Covid19 Lockdown Music - 2 : twitch edition

 

It's been so long since I last blogged here. I plan to catch up with some album and artist posts, but today, I present the second part to my lockdown music findings, as I've  been expanding my search on twitch, and also discovering new musicians via the streamers' raids into other channels. 

A reminder to read the 1st part from last year (!). 

Lockdown, even self imposed during a current curfew in France, is tough and rough on mental health. It's been great to listen to music, one's cds and so forth, but also online, via streams, where musicians put their extra, their energy,devotion to share creativity and interact with viewers and listeners, creating new bonds despite social distance. 

The only artists I'll repeat for this present, second part, are those whom I hadn't followed on twitch, a platform I'm still relatively new to. I first joined it to listen to ZOYA, already presented, and mentioned in the first part, as she'd been streaming over Facebook and Youtube. She now streams mostly on twitch, and posts the videos on her youtube channel after a delay, if they're not exclusive to twitch. Her twitch channel is here but she's also a guest on others, for example  Anjuna. Expect trance, melodic techno, melodic house, progressive,  techno. 

More trance music also on OnTheSeshUk, Uk trance Society, they each host various dj's.

Moving on to other dj's : Nifra, originally from Slovakia, now in the Netherlands, with her husband, Fisherman, also a dj. They each stream some of the longest streams I've heard online (and had to divide, they did some well over 6 hours straight!). 

Trance dj & producer Rinaly is originally from Japan, who moved to Sweden. 

I sometimes listen also to Alessandra Roncone from Italy ; Evan, from Greece has a channel called Nocturnal sessions, where he streams a variety of electronic music (trance, melodic, uplifting, progressive). I loved his Schiller special set, despite having most of the songs on cd. 

Tory's vibesbytoryis a mix of melodic, deep, progressive.

Let's talk about techno, a genre I listen to more sporadically and usually only in portions, because after a while it tires me brain - so I tend to listen to a set over a very prolonged period. 

For pure techno, I rely on MaryLe Mar, originally from Russia, who moved to Bali, Indonesia, but also on Technoinsider, who host djs & techno events, and on IntricacyNights. 

Karin Bash from San Francisco streams house, deep house, which I like less than techno, I listen less often. 

And now ... to more acoustic artists, who do either their own songs, and/or covers, over instruments such as guitar, piano, and others.

Israeli singer Achinoam Nini, simply known as Noa has had some streams over Facebook, and joined the trend of lockdown sessions on twitch. She's accompanied by her partner in music, Gil Dor, playing the guitar, and sometimes adding his vocals. They sing in English, French, Hebrew, Italian...

Recent discoveries : 

Jouliefox, born in Poland and based in London, singer, song-writer, musician, producer, model and Actress. Currently working on her first EP, also streams sets with original songs and covers, singing in English and Polish alike. You can request songs during her streams, out of her preestablished list, but if you join her discord, may suggest others, and she's super interactive between, sometimes during, songs. 

Jasmin from Germany plays originals and covers as well, plays the keyboard and guitar, and also interactive during streams. Sings in German and English and will play requests from her preestablished songlist, but, again, you can suggest songs if you think they'll suit her voice, either on discord, or her spotify - linked in her twitch about section.

Laïzé, who goes by Loren, which is easier to pronounce than her Bresilian birth-name, gives private classes in physics, math and chemistry (her major), but loved singing ever since she was a child, and shows her passion during her streams, singing in English and Portuguese. Same principle for song requests, plays electronic keyboard, guitar, and a very weird and funny instrument you'll discover in her streams (I admit, I forgot its name, it was distractingly hilarious.  (edit : she told me it's called Otamatone). 

Maalin lives in Sweden, recorded a 6-track mini-album to help you sleep, and when she's not studying to become a teacher, she streams, singing in English, plays piano and guitar, and expects lots of laughs during her streams. Expect some cracking jokes between songs!

Sanni Halla is from Finland, and will therefore sing both in English and Finnish, with her crystal clear, powerful and super controlled voice, playing the piano, kantele, guitar, ukulele - and may be accompanied (if not interrupted) by her dog Hilla... A mod shares the Finnish lyrics along their translations, and I must say that I was totally transfixed and mesmerized by these particular songs, totally understanding Tolkien's own fascination with this language and inspirational roots in creating the Elvish tongue called Quenya, which I've been planning to properly learn... and now, with Sanni's voice and music - especially in Finnish and with the kantele, further propel me into this project... 

Last night, I discovered Cerian (pronounce it Kerry-Anne), is a singer-songwriter from London. She plays harp, piano and guitar, also with an amazing voice, released an EP. 

Funny bits include the counters for how many times she wonders if she missed a comment in the chat, and another for how many times she mentions Glastonbury, prompting a sampling of wine or beer, commenting their quality during streams. 

Some of these musicians also released cds - albums or EPs (such as Nifra, Noa, Cerian), have other social media (check their about section, or search), and may or may not include a discord channel for chats between you and them, and for updates about streams, or suggestions. Some are busier, so if you plan to join and find they don't answer, please don't forget, they're busy people with lives, often between music and other projects. 

I have chatted with several of them on occasion, but never take any of (you, musicians) for granted. I thank each one of you for the time and efforts in your streams, and exchanges. 

I only started following a few other streamers after being told about them, or sent to their channels, after raids, but haven't listened yet, so there will be another entry in due time.