Happy Monday Ninjas! The weekend has come and gone, but that won’t stop us from supplying music that’ll get you pumped and energized, especially when four more days of work lie ahead. So, to kick off the work week, we’ve got a nice little bass number to share from Buygore signee SubDocta that’ll undoubtedly get your blood flowing. The Arizona native’s latest release, “Skeleton Key,” is a powerful assimilation of vibrating wobbles and divergent rhythms. Dark melodies characterized by metallic synths seamlessly intertwine with ground-shaking basslines, giving way to a delightfully eerie product that we can’t help but find irresistible.
NYC-based duo Disco Fries are back with some serious fire. have put their spin on Steve Madden/5Towns Records’ signee Harlee’s “Venom.” Through their colorful rendition, they create an intoxicating and upbeat version of the ethereal ballad.
For those unfamiliar, Harlee has quickly become a buzzing and dynamic pop act. Kicking off her music career with the single “Holding On,” she followed it up with “Venom,” a hit that took off soaring the minute it went live.
It doesn’t come as a surprise that Disco Fries, who are widely recognized for bridging the gap between mainstream and EDM, gravitated towards Harlee’s single. Taking their easily-digestible yet versatile sound, Disco Fries put a seemingly effortless, jubilant spin on the powerful ballad while still complimenting Harlee’s impressive vocal range. Take a listen below and you’ll see why we felt compelled to share this one.
You may have been seeing bitbird artist Taska Black’s name quite a bit recently. The Dutch producer has been on a steady rise, seeing overwhelming success in 2017 with singles such as “Where We Go,” as well as his collaboration with fellow bitbird artists Droeloe and vocalist Cut_, “Running Away.” Taska’s most recent accomplishment is his release with soulful singer Ayelle titled “Dead Inside,” and just days ago he released the song’s official music video. Lucky for us, we were provided with the opportunity to speak with Taska Black and learn more about the inspiration behind his music and the video in addition to some sneak peaks of what 2018 will look like for him. Watch the video and check out the interview below, if you will like to get some help with the postproduction of your video so it looks like this, just visit https://www.tracyalchayeb.com/!
TMN: Rumor has it you’ve got some huge announcements coming up. Can you give us any hints as to what those will be?
TB: No one thing in particular but I’ve got lots of exciting things happening indeed. Exciting collaborations with bitbird artists and others outside as well. And I might also be working on what I hope is my debut EP…
TMN: How did you get into production? Did you have any classical training prior?
I started taking lessons in violin and piano when I was 4 years old. I never liked playing songs from sheet music exactly how they were supposed to be played so I started improvising my own melodies. When I was about 13 years old I got my first audio interface and Cubase to start recording my improvisations and that’s how I got into production. After years of experimentation I thought it was time to take things to the next level so that’s when I started Taska Black.
TMN: It’s huge to be approached by a creative mind such as San Holo’s. What was your initial reaction when he asked you to sign to his imprint bitbird?
TB: Actually it was me sending a mail to them 3 years ago to show them what I was doing. I loved what bitbird was putting out and San seemed to like what I was doing too. We started talking and that lead into more releases on bitbird. Both San and bitbird have grown a lot over these years and I’m super grateful to be part of the family and to have such amazing people around me.
TMN: What do you love most about the bitbird label?
TB: I think we’re doing something unique in the industry. bitbird really feels like a small family of people with their own vision and their own sound. That’s what San does best I think, supporting people who have their own vision whether it’s in classical music or EDM.
TMN: What can we expect for 2018? Do you have any cool collaborations coming up that you can tell us about?
Lots of new music. Some remixes and new original singles. I’m currently working on some exciting collaborations but unfortunately I can’t reveal any of that yet. I’m also super stoked to be playing my first shows in the US this year. Really looking forward to Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza Paris as well.
TMN: Congratulations on the release of your new music video for your single with Ayelle, “Dead Inside!” Can you tell us a bit about the plot or what inspired the creative direction of it?
TB: Thank you! I really saw this track as a chance to show my experimental side of music to the listeners. I had this vague line in my head “I’m dead inside” so I started building off that thought. When I finished the song with Ayelle we started talking to the director of the music video, Joris Weerts. We shared some ideas on how we wanted to approach the video and give more meaning to the song. I think the track really came to life when we combined both the musical and the visual aspect. The video shows how people are not easily impressed anymore in this saturated era of media and the internet. We wanted to make these feelings of depression heard in order to accept and deal with them, rather than to criticize.
TMN: How would you describe a Taska Black show? Are there any features of it that you feel are signature to “Taska Black,” such as visuals or live elements?
TB: We’re currently shaping the show both musically and visually and I’ve had the chance to test things out on the shows I did with San. I always like to play lots of unreleased music and edits of songs that I’m into. I’ll be doing DJ sets only for a while now but in the long run I really want to incorporate live elements in the show so we’re putting a lot of thought into that as well.
We’ve been missing music trio Autograf for a little while now, since they put out their last original “Sleepless in NYC.” But thankfully, they’re back, and this time, they’re supplying us with their fresh take of Halsey’s “Bad At Love.” In their rendition of the pop hit, they introduce quite a different sound from what we’re accustomed to, and we are definitely okay with it. Autograf go a bit harder than normal in the remix, sneaking in the perfect dose of trap elements without overpowering the “Bad At Love’s” innate pop vibe. Get ready to have this one on replay all weekend.
It’s been some time since we’ve heard from French artist Rusty Hook. If you’re wondering where he went, he’s been hard at work putting the finishing touches on his forthcoming solo EP Romance Is Dead, Good Riddance. It is exactly for this reason that we are so excited to be presenting his debut single off the project, “Relief” featuring brother/sister duo Truitt.
We were instantly swept off our feet with the soulful vibe of “Relief.” He cooks up a pleasurable recipe that includes just the right proportions of elements from styles like indie, r&b and and electronic. The original’s genre-defying production is balanced by the comforting vocals of Truitt and coalesce for a hook that will easily stick with you. Like what you hear with “Relief?” Then make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the November release of Rusty Hook’s EP.
At The Music Ninja, we LOVE Fridays. Not only does it mean we get to relax, have fun and sleep in, but most importantly, it means new music. This is also why Friday is one of the hardest days for us. With so many incredible releases, it’s quite difficult for us to tackle all of those newfound singles in one day. That’s why today we are going to share one of our favorite Friday finds from hard trap pioneer SAYMYNAME titled “Drop It.”
The Los Angeles-based producer had us on the edge of our seats with his blood-pumping single. Bass lovers around the world are bound to fall head over heels for the original’s dirty demeanor. The excitement doesn’t just end with the release though. “Drop It” comes with the exciting news of SAYMYNAME’s recent announcement of his US What’s My Name Tour. Make sure to snag a ticket while you can here. We can only say that this tour is one you won’t want to miss, and his latest single is a perfect reason why.
San Holo is making his return to The Music Ninja with yet another stunning masterpiece, “I Still See Your Face.” The new release is undoubtedly following the path towards the same massive success seen with his previous originals like “Light” and “The Future.” But this time, the bitbird head honcho throws quite a large curveball at listeners. Known for enlisting vocalists that perfectly complement each track he’s put out thus far, “I Still See Your Face” showcases Holo’s vox for the very first time and boy, we are definitely not disappointed.
The song stays true to the Dutch producer’s signature brand of sound as it features a buoyant, enrapturing melody constructed by youthful synths and chimes. “I Still See Your Face” will be the first single on the second Gouldian Finch compilation album. Also make sure to peep the official music video here.
