Rich Furniss is quickly following up his release On The Moon EP with a vibey, upbeat tune titled ‘”Summertime.” The release is in collaboration with L’Marco. Rich Furniss has debuted on 2 new labels in the same month, with Global305 handling the former EP and now In It Together signing the ladder song “Summertime.” Clearly, Rich Furniss and L’Marco were meant to work together. Rich Furniss drops a groovy track with clean and smooth design. L’Marco seems to be in the zone, splashing on a soulful true-to-house topline that is like icing on the cake. This is one release that gets better and better with each passing listen, the sophistication of the beat juxtaposing the vocal range and passion that comes out in the verses.
Rich Furniss has been actively pursuing this alias since Fall of last year. After several self releases and plenty of success over the months, label signings are seeming to be more of the norm for him. The NYC-based artist brings out of ton of diversity and color with the house releases he chooses to share. Considering the trend in house and the quality of sound he’s making, it’s no wonder things are going to so well.
Rich Furniss has had a wide-spectrum of experiences that have brought him to this point. He’s played dozens of shows, worked with artist of all sorts of various genre backgrounds, and is a fan of a variety of music types himsself.
2022 is Rich Furniss’ best year yet and things only seem to be getting better.
Japanese electronic artist known as Yamato has spent years making a name for himself within global EDM culture. A common place you may have spotted him previously would be his DJ set series which started around 7 years ago. As seen here, he would go to highly eye catching places around the globe and play out phenomenal DJ sets – these sets got very personal in the sense that you can see exactly the actions Yamato was doing with his hands that resulted in the change or effect it had on the music.
Yamato has been invited to play under the name of some of the biggest brands in the world, like Ultra via their yearly Japan showcase. On top of this, he’s gained support via names like Zedd, won the ‘World DJ Contest 2013 Japan,’ and was even the first Japanese artist to perform with Avicii in Japan. A huge honor.
Today, he’s poured all of his life experience and ideas into one highly defining and diverse release. He is calling it Essentials EP. Featuring 4 tracks, the releases features 3 collaborators and boasts different sounds per song. If you’ve heard past releases from Yamato, you’ll recognized plenty of designs and queues that sound like his style, yet there’s plenty of originality built in across this EP as well.
Hear for yourself below and get to know Yamato better via his videos and his Essentials EP
Marc Straight joins us for our Game Time feature, delving into video games and everything that surrounds them to celebrate his debut album release ‘Beauty In Transience’. A dynamic collection of swelling drops and mellifluous cadence, this 9-track album is sure to pull at one’s heartstrings. In “Beauty In Transience,” Marc Straight lays his heart out on the table in a journey that began with the urge to progress melodically, and in due course evolved into a divine product of life’s uncertainties.
This Game Time feature highlights Marc Straight’s love for gaming, be sure to read below to see what he is playing, which game he is waiting for, and more!
What’s your favorite game soundtrack?
Shadow of the Colossus. Anyone that knows me would most likely guess Dark Souls or Bloodborne, which is totally fair, but honestly this soundtrack is endless inspiration. The song “Despair Filled Farewell” will always be the song I listen to to feel energized.
Which is your all-time favorite console, either current or from the past?
It’s a tie between the Playstation because it gave me Final Fantasy VII or the Switch because it keeps me sane during travel.
Do you follow any pro-gamers, and which esports teams do you follow?
For League of Legends, I support Fnatic and Team Liquid.
For Valorant, I have to support G2. A friend of mine used to work for them so I began to support them in solidarity but now I’m here because they’re great.Also, I really love watching Magnus Carlsen play chess.
What music do you listen to while gaming?
It depends on the game, honestly. If it’s a game with a defined soundtrack I try to listen to it only. However, when I play League of Legends I mainly listen to Hardstyle, hip hop or melodic dubstep. When I play Valorant I listen to atmospheric and relaxing stuff so I can hear audio cues but still vibe out. When I play Apex I pretty much only listen to liquid drum and bass and when I play Vampire Bloodhunt I listen to death music because I’m trash.
