Drew Vogelsang and his new release ‘July’ presents a couple of recurrent themes we’ve been dealing with here at TMR. The first is the rise of young, self-taught bedroom producers making the most of readily available DAWs and a wealth of music knowledge and history that the Internet provides to explore, develop and eventually find their unique sound. We’ve highlighted recent DIY producers such as Tom Tripp, Lex Low and Billie Eilish, just to name an immediate few. Vogelslang very much belongs to this category, as the 17-year-old openly states, “I make all of my music in a small studio I put together in my bedroom using Ableton. I try to experiment with a lot of different genres like R&B, Jazz, Classical, and Electronic.” The second topic is that of songs named after summer months, such as the recent ‘June’ by Swanlike, but it’s not summery dance rhythms we’re dealing with; it's classic nostalgia and retrospective romance. In Vogelsang’s ‘July’, his soulful contemplation floats over the downbeat high-hat, simple piano introduction and lingering synth chords. It’s emotive for sure, but the Philadelphia musicmaker also uses ‘July’ as a platform for his burgeoning skills. There’s the the interaction between jolting bass and lyrical rhythm, the nod to ‘80s soul through the various piano lines, and towards the end it’s trap, a trope of modern R&B, that subtly eases its way into the track. If you’re liking this, you must check out prequel ‘Days’. - HT