Quasi Qui - Abby Sage - Iceblynk - Astralux

Photo - Maxime Imbert

Quasi Qui - Terminal 5.

Since the announcement of their signing to microqlima records (Isaac Delusion, L’Impératrice, Pepite, Fils Cara), things have moved fast for British alt-pop duo Quasi Qui. After playing a number of tastemaker festivals in France (Pete The Monkey, Coconut, Love Letters..), and the release of the singles 'Directorial Debut', 'Epoch' and '10 years', the duo is back with 'Terminal 5'. A dense and colourful number, much like the forthcoming album Downloading A New Operating System, which is set to be released November 4.

Together, Yehan Jehan and his sister Zadi are Quasi Qui. In the dystopian / utopian sci-fi reality that they envisage on their new album, the earth has split into two, and it’s up to you to hitch a ride on the parallel universe of your choosing. The duo are not only reimagining how to make great pop music on their debut album, they’re also remodelling the future and imagining a civilisation that works for us all. Such confident prognostications are certainly welcome right now.

The concept for Downloading A New Operating System came to Yehan Jehan periodically, by way of a recurring dream. He describes those dreams as like “a collage of cinematic films”, which formed the basis of ‘City Mashups’, the assured opening track that imbues the spirit of Quincy Jones in widescreen. ‘City Mashups’ sets the tone for the rest of the record, which passes through personal experience, present experience, and then, according to Yehan: “future aspiration and a new hope or innocence.” Their debut is suitably audacious and teeming with musical invention, offering a roadmap out of our current collective malaise by imploring us to dream big and open up our imaginations.

Yehan has turned heads with his production nous, making a plethora of bands sound more expansive and technicolor, though he’s more than just a slick producer: “The modus operandi was to make sure the songs were strong,” he says. That marriage between melody and production is felicitous on tracks like new single ‘Terminal 5’, where breakbeats, sub-bass and sequencers form a nexus with catchy melodies.

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Abby Sage - High Five.

LA/London based alt-pop artist Abby Sage shares her sophomore EP The Florist via Nettwerk. The Florist EP represents a dynamic shift, an evolution in Abby Sage’s artistry. The 5-track collection is fueled by Sage’s love for character sketches, with each song becoming a tiny play or narrative. The songs off The Florist gently flow through the different phases of early adulthood—from the uncertainties and complexities of daily life to those moments of pain and joy that shape us in who we are and who we want to become.

Abby Sage shares this about her EP, “‘The Florist’ I leaned heavily into a ‘fly on the wall’ mentality. I was spending a lot of time alone but surrounded by many people in transit. I wrote the project with others in mind; others and their experiences and stories, particularly struggles people face through the various stages of life. For example, ‘Pool Party’ really zeroes in on moments of youth feeling unprepared, overwhelmed, and a bit out of sorts. To contrast this, I included a conversation I had with my Nanna (the interlude “Irene”) where she speaks on the troubles she faces and her overarching feeling of falling behind, regarding technology in particular. I think we really glorify youth and there are a lot of pieces of work out there that focus on ‘firsts,’ such as first love, first heartbreak etc. My Nanna really inspired the project because I wanted to get both sides of the timeline. The beginning and the end, that’s what I wanted to capture with The Florist.”

Brand new track “High Five” is a celebration of solitude. Co-written with fellow Nettwerk artist, LA singer/songwriter Miya Folick, “High Five” highlights Sage’s reposeful vocals, buzzing alt-pop melodies, and gentle drum beats. “High Five” casually blends nostalgic fueled lyricism with sonically trippy vibes. “‘High Five’ came to me when reflecting on the importance of alone time. I’ve always been a more reserved person who enjoys my space and my own company,” says Abby Sage. “I came to the idea of high five as an homage to that. Waking up alone and going to bed alone with all of those special moments in between. It feels like a beautiful secret between you and the morning hours or you and the night. Only you heard that bird sing or that car passed, only you saw the glow of the streetlight. It’s intimate. I don’t think there’s any better feeling than that.”

Abby Sage · High Five

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Iceblynk - Seen Gone.

