Sultanov

Azerbaijan-born singer songwriter Sultanov unleashes a weird, movie inspired video for his new single 'Break Free', taken from his upcoming self-titled debut album July 15th 2013.

The video, produced by Partizan Films, was inspired by Terry Gilliam's 1985 sci-fi flick 'Brazil' and features, just like in the movie, a man working in some sort of desk job in between dreaming about a beautiful woman and suffering from some sort of catatonia. The difference is, of course, (apart from the fact that this is a much happier ending) he's not singing 'Brazil' by Frank Sinatra, but 'Break Free' is also a really catchy tune with an almost desperate melancholy about it. While the lyrics are kind of despairing, the beat is still super toe-tapping and definitely radio worthy.

'This is a song that I think everyone can relate to', singer Dan Sultanov says of his new single. 'People have dreams; some of these dreams come true. Some of them don't. Most become slaves to the system, and this song's about breaking free from it all.' On deciding to use 'Brazil' as inspiration, he says that, besides the wonderful cinematography, 'I've always felt I can relate to the film's themes. It reflects my inner space.'

Russian artiste Dan Sultanov who goes by his last name is here with his debut single 'Keep On Running' due for release on February 25th 2013 and taken from his upcoming self-titled album due out on April 29th.

The accompanying video is a montage of Sultanov's own animations, depicting a silhouetted couple running (hence the title) through images of guitars and particular lyrics. It's fairly basic in execution but has something vaguely pop art about it while creating the perfect representation of the song's meaning. The track itself is hook-laden, upbeat and retro, with an infectious chorus making it a great summer pop tune. Strong guitar and drum use give it an indie edge definitely in favour of a UK audience.

Sultanov describes the song as a summery nostaligia, reminding him of 'the sea, sand, women wearing big sunglasses and open top cars'. However, while we struggle to pigeonhole it into a particular genre, the artist admits that that wasn't an issue for him. 'For me, melody is the key component to any song', he said. 'So I've focused on this and worried less about what genre it fits into.' He has co-produced his forthcoming album himself with the help of Andy Wright who has produced for artists such as Annie Lennox and Simply Red.