What was the first video game you remember playing? Which device/console?
Mortal Kombat for Super Nintendo… actually that explains a lot about me.
What are your top 3 games ever and why?
Shadow of the Colossus – I love boss fights in games and this game is literally JUST that which is amazing. However, it also leaves you with so many questions, emotions, and doubt about your actions while having barely any dialogue. The first time I fought Avion, the giant bird in the lake, I cried. a lot. The music paired with this creature not trying to hurt you but show you its perspective of the world it cares for while you kill it, almost as if it wants you to just appreciate why it cares for it so much really stuck with me and changed how I view games.
Hellblade – This game is the first time I think there’s been a mature depiction of negative mental health states in games. There’s obviously an incredible amount of fantasy to communicate the story but the core told a story of processing an abject amount of distress that had me hooked to do the entire game in one sitting. I love this game so much that I had their depiction of the triskelion tattooed on my forearm.
Dark Souls 3 – Anyone that knows me expected this to be on here. I really love all of the games FromSoft makes, however, DS3 was the first game that felt extremely comfortable for me. I’ve spent 300+ hours in the game through a bunch of different characters. I have one called Fashion Police making people have better-looking outfits, if they listen to me then I jump off a cliff because they now look good but if they refuse I kill them to teach them that in this house you get drip or get hit. I also have characters like Girthworm Jim and Mountain Dude that I made to co-op with friends and show them around and my own character Amon that I rp as a rogue abyss watcher hunting everyone down to stop the flame from being linked.
Console or PC? If console, which one?
I acknowledge that PC gaming is better for every technical reason known to humankind but I like playing on console. If I’m on my PC I’m going to end up working on something and not fully enjoying what I’m playing so I try to play on console to have more separation from that.
What do you think the biggest future gaming advancement will be?
More ease of understanding for new developers and better integration of augmented reality/ virtual reality.
As a developer, I started working on games during the mid/ end cycle for Unreal Engine where the educational resources were absolutely outdated so learning felt impossible. With UE5 being new, this is the single best time to get started learning how to design games. They’re pushing really hard to make resources, make them easy to get started, and really easy to grow your ambition with education from just making random stuff. I firmly believe that the ability creates the health of an industry from the most people having access to create so there are constantly new ideas and I think we’re really approaching that with the recent changes in UE and Unity.
On the side of virtual reality, there is so much that we know we can do but it doesn’t fully work at the level of our own ambition. Resident Evil VR was a good example of this because it shows just how clean a VR game can be but there was major drawbacks from motion sickness which is something you don’t normally have to give as much attention to in regular games. I’m really excited to see what VR/AR games can create once developers are more comfortable with the design needs.
What upcoming game release are you most excited for?
Nour: Play With Your Food because I’m making it with my best friend TJ Hughes.
Which game soundtrack would you want to have your music in?
It depends on context! I’d love to do something that could combine electronic music with orchestra, such as a game like Destiny, Ghostwire: Tokyo, or any game that Darren Korb works on.
I’ve also been really enjoying making promotional pop music for games like my recent work with Maplestory and Once More so I’d love to keep blending the worlds of pop and VGM.
However, my main goals for a full OST are to go back to my roots and make music for a horror game and also make some epic boss battle music for an RPG.
What are you playing at the moment?
An alarming amount of Elden Ring with a side of Valorant
What game do you think you’re best at overall?
I’ve won PVP tourneys in Dark Souls 3 so I’d say that and I’m above average in League of Legends but I don’t think you can be good at league you can just be less bad.
If you had to live in the world of the last game you played, what world would it be?
That would be League of Legends and after seeing Arcane… it depends on where I was born but probably yeah because then Katarina would be real.
Do you watch any gaming streamers/youtubers?
