Nothing cures a hellish, hectic week like some smooth, jazzy, soulful tunes to drown out the rest of the world. Music can be medicinal, and soul music (as the name suggests) hits you right in the soul. It’s like those metal scalp massagers in music form. I dance, sing, unwind and reset to the soulful sounds coming from my speaker and it takes me back to a time when weekends meant lie-ins, watching cartoons in pyjamas and having nothing planned. When the sound of the kitchen radio was the backing track to everything I did.
DVYN (pronounced DIVINE) blends jazz, R&B and soul into absolutely ethereal pieces. She would describe her style as Jazz’n’B, I’d describe it as a dream. Listening to her songs feels like floating in the middle of the stillest, clearest water- at peace. Find It is the song I’ve chosen to feature first on this weeks playlist. Three and a half minutes of wonderful vocals and heavenly instrumentals. Blending classic sounds with contemporary stylings makes DVYNs sound extremely timeless regardless of when you ‘find it’ (see what I did there?). You can just melt away listening to it all, cradled in the soft sounds that fit together so well.
We’ve just had Jazz’n’B, now get ready for some Rock’n’Soul. KEZA’s Big City Blues is a soulful soft-rock tune that satisfies every genre craving you might have all at once. It’s fun, it pushes boundaries and experiments, it makes you want to roll down the windows and sing along while the wind flies past. It sounds so smooth yet so raw and cathartic at the same time. KEZA can strike that balance that so many others strive for. (And in case you’re wondering, she manages to strike gold again and again throughout her discography- this isn’t a one hit wonder thing at all). KEZA cured my Big City Blues with her soulful vocals.
Now let’s switch things up and get experimental with Sparklmami- someone who seems to never let convention box her in. Not only does she blend genres and styles, constantly experimenting and evolving, but she transcends any single medium too. I mean her website in itself is a work of art (@ SPARKLMAMI.COM – check it out!!!!!). She brings a range of styles from across the world to her music, from Brazillian jazz to Bolero. Her song Si is the feature on this weeks playlist; a jazz-funk pop piece that is unlike anything I had ever heard before. They say nobody has original thoughts anymore. They say nobody makes good music anymore. I can tell you right now, for a fact, Sparklmami is doing both and doing them well.
But maybe you feel nostalgic for those good old days- maybe experimental isn’t what you’re after. Let me take you over to West London where nobody is doing R&B and neo-soul like Eldana. You want late-night, atmospheric, sexy sounds then get this on the playlist ASAP. If You Believe is the song I’ve chosen for this week’s playlist, but Eldana’s got a solid discography for listeners to check out. Something about it all just scratches an itch- it hits the spot. Listening to his music makes me want to kick back, light candles, and crack open a bottle of wine. (Oh how I wish I could do that right now :-/…)
Takes A Village brings us our next choice for this weeks playlist. They’re a collective of artists, producers and musicians who regularly rotate and create the most amazing sounds through their collaboration. Dat Azz is the collaboration between Takes A Village featuring Kaiyel and Kwncy- although their sessions have bred a whole catalogue of similar collaborations, each with a unique sound and vibe. This neo-soul tune was the puzzle piece that fit the playlist this week. You can hear the team-work that went into creating it, which I find beautiful. Everything that each person involved contributed shines through in the final piece. More than that, you can hear the passion that went into it and the fun that was had while making it. Something which is priceless and invaluable, and which goes a long way in art.
R&B, like any genre is constantly evolving and ever-changing, this next artist is no exception to that. Alt-R&B artist Tabü’s ‘Old Days.’ is the next song featured on the playlist. You can get lost in the rhythm of it, drunk on the beat. It’s hypnotising in the best way and makes me want to groove and just let myself go. Didn’t I say there was something almost medicinal and soothing, particularly in this genre? Old Days is an example of just that. It soothes me to no end but it also makes me want to sway and just drown in its sound.
I reckon it’s time we wake things up though- (and no, I won’t apologise for the whiplash- you should keep up!!). Daiela experiments and blends so much so I’d call her genre-less. Her cross-genre track brings alt-pop and R&B influences together to create something unique and genre-fluid. It’s got good rhythm, melodic vocals, this sick energetic beat that just breathes life to everything. I honestly don’t know what to do but applaud the artistry of it. It’s a talent to blend and mix such a broad range of styles and vocal harmonies into one track without losing it or making it too busy. Daiela doesn’t struggle with that, she does it and makes it look easy. The result? A groovy tune that is anything but the same-old stuff you may have heard before.
But again, if experimental is too much for you (deffo get that checked out) remember that there’s a lot of artists making some classic R&B and soul music that still gives us something new and beatiful to enjoy. Mai Anna is one of those artists. Her song Baby Blue is a simple yet ethereal R&B track with vocals that feel like a hug or a soothing stroke of your hair. It’s music that engulfs and envelopes you. It radiates out and fills your whole being. It’s a song that explores themes of yearning and longing, but all I’m left yearning for is more and more and more of Mai Anna’s rich vocals and the smooooooooooth intrumentals (which I’m sure in time we’ll get- like all the artists listed today, she’s got a big bright star of a future).
Keeping us on track with some more sultry R&B is Siaira Shawn’s Racing Home. Shawn’s voice is like floating on a cloud, and her lyrics are emotional and just as powerful as her vocals. She explores love and the nuances of relationships all through a cocktail of harmonies and melodies that ground you and wrap you up in sound. It’ll have you racing home just to listen some more.
Finally we wrap things up with Chicago-based trio Les Sons Du Cosmos, a group who experiment with structures and textures across the genres of soul, hip-hop, funk, jazz and electronic music. Their track, Coolidge, was chosen for this weeks playlist; an experimental piece featuring the rapping of Semiratruth backed by funk and hip-hop beats blended together with a jazzy instrumentation. It somehow all comes together to create something funky and cool. The spoken word style rap enhances it and adds yet another layer.
So, that’s all for this week. A short one, I know, but hopefully sweet nonetheless. I’ve had a hectic and busy week balancing my jobs and the late nights and early starts. But a bit of funk and a bit of soul can patch up even the worst of times and bring me a type of zen nothing else can match. I hope it can do that for you too.
-Ratz
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