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Asha Imuno shares new single 'Big Words'
California-born, LA-based, producer and rapper Asha Imuno today “debuts his new single Big Words from his forthcoming album via b4.
On the new song, he states: “When I first started recording I was a couple months away from graduation, staying in my pops’ empty apartment and moving real recklessly. I realised it was time to switch my life up — this song became my way of saying that against all odds, I’m making progress.” ‘
Big Words’ follows Imuno’s self-released debut album, ‘Full Disclosure’, which Complex praised as, “a true exhibition of being young and free.”
At the age of 19, Imuno has already lived multiple musical lives. He picked up trombone and piano as a child, later joining jazz and marching bands, whilst learning digital composition. By high school, he had original music demos under his belt. The last component for Asha, as an artist, was finding his voice. “I hadn’t really sung since I was six years old,” says Asha, of picking up the microphone again in high school to sing and rap. “My family has always been really musical, and my grandmother was a pianist in various San Diego churches. My mom led the choir, and my dad can sing opera.”
Beyond his music upbringing, living and creating with the multimedia collective Raised By The Internet has stimulated his desire to produce and engineer the majority of his music, often from his bedroom.
Watch out for his second album, forthcoming on b4.
Future Islands announce new studio album
Today, Future Islands share details of a new album, a new song, and a special livestream concert. The Baltimore group will release As Long As You Are, their sixth studio record, on October 9 via 4AD.
Check out new single Thrill – the follow-up to recent single For Sure and its video starring and created by Samuel T. Herring
As Long As You Are looks to the past as well as the future, confronting old ghosts and embracing a new hope. It is an album about trust, full of honesty, redemption and “letting go”, allowing old wounds to heal and bringing painful chapters to a close.
As Long As You Are also signals a new era for Future Islands. Drummer Mike Lowry officially joins as a fully-fledged member and songwriter bolstering the founding trio of William Cashion, Samuel T. Herring and Gerrit Welmers.
Together, the four-piece took on official production duties for the first time, co-producing As Long As You Are with engineer Steve Wright at his Wrightway Studios in Baltimore. Their brand of new wave synth-pop full of bright melodies and heavenly choruses is as euphoric and uninhibitedly joyful as anything the band has done in their 14-year career.
On As Long As You Are release day, October 9, Future Islands will be exclusively live-streaming a very special show from their hometown of Baltimore. For further details, and to purchase tickets, As Long As You Are and limited edition As Long As You Are merchandise, head to the band’s Store.
KING KRULE SHARES NEW VIDEO FOR "COMET FACE"
Today King Krule is sharing a new video from his latest album Man Alive!
Directed by CC Wade and written by CC Wade and Jack Marshall, “Comet Face” taps into the aesthetic of classic horror movies, telling the story of a wild beast terrorising Peckham.
The visual features cameos from King Krule’s band members, who also played supporting roles in the previous videos for Draag On and Alone, Omen 3 follows his animated visual for Cellular and is his third collaboration with Wade, who also directed Biscuit Town from 2017’s The Ooz, and Octopus back in 2013.
Gruff Rhys (DON’T) WELCOME THE PLAGUE AS A BLESSING/ THE BABELSBERG BASEMENT FILES LIMITED EDITION RSD RELEASE
Gruff Rhys & Rough Trade Records are pleased to announce Welcome The Plague As A Blessing / The Babelsberg Basement Files will be released on split black & white vinyl, limited to 1700 copies worldwide and released on August 29th 2020 for Record Store Day.
A companion piece to Gruff’s 2018 album ‘Babelsberg’, this release showcases the record in its original, pre-orchestrated form and was largely recorded in three days by the band playing together in a soon-to-be demolished studio in Bristol.
To preview the release Gruff has today shared a single from the album ‘Negative Vibes’, alongside the brilliant computer game inspired video for the track.
Gruff explains the new version “I love the finished album (Babelsberg) and Stephen McNeff’s arrangements and Samur Khouja’s mix – this is a companion piece that unearths the live band that played on everything and it’s how we toured the album mostly – so it’s great to have a document of that. The Babelsberg band – Kliph / Steve / Osian are ridiculously talented musicians – they could step into any Wrecking Crew”.
He goes on to add “I must point out that these records were pressed in Autumn 2019 in preparation for an April RSD 2020 – I would have never put plague in the title if I knew there was a pandemic on the way. I wouldn’t want to remind people of their suffering. Although I think it’s scandalous how the horrific miss-handling of the pandemic is not viewed as an utter scandal in the UK at least.”
TKAY MAIDZA Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2 Out Now
Tkay Maidza is a tour de force on her new EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2.
Her sonic versatility takes centre stage on eight tracks that include spitfire summer anthem and lead single Shook, smooth boy-bye manifesto Don’t Call Again and trap-infused Awake, which was nominated for a 2019 ARIA award and earned a best of the decade nod from The Needle Drop, as well as praise from Pitchfork, The FADER, Dazed, Complex, and others. The EP follows 2018’s Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1, which established her as an exciting voice in the new guard of hip-hop.
To celebrate Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2, Tkay has shared the music video for the breezy and sweetly- taunting track ‘You Sad’ today. London-based director Jocelyn Anquetil oversaw the shoot remotely via live feed while Tkay and a spartan crew of two executed from Australia. The result is a game-changer in socially distanced music video shoots and a Technicolor graveyard for all of the calls Tkay is screening.
Emerging from Adelaide at just 17 years old, Tkay has become one of the most fascinating names in dance-pop and modern hip-hop. From her critically acclaimed debut album TKAY to now, she has captured audiences globally with releases including gold-certified ‘MOB’, ‘White Rose’, 2018’s Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1 EP and last year’s singles ‘Awake’ (named Best of the Decade by The Needle Drop) and ‘IDC IF U BE DED’.
Tkay’s early work has earned her a 2018 MTV EMA award, a 2016 BET Awards nomination, plus tours with the likes of Mark Ronson, Charli XCX, Rita Ora, RL Grime, Years and Years and Troye Sivan. Tkay has firmly placed herself in the fashion world, from starting her own clothing label Last Year Was Weird, to soundtracking Stella McCartney’s poignant fashion waste campaign. Tkay has also collaborated with some of the world’s leading brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Coca-Cola and Nike.