I’m really new to Valorant and Apex but I really like watching iiTzTimmy for both, however I have to shout out Dixon because he made me want to start playing Viper which is my favorite character in Valorant. I also watch streams when my friends are on like Lizzytomania, Charalanahzard, and Athyris
Leonardo Schlereth, or as he is commonly known as Young Cardi, is a young hip-hop artist who’s well on his way to hitting 10 million streams. So far, he has 5 million across all platforms, with 3.5 million on Spotify and 2.2 million streams on the single “F.I.L” alone.
Young Cardi has been a professional musician since he was 16 years. He was born and raised in Monaco, where he has been heavily involved in the music world from an early age. Since he entered the music field, he released songs that attracted hundreds of thousands of listeners within hours. Cardi says, “ I have always had a love for music at a very young age, I can’t get enough of the creation process.”
This talented artist comes from a family with love for music. His Grandmother Laila Iman wowed fans throughout Egypt and other Arabic-speaking countries, some even called her “Queen of the Nile”. Cardi is now winning the love and support of millions of fans across the globe.
He stands out from the competition as he is the first and only rapper born and raised in Monaco. His music is real and unique, as his life is like no other artist. Cardi is one of the most real, if not the realest artists out there, as he doesn’t flaunt rented cars, yachts, jewelry, e.t.c. With Cardi, fans can be assured that whatever he shows is his real life, and he is not faking.
The best selling games console of ALL TIME was unveiled on 4th March 2000, in where else but Japan? I am, of course, referring to the Playstation 2,Sony‘s hugely anticipated follow-up to the classic original which had already spawned a wealth of fan favourites such as Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro The Dragon. Reaching European, American, and Australian shores by Autumn of the same year, the sixth-generation console was immediately pitted into a war with rivals such as Sega‘s Dreamcast, Nintendo‘s Gamecube, and the Microsoft Xbox.
Despite this, the PS2 emerged successful in the face of adversity, blowing competitors out of the water with a whopping 155 million units sold worldwide thanks to backward-compatibility, and the added feature of being able to read CDs and DVDs, trebling up as an all-round home entertainment system, a revolutionary feature for the 21st century. With over 3,800 titles shifting more than 1.5 billion copies thanks to the likes of Sonic Heroes, Sly Cooper, and the hotly discussed Star Wars Battlefront II, Sony served up a vast array of treats for gamers at the turn of the Millennium. But which were the greatest?
These are, CULTR’s Top 10 Playstation 2 Games of All Time…
10. KINGDOM HEARTS
Having Donald Duck and Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud Strife in the same game certainly takes some explaining, but somehow, Kingdom Hearts managed to pull it off with aplomb. This nostalgia-soaked jamboree of mayhem saw an array of Disney characters and Looney Tunes combine for a dynamic and refreshing take on the platform/adventure game which still lives long in the memory. Much like one of those crazy dreams where your Uncle Jim, Max Verstappen, and that girl you had a crush on in 2nd grade all somehow end up on a night out together at Pizza Hut on the North Pole, the random nature of ‘Kingdom Hearts‘ made for a fun playalong for just about every age range.
9. VIRTUA FIGHTER 4
Already building on the fabled SEGA series which hit arcades worldwide, the meteoric success of the Virtua Fighter series soon started to dwarf previous Sony success-story ‘Tekken‘ as the PS2 stepped through infancy and into adulthood. Reuniting gamers with their favourite characters from the button-basing joystick versions in local Bowplex centres – including Canadian pro wrestler ‘Wolf‘ – the slick graphics and mesmeric violent gameplay of this title catapulted ‘VF4‘ into instant ‘classic’ teritory. Whether utilsiing low punches and ground attacks, or spinning high-kicks from martial arts siblings Sarah and Jacky Bryant, Playstation had finally found a worthy opponent for the success of Nintendo‘s ‘Street Fighter‘.
