“Call Me I Need Ya” is the latest single from Nigerian born R&B/Afrobeat performer Victor Pedro. Pedro, now based out of South Africa, has chased musical fame and self expression since his pre-teen years and has already experienced real success in his professional career, but the latest single promises to elevate his global profile like nothing else preceding it. The latest single benefits from five star production strengths and a sound far from confined to the African continent – “Call Me I Need Ya” has a sound sure to play with the same effectiveness in the clubs of Johannesburg as it will in New York City, Paris, or London. It is, likewise, a laser focused effort lacking even an ounce of fat to drag down its impact for listeners. The track goes only a few seconds past the three and a half minute mark but, yet, doesn’t even seem to go that long. Instead, Pedro comes off as a performer intent on entertaining audiences from the outset and does so with immense skill.

DEEZER: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/91036222

I’m particularly taken with the lyrics. A lot of R&B songs, in my experience, avoid sensitivity unless they are outright love songs, but you don’t find it here with “Call Me I Need Ya”. Despite Pedro needing the subject of the songwriting, the subject of the song is really Pedro’s longing. He explores his desire with almost surgical precision, but there’s nothing false or forced in the writing. Instead, he comes into this song completely sure of exactly how to frame the nature of his longing and shares it with listeners with an openness we do not often hear in this style. It allows Pedro to frame the core of the song for listeners in such a way I immediately connected with the track. He never pushes too hard with the writing and it makes all the difference.

The drumming and other electronic instruments powering the arrangement make a great difference as well. Pedro orchestrates the song’s musical elements in such a way they have a natural inevitability – we can feel each change in the song’s progression as they come, but the predictability is entertaining and satisfying rather than letting listeners down. It’s a pleasure to hear his confidence in both the vocal and music alike. The singing has cool assurance rolling through the performance, but also bubbles with a light suggestiveness certain to draw listeners deeper into the track. His phrasing has a completeness that even much older and experienced vocalists would likely struggle to reach.

“Call Me I Need Ya” is the best single yet from Victor Pedro, but it is far from the peak for this young performer. Pedro has many higher mountains to scale in his future and, with each new release, will undoubtedly garner more followers to accompany him with those additional ascents. The fact his music cuts across every cultural line and national border and seems ideally suited for a world stage is likely his most impressive accomplishment of all and I can’t wait to hear what comes next.

Troy Johnson

Where Night Never Comes, winner of “2018 SoloPiano.com Best Album Overall,” Gets Remixed by Olivia Belli herself on April 26, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Italy – March 18, 2019 – Olivia Belli’s 2018 debut album is getting a makeover with the release of a six-song EP entitled Where Night Never Comes REMIXES on April 26, 2019.
Over five million streams and counting, Olivia Belli is one of the most promising Italian pianist and composer in music today. Her debut full album Where Night Never Comes was released in October 2018: 16 original tracks of pure delight for fans of Ludovico Einaudi, Philip Glass and Max Richter. Her 2018 release found great success atop the Modern Classical Chart on Reverbnation, and was named the 2018
SoloPiano.com‘s Best Album Overall.
Now Olivia Belli is taking things up a notch by releasing a companion album of remixes: Where Night Never Comes REMIXES celebrates and elevates what Olivia Belli did with her last release by showcasing a new side of the music.

“The story behind the songs found on REMIXES are almost the same that inspired my debut album but using an intensive electronics (not so common in my genre of a modern piano song composer) I manage to make it more vivid. It is as I wrote a screenplay for each track. My main goal with Remixes was to be a musical storyteller: to make the movie scene enter in the music and not the music become a soundtrack.”

In the past two years, Olivia’s tracks have been chosen for the Starbucks, Spotify and Digster Official Playlist while others have been broadcasted by Classic FM, Radio France, Cincinnati FM.
She has also been featured in Piano and Coffee, YesnoMusic, Drifting Almost Falling, Composer Tool Box, Gezeitenstrom Musik Magazin; interviewed by Meet The Artist, Particular Sounds, Music Musing and Such; broadcasted on ODEON TV, SKY and RAI.
Breathing new life into her own work, Olivia Belli is sure to impress all over again with the release REMIXES.

Those interested in reviewing her release, featuring Olivia Belli on their site, podcast, or show, or are interested in interviewing her can reach out via the information provided below.

