The New Sound

“Give” Harari The anthemic “Give,” by South African band Harari, is an urgent and funky testament advocating for altruism and selflessness. Harari expertly walk an impossible tightrope… seamlessly bridging the paradoxical worlds of humanitarianism and hedonism. Harari espouse the benefits of benevolence while simultaneously enticing the listener to let loose and dance to the good vibrations. Indeed, “Give” is a near flawless fusion of funk, gospel, disco, blues and social activism. A rare song that finds itself in the company of Michael Jackson’s beautiful, heartbreaking, overwhelming, and transcendent "Man In The Mirror." The song’s synthetic bass line rumbles, shakes and entrenches the song with an oceanic depth while the the polyrhythmic percussion is smooth and unhurried. The guitar cuts and chops the song like a throwing stone across water while the slap bass roots the song into a groove. The production and instrumentation avidly set the stage for

“Vôo Sobre O Horizonte” Azymuth Brazilian jazz-funk trio, Azymuth’s “Vôo Sobre O Horizonte” (“Fly Over the Horizon”) is musical escapism at its most serene. The song is the opening track from their consistently excellent album, Águia Não Come Mosca, which was released in 1977. An easygoing acoustic guitar gives way to sparkling chimes and pleasant percussion. Gentle synths and keyboards casually ebb and flow throughout the song while the mellow baseline adds a subtle and irresistible bounce. Airy vocals float atop an undulating synth line… saturating the song with a warm breeziness. All of these elements seamlessly blend together, inviting the listener to breathe in the clear air and drift away with the tranquil currents. This song doesn’t just want to soundtrack your next vacation, it wants to be your next vacation. Or, as a good friend of mine, succinctly summed it up upon hearing it for the first time, “Oh my… that is really fucking smooth.” -Daniel R. 

“Dream In a Dream” TEN The atmospheric dance-pop of “Dream In a Dream” took me by surprise, as I do not typically listen to male K-Pop artists/bands. Before listening to this song, I did not know who Ten is, but a quick glance around the internet shows that he is a member of the K-Pop boy group NCT (and their various sub-units). The single “Dream in a Dream” was originally released digitally on April 7, 2017 by SM Entertainment. The track also appears on the album NCT 2018 Empathy , which was released on March 14, 2018. The song was written by Stephen Carl and composed by Dillon Pace, Brian Lee, and Stephen Carl. The production is fairly straightforward and minimal. Rolling synths carve out a cavernous space for the booming percussion to echo around in while various sounds and instruments ripple throughout the song to create a mellow tension. This tension is mirrored throughout the brilliantly conceived and performed choreography and the earnest, pleading lyrics.  Wh