8. MEDAL OF HONOR: FRONTLINE
Back before the modern controversies of Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Russia, ‘Medal of Honor’ focused gameplay on the age old tradition of delivering justice for the Allies, under the strain of Nazi invasion. The first-person shooter from EA Games offered gamers tremendous value for money at the time, with a 100% completion of the title taking around 16 hours in total. Taking Churchill‘s famous speech to new heights, players were invited to battle on the beaches, as well as oceans and local towns/marketplaces, all in the spirit of re-enacting World War II. Achieving a then-score of 9/10 from Gamespot, it’s easy to see why so many were keen to pick up a virtual rifle in the early 2000s.
7. THE GETAWAY
Bringing a taste of ‘GTA‘ to the United Kingdom, Brits – in particular – couldn’t get enough of ‘The Getaway’ when the title hit stores in 2002. Inspired by gangster films such as ‘Snatch‘ and ‘Get Carter’, the game aired the murky underbelly of London crime culture following a botched kidnap and murder of the child and wife of main character, Mark Hammond. Our hero is then tasked with a series of on-foot and in-car chases around the streets of the English capital as he attempts to wreak vengeance on the crime-lords responsible for his trauma. Made with a real ‘Krays‘ style energy, this one makes you wanna smash a pint of ale on the local bar and scream “GET OUTTA MY PUB!“
6. JAMES BOND 007: NIGHTFIRE
Back at the turn of the century, James Bond-themed games were certainly in no short supply following the success of the N64‘s legendary, ‘GoldenEye’. The PS1 tried – but ultimately failed – to replicate the success via the basic – yet fun – ‘Tomorrow Never Dies‘ and ‘The World Is Not Enough’ titles, but it wasn’t until 2002 when the meat in this Bond sandwich proved the PS2‘s crowning glory. Having already aired ‘Agent Under Fire‘ to keen gamers, with ‘Everything Or Nothing‘ launching just a year or so later, it was ‘Nightfire‘, the middle child in this trilogy which delivered the most fun for 007 enthusiasts, as the World’s most famous spy galavanted round snowy landscapes with his fabled ‘golden gun‘ in toe.
5. PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 5
To gamers these days, ’tis almost unthinkable that EA Sports’ FIFA titles were once usurped for the crown of ‘greatest football game’, but throughout the noughties, Japanese developers Konami truly hit the jackpot thanks to the ‘PES‘ series. Starting slow, PES really started to gather pace around the time of ‘Pro Evo 2‘ in 2002. Adding iconic referee Pierluigi Collina only added to the cult-hero status of the games in 2003, before Pro Evo 4, 6, and particularly 5, really dominated the console for sports fans. Clad with the brilliant ‘Master League‘ game mode, ‘ballers were less bothered by unlicensed team names such as ‘Mersey Red‘ and ‘Manchester Blue‘, and more keen to rattle in those Adriano thunderbolts thanks to the infamous 99-rated shot power.
4. RATCHET & CLANK
Still one of the most iconic platformers of all time, the Ratchet & Clank series has since evolved into a true juggernaut of modern gaming thanks to sequel titles such as ‘Up Your Arsenal’ and ‘Size Matters’. But it was this original in 2002 which helped catapult the title into primetime consciousness as nerdy android ‘Clank’ teamed up with our main protagonist; Lombax mechanic pilot, ‘Ratchet’. A truly fantastic-looking PlayStation 2 game, the sheer size of the levels is really impressive, and you’ll often find yourself fighting a screen full of small enemies amid these huge environments, but the game’s incredibly smooth frame rate never slows down. One of the PS2‘s finest, without a doubt.
3. GRAN TURISMO 4
Talking of asthetics… They don’t come much finer than the gorgeous ‘GT 4‘, released around New Year 2004/05. Offering petrol heads the chance to get to grips with over 720 cars from 80 different manufacturers, the game also featured more than 50 varying tracks from iconic spots around the World. Soaked in a beautifully silky and advanced graphic rate, racers were implored to try their luck with a Ford Mondeo on the cobbled gravel of a Rally circuit, or drive a Fiat Punto around the jaw-dropping scenery of the Grand Canyon. A revolutionary pioneer for the PS2, this was arguarbly the first sixth-generation title to open gamer’s minds up into what graphics of the future could offer.