Where Night Never Comes REMIXES
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Listen free in exclusivity preview at: http://bit.ly/WhereNightNeverComes-REMIX-preview
Watch: http://bit.ly/OliviaBelli-RemixVideo
WebSite:www.oliviabelli.com

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Zs9yxdFSU&feature=youtu.be

Rarely does a song come together with the seamless roll we hear with Saint Jaimz’s “AWOL (Absent Without Love)”. This performer, a sixteen year Army veteran, has made astonishing progress since first emerging and his intimate, thoughtful confluence of an entertaining form like R&B couples up well with a lyrical sensibility that connects with listeners yet is clearly a cut above the customary work in this area. Jaimz aspires to imbue a personal message of some sort in each of his songs and succeeds in depicting a situation when you realize how you’ve held on too long with someone who, in the end, drained your joy for life. This might sound like a downer in terms of subject matter, but Jaimz makes it a surprisingly exultant affair, cognizant of the pain, but ready with the will and strength to move on.

It comes across as a message born from personal experience. Many performers maintain a distance from their audience and, as a result, there’s always an arbitrary line separating performer from the listener. There’s no such effect with Saint Jaimz’s music. Instead, he invites us to share his experiences through music and doesn’t hold back from his listeners – it makes for an invigorating listen. “AWOL (Absent Without Love)” doesn’t mince words about its subject matter and drives straight into its heart; the chief instrument realizing the song’s emotional potential is, naturally, Jaimz’s voice.

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to not enjoy the language he uses to convey the song. It’s clipped, not a single extra word marring the track, and the vocal melody he employs for the song transforms and shapes itself to the song’s musical changes. It never meanders, however, and has a natural flow rather than something that comes off inordinately crafted and empty of inspiration. Everything Jaimz touches radiates inspiration without ever overwhelming listeners. Jaimz hasn’t been recording and releasing music for many years, but already sports the sort of all around polish we associate with much older iconic acts.

He has a strong modern presence however. The relative daring of the song’s arrangement mixing traditional elements of the genre late 20th/early 21st century like discreetly used keyboards and synthesizer swells with acoustic guitar, impressive flourishes from bass guitar, and a groove centric percussion clinic musically defines the track. It’s quite unlike anything else you’ll hear in this style.

It’s a new peak in Saint Jaimz’s musical journey and bodes well for the future. “AWOL (Absent Without Love)” has musical and lyrical depth alike, but it’s the commanding way Jaimz takes over the performance that really sets it apart. He’s a true presence in the song from his first syllable through the last and adorning his vocals with backing singers and multi-tracked passages only strengthens the experience. Saint Jaimz is making a name for himself with each new release based on his discipline, talent, and hard work – these qualities are sure to carry him even further from here and we’re lucky, as listeners, to accompany him for the ride.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Absent-Without-Love-Awol/dp/B079TLDVS3

Troy Johnson

Music Publicity Services @ Danie Cortese Entertainment: “Building names, Building brands, Building bank accounts” Visit us here: www.daniecorteseent.com

URL: http://dawggonedavis.com/

I don’t know for certain if DawgGonDavis is secretly masterminding a plan to take over the hip-hop charts with her new four song extended play Anthem Pandemonium, but even if she’s just out to spread the word of Operation Breakthrough and their crucial work to stamp out domestic poverty her latest release is more than worth your time. I first became familiar with DGD’s music through the single “Butt on Fiya,” which is included in Anthem Pandemonium I might add, and haven’t been able to look away from her career since. She’s funny, smart and a lot more adept at making intricately complex rap songs than you might expect from an IT project manager, but that’s the whole point of her music. She wants you to question the stereotypes and stigmas that you attach to people, illnesses and even culture itself and reassess your opinions. There really is no better way to get people to change their evil ways then through the power of comedy and music, and thankfully DGD is highly equipped to do both brilliantly.

There’s a lot of rhythm to the tracks on Anthem Pandemonium that doesn’t revolve around central hooks or predictable choruses. Yes, there is plenty of pop polish to attract establish hip-hop fans, but her angular sense of humor prevents this record from being a straight up indulgence in thematic surface level stuff. Completely unlike younger rappers, her music actually swings and retains a little bit of that old fashioned funk flavor that made first wave rap so provocative and excitable. I’m not trying to sell her as the face of a new generation of rappers to come, but to say that her ideals aren’t going to have somewhat of a ripple effect on the world around her would just be asinine. The cover of Anthem Pandemonium features DGD posing in front of a black Jeep Wrangler, and something tells me that whether or not she’s behind the wheel of that vehicle she wouldn’t have a hard time steamrolling over anyone who disrespects her art and the organization it’s meant to benefit. She’s a fighter who belongs in a genre of music built by and for warriors.

