The beloved ODESZA have finally released their fan-favourite song ‘Loyal.’
ODESZA, an American electronic music duo, who are known for such songs as ‘Bloom’ and ‘Higher Ground’ have finally released their fan-loved song ‘Loyal.’
The release of the song comes one year after the release of their GRAMMY-nominated latest album ‘A Moment Apart’ which peaked at number one on Billboard Top US Top Dance/Electronic Albums.
‘Loyal’ achieved its special status back in 2015 at Coachella when it debuted. From then on many bootleg versions have been leaked by fans and names have been speculated.
You can stream ‘Loyal’ via Spotify here. The song was released via Foreign Family Collective/Ninja Tune.
Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in rural Ireland. The similarities end there; they are from very different worlds. When they both earn places at Trinity College in Dublin, a connection that has grown between them lasts long into the following years.
In 1940, eighteen-year-old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathisers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever.
Ten years later, now a producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence.
Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of this country’s most exceptional writers.
Yuval Noah Harari takes us on a thrilling journey through today’s most urgent issues. The golden thread running through his exhilarating new book is the challenge of maintaining our collective and individual focus in the face of constant and disorienting change. Are we still capable of understanding the world we have created?
Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist. After all, life isn’t a scene from the movies, is it? But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away.
Laurie thinks she’ll never see the boy from the bus again. But at their Christmas party a year later, her best friend Sarah introduces her to the new love of her life. Who is, of course, the boy from the bus.
Determined to let him go, Laurie gets on with her life. But what if fate has other plans?
Briseis was a queen until her city was destroyed. Now she is slave to Achilles, the man who butchered her husband and brothers. Trapped in a world defined by men, can she survive to become the author of her own story?
Discover the greatest Greek myth of all – retold by the witness history forgot.
When Paul Rogan sets off a bomb at his office, killing eleven people, no one can understand why. He was a loving husband and father, with everything to live for. Then his wife and daughter are found chained up in the family home, and everything becomes clear. Rogan had been given a horrifying choice – set off the bomb, or see his loved ones suffer and die.
Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows the violence won’t end here. The men behind the attack are determined, organised and utterly ruthless. In this shocking and challenging case, both Eve and husband Roarke are heading into serious danger.
On a moonlit beach a father cradles his sleeping son as they wait for dawn to break and a boat to arrive. He speaks to his boy of the long summers of his childhood, recalling his grandfather’s house in Syria, the stirring of olive trees in the breeze, the bleating of his grandmother’s goat, the clanking of her cooking pots. And he remembers, too, the bustling city of Homs with its crowded lanes, its mosque and grand souk, in the days before the sky spat bombs and they had to flee.
When the sun rises they and those around them will gather their possessions and embark on a perilous sea journey in search of a new home.
In the glorious sunshine of Oxford, on a day when everyone should be celebrating, tragedy strikes when a university student is found floating in the river, dead.
Ruth has returned to Edinburgh after many years of exile, left rootless by the end of her marriage, career and now the death of her father. She is now faced with the daunting task of clearing his house.
Hidden away in a barely used top-floor room, she finds he had secretly kept a cupboard full of her mother’s possessions. Sifting through the ancient papers, Ruth discovers the diary and letters written by her ancestor from the eighteenth century, Thomas Erskine.
As the youngest son of a noble family now living in genteel poverty, Thomas always knew he would have to make his own way in the world. Unable to follow his brothers to university, instead he joins the navy, rising through the ranks, travelling the world. When he is finally able to study law, his extraordinary experiences and abilities propel him to the very top and he becomes Lord Chancellor. Yet he has made a powerful enemy on his voyages, who will hound him and his family to the death.
Ruth becomes ever more aware of Thomas as she is gripped by his story, and slowly senses that not only is his presence with her, but so is his enemy’s. Ruth will have to draw upon new friends and old in what becomes a battle for her very survival – and discover an inner power beyond anything she has imagined.
Eva Driscoll is used to chasing down bad guys, but now the bad guys are chasing her. She knows they won’t stop until she’s dead.
