A 'style don' and an innovator are a couple of descriptions that have been attributed to Smiso Zwane better known as Okmalumkoolkat. The emcee, DJ and designer helped to capture global attention to the modern, ascending sounds and vibrant lifestyles that were blossoming throughout South African cities such as Johannesburg and Durban. As a member of Dirty Paraffin, along with Dokta SpiZee, Okmalumkoolkat has explored boundless electronic rhythms that are at times, speaker shaking party grooves or auditory art installations
Over the past couple of years Bucharest, Romania has been a hot bed of cutting edge electronic acts. Temple Invisible are a part of the new wave of maverick artists who are blurring the lines of genre, mixing a stew of musical influences to create a particular sound of dark electronica. Consisting of Irina Bucescu, Costas Ivanov and Daniel Olteanu, their track "Disappearance" was an introduction of the trio to the world with the song hauntingly springing elements of trip-hop, industrial and goth. Their recently unveiled tracks "Collide" and "Sudden Acts" incorporated post-punk, as well as synth-wave, adding guitars amidst the dreamy vocals of Irina Bucescu to spawn a nocturnal, yet sensual feel.
Over the past couple of years Bucharest, Romania has been a hotbed of cutting edge electronic acts. Temple Invisible are a part of the new wave of maverick artists who are blurring the lines of genre, mixing a stew of musical influences to create a particular sound of dark electronica. Consisting of Irina Bucescu, Costas Ivanov and Daniel Olteanu, their track "Disappearance" was an introduction of the trio to the world with the song hauntingly springing elements of trip-hop, industrial and goth. Their recently unveiled tracks "Collide" and "Sudden Acts" incorporated post-punk, as well as synth-wave, adding guitars amidst the dreamy vocals of Irina Bucescu to spawn a nocturnal, yet sensual feel.
It's rare to see many music groups or bands stay together after creating something special - creative differences often ensue or egos simply barricade future endeavors. It's even more rare to witness musical giants who have already established a successful career come together as a power unit with the intent on simply making the best music that they can. Junior Giscombe, Don-E, Omar, Noel McKoy and Leee John are practically UK royalty, having sold millions of records globally. So when all five artists, who have contributed immensely to the soul and R&B scenes not only in England but internationally, decided to form a one of a kind collaboration project call The British Collective, there was undoubtedly something monumental about to take place.
Words by Art Jefferson
Photography by Andrew Cotterill
It’s rare to see many music groups …
For the SHOWstudio series Subjective, Nick Knight talks to one of the top supermodels of …
If one were to take notes on the expansive career of Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, specifically their work as Tosca, what would be transparent is the refinement, taste and continued progression that their music has reflected. Part of a wave of producers who helped to spearhead in an electronic movement throughout the 90s that took on various titles such as acid jazz, trip-hop and in the 2000s, future jazz, Tosca's sound could be appropriately called simply...timeless, forward-thinking music, opposed to any infliction of tags. It is that process of transcending any one label that has kept the two musicians consistently relevant for two decades.
If one were to take notes on the expansive career of Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, specifically their work as Tosca, what would be transparent is the refinement, taste and continued progression that their music has reflected. Part of a wave of producers who helped to spearhead in an electronic movement throughout the 90s that took on various titles such as acid jazz, trip-hop and in the 2000s, future jazz, Tosca's sound could be appropriately called simply...timeless, forward-thinking music, opposed to any infliction of tags. It is that process of transcending any one label that has kept the two musicians consistently relevant for two decades.
Street soul, a combination of Hip-Hop, soul and R&B, is the sound being created by the Netherlands-based duo Lucid. Formed in 2012 and comprised of vocalists Janice and Juliet, the sexy Dutch duo originally met in university while both studying media before switching to music and each getting accepted into the Herman Brood Academie in Utrecht. After a trip to the U.S. that same year, Lucid went full force with their career, returning to America in 2013 to perform live at various venues and forming collaborations. In the works to release their debut album "Poisoned Pawns", Juliet and Janice dropped a video for the hypnotic song "Stranger To Me" earlier this year, followed by their recent video "Celebration", which documents the ladies' recent voyage in Brussels. The LP will straddle the sounds of Hip-Hop, soul, R&B and trap. With sultry vocals backed by rich, soulful production, Lucid are a pair of talented beauties that you should definitely get to know.
Street soul, a combination of Hip-Hop, soul and R&B, is the sound being created by the Netherlands-based duo Lucid. Formed in 2012 and comprised of vocalists Janice and Juliet, the sexy Dutch duo originally met in university while both studying media before switching to music and each getting accepted into the Herman Brood Academie in Utrecht. After a trip to the U.S. that same year, Lucid went full force with their career, returning to America in 2013 to perform live at various venues and forming collaborations. In the works to release their debut album "Poisoned Pawns", Juliet and Janice dropped a video for the hypnotic song "Stranger To Me" earlier this year, followed by their recent video "Celebration", which documents the ladies' recent voyage in Brussels. With sultry vocals backed by rich, soulful production, Lucid are a pair of talented beauties that you should definitely get to know.