Queens, NY-based indie-pop trio, Iceblynk, made up of Andrea Lynn (vocals) and brothers Martin (guitars, bassVI, mellotron-D) and James Newman (bass, drums, lapsteel) release their debut, self-titled EP Iceblynk via A Secret Brand. 

To accompany the EP release, the band highlights their latest single “Seen Gone,” which features guitarist Martin Newman cleverly layering hypnotizing and dreamy guitar plucks over a 12-string guitar throughout the track. From there, a solid drum groove and silky-smooth Fender BassVI steps in to lead the listener into the crescendo. 

“‘Seen Gone’ was originally recorded for Iceblynk’s straight-to-vinyl limited release as ‘Seagulls,’” explains vocalist Andrea Lynn. “I insisted not only that we include it on the EP, but that it should be highlighted as one of our singles. It’s one of my favorite songs to perform and in some ways, departs from our previous singles. 

It’s more of an emotionally charged slow burner, with gently hypnotic guitar leading us in and soft vocals that reference the sensations of flowing like a dream and floating away. All of it beckoning us to lean in and listen closely. From quiet beginnings, “Seen Gone” eventually bursts forth, intense in every sense with fevered layers of guitar and soaring vocals. Moments later, the rising tide recedes with all elements circling back to the beginning as we slowly drift back into silence.”

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Astralux - Desert Dream.

Rock n Rollers Astralux are back with a music video for their single "Desert Dream." The video showcases the Los Angeles band as they drive out to the desert and set up to perform. 

Shot in Joshua Tree, California, the video perfectly complements the overall free-spirited vibe of the song. 

Thrilling, powerful, and enigmatic, the "Desert Dream" is a sonic journey through the surreal and inspiring places we travel to when the “Sun goes away.”

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Bar Pandora - KiKi Holli - Quasi Qui - Julianna Riolino

Bar Pandora - Vice Vice Vice.

Ahead of the release of her debut self-titled EP on July 5th, Bar Pandora has shared new single 'Vice Vice Vice'. Bar Pandora is the alt-pop project of Coventry based artist Charlie Tophill, who has previously released music under her own name and also plays in York band The Howl & The Hum. The project owes its name to a literary cafe in La Latina, Madrid, where in 2017 she used to hang out with her friends talking literature, life and feminism over red wine and fizzy sweets.

Drawn to the idea of collaborating with a producer who works outside of the musical world she usually inhabits, Tophill began working on her debut EP with jungle producer Simply Dread. The result is deliciously off-kilter yet melodious alt-pop, playfully sewn together from the offcuts of personal experience; field recordings, journal entries and improvised fragments which bop along to a rich undercurrent of harmonic synths, guitars and dynamic beats.

New single ‘Vice Vice Vice’ is an unapologetically catchy pop anthem. “The song is a remonstrance to a neglectful lover. It’s about that push and pull you feel when you’re putting everything into a relationship and still being taken for granted," says Tophill. "It’s a crazy-making situation that I know too well, so it’s fun to be able to sing it out loud along to a pop beat and shout a bit at the end,” she continues.

The songs that make up Bar Pandora’s debut EP are penned with mischievous frankness, delivering confessional composites of personal histories, inner monologues and self-building proclamations which are simultaneously singular and familiar. "My lyrics are made up of my inner voices,” explains Tophill, who regularly uses lines from her diary in her songs.

Bar Pandora · Vice Vice Vice

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KiKi Holli - New High.

Los Angeles indie-pop vocalist KiKi Holli creates stunning and soulful music woven with intricate emotive storytelling for a truly captivating and cathartic listening experience with an eclectic musical aesthetic. Holli draws on inspiration from her rich theatrical background, as well as from iconic artists such as PRINCE, Dusty Springfield, The Cure, Stevie Nicks and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Crafting a unique sound, KiKi Holli’s music is beautifully vulnerable and nurturing, with themes of connection, healing, personal growth, and living in the moment. If her delivery seems genuine—empathetic even—that’s because it is. She’s been there. “You know, Amor fati — love your fate, love whatever is in front of you and embrace the moment,” she says.

