Elliphant

Ellinor Olovsdotter, known to the world as the Swedish, provocative pop star Elliphant just dropped her second EP "One More". Elli never had a dream of becoming a pop star, but since the release of her first EP in 2013 her "provocative pop" style has been flooding our ears with dirty and dance-y bliss. 
We sat down with Elli before her concert at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn earlier this year to talk about what inspires her and where she is going with her music.

Download Elli's the new EP

http://elliphant.com/

ELLIPHANT NEW SINGLE “ONE MORE” FEATURING MØ

Little Racer

The Unlimited talked to Elliot Michaud, singer and guitarist of Little Racer

Why Little Racer ?

Little Racer is a Beach Boy reference for me personally. 

What Inspire you?

For me, lyrics are pretty inspiring part of the process. They are the most free part. I really enjoy telling stories and having a chance to dream up a possibility that maybe somebody else hadn’t really imagined. Just taking all the rich wonderful things around us, especially being a bartender, I get to experience so many different kinds of people and really observe them pretty accurately while I’m at the bar. People watching is a big part of writing lyrics for me. Observing all the different ways of living around us.

What is your favorite word?

Satisfaction

Let's talk social media...
Well social media is self-aware. Everyone who is sharing on the internet is totally self-aware of the image that they are giving off. I would think. There are definitely some socially ignorant people who post things without really realizing how it is portraying themselves. I think for the most part it is an inaccurate representation of people, because people can put whatever they want up there. I almost infer the opposite message when someone posts something online. When someone is so desperate to make their life seen so glamorous or wonderful it makes me kind of question the sincerity. If it was really so wonderful wouldn’t they be enjoying it instead of wondering how many likes they got on a photo?

How do you relate NYC to the band?
Well, I would say New York has a lot to do with at least how we feel about the band. It is hard not to be impacted by New York while you are inside of it. It is like this huge wall of glass the encompasses us. Its hard not to be effected by it. Being a band in NYC you can not escape it, it demands things of you. If the band was located elsewhere would the band be different? Probably. We are definitely not trying to be a New York band but it just kind of imparts itself on to you in a way. As a person New York has helped me grow. I think personal growth is required here to really create a life here, you have to grow and adapt. I think I could be happy in a lot of different places, a lot of different worlds.

What would you consider your biggest goal?
I want to believe that there is a happy balance, a way to achieve your creative vision and popularity at the same time. I feel like success for this band would be, to jump onto a nice label, and going on some tours and release some records that we were proud of. I produce and mix the music, and I would love to see the band propel that into something I am able to do outside the bands entity, into a career in itself. That is my personal vision, but I mean jumping onto some tours would be great, we just want to play music and have fun.

http://littleracer.tumblr.com/

NY, Aug 2014

#alwaysdown

Zak Downtown is #alwaysdown for anything.

Established in Downtown, New York City Zak is making hip hop fun again with his new single “Don’t Blow My High”. The record is making waves at NYC clubs and the video is bursting with energy. We caught up with Zak to find out where exactly is “downtown”, talk about his new video, and what is to come in the future for this chill rapper.

Inspiration and NY 

    I was born and raised in lower Manhattan, hence the name Zak Downtown. I'm inspired by ambition and generally anything dope. I appreciate people who have an eye for things that are aesthetically unique and I really just draw inspiration from the experiences I’ve had growing up in NYC and being in love with hip-hop music.

The birth of “Don’t Blow my High” 

    “Don't Blow My High” is a remix of TNGHT's “Higher Ground.” They’re a super dope production duo and when my engineer and I heard the record we knew I had to remix it. I sent it over to my homie [Murda] Mook and he immediately came through to put a verse on it. After that, I was lucky to have DJ Sinatra start playing it at clubs in NYC followed by a ton of other DJs. Every time I hear this record it gets everyone in the room hyped no matter what, so I linked up with Ben Guzman to shoot the music video and bring the record to life.

