The Oscillation announce new album, The Start Of The End, and share video for title track

Following their introspective Singularity Zone series,  The Oscillation are back with a rejuvenated spirit and a new album titled The Start Of The End. Marking a departure from previous works, the new album is driven by optimism and a reevaluation of life’s essence. Embracing more light and shade than before, The Start Of The End is an album of hope and renewal, signaling a brighter tomorrow, and as the press release describes, it “is a result of spiritual and physical re-charging and cleansing.”

Escaping the confines of the bustling cityscape, Demian Castellanos, the mastermind behind The Oscillation, found inspiration in his new surroundings. Castellanos comments:

“When I made my new home, I allowed myself time to do nothing for a while, and I then started some new songs without worrying about them being on an album. I just wrote with the mindset to put out something positive.

I did a lot of reflecting on the past and really wanted to change something in myself, but not knowing how and thinking that a lot of people must be feeling the same way.”

Reflecting on how the album started, he says:

“Writing and recording in an environment where I had little contact with people, no hanging out or partying or even having conversations was very interesting.”

The Start Of The End arrives on May 24th through All Time Low and ahead of it The Oscillation have unveiled its heavenly title track. It comes with a video accompaniment directed by Julian Hand and you can watch it below.

De Beren Gieren unveil video for second single ‘Papir Freedom’

Following the intoxicating ‘The Houses‘, De Beren Gieren unveiled yesterday ‘Papir Freedom’, the second offering from their forthcoming album, What Eludes Us. The new single sees the Dutch-Belgian acoustic-electronic piano trio narrate a tale of liberation centered around an unlikely protagonist, paper, the humble material which at last frees itself from the confines of human manipulation. A daring track, ‘Papir Freedom’ exudes brilliance in abundance. The single is offered with a video made by Victor Van Rossem and you can watch it below.

What Eludes Us is out on March 29th through Sdban Ultra.

Middle Name John’s new album, Obviously Confidential, out in April

Musician, lyricist, activist and producer Middle Name John is set to release his new album, Obviously Confidential, on April 9th through Slowfoot Records and Juicy Records. With insightful lyrics and experimental electronic sounds, the album came to life amidst the exhaustion of late-stage capitalism and the dread of an impending doomsday. Serving as a mirror to society, on the new album Middle Name John “distils disillusioned poetry that oscillates between a purge of incisive social observations and a collection of elaborate indagations of subconsciousness, holding a two-way mirror into the personal and the collective”, as the press release describes.

Obviously Confidential comprises eight groovy and sharp tunes, and for a taster of what’s to come, Middle Name John has unveiled one of the tracks, ‘Different’, alongside an accompanying video. Watch it below.

Julius Gabriel announces fifth album, Tales from the Subterranean, and unveils lead single ‘Footworks’

Photo: Karl-F. Degenhardt

Saxophonist, composer and improviser Julius Gabriel is gearing up to release his fifth album, Tales from the Subterranean. Due out on March 28th through Lovers & Lollypops and Ana Ott, the upcoming record took root in 2020 during Gabriel’s confinement in Hamburg. Amidst the uncertainty and isolation of that period, he channeled those feelings into musical exploration. Meticulous finger exercises and experimentation with contact microphones led to the creation of an intricate eight-channel preamplifier which he could mount on the sax. Drawing inspiration from diverse influences, including long-time collaborator – percussionist João Pais Filipe, and the rhythms of Raggas and Indian music, Tales from the Subterranean was crafted entirely on electroacoustic tenor and twin soprano saxophones.

Gabriel is giving a glimpse of the album with its lead single ‘Footworks’, an infectious and entrancing track exploring the interplay between rhythm and melody. The track comes with a video accompaniment and you can watch it below.

Oberland, Dargent, Elieh, Halal form new quartet and announce debut album, Sihr

Following duo improvised performances and screenings in Cairo and Beirut, and other showcases for Rencontres d’Arles, the Lille photography center, and Halogénure magazine, Frédéric D. Oberland (Oiseaux-Tempête) and Grégory Dargent (H) joined forces with Tony Elieh (Karkhana) and Wassim Halal (Polyphème). As a quartet, Oberland, Dargent, Elieh, Halal set out on a sonic quest, “that of a neo-folklore for troubled times”, as the press release describes, “a music seeping with many kinds of atavism and experimenting in all directions”. The result is Sihr, an album birthed in a bunker studio between Paris and Berlin, weaving through “trance and contemplation, jazz and electronica, acoustics and electricity”. Slated for a May 24th release through Sub Rosa, Sihr is a ” hallucinated and generous testimony”, resonating with the echoes of our contemporary chaos.

“Oui​-​Ja’aa” is their inaugural and tantalizing single, offering an exhilarating glimpse into the forthcoming Sihr. Listen to it below.

Jharis Yokley’s debut album, Sometimes, Late At Night, out in May; listen to lead single ‘Move On’

Photo: Janette Beckman

Renowned and highly sought-after drummer Jharis Yokley has collaborated and played in innumerable projects and bands over his career, from Solange and Chance the Rapper to Ani DiFranco and DJ Premier. As a solo artist, he is gearing up to release the first recording under his own name. Entitled Sometimes, Late At Night, the record captures Yokley’s playful, versatile and energetic approach to music. Inspired by personal experiences, particularly a breakup, Yokley explores themes of love, loss, and self-discovery throughout the album’s 10 tracks. “So, the album’s mainly about this relationship,” he explains. “It’s not like that I regret ending it, but I knew it had to happen. But reminiscing back on those times, I was wondering if I made a mistake.”

BIGYUKI, José James and Taali have all been enlisted as collaborators by Yokley who started writing Sometimes, Late At Night alone in 2020. He elaborates:

“So, obviously in March of 2020, everybody had a lot of free time.” Yokley says. “I was just in my bedroom, on my laptop making a lot of beats at the time. I was using Logic and a lot of my beats were sample-based. I would make beats with the samples and then take away the samples and try to come up with my own lyrics and melodies to these beats. Sometimes it would just be me on the keyboard picking a sound I like, or making a sound that I feel sounds cool. And then just playing around until I find a cool melody.”

A boundary-pushing album that defies categorization, Sometimes, Late At Night is a testament to Yokley’s boundless creativity and diverse musical influences, as he explains:

“I don’t really consider genre, because I love so many different genres. And I’ve played with a bunch of different artists from jazz to hip hop, to folk music, and R&B. So, all that stuff is already ingrained in my mind when I’m creating things. The music I make pulls from all the genres that I listen to and love, automatically. It wasn’t a conscious decision.”

Ahead of the album’s release on May 3rd through Rainbow Blonde Records, Yokley had previously let loose the thrilling and astounding lead single ‘Move On’. Take a listen below.