Browsing Category soundtrack
Elliphant – To The End
With three previous album releases and a number of features during 2018, it is now time for Elliphant to release her new single To The End. A bold synth-pop song, heavily influenced by rock, where the Swedish singer (born Ellinor Olovsdotter) mixes genres and seamlessly makes them her own.
The song is featured in the critically acclaimed box-office movie ‘Spiderman – Into The Spiderverse’ where it introduces the new bad-ass character Spider-Gwen.
Expect even more fresh girl-power music from Elliphant during 2019.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 5):
Dua Lipa – Swan Song
I’ve got a weak spot for Dua Lipa. In my then radio show, I pronounced her ‘princess of pop’, the first time I played her first official single Be The One in 2015. For me, it’s still one of the best pop singles of this decennium.
In the years that followed, she released a self-titled debut album that spawned 8 commercial singles and a further 3 promotional singles. Also, she was the featured singer on hits by Sean Paul, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris and Silk City. All of those tracks are present on the Complete Edition of her long-player, effectively making it her first Greatest Hits album. In the meantime, her live shows grew bigger, bolder and better. Dua Lipa is the full package.
Moving on to the next stage of her career, the singer just released a brand-new track. Swan Song is the title song of the forthcoming movie ‘Alita: Battle Angel’. Just like the movie, the video for the song takes place in a futuristic dystopia.
There is a Dutch touch to Swan Song: musician, composer and producer Tom Holkenborg (a.k.a. Junkie XL) wrote the full soundtrack to the movie. By consequence, he is also involved in this great single, which is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard.
In the Wildcards 2019 playlist you can find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Ana & The Changes feat. Dan Byron – Take My Hand
Ana Ćurčin is a singer-songwriter born in Baghdad, raised in Moscow and based in Belgrade, Serbia. She and her band The Changes (Goran Antović – keyboards, Marko Cvetković – bass and Marko Benini – drums) surprised me live at Eurosonic Noorderslag last January. Following up on 2016’s album Sketches Of Belonging, the quartet release their second album Differences in the Spring of 2019.
Its first single is called Take My Hand. The almost unrecognizable original version was written by Igor Simic and Ana Ćurčin for the soundtrack Radio Nostalgia From Mars of the video game Golf Club Wasteland. It has now been re-recorded, featuring Dan Byron, a Romanian singer-songwriter and frontman of the alternative rock band Byron. This new version has a driving, Coldplay-like piano part, which makes it a great radio track.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Sir Notch – Gimme That Sunshine
Sir Notch is one of the aliases of Dutch singer-songwriter/producer Christon Kloosterboer, who has been working with Hardwell, Sam Feldt and Dash Berlin, and recently co-wrote Go For The Gold by Rudenko & Aloe Blacc.
After tracks like Please Don’t Go and Depth Of My Mistakes (feat. Steffen Morrison), Gimme That Sunshine is his latest single under the Sir Notch guise, released on his own Exquisite label. An uplifting song with C2C-like scratching vocal effects, that’s equal parts jazz, gospel and soul, and has a great summer vibe.
The tune was written to accompany a television commercial for juice brand Appelsientje, but the music alone is utterly refreshening as well. Taste it below via the streaming platform of your liking. Sure to put a smile(y) on your face!
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Wildcard (week 27):
Carlos Jean feat. Teyou & Annya – Yucatán
Carlos Jean is currently one of Spain’s most successful artists, both as a producer/remixer of other peoples’ work and as an artist himself. From 1998-2010 he was half of the duo Najwajean (with actress/singer Najwa Nimri) and since 2011 he is active as a solo artist under his own name.
His new single Yucatán, featuring Spanish singer Teyou and electric violin player Annya, sounds like a potential summer hit to me. The song, the title track for a new Spanish comedy that comes to the theatres on 31 August, was taped and mixed in the same Abbey Road studio The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Queen recorded in. Yucatán is a tropical mix of musical styles, and includes – mind you! – real handclaps 😉.
Please, clap your hands for Yucatán by Carlos Jean feat. Teyou & Annya; it features prominently on this blog for a week as the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard (all of which can be found in the Wildcards 2018 playlist).
Mambo No. 6!
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Betty Who – All Things
On 15 June, Netflix will globally roll out Season 2 of its series ‘Queer Eye’. The first series only premiered in February 2018, but was an instant hit. Just like the original version of the series, back in 2003.
For this second instalment of the Netflix version, Australia-born and Los Angeles-based pop star Betty Who revamped the ‘Queer Eye’ theme song, which was originally performed by Widefire feat. Simone Denny.
Betty Who’s version clocks in at 1’44. It doesn’t happen often I wished a song lasted double its time.
For more great new music follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Philip Selway feat. Lou Rhodes – Walk
Best-known as the drummer of Radiohead, Philip Selway already released two solo albums: Familial and Weatherhouse. A departure from these albums, his latest release is a soundtrack album to the film drama ‘Let Me Go’.
The music is mostly instrumental and features occasional singing by Selway. A clear highlight however, is the song Walk, featuring Lamb’s fabulous Lou Rhodes.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Daughter – Burn It Down
Burn It Down by Daughter is the first single from Music From Before The Storm; the original soundtrack for the game ‘Life Is Strange: Before The Storm’. The album will feature three songs by the British neo-folk band, alongside licensed tracks by Syd Matters, alt-J, Bright Eyes, Mogwai and José González.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
AronChupa – (Don’t Fight It) Feel It
In 2014, Aron Michael Ekberg, better known as AronChupa, scored a pan-European novelty hit with I’m An Albatraoz. This currently is his only hit to date, but that might change…
For the short movie ‘La Vida Nuestra’ he recorded a new version of Sam Cooke’s (Don’t Fight It) Feel It. 56(!) years after the original, the song sounds as fresh as ever. If radio embraces it as a summer anthem – which it is – this could very well be the comeback of AronChupa. If not, it’s still a fun party song.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Colin Waters – We Go Our Own Way!
Last April, the young and talented Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Colin Waters released his debut single Change The Game. Although shamefully ignored by other media, the song was a hit among Carte Blanche Music followers. My recommendation of Change The Game was the best-read story on this blog in the first half of 2017.
And now, Colin Waters returns with a follow-up that’s even better. We Go Our Own Way! has a bit of a rockier sound, while it’s still undeniably a pop song. The track features in the movie ‘100% Coco’, that’s out next week. Hopefully, this will be the game changer Colin deserves.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.