Video: Cassius – Action feat. Cat Power, Mike D

French duo Cassius made their return last week with surprise single “Action” featuring Cat Power and Mike D, out now via Interscope / Polydor Records. “Action” marks the group’s first new song in years and stays true the classic Cassius sound that helped shape the future of electronic music, while bringing a forward-thinking production attitude honed on recent albums for some of the biggest global artists of our time. The video, directed by the TOILET PAPER crew, follows the band to a playfully-retro tropical dance party that rapidly gets out of hand. Watch “Action” now.

Shura – White Light (Video + Factory Floor Remix)

Shura has premiered the video to forthcoming single ‘White Light’, as well as a brooding remix by Gabe Gurnsey of Factory Floor. ‘White Light’ will be released on July 24th via Polydor, and has already reached #1 on Hype Machine and received a Hottest Record from Annie Mac on Radio 1. With festivals to come at the likes of Latitude, Festival No.6, Bestival and Reading & Leeds, Shura’s UK headline tour – featuring her third ever London show at Electric Brixton on September 17th – is on sale now.

A bold step out of the bedroom-based R&B balladry which has quickly won her an impassioned following, the surreal video to ‘White Light’ was filmed in Cheddar Gorge and partly inspired by Shura’s twin brother – who now takes a starring role in the clip. Lyrically, while ‘White Light’ in part explodes the personal out into a sci-fi fantasy, it joins former single ‘2Shy’ in embracing that social weirdness which ultimately makes you unique.

“It’s like someone’s taken something really shiny and rubbed it with sandpaper,” Shura says of her instantly-recognisable sound, which – if ‘White Light’ is anything to go by – continues to evolve from her parents’ colourful musical household (Dad’s prog vinyl, her brother’s drum-and-bass DJ’ing) to Shura’s own learning curve on the acoustic open-mic circuit.

Shura is presently recording her debut album, ahead of the following live dates for the year ahead.

June 29 Italy Arena di Verona w/ Mumford and Sons
July 1 Ibiza Ibiza Rocks w/ Jungle
July 16 Norway Slottsfjell Festival
July 17 Germany Melt Festival
July 19 Suffolk Latitude
July 21 Zcre Beach Croatia Rocks
July 24 San Francisco Rickshaw Stop
July 28 New York Mercury Lounge
August 1 Copenhagen Trailerpark
August 14 Sweden Way Out West (Stay Out West)
August 21 Belgium Pukkelpop
August 22 Netherlands Lowlands Festival
August 23 Hamburg Dockville Festival
August 26-30 Croatia Dimensons Festival
August 28-30 Reading/Leeds Reading & Leeds Festival
September 4 Portmeirion Festival No. 6
September 5 Ireland Electric Picnic
September 12 Isle of Wight Bestival

UK HEADLINE TOUR: On general sale now via http://www.seetickets.com/tour/shura/
September 17 London Electric Brixton
September 23 Nottingham Rescue Rooms
September 25 Manchester Gorilla
September 26 Glasgow King Tuts
September 28 Leeds Brudenell Social Club
September 29 Birmingham The Oobleck
September 30 Brighton Old Market
October 2 Bristol Marble Factory

TOURIST – Holding On feat. Josef Salvat & Niia

Tourist has just announced his new single ‘Holding On’ featuring Josef Salvat and Niia trading vocal duties. Niia and Josef’s vocals traverse back and forth with a forlorn hope while Tourist provides the shining on-point production he’s been delivering across the last year as he works towards announcing his debut album.

Due on Polydor on May 24th. Available to pre-order on iTunes: po.st/xytD3Z.

Shura – 2Shy

Shura has announced plans for new single ‘2Shy’. This follows a breakout finish to 2014 for Shura, with debut track ‘Touch’ and recent single ‘Indecision’ landing the Anglo-Russian singer a nomination for the BBC Sound Poll, an iTunes Top 10 and the In-New-Music-We-Trust list at Radio 1. Having sold out her second ever London show at Village Underground (March 25th), Shura has confirmed plans for a headline date at Brixton Electricthis September, with festival slots already confirmed at the likes of SXSW, Field Day, Latitude, Festival No.6 and Bestival (plus European dates with Hot Chip and ‘Indecision’-remixers Jungle). ‘2Shy’ is available now on iTunes and streaming sites via Polydor, with further remixes, live and video plans to be announced in the coming weeks.

