NEW ARTIST OF THE DAY: Meanwhile

Brash, bombastic and bold pop that feels just as relevant as it is retro…

SUBBA-CULTCHA.COM SAYS: “Meanwhile has already gathered the sort of back story that makes artist Biogs scream out to the major publications, but his singular vision of his musical future is what excites me the most. ‘Luvletta’, his debut release, makes one hell of an entrance. It has the sort of production that would make even the eighties blush; Brash, bombastic and bold throughout with no real subtlety. You’re certainly not likely to sit on the fence when you listen to it to gauge your reaction. Not that I want to quote the catchphrase for a certain brown yeast based product, but the problem with being so brazen is that you’re likely to turn off as many as you turn on (just ask Miley Cyrus). Fortunately, I ‘ruddy love it I do. It’s like a long lost George Clinton track from his ‘Atomic Dog’ days, rediscovered by Herbie Hancock whilst on a fact finding mission to discover who was the best 12” remixer for all those Stock, Aitken & Waterman hits. It’s like a sledgehammer being repeatedly whacked over the head, there’s no hiding from it’s hooks and ultimately it will turn more heads than the usual root to pop stardom which is aim precisely for the middle of the road, and keep on driving. Very excited about what 2014 has in store for him. Sample the track yourself below and keep an eye out for our forthcoming interview…”
This is Meanwhile – a prodigiously talented singer, producer and film composer, who has today premiered his debut track, ‘Luvletta’ (Fiction Records/Universal). Meanwhile’s music is a heady mix of the escapist and the everyday, the familiar with the strange and new: think the Minneapolis Sound, via the M3. First offering ‘Luvletta’ contrasts lyrics of infatuation and conflict with futuristic funk, juddering synths and big beats. It’s an immediate and immersive introduction: “I’m on my way”, Meanwhile sings at its climax, and you feel it too. Meanwhile’s entry to songwriting in fact came via cinema, when the sweeping sounds of Danny Elfman, Tim Burton’s long-time collaborator, instilled an early love of film scores: he took up the piano, and began composing ambitious pieces after school. This habit emerged late last year, when Meanwhile quietly uploaded a selection of movie re-interpretations to Youtube (‘Luvletta’ was hinted at when combined with the explosive fight-scene from Korean revenge thriller ‘Oldboy’). And as he moved from soundtrack pieces to the ambitious bedroom productions of his solo material, so too came the controlled, world-building possibilities of character, akin to Gorillaz or Janelle Monae - through which every frustration he daren’t say aloud could finally be brought to vivid, colourful life.  Part alter-ego, part self-realization, and a total breath of fresh air: that is Meanwhile, the most idiosyncratic new talent of 2014.
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http://www.youtube.com/meanwhileost [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/132842804" params="auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="false" /]

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