musomusofm on the radar playlist #51 - Dizzy Panda, Seven Layer Piano Cakes, Naomi Pacifique, Rose City Cinema and more....
With Easter weekend out of the way, it’s time to detox from chocolate eggs and indulge yourselves with another 9 tracks from some brilliant unsigned bands and artists.
Whilst you were all scoffing your way through your Easter treats, yours truly was busy scanning the web for killer new music that will keep you entertained until you get back to normal.
I’ve selected 9 incredible acts to showcase for you, again, there’s something for everyone on the playlist including Trip-Hop, rock, electronica and just about everything in between.
As usual, our featured acts can be found below the embedded playlist, have a read, check out their socials, give them a like or maybe even a comment if you liked what you heard, every engagement, no matter how small means such a lot.
See you on the other side.
Dizzy Panda
Dizzy Panda are an DIY duo from The Netherlands. Like all panda’s they have a bright and a dark side…. They don’t stick to a specific genre and like to blend genres with a touch of psychedelic/dark (Dizzy) or retro/chill (Panda) influences.
Dizzy Panda started out of curiosity. Is it possible to launch music without any knowledge of music? Without playing an instrument? Without knowing anyone in the industry? We had to learn how to use the DAW, mix and master. We found out a way to create our own music video’s and had to learn how things work at social media. Thanks to our fellow indie artist we have learned a lot.
The duo are very exited to let the world know that their album Panda Points is ready. They have worked on the album since their first steps in music in 2020. As you might know: Panda Points are referring to the number of months you haven’t had sex. And as we have been working on this album for almost 2 years in the late hours, you might understand they have earned a lot of Panda Points. It will probably make them Panda’s of the year!
This also might explain why the tracks on this album are rather sad and dark. There just was no time for love while working on their Panda Project. There’s clearly a reason why pandas are nearly extinct….
The album is completely build up using samples. All the instruments, sounds, images, lyrics are reused (yes, in a legal way). This makes them ‘reproducers’ rather than producers, right? They changed samples, added effects, mixed and did the mastering themselves, which might explain why there might be some little errors in the production. Yes, they have learned a lot. But there is still a lot to learn. Join them on their journey….
So, what’s next….. DIZZY PANDA is working on several projects, Their next album will be very chilled and jazzy and besides the above, they are working on some cool collaborations and will release some singles and videos soon.
Keep an eye on their socials below for more info as it lands.
Socials
Seven Layer Piano Cakes
Seven Layer Piano Cakes is the musical alter ego of Justin Hoyt, a Los Angeles-based attorney and law professor. Following the releases of his second EP ‘The Patriarch; and singles ‘Middlegame’ and ‘Remy’ – Hoyt is back with his new single ‘Endgame’, an intense and dark synth-based duet featuring the emerging artist VRL as co-vocalist. The track was co-written and co-produced by Hoyt’s longtime collaborator, Ian Stahl (Kingsize Soundlabs), and mastered by the legendary engineers Greg Calbi and Steven Fallone at Sterling Sound.
Hoyt, a classically trained pianist and vocalist, was inspired to write, perform and produce music that is a throwback to the complexities and sounds of different prior eras. Not content to establish just one sound, Hoyt prefers to create a bouillabaisse of sounds, calling back the vibes of acts such as The Beach Boys, Beach House, Elliott Smith, M83, Depeche Mode, and Sufjan Stevens. One thing is always consistent with Seven Layer Piano Cakes – regardless of the song, you will always get some seventh chords, myriad musical layers, and intricate vocal harmonies (the “cakes”) hence the name.
‘Endgame’ is the third in the Seven Layer Piano Cakes ‘Chess Trilogy’ of songs (the prior two in the trilogy were ‘Novel Opening’ and ‘Middlegame’). Whereas ‘Novel Opening’ focused on the early days of the pandemic, and ‘Middlegame’ touched upon issues of anxiety, depression, and apathy that many experience in early middle-age, ‘Endgame’ is a hard-hitting banger about the complexities of the ends and aftermaths of long-term relationships.
‘Endgame’ is difficult to pin down genre-wise. Nevertheless, through heavily layered instrumentation, a vocal melody that spans over two octaves, and complex vocal harmonies provided by VRL, the track showcases a seamless weaving of dream pop, synthwave, new wave, and dark pop. Comparable artists that come to mind include Beach House, Muse, M83, Depeche Mode, The Weeknd, and even Taylor Swift (at least in the chorus melody and lyrics. While perhaps seemingly a “chill” song on first listen, ‘Endgame’ was designed to be turned up all the way to 10. After a dreamier but still intense first two-thirds of the song, the latter third really takes off musically – the song does not fade away, but rather explodes on its way out.
Learn more about SLPC by having a dig through his Instagram and check out his other material on Spotify.
Socials
Naomi Pacifique
Naomi Pacifique is a Swiss-Dutch multi-disciplinary artist based in Amsterdam. She was born in San Jose, Costa-Rica, in 1994, and grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland. She spent a majority of her early twenties living in the UK, where she performed regularly in London and Oxford venues, including The Catweazle Club and The Gladstone Arms among many others.
