Growing up, music was the heartbeat of Darren Sessions’ family existence. This exposure influenced him with a wide range of genres, spanning pop, rock, country, classical, Latin pop, R&B, and many more. His creative vision was shaped by this and also by learning the piano at a young age. As he grew older, he began immersing himself in the creative process, making music using the available technology. Following short stints in bands in the early 2000s, he created his own band, Dasmeter, in 2014, which focused on instrumental EDM music. Darren took a temporary hiatus before resurfacing fully committed to his craft, and that’s how we get ourselves critiquing his debut album “Phoenix,” which has been birthed from his own life experiences and emotions, stretching the limits of pop music in the most infectious of ways!
This album, unfolding like chapters of a day-to-day diary, is much more than a trip down memory lane; it’s a chance to experience Darren’s music with a fresh perspective and deeper insight. Each track here is a stepping stone in Darren’s growth, both as an artist and as a person.
Darren Sessions can’t wait for you to hear the new life breathed into these songs that mean so much to him. They embody his experiences with life and love, his dreams, and the lessons he has learned along the way. With 10 tracks spanning half an hour and 10 seconds, “Phoenix” is the kind of music that you not only listen to but also experience!
When the music is this good, sometimes you feel like mere words can take the flavor out of it, but I’ll try to give you a glimpse of what has been surrendered here. This is what the heart and soul feel like, and by the end of your listening experience, you will indeed feel that something inside you has changed—maybe you’ll want to live, love, and laugh more as you embrace life’s beauty and feel wildly alive.
The opener, “Chasing Your Heart,” is an adrenaline-packed tour de force that transcends and strikes a chord from the very first minute. The infectious pop beats and sweet-sounding female vocals ebb and flow with polished finesse, and I love how intense the track gets towards the chorus, mirroring epic electro-pop with the driving rhythms and melody. This track is an ode to the strength found in love and is more than guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on your heart and soul. The lyrics, “Chasing your heart, every single day, laughing and loving, we make our own way,” encapsulate the relentless pursuit of love and the joy found in shared moments. This enchanting masterpiece is dedicated to Darren’s lovely wife.
Another special ballad that left a mark on me is “My Everything,” an enchanting masterpiece. The floating percussion morphing into these danceable beats is everything good about this jam, as the beautiful vocals and striking lyrics resonate with personal appeal. This is the ideal song to play to your significant other as you take them out on a date, or simply if sharing music is your love language.
“Meaning of Life” is an emotionally touching tune that explores life’s intricacies and how everything we love always seems to drift away. The mellow and gentle yet powerful female vocals underscore the emotional weight of the song, allowing the song to hit all the deep spots within a listener. The song has also been delivered with an inspirational tone to remind you that eventually, you will reclaim what’s yours as you are a born winner and survivor!
The last track, “The Hard Way,” is sentimental in melody and feel, capturing poignant emotions over a stripped-back production as the crisp vocals breathe life into deeply relatable lyrics that touch the soft spots of the heart.
“Phoenix” is much more than the infectious pop ballads unleashed here—this is a journey through growth, a celebration of life and love, and an ode to rising above the ashes of adversity and being reborn into something new and indomitable.
Stream the album in its entirety, and let the songs you fall in love with the most be part of your favorite playlist.
Katika wimbo wao mpya wenye mchangamsho “Play Your Clarinet!”, Into the Blood wanaunganisha midundo ya kielektroniki inayoshika kwa urahisi na mgeuko wa kusisimua: solo la klaneti lenye mionjo ya jazz kutoka kwa Peter Fuglsang. Uchezaji wake unaongeza mguso wa uchezaji wa moja kwa moja unaokamilisha msingi wa kidijitali wa wimbo huu, na kuunda tukio la kipekee kabisa la kusikiliza.
Wimbo huu utazinduliwa kimataifa tarehe 22 Novemba katika lugha 11 tofauti—ikiwemo Kiswahili, Kifaransa, Kiingereza na Kichina n.k.—pamoja na toleo lisilo na sauti za kuimba.
Jiunge nasi katika safari ya kimataifa Acha “Play Your Clarinet!” ikupeleke kuvuka mipaka, sauti na tamaduni. Wimbo mmoja. Lugha kumi na moja. Utasikika kwenye majukwaa yote makubwa ya kusikiliza muziki mtandaoni, na video za maneno ya wimbo zitapatikana kwenye YouTube. Jifunge mkanda na ufurahie safari!
Kuhusu Into the Blood Duo la Into the Blood—Jens Brygmann (sauti za kuimba na ngoma za kidijitali) na Carsten Bo Andersen (kinanda na sintesa)—imekuwa ikifanya kazi tangu mwaka 2016. Muziki wao umekuwa ukipigwa kwenye vituo mbalimbali vya redio duniani, vikiwemo vya Uingereza, Australia na Ufaransa.
Toleo la asili la “Play Your Clarinet!” pia linapatikana kwenye rekodi ya vinili ya inchi 12 kama sehemu ya mradi wao mkubwa wa Destination 11, unaojumuisha video ya muziki ya dakika 11. Video hiyo imewahi kuonyeshwa katika matamasha mbalimbali ya kimataifa ya filamu fupi, na hadi sasa tayari imeshinda tuzo mbili nchini India, kufikia hatua ya fainali kwenye East Village New York Film Festival na Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Festival, nusu fainali kwenye Seattle Film Festival na robo fainali kwenye Synergy Film Festival huko Los Angeles.
