Alternative R&B: Marian Hill

I don't know exactly why, but when YouTube suggested Down by Marian Hill to me I figured it would probably be a cliché ballad. The start of the song seemed to confirm this since I only heard a piano and a female vocalist. It sounded nice but not really remarkable. I kept listening however and it's a good thing I did, because when the beat dropped, at 56 seconds into the song, my opinion changed completely. If you're a regular visitor of my blogs you've probably noticed that I'm a fan of hip-hop and trap beats as well as electronic parts. Down manages to combine these elements with cut up vocals, reminiscent of C2C (see my earlier blog) while at the same time maintaining a relaxed feel. I fell in love with the song.

Marian Hill, consisting of producer Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol, is a relatively new group that started out in 2013. My two favourite songs of their debut EP 'Play' are Loveit and especially One Time. I like the jazzy feel that both songs have due to use of a saxophone.

In 2015 the group released a second EP with several new songs, but it wasn't until 2016 that they released their debut album 'Act One'. The album contains a nice range of songs, from the relaxing I Know Why, to the urban Mistaken and the swinging I Want You. This last song reminds me a bit of the electro swing produced by ProleteR.

Currently their latest released song, the earlier mentioned Down, has almost 21 million views on YouTube so it's safe to say the group is blowing up. I can't wait to hear more of their saxy songs.

Other favourites: Got It, Lips and Wasted

Check out more videos on Marian Hill's Official YouTube Channel

Electro Swing: ProleteR

In an earlier post I described my fondness of jazz music. And although I love it very much, sometimes I'm just in the mood for something with a bit more beat to it. Luckily for me some British and French producers felt the same, and in the late 90's early 00's started to mix the classical jazz and swing music with house or hip hop beats. At first the style did not attract a lot of attention, but by the 2010's thanks to YouTube mixes, the genre became popular and got its name: Electro Swing. One of the most famous electro swing songs is arguably We No Speak Americano from Yolanda Be Cool which became a number 1 hit in 35 countries.

In this post however I want to highlight a French producer called ProleteR.

ProleteR started out in 2011 and adds a laid-back hip hop beat and fresh bass lines to a song, making sure it swings again in this day and age. Some songs, like Hello, Dolly!, only get some minor touch ups. Others, like Not Afraid, get some more extensive editing. His collaborations with rapper Taskrok, like Throw It Back, are also definitely worth a listen.

Other favourites: April Showers, Red Soap and No Place I Can Go

Check more of ProleteR's songs on his official YouTube channel.