Her intimate performances allowed her to connect with her audiences in personal ways.
In 2018, she took a break from recording and performing music, and pursued film-making. The films she worked on between 2018 and 2022 as both writer, director and producer were awarded at international film festivals including Berlinale and Locarno.
This year, in 2022, she returns to recording music, using songs and experiments she has been working on over the last 3 years, bringing her filmmaking experience to the contemplative spaces she creates for her listeners in her music. In this time, she has been influenced by contemporary artists such as Big Thief, Kikagaku Moyo, Ought, Courtney Barnett and Cate Le Bon.
Naomi Pacifique also has a background in visual arts, having had her work exhibited in various venues, and in poetry, having graduated with a Masters in Creative Writing from Oxford University. Her spoken word influences are clear in her music via her precisely articulated and choreographed lyrics, which often take their phrases from the poetry she writes. Across all arts, Naomi is interested in exploring intimacy and the spaces it allows for shift in both oneself and one’s environment.
Asked about her past work, Naomi commented, “In recent years, I have given more time to my filmmaking: the short films I worked on were awarded at International film festivals including Berlinale and Locarno, and I am only now returning to music, this being one of three singles I will be releasing this year in 2022, ahead of an album release in early 2023. I will also be releasing a music video for this song.”
'The Sea is Coming in' is an experimental lo-fi rock song exploring a specific lived intimacy, it was released on March 25th 2022.
The song is written with the patterns and rhythms of the sea in mind, wanting to create space for each instrument, and intimacy for its listener.
Socials
Rose City Cinema
Rose City Cinema initially formed in 2016 at CalArts under the name "Cilience". With their upcoming release, they decided to change theirr name to reflect theirr growth as artists - They’d solidified a sound that they felt was different than where they originally started as a band. With a nod to their home base in Pasadena (Rose City), the new band name conjures images of la Vie en Rose, a hazy pleasant dream, and a positive outlook.
Asked about their sound and style, they commented, “We describe our sound as "Californian New Order" - a blend of upbeat indie rock with a darker underbelly akin to the Manchester bands of the 80's.”
The combination is a blend of powerful vocal hooks, jangly guitars, driving drums, grooving bass lines and melodic keyboards.
Vocalist Ian Stahl cites Brandon Boyd (Incubus) and Paul Meany (MuteMath) as formative influences as both a lyricist and singer. Janzie (keyboards) and Jason Fragoso (drums) bring in electronic elements to the group’s sounds, with influences like Depeche Mode, New Order, and Royksopp. Bassist Eric DeLuca cites classics like Flea from RHCP, James Jamerson, and John Entwistle (the Who).
Asked about past notable shows and radio features, they added, “Throughout the Pandemic, we were able to make the most of a variety of video and live streaming opportunities. Rose City Cinema's track "Promises" was an official selection for the Pasadena International Film Festival (2021) and Glendale's historic Alex Theater's 95th Birthday Celebration (2020). Additionally, we performed a virtual set for the Balanced Breakfast stage at South by Southwest (2021) and we partnered with Polyverse Music and the Sweet Relief Musician's Fund to do a special livestream out of Kingsize Soundlabs recording studio (2020). B.C. (Before COVID), we’ve played venues such as the Troubadour, the Viper Room in West Hollywood, Winston’s Ocean Beach in San Diego and the Hotel Utah Saloon in San Francisco.”
Their latest offering, "Manhattan Pier" evokes the feeling of a beautiful day at the beach in LA, and their production of the track was a ton of fun with a few different stages. Produced by Jason Rhodes (guitar technician for Oasis and New Order), the band added, “We wanted to capture the most energetic drum take we could get, so we wanted to do it live. We ended up using the live drum recordings from our livestream for Polyverse Music and the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund at Kingsize Soundlabs (where Stahl is also a house recording engineer).”
“We then brought those drum tracks back to Stahl's home studio and recorded the guitars and basses while sitting on the porch on a sunny day in Pasadena. You might hear the birds chirping over the distorted rhythm guitars if you turn it up to 11! We finished keyboards, vocals and mixing and then sent it to Danny Davies (Bad Lieutenant, New Order) for mastering.”
Asked to describe the song in more detail, they commented, "Manhattan Pier" aims to be more than a spring/summery song about going to the beach. We tried to capture the experience of a beautiful day outside, the overwhelming feeling of standing at the edge of the world while watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean, and the high we feel when we fall in love in those perfectly romantic moments. There are probably complicated words in German for each of these feelings, but since we speak English we chose to write a song about it and let the music help tell our story.”
We love the track, I’m sure that you will too. learn more about the band and follow their musical journey on the usual socials (listed below).
Socials
SO there you have it folks, another 9 awesome tracks for you to get your ears around. If you liked any of them, please hit them up on the socials and tell them, mention that you heard them on the musomusofm on the radar playlist and they might even buy me a cookie if our paths ever cross!
Please take a moment to spread the word on social media, it’s on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, just head to musomusouk on either platform and give it a LIKE, SHARE, THUMBS UP or whatever you can!
Until next time…..