Tag / 4AD

by Holly Afoa

Velvet Negroni shares single WINE GREEN

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti

Velvet Negroni, the creative alter-ego of Minneapolis’ Jeremy Nutzman, creates raw, experimental R&B centred on the level of intimacy his voice evokes hybridising classic soul and West Indian elements. Today, he drops new song ‘WINE GREEN’ whose visual features Velvet Negroni’s own drawings. The official track is preceded by a live video of the song on which Afropunk compared him to Teddy Riley and Missy Elliott, and lead single ‘CONFETTI,’ that FADER praised as “lush in its atmosphere but brutally cold in its delivery…a warped invitation into the gorgeous contradictions of Velvet Negroni.” 

Album NEON BROWN out 30th August via 4AD / Rhythmethod.

by Holly Afoa

THE NATIONAL announce two very intimate Auckland performances in April 2020

Solid Entertainment are thrilled to announce two once in a lifetime performances by a band at the height of their powers who have elected to play in the kind of intimate theatre venues they have long since outgrown.

THE NATIONAL will play two shows at Auckland’s ASB Theatre, Aotea Square, a world-class all-seated venue on Friday the 3rd and Saturday the 4th of April 2020.The National are bringing a full production for what is a mouth-watering sonic proposition of being able to see and hear a touchstone band in a perfect environment.

Photo credit: Graham MacIndoe
The National are L to R: Bryce Dessner (guitar, piano), Scott Devendorf (bass, guitar), Matt Berninger (vocals), Bryan Devendorf (drums) and Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass, piano)

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by Holly Afoa

Velvet Negroni shares LIVE video for ‘WINE GREEN’

Velvet Negroni, the creative alter-ego of Minneapolis’ Jeremy Nutzman, creates raw, experimental R & B centred on the level of intimacy his voice evokes hybridising classic soul and West Indian elements. Today, he drops a live video of the brand new song ‘WINE GREEN’ off his debut album NEON BROWN out via 4AD / Rhythmethod August 30.

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by Holly Afoa

EFTERKLANG announce new album Altid Sammen – out 20th September, 2019

Photo credit: Rasmus Weng Karlsen

Seven years after their last album release, Efterklang make a welcome return with a fifth studio record Altid Sammen out on 20th September via 4AD / Rhythmethod.

Today, the Danish trio also announce European tour dates and share the single ‘Vi er uendelig’ with accompanying visuals that were directed by Andreas Koefoed (behind the band’s film The Ghost Of Piramida), and featuring a fellow Dane, the model and photographer Helena Christensen, are a homage to an iconic Johnny Hallyday TV performance in 1964.

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by Holly Afoa

Velvet Negroni shares ‘CONFETTI’ taken from his forthcoming debut album NEON BROWN

Minneapolis-based experimental R&B vocalist and songwriter Velvet Negroni today shares ‘CONFETTI’. The single is the first to be taken from his forthcoming debut album NEON BROWN out August 30th on 4AD / Rhythmethod.

Velvet Negroni is the alter-ego of creative polymath Jeremy Nutzman. Raised in an outer suburb of the Twin Cities, Jeremy – a black kid adopted into a white evangelical Christian family – split his formative years between classical piano lessons and late night jam sessions. A duality that permeates every corner of his music, with forthcoming album NEON BROWN thriving in the borderlands between indie rock and R&B. Since touring with close friend Bon Iver, Nutzman notched writing credits for Kanye West and Kid Cudi ahead of his debut single releases on NYC label b4 in 2018. Now, alongside prolific co-producer Psymun (Young Thug, Juice WLRD, The Weeknd), Nutzman’s new releases transcend the borders between his often polarised influences, bringing R&B slow jams and nods to hometown hero Prince with guitar licks and full band energy.

With ‘CONFETTI’, Nutzman’s first reveal from the album is a reflective, slow-burning R&B track, pairing warm ambient synths with downtempo percussion and haunting vocal performance. Launching today alongside visuals directed by Isaac Gale & Velvet Negroni.

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by Waveney Russ

PIXX shares new single ‘Andean Condor’ off forthcoming album Small Mercies – Out 7th June

 

Hannah Rodgers, the mastermind behind Pixx, releases a third single ‘Andean Condor’ from her forthcoming album, Small Mercies (out 7th June via 4AD / Rhythmethod). A tongue-in-cheek album opener, she muses on gender politics – “mature males tend to be at the top of the pecking order” – inspired by the world’s largest flying bird.

“This song is written about the link between wo/mankind and nature,” Rodgers says. “It is important to recognise how many times women have to face the absurdity of male hierarchy in our modern world. Having had endless conversations with (certain) men who justify the inequality of the sexes by comparing themselves to animals, I thought what better way to help them than to remind those men that they are supposed to be human, with emotional capability and growth.”

The visuals for ‘Andean Condor’ were created by Alice Clingan. Premiered by The FADER, watch it in full below.

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by Waveney Russ

Holly Herndon shares new song ‘Frontier’ + Visuals by Darío Alva – New LP PROTO out May 10

Photo credit: Boris Camaca

Holly Herndon brings the full force of her vocal ensemble to the fore with new single ‘Frontier’ and accompanying visuals by Darío Alva. An interpretation of Appalachian Sacred Harp music, the song considers a ‘Frontier’ of green or of dust – the consequences of the choices we make as a society. ‘Frontier’ follows the euphoric ‘Eternal’ and skittering beatbox of ‘Godmother’ [featuring Jlin and Spawn], all taken from her third album, PROTO, out on the 10th of May via 4AD / Rhythmethod.

“At a Sacred Harp meet up, the singers sit in a square or circle, facing each other and singing loudly a capella,” Holly explains. “When I stood in the middle of one, I started crying because it was so incredible.”

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