 The future

   I’ll be releasing a mix tape come June followed by an EP in the summer/fall. I’m about to connect with new management so there should be a lot of things going down. I want to push boundaries as far as the music and creative content goes; I’m always experimenting with new sounds and ideas. That's just how it is when you grow up surrounded by so many different types of people and see so much crazy shit in your life.

Playful Dan Croll

From rugby player to music player, British artist Dan Croll couldn’t be more grateful for the adventurous life that he now lives. When his sports aspirations came crumbling down after a rough injury, he recruited his competitive sports background and drive and invested them in his natural musical inclination. Little did he know, that he would soon be touring the world with his best friends, all the while having a blast. THE UNLIMITED had a blast hearing all about it.

How did you make the transition from athlete to musician?

When I couldn’t play sports anymore I was driven to succeed in something, and music has always been a big thing for me and it has given me a lot of purpose. I’ve always been musical, though I was focused on rugby and sports. I’ve taught myself how to play piano, guitar, drums and a bit of trumpet, but I didn’t realize I would have a career in that. That only occurred to me later in life. When I ended my career in sports, I glanced over at all the musicians I was listening and thought, “They have these amazing lives. This is their job. They’re paid to play music and tour the world and connect with fans.” It was at that point that I thought, “oh. I’ll give it a go.” 

How would you describe your musical style?

It’s a tough one. It’s one big melting pot. I’ve had a very folky upbringing, and over the passed five years or so I’ve been exposed to so much music from all over the world. But if I had to simplify, I would say folk-pop, which is kind of acoustic at times but also layered with synth over the top of it. But I suppose there’s also an African twist in there as well, which I think that all started when my mom played me Paul Simon’s Graceland, and introduced me to different African choirs, at a young age. Later on I started listening to to Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti and the likes, which were all great influences on me.

You don’t seem to take yourself too seriously, but your lyrics are exceptionally sincere and intimate. Do you write anything other than lyrics?

No, I don’t write. I come from a family of great storytellers, really animated characters, and we love having family gatherings where we all catch up. My Nan on my mom’s side is amazing. She’s eighty-six and she’ll jump about to demonstrate and bring her stories into life. She also happens to have the funniest stories. The funniest things happen to her. I feel like that was passed onto me. I like to talk a lot, tell stories, and listen to other people’s stories. Lyrics are just spoken words, so I have to bring the animation into the lyrics, which is what makes them playful and sincere, I suppose.

Your music also has a sort of wink to it. Would you say you were a funny dude?

I’m alone right now so I should say I am, because no one is here to disagree with me. 

Maybe I am. I tour with nine people who I’ve known for six or seven years and we’re the best of mates. I’m constantly around fun things and funny people and I suppose that some of it rubs off on me. My family is funny as well. I’m obviously serious about making music, but it’s not worth anything if it’s not fun. It’s very important for me, with everything I do, to have a good time. Some things come out of being in a bad place, but for me, it’s mostly about having fun.

What do you currently listen to?

I try to listen to music that isn’t close to the music I make. I listen to a lot of a lot of hip-hop and R&B. I really love Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, and old stuff like Madlib. On the other side of the spectrum, I listen to a lot of metal, I really love this Swedish band named Meshuggah, they’re really fantastic, and another one named Kvelertak. My guilty pleasure is definitely metal. It weirdly relaxes me. 

Tell us about performing.

I’ve had a clear idea of the kind of performer I wanted to become ever since I started making music, and what I wanted people to take away from it. When I went to watch performances as a teenager, I always found myself slightly frustrated when a band played the song identically to the recording. It was almost robotic. I set myself out to add a little special something during performances. I spent a lot of time working on that. Ultimately, that’s what makes people want to come out and see live shows, because they don’t really know what to expect. 

Interview by Elian Zach

https://soundcloud.com/dancrollmusic

Bright Plastic Glittery Shards of Music

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When composing your next beach day playlist, be sure to incorporate some jams from a band on the rising, Javelin. The mellow yet upbeat tempo is sure to put you in a good mood while you soak up the warm summer sun.

