Dear people of Cardiff and beyond, music lovers and the saviours of local music scene of South Wales or literally anybody who’s reading this review, this is for you. Music & Sound students of the University of South Wales have brought you their unique vinyl containing tracks of various genres. If you live in Cardiff and sometimes happen to pop by Womanby Street on a Saturday night, I am pleased to announce that Create Sampler will play your local faves.
Our local music scene in Cardiff is positively remarkable, and it’s thriving despite music venues recently having been at risk of shutting down. Create Sampler gives you a glimpse into the young generation of local musicians, which I am sure will make you want to explore it further.
As the vinyl is extremely versatile, it wasn’t possible to review it as a whole, so I’m giving you a couple of lines about every artist and their music.
First track of the vinyl strikes you with the soft voice of Hannah Cleminshaw and her banger single “Circles” that is unique on its own and gives the EP an R&B angle. A contemporary twist of R&B and alternative music is also provided by Steve Kenward and his “Hard Times”. The versatility of Create Sampler appears throughout the tracks, as next we’ve got CLWB FUZZ with “No Heaven”. Presenting Indie with a psychedelic twist I’d say, where the vocals are drifting away, gripped by the earie sounds of the electric guitar. CLWB FUZZ can genuinely never fail to satisfy me.
Rockfeller Collective comes next giving the EP a completely different atmosphere, as “Struggle” is a mixture of soul and hip-hop with great gospel that recurs during the song and embraces almost every line. The single seems to be a personal confession in a musical form, and I think a lot of people can relate to the lyrics on a spiritual level. Junior Mitty brings us “Livin’ Up The View” a catchy radio song, with an interesting use of sounds; at times it even sounds like playing koto in the background, it’s definitely a summer tune.
Yasmine & the Euphoria strikes again! I really enjoyed their performance at Cardiff Music Festival, and as soon as I saw their name on the cover of Create Sampler, I thought “oh yes!”. “Euphoria” is a song with dark sounds, and a slightly grunge vibe at times. Create Sampler also would’ve been incomplete without BLOOM, and “Crocodile Tears” is the banger that wakes you up. BLOOM is rock, BLOOM is loud, your dream band to see at a bigger venue. If you fancy more rock, Paryiah presents us a crossover to a bit of hard rock with “Whiskey” which feels like a smack in the face in a positive way.
If you like a hint of unconventional experimenting with sounds, Tom Purves serves you a mixture of diverse genres that creates a consistent whole, and it’s something I’d call ‘catwalk synthpop’. The single is called “Mamma Don’t” and it is truly interesting and intriguing. We’ve also got something for all the ballads lovers, AFBOB’s “All I Have To Give” is an atmospheric, complemented by soft vocals piece. The vibes of the song remind me of a band called Daughter, so if you’re into folk ballads, the song is for you. “Disney Films” by Otto gives off similar vibes and I remember watching him live at CMF Festival absolutely amused.
Rhydian Meilir brings us folk, but this time, in Welsh! Dreamy acoustic guitar, piano and chorus cause ambiguous feelings, nostalgic yet positive. Alongside Rhydian, the vinyl contains another Welsh artist, quite popular rock band Adwaith which is my Welsh favourite and often appears on my personal playlists. “Lan Y Mor” has a hint of dream pop with a shifting tempo, giving the vinyl an interesting twist, very much Wolf Alice vibes, which I really enjoy. More alternative, punk rock is provided by Skltn Crew with catchy electric guitar and strong vocals in their song called “Patsy”. I’m pleased to say that the vinyl contains urban music, which also represents quite a big chunk of local music scene in Cardiff. Wade Pemberton and his “Still Pushin” gives Create Sampler a huge twist of music that somehow fits into the aesthetics of the EP as a whole.
Create Sampler is the musical essence of Cardiff, it takes you back to those summer nights out with your friends, when you walk through the city centre and hear different music from almost every venue. Listening to the EP with your eyes closed puts an entry stamp on your hand. Personally, I’ve found a couple of gems while listening to the vinyl, “No Heaven” by CLWB FUZZ definitely being my numero uno. Overall, I think Create Sampler is excellent, it reflects the local music scene in Cardiff and the music is just generally brilliant. USW students have once again proven their aptitude and creativity. Create Sampler is available to buy now via Spillers.
-Kinga Bałasz
