We Speak R&B

Notorious B.I.G. producer and co-writer’s new project Short Wave Craft drop modern trip-hop anthem!

Published

4 years ago

February 9, 2023

Don Reed

Short Wave Craft is a joint collaboration between legendary producer Dominic Owen (Biggie Smalls, Rakim, Seal, Anthony Hamilton, Lil Kim) and underground musician, Tom Carr.

The duo offers clear undertones of soulful R’n’B and Dream pop in their work and after a successful previous single and debut EP are ready to drop ‘I Need You Tonight’ a modern trip hop anthem to strengthen the resolve of mankind after the recent battering of the last few millennia. The duo explains, “It began at the height of lockdown. The song itself and its overriding melodies, are an anthemic cry out for human connection, in times of separation. We were inspired by the idea of infusing traditional trip-hop elements with sprinkles of soul, gospel, and blues.”

Despite the initial inspiration for the track, it has an absolutely positive direction, and the duo go on to explain, “We purposely developed it around continuous movements towards crescendos throughout the music. We wanted it to sound iconic and expansive. There are electronic components, though as always with Short Wave Craft all the main instruments are played live by real musicians. We worked remotely between London and Bristol, sending parts back and forth until the musical narrative was established. After digging up on old blues sample where the man in question calls out ‘I Need You Tonight’ it became immediately clear that this was the marching call that the music needed. We then brought onboard a selection of female vocalists and gospel singers to create a ‘call and response’ platform, complementing his melody line. The fusion of ‘I Need You Tonight’ was complete.”

Short Wave Craft previously got their last single and debut EP ‘Panties & Pickles’ onto some niche YouTube channels that have close to a million subscribers between them and after seeing all the amazing comments in the chat board threads knew they were onto something, and felt inspired to take things to another level in 2023 as they build upon the initial success and reach an even wider audience.

They believe their sound will certainly please fans of artists such as Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, DJ Shadow, Air, St. Germain and the likes of Moby, Groove Armada and Morcheeba.

Their overall sound is unique to them however and is the evolution of the pair’s split time between Bristol & London, where they’re deeply plugged into the independent music scenes in both cities, bringing onboard an eclectic range of artists to contribute to their music. Short Wave Craft is a duo at heart, though with a collective mentality and spirit. The incredible history of one half of the duo Dominic Owen is nothing short of legendary having been in Brooklyn at the height of the golden age of hip hop, where in 1993 his musical home became High Class Productions in Brownsville, Brooklyn where he became head engineer and producer. At this infamous studio many of the 90’s Hip Hop legends like Notorious B.I.G, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, M.O.P. Raekwon and AZ would pass through, as well as future R&B giants Anthony Hamilton and Angie Stone. With this sort of legacy and his new partner in crime Tom Carr, Short Wave Craft are clearly building a new wave of unique trip hop, combined with soul and dream pop that is sure to keep 2023 fully hyped as they prepare to come through with a further EP and full length album.

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We Speak R&B

TEEKS Maps Every Stage of Desire on Second Album Lovers Comet

Published

16 hours ago

November 1, 2026

We Speak Media

TEEKS. Photo via @thisteeks.

New Zealand singer TEEKS has released Lovers Comet, his second studio album, out now through Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand with Human Re Sources. The album arrived on October 30, 2026, and its 12 tracks, running about 40 minutes, trace a single arc of desire from first spark to final surrender.

The sequencing is the story. Lovers Comet opens with Eros and closes with Feel My Love, a duet with MAJIC, guiding the listener through the stages of wanting, having and holding on. The singles set the coordinates in advance: My Boy introduced the album’s warmth, and Overdose, released September 18, 2026, drew its inspiration from The Song of Achilles, Madeline Miller’s retelling of the Iliad’s great love story. That literary streak suits TEEKS, born Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi, a Māori artist whose voice has always carried both classical weight and bedroom intimacy. He told his followers the album was the best music he has ever made, and that he had the time of his life making it.

Lovers Comet follows Something to Feel, his 2021 debut, which reached No. 1 in New Zealand and earned double platinum certification. The new album now goes on the road: TEEKS tours Australia in November, including a date at the Sydney Opera House, one of the world’s great rooms, and a fitting stage for a voice this size. Lovers Comet is streaming now, and it confirms TEEKS as one of the great romantic voices of his generation, a singer building a catalogue meant to last.