(via Shutterstock)
Making music is, like a lot of creative endeavours, driven by individual talent and imagination.
But often where the magic really happens is when likeminded, talented souls come together and in this case at least, literally make sweet music together.
It’s a thrill to see and a joy to listen to and it gives us music that is a real pleasure to listen to and enjoy!
“Did you call tonight?” by Sally Shapiro
(courtesy official Sally Shapiro Bandcamp account)
Back when I was lost in the wild, lawless, weird landscape of dating, I had the misfortune of going on a first date with a guy who turned out to be not a good fit. AT ALL.
But two things happened that day to redeem that might have otherwise been a black mark on the memory bank – the food at the cafe where we met was excellent and I bought Sally Shapiro’s first album, Disco Romance, on a good old CD which turned out to a collection of brilliantly listenable Scandipop.
Sally Shapiro is both the name of one of the members – fellow member is Johan Agebjörn – and the moniker of the duo who called their then-10-year career quits in 2016 before briefly reforming in 2018 for a collaboration with Ryan Paris (“Love on Ice”) and then more permanently in 2021 for their 2022 release and fourth album, Sad Cities.
Excitingly, the duo released a new album this year, Ready to Live a Lie, which includes the single “Did You Call Tonight”, featuring lush electronic melodies and Shapiro’s whimsically emotive vocals, and which the band described as being about “Microcheating is the theme of this new single. Musically it’s inspired by 80s electro breakbeat, a bit slower and funkier than our usual style.” (The Line of Best Fit)
“Yougotmefeeling” by Parcels
(courtesy official Instagram account)
Hailing from my home region of Northern NSW, specifically Byron Bay, Parcels (keyboardist Louie Swain, keyboardist and guitarist Patrick Hetherington, bassist Noah Hill, drummer Anatole “Toto” Serret, and guitarist Jules Crommelin) are a five piece electropop band now based in Germany’s capital, Berlin.
Following their formation in 2014, the band shot to public attention when they collaborated with electronic powerhouse, Daft Punk, on the latter’s 2017 single, “Overnight”.
Now they’re back with new single “Yougotmefeeling”, drawn from their upcoming album, Loved, which releases 12 September via Because Music and it’s all the good and upbeat feelings that you need to leave you feeling like a million bucks on a carefree summer’s day which The Line of Best Fit capture beautifully in their take on the song.
‘Yougotmefeeling’ gets you smiling immediately as it begins, with the bubbly piano chords setting the vibrancy in tact alongside the gentle melodies that cement their place in your brain with their addictive catchiness on offer. With the uplift continuing in the percussion, as well as the shiny guitars on offer, Parcels set a sunshine across the soundscape with this blissful production that instantly puts you in a better mood.
“I Like It, I LIke It” by Moses Sumney & Hayley Williams
(courtesy YouTube)
The obvious line to kick off their mini-review would have been that I indeed “like it” but that would have been crass and a cheap way to kick things off; so, of course, I won’t be doing that, you’ll be glad to know.
The good thing is that “I Like It, I Like It”, a collaboration between American singer-songwriters, Moses Sumney and Hayley Williams, is indeed hugely likeable, a smooth caressing slice of R&B soul that encompasses an expansive range of feeling and music that sweeps you up and immersively soaks in a sound that feel like the most soothing of experiences.
The Line of Best Fit captures the wondrously chill musicality of the song:
Swimming in a deep R&B / soulful influence, ‘I Like It I Like It’ arranges it’s instrumentation in a swooping and swooning matter with soaring guitars, crunchy percussion and glistening keys giving each other plenty of room to magnetise all within their path. With the cherry on top being those astonishing vocals from both artists, the track truly rises to astronomical heights and takes us on a profound sonic odyssey.
“U Always” by Juno Mamba & edapollo
(courtesy SoundCloud)
Kicking things up a gear is “U Always” by Juno Mamba, an Filipino-Australian producer and composer who made his debut in 2019 and edapollo, a British-born, Melbourne-based producer who fuses “atmospheric downtempo, electronica and house music, among other influences”.
The song is a luscious slice of midtempo pop that carries real energy and momentum but with a lovely chilled vibe running through and alongside it.
It’s a perfect marriage of upbeat and kicking back which gives you a nice euphoric lift as The Line of Best Fit observes but which also feels like a gorgeous, chilled musical moment of bliss.
Juno Mamba and edapollo were quoted on The Line of Best Fit about what it was like to work together.
‘U Always’ was the first track Ed I collaborated on. The initial demo was made within a few hours but later we decided to revamp the track into something more energetic. I focused a lot on the drums and synths, which got a complete overhaul. I sent the new version to Ed and within a few hours, he sent back a version with all the new vocals in it, which elevated the track and brought it all together perfectly. One of my favourite electronic artists, Aleksandir, jumped on to mix the track and he was perfect for this record. (Juno Mamba)
“Won’t Be Possible” by Tiesto & Odd Mob & Goodboys
(courtesy SoundCloud)
What an amazingly impressive, sprawling, wondrously good collaboration this is.
Ducth DJ and record producer, Tiesto has joined forces with DJ/producer Harry Hope from Brisbane, Australia, known professionally as Odd Mob and English house music group consisting of Joshua Grimmett and Ethan Shore to forge the incredibly catchy song “Won’t be Possible”, which is presented here with the Olive Oil Remix applied to it.
It’s bouncily, brilliantly catchy which is captured beautifully in a review of the song by The Line of best Fit.
‘Won’t Be Possible’ comes through in a sultry manner, tantalising your senses with a thick and juicy backbone that sets the murkiness in tact across the soundscape that sets the podium in tact for the gentle vocal delivery that eases us into the powerful production. Once we arrive at the chorus, we are left mesmerised by the catchiness of the release, whether that’s from the robust synth bass or those addictive vocals that are cemented in your memory instantly.