SURVIVE!

Sounds of the Sunshine City

This week I was given the opportunity to be introduced to a talented singer and songwriter called Mason Rose Gray (Twitter: @masonrosegray1) and listened to the release named ‘SURVIVE’.

The sound of a bright acoustic guitar delicately placed on top of a bed of rain and gentle distant thunder. The soft and emotional vocals rest stunningly in the mix, the verses tell a story and sets the tone beautifully for the rest of the song.

I really enjoyed listening to ‘SURVIVE’ as it gave me a sense of comfort and security... We all experience troubled times now and again, and this song was like a subtle fresh breeze blowing across an otherwise perfectly still and serene lake.

I wanted to spotlight ‘SURVIVE’ so placed it onto my ‘The Best of Indie & Unsigned Talent’ playlist HERE

I decided to reach out and see if Mason would mind answering a few questions and of course, she did not hesitate to contact me and explained she would be honoured to!

So, Mason... Would you mind telling me about where you are from?

“I was born in Arizona but grew up in Florida. I moved to California for 7 1/2 years but moved back to be with family due to COVID. I’m currently residing in an adorable small town called St. Petersburg, with an incredible art scene. One of my hobbies is to find murals around the city and create dances to various music. You can check them out on my Instagram (@masonrosegray)”

When did you first start writing and performing music?

“I started writing lyrics when I was younger and would sing when no one was home. It wasn't until I went through a breakup and major self-transformation in my 20's, that I revisited writing and music. Since then, lyrics have been pouring out of me. I write a song a day with my guitar, most of the time just freestyling to keep the creativity alive. Lyrics and melodies pop into my head while driving, thank god for voice memos.”

What is the story or message behind your music?

“I started creating music with the sole intention of shining light into the dark and exposing the truth, my sound blends indie, folk and blues with honest and raw lyrics, unlocking a whole new world; the good, the bad, the ugly. A unique and infectious sound, encouraging self-love and ultimately providing the key to happiness.”

What hopes, goals or dreams do you wish to achieve from the release of your music?

“I'm currently working on an album called OMNIPRESENCE. My dream is to tour and be on the big stage! Although, I know it's a process. I'm enjoying every moment of it and soaking it all in.”

Lastly, are you able to tell me who or what influences and inspires you as a musician the most?

“Wow, that’s a tough one. There are so many amazing and talented artists. I find inspiration through several of them. Billie Eilish is a musical genius, the way she navigates words with her voice is an out of body experience. I find it magical and mesmerizing. Maggie Rogers vocals, lyrics and production style is outrageous and I absolutely look up to her as a mentor. I also love David Bowies eccentric style and jovial personality, it’s intoxicating. His music makes me feel out of this world.”

It was great catching up with Mason and being able to hear her story. A talented singer and songwriter from Florida and you can check out the rest of her music HERE

Or you can keep up with what she is doing on social media below:

IG: @masonrosegray

Twitter: @masonrosegray1

Facebook: MasonRoseGray

TikTok: @masonrosegray

Article by Anthony Hurney. Find him HERE

We Are Not Alone...

The Coherent Alliance - “Forest Child” preview

A review by mAncient

Sometimes you can tell.

Tell that there is a story behind the song.

‘cause - let’s face it … there are some songs that seem to be made by an algorithm rather than a human being.

TCA (Twitter: @coherent_music) creates electronica. And here is the story behind his, as yet unreleased, track (premieres on www.radio-dark-tunnel.net on NYE - 22:00-00:00 CEST, and later the same day on his YouTube).

What will you get to hear?

ASMR is a fascinating thing. “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response” - aka “Brain Message”, it comes in different forms. The tingly, pleasant feeling you get with specific sounds and frequencies - or the horrible feel of a shovel scraping tarmac.

The intro of Forest Child, with the LoFi-sounding treble combined with a thunder blast, sets the song up perfectly. Then a vocal line drives through your body. Makes your fingers want to dance.

Actually, that goes for the whole track. I am typing this in beat with the rhythm, and my fingers are searching for the keys of my Yamaha.

This is so complex, yet so seamless. Spiritual voices that soar, perfectly placed arpeggios, a bass that grates and moves … wow.

Since I can’t share the song, here is the story behind Anthony’s track. And if you get chills reading this, just wait until you hear “Forest Child”!

"I was woken up by a brilliant white light shining through my window when I was 9 years old...

I ran to the window and witnessed a giant orb of light moving seamlessly through the dense forest that was behind my house.

I knew instantly that this was some kind of profound event, because the forest was so thick that it was difficult even for a person to walk through easily, let alone a vehicle.

I watched the orb come to a stand still in a nearby field, and after about 10 seconds the orb vanished and everything went pitch dark again.

I went back to sleep and what followed were what I can only describe as lucid dreams of the event replaying over and over, each time revealing more details that I did not quite understand. In the dreams, I was visiting the field that the object was sitting in...

So the next day I went to investigate. What followed from that day on were many mysterious events and experiences that some find difficult to believe. You will be able to find out more about this event and what followed on my website soon”.

Here is his website: https://thecoherentalliance.carrd.co

The Coherent Alliance is also a part of the Minds Behind the Music-movement.

Art by Esoterica Art Agency 

Haakon Rian Mancient Ueland (@mancient_com om Twitter) is a Buddha. This was his Bodhisattva vow: https://songwhip.com/mancient/c-@-shangrila
He can be quite dense at times. According to his daughter Anna.

It's So Much!

Dancing Like It's Studio 54!

by Anthony Hurney (Twitter HERE)

Today I was given the pleasure of being introduced to “Studio 54” which is the 'Retro Nūvō' new dancefloor hit by a funky and upcoming new band from Italy known as SōMuch.

