Tuesday, April 23, 2019

CHOON OF THE DAY: "LA PLAGE" - Bibi Club

Photo by Mégane Voghell

Bibi Club
is a Montreal based duo consisting of singer-keyboardist Adèle Trottier-Rivard and guitarist Nicolas Basque. Their self-released debut single "La Plage" is exactly the kind of mellow indie synth-pop moment I was in need of to cool off when the summer heat kicked in. The song is a charming slice of indie pop with an absorbing production and instantly memorable melody. One can only dream this aural pleasure could last a little bit longer with the track clocking at a modest 2.29. Somewhere between the musical worlds of Young Galaxy, Munya and Men I Trust, all of which happen to be Canadian as well. Sublime and promising.



Thursday, April 11, 2019

Crème de la Shrem: TOP 25 BEST OF MARCH 2019


Exclusive artwork: Les Cullinan Designs

25 (N) "Mirror" - Grace Ives (Dots Per Inch Music)



24 (N) "Rocks" - Kornél Kovács feat. Rebecca & Fiona (Studio Barnhus)



23 (N) "Don't Waste My Time" - Saults (Forever Living Originals)



22 (N) "POTIONS" - J-E-T-S feat. Dawn Richard (Innovative Leisure)



21 (N) "My Own Heaven" - Bea1991 (self-released)



20 (N) "Auaati (Acid Arab Remix)" - Léonie Pernet feat. Hanaa Ouassim (CryBaby)





19 (9) "Cursed and Cussed" - Charlotte Adigéry (DEEWEE)



18 (RE) "A No No" - Mariah Carey (Epic Records)



17 (N) "Neon Lights" - Moon King feat. Vespre (Arbutus Records)



16 (N) "Un air de fête" - Corine (Kwaidan)



15 (N) "New Kind" - Gabe Gurnsey (Phantasy Sound)



14 (4) "Turkish Delight" - Roses Gabor (AllPoints)



13 (N) "Telemóveis" - Conan Osíris (Ao sul do Mundo)



12 (N) "Patience" - Tame Impala (Modular)



11 (N) "The Leap" - Angelica Bess feat. Machinedrum (IAMSIAM)



10 (10) "Send to Robin Immediately" - Robyn (Konichiwa Records)



9 (N) "Comme si (Honey Dijon Remix)" - Christine & The Queens (Because Music)



8 (2) "LA" - Boy Harsher (NUDE CLUB)



7 (N) "Like A Lady" - Chaka Khan (Diary Records/Island)



6 (3) "Incapable" - Crooked Man feat. Róisín Murphy (Bitter End)



5 (N) "Cry Everything" - Kindness feat. Robyn (Female Energy)



4 (1) "Nobody's Fool" - Cherushii & Maria Minerva (100% Silk)



3 (N) "Starry Night" - Peggy Gou (Gudu Records)



2 (N) "Encore" - Vendredi sur Mer (Profil de Face)



1 (N) "Darkest Hour" - Sevdaliza (Twisted Elegance)



Tuesday, April 9, 2019

SHREM'S WORLD PREMIERE: "ABOUT IT" - AKIINE


When approached by the folks at Color Station about premiering AKIINE's brand new single I wasn't just immediately ready to say "Yes" but also felt particularly proud and honoured. This San Francisco based label continues to push artistic boundaries with eclectic fresh talents defying musical categorisations and bending genres and styles. One of such talents is AKIINE whose previous EP "Neptune" stole my muso heart back in autumn 2015 and scored a high spot among the year's greatest EPs alongside a number of other promising new female artists the likes of Nao, FKA Twigs, Kelela and Abra.

Now this London-based Swedish-born musician, who describes herself on her Instagram as a tropical space soul, is ready to share the brand new "Red EP" which is heralded today by the arrival of the instantly captivating "About It". The song is a wondrously multifaceted sonic excursion into the soundscapes of synth pop, future RNB, electronica and neo soul without borrowing too much from either and all the while remaining completely unpredictable. Sleekly produced, subtly put together, very current and unique, "About It" not only charms with its mellifluous melody but continues to mesmerise (and surprise!) with every next listen. There is just so much here to discover for every proper new-sound curious muso out there. Upon several listens I am hearing a beautiful bridge between "About It" and some other independent, distinctive female artists such as Rainbow Chan or Nite Jewel. It's a marvellous introduction to AKIINE's next artistic chapter and a very promising taste of another strong EP which promises to celebrate strength, creativity and self-belief.

In her own words, here's how Akiine herself tells a story of "About It":

"It's about opening yourself up. The song is about sharing your deepest emotions and thoughts to someone and showing them your true self and vulnerability - that golden treasure inside you, so that they can open up too. It's about all those things and the magic of creating a new unity. ‘About It' is my feelings coming to exist outside of me. I imagine the treasures in the belly of the sand tiger in the desert in Aladdin, and visually I think that's how I would describe this song. It's about sharing that kind of glowing treasure inside you and creating this wonder together by opening up."

On a final, non-musical note, judging by the cover of "About It", both myself and Akiine seem to be partial to a crushed velvet number every now and then, so there's that fashion connection too.

"About It" is out on all digital outlets tomorrow.

The "Red" EP is set for release on Friday May 24th.

Akiine will be performing at Sofar London at an undisclosed establishment on Verney Road April 10th.



Tuesday, April 2, 2019

SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "ENCORE" - Vendredi sur Mer /// "COMME SI (HONEY DIJON REMIX)" - Christine & The Queens


Double trouble en français from me today.

First up, Vendredi sur Mer! Whenever I finish listening to her divine debut album "Premier Émois" I am automatically gasping for more of these luscious slices of electro poetry. I have been fascinated by this unique Swiss synth-pop artist ever since I heard the irresistible "La femme à la peau bleue" 3 years ago. The impossibly catchy "Encore" is a fitting culmination of this record and one of the most adorable songs of 2019 so far. What an absolute darling of a tune.



Secondly, the high and mighty - la Reine de la Pop Christine & The Queens has recently charmed us with a fresh assortment of remixes completed for the 5th single taken off "Chris" - "Comme si". Honey Dijon's Saturday-night-ready 90's house flavoured rendition of the track is an instant favourite among the lot. Put on your dancing shoes, baby!