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Bastien Pons & Frank Zozky deliver a broken mantra in motion with “Black Clouds” music video

Bastien Pons

Bastien Pons doesn’t compose tunes but constructs mental landscapes. “BLACK CLOUDS” is the new single and video of Bastien Pons with Frank Zozky, taken from Pons’ debut album “BLINDED,” which sounds more like a weather system. Finding itself, as other tracks on the album do, in a self-contained environment, “Black Clouds” is introduced explicitly by the artist as simply a broken mantra.

Constructed from the same toolset that characterizes “BLINDED,” field recordings, processed textures, drones, traces of distorted vocals, and deliberate ambient decay, the single rests within the tradition of musique concrète but pushes back against the dryness that term may connote with academia. The rigor of the build suggests Pons’ apprenticeship with Bernard Fort, though the emotional heft in the work is unsterilized, unsealed, and openly permeable.

The video provides a visual continuation of that strategy. Pons is a practitioner of black-and-white photography, and that discipline comes through in “Black Clouds,” which feels like black-and-white film developed over time, in which contrast supplants narrative and erosion supplants plot.

As a fragment of “BLINDED,” a provocative seven-track dig into perception, memory, and the emotional burden of silence, “Black Clouds plays like a thesis sentence. It articulates the record’s central wager that environments can speak, that silence has architecture, and that the most human truths come not as melodies but atmospheres that won’t resolve, no matter how desperately you might want them to.

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Artist Spotlight

CircleKSK ignites an anime-metal collision on “UnBreakable Turn” ft. Anya J

UnBreakable Turn

On their exhilarating high-octane track “UnBreakable Turn,” CircleKSK and guest vocalist Anya J aim to combine the technical prowess of Nordic metal with the urgent melodies and dramatic flair of an anime opening sequence. Creating a cinematic and adrenaline-fueled tune with a melodic edge, CircleKSK has risen to prominence as an innovative act.

The deliberate fusion contributes to the single’s captivating nature. J-Pop and anime-song sensibilities contribute emotional hooks and sweeping, catchy lines; precision, dense riffs, and a sense of weight are brought by Nordic metal. Echoing the song’s vivid melodic contours, Anya J’s heroic and personal vocals and demeanor heighten the dramatic impact of the performance. The structure is based on the standard narrative progression: lively, evocative parts leading the way to more somber ones that ground the emotion.

The production relies on contrast so that lighter parts sparkle and heavier parts thud with satisfying force. As if CircleKSK were creating music for the eyes as well as the ears, this piece could serve as the score for a dramatic scene or the music for a violent montage. Not everything is surface-level, though; the emotional core remains. Anthemic and deeply personal, “UnBreakable Turn” combines the vigor of youth with the gravity of experience.

An assuredly inventive single that fearlessly asserts new territory, “UnBreakable Turn” by CircleKSK is sure to please fans of big, dramatic music that isn’t hesitant to mix sweetness and steel, as well as those who enjoy cross-cultural mashups. The single, which has been lauded by curators and tastemakers worldwide, is a strong statement about artists who fearlessly combine cultural genres, showing that passionate J-Pop melodies and intense Scandinavian metal can coexist in one unforgettable track.

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Artist Spotlight

Garth Adam keeps the flame of Journeysong burning with the new single “Three Fires”

Garth Adam

Garth Adam‘s latest single, “Three Fires,” evokes a warm dialogue in a subdued studio that is intimate, contemplative, and subtly victorious. Adam candidly discusses the exhilaration of uncovering self-assurance in both himself and his songwriting, and this revelation serves as the driving force of the track. At its essence, “Three Fires” is a straightforward commemoration: the delight in transforming a modest idea into something extraordinary through patience.

Adam’s vocal style resides comfortably within a folk-influenced pop genre, which he characterizes as a blend of Neil Finn and The Lumineers, interspersed with elements reminiscent of Coldplay and James Blunt. The reference point is beneficial yet not confining; “Three Fires” represents Adam’s unique creation, an accessible, melodic composition that prioritizes artistry over novelty. The single, recorded in joyful sessions in Perth with long-time collaborator and producer Melvin Tree, exudes the warmth of musicians collaborating in a circle, with the vintage Studer analog desk imparting an analog glow to the final recording. Melvin, Dave Kelly, and a select group of skilled music students contribute backing vocals that enhance the track with harmony and impart a subtly communal, authentic quality.

The lyrics of the song emphasize Adam’s preferred motifs: travel, journeys, and the subtle transformations that occur during the voyage. However, it is not overly forceful; the songwriting is elegant, transitioning from observation to insight with effortless fluidity. Adam’s delivery conveys satisfaction; he is a songwriter who has witnessed minor concepts evolve into completed songs and has learned to trust that process.

“Three Fires” serves as a testament to the notion that skill and perseverance can transform a mere spark into something luminous. For aficionados of melodic songwriting with an analog essence, Garth Adam’s latest work is a comforting, exquisitely crafted ember to accompany one on their journey. It is a song that encourages repeated, soothing auditory experiences.

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