Focus Music Notes. "Out of the Blues". Popular music through the decades

When you hear that an Owl, a Fox and a Cat walked into a room together, you’d probably think it’s the start of a bad joke; but in the case of DJ/Producer trio MDNT, this is where their musical journey began. Brought together through a shared love for all things nocturnal; MDNT make music for the star-gazers, the party-goers, the insomniacs, the skateboarders, the gamers and everyone in between, collectively known as "The Creatures of the Night". “When the 9 to 5 is going to sleep, we are just waking up.” Heavily influenced by pop culture, hip hop and fashion, MDNT set out to create timeless, tongue-in-cheek anthems that resonate with the youth of today. Their introductory offering, Kanye Loves Kanye aims to promote self-empowerment, self-love and love for others and is an ode to one of their favourite artists Kanye West, who they believe epitomises self-honesty, self-worth and self-belief. Featuring Artists are Rose Villain & Sixpm. Rose Villain Originally from M...

After lighting up the airwaves and clubs across Europe this past summer with this debut single, ‘Le Cheval’ returns to 2019 with a huge bang by releasing two killer new dance floor weapons ‘Café Patron’ & ‘Forrest Gump’. The new release follows his 2018 breakout single ‘Fandango’ which went on to be remixed by HUGEL, D.O.D, and SAMMY PORTER and received radio support from Radio 1, KISS FM and Rinse FM. ‘Café Patron’ & ‘Forrest Gump’ sees the new star of the scene showcasing his production talents again by creating two thumping house hits with hammering basslines & abstract vocal hooks that are guaranteed to be the soundtrack of the summer in clubs and festivals alike. Le Cheval believes a track needs warmth, humour, a massive chunk of house, a smidge of afrobeat and healthy slice of arrogance. This perfect blend is defiantly felt in these two anthems in the making. His production is influenced by some of electronic dance music’s biggest acts including Daft Punk...

North-West London’s finest Donae’o marks his triumphant return with the release of his brand new single ‘The Party’s Over Here’ on April 16th via Moving Anti/Island Records. Written and produced by Donae’o in collaboration with singer, songwriter and producer Shakka, ‘The Party’s Over Here’ is the second single to be taken from his forthcoming debut solo album; with Island Records, which is slated for release in the final quarter of 2019. The follow up release to his 2017 mixtape ‘Sixteen’, “The Party’s Over Here” features production heavyweights such as Take a day trip and 1st of FKI, to name but two. The single follows the massive smash hit ‘Chalice’, which featured Calvin Harris as well as US Superstar XO artist Belly. ‘Chalice’ remains one of most played hits on national radio over the last six months. Donae’o has achieved great success as one of the most culturally significant musicians in British urban and pop music. For many years now, the musical ‘swiss army knife’ has been s...

The Australian singer songwriter is also set to play his biggest UK headline tour this month, adding a second Shepherds Bush Empire headline on 16 April and regional shows due to popular demand. April 15 London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire SOLD OUT April 16 London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire April 18 Glasgow SWG3 April 19 Manchester O2 RITZ BUY TOUR TICKETS HERE   LISTEN TO ‘A PLACE WE KNEW’ ALBUM HERE WATCH DEAN PERFORM ON JIMMY KIMMEL HERE Dean Lewis catapulted into the UK top 15 with the Platinum selling “Be Alright”, racking up 350M global Spotify streams, before dropping the stunning new single “7 Minutes”. Bittersweet memories of past romance is the thread that runs through the 12-track debut LP, “All the songs were written through relationships I’d been in and houses I used to live in and hotel rooms,” says Lewis. A trip to the UK in 2016 saw Lewis team up with producers Edd Hol...

On the heels of releasing her highly-anticipated debut EP, 'AMWIN in Wonderland', Swedish artist on the rise AMWIN has dropped a stunning visual for her lead single "Dua Lipa" . Produced by Carl Lehman and Carli Löf, the song departs from the blonde stunners signature sass and showcases a beautiful depth and vulnerability. AMWIN shared, "I wanted to make a song that's just about straight up being in love with someone. No compromising. No playing it cool. Just straight 'I love you, I love you, I love you. Please don't break my fragile heart'." For the "Dua Lipa" music video, Grammy nominated director Nicolina Knapp wanted to show an expression of the internal struggle of falling in love. She brought to life a concept of being overwhelmed by the feeling of love and so fearful of ending up heartbroken you try to escape that feeling by shutting down. Not giving that person the power to mess up your mind. Knapp transports the viewer ...

March 29th, marked the release of Swedish artist on the rise AMWINs highly-anticipated debut EP, 'AMWIN in Wonderland'. A collision of pop, hip-hop, and electronic soundscapes, AMWIN collaborated with songwriters/producers like Carli Löf (Robyn, Galantis), Jay Weathers (Not3s, Jacob Banks), and Carl Lehman (Liam Payne, Panic At The Disco!), adorning each track with otherworldly beats and luminous textures and her own madcap vocal twists. While much of AMWIN's material embodies a certain restless attitude, lead single "Dua Lipa" unfolds as a full-tilt love song, a magnificent bop built on her heart-on-sleeve lyrics. The EP then drifts into an edgier mood on her first three singles "DeLorean", "Living Mistake", and "Uber" - which caught support from Hypebae, Highsnobiety, Clash Magazine, MILK, and more. When asked about the inspiration behind the project, AMWIN shared, "This EP lets you in to the ambivalent mind of a young wom...

Fresh from performing his new single ‘Stay Awake’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and being named Apple’s global Up Next Artist earlier this week, Dean Lewis today releases his highly anticipated debut album A Place We Knew. The Australian singer songwriter is also set to play his biggest UK headline tour next month, adding a second Shepherds Bush Empire headline on 16 April and regional shows due to popular demand. Dean Lewis catapulted into the UK top 15 with the Platinum selling “Be Alright”, racking up 350M global Spotify streams, before dropping the stunning new single “7 Minutes”. Bittersweet memories of past romance is the thread that runs through the 12-track debut LP, “All the songs were written through relationships I’d been in and houses I used to live in and hotel rooms,” says Lewis. A trip to the UK in 2016 saw Lewis team up with producers Edd Holloway and Nick Atkinson at The Barn studio in North London, a partnership that not only led to ‘Waves’ , 4 x Platinum ARIA singl...

BAFTA Rising star nominee Jessie Buckley, one of the fastest rising actors in cinema, looks set to take the music world by storm as the star and voice of the gritty, inspirational and heart-warming film WILD ROSE. Written by legendary country star Emmylou Harris, “Born To Run” is the second song to be lifted from the “Wild Rose” OST (April 12). The accompanying video finds Jessie in her element performing this anthemic song which is central to the film’s narrative. “Born To Run” soundtracks a key moment in the film and is performed by Buckley with passion, verve and genuine vocal prowess. Adding a new string to her bow Jessie got so involved in the music and the process that she ended up writing six of the album’s songs with the film’s Bafta winning writer Nicole Taylor and has since performed the songs live. The Original Soundtrack will be released on Island Records on April 12 th , the same day the film hits the screens in the UK. Starring alongside Julie Wa...