Hannah Diamond

Hannah Diamond
Also known as Hannah Amond[1]
Born 1991/1992 (age 24–25)[2]
Origin Norwich, England, United Kingdom
Genres
Occupation(s) Vocalist, photographer
Years active 2013–present
Labels PC Music
Associated acts A. G. Cook
Website hannahdiamond.com

Hannah Diamond is a British musician and visual artist based in London. Diamond has released four solo singles on the PC Music record label since 2013,[3] and her single "Attachment" was called "bubblegum hyper reality" by Stereogum.[4] Her music is characterized by an intensely cute aesthetic, as well as its uncertain sincerity.[5] Diamond has been one of PC Music's more serious attempts to establish "a new kind of popstar."[6]

Music

Diamond met GFOTY through a friend, and GFOTY introduced her to A. G. Cook.[7] After a vocalist failed to show up to a session with Cook, the two worked on their first musical collaboration. In 2012, they recorded Diamond's first solo song, titled "Attachment".[2] Diamond released her debut single "Pink and Blue" through PC Music in October 2013. The song resembles a lullaby, with a harshly synthetic quality.[8] The attention received by "Pink and Blue" helped to introduce the fledgling label,[9] and it placed 5th on Fact's list of "The 100 best tracks of the decade so far".[10]

The following January, Diamond appeared on A. G. Cook's "Keri Baby". The song toyed with the idea of Diamond as an MP3 file or a digital entity on a screen.[11][12] Diamond made her first live performance in April, at Basement in London.[13] She released "Attachment" as her second single later that month. "Attachment" is a melancholy ballad about modