Listen: Ascend — REGALJASON

The musical approach that REGALJASON applies to his new single, Ascend, feels expansive in the styles and inspiration deployed. R&B stylings meet art-pop vocals in a way that lands right at the intersection of Miguel, Autre Ne Veut, and the Dirty Projectors.

Born in Jamaica, raised in Panama and now in London following a stint in LA, REGAL channels the sounds he has absorbed along the way. Ascend is REGAL’s first release of 2023, and sees him throw down an inspirational song about rising above the adversity he has faced along the way:

“As an independent artist, I face many obstacles in my journey to let my voice be heard. When releasing my debut EP Megafauna, besides writing, producing, directing, and more, I also had to monitor the data, a task I found to be in opposition to my artistic process. Constantly checking figures such as likes, streams, and views, among other things, took a toll on my creativity. I also found it hard to find my footing in the digital arena especially with my sound being heralded as genre-less and inventive. ASCEND is my response to the emotions I felt during this time. I had to make a choice to own my individuality and promise myself that I will continue the climb regardless of the “figures” that might tell me otherwise.”

The result is something of a triumph — if REGALJASON felt the pressure to define a sound that is uniquely his, whilst also finding an audience, I can’t help but feel like Ascend delivers in spades. Drums punctuate REGAL’s lyrical flow with a sense of determination, as distorted, thick bass creates a building drama. The result is thrilling, artful, and confident as hell.

Watch: Right Now — Vitesse X

Vitesse X is an electronic music producer from the US. Having originally started in music in New York, playing in bands and spinning records as a DJ, she pursued a solo career to explore her sense of self. With a focus on the sense of euphoria that comes from the dance floor, her music pursues the sense of opportunity and possibility that comes from losing yourself, communally and collectively, within music.

Taking inspiration from early electronic music, like Kraftwerk’s Tour de France, 90s rave and ambient techno give Vitesse X’s music a feel that combines the mechanical with an emotive sense of humanity. The sound evokes in me the “emotional technology” of BT, and the progressive tech trance of UK label Platipus.

Right Now itself brings together these electronic sounds into something accessible, whilst retaining a progressive sensibility. Starry-eyed synth melodies encircle Vitesse X’s vocal as she depicts a moment of purity and presence. Loose electronic percussion and guitars give the song s lived-in feel, whilst the whole track accelerates with a sense of movement.

Vitesse X’s inspiration for the track came from a trip overseas, which saw her hike up a mountain to watch the sunrise:

“For me, there has always been something so pure, grounding, spiritual even, about being alone in nature, watching the dawn break. When I got back, I decided I wanted to start a song by imagining myself back in this place, and to just soundtrack the moment. When I listen back to this song, I see that it is about reclaiming the current moment amidst the constant go-go-go. Fighting against the addiction to the race, to get back to the now.”

The result is a meditative tribute to taking a moment to be, to experience and reflect.

For the music video, Vitesse X looked to recreate the experience that inspired Right Now, only this time at the end of the day, rather than the beginning:

“I decided to take a trip out to Montauk on a cold weekend in January, with just a couple of old cameras at hand. I really wanted to capture and re-experience those tranquil moments of solitude in nature. At the same time, I knew I needed to do something out of my comfort zone in order to give the most honest and raw emotion that I could. So, once the sun set, I decided to completely strip down and go jump in the 40 degree water. It was definitely not enjoyable, but once I got out, I couldn’t stop laughing. I realized I had honored my song in the highest way possible, breaking through all of my discomfort in order to experience the present moment in its truest form.”

Listen: You Ain’t Sh*t — Bishat

You Ain’t Sh *t is the new affirming put down record from Swedish/Ethiopian artist, songwriter, and producer Bishat. The lead single from their forthcoming debut EP, Who Hurt You?, it’s deliberately positioned as a potential-petty-but-oh-so-necessary tribute to setting boundaries and removing the power from those that play games.

With syrupy vocals and warm bass tones, You Ain’t Sh *t evokes the reassuring feeling of having someone tell you that your frustration is justified. The floaty, carefree way in which Bishat delivers her vocal feels like a weight lifted — freed by the knowledge that others only have the power you let them.

This sense of liberation is something Bishat explores when reflecting on the song’s importance to her:

”When you get hurt, there are different ways to deal with it. Either you blame everybody else and continue on the same track, or you work on yourself, learn from it and reap the benefits of that emotional work. That's where I really feel I am now.”

Check out You Ain’t Sh *t below, and look out for the EP Who Hurt You? soon.

Listen: Best Kind Of Lost — Joshua Idehen

Following on last year’s gospel-tinged [Don’t You Give Up On Me], long-time BlackPlastic fav Joshua Idehen has unveiled new single Best Kind Of Lost.

Taken from Idehen’s forthcoming mixtape, Learn To Swim, Best Kind Of Lost sees Joshua deliver laid-back vocals that ride skippy beats and a warm, looping melodic refrain. The result has a hazy, easy-going feeling the befits the song’s inspiration:

“This song's about a really nice day I spent with my partner that ended with us running from the police cuz we were a little too happy at an illegal forest rave. I sort of challenged myself to write something about a day I was happy, no twist, no negative, and this was the answer.”

I love the sense of joy here on Best Kind Of Lost, and how Idehen has created a song free of anxiety that is unmistakably the product of contemporary multi-cultral Britain.

Check out Best Kind Of Lost below, and look out for the mixtape, Learn To Swim, out 21 April.

Listen: Young And Freewheeling — Sylvan Weekends

Sylvan Weekends’ single Young And Freewheeling hums with a kind of excited, youthful energy. It’s the feeling of late sunny summer evenings spent on a bike, discovering the world and marvelling at the sheer possibility as you begin to grow up.

It’s that youthful abandon Sylvan Weekends have attempted to capture here. In their own words:

“It’s a trip down memory lane, an invitation to remember the joy of pelting down the road full tilt, in a world before adult worries became real. It’s an invitation to return to that carefree way of being.”

Sylvan Weekends are a trio of musicians, each with a distinct background. Matthew plays folk, Freya instrumental-electro and Danial rock. Together, they create a hard-to-pin-down sound, but co-writers Matthew and Freya bring together their vocal harmonies to give the music the nostalgic sound at play here.

The aesthetic of Young And Freewheeling, a kind of electronic folksiness, reminds me of the likes of early Arcade Fire, and I’m From Barcelona. There is an apparent joy at the act of play itself. Vocal harmonies that weave in and out of one another, moments where the band seemingly try to out do one another in an attempt to play as quietly as possible. The music becomes what it embodies — a tribute to childhood that is child-like in its sound.

Young And Freewheeling is a beautiful depiction of innocence and possibility, yet in actuality the feeling it depicts seems almost tragically constrained by the need to grow, and grow older. The freedom is itself what leads to choices and consequence.