s “Outstanding”

LEE WILSON and EL FUNKADOR, “Outstanding”

Talk about a blast from the past! Lee Wilson and El Funkador have reworked The Gap Band’s funky 1983 R&B hit “Outstanding” into a fun classic house music jam. It’s a great and unexpected choice, and you can hear why Lee is one of house music’s current go-to vocalists, having worked with Kenny Dope, Todd Terry and many other notables in the last five years. His vocal is brisk and effortless and El Funkador’s production retains a soulful vibe while transforming the song into a summery house smash that oozes nothing but positive vibes. “Outstanding” is a delightfully tasty treat with all of the right toppings, and a sweet change for the 2Dutch label.