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Babatell Releases A Sonic Universe Realm of Boundless Experimentation and Audacious Exploration on New Album ‘Selftalks’

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Babatell’s personal ideal way of living as an artist is to be the most known unknown. He is able to produce music with musicians from all over the world but still remains mysterious and has the privacy that he needs in order to create. He considers himself as a creator of art, not content.

Introducing Babatell, an independent record producer and artist whose creations are as enigmatic as they are genre-defying. Hailing from Dortmund, Germany, Babatell has transcended conventional norms, crafting a unique identity characterized by his unyielding commitment to artistic integrity. With a diverse range of talents, Babatell not only mesmerizes as a producer but also captivates as a vocalist and DJ.

Babatell’s sonic universe is a realm of boundless experimentation and audacious exploration. His music defies categorization, right now blending elements of Alternative Hip-Hop, Afrofuturism, and Electronica. Synthesizers and bass-sonics interplay with distorted and reverberating vocals, creating an otherworldly ambiance that resonates deeply with his audience. Whether through the introspective echoes of his vocals or the pulsating beats of his production, Babatell’s sound is an immersive experience that defies easy classification.

The executive produced the first studio album, Selftalks, means explores inner dialogues. This concept album delves into the nuances of human existence and the intricate conversations we have with ourselves. Selftalks, isn’t just an album; it’s a mirror that reflects the cacophony of emotions, thoughts, and uncertainties that define our lives. Through raw and hauntingly beautiful tracks, Babatell invites listeners to explore the uncharted territory of their inner worlds. And at the same time, it’s a deeply personal journey. The album embraces the fluidity of human emotions and experiences, touching on themes of love, doubt, hope, and frustration. With an intentional blend of melodies, rhythms, and thought-provoking lyrics, Babatell weaves a sonic tapestry that is both cathartic and transformative. Every track is a testament to his commitment to authenticity and creative freedom.

The focus track ‘Superego’, was created as a stand-out track almost as a manifestation of his future self: Telling the world that one may break down the mental walls that surround the full potential of one’s self and set it free. The song was created in his basement studio, as well as the entire album. Although this was the rough idea that he had in mind, he mostly created by trying random things and not conceptualizing too much before creating. This way he also came up with ‘Superego’. The arrangement is changing and non-repetitive throughout the short song while the chants are, which is meant to show evolvement is achieved by repeating own affirmations. 

Selftalks, serves as a beacon of his intention to delve deeper into the global music scene, and the album’s three accompanying videos, including the visually captivating double Intro video, add an immersive layer to the album’s narrative. As he introduces Selftalks to the world, he also envisions a future marked by continuous growth and artistic exploration. With plans to venture into interior design and fashion later in his career, Babatell’s creative journey is one characterized by an unwavering commitment to pushing boundaries and redefining the boundaries of artistry.

Babatell comments on the album, “It’s my way of saying that I don’t care if you understand what I do, I’m ahead of a lot of things creatively. Not that I know things better than other people or that I’m a more valuable person, but the music I do is very experimental and located at a different place than a lot of current music.”
Prepare to embark on an immersive auditory and emotional expedition as Babatell’s, Selftalks, takes you on a transcendent voyage through inner dialogues and sonic landscapes.

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SCARECROW’s John Blaze Delivers a Career Milestone With “Twisted” and Earns Josie Music Awards Song of the Year Nomination

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John Blaze has spent nearly four decades fronting SCARECROW, the New York hard-rock outfit he founded in 1989, and in 2026 he delivered one of the most ambitious releases of his career with “Twisted.” Now, the song has reached another major milestone: “Twisted” has been nominated for Song of the Year in the Metal/Alternative category at the Josie Music Awards.

The nomination places Blaze and SCARECROW among this year’s recognized independent artists and songwriters at the Josie Music Awards, with the awards ceremony set to take place at Nashville’s legendary Grand Ole Opry. For an artist whose career has been built on persistence, independence and decades of hard-rock storytelling, the recognition gives “Twisted” an entirely new chapter.

Written by John Blaze and Chaffin, “Twisted” pulls together a lineup of guest players that reads like a rock family reunion, built around Blaze’s long-standing friendship with Dee Snider and the legacy of Twisted Sister, a band woven into SCARECROW’s story from its earliest days.

That connection goes all the way back to the beginning. SCARECROW’s original lineup featured guitarist Eddie Ojeda, best known for his work in Twisted Sister, and the two camps have remained connected ever since. “Twisted” makes that history explicit: Dee Snider appears on the record with guest vocals during the track’s climactic second verse and chorus, lending the song an instantly recognizable jolt of arena-rock power.

Snider isn’t the only marquee name in the credits. Mark Wood, founding violinist of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, contributes electrifying violin work that gives “Twisted” a cinematic sweep uncommon in modern hard rock. Rounding out the track are TJ Jordan on lead guitar and Bobby Marks on drums, creating a powerful, road-tested foundation behind Blaze’s signature gritty vocal delivery.

The Josie Music Awards nomination feels particularly fitting because “Twisted” isn’t simply another SCARECROW release. It brings together different eras of Blaze’s musical life while pushing the band’s sound forward. There’s history in the recording, but there’s also urgency. It doesn’t sound like a band looking backward. It sounds like one with unfinished business.

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For Blaze, the nomination also represents recognition of a career that has largely been built outside the traditional machinery of the mainstream music business. Independent rock artists rarely survive for decades without a fierce commitment to what they do, and SCARECROW’s longevity speaks for itself. From the band’s early years and its 1991 debut, through the Blood, Sweat and 20 Years retrospective and the theatrical production I Am SCARECROW, Blaze has continued developing a world around the music rather than simply releasing songs.

That makes the Song of the Year nomination especially meaningful. After nearly four decades of building SCARECROW, Blaze now heads to the Josie Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry with one of his most ambitious songs recognized in the Metal/Alternative category.

And there’s something wonderfully appropriate about the song that got him there.

“Twisted” connects SCARECROW’s beginnings to its present, reunites Blaze musically with figures tied to the band’s history, and demonstrates just how much fire remains in the project. With Snider and Wood contributing to the record and Blaze still driving the band he created from the ground up, the track feels less like a nostalgic reunion than a statement of survival.

Now it’s also an award-nominated song.

For John Blaze and SCARECROW, nearly four decades into the journey, “Twisted” has become more than another entry in the catalog. It’s a career milestone — and this September, that milestone is taking SCARECROW all the way to the Grand Ole Opry.

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