Where do I go? Hailing from Bulgaria, neo-soul artist Yana Obretenova delivers her latest work Path of sunlight, a well crafted RnB production with an experimental hint. The song has a tense, broken beat that blends nicely with an inspired, cheeky synth bass line. In addition, the numerous key lines give the song a jazzy vibe. Finally, the track is laced with atmospheric vocals complemented by harmony rich back vocals too. Yana Obretenova is showing the way. Follow her!
Deon Jones is a musician and artist with one of the most important voices of his generation. His first artistic project, a powerful rendition of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” featuring Academy Award winning composer Jon Batiste has been hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as “transformative.” Jones was shot by police in the face with a rubber bullet during a peaceful protest in the summer of 2020. Redirecting this trauma into artistic energy, Jones extended a decade long collaboration with artist Glenn Kaino to produce the exhibition entitled “In the Light of a Shadow.”
Deon, a Truman Scholar, is an artist that embodies the paradox and opportunity of our time. He is a thoughtful and intentional artist with the performance tools to elevate his message and inspire audiences in any context.
Some of his other notable impactful moments spans from once managing projects at the Oprah Winfrey Network to associate producing the Emmy nominated documentary With Drawn Arms and developing Webby award winning apps with actor Jesse Williams.
A staunch advocate for the right to vote without barriers, Deon serves on the Creative Council at Fair Fight, an organization created by Stacey Abrams to end voter suppression and ensure fair elections. He is also a key proponent of abolishing youth jails once serving as the National Spokesperson for the Campaign for Youth Justice.
Harmolodica is the new instalment by MEM_MODS a project consisting of three seasoned touring musicians off the road. The breakbeat infused groove, that feels as time travelling through the 90s, drives the instrumental. On top of that, the track is characterised by the dub flavoured guitars while the added melodica adds the necessary unconventional element to the production. Heavily processed and filled with a plethora of effects, the track will be greatly enjoyed by open-minded music fans who can appreciate a bit of experimentation. Make sure to follow our Spotify Playlist feat. MEM_MODS.
Tell us a few things about Options and you creative process in general?
I had gone online and was looking for beats to buy and that 1 immediately got my attention when I played it. It had a retro soulful feel that reminded me of lauryn hill’s music. It was beautiful. It made me think of how good music is timeless and can take you back to moments in your life and bring back feelings from moments in one’s life. I started humming I ng the melody and recorded the chorus that came to me. Then wrote the verses immediately after and layer them.
How would you describe your musical progress over the years?
I’d say my musical progress has been steady and what has been key to seeing aspects of my ability improve has been being dedicated to the writing process. That has been a great contributor to seeing aspects like cadences and variety of flows improve as well as developing melodic approaches to raps and chorus. What I’m seeing now begin to develop and hope to further improve is intonation and voice animation to add alot more feeling to areas of my rap delivery.
Can music share or even define us as a society?
I absolutely believe that music is a microcosm of society. It gives a glimpse into a society and its values at any given point in time. The same with art in general. If you wish to know what life in the 1950s was like. Listen to music from that era and it will give you a pretty good glimpse of what people and life in thaperiod was generally like.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
I think Koffee from Jamaica and Black Sherif from Ghana are 2 very talented artists that will go far.
What would be your dream performance venue?
Wembley Stadium and Madison Square Garden
Favorite music related film?
8 mile
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Remain true to your intuition and inner yearnings…do that which makes you feel you are being true to your inner voice.dont just do things because that’s what others say you should pursue..(I speak specifically of the things you wish to do as a career or vocation). Also do not follow trends..dont be afraid to carve paths and go in directions others have not
Your sophomore EP Blue Devil Vol. 2 is already out. What it differs from Blue Devil Vol.1 and what is the main idea behind it?
It’s more of what I do sonically as an artist from the beat choices to the type of songs I can tap into. The “Blue Devil” represents a figment of myself in a creative way he represents coming from struggles to a better situation one day. Hince “Hell” is at the bottom first.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Supposed to be happy married settled down wit nice finances…but i’m struggling making round and rounds n door dashing…but i’m happy because i’m doing wtf i’m asking…and I dont need no one to tell me where the fuk my path is.” Thats from “Brighter Tunnel” Track 2 off Vol. 2 I really was going through that. And feel that way about life.
Favourite rapper, lyricist and producer?
Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West
What does hip hop symbolize in your opinion?
My creative expression as a black man but for all universe.
Which track from the EP, if any, represents you the most and why?
“Brighter Tunnel” again because those my family issues and struggles in one song. Especially at that time I was writing that song being broke doing door Dahses for real.
What would you say is your biggest vice?
