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The Communiqué News

29 August 2023: Today, Fujii Kaze releases his self-affirming new tune "Workin' Hard." "Workin' Hard" is the official TV broadcast theme song of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Japan, released by Universal Music LLC.


Swati Bhat

Since "Shinunoga E-Wa" from Fujii Kaze's debut album HELP EVER HURT NEVER went viral in Thailand in July 2022, the song's popularity has gone worldwide. Fujii Kaze's new song has just been released, around one year after the phenomenon.

In order to get inspired, Fujii Kaze went to see B-League, a professional men's basketball league in Japan, and Japan's national team games before writing this song.

Fujii Kaze stayed in Los Angeles to develop a demo that reflected the thrill and emotion of basketball games in the music. After returning to Japan, he continued to practice the song and returned to Los Angeles to record it while preparing for the Asian tour and producing the video. Dahi, who has worked with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and others, produced the song, which was mixed by Jeff Ellis, and mastering engineer Dale Becker, and each section of the song was crafted by a Grammy award-winning team. In addition to the absolutely world-class sound, the participation of Kaze's lyrics, which can be interpreted as a nod to the Japanese delegates, is noteworthy.

On making the song and music video, Kaze shared with his fans, “This song is an anthem of love and respect to all who are living and doing their best. It is also a positive self-affirmation. And at the same time, it expresses the importance of cooperating with and working for others. Cuz this is also the TV broadcast theme song of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and you cannot play basketball alone :) Let’s work together, do our best, and respect each other. I’m sending much love and energy with this song. I’m happy if you feel it. ♡”


About Fujii Kaze:

Fujii Kaze is a rising singer-songwriter from Japan. He started practicing classical piano when he was little after being influenced by his father. Since he was 12, Kaze uploaded piano covers of popular songs on YouTube, which eventually caught the music industry’s attention and led him to make a label deal.

In May 2020, Kaze released his first album “HELP EVER HURT NEVER” with a message not to hurt anyone but just help, while the world was right in the middle of the pandemic. It reached No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Album chart and got numerous prestigious awards in Japan. He was selected as YouTube Japan’s first Artist On The Rise and picked for Spotify’s global program, RADAR.

In September 2021, he hosted an aspirational event titled Fujii Kaze “Free” Live 2021 at NISSAN stadium. Hoping to free up people’s minds through his music, Kaze performed just by himself with a grand piano at the 70,000-capacity stadium without any audience due to Japan’s state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19. It was livestreamed globally on YouTube and reached over 179,000 peak concurrent views. The event ended up becoming the world’s No. 1 trending topic on Twitter.

In March 2022, Kaze released his second album “LOVE ALL SERVE ALL”. The title is a phrase that he cherishes, which also aligns with the title of his first album. Again, the album reached No. 1 on Billboard Japan’s Hot Album chart and got numerous prestigious awards.

In July 2022, “Shinunoga E-Wa” from his first album went viral in Thailand. With that, the song reached #4 on Spotify’s Global Viral chart and reached #1 on the platform’s local viral charts in 23 countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, UK, France, Canada, Brazil, and Egypt, and reached #2 in the US.

In October 2022, he held a stadium show “LOVE ALL SERVE ALL STADIUM LIVE” at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka, this time in front of a live audience and completely sold out at 70,000-capacity. The show is now available on Netflix globally.

From June to July 2023, he held his first 7-city, 11-show tour of Asia, with all shows sold out.



FOLLOW FUJII KAZE


“Workin’ Hard” – LISTEN HERE

WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HERE






















July 20, 2023: Sambata, better known as Pratham Sunil Jogdand, is back with his highly anticipated single "Sod Lacharicha Paksh." This hard-hitting six-minute single delivers a striking peek into Sambata's existence as a rapper on the streets of Pune.


Swati Bhat

DEF Jam India

Click on the poster to Watch and Listen


Khakiee's "Sod Lacharicha Paksh" serves as a dramatic introduction to Marathi rap, leaving an unforgettable impression on the Indian music landscape. Sambata channels elements from his own life experiences through this pure 'gangsta rap' record, delivering a gripping and controversial tale of Maharashtra's rap culture through the eyes of a Marathi rap artist.

