Happy Tuesday, NovelliFans!!!
If you happened to notice that I missed posting last week, it’s because my attempt to adjust my sleep schedule to something a little less ‘goes to bed when the sun comes up’ didn’t actually make it past this particular phase 😆
Thankfully I’ve been able to return to my previous night shift without incident, and now that I’m getting my minimum 8 hours, it’s full steam ahead on the blog again. 🚂 & what a MASSIVE couple of weeks it’s been!
I’m thrilled to report that some super exciting things have happened in the time I’ve been away, so let’s catch up together, shall we?
🎉🎉🎉
On Approach
It’s HERE, FAM!!! On Saturday, August 3, Episode 199 of Voyager Radio, hosted by the indomitable Suzanne Chesterton took flight, and oh what a journey she took us on this time!!! 🚀🚀🚀
Featuring tracks by Indifferent Guy & Eva Pavlova, Corren Cavini, Alessandra Roncone and Placebo(!!!), plus the ON FIRE Hel:sløwed remix of Jerome Isma-Ae’s ‘Hold That Sucker Down’ AND a brand new Siskin remix* (set for official release on August 16), Suzanne has once again gifted us with a diverse AND cohesive set that I felt was the perfect leadup to EPISODE 200!!!
& speaking of her upcoming milestone episode 🥳🥳🥳, Suzanne has invited us as listeners to be a part of the show, by requesting our favourite tracks from the past 199 voyages via voice message — which can be submitted by email to suzanne.chesterton@outlook.com or through Suzanne’s Facebook page (using the voice messaging feature that Facebook Messenger has built right in. 👍ProTip: You need to be signed into a personal account and not a Facebook page in order to access this feature.)
As a relatively new listener to the show, I’m honestly thankful for the constraint I’ve set for myself to only choose from episodes I’ve already heard, but even then Suzanne’s taste is such a match for mine that I know I’m going to have a hard time narrowing it down to just one track.
She did also ask for favourites from the Black Hole, so maybe I’ll use that as a further constraint to shorten my list, but if you know what track you’re going to pick, feel free to share it in the comments and that way I won’t wind up duplicating your message. 🙏
& if you haven’t heard it yet, don’t forget to check out Voyager 199 to see if any of the latest tracks Suzanne featured might claim top spot on your list.
*This particular remix comes with a delightful little backstory that Suzanne shares in the episode, but you’re going to have to go listen to get the deets in full. 😉
It’s Gonna Be Legen- … Wait For It …
Another major milestone we were blessed with last week, was the world premiere of ‘Only You’, Susie Ledge’s debut collaboration with “GRAMMY ® nominated trance legends” Cosmic Gate during the duo’s recent Ibiza Sunset Set, which was livestreamed from the Amàre Beach Hotel in Ibiza, Spain on Wednesday, August 7.
Underscoring Susie’s sumptuous vocals with a wubz-y bassline, sonorous synths and intricate percussion that will have you on your feet, while also keeping you on your toes, it’s easy to see how Cosmic Gate have earned their reputation!
According to this bitty preview video on YouTube, it appears that ‘Only You’, which was co-written with two of Susie’s ‘Lifeline’ collaborators, Yasmin Jane & Gary Dillon, will be coming to us on Cosmic Gate’s Wake Your Mind Records, ?possibly? on September 5.
I say possibly, because September 5 is a Thursday, not a Friday, and the description of the video reads ‘Released’ past tense, not ‘To Be Released’ … so I’ll be sure to update you when more concrete information becomes available.👍
You can also keep an eye on Susie’s Instagram & follow her on Spotify to get updates direct from the source.
In the meantime tho, the full track is ready and waiting for you, timestamped in the embeded video below, so go give it a listen and let Susie and Cosmic Gate know how much you love it in the comments.
One Beat At A Time
One track you don’t have to wait to add to your personal collection is the latest release from Brittany Egbert & Elated Present Sea to Sky — a faithful & faith-filled cover of the Bethel Music song, ‘You’re Gonna Be Ok’.
The duo’s second release on Create Music Group, following the July 26 celebratory anthem, ‘Cloud Nine’, ‘You’re Gonna Be Ok’ is a sublime successor to Sea to Sky’s previous cover of the Snow Patrol classic ‘Chasing Cars’, which was released by Blue Dot Music back in April.