Studio 54 is a bright and uplifting song that pays homage to the classic sound of 70s disco but with a fresh contemporary twist!

Instantly I was presented with a beat and funky Motown inspired bassline that couldn't help but get my body moving. I was then impressed by the steady progression of the uplifting vocals, intricate guitar riffs and brass / strings sections which really gives the song the edge to stand out on the dancefloor!

I pictured being at the disco where the music just makes me want to dance and boogie all night long! This song is sure to get everybody partying and would make a fantastic edition to any playlist for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

SōMuch are made up of:

Valentina Salvi - Vocals

Andrea Giovannini - Guitar

Francesco Carli - Drums

Roby Creazzo - Vocals

Andrea Belloni - Bass

During late 2017, Roby discovered an advert on social media for one-to-one drum lessons with Ralph Rolle who is the drummer for Nile Rodgers and Chic. Roby decided this would make the perfect Christmas gift for drummer Francesco, so in the December they both flew over to Manchester to meet with Ralph.

They built up a good friendship with Ralph and a couple of years later, decided to send him a couple of demos of the band. He was thrilled with what he heard and asked SōMuch if he could fly over to Italy to produce the song.

So, in early 2020 they all entered the studio and started work on the debut EP album. Ralph's valuable input really helped the band to shape their 'Retro Nūvō' sound and the first 2 singles were completed just as the pandemic hit.

Various lockdowns later, Ralph was finally able to return to Italy to finish producing the EP, which was then sent to New York for mixing and mastering.

The band's debut single "Studio 54" was released in November and was premiered by Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6 and has already featured on Craig Charles' BBC Radio 2 show and several other stations around the globe. It's a dance floor filler that brings listeners back to the iconic New York nightclub.

The band's mission is simple... To make music that spreads love and happiness to the world. They are set to release a new single in early 2022, followed by the full 5-track EP in the Spring.

Studio 54 is available now on all streaming platforms.

Website www.somuchband.com
Instagram: HERE
Facebook: HERE
Twitter: HERE

Review by Anthony Hurney of The Coherent Alliance and part of the Minds Behind the Music Team.

Web: thecoherentalliance.carrd.co

Foggy Monday

A Review By mAncient

I am listening to "FOGGY MONDAY feat. Slavin Savin" by The Coherent Alliance (Twitter: @COHERENT_MUSIC) and Svitlana Martínez.

And ... I am sorry to say this, but you won't be able to listen to it before January 16'th.

What immediately struck me about this track is that it has the same vibe as one of my absolute favourites from 1991: Opus III's "It's a Fine Night". The beat drives you forward - dancing; the etheric vocals lifts you up, as does the arpeggio piano line that seems to fade in and out of consciousness, and the drop hits like a green bomb.

I have to concentrate in order to type. My fingers wants to dance, too!

Amazing production. I love it when I notice new details every time I listen to a song.

Trollheads Nessi (Instagram: @Trollheads_Nessi) is not fond of TCA. She felt my joy and heard my feet tappin' the beat - I am typing this at 3am - and woke up.


By Haakon Rian Mancient Ueland (Twitter: @mancient_com) who has a long name. He recently made it even longer by adding H.R.H. to it, as he became Grand Duke in the decentralized sovereign kingdom of https://www.kingdom-of-atlantis.com. His healing music and various writings can be found here: https://www.mancient.one.

The Coherent Alliance

Is There Hope for the Crestfallen?

Today we are taking a closer look at The Coherent Alliance and the debut album 'Singularity' that was released back in October 2020.

In particular we wanted to break down 2 songs from the album that stood out the most, and looking closely both provide a very important message indeed.

Hope for the Crestfallen

This song takes listeners on journey through space and time and follows the story from a group of individuals known as 'The Coherent Alliance'.

They exist within a fictional post-apocalyptic world where the human race no longer communicates by speech, but instead through the expression of dance, connection and emotion.

The music video captures this stunningly, where we can see scenes from a world once forgotten as the last survivors of the human race express their anger and disappointment through various forms of contemporary dance.

The music really takes listeners on a journey that is one of reminiscence, healing and emotion.

We asked Anthony about what inspired him to write 'Hope for the Crestfallen' and here is what he had to say...

"I wanted to capture a story within musical form and started experimenting with different layers of textures and sounds. I really wanted to put emotion into the song and highlight through the use of sound a message of unity and healing...

I was aiming to recreate the voice of the universe and one true source, and as a result 'Hope for the Crestfallen' was born."

The message here is clear, you don't know what you have got until it's gone and the time for action is now.

Take a listen to the song below... Find a quiet spot, focus on your breath and just allow the music to guide you.

SINGULARITY

The second song we looked at is the title release 'SINGULARITY' which aims to expose listeners to the bizarre world of industry, manufacturing, automation and how it is causing the planet to become desolate.

By watching the music video, the message behind the song is unmistakable. As we search for life on other planets throughout our solar system and universe, we are failing to recognise life here on earth and just like when a fuse has been lit, time is quickly running out.

Anthony told us "I was feeling angry about how we constantly consume and pump out toxic pollution into our atmosphere whilst the world around us is falling apart. As much as I advocate and show support for the discovery of other civilisations and connecting with them by exchanging knowledge, I truly believe we have much work to do here first. My message behind the song is simple, think about your actions before you witness everything burning up before you"

Check out 'SINGULARITY' below:

It appears that Anthony and The Coherent Alliance wrote the album as a warning to mankind and the real question is, what can you do as an individual before it's too late?

Support Minds Behind The Music HERE

Follow the work of the Born Free Foundation HERE

If you wish to find out more about The Coherent Alliance and his music, you can follow him on Twitter HERE