Fresh Spins Vol. 3: New Music from Independent artists on DISCO
From laid-back hip-hop to ebullient, shimmering pop, discover music from independent artists on DISCO
DISCO is home to thousands of independent artists from around the world, as well as the leading platform for music supervisors.
Through our new Opportunities tab, approved artists can now submit for a range of opportunities on the platform. One of those opportunities is inclusion in our new Fresh Spins playlist, a regularly updated sampler of highlights from sync-ready independent DISCO artists that’s showcased in all supervisor DISCO accounts.
Here’s a peek at a handful of tracks in the latest Fresh Spins edition.
Timi O — “FEAR”
The skittering and lightly ominous “FEAR” marks a crossroads for emerging hip-hop artist Timi O, as he braces himself to face long-standing conflicts and heal relationships with significant others.
In its many forms, “FEAR” has been a constant for Timi O and his loved ones throughout his childhood as a Nigerian raised in modern-day America.
The Massachusetts-born artist wrote this song to serve as an emotional release from these internal conflicts and to inspire others to do the same. Featuring direct lyricism, beautifully placed foley, and tastefully eclectic production, “FEAR” conveys exactly what’s on his mind without hiding behind abstract metaphors.
Mezanmi: Always Upwards — “Like Spun Gold”
The atmospheric and immersive “Like Spun Gold” is the third single from composer Fran O’Hanlon, who performs under the name Mezanmi.
“The song is a direct address to those people who can skillfully manipulate others with their words and actions but who then absolve themselves of responsibility when there are negative consequences,” O’Hanlon tells DISCO.
“It was borne out of anger — and that’s something I wanted to reflect in the music. I love pairing ambient soundscapes with folk or classical instrumentation and arrangements to create something that feels widescreen and cinematic. I’ve been pushing elements of that and chasing this idea of ‘beautiful noise,’ something that I think artists like Low, My Bloody Valentine, and Aphex Twin have done incredibly skillfully in different ways.
“I had a couple of the lines from the final section of the song ringing around my head for about 18 months before the rest of the song fell into place. The percussion elements are a mixture of samples, field recordings, and played instruments that were then pushed to the verge of destruction. We also added a continuous sub-bass note that rises slowly through all of the big instrumental section. It gives it this pit-of-your-stomach sort of feeling, which finally resolves as everything else lines up around it.”
Damian Axel — “DMS”
“This particular song is very personal and important to me,” the R&B/pop performer tells DISCO of “DMS,” which opens with a soulful and yearning vocal sample. “I was trying to capture my own emotions while crushing hard over this special someone I haven’t met but kept scrolling through her pictures on Instagram repeatedly. The song came together at my old studio located right in the capital of Finland, Helsinki.”
Lauren Light — “In The Air”
“‘In The Air’ is really about that moment you realize things have shifted with someone close to you,” the pop singer and Berklee graduate tells DISCO of her ebullient track. “It’s like being able to turn back time but seeing everything with fresh eyes. And honestly, it felt like the universe was aligning because I was living through the exact emotions I was writing about in the song.”
“Here’s the backstory,” she continues. “Riccardo Barletta and I were on this tight deadline for a perfume ad campaign that wanted a song capturing how a scent can throw you back into a memory. We had just 24 hours to make a fully completed song. With Riccardo in Italy and me in North Carolina, and my schedule packed with a gig, we couldn’t exactly brainstorm together. Instead, Riccardo whipped up this incredible track and sent it over before bed. I got home from my gig, stayed up super late writing all the words and tracking vocals so he could get the song by his morning to edit. When I hit play on his track, the words just poured out. We didn’t get the ad spot, but it became one of my all-time favorite songs, and I released it on my EP called You, Me, And Everything In Between.”
Listen to DISCO’s Fresh Spins Vol. 3 playlist here. Interested in our Artist plan? Sign up for a free trial here.
