Major Label Deals for Three Swiss Acts
No fewer than three acts supported by Swiss Music Export, Danitsa, Bandit Voyage, and Priya Ragu, have announced new deals with major labels in the past few weeks!
The Geneva-based rapper with a Jamaican family background has already released her first single, “Let Go”, under her new deal with Island Records/Universal. An album is promised for later in the year. Danitsa mixes up influences from ragga, funk and hip-hop to deliciously original effect. Here’s how a delighted Danitsa announced the news on Facebook:
“It’s with a lot of emotions that I announce my signing with one of Universal’s most prestigious labels, Island Records. I was 10 years old when I recorded my first song with my dad Skankytone. When I was 14, I moved to Geneva and met the Little Lion collective with whom I filmed my first dubplate YouTube videos. I will never forget the hesitation you feel the first time you share your art: „Should I do it, should I not? Come on, do it“ after all, taking risks means giving yourself the chance not to regret it later. I don’t count the number of all these years of music anymore, but I know one thing: you give me the strength to realize the dream I had when I was 10 years old so just THANK YOU. I’m so excited to sharing new surprises… soon, who knows? Danitsa.”
It’s been a good couple of months for Robin Girod. Not only can he be pleased with himself for his part in the new Space Age Sunset album (see above). Another act he is very much involved with, Bandit Voyage, have been snapped up by Entreprise/Sony. Bandit Voyage is the duo of Girod with the singer, Anissa Cadelli. Guitar, bass and a drum machine with assorted effect pedals are their only instruments. Theirs is a proudly lo-fi mixture of funky grooves, minimalist guitar riffs and a seriously witty post-punk attitude. The last time we mentioned them in these pages was in May 2020 when their album Le Gang, previously only available in a strictly limited cassette edition, received a similarly limited vinyl release.
Genevan duo Bandit Voyage have been snapped up by Entreprise/Sony Music. Guitar, bass and a drum machine with assorted effect pedals are their only instruments. Theirs is a proudly lo-fi mixture of funky grooves, minimalist guitar riffs and a seriously witty post-punk attitude. Bandit Voyage’s first Single „Attendons Demain“ on Entreprise/Sony was released in January.
Zurich-based singer Tamil singer Priya Ragu has signed a deal with Warner UK. All singles she has independently released in the past have been withdrawn and will be relaunched via the new deal. First off was her track “Good Love 2.0” which came out in October last year, followed on 15 January 2021 by a new version of “Good Love 2.0” with remixes from Little Dragon, Honey Dijon and Joe Goddard.
Priya Ragu’s second Warner single, „Chicken Lemon Rice,“ will be released on 5 February 2021. The song combines elements that have already borne the resounding success of “Good Love 2.0”: Soulful chorus, rapped lines, electronic beats and traditional Indian motifs. A promising sequel – an album is due later in the year.
Citing Lauryn Hill, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Musiq Soulchild and the Bollywood composer A.R.Rahman as early influences, Priya Ragu, in collaboration with her producer brother Japhna Gold, has found a way to integrate elements of Sri Lankan and Indian styles into her blend of R&B, truly making it stand out in a crowded field. The New Musical Express listed Ragu in their list of 100 “Essential emerging artists for 2021”, and Vogue UK sees her as one of “Six Musicians about to blow up in 2021”.
Danitsa
Island Records/Universal