After her brother is killed in a faked suicide, Driscoll teams up with ex-soldier Rees Colback, the one person who can help her find answers. Together they’re determined to uncover why members of his Special Forces squad are dying in mysterious circumstances.
But with every agency in the country in hot pursuit, their only choice is to flee.
The clock is ticking. They can’t run forever. It’s time to make a choice: kill or be killed…
Coming back with a flourishing hit is the fantastic KASPERG.
KASPERG, a Finnish music producer who is known for his splendid song ‘Take Over You’, has joined hands with Moli to produce a true chart-promising wonder ‘Show You,’ which enthuses with its brilliant dynamics and ear-pleasing production. Alongside the top-notch production, smooth and vivid voice of Moli emerges and flows throughout the song. Moli is a Berlin-based singer-songwriter.
With this song released we are sure to hear more great things from KASPERG and Moli in the months to come, individually or collaboratively. Either way, exciting projects are to come.
‘Show You’ was released under Lost Favourite Recordings and has quickly gained over six thousand streams via Spotify alone.
Gaming as a form of media suffers many of the same problems which plague other artistic professions. One of the biggest issues here, and the one on which we want to focus today, is the idea of hype culture and the reverse thereof. As an industry revolving around billions of dollars and thousands of jobs, it makes perfect sense that gaming would inevitably become entwined with publicity and that for good or bad, this publicity and the public opinion which it generates would set certain expectations for a new product approaching release.
Sometimes we expect great things and end up disappointed, other times we expect a mess and end up with a gem. So with that in mind, we want to take a look at the latter – the games which for some reason were held to low expectations, yet managed to succeed in spite of this negativity. What happened to set the bar low, and how did they manage to raise it above and beyond what was expected?
Sonic Mania
To say that Sonic games since the Mega Drive have run the gambit of quality would qualify as an absurd understatement. Mostly these have been on the terrible side of the scale, with the team over at Sega apparently fundamentally opposed to learning from their mistakes and giving their fans what they want. From the absolutely terrible Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 to the partially terrible more modern 3D efforts, fans kept screaming for one thing – a real return to classic 2D goodness.
On the handheld systems they actually saw some progress in this regard, but in terms of console mainstream entries into the franchise, efforts were not so well-received. Sonic 4, which many longtime fans like myself were looking forward to, ended up playing terribly and feeling more like a fan-game by people who understood only the most basic elements of Sonic, while having no concept of playability. Funny, then, that the big savior to 2D Sonic would start as a fan game.
Sonic Mania had the attention of the gaming public, but by this point, decades of disappointment had left all but the most faithful (or hopelessly delusional) with the lowest of expectations. As it turns out, a game created by fans who loved the classics and understood what made them great ended up far superior to any 2D efforts made by the actual Sonic Team since Sonic 3 and Knuckles. Sonic Mania was met with almost worldwide acclaim, winning many game of the year awards and acting as one of the best examples of modern games appealing to classic sensibilities.
As it turned out, giving fans exactly what we wanted ended up being a fairly decent business decision, who would have guessed? Not Sega. At least, not for a very long time.
Batman Arkham Asylum
Media translation into other forms has carried a significant stigma since the early days of video games. Some of what we consider the worst games in history, such as E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and Superman 64, are still hugely hated, with many grown adults feeling the red mist descend when they recount their money wasted, and childhood expectations dashed. It’s because of this that, just as with Sonic games, comic and film adaptions are met with a healthy dose of skepticism, and in this Batman Arkham Asylum was following course.
What we ended up with was not only one of the best adaptions of comic media into video games but a revolutionary game which many hold as one of the best of all time. Not only did Arkham Asylum let players feel part of the Batman mythos, it did so in a way which helped raise the standard for 3D Metroidvania style exploration and fisticuff combat to a level which really showed us what the new world of technology could bring.
Combat was counter-heavy and more precise than it had any business being, making you really feel the fact that no one man was a match for Batman. The gadgets and exploration opened up third-person travel possibilities which measured up to even Zelda games in its quality.
Not only did this go on to inspire some of the best sequels (Arkham City should not be missed), it also set a framework which many games follow today. Even in 2018, nine years later, Spider-Man for PS4 borrows heavily from Arkham Asylum and its sequels, which isn’t bad for a something that originally started life as a rhythm game.