Operation Breakthrough is based out of DGD’s hometown of Kansas City and works effortlessly to secure educational resources and empowering assistance for families living below the poverty line in the KC metro area. Their relentless commitment to doing what’s right for the city has never gotten the credit that it fully deserves, but perhaps through the spotlight that this EP will likely garner the organization that might change for the better. Some of my peers are saying that 2018 is all about pop music trying to find ways to give back in order to resurrect and brutally negative image, but in the case of Anthem Pandemonium, I think the work speaks for itself. This isn’t about being a social justice hero or trying to fix something cosmetically broken. It’s about doing right by others and having a good time along the way, and that’s exactly what the world needs a little more of nowadays.

REVERBNATION: https://www.reverbnation.com/dawggonedavis

Troy Johnson

DawgGonDavis’ music has been heard all over the world due to the radio plugging services offered by Musik Radio Promotions. Learn more – https://musikandfilm.com/

AV Super Sunshine drops Time Bomb

URL: https://www.avsupersunshine.com/

AV Super Sunshine has built one of the strongest reputations in the EDM style as a performer and composer unwilling to limit himself. The Wisconsin based AV’s renown is rightly derived from his talent merging pure electronica with an undeniable rock spirit in a seamless way. There’s nothing jarring about the club or radio mix for AV’s latest single “Time Bomb”. The former is, naturally, longer than the latter, but we never get any sense of self indulgence from either of these performances. Instead, remix master Michael Bradford, a DJ renowned for his aforementioned talent as well as a producer, has reshaped AV’s creative vision in unexpected ways while still preserving the artistic center at the heart of the AV Super Sunshine experience.

CLUB MIX: https://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/29911618

RADIO DJ MIX: https://soundcloud.com/av-super-sunshine/time-bomb-radio-dj-mix

The club remix of “Time Bomb” is a formidable experience. There’s no question this is a predominantly electronic fueled experience with various keyboards, sequencers, and synthesizers riff and flash across listener’s consciousness with a certainty shared by few other songs. Many older listeners may associate the aforementioned instruments with a mechanical, sterile sound, but technology has progressed a great deal since the halcyon days of the mid 1980’s when many of these electronic instruments first took hold of the public consciousness, but AV and longtime collaborators like Michael Bradford frame “Time Bomb” in vivid, heated musical terms and blend traditional instruments into the mix. The guitar is chief among these and it leaps out from the club mix with every bit of the same furious color we hear from other facets of the performance.

There’s surprising amount of melody, as well, in the club mix, but it comes in flashes. Nevertheless, it is a brief tantalizing “look” into the extent of AV’s gifts. His vocals seize upon some of that quality as well without ever attempting to overshadow the musical elements of the “Time Bomb” club mix. The radio mix begins with the same focus on synths, but there’s a less audacious air surrounding this and, instead, a leaner focus fixated on the vocals and a more spartan arrangement. Instruments like piano and backing vocalists are more defined in this mix as well. Where the club mix is romping and emphasizes the song’s rhythmic propulsion, the radio mix stresses the vocal and melodic aspects of the song in a pointed fashion.

AV’s vocals emerge from the radio DJ mix with every bit of the confidence we hear in the club mix, but there’s a more traditional authoritative stance to his radio mix performance. AV Super Sunshine’s “Time Bomb” is a powerhouse and thoroughly modern work capable of using traditional elements to further develop its ideas and enhance its overall punch. AV has put together a first class, extensive catalog in the course of only a few years and this song, among others, shows an artist yet to reach his peak. Instead, AV Super Sunshine is just getting started.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AVSuperSun/

Troy Johnson

Young Saint Nick feat. Victor Ardene – HER

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/user-706860759/her-young-saint-nick-victor-ardene-1

“HER” is the kind of hip hop track anyone with an open mind can get behind. Young Saint Nick, working with friend and collaborator Victor Ardene, are prepared to branch out globally from their Newmarket, Ontario background into the larger music world with a pumping, groove oriented single built around their love of women. They have come a long way since first finding their love for hip hop during their teen years, but this new single advances their talents in a vivid way – it mixes their obvious hip hop style with a massive chorus they pummel into listeners head without ever losing a grip on the necessary musicality they need to win the most fans possible. Those familiar with the duo will love this new cut, and those first coming to their music will be blown away by how much this comes off as a mind-blower from a longtime performing unit.