Arriving at the spaghetti-junction of a blossoming relationship, ‘2Shy’ is perhaps Shura’s most openly awkward, emotionally affecting but assured-where-it-matters composition to date. Slower and more stripped-back, there’s a blend of the gossamer-light, R&B torch songs of Mariah Carey with the homespun indie of Haim, shot through with a playfulness that will also think little about including a drum section inspired by Phil Collins. Pre-dating the break-up anthem of ‘Touch’ and the writing-on-the-wall of ‘Indecision’, ‘2Shy’ captures that more romantic, will-they-won’t-they frustration of a friendzone: “Let’s go find a corner we can sit in / And talk about that film instead of us / Even though throughout it, I was thinking / I was gonna say I love you afterwards.” This time, though, it’s just as much about your relationship with yourself, and those more universal insecurities (craving a cigarette, worrying about your outfit) which remain unsaid as you pass someone in the streets. Which is precisely what Shura did when she took to the Uxbridge Road with her Mum and recorded the noise of passers-by, gifting ‘2Shy’ the somewhat unique guest-feature of one man selling a QPR scarf.

Video: Shura – Indecision

Shura has shared the official video for “Indecision”. Out  now on iTunes http://po.st/SIiYd via Polydor. Below, you can also see a live video where the Anglo-Russian singer and producer performs the track at Radio 1’s Future Festival 2015.

Lana Del Rey – Brooklyn Baby (YUKSEK Remix)

Here’s a great new Lana Del Rey remix of ‘Brooklyn Baby’ by prolific French DJ and producer Yuksek. Yuksek has just unveiled the remix on his soundcloud and you can stream it below.

The busy producer has also shared his thoughts on the track in his own words: “I try not to take on too many remixes as my current focus is on writing my new record, but when I received the request from Lana Del Rey I just couldn’t resist – her voice is like silk and I was really vibing the brass too. The song is about 70’s freedom, beat poetry, jazz, weed, love and amphetamines…I’m free… I’m a Brooklyn Baby!”

Yuksek has also been busy running his own label Partyfine with the release of ‘Waste Away’ by australian production duo YesYou. Check it out here.

Dusky – Yoohoo (LTJ Bukem Remix)

Drum & Bass legend LTJ Bukem has remixed “Yoohoo”, the A-side from Dusky’s two-track release, Yoohoo / Akebono. This great remix is everything and anything you could want from Bukem. Listen below and pick up Yoohoo / Akebono, out on 17 Steps/Polydor, via iTunes.

Laura Welsh – Ghosts

“Ghosts” is the new single from Laura Welsh, released on January 11th 2015 on Outsiders/Polydor. Written by Welsh and Jonathan Lipsey (Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse), Ghosts was produced by Greg Kurstin (The Shins, Beck, Lily Allen) at his Echo Studio in LA. “Ghosts is about learning lessons from situations and overcoming them instead of being pulled under,” says Welsh. “To let go of the past and flick the switch on to the future.”

The single is taken from Laura Welsh’s debut album “Soft Control“, released on January 19th, which also includes acclaimed previous singles Break The Fall, Cold Front, and Unravel. On Soft Control the Staffordshire-born singer-songwriter worked with an eclectic bunch of co-stars, collaborating with indie polymath Dev Hynes, Robin Hannibal from R&B minimalists Rhye, Emile Haynie (Lana Del Ray, Kanye West), Scissor Sisters’ Babydaddy and Amanda Ghost. The album also includes an incredible duet with John Legend, Hardest Part.

http://www.official.fm/tracks/6fDr?aspect=flat

Laura Welsh – Bound (Cover)

Laura Welsh has recorded a stunning cover of ‘Bound’. The original track by relatively unknown seventies soul group Ponderosa Twins Plus One was recently made famous by Kanye West in his track ‘Bound 2’. Welsh releases her new single ‘Break The Fall‘ on August 11th 2014 through Outsiders/Polydor.

Laura Welsh – Break The Fall

Laura Welsh will release her new single ‘Break The Fall’ on August 11th 2014 through Outsiders/Polydor. Welsh is a modern pop force with an irresistible voice who makes captivating, confessional songs where melancholy meets anthemic euphoria. The 27 year old recently followed up last year’s string of singles with a star turn on Gorgon City’s ‘Here For You’. ‘Break The Fall’ will define her as a star in her own right and on her own terms, though. Her songs, she says, come from a place she can’t explain. When the naturally shy Welsh turns her attention to music, though, all her “subconscious emotions suddenly explode.”

‘Break The Fall’ is a shimmering electro-pop anthem, where marching grooves and cathedral-sized synths swirl around Welsh’s turbulently enchanting vocals. There’s a stunning charisma to Welsh’s voice, a natural magnetism to the way it glides between delicate emotion and bombastic defiance. The song is a tale of betrayal inspired by the breakdown of a marriage within her family and Welsh worked with Bruno Mars and Lana Del Rey producer Emile Haynie to perfect her clear vision for it. Remixes by Gemini, Embody, Para One, Pitron & Sanna, Apple Bottom and Ninetoes will accompany the release.

Pre-order Break The Fall here. Laura Welsh’s debut album, ‘Soft Control’, will be released later this year. Expect bold and brilliant things from this thrilling pop starlet.

In case you missed it, check out her recent video for “Here For You” with Gorgon City here.