Doom 2016
Seems silly to think about it now, that before the release of 2016’s Doom many had written the game off as little more than a bland cash-grab. Of course, now we know that the game kicks serious demon butt (cloaca?), but right up until release people were wary, and with good cause.
For a start, there was the idea that the game might have changed its fundamental feel in a way to appeal to the sensibilities of the modern gaming era. This is how many people saw Doom 3, which moved away from the intense combat of the first two games in order to push a more claustrophobic atmosphere only recently made possible with newer tech and the genius of John Carmack. Doom 3 was received positively, sure, but with the caveat that most people saw it as a good game, just not a good Doom game.
In 2016 Doom had lost Carmack, the driving force behind the ID Tech engines since the company was founded in 1991, which made long-time fans nervous. Bolstering these nerves was the known fact that the game has been stuck in development hell for a while, with a previous version having been scrapped entirely as the team changed tack. The kicker? The previous version had been unofficially dubbed “Call of Doom”, a series which ran antithesis to what many dedicated slayers wanted from Doom.
This wasn’t helped by the frankly bizarre marketing efforts by Bethesda and Zenimax, with focus on showing multiplayer first, and console-based single-player content second. For fans, Doom was about single-player and absurdly paced combat, yet marketing had seemingly ignored this.
Staying up with popular forums at the time was certainly interesting, as we saw gamers go through several stages. From the base hate and doubt came surprise, which then turned to adulation. Doom had effectively modernized FPS games in a way few of us thought possible, evolving and introducing the idea of push-forward combat into what we can only hope will be the inspiration for many games to come. There is a reason why many games after the release of the original Doom were called Doom Clones, and ID have shown they still have that influence, even 20 years later.
So, ID, maybe in the future you should let companies like NVidia do your gameplay videos, god knows the likes of Polygon didn’t do it any justice.
Brit-newcomer known as Chaney is back with an ear-pleasing EP named ‘#saveswindon.’
Chaney, a promising British artist, has recently released his EP ‘#saveswindon’ which features four tracks including the chart-promising ‘My House.’
With the cornerstone track, ‘My House,’ the highly-exciting Chaney delivers smooth radio-ready vocals with fitting production that will keep you listening for a fortnight to come.
This EP comes after the release of his song ‘Dixons’ which has gained over 70,000 streams via Spotify alone. Dixon’s most-streamed song is currently ‘Let U Know,’ which nearly has 300,000 streams via Spotify. While his re-fix of Tom Walker’s ‘Leave a Light On’ has over 585,000 streams.
The EP ‘#saveswindon’ is available to be streamed here.
Kaytranada is back with more magical music. This time with an edit of a classic.
Kaytranada, a Haitian-Canadian music producer and DJ, has shared his remix of Sade’s ‘Kiss of Life,’ a single which was originally released back in 1993 under Epic Records.
Sade, a band which formed in 1982, will be glad to hear of this remix, as they have announced their seventh studio album is in the process of recording.
The edit lasts around five minutes in length and features smooth kicks with splendid dynamics -two features that have become closely related to the discography of Kaytranada.
The song is streamable via Soundcloud and is available for free download.
Chloe Jackson, a Bristol-based motion designer and illustrator, created an incredibly creatively animated music video taking us on an adventure through a beautiful dreamland all while accompanied by Tom Rosenthal’s ‘It Won’t Be Me.’
Manchester City truly gives there all, but there is nothing for them to lose.
Amazon Prime’s newest ‘All or Nothing’ series follows Premier League giants Manchester City as they attempt to win the Premier League, Champions League and two domestic cups over their record-breaking 17/18 season. The series follows everyone at the club from the players to the managerial staff to the fans and even the kit assistant; with behind the scenes footage of locker room antics, training sessions, heartfelt one on one interviews and anger infused conflicts ‘All or Nothing’ provides a fly-on-the-wall look at what happens off the pitch.
