XamVolo might be telling the truth when he sings “I spend my days listening to Old Soul” but there certainly isn’t anything “old” sounding about his new single.

… that’s what we said in The Playback and it’s true. The groove created by the Merseysider is infectious – seriously, if your head isn’t bopping by the end of the first verse you are not human! We thought we’d catch up with Mr Volo now that ‘Old Soul’, mastered here at Metropolis Mastering, has dropped…What does Old Soul mean to you?
‘Old Soul’ is meant to be very pure; a clean slate at the start of the upcoming journey. The character speaks from the headspace of someone with few worries, living with the freedom to focus on and enjoy the simpler things in life. For now, their world is a near-utopia occupied by trivial pursuits and good vibes – that is, until a certain life-changing encounter…

Lyrically, how did the new single take shape?
I was writing with Bruno Major – the initial version of the song came about pretty quickly. There was a lot more focus on the melody on this one, so the lyrics couldn’t bend that too much. Over time I refined some of the wording so it fit in with all the other songs it’ll be sitting with, but the chorus just kind of came out of nowhere – and pretty early. It felt right so we didn’t touch it after that point.

What’s the process behind building your tracks? There’s a real juxtaposition between the traditional jazz/soul elements in instrumentation and modern hip-hop styled synths…
I’m a big fan of cross-genre production – I’m constantly discovering and emulating ways other genres convey a tone. Bruno knows a lot about Jazz, especially on guitar – so long as the core of the song suited that vibe there was a lot of space to add in elements from other genres I found interesting – just to add a cold, clear, fluid energy to it all.

Almost every element in the production aids the groove on this one… the loose, overlapping LFOs were meant to latch-on to a very sparse rigid drum pattern, for instance – just keeps the pulse organic through all the digital stuff.

Who have been your biggest musical influencers?
Bilal, D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Dilla. I didn’t know who they were when I first started, but tracing my influences back as far as I can, they definitely played big parts. They all set laid back, inclusive vibes in their music, which I appreciate a lot of the time.

What’s next for XV?
Working on a special project at the moment… new music coming soon – as always. Stay tuned.

XamVolo: Website // YouTube // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // Spotify // SoundCloud

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About Metropolis Mastering

Metropolis Mastering was founded in 1993 with the intention of redefining international standards. That same passion, ambition and commitment is still the force that drives us today. Our five mastering suites were designed and built to the highest possible specification, offering the best environment for critical listening, and equipped with some of the most sought after mastering equipment around.

Find out more about the Metropolis Mastering team.

Metropolis Labels pop starlet LOOP has just dropped her debut EP!

Fresh from her launch party at Wonderland Magazine’s pop-up shop in Piccadilly, the EP titled ‘Call Me Loop’ is now available on all key retailers. It’s a banger, so make sure you search LOOP on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter… Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music… Anywhere and everywhere!

Stream / buy / listen to ‘Call Me Loop’ here…

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‘Future Funk’… no, this isn’t a villain’s weapon of choice from a dystopian sci-fi feature film, but a term (if you like to use such tags) given to Seramic’s funk and soul driven anthems.

P-Funk style vocals and synths, some filthy guitar licks and a bassline Thundercat would be proud of combine to great effect on the track ‘I Got You‘, which just so happened to be mastered here at Metropolis Mastering. We caught up with Seramic to find out what makes him tick…We saw you playing live at OMEARA’s opening night. You manage to capture the energy you create on stage on your record. Is this key to Seramic’s sound?
Yes, we try and make the shows as energetic as we can. We try and make the set up as live as possible. The shows are a bit different to the records, they are a lot more raw and unpredictable, we like swapping instruments and hitting it as hard as we can. I always admired how Prince makes his shows such a big party and that’s something I aspire to.

We love the blend of hard hitting funk riffs and wobbly synth bass lines… What’s the process behind building your tracks?
The song is always the most important thing to me, if you can strip everything down and play the song solo on the piano and the story can carry the weight then you can dress it up how you like. I love getting in the studio with my co producer Carrasius Gold and playing loads of synths and layering them up. Songs often start from us having as much fun in the studio as possible.

Who have been your biggest musical influencers?
For this project I draw a lot of influences from Sly and the Family Stone, Prince, D’Angelo, OutKast and Tom Waits.