2. THE SIMPSONS: HIT & RUN
By this point, you’re probably wondering where ‘Grand Theft Auto‘ features in this list, but here in the silver medal position, is Homer Simpson – remarkably – playing the role of Tommy Vercetti. Written by the same folks behind the show, Hit & Run sees several of the animation’s most cultish moments delivered in a golden slice of fan-service, with Mr. Plow, Duff beer, and Buzz Cola all making an appearance. Though some have argued that The Simpsons was already past its best by 2003, the story is well written and enjoyably goofy, with plenty of humorous gags to boot. It’s a faithful, feature-length story of the show, which – both at the time – and since release, managed to please fans eternally.
1. GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY/SAN ANDREAS
Okay, so… Technically, we cheated. It’s near-on impossible to seperate the brilliance of both Vice City, and San Andreas, which are – arguarbly – the most iconic games (on any console) of all time, let alone the PS2. Building on the success of GTA III, which allowed gamers to access a fully operational 3D open-world format for the first time, Vice City was soaked in retro pastel colours, imitating an 80s Miami, whilst San Andreas offered more gruff settings of growing up in the hood, and offering gamers a ‘get rich or die tryin’ vibe. With Rockstar‘s series later birthing GTA IV and most recently, GTA V, the success of the entire franchise can be pinpointed down to the moment these two changed the game forever!
Do you agree with our selections? Wanna shout out those hidden gems you think we might have missed? Why not head over to our CULTR Twitter page to start the debate!
Boasting a cinematic energy that deeply snags the soul of those who take the time to listen, STRX has outdone himself on the release of “Shadows,” featuring Ava Silver. Showcasing thick basslines and trap-influence in the percussion, the melody is strongly brought out given the other structural elements that are in place. As heavy as it is melodic, there’s several aspects going on here that put it’s hooks within the listener, all of which were painstakingly selected and blended into the creation here.
Set to release on Frequency Music, this is one of many indications that this guy is on the way up. Containing immersive atmospheres and influences of trap, bass and psytrance, STRX goes big here and sets the tone of what the rest of the year will be like for this guy.
“In the midst of the pandemic, I found myself feeling hopeless and somewhat depressed sometimes. The negative voices in my head naturally transferred onto the music script, even though I was trying to make uplifting club music. As a result of this crossover between energy & vulnerability, ‘Shadows’ was born. Due to the extent to which this feeling was relatable to Ava Silver, we managed to make a vocal that perfectly connected. All in all, we created a piece with a message that I hope people can relate to and get empowered by.” – STRX
Following up the The Two Fake Blondes remix by Deadman via “Song for When Ur Sadddd,” the couple duo have now brought in another friend and talented producer Neon Feather to remix “Battle Cry.” At the core of the remix, Neon Feather pulls from a future house playbook. Pulling together an incredible balance between the core elements of the original, his style, and the prementioned genre, Neon Feather brings out some explosive energy that simply has to be heard. From the thick bass heard on the low end to a sense of confidence that excludes from the release from start to finish, Neon Feather blows away any expectations that an individual could have set upon this one.
“’Battle Cry’ came to us during a time of fasting while Hannah was experiencing medical difficulties, a song we really believed would bring people hope & empower them during times of difficulty like it did for us. We were so excited when Neon Feather wanted to get involved with a remix and he created an incredible remix. He’s someone we’ve looked up to for a long time & having him be a part of this is so special!” – The Two Fake Blondes
Hannah Mac (formerly Hannah Michelle Weeks) and Petey Mac are the two who make up The Two Fake Blondes. The two are married and know how to keep it fun and feel-good. They’ve nailed over 150,000 streams over just 2 songs “If You Really Love Me,” and “Body,” while last year they make a big splash with a debut album via Out Of The Darkness. The album contains tons of goodies and the party continues forward as Deadman and Neon Feather add an extension to the platform which TFFB have laid down.