Originally written by Jenn Johnson, Seth Mosley & Jeremy Riddle, and produced by Jason Ingram & Paul Mabury ‘You’re Gonna Be Ok’ served as the lead single from Brian & Jenn Johnson’s 2017 album After All These Years. Now, just over 7 years since its initial release, Sea to Sky have welcomed the song into their catalogue & lovingly added their trademark dream-pop twist to the GMA Dove Awards nominated track.
Inching up the tempo and filling out the original piano with resounding melodic lines & sprightly percussion that is sure to pick you up if you’re feeling down, Elated once again demonstrates his skill at crafting an arrangement that magnificently compliments Brittany’s vocals, which have a feathery softness to them that draws you in close before wrapping around you like a warm hug.
So if you’re looking for a place to turn when life hands you something that feels too heavy to hold, I encourage you to give ‘You’re Gonna Be Ok’ a listen, and see if Sea to Sky might be able to help lighten your load.
Dance Dance Evolution
& if you’re in need of an additional pick-me up (or two) this week, you’re in luck Fam, b/c some HUGE news has come out of Linneyland since my last post!
First up (& hot on the heels of ‘Crosslands‘, her bass-bumpin’, progressive house collab with ANU, which dropped on Helix Records on July 26), Linney and her friends Ari & Adam, better known to the world as the electronic dance music duo Medii, have delivered a top-notch D&B remix of one of Linney’s personal faves, ‘Super Human’.
Kicking the original track’s 126 BPM up to 174, Medii’s choice of swift but delicate percussion throughout the verses manages to amp up the energy, while maintaining the tenderness of the song’s lyrics (which were co-written with Britt Pols, Jeff Schoeny & Thomas Shaw) & preserving the vulnerability of Linney’s inceptive vocal performance.
Fair warning tho, when that instrumental section kicks in after the chorus, be ready, ’cause the urge to dance is guaranteed! 😁
Another release on Linney’s home label, Helix Records, the ‘Super Human’ (Medii Remix) dropped on Friday, August 9, and immediately made its way into my personal collection. I encourage you to click the link below to see if you might want to add it to yours too.
& if that’s not enough to keep you shuffling into the foreseeable future, Linney also announced the upcoming release of her second solo EP, which is set to drop on September 6 on Helix Records. 🪩🪩🪩
We Dance, is the follow-up to Linney’s 2023 EP, Desert Dream, which featured the original cut of ‘Super Human‘ AND the very first Linney track I ever heard, ‘One More Day’ which she wrote for her dad (with assists from Sarah de Warren, Thomas Shaw & Jeff Schoeny.)
& if you haven’t seen the video where she plays the song for him in her car, now is the time. I’m even going to embed it here for you, so all you have to do is click play … although you might want to grab a tissue first. 🥹 #happytears
& now that you’ve managed to tear yourself away from that magic, let’s get back to the EP. 😉
One could presume that the track list for We Dance will likely include ‘Together‘, ‘Daisies’ & ‘Sequoia’ — the three solo tracks Linney’s released on Helix in the 18 months since Desert Dream came out.
& no surprise, I’m super stoked to see what more she has in store for us, so much so that I’m currently in talks with my bestie Ricky, in an effort to try & to pull together something extra special to celebrate. 🤞🤞🤞
According to a recent post on Instagram, it seems that Linney’s also got something special in the works, so if you’re not already a member of her free Linneyland broadcast channel, head on over (app only, no desktop) and join for first access to We Dance news (and plenty of other sneak peaks.)
& if Instagram isn’t your jam, no stress, Linney’s already made the pre-save link for We Dance available to everyone, so click on through and choose whichever platform(s) you like best.
You’d think that’d be all for this week, NovelliFans, but I’ve got one more thing to share that has honestly had me vibrating with excitement since they officially announced it last Wednesday.
CHRISTINA NOVELLI & CIARAN MCAULEY’S COLLAB, ‘SAY SOMETHING’ COMES OUT THIS FRIDAY!!!
Based on the buzz, I have clearly not been waiting nearly as long as some for this track to drop, but learning about it earlier this year was actually what led me to check out Ciaran’s work in the first place, and I honestly couldn’t be more thankful to have found him.
Once again, where Christina leads, magic follows.💖
At the time of writing a pre-save link is still pending, but be sure to follow Christina, Ciaran and Muse Music Management on Instagram — and turn on post / story notifications if you want to know when the link goes live.
& check back next week for what is sure to be a straight up gush of a post — honestly I’m so excited about this one that I actually have a tab open in my browser counting down the hours left, and I refuse to be sorry about it. 😆
Until then, NovelliFans. Take care and thanks for stopping by.
Never Miss A Beat
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