Berlin-based Transylvanian producer Jinka has been a SoundCloud fixture for the past two years, gaining exposure with songs such as “Shock Mounted” or “Romeo” and developing her playful bling-pop style over time. Today, the baby-faced artist is confidently stepping into the new decade with a new single, “U Bit my <3", which preludes the release of her debut album, No Anything Else, set to be released in mid-2020.

“U Bit my <3" catches the listener’s attention with a charming piano sample, yet quickly shows its true colours with synthesized steel drums and some good old trap. Propelled in triplets, the lyrics are distorted and autotuned to the point of incomprehension, with Jinka rhyming "bit my heart" with what seems to be "baby shark".

The sultry, 90s’ pop-inspired vibes are reminiscent of classic Charli XCX bops (remember 2013’s “What I Like?”), with a hint of post-internet, PC Music production. Although the 90s-obsession sometimes seems overworked to death, Jinka brings back the fun of it all: the ironic lyrics, the Xtina-style girl power, and the ever-present textspeak – look, SMS charges are not a joke, okay? All that upgraded with more relevant styles which were lacking in the 20th century, such as the trap-leaning beat.

Basically, we stan this trend being carried into the new decade by rising young musicians – some of them, if not the majority, being actually noughties-born Gen Z. As Charli sings, “I just wanna go back, back to 1999”.

Berlin-based artist Jinka has finally released her debut EP, Dr. Ara, and unveiled the last track off the project. Jumping all over the place, her banger “Romeo” comes a bit late for Valentine’s Day but it’s actually not a big deal as she doesn’t seem to be so lucky in love. Hyperactive and emo-esque, “Romeo” is arguably one of her strongest trip-pop singles to date which is already a good consolation price.

To celebrate this release as well as her 100th birthday (don’t tell her but we actually thought she was a bit older), the Transylvanian producer threw a party in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. Courtesy of Polish director Emilia Kurylowitcz, the video of this get-together looks both exuberant and spooky as it references Twin Peaks and Nosferatu amongst others. Watch below.

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It’s spooky season and Jinka hails from Transylvania, but her new track “Don’t Work Like That” is a slice of sunlight strong enough to keep any and all vampires at bay. Far from doom and gloom, this latest cut brings together the cut and shut cleanliness of PC Music with a unique neon grit. Jinka has nods to the tried and trusted Scandinavian alt-pop scene dappled throughout, which lend it a jovial abandon that should not be underestimated. This is the second single from the “Dr. Ara” EP and it looks set to contain more futuristic pop leanings. Though slightly too understated to achieve all-out-banger status, “Don’t Work Like That” is still a much needed injection of light joy.

When Lewis Carroll wrote “Alice in Wonderland” back in 1865, he probably did not imagine that his children’s tale, which is by the way much more than that, would have such a big impact on pop culture and on music. From classical to jazz and metal, the book has been translated into music so many times. Examples in pop are not lacking and everybody remembers the extravagant Francis Lawrence-directed video for Gwen Stefani‘s glorious debut single “What You Waiting For?”. Actually, the tic toc is still ringing in my head.

Amongst all the philosophical concepts that are hidden in Lewis Carroll’s book, the one that directly came to my mind when I heard Jinka‘s new single “Wonderland” is time passing. Believe it or not but Gwen Stefani‘s single was released almost 15 years ago already. At that time, I was a pop music fanatic and I have the feeling that mainstream tunes were more acceptable than now. Bullshit, I’m just getting old and as a recent study showed it, you don’t welcome and discover new artists the same way after you’re 30.

At first glance, Jinka‘s “Wonderland” disconcerted me as it sounds like current pop music. The one that inevitably draws from EDM and that replicates nothing more than vocal chops, build-ups and drops. If you want to be in the limelight, you need to follow the trends even if you don’t fully adopt them, and too bad for people like me who don’t evolve as fast as the industry. After a couple of plays though, Jinka’s new single appeared to be more than a trendy, mathematically Spotify-tailored track.

If you listen to “Wonderland” carefully, you’ll be surprised to hear propulsive The Prodigy-like layers, Major Lazer’s summery vibes, Daft Punk‘s digitalized guitar solo, as well as loops of breakbeat and an ounce of hammering drum’n bass. It’s a the park, a rollercoaster tune with loads of 90s and 2000s references. Jinka‘s playground is thrilling, falsely-ingenuous, colourful and twisted enough to be more than what it sounds at first, just like Lewis Carroll’s book. In the end, I don’t even know if she was referencing the English writer or not, and if there is something that deep to dig here. While it’s not my favourite Jinka track for sure, it has the merit to make me aware that I’m like Alice’s white rabbit, late, and that I need to update my pop universe.

After the release of her singles “Trash From The Past“, “Flesh To White To Black To Flesh” and “Shock Mounted“, she gives us all of the colors that we needed for Spring. With this season comes an idea of infinite fun, and there is no way to stop. Wrapped in vocal effects and addictive synths, there is no way to resist the feeling of dancing and forget. About the track, Jinka explained:

[su_quote]”Countdown Forever” is about an illusional state of infinite hedonistic experience. The title is paradoxical. But just because something is paradoxical it doesn’t mean you can’t explore the idea of it. I think, what I generally do when I’m writing is that I try to take a different perspective on the mundane, dip crude reality into some sort of surreal glossing, romanticize it without smoothening the contours.[/su_quote]

Jinka‘s “Countdown Forever” is out now.