As we enter the 17/18 season, we start with a look at Pep Guardiola, one of footballs finest managers. Guardiola is coming in from his dominant run in Germany and Spain with Bayern Munich and Barcelona. We see he has already implemented his attitude and ethics to the club, however this season he aims to dominate the hardest league in the world – the Premier League. We get an excellent look into Guardiola’s vision and passion which comes with constant swearing, anger and a pure determination to win – this is all he wants to do and will work in any way to achieve it.
His players are equally as passionate, they present themselves as a family, they are cheerful and hardworking, obsessive and skillful; I don’t believe they act differently in front of the cameras, the desire is there regardless, and it creates a real understanding of what a win and a loss means to the players and the club. Furthermore, the series displays their life outside of football – in the case of David Silva’s struggle with his son’s premature birth and Kompany’s awkwardly finding out he has won the league next to his Father-in-law who is a Manchester United fan. The players aren’t just colleagues but friends, they have a connection on and off the pitch, they celebrate the highs and fight through the lows.
With the passion and excitement from the staff, players and fans creating an entertaining and exciting series there are issues to be noted – Manchester City had an incredible season as they became ‘centurions’ to win the league, winning a domestic cup and scoring goals like it was nothing their team was a delight to watch. However, the show rarely explores the low points, it fails to reveal as much as it should have, you know there is more to show, but it leaves you slightly empty-handed. Moreover, Manchester City are one of the richest teams in the world, they have some of the best players and facilities in the world, and their money seems unlimited to their hapless opponents. While the money and achievement are seriously impressive, it takes away a lot of tension of the show, the team doesn’t struggle in any sense and as any avid Premier League viewer knows Manchester City have been this way for a several number of years, so their fight to win the league was impressive but not unexpected.
Overall, you’re never on the edge of your seat, the lack of development on certain aspects and a shortage of pressure on the team doesn’t generate much entertainment. Nevertheless, the series does do well to capture behind the scenes of the club, to show audiences off the pitch moments, to view the staff and players in their natural spaces and consistently presents heartfelt moments, comedy and charismatic people that keep the series enjoyable.
‘Eleven Days’ is back, but this time with a music video.
Max Frost, a singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas, has shared a music video for his latest song ‘Eleven Days’ which has been previously featured on Sound Selection. Frost, who is signed to Atlantic Records, released his two-song EP titled ‘Eleven Days’ a month ago. The EP packaged songs ‘Eleven Days’ and ‘Good Morning.’
‘Eleven Days’ has currently over one-hundred eighty-thousand streams on Spotify and is slowly becoming a favourite amongst the fans.
You can watch the music video for ‘Eleven Days’ here and stream the EP here.
The first song to enter through our door is ‘Colors’ by the amazing Jef Miles featuring Narai. Jef Miles bring us a melody-driven house anthem that will keep you hooked for a fortnight to come. With this song released, we are sure to catch more great music in the months to come from the electrifying duo Jef Miles.
Lil Silva ‘Making Sense’
Another great addition to this Sound Selection is by Lil Silva named ‘Making Sense.’ In this latest project, UK music producer and vocalist, Lil Silva, showcases his excellence with ear-pleasing production and smooth vocals that makes this one a must for any playlist.
Saint Nomad ‘El Dorado’
Additionally, sharing with us a magical vibe is the fantastic Saint Nomad with the song ‘El Dorado’. In this project, Saint Nomad dive in with a dynamic production, brilliant vocals and a powerfully-driven bass that will take you into an alternate dimension with its zing. ‘El Dorado’ is part of the ‘Memento Mori’ album.
Stravy ‘N20’
The final song to enter this edition of Sound Selection is by Stravy who gives us a deep-bass driven track ‘N20.’ In the latest house track ‘N20’, Stravy produces a dancefloor-hit vibe that will stick with you from the get-go with its catchy melodic bass and an aura that will make you go into a trance-like state. With this anthem-like track out, we are eager to see what is up next from Stravy in the upcoming months.
When Paul Rogan sets off a bomb at his office, killing eleven people, no one can understand why. He was a loving husband and father, with everything to live for. Then his wife and daughter are found chained up in the family home, and everything becomes clear. Rogan had been given a horrifying choice – set off the bomb, or see his loved ones suffer and die.