Sambata, one of India's best rappers, rose to notoriety with his merciless 'choppa flow' in Marathi vernacular. He is a cult figure among his admirers, embodying a distinct voice of vernacular Hip-Hop. He was born and raised in Pune. Despite his limited catalog, Sambata has made significant and outspoken rap recordings that have left an indelible mark on Indian hip-hop culture.

Sambata's music leaves a vernacular heritage, motivating artists from all over India to portray their cultures via music and performance. His bold commitment to narrative and ability to capture the essence of his surroundings has secured his position as an industry leader.

"I am thrilled to release 'Sod Lacharicha Paksh' as my towering return to rap music. Through my provocative and powerful rap in this song, I aim to inspire others to embrace their cultures and use music as a platform for change. I'm glad to be releasing my song with Def Jam India, and I hope that my music resonates with listeners and encourages them to explore the diverse voices within Indian Hip-Hop," communiqué of Sambata.

"Sod Lacharicha Paksh" exemplifies Sambata's musical prowess and unwavering dedication to pushing the frontiers of rap music. This song is a call to action, encouraging listeners to connect with and discover Maharashtra's lively rap culture.









Paradise, which was released on June 16th, follows the duo's collaboration on the international successes Hypnotised and In the Dark, both of which were on the German producer and Grammy winner's 2021 album Exotica.


Pritish Bagdi

Sophie & the Giants & Purple Disco Machine return with the immediate club favorite Paradise

Sophie and the Giants and Purple Disco Machine reunite for their new track Paradise, reuniting one of modern pop music's most inventive and successful collaborations.

After two chart-topping singles, the duo reunites to produce the summer anthem of 2023.

After crafting the song this time, Sophie realised there was only one person who could completely realise Paradise's club-dominating potential: her friend and artistic foil Purple Disco Machine, AKA Tino Piontek.

“I wrote this song as a classic dancefloor hit, welcoming you into my Paradise,” explains Sophie of the new single. “It’s so hypnotic that hedonistic arms will pull you onto the dance floor and make you want to scream out the lyrics while doing things you’ll regret.”

Driven by shimmering synths, an irresistible disco click, and Sophie’s enveloping vocals, Paradise is an evocative escape into a landscape of neon lights, pulsing strobes, and kinetic limbs as the song cascades across the dancefloor, enchanting bodies and minds as it goes.

“I hope Paradise makes people feel completely free and libera, like nothing else matters but this moment,” declares Sophie. “Whoever you are, forget about what is bringing you down ,kiss somebody and move your body to this song!”

Sophie and the Giants and Purple Disco Machine’s first collaboration, 2020’s Hypnotized, was a global hit amassing 425 million streams and 120 million plays on YouTube as it topped charts across Europe. Their second track together, 2022’s In The Dark, has already reached 200 million combined streams and was Number 1 on APC’s chart for the whole of the EU. Both songs have gone Gold and Platinum in a host of countries since their releases.

This long-term success stems directly from Sophie and Tino's strong creative and artistic understanding, which they formed while working together in the studio and on which Paradise draws.

"I'm so excited to be collaborating with Purple Disco Machine for the third time," Sophie says of their most recent musical collaboration. "After the way we worked together on Hypnotised and In The Dark, I knew as soon as I wrote Paradise that it was meant for the two of us."

The new single follows the success of Sophie and the Giants' last single, DNA ft Mearsy, released earlier in 2023, as well as last summer's We Own The Night, which both confirmed the London-based artist's dancefloor credentials. Sophie's tracks have now been streamed over 125 million times (excluding collaborations) have now been streamed over 125 million times internationally, and she has 3.8 million regular Spotify listeners.

Following a series of praised European gigs in late 2022, Sophie and The Giants have announced a 2023 tour, which will include a full sweep of European festivals and a September headline tour, providing a summer Paradise for everyone.


















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