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1- Brendan Maclean – “House Of Air” (Director: Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston)

Brendan Maclean‘s “House of Air” is probably the NSFW-est video you might have seen this year. It is also one of the most realistic, controversial, and marketable one. Presented as an anthropological study of gay semiotics, taxonomies, and sexual behaviours”, the Hal Fisher-inspired video doesn’t dance around the topic to present gay sex, bondage and more. Strangely, the video was uploaded on YouTube and was banned ten days after with 700,000 views. Directed by Brian Fairbairn and Karl Eccleston, the final rendition is graphic and can’t be more real. It it art, documentation, entertainment, or pornography? Here is the interest and no one can really answer but Maclean is sure about the artistic side of his proposition: “This was never a ‘marketable’ idea, but it was an original one that I cared about. Was it for everyone? Absolutely not. Has it been the most success I’ve had with anything ever? Absolutely.”

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2-SOPHIE – “It’s Okay To Cry” (Director: SOPHIE)

We are fans of SOPHIE’s work since Day 1 and with this new track and video, the producer is pushing the boundaries even further. For the first time ever, she is even starring in her video. SOPHIE appears as androgynous and the visuals come out with a statement from the artist who want to be referred to using she/her pronouns. The interesting part of the colorful emo-dramatic visuals mainly lies in the representation of nudity: as one can notice, SOPHIE is freely exhibiting her breast (and nipples) but YouTube did not censor anything. The appearance of the producer is so gender fluid though, that the arbitrations of YouTube on that specific topic seem to be totally outdated. And it’s useless to add that the fact she also used the same colors than our website was a solid artistic statement.

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3- Björk – “The Gate” (Director: Andrew Thomas Huang)

Alongside long time collaborator Andrew Thomas Huang, a dress by Gucci‘s Alessandro Michele and masks by James Merry, Björk delivers one of the most intense videos of the year. After exploring her sadness after the break-up of a 13 year-old relationship in “Vulnicura”, she decided that it was time to open herself again to love. From an open chest wound featured in the previous videos, there is a prismatic portal of futuristic lovers awaiting for her. In a world where everything is possible, there is space from healing of a hearbreak. The first single taken from her ninth album “Utopia” is an authentic piece of art, and it comes after years of pushing the limits of visual creations. Björk‘s ambition gets even bigger and we expect nothing less from her.

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The rest of videos are in no specific order.

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Young Thug – “Wyclef Jean” (Director: Ryan Staake)

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The Blaze – “Virile” (Director: The Blaze)

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lil peep x lil tracy – “witchblades” (Director:metro blu)

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Colin – “People Talk About Me” (Director: Steven Ross)

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ULYSSE – “Mañana” (Director: A$IAN ROCKY)

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Arca – “Reverie” (Director: Jesse Kanda)

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Kelela – “LMK” (Director: Andrew Thomas Huang)

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RIVE – “Justice” (Director: Ma-Ké, TEMPLE CACHÉ)

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Jinka – “Trash From The Past” (Director: Mario Clement)

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SSION – “Comeback” (Director: Cody Critcheloe)

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Perfume Genius – “Slip Away” (Director: Andrew Thomas Huang)

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Charli XCX – “Boys” (Director: Charli XCX and Sarah McColgan)

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Fever Ray – “To The Moon And Back” (Director: Martin Falck)

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Yaeji – “Last Breath” (Director: Kathy Yaeji Lee)

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FAKA – “Uyang’Khumbula” (Director: Nick Widmer)

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Kedr Livanskiy – “Your Name” (Director: Konstantin Bushmanov and Kedr Livanskiy)

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Kirin J Callinan x Alex Cameron x Molly Lewis x Jimmy Barnes – “Big Enough” (Director: Danny Cohen)

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It might seem like she is doing nothing, but actually you are watching her follow her everyday life like she doesn’t give a fuck. She is reading porn magazines, sitting next to a microwave, or simple just standing there. Nothing more. It comes as a statement to a previous lover: you can leave, my life continues like always. It fits well the chill out, minimal production and her mesmerizing vocals.

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You can follow Jinka over Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In life, we don’t always get what we want, but Deer Du Bois playlist fills all our desires, anytime, anywhere!

Get dancing this week with Shenna on her bright, pulverizing single “Magenta”. And with Lindstrøm featuring vocals by Jenny Hval, we dance until deep into the dark night on “Bungl (Like A Ghost)”.

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Sexy and laid back vibes are the best, when created by newcomer Zhao and his instant-classic “Lifetime”.

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Ghostly synths with piercing lyrics by Amelka May on the newest track by Harlequiin “Something To Believe In”, and yes, we become religious now! From a softer side, we introduce the delightful miss Wallace, who slowly pulls us in her honey-sweet “Havisham” pop.

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Intimate and emotional richness is what you’ll experience when listening to the piano-driven ballad “Limb By Limb” by Pembrokeshire-based duo Names! And after a small hiatus, London alt-crooner Peter Lyons is back with the smooth-voiced “The Dirtiest”. Because songs are not always as innocent as they seem!

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If you want to drink a bit more until you get tipsy, you should check him on Facebook and Soundcloud, and follow his regular posts on our site.

Subscribe to Deer Du Bois refreshing playlist on Spotify now!

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