[Experimental] POLO – greta

POLO
greta

POLO is no stranger here at The Music Ninja. He continues to shape-shift and delve into all types of genre hybrids, and “greta” is a prime example of his dive into a more experimental approach. Constructed as an ode to his significant other, this song juggles emotional weight, jittery and sporadic synth stabs, and a powerful sense of passion that rattles your speakers while somehow also tugging at your heartstrings. It’s jarring in the best way. “greta” is just a taste of what’s to come as POLO has schedule weekly releases to be part of an upcoming album that’s sure to confuse and intrigue simultaneously. He’s created quite a style for himself, and we’re always ready for more.

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Saturday Selection Vol. 11: Alizzz

Saturday Selection Template

Saturday Selection is getting a little bit of a makeover. Instead of five songs you may have missed or need to hear from the previous week, we’re looking to explore some of the best highlights of a single artist or group. Our first focus will cover Barcelona native Alizz and his unpredictable yet undeniable combination of R&B, club, and pop music that he’s crafted into his own signature style.

Knowing when to shift in a new direction musically is an inherent skill than isn’t easy to pick up on most of the time, but Alizz has managed to score releases on Jeffree’s, Arkestra, and Moving Castle without slowing down or compromising his sound. His recent work with Santell is a testament to his ability to nail down and push the possibilities of R&B, while his foray into more of a pop sound is prime material that certainly defines itself as a standout release in the Moving Castle discography. Even with his massive tune “In Chains”, Alizzz stays dynamic and takes care to constantly transform and improve from song to song. When it comes to reformulating genres and creating something fresh, Alizzz comes to mind every time.

Follow Alizzz:

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Alizzz – Better Than You feat. Promnite, Santell, Iyeball
Alizzz – Your Love (feat. Max Marshall)
Alizzz – Body Slam feat. Santell
Lido – I Love You (Alizzz Remix)
Alizzz – In Chains
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Miki Rose – Right There (prod. By Giorgio Oehlers) [TMN PREMIERE]

Miki Rose
Right There (Prod. By Giorgio Oehlers) | 'XOXO'

If you weren’t planning on feeling sexy today, you might want to do some rescheduling because that’s about to change with this first cut off of Miki Rose‘s forthcoming EP. We’ve been lucky enough to catch and cover some of her previous work with El. Train and Toolbox, so it goes without saying that we’re extremely delighted to give you the first look into her solo project with Darker Than Wax.

“Right There” reflects a miraculous blend of R&B, soul, and electronic influences that exude an unashamed and warranted sense of pride that Miki has in her work. The groove is contagious. It shakes you up just right and gets under your skin in the best of ways. The slick and sensual delivery of every line isn’t the only treat in this tune, as the prowess of Giorgio Oehlers is equally put on display with his magnificent instrumentation. You can instantly and easily lose yourself between the keys and Miki’s voice alone, but the entire song stands as a triumph for her incipient XOXO EP. Good luck not breaking a little sweat listening to this one.

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The Music Ninja Residency Mix 004: um.. [TMN EXCLUSIVE]

The Music Ninja
The Music Ninja Residency Mix 004: um..

All good things must come to an end, and as sad as we are about it, that, unfortunately, includes this month’s residency with um.. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had some laughs, talked a lot about dogs, and brought you a hefty sampling of unique tunes. Now, it’s time to close things out with one hell of an exclusive mix. Put your headphones on and let this one ride all the way through.

Tracklist:
x&g – whiplash feat. josh pan (um.. remix)
valentine – initiation
mr. carmack – ego
must die – neo tokyo
josh pan – kill shot
tuslo – blunt after blunt
um.. – u kno?
um.. – that’s horrible
flexenbaum – who’s got the keys
tennyson – for you
oolacile – welcome to yharnham
phiso – jotaro
midnight tyrannosaurus – the demon(dack janiels remix)
caspa & the others – well ‘are
tnght – buggin’
tasty treat x tuslo – inferno
um.. – skrillex 2
esq – j’s
um.. – do it for the kids
rl grime – core
um.. – dotes
um.. – who’s care
noisia & phace – program (awe flip)
um.. – try harder
gjones – fuck what you heard
tails. – 100 hammers
tsuruda – punjabi slang
noisia & mono poly – the nomad
tennyson – smother feat. mythic

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um.. Discuss Icon Collective, Dogs, and Their New EP [TMN RESIDENCY INTERVIEW]

’u kno?’
’do it for the kids’
’try harder’

TMN:Thanks for taking some time to sit down with us and for coming on board as our resident artist for this month. We’re stoked to feature you guys. Let’s talk about your latest EP, which is your second to date. Can fans expect what they’ve come to know and love, or are you guys switching things up at all?