Javelin, a Brooklyn based duo combination, has been on the music scene since 2005. To them being creative is about processing life and turning it into an object much like the way bees process flower pollen.

“I think what comes out of us generally contains happiness, humor, joy”

says pianist and cellist Tom Van Buskirk. “On the flip side there is anxiety, fleeting beauty. My favorite emotion in music is the crossing point that contains joy, beauty and sadness. Maybe ecstasy? ”

 Perhaps this multidimensional approach to creating music is what creates their unique sound. The guys of Javelin each play an array of instruments that they collaborate to make their electro songs.

“Our music conveys different images to us depending on the record” says Buskirk. “A beach chair, dusty chaps, the moon.”

 The duo knew their future was in the music business from a young age. As teenagers they would get a thrill out of making their own recordings and would find themselves bored when not involved in music. For now, their future is up in the air. In the next year the band hopes to produce new music, expand their frequency of performances, and explore weird side roads.

 -Celeste Beckman

 http://dollarbinsofthefuture.com/

Sound with Lee Newell of Lovelife

Not many little boys hear the maddening sounds of “Dark Side of the Moon” and ultimate their futures as musicians. Though this happened to be the determinant for front man Lee Newell of Lovelife.

“It starts with those clocks and alarms but I just kept turning it up and up because I thought the tape was broken,” said Newell. “As it reached the giant apocalyptic crescendo it scared me so much. I was like WOAH I want to do that.”

Newell gave us an inside look at what goes into the bands music. Of the many dynamics that goes into creating sound, volume plays a major role for the band.

“You need to be heard, and you need to know when to hold back.”

Newell reveals that they use volume as a function in which they build and release tension, both in writing and live shows.

The electro fusion heard in their songs may lead many listeners to think that much of their music comes from pressing buttons on a computer. On the contrary, Lovelife is a full band with full production spending very minimal time in the recording studio.

“When we lived in New York we were writing very prolifically because so much was happening”,

said Newell. “We went through so much together so we had a lot to write about.”

The UK based band formed in June 2012 after the band members split up from the band Viva Brothers. The relaunch band now called Lovelife started their return in Brooklyn and is currently traveling the country on tour.

“We'll be on the road for a while longer, then we're putting out another EP which will be the last of three, says Newell. “After that we'll start thinking about making a full length.”

http://www.lvlf.info

-Celeste Beckman

I Kill The Pop

I don’t care. I love it. 

A proclamation that has rallied the X chromosome to tell boyfriends, parents, bosses, and whoever else sucks to politely bite off. All the while shaking their ass cheeks to the punk-pop melodies of Swedish duo, Icona Pop. With their no f***'s given attitude and enduring guise, Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo have earned the household-name fame status.

Effortless cool is a term I would use to characterize the electrifying combination. Each are driven by their own distinct alter egos; Hjelt takes on avant-garde persona of David Bowie which can be seen through her vibrant make up, while Jawo takes on the naughty yet always chic Prince shown with her shaggy layered hairdo. When in tune with their iconic personalities they transform into what they feel are ‘rock stars’, and to us the bad bitches we love to rage to.

"From music to style to just about anything, it's about expressing yourself," says Hjelt. Which basically is the motto for every aspect of their life.

Individuality is key for the twosome. Much like their style, Icona Pop exudes a mixture of punk rock and pop in their music. What stands out most in their music is the volume that keeps us stomping and waving our arms to the beat. Volume is everything for the combo. ​

“Volume is always the make or break party”

says Hjelt. “It can be a fantastic up tempo song but when you listen to it too low it ruins the song.” 

With their recent rise to fame, the twosome still emits a humble feel. The only difference now being the 20,000 fans screaming along with them to every lyric of their songs. The two formed Icona Pop in 2009 and have since been a force in the music sphere, with their hit song “I Love It” reaching #7 on the Billboard Top 100.

“We are always just living in our Icona Pop World. We hardly notice.”

​- Celeste Beckman

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