Most of us are constantly searching for quality music – a sound that's fresh, interesting, and makes us feel something deep, something real. But in today's age of pop fads, automated sounds, and plastic personalities, "real" is almost impossible to find. It's no secret that the radio specializes in the same old same, and, despite all the glitter and hype, when's the last time you saw something original and exciting on TV?
Search no further. Introducing: ILSE.
ILSE is a Belgian-born, Brooklyn-based singer with a unique voice and vision. With musical roots steeped in rock-and-roll, it was the sound and feel of soul music that pulled at her heartstrings at an early age. As a result, her original, soulful sound embraces the past while looking towards the future. And when it comes to songwriting, ILSE's message, at its core, is about being deeply and unapologetically human.
But ILSE's journey as an artist has been anything but a straight and narrow road. Born without her left arm and facing a series of personal challenges on her road to maturity, ILSE held steadfast to her dreams, finding the determination to overcome adversity and pursue her vision. In the process, ILSE developed a keen interest in human psychology as a method of analyzing and interpreting her emotions. ILSE went on to earn a degree in psychology to satisfy her curiosity, gaining insight into the inner-workings of human thought and sensibilities. That insight brought ILSE in touch with her dreams and desires, and serves as a vehicle for much of her songwriting. This is exactly why ILSE's songs ring true to her already thousands of fans around the world -- her raw examination of our innermost emotions and what it means to love and be loved is motivated by her determination to keep it real. ILSE dares to be herself and tell it like it is, and through her music she invites us to find the courage and compassion to do the same.
In addition to her artistic vision, ILSE's music is all about the real – everything from her voice to the instruments on the tracks is raw, honest, and bold. Influenced by the '60s and '70s, and with an ear to the club, ILSE's sound blends the best of the old with the most exciting of the new. She brings music back to where it should be: fun, funky, sexy and soulful. With its cinematic quality and undeniable charm, ILSE's sound transports your imagination to another world. This is music made for everyone. This is music for you to feel. This is music made to bring people together.
Press Release -- "I Am Human"
"I Am Human", ILSE's captivating new single, is inspiring people from around the world. The response has been overwhelming: listeners say the song brings them to tears and gives them goosebumps. Others say "I Am Human" is already "song and video of the year" and "worthy of a Grammy." Her sultry, otherworldly voice is transformed into one that is vulnerable, courageous, and unmistakably human. After a tender piano opening "I Am Human" gradually swells into a lush string arrangement, beautifully showcasing ILSE's voice and her powerful message of empowerment and hope. She sings about being vulnerable and finding strength through love from a deeply personal perspective. This song finds ILSE recounting her determination to stay true to herself and her vision, reminding us that "standing tall" after "going through it all" is no small victory. "I Am Human" is about finding the strength to push past the obstacles despite pain and despair, because to assert oneself proudly in the face of adversity is the ultimate triumph.
This same message is depicted in the single's music video. Set in an abstract, surrealistic world, the video shows men and women of different shapes, sizes, and colors, ranging from younger to older, gay and straight, painted completely in white and moving uniformly. By the end of the song, they transform from their state of sameness to the full richness of their natural color, revealing again all of the beautiful diversity that was there in the first place. Like the song itself, the music video for "I Am Human" is about finding the courage to be different in spite of the powerful forces that stifle diversity and promote conformity.
Press Release -- "Living on a Cloud"
"Living on a Cloud" is a strong introduction to the singer's dynamic, part-retro, part-futuristic, chic and style-bending musical world. Listeners think that ILSE's sound is "quality" and "reminiscent of the sixties", like a song from "a classic James Bond soundtrack". Opening with long, sultry notes that drift above dramatic and unrelenting strings, ILSE sings a seductive ballad to a lover who occupies her every waking moment. The verse's entrancing melody and pulsing drums lure in the listener like an incantation. By the time the booming brass and swirling strings come in at the chorus you're hooked, floating along with ILSE in a soulful and flirtatious fantasy. ILSE drops hints of 60's and 70's soul and French cabaret songs, grounded by the bold bass of contemporary hip-hop. Working with producers Nate and Noble Jolley, ILSE found the creative space to revisit those musical golden years from the near and distant past, commenting that recording the single was "like stepping in a time machine… it was endless fun writing and recording that record". Like the song's title suggests, the catchy "Living on a Cloud" is a wistful dream but it's also a tease of something more to come if, like her lover, you're willing to give in to ILSE's enticing invitation.
The Team:
ILSE is working with Drummer/Producer/Songwriter Nate "Impact" Jolley (executive producer of the Emmy-nominated BET Rap It Up Mixtape ft. Wale, 2Chainz, and Jadakiss, performing for Fred Hammond, MYA, and John Legend), twin brother and Jazz Pianist/Composer/Producer/Arranger Noble Jolley (performed and recorded with notables as Antonio Hart, Ingrid Jensen, Nasar Abadey, Gary Thomas, Eric Lewis, Cynda Williams, Malcolm Jamal Warner, the Washington Jazz Arts Institute, Davey Yarborough, Wes Anderson, Esther Williams, Heidi Martin, and the W.E.S. Group), Composer/Producer Sebastiaan Vandevoorde (Moonlight Matters, Arches, Villa; remixed artists such as Adele, Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding, Moby, Gorillaz, Keane, Ali Love and Findlay Brown, Tina Turner, Agneta Falstag and Anita Meyer; scored a summer hit with Beats of Love), Grammy-nominated Producer/Musician/Engineer Joshua Valleau, Violinist/Arranger/Composer Juliette Jones of Jules & The Dirty Collective (Florence + The Machine, Nicki Minaj, Ryan Leslie, Kid Cudi, Luke James) and Musician/Producer Sly5thave aka Sylvester Onyejiaka (touring with Prince and the New Power Generation, performed and/or recorded with musicians such as Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, James Carter, Keith Anderson, Sasha Allen, Charles Perry, Darrell Green, Wynton Marsalis, Phil Lasiter, Maceo Parker, Jason Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Delfayo Marsalis, Brad Leali, Shelley Carrol, Quamon Fowler, Sene, Homeboy Sandman, Blu, Freddie Gibbs, Stockton Helbing, and Rob Lewis).
ILSE further partnered with Jeannie "Kitty of The City" Jones (CBS Radio/Fox 5 Morning News Idol Chatter) and the legendary A&R Al Manerson (Mariah Carey, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, LL Cool J, Sade, Gloria Estefan, Babyface) to launch the album and marketing campaign. ILSE is managed by Belgian radio and TV personality and celebrity, Peter Hoogland.
ILSE promises a sound you've never heard before and one that you won't soon forget. 2014 will be the year of the Human.
MANAGEMENT: Peter Hoogland: peter@hoogland.be
CONTACT: info@ilsemusic.com, US: +1 917 288 6316, EU: +32 474 98 39 95
www.ilsemusic.com