Fuckin nothin I’m perfect. I would say the world could be better to me lol.
Head to head. Lemon or Lime? In this exciting team up, Dallas, Texas guitarist/producer Phillip Hamilton, Jackson Mathod and Ceeow deliver their latest tune. Zingy and colourful, the track will captivate you with its well crafted, guitar centric production enriched with an abundance of professional horn lines. We are talking about some seriously skilled improvisations flaunting a delicate vocal delivery with a signature flow. Press play below and squeeze out every last bit of it. Make sure to follow our Spotify Playlist feat. Phillip Hamilton.
Tell us a few things about your new song Myths. What is the main idea behind it?
I’m a big believer in owning your own narrative and empowerment through reinvention, especially as an artist. So many of us become rigid over time. “This is the music I like”. “These are the clothes I wear”. “This is who I am”. Having preferences and knowing yourself is important. Having an expectation that the “self” you are today should be the same in 5 or 10 years is limiting to personal growth and robs you of experiences that shape your evolution. “Myths” is about that process of self-reinvention. “This is who I am today but tomorrow, I may experience something that moves me in a new direction”. The song is about giving yourself permission to change and not living by others expectations.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Why does society tend to place labels onto people and how can we overcome this?
That’s a great question. It’s in our nature to categorize as a means for relatable communication. Categories are frames-of-reference and become a descriptive short-hand. I actually don’t think there is anything wrong with that as long as the nuance of the subject you’re describing is also highlighted and allowances for growth and evolution are given. We get attached to that which we relate to and that can reduce our acceptance of any devotion or growth.
Artists and people who have influenced and inspired you?
Artists that continued to push the envelope creatively and discover new approaches in their evolution inspire me to be brave and not to get too precious about any particular creative period I’m in. Prince, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, James Brown is where it all originates for me. I am a fan of so many different kinds of music but my core is Soul/R&B. My current playlist includes everyone from Sufjan Steven, Andrew Bird and Harry Styles to Childish Gambino, Vulfpeck and Tame Impala. Oh, Ben Howard and Chet Faker have also been at the top of my current listening list. I also absolutely love story tellers like Bruce Springsteen. I could listen to him speak forever. I have taken in the short podcast series “Renegades” with Bruce and Barak Obama multiple times. Listening to these two insightful and verbally thoughtful giants candidly converse unscripted about fatherhood, family, career and the effect of art on society, makes me want to be a better human.
What would you change in the music industry?
The Streaming model has devalued music as a commodity and created a generation of people that have an expectation that music should either be free or available at a cheap subscription rate. This has helped create a cost-wall for concert tickets, among other corporate greed factors. This wall is so high, most young people can’t afford to see shows anymore. The industry is a mess. It was never pretty but this latest model is unsustainable.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Go easier on yourself and let people help you. You don’t have to do it alone.
Future plans?
Promoting the official video for “Myths” which was just released last week (December . It was directed by Dom Portalla, who directed “Another Day Another Bullet” for me, which won the 2019 New England Music Award for Video of the Year, and the video for “Dangerous” in 2020. I plan to release a full length album available in 2023 called “Fearless Moral Inventory”. I will also be continuing my film composing work.
Lonely is a folk style Hiphop song mixed with pop style Melodies and sophisticated lyricism that can relate to all people all ages! Being alone is a feeling some can enjoy while others can find it discouraging but being lonely is a feeling one can find themselves falling victim to even when I’m a room full of people. Produced by L Marquee, this mainstream sound is definitely friendly to the ears while containing a substantial message that spreads awareness on human feelings and emotions.
Rolling Loud is your classic Banger with real traditional hip hop, Bars, word play and a story. Mixed with catchy melodies in the hook and a vibe of structure, this song goes out to the people who have finally reached a new high in life, re defining their level of success in the field they passionately work in to obtain personal gain..
Purple Tribe is the first single from Some Dub Stories, the first story in the band’s visual and musical epic. It’s the melodic loop of the bass, slow and repetitive, that takes us into the world of Purple Tribe, joined by the familiar Dub beat. The loop is fed by a soaring guitar riff, soon joined by a jazz trumpet. The sounds multiply; here we are enveloped in an electro-acoustic Dub symphony. On the video side, thanks to a high-level graphic realization, we discover the fifth member of the group, the turtle Obaba. Obaba leads us in his cosmic journey, where however the environment seems familiar; a people demonstrating, bad guys in armor, the caricature of a former American president… If the music is dreamlike, the message of Purple Tribe is political, as evidenced by the voice samples present on the track, whispering “Make Racism Wrong again”.
HipHop Paranoia 