Ben: I feel like it’s sort of both. I feel like we’ve never really stayed the same, as an artist. So, I feel like they’re expecting something different.

Dylan: It definitely sounds like us, but no song really sounds the same. So, it will be a good variety of new, better sounding stuff.

TMN: You’re also doing a tour in support of the EP, hitting up a few east coast and a few west coast spots. In three words, tell fans what’s in store.

Ben: Only three words?

Dylan (higher): For the Kids.

TMN: You guys have a beautiful balance with your music. It’s chaotic, experimental, but all comes together in a highly addicting experience. How did you initially start out with this sound?
Continue reading

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Saturday Selection Vol. 8

Saturday Selection

Long weekends are way more exciting than they should be. That’s alright though, because we’re back with more tunes from this week! And what a week it was. May has been an absolutely absurd month of quality releases. Let’s hope it stays this way for a while. Enjoy!


b

Brandon Locher – Slow Steps

As life rushes around and flies by, stress can pile up without you even noticing. Take some time to alleviate it with the newest ambient tune from Brandon Locher. The warmth of “Slow Steps” juggles an ominous, yet comforting atmosphere with an orchestral presence to give the tune a movie score feel. You’ll feel immersed into a different world as soon as you hit play. Given the chance, that’s all we really want to do at a certain point, so enjoy this one when you’re feeling the need to hit the reset button after a long week.


mk

Manila Killa – Youth (Feat. Satica)

Manila Killa has always managed to create music that instantly improves your day. Between Hotel Garuda and this solo project, he never loses his stride, and the Satica-featuring “Youth” adds another definitive tune to his arsenal. With so many variations of pop music, it gets a little strenuous to pin down an exact style for it, but we wouldn’t want to do that anyway. What we do know is the approach Manila Killa and Moving Castle are taking is equally accessible and compelling, marking a shift into a new wave of genre blending.


e

EMBRZ – Breathe

After what seemed like a long silence, EMBRZ returned to our SoundCloud feed five months ago with the beautiful “Home.” Now we have the equitably gorgeous “Breathe” gracing our ears. Shifting from his usual beat-driven and chilled-out creations, this Irish producer breaks out into his own take on deep house. There’s more to “Breath” than what that genre usually entails, and a major part of that lies with Pat Byrne’s vocals. Taking a path of four on the floor mixed with somber synths may be a switch up for EMBRZ, but he’s demonstrated that he can create something magnificent no matter the style.


js

Jorja Smith – Where Did I Go?

Following up the massive hit that is “Blue Lights,” Jorja Smith is back with a reflective and soulful mindset. “Where Did I Go?” exercises restraint production-wise to allow Jorja’s vocals to serenade us into a calm demeanor while her lyrics express a sense of vulnerability coupled with contemplation. Without any hesitation, we can say that Jorja Smith deserves all of your attention and then some. Even with only two (known) songs released at the moment, enough statements have been made with this pair of stellar tunes to merit Jorja as a potential breakout artist for this year. We’ll just have to wait and see!


el

Crywolf – Slow Burn (Elènne Remix)

This remix gave us shivers. Not only from the already emotional Crywolf lyrics, but also from the careful and calculated transformation that Elénne was sure to masterfully orchestrate. “Cataclasm” was an amazing album from front to back, so reshaping and providing a new context for it is a tall order. Elénne is more than qualified to tackle “Slow Burn,” and we got this wonderful remix as a result. Whether or not you were planning on experiencing a cascade of feelings today, listening to this amazing rendition of Crywolf will do it to you. Enjoy that. It’s a good thing.


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[Artist Residency] um.. drops “Music We Like” on Spotify

For our next portion of um..’s Residency, we’re shining a spotlight on their recently released Spotify playlist, which is aptly titled “Music We Like.” If you’re expecting to hear a handful of only experimental, industrial, and heavy bass tracks, you’re in for quite the surprise. The collection definitely has some of those scattered throughout, but also includes some RnB, mainstream rap, jazz, and even some classical.

We asked them to talk to us about a few of their selections, which they, of course, responded in a way we would only expect from Ben and Dylan.

Tennyson – For You : This song is good to listen to when you’re good for listening to this song.

X&G – Whiplash ft. Josh Pan : This song is tight. When you listen you can tell it’s tight.

Rae Sremmurd – No Flex Zone : When you’re trying to get in the zone but you can’t flex. That’s how you know.

Howard Shore – Concerning Hobbits : 5/7 perfect song. I shore hope he doesn’t like jokes about oranges.

Caspa – Well Ard ft. The Others : If you real and you know it raise your fist. Put it down now, you real.

After you’re done checking this out, head over to SoundCloud and peep their latest release.

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