Holli’s debut single was a breathtaking cover of Roxy Music’s “More Than This”, a raw and intimate version of the celebrated 80’s hit. Collaborating with acclaimed producer Ethan Allen (Throwing Muses, Tricky, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), she was inspired to release her own version of the song in the midst of dealing with intense grief and loss.

Her new release, her first original song, “New High” is a celebration of simple pleasures, finding solace in your happy place and a returning to love after a time of hardship. With soaring vocals singing sunshine-dipped melodies over lush and blissful pop rock soundscapes, “NEW HIGH” is a welcome sonic escape, collaborating again with Allen to create a landscape of music that pulls the listener into the neon glow of a surreal joy ride down the coast of Malibu.

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Quasi Qui - Directorial Debut.

British alt-pop duo Quasi Qui has shared new single ‘Directorial Debut’ via Parisian tastemaker label microqlima records (Isaac Delusion, L’Impératrice, Pepite, Fils Cara). The now Paris-based duo, comprised of acclaimed music producer Yehan Jehan and his sister Zadi, have released two singles so far, both shimmering alt-pop gems and new single ‘Directorial Debut’ continues in the same vein. Quasi Qui describe the composition of these songs as dreams, "collages of cinematic films".

On their new single and video, Quasi Qui say: “‘Directorial Debut’ is a manifestation of hair-pulling frustration. A galloping attempt to escape one's demons (as portrayed by the ominous white sphere). A realisation occurs when the enemy was merely self-inflicted and what was in fact happening, was the ego’s movie script, being witnessed by the true self. Now it may be re-written.”

For years now, Yehan has turned heads with his production nous, making a plethora of bands sound more expansive and technicolour, though he’s more than just a slick producer. Before joining forces with Zadi in Quasi Qui, Yehan released three solo EPs earning him kudos from tastemaker publications like The Guardian, The Sunday Times and Clash as well as radio play from Elton John on his Apple Radio show.

The pair have a knack for taking sophisticated musical ideas and chord progressions and making them accessible. As well as extending the lineage of classic songwriting, drawing inspiration from everything from British synthpop to the great American songbook, Quasi Qui’s influences are modern and eclectic: Zadi loves Frank Ocean, Blood Orange and Sade, while Yehan is a disciple of the great and the good of production: Trevor Horn, William Orbit, Nellee Hooper and Bjork. “Everyone in our family is musical,” says Zadi, “and the list goes way back.”

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Julianna Riolino - Lone Ranger.

Toronto-based artist, Julianna Riolino has just shared her new single, "Lone Ranger" alongside announcing her debut full-length record, All Blue which is out via You've Changed Records on October 14, 2022. While also moonlighting as part of Daniel Romano's The Outfit, Riolino has slowly but surely been building a solo career of her own over the past few years with this debut LP following on from her 2019 EP, J.R. which helped to establish Julianna's musical direction while finding her open for the likes of Julie Doiron, Daniel Romano and Born Ruffians across North America.

Riolino knows how to capture and highlight beauty before it fades. She spent her days running up to the recording of her solo debut album helping restore the stained glass windows at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Toronto. Surrounded by symbols configured in bits of 19th-century French glass, Riolino couldn’t help but reflect on her own past and the memories of pains, healing, and love strewn through it. “It made me think about life as a balancing act, and we're all just trying to do our best to navigate it,” she says. That focus on morality and the stretch of time seeped naturally into Riolino’s Americana-indebted songwriting, resulting in the golden, fluid All Blue.

The true religious fervor both in Riolino’s life and in the LP is directed towards icons like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and The Band. Inspired by those artists, Riolino asked for a guitar as a child, and began teaching herself how to bring similar life to the melodies in her head. And while she honed her voice by participating in school musicals, songwriting remained a deeply personal venture. “I sang at every opportunity, but I didn’t share my songs with people until I was 18 or 19,” she says. The first song she decided to play for friends was “Lone Ranger”, a reimagining of which now acts as the lead single for her debut solo album ten years later.

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