Mradi wa Destination 11 umefadhiliwa na White City Consulting na Custom Coaching.
Montreal-based pop sensation and LGBTQ activist Van Hechter is back with “Boy Problems,” a stunning new single. The track merges his signature upbeat charm with rare emotional depth. Hechter, known for hits like “Disco Brother,” “Hot Damn,” and “Love Elastic,” reveals a new side to his magnetic electro-pop personality, offering a message that is both radiant and raw.
At 4 minutes and 24 seconds, “BoyProblems” is a bilingual (French & English) eruption of glitter, melancholy, and empowerment. It’s built on irresistible synths, glossy production, and pulsing basslines. The song invites listeners into a world where heartbreak beats in rhythm with liberation. The melodies feel euphoric on the surface, yet are stained with a haunting vulnerability, proving that dancing and deep feeling can exist together.
At its core, the song is a manifesto about refusing to settle for half-love. Van delivers lyrics that make you sway, smile, and suddenly pause; the truth stings. If love isn’t loud, real, and fully given, he’d rather walk away. It’s a reminder wrapped in rhythm: loving yourself means refusing the small version of what you deserve.
Filled with Hechter’s signature humor, glamour, and optimism, “Boy Problems” is a club anthem and a soul-stirrer all at once. The bilingual lyrics expand its emotional reach. The track feels at home anywhere, from Parisian dance floors and New York rooftops to headphones on a bus or speakers at Pride.
This is a jam that makes you feel like you’re flying, free from pretense. It’s definitively dance-pop and unmistakably Van Hechter, though the smile has a real heartbeat underneath. Listeners will hear that signature flair; he’s still cheeky, stylish, and unapologetically queer. His artistry is simply sharpened with new emotional honesty. This is a growth moment, delivered with a wink and a synth hook.
“Boy Problems” is a significant step beyond a simple catchy single. It’s a toast to self-worth. A glittering rebellion against lukewarm love. A reminder that the dance floor can be a place to heal. This sonic centerpiece belongs on your playlist, and on your friends’ too.
Sometimes a song shows up like that friend who kicks open the door without knocking, grinning and saying, “get your shoes, we’re leaving.” “Tule Tule,” the new single from South Sudanese artist TR Craze featuring Jamaican-UK rapper Caine Marko, moves exactly like that. The track is bold and charged, carrying the weight of lived experience while stomping over a dark, menacing drill beat that feels built for the streets as much as the club.
TR Craze’s backstory reads like a movie script Hollywood studios would fight over. He was born in South Sudan, shaped by the trauma of civil war, and pushed into the harsh realities of refugee life. He literally survived the treacherous routes through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe. This man distills survival into rhythm. On “Tule Tule,” you can feel that heart, that urgency, and that fire in his delivery, channelled into a raw, assertive drill performance that cuts through even if you don’t understand a single word of the opening verse. At its core, “Tule Tule” is a raw, assertive drill track that isn’t afraid to bare its teeth.
The word “Tule” comes from Nuer. It refers to youth games and the electric thrill of chasing something, whether that’s victory, joy, or destiny. TR Craze uses that spirit like a drumbeat beneath his voice. The choruses hit with a communal, call-and-response warmth but here that playfulness is flipped into a gritty, chant-like hook – “Tule Tule” – that feels like the rallying cry of a crew on the move. Even without translating the lyrics, the tone tells you everything. This is about motion, pursuit, celebration, and refusing to stay stuck in the past, all wrapped in an unapologetic, high-adrenaline atmosphere. Lyrically, the track leans into street life, dominance and crew loyalty, matching the tension in the beat.
Behind them, producer Kyxxx builds a dark, tense soundscape, stitching drill drums with Brazilian bounce and Bhangra-flavoured rhythmic elements that keep the track constantly on edge. The result is a gritty, energetic and unapologetic atmosphere that pulls you straight into their world.
Then Caine Marko slides in for the second verse, and the whole energy pivots into a sharp, swagger-heavy bounce. His flow is clean but gritty, confident and confrontational, shifting between braggadocio and sly charm.
“She knows I’m a wolf and I run the pack,” he starts, classic alpha talk, but delivered with a laid-back grin. “She come first like running track,” he continues, flipping between affection and athletic metaphors like a man who’s too used to moving fast.
Then he opens up the verse more: “Doing dirt and getting with a bitty, I only pretty… then back to the city. Got me some liquor then it got me some weed.” It’s lifestyle rap, but the reckless, unapologetic kind. It’s the messy, outside-at-night, live-in-the-moment vibe that balances TR Craze’s more grounded narrative. When he ends with “you going to hang with the gang,” the energy snaps into a group-hyped finale, a reminder that music like this isn’t meant to be consumed alone, underlining the crew-first loyalty at the heart of the record.
“Tule Tule” works because it blends worlds without softening its raw, street-hardened edge. It merges East African emotion, Caribbean-UK swagger, drill and hip-hop grit, Brazilian and Bhangra textures in Kyxxx’s production, diaspora storytelling, and a spirit of joy that refuses to be dimmed by pain.
Let “Tule Tule” run while you’re walking, cooking, texting, or plotting big dreams – or getting ready to step out with your crew.