Victor Ardene’s production jumped out at me from the first. I’m used to hearing efforts from youthful talents like this and appreciating what they bring to the table, but invariably noting how the sound hasn’t yet caught up with their musical talents. There’s no danger of that here. The synths leap out at you and percolate, flare, and flash throughout the entirety of the song, but they never become overbearing and are very complementary to the other musical elements of this song. The drums, electronic in nature, nonetheless set a conclusive tone of the song from the frist and the solid foundation of their work never wavers. The vocals are well rendered by the production style, as well, and contrast nicely with the earlier mentioned instruments. The song, running almost four minutes, is fun from the very beginning and there’s no fat on the track at all.

Young Saint Nick’s lyrics are equally focused and you can hear his lascivious glee in singing about lovely ladies. He tries to get under the listener’s skin from the beginning, but he never has a domineering presence and, instead, seems to be inviting listeners to enjoy his fun. The lyrical content doesn’t have a single unneeded word – the percussive nature of the lyrical attack joins up well with the drumming and comes in early during the tune. His vocal delivery is present throughout the whole song, it never backs off, and stays with the audience all the way through. It’s impossible for me to not like this song, it just comes off so well, and “HER” is evidence that there’s no question Young Saint Nick and Victor Ardene will be a presence in the indie music world, and soon enough the larger music world, for untold years to come. The future is bright and they are inviting us to follow them all the way.

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her/dp/B07998RRD1

Young Saint Nick’s music has been heard all over the world due to the radio plugging services offered by Musik Radio Promotions. Learn more – https://musikandfilm.com/

Troy Johnson

URL: https://www.nik11.com/?release=4-play

NIK:11 exerts her dominance over the techno world with her single “4Play,” a thought-provoking interpretation of electronica and deep house music that is quickly becoming one of the most talked about songs of 2018. Critics and disciples of electronic music have already known for some time now that NIK:11 was on the verge of the breakthrough of this caliber, but at last with “4Play” her sound finally matures into its own and becomes completely distinctive from everyone else in her scene, generation and hometown of Detroit, Michigan. I had a chance to preview this track ahead of its release, and while I certainly expected to like what I heard, I had no idea just what kind of treasure I was really in for.

About five years ago there were a lot of critics, even within the electronica community, that felt like this genre of music was dying down creatively and socially compared to where it was at the end of the 1990s. Whatever happened to those critics and their foolish opinions I have no idea, but history has been steadily proving them wrong leading up to and in the midst of “4Play” and its widespread success. Even the most anti-techno among us just aren’t able to argue that this music is a non-factor anymore; it’s literally everywhere around us.

One thing that the harsher critics of electronica have been right about is the increasingly lazy behaviors of DJ’s both in the United States and in Europe. Fusing together a bunch of really stirring samples is all well and fun, but to do what NIK:11 does with her originally crafted music takes a much more advanced skillset than any of them have displayed recently. NIK:11 doesn’t just blend interesting sounds together, she evolves the textures of each one of her tones to suit her own identity, which is bold, brazen and far more daring than anything her contemporaries are trying.

NIK:11 is a really great example of what it means to be a true blue collar musician. She doesn’t copy anyone else’s formula, and she’s not looking to ride in the wake of another’s success. Her story is fascinating all by itself without the accentuation of embellishment, and even though she’s had plenty of opportunities, her music never follows anyone’s path but her own. In a world full of actors and imitators, she’s the real article partly because she chooses to be and partly because her rebellious recording style won’t allow her not to be.
I’d actually really love to see her collaborate with some artists of other genres – particularly rock and hip-hop – and see what kind of impact her creative style could have on other scenes and musicians. With her talent, versatility sort of comes standard with the package. NIK:11 isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and “4Play” solidly cements her as one of the most important artists to watch entering the 2020s. If this single is a teaser for an upcoming full-length album, don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last positive review I write about this charming new face in pop.

I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/4play-single/1421963464

Troy Johnson