If you could collaborate with any one artist at the moment, who would it be and why?
I would really like to work with D’Angelo. I would just love to see how he works in the studio, the way he layers up really beautiful vocal melodies is insane with such killer grooves. I bet we could come up with some crazy mad Gospel sexy sad songs, haha!

What’s next for Seramic?
We are playing lots of festivals this summer including the main stage at Nice Jazz Festival as well as Latitude, which is exciting and I am finishing up writing for the new record.

Seramic: SoundCloud // Spotify // YouTube // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

About Metropolis Mastering

Metropolis Mastering was founded in 1993 with the intention of redefining international standards. That same passion, ambition and commitment is still the force that drives us today. Our five mastering suites were designed and built to the highest possible specification, offering the best environment for critical listening, and equipped with some of the most sought after mastering equipment around.

Find out more about the Metropolis Mastering team.

Studio Wars! #MayTheFourthBeWithYou #SithHappens #StarWarsDay #ThrowbackThursday

We couldn’t help it…

This month’s five acts are all pretty similar in that they all have guitars and singing. Fans of songs that only contain rapping, scatting and/or yodelling might have to check back in with us next month…

Rex Orange County – Untitled

Outrageously talented and obscenely young, Rex Orange County could and should be your new fave. ‘Untitled’ taken from his tasty new LP ‘Apricot Princess’ is a glossy ballad which fits more honest heart-wrenching pathos into its 2 and a half minutes than many more accomplished artists would struggle to fill an entire album. The 18 (!!!!!!!!) year old’s previous work has gotten him a fair few famous fans already and if he continues at this rate it will be hard to stop him.

Brazen Head – Looks

‘Looks’ is a very interesting first track from new London band Brazen Head. A bouncy bass line, soft guitars that morph into a wailing chaotic mess, pulsing synths and an eerily plinky plonky piano provide a great backing for singer Louis’ anguished words. The track builds and builds as harmonies float above an unsettling yet catchy anthem. Fans of ‘The Bends’ era Radiohead will find a lot to love in this new bands sound. Catch them supporting FUR at The Old Blue Last for free on the 6th of May.

Lazy Day – With My Mind

I don’t know about you but I love me some chorus on my guitars. There’s nothing quite like that sweet sweet modulation effect. Seriously, I go nuts for it. If you are anything like me then you will really appreciate the light and breezy sounds from Lazy Day. ‘With My Mind’ floats along effortlessly and the only thing that keeps it grounded is its warm bassline and lead singer Tilly’s breathy yelps and screams. You can catch the 4 piece play at The Anvil in Bournemouth on the 5th of May or on the 9th at the Servant Jazz Quarters in their home city of London.

Honey Lung – Sophomore

‘Sophomore’ sounds like it has been taken straight out of the grunge and alt rock book of song writing (in the best way possible). Loud and abrasive riff’s cascade with vocals that sound like the singer is either going to burst into tears or get in a fight with you are juxtaposed with quiet restrained verses before exploding into more than one J Mascis inspired guitar solos. Fans of the Pixies and Pavement should really get down to their single launch on the 2nd of May at the Camden Assembly.

Mayor – Shores

This song is so hot you can’t even listen to it yet at the time of writing. Bright, sunny and overwhelmingly positive ‘Shores’ is a tune to be enjoyed whilst supping on a bottle of beer on a rooftop with friends. It could also be used to advertise an all inclusive holiday to a tropical island somewhere. Mayor are based in Israel and will be touring Europe and India in the summer to promote the single and album.To keep up to date with all things Metropolis Mastering related check out our website…

Check out our Spotify playlist which we will be adding to as the year goes on with all our tips and recommendations…

On Monday, 22 May, The Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), in association with The UK Department for International Trade (DIT), will present a K-Music Conference, discussing the latest trends in this global phenomenon of the international music market, here at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick.

Conference discussions will include an overview of the Korean music scene, the live K-Music landscape and production and songwriting collaborations between the UK and Korean markets. Guests will also have an opportunity to network with the Korean industry delegates attending. The event, which is exclusively open to industry executives, will be followed by a live gig, hosted in Metropolis’ legendary Studio A, showcasing four of the most impressive acts to come out of South Korea this year, as part of their 2017 K-Music UK tour, which sees artists performing on the British festival circuit. This event is part of the ongoing UK-Korea trade and investment partnership under the UK-Korea Creative Industries Forum.

