Demur Decks New Music Playlist 12.07.2021
Vic Santoro – Testament
South London artist Vic Santoro has dropped new single ‘Testament’, an honest, coming-of-age single that sees him reflect on his chequered past and how it has shaped the man he has become. The track is set against the backdrop of a smooth, piano-led production and punctuated by Vic’s trademark husky vocals. The accompanying video centres around Vic passionately laying down the track in his home studio. “This song is almost like my testimonial,” he enthuses. “I’m looking back on all the mistakes I made and how the lessons transformed me to who I was today.”
Vic and Big Indie Records have also partnered with Samsung KX, the state-of-the-art Samsung ‘experience space’ in King’s Cross, for a Glory Days Pt. 3 launch party on 28th July. The invite-only event will feature an exclusive video premiere of ‘Transition’ featuring the legendary Swiss from So Solid Crew, which will be showcased on the Samsung screen – the largest curved screen in Europe – before a live performance by Vic and special guests.
The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber – Stay
Following the wide demand from fans surrounding his new single, The Kid LAROI is back with the new highly anticipated song “Stay” featuring multi-platinum selling global superstar and friend Justin Bieber. The new track is accompanied by a music video featuring LAROI and Bieber caught in a scenic standstill directed by Colin TIlley. Watch HERE. Following a year of notable success and a SNL performance debut stemming from the R.I.A.A certified platinum breakout hit “Without You”, as well as F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE) debuting No. 3 on the Billboard charts and peaking at No. 1 on the Australian ARIA Album Chart, The Kid LAROI is gearing up for the third and final chapter of F*CK LOVE (OVER YOU) out this Summer.
Fredo featuring Headie One – Wandsworth to Bullingdon.
West London rapper Fredo has announced his new album ‘Independence Day’ will be released on 6th August. Following on from the release of ‘Talk Of The Town’, the next track to be taken from it is ‘Wandsworth to Bullingdon’ featuring Headie One with its epic video to match directed by KLVDR and filmed at HM Prison Gloucester. While details of the album still remain under lock and key, he has promised it to be his “hardest sh*t so far”.
Kaky – La Flemme
Young sound alchemist Kaky is back with his latest single ‘La Flemme’, an up-tempo track in which he jokingly sings about how tiring our hyper-connected city lives can be, and how lazy one can feel in this frenetic context. The track comes together with a quirky music video shot with a 360° camera and directed by the artist himself.
‘La Flemme’ is the latest example of Kaky’s ability to write lyrics which always tell personal and meaningful stories, while capturing in his production everyday noises the rest of us don’t notice. A fine observer of the world, he has mastered this unique use of sounds and voice to create contemporary pop tunes.
Raz & Afla – We Go Dance
Raz & Afla are that rarest of combos who between them carry the raw talent, and creativity of a full symphony orchestra. Their tried and tested transcontinental chemistry has brought them plaudits and success across the dance community from heavyweight labels, producers, DJs and promoters waiting in line to work with Raz, the Hackney based producer and Afla, the Ghanaian / London based musical maestro who once again deliver an Afrobeat floor filler for summer 2021 poignantly entitled ‘We Go Dance’.
Raz explains, “The track was recorded at Fossil Studios in London just before the Covid pandemic and this will be our first R&A release on Fossil Sounds, my label. This is a feel good, uptempo afrobeat track fusing the sounds of Ghana and UK dance cultures.”
CRUZA – Indeed
Exciting new Florida outfit CRUZA have unveiled their new single ‘Indeed’, released via a first-time partnership between UK based label Juicebox Recordings and US-based Terrible Records. Undeniably mellow but always captivating, there’s a smoothness to CRUZA’s music that belies lyrical themes many can relate to: stress, depression, trauma, and uncertainty. Documenting their own young adult experiences, they bottle the often painful transition from adolescence into maturity with an unflinching eye for detail.
Channelling an endearingly lo-fi aesthetic, ‘Indeed’ sees CRUZA deliver a charming blend of romance-tinged lyrics, smooth, soulful vocals and sparse, jangly guitars. Their second single of the year, it follows the dreamlike ‘Lost Soul’, which saw them join forces with rapper Mick Jenkins. ‘Indeed’ is set to feature on CRUZA’s forthcoming debut EP. Speaking about the way the song came together, the group explained, “Indeed came together in a very organic way. It was one of those situations where when AJ initially played the track for us, the melody instantly came to us and kinda just flowed in a way that made writing the lyrics so effortless.”
GiddyGang featuring Vuyo – Sour
Norwegian collective GiddyGang alongside Norwegian / South-African MC Vuyo have shared an impressive old school hip-hop influenced track called ’Sour’. As a young collective of beatmakers, songwriters and session musicians GiddyGang’s members have been building hype through their involvement with globally successful Norwegian acts like boy pablo and Ivan Ave. The production on ‘Sour’ is a rich and well-honed backdrop for Vuyo and lead vocalist Sarah Nærø Pettersen to explore themes of racial identity, police brutality, love, relationships and inequality. Drawing inspiration from legendary beatmakers like J Dilla and modern ensembles like Butcher Brown as well as artists like Mac Ayers – GiddyGang blend hip-hop, jazz, R&B and indie for a sound that is warm, nostalgic and fresh all at once.
Speaking on ‘Sour’ Vuyo said: “When we wrote “Sour” I was in the midst of finishing up a trailer for a documentary about my parents involvement in the ANC and SWAPO during Apartheid. Everything coincided with the George Floyd-trial and a book about the fatal killing of Benjamin Hermansen here in Norway that just got released all in the same time period, so I had all these thoughts going through my mind at the time. So I just tried to abbreviate my adolescence into a verse and get those feelings of my chest.”
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