Shining Through The Dark

What’s good, NovelliFans?

This week’s roundup of fresh releases comes with an unfortunate event cancellation that I srsly wish wasn’t a thing for everyone involved.

Let’s walk through it together, shall we?

💛💛💛

This Little Light Of Mine

I was originally going to kick off this week’s post with news of Christina’s first ever festival performance in Finland, however an announcement was made on the Summer Sound Festival Facebook page on Day 1 that she would be unable to attend on Day 2 due to “serious family reasons.”

While I don’t like to veer v. far into the personal lives of the artists I feature on the blog & prefer to keep their music as my primary focus, there is also something to be said for recognizing that the people who make the music I love so dearly are people first and musicians second.

& when those people are struggling they deserve to know that their fans care about them and not just about their creative output.

So my heart goes out to Christina and her family in the hopes that knowing one more person in the world cares for them will proffer even the tiniest spark of light as they navigate their way through the dark.

& in lieu of the announcement I was going to share, here is an album of spectacular shots that Art of Noise photographer Paul White posted from Christina’s performance at the Blackthorn Proud 2 Bee Festival at Whitebottom Farm in Manchester back in June.

If I can be so bold as to speak on behalf of the NovelliFans Fam, I’m sure we’ll all be glad to see her back behind the decks again, whenever that time may come.

Find Your Refuge

Given that music is the place I turn when things get dark, I was thankful to learn that Linney released not one, but two new tracks last week — the latter of which she premiered with her collab partner CloudNone @ Lost in Dreams Festival* on Friday, July 12.

Co-written with the multi-talented Jeff Schoeny and coming to us on the Lost In Dreams record label, ‘Quiet Of My Mind’ is Linney’s first collab with the masked melodic dubstep producer, who has previously worked with the likes of Matt Van, Micha Martin, and Nina Sung (who also made an appearance during CloudNone’s set at Lost In Dreams.)

Crafting a melodic soundscape filled with warm piano, crisp cymbals, percussive synths and bouncy beats, CloudNone’s production perfectly underscores the song’s lyrical portrait of the refuge many of us find ourselves longing for when the weight of the world becomes too much for us to bear.

Paired with Linney’s resplendent vocals, ‘Quiet Of My Mind’ is an uplifting and honest track, whose moments of melodic serenity invite you to explore creating an internal sanctuary of your very own.

Would you rather escape to a handcrafted cabin on a cotton candy cloud? Or settle down in the sand of your own special spot on the beaches of Big Sur?

Give ‘Quiet Of My Mind’ a spin and see what kind of retreat it inspires in the quiet of your own.

Buy / Stream ‘Quiet Of My Mind’

*Linney’s Lost In Dreams Festival appearance was not limited to her performance with CloudNone. She was also on site at the release party for SABAI‘s first ever, full-length album, “North Star” — where she and SABAI performed a stunning acoustic version of their 2023 release with if found “The Call”.

Two evenings later, on July 13, she once again joined SABAI & together with if found they performed the original trap wave version of the track on the Lost In Dreams ‘Lost Stage’ before a crowd thick with 20,000(!!!) adoring fans.

Dive In

In addition to the drop of her CloudNone collab on Friday past, Linney also released a mid-week pick me up on Wednesday July 17, the dubstep anthem ‘Waterfall’ with “Germanic maestro Valentin Rieff – known professionally as Rival.”

Coming to us on Kannibalen Records — which I was super interested to learn is based here in Canada (Montreal, Quebec to be exact) — ‘Waterfall’ made for Linney’s second first-time collab of the week, adding another star vocalist to Rival’s catalogue following previous releases with Veronica Bravo, Neoni, Natalie Holmes & Diandra Faye.

Co-written with Danni Cara & Valentin Giovanni Elie Bakouche — aka caravan, aka CRVN, aka Caravn (depending on the genre & platform you’re searching ) — ‘Waterfall’ combines atmospheric strings, pensive piano, chunky beats and triumphant horns, all of which build to a woink-filled drop that is sure to inspire rail-grasping and head-banging at club shows, festivals and house parties around the world.

& while Linney’s flawless vocals are always a top draw for me, perhaps my absolute favourite thing about this particular track was discovering Rival’s unique use of the YT captions feature to provide running commentary on the song’s official lyric video. 

Personally, I believe ingenuity of that calibre deserves to be rewarded! If you agree, why not help me run up the watch time on Rival’s video, and grab a copy of the track, or save it to your library on your favourite platform now.

Buy / Stream ‘Waterfall’

Meet The Lighthouse

Our final official label release from last week is a breathtaking acoustic version of ‘Lights Out’, the 2022 Armada Music release from Kryder and the indomitable Sarah de Warren.

After almost two full years of teasing the stripped version on her socials, Sarah finally got the go ahead from Armada to release the full acoustic track, which offers listeners the chance to hear the song as it was originally written and demoed.

Co-written with Benjamin Christopher Blease, Kye Sones & Polina Grace, the new mix — which Sarah performed, arranged, mixed and mastered herself(!!!) — features sorrowful vocals over a foundation of plaintive piano that creates a track that’s deeply penetrating in its sheer simplicity.

& to further celebrate the release, Armada has also produced an official music video, starring Marc Adam Barsegjan (aka djmindswitch) & Candy Kikkas (who also served as the video’s director ).

Partnering with cinematographer (and best friend) Marilyn Sipelgas, Kikkas’s finished product beautifully captures the devastation that can come from wanting someone who you discover only wants you on their own terms.

If you’re familiar with the original mix, I highly recommend giving the acoustic version a spin, and if you haven’t heard either version yet, you’re in luck, because the new ‘Lights Out’ (Mixes) single includes both tracks AND an extra vibey melodic house & techno mix from producer Dominiq Vanquish.

Check it out now wherever beautiful music is streamed & sold.

Buy / Stream ‘Lights Out’ (Acoustic Version)

Reigns’ Weekly Reign Begins Again

I couldn’t close out today’s post without mentioning the triumphant return of something I didn’t even know was a thing, but am nevertheless 100% TOTALLY HERE FOR … weekly cover videos from the trance anthem angel herself, the almighty Reigns.

Currently scheduled to release every Wednesday across Reigns’ TikTok, Instagram & YouTube channels, the first instalment in the series is a gospel rendition of the R&B smash hit ‘Shackles (Praise You)’, originally released by Mary Mary on Columbia Records back in 2000. #InTheYear2000

Rolling back the tempo & trading the original’s funk for a full on choir, Reigns infuses the track with a gravitas that is bound to move your heart and may very well bring you to your knees.

Over the past few months I’ve had the distinct pleasure of attending some of the live sessions Reigns has been doing on Tiktok, and I continue to be blown away by both her vocal prowess and her genuine appreciation for her community.

So while this track isn’t readily available in the places most of us typically go to buy or stream music, I do hope you’ll seek it out on these other platforms and see if you might be interested in picking up what Reigns is putting down.

& if you like what you hear and want to to make sure you don’t miss out on any future releases, check out the links below and give Reigns a follow on whichever social platform you like best.

Follow Reigns on TikTok

Follow Reigns on Instagram

Follow Reigns on YouTube

That’s it for this week, Fam!

I hope something from this post speaks to you, wherever you are on your journey, and that you know how much I appreciate you spending this time with me, whether you’ve been here on the weekly or this is your very first time.

If there is something in particular that’s been lighting up your life lately, please feel free to share it in the comments.

& if you want to be notified when these posts go live, I invite you to drop your email in the box below and subscribe to the site. Thanks so much for stopping by!