No stranger to groove-filled bangers, Californian DJ & producer Al Sharif has unveiled his stunning remix of ‘Time’, one of the most widely acclaimed productions on Swedish House Mafia‘s ‘Paradise Again’ album. With the original relying heavily on a dusting of magic from Axwell, as confirmed via their Zane Lowe interview, Swedish House Mafia‘s version pairs an emotive Mapei vocal with a rasping hook. Now elevating the track to a whole new level via his dance floor-ready touch, Al Sharif – who recently enjoyed success with his Stevie Krash collaboration ‘The Way‘ on Third Party‘s Release Deep label – builds the remix with an atmospheric crescendo which crackles into life with a typically groove-laden drop.
The San Diego-based artist, who has previously launched tracks of Kryder‘s Sosumi Records label, Hardwell‘s Revealed Recordings imprint, and Tom Staar‘s ‘Staar Traxx‘, has gained a widespread flurry of support in his career so far, from the likes of Don Diablo, Sam Feldt, Arty, Dada Life, Sander van Doorn, and most notably, Tiesto, featuring on the latter’s Club Life Radio. Garnering further acclaim from Above Beyond, who have recently featured Al Sharif on ‘Group Therapy’, the pioneer of the California Groove Movement is surging powerfully through 2022, with his incredible Swedish House Mafia remix now available below!
Outside of individual articles, dig in below to find some of the best dance music across a range of genres out this week!
ILLENIUM feat. Spiritbox – Shivering [Warner]
ILLENIUM goes hard with his latest; ‘Shivering’. Teaming up with Canadian band Spiritbox, the artists create a record that showcases a harder, dubstep sound and a more future bass esque drop.
Hardwell – DOPAMINE [Revealed]
Hardwell drops his latest album single, ‘DOPAMINE’. Like the title suggests, the track is inundated with energy. With a big room techno backing, the record is brought to the next level with a unique sound design.
John Summit – In Chicago [Off The Grid]
John Summit debuts his album with his record ‘In Chicago’. With the lyrics being “I’m drunk and I’m high”, it seems like it’s a personal record for Summit, the avid partier.
Armin van Buuren, AVIRA, Chicane – Offshore [Armada]
Armin van Buuren links with AVIRA again as well as Chicane for piano focused ‘Offshore’. The feel good instrumental record is simply terrific and is a highlight of van Buuren’s recent drops.
Vluarr feat. Edu Monteiro – On Our Own [STMPD]
Following his collaboration with label boss Martin Garrix, Vluarr ventures out with ‘On Our Own’. The bubbly electro house production is brought to the next level thanks to Edu Monteiro’s terrific vocal.
KC Lights feat. Leo Stannard – Daydreamer [Toolroom]
After their success team up ‘Cold Light’, KC Lights and Leo Stannard join forces again for ‘Daydreamer’. As the title states, the record is a chill, feel good summer anthem.
Mordax Bastards & O-Dee – Keep On Dancing [CLUBWRK]
Ukrainian artists Mordax Bastards team up with O-Dee for ‘Keep On Dancing’. The thumping record is perfect for nightclubs and festivals. The main room record is a fresh take on the big room sound that came to fame many years ago.
After diving into the studio from 2019 until now, The Chainsmokers’ newest LP has arrived. The album, So Far So Good, showcases the duo’s new and evolved sound across the 13 records. Tracks 1-3 have were released as singles, since garnering a collective 80+ million streams.
According to The Chainsmokers’ Drew Taggart, the album’s name derives from a quote from La Haine, a French crime drama film released in 1995. They found optimism in a particular quote, which they believe encapsulates the album’s subject matter: “Heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he kept saying to reassure himself, ‘So far so good… so far so good… so far so good.’ How you fall doesn’t matter. It’s how you land.”
The Chainsmokers will also be share album royalties via Royal NFTs. The duo will give away 5000 tokens for free, each providing 0.0002% of the album royalties. The first 4000 will be reserved for The Chainsmokers’ VIPs.
