BEST NEW ARTISTS: TOULOUSE

by J. Simpson
9/14/17

It’s not often that a new producer gets shouted by Zane Lowe on his Beats1 Radio Show before even releasing a full album. Thus is the emotional power and resonance of Toulouse, a Nigerian-born singer and producer based out of NYC. Lowe tapped “Man From Pennsylvania” to be his #WorldRecord on September 12, calling the single ‘beautiful’:

“Man From Pennsylvania” is a light, bouncy modern soul ballad with an unexpectedly heavy drop shadow. Zane Lowe also tweeted a quote from Toulouse, talking about the song’s origins in today’s hyper-connected world.

 

TOULOUSE - MAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA

Funky, soulful, upbeat r&b with real heart and a social conscience is the name of the game with Toulouse, who’s preparing to drop his Extended Plea EP on Friday, via L. A.’s Terrible Records. Toulouse has been releasing a slow-but-steady dripfeed of excellent, if understated, singes via Terrible Records’ Bandcamp. While we are beyond excited to hear Toulouse’s most ambitious release to date this coming Friday, September 15, the personal nature and humility of these early singles showcase what REALLY matters about Toulouse. Consider “It Is Well,” released last April. Toulouse humbly talks about tweeting “to my 6 Twitter followers to find a song that makes them cry.” Someone sent him “It Is Well,” an old gospel number which moved Toulouse so much he recorded a chiming, breakbeat-ridden future r&b rendition. It’s this personal touch, connecting with fans and deeply caring about music above all else, that comes through most clearly in the NYC-based producer’s work.

Another early single from Extended Plea EP, “Hurtin,” has already been reaping a lot of advance praise, getting glowing write-ups from The Line Of Best Fit, among others. In a world where it seems like the self-promoters always win, when style trumps substance more often than not, it makes our hearts soar to see a talented, heartfelt, REAL music get their dues.

 

TOULOUSE - HURTIN

youtubeWe couldn’t be more excited about Extended Plea, and highly recommend you drop by Terrible Records’ Bandcamp and pick up a copy this Friday. Get hip to Toulouse, and be a part of the solution instead of the problem.

J. Simpson occupies the intersection between criticism, creativity, and academia. Based out of Portland, Or., he is the author of Forestpunk, an online journal/brand studying the traces of horror, supernatural, and the occult through music, fashion and culture. He plays in the dreamfolk band Meta-Pinnacle with his partner Lily H. Valentine, with whom he also co-founded Bitstar Productions, a visual arts collective focused on elevating Pop Culture to High Art.