"Don't Forget" and "Black Star" by Kirsten Smitten.

I'm pleased to report to you today on the release of two tracks, "Don't Forget" and "Black Star" by Kirsten Smitten.

The name of the artist may not be too familiar to you, but she does appear (under a different performing name) on ‘Hot Music Live Presents Volume Three' with her song "Suicide Mission": a curious coincidence given that only recently we also featured a single by Robert James Grey who has also changed his stage name since appearing on one of our local music compilations.

To add another layer for you to process, "Black Star" appears under the name ‘Penguin Planet'. So perhaps it's a good job that ‘Hot Music Live' can help you navigate through the maze to fully appreciate this artist. When you have joined the various dots, you'll realise whom I'm talking about and remember what a fine musician she is and what a dynamic and charismatic live performer.

Kirsten has been away from the level of musical activity she was once involved in & it's good to see her on her journey back: as she told me: it "took a bit of a push from the universe" but here she is & seemingly exploring at least two distinct avenues.

The Penguin Planet track "Black Star" (you can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/j-kirsty-clarke/black-star-mix-b-wav) is her debut in creating dance music. It pulses along emphatically with an electro groove but what struck me was the intensity of the vocals: almost desperate. This clearly links with her other work & certainly sets the track apart from your standard dance fare.

"Don't Forget" (it's at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlGh1xpnRhE) is similarly passionate even if the structure and instrumentation is closer to what she normally does (or did). Stripped back, raw & personal, this certainly rates amongst her finest work. Her journey over recent years no doubt informs what she is writing here & how she is delivering it, but it definitely plays to what people would see as her strengths. The only intriguing thought which crossed my mind as I played it was whether in the past few years she has been listening to the work of YNES? If not, the two of them are travelling along parallel musical paths and each is very emotionally powerful.

It's good to see her back in this way & one can only hope that this also means a return to local stages.