“K-Music has become one of the fastest growing genres in the international music market and the conference will bring the latest insights and forecast the next steps in the future of the sector to an industry audience. The most important industry-facing event hosted by K-Music representatives in London, it will be an opportunity to network with music business professionals from the Korean market, explore opportunities for collaboration and enjoy live sets from the latest Korean talent.”
Hoseong Yong KCCUK Director

“As the studio of choice for many fantastic K-Music acts, we are delighted to be hosting the K-Music conference and showcase at Metropolis in May. We look forward to welcoming our Korean colleagues and British industry guests to discuss trends in the sector and to some brilliant live sets in Studio A to end the night with a bang.”
Ian Brenchley Metropolis Studios CEO

Attendance at the K-Music conference and showcase is free of charge, open exclusively to music industry professionals. Those interested in attending the event at Metropolis on 22 May should email events@https://www.thisismetropolis.com to apply for Guest List.

The pop starlet, LOOP, is packing her bags for Europe…

Following the success of her latest single, ‘As If’, Metropolis Label’s LOOP has been named as tour support for Jonas Blue! Travelling through Germany, the Netherlands and France, the tour culminates at London’s Heaven. We recently visited Apple Music who invited LOOP to their HQ for a very special listening party. ‘As If’ has received a wonderful reaction so far and the new remix package is also reacting incredibly well at club.

Once you’ve bought your ticket (by clicking here!!!) watch the video for ‘As If’ below…

Find out more about Metropolis Labels here…

Elder Island drop Welcome State on Distiller TV…

What a way to launch a new song… within the beautiful setting of The Distillery. Elder Island, signed to Metropolis Labels, manage to capture a completely unique soundscape and we think you’d agree that it translates perfectly in a live environment.

For all the avid vinyl collectors out there you’ll be pleased to hear that Elder Island’s EP ‘Seeds In Sand’ will be released on vinyl on April 21st. You can pre-order your copy here…

Find out more about Metropolis Labels here…

Metropolis collaborate with jazz prodigy Jacob Collier and Samsung on ‘Over The Horizon’…

Each generation of Samsung’s Galaxy devices comes preloaded with a fresh new take on ‘Over the Horizon‘, Samsung’s signature, six-note groove. The company collaborated with Grammy Award-winning Jacob Collier to showcase a fresh new take on the ringtone.

Samsung commissioned Metropolis Films to make the accompanying video, as well as Metropolis Mastering‘s Tony Cousins to master the track. The video, like the song itself, is highly kinetic, having utilised a cutting-edge motion control camera to create a seamless ‘one-man band’ effect.

Credits

• Ramy Dance – Director
• Daniella Manca – Producer
• Frederic Cook & Ramy Dance – Post Production
• Tony Cousins – Mastering
• Hitoshi Yoshioka – Production Management

Find out more about Metropolis Films here…

Find out more about Metropolis Mastering here….

Find out more and book Tony Cousins here….

DAMN! This one has been really difficult to keep quiet…

If Kendrick Lamar‘s last couple of studio albums are anything to go by – Good Kid, M.A.A.D City & To Pimp A Butterfly both achieved Gold / Platinum sales certifications in the UK / US respectively – we’re pretty sure you won’t be able to escape DAMN. for the next few months.

We’re delighted that Kendrick‘s team chose Metropolis Studios to record in when passing through London a couple of months back. K-Dot laid down his vocals for album track ‘FEAR.‘ here with Sam Wheat engineering the session. Damn, those verses are good.

Metropolis would like to thank Kendrick Lamar, Top Dawg Entertainment and Aftermath Entertainment for making us a small part of this huge project.

Congratulations on a fantastic body of work.

About Metropolis Studios

Metropolis is home to the most successful independent recording, mastering, creative and production facility in Europe, offering unrivalled services for the entertainment industries. Based in a former power station for Chiswick’s railway in the early 20th century, approximately 50% of the UK Top 40 charts is either recorded, mixed, mastered, or creatively treated within Metropolis’ stunning Grade II ‘Power House’ complex.

Find out more about Metropolis Studios.