The Bite Magazine - Summer 2012 - Issue 5

bite newsingles T he recent warm and sunny weather was the perfect backdrop in which to review this track. Parisian singer Julia Channel released her first single, ‘Forever In A Day’ on the June 17 and it’s a likely contender for the title of this year’s definitive summer anthem.Written by Varren Wade, the R’n’B singer-songwriter who has also written for acts such as Jamelia and Ne-Yo and mixed by names such as Big Ali and Willy William from Collectif Metisse have contributed to the song’s already-burgeoning popularity in clubs and on dance floors. In France, Julia Channel has already made a name for herself through several varied ventures.A model, actress, and even having the time to set up her own dating site, Channel is also the face of the street clothing brand Homecore, and has interviewed fellow ladies in music such as Janet Jackson and Alicia Keys, on the show Hip Hop Channel . Julia Channel herself is a self-confessed fan of music that is positive and perfect to dance to, and ‘Forever In A Day’ is exactly that. Slick and glossy, the music is a sophisticated and infectious call-to- party; the lyrics celebrating all that are joyous about new love. Even non-fans of this particular kind of style will be unable to resist its happy, energetic charm. The first single from Channel’s debut album, Colours , the LP will be boasting a whole host of impressive song writing credits, including Alan Laporte, who has written for Jagged Edge and Usher, and Johnny Douglas, who has previously written for Kylie Minogue and George Michael. To top it off, Vernon Mungo, who has worked with Kelly Rowland, Kanye West, and Britney Spears, had the honour of mixing the album. If ‘Forever In A Day’ is anything to go by, Julia Channel could become a welcome addition to the music industry,with a brand of unapologetically happy dance floor fillers. Having already achieved so much in her native France, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if she goes on to achieved just as much here in the UK. www.juliachannel.com F rom New York City comes a new musical duo, Ms Mr, a group that through Chess Club Records will be releasing their first single “Hurricane” on 2 nd July. The group, whose members at the moment appears to be remaining faceless and nameless, have described their music as “tumblr glitch pop,” “electroshock,” and “soul fuzz.” Their song “Hurricane” has already been snapped up and premiered on BBC Radio 1, by none other than the music journalism legend that is Zane Lowe. The song is a fusion of heavy, steady drumbeats and crystal clear, echoing vocals from the band’s female singer. And in today’s visual and image- driven world, the song’s music video is one that certainly turns heads. The concept, of a speeding, racing jumble of unrelated images, logos, people and characters, and scenes from film and TV, is nothing really new - considering Lana Julia Channel FOREVER IN A DAY MsMr -“Hurricane” Del Rey’s similar concept for her original do-it-yourself videos for “Video Games” and “Blue Jeans”, but what is interesting is the variety of the images - the cult cartoons Daria and Beavis And Butthead , the equally cult sitcom The Young Ones, images of comic books, Abba, Kraftwerk, Buster Keaton, The X Files and Wednesday Addams, amongst a great myriad of others - and the almost epileptic fit-inducing speed with which they appear and disappear. No doubt part of the appeal of Ms Mr, just as they emerge from anonymity to burgeoning indie music act, is the anonymity they continue to keep a firm grip on, at least for now. One way to work around this, one assumes, is to see them live, and Londoners were able to do just that as the duo performed two gigs in the city this June, the first being at the Birthdays Bar in Dalston, and the second at The Barfly, taking part in The Guardian New Band Of The Day Show. The combination of their music, memorable video art, and shying away in the shadows á la Banksy, will contribute to new fans’ growing curiosity. Seeing them live, rather than destroy the illusion, may just add an even greater appeal to this band that could become very popular in the near future. www.msmrsounds.com Images courtesy of Purple PR Image courtesy of Digital Rebel PR