NYC Scene Report – CLAVVS, Cool Company, & ADUM⁷

This week’s NYC Scene Report features CLAVVS getting nostalgic, Cool Company “Floatin’” away, and ADUM⁷ paying tribute to a legendary martial arts actress.

* CLAVVS decided they want to have some fun with their music, and based on their recent singles, the duo of Amber Renee and Graham Marsh have clearly succeeded. Their latest is “Heyi,” and it’s an absolute joy.

Amber explained the inspiration for “Heyi,” and the accompanying video, in a statement, saying, “‘Heyi’ is a song about the nostalgic power of songs, the way that they can transport you back in time, so for the video, we liked the idea of demonstrating that in really obvious and nostalgic ways – the cassette tape, the boombox, pressing rewind – all these analog expressions of trying to relive the past. The idea was – what if a song could actually be a vehicle for time travel?”

If you’re looking to time travel with CLAVVS, “Heyi” is their TARDIS. Click play, and hop aboard.

* In the mood to groove a little bit? Cool Company is here to help.

The duo of Cool Yan and THANKYOUFATMATT recently released a video for their latest single, “Floatin’,” which features Nic Hanson, and both the song, and the video, will undoubtedly get you high.

The video was filmed on the roof of the duo’s apartment building in Bushwick, and THANKYOUFATMATT explained the clip in a statement, saying, “I came up with this concept after quarantine hit when we had to minimize the complexity and the number of people. Most of the video is a static shot, I did lots of the zooms and motion in editing. It was partially inspired by some of the recent TikToks people are doing these days with the funny dance moves, fast editing, and camera tracking.”

“Floatin’” is overflowing with smooth grooves, and undeniable soul, as Cool Company continues to perfectly embody their name.

* Two of my loves in life are the martial arts, and dope hip-hop production. ADUM⁷ combined these two things with a #BEATOBER tribute to Japanese martial artist, and actress, Etsuko Shihomi.

“I saw her feature in Sonny Chiba’s Street Fighter’s Last Revenge,” ADUM⁷ says of Shihomi, “I just couldn’t get over how crazy her flexibility was in that. Kyokushin is the style that Sonny Chiba used, and the way Etsuko moved looked more like kung fu kicks, but it was indeed karate. She studied a style called Shorinji Kempo, aka Shaolin Temple Boxing – a Japanese modified version of Shaolin Kung Fu. She studied Kenjutsu, as well, which is the Japanese art of the sword, if I’m not mistaken. She’s ill with the nunchucks, too. You’ll see.”

Click play on the video and yes, you will see, and you’ll see it while hearing ADUM⁷’s fantastic production.

For more of the best of NYC’s indie music scene, come back next Wednesday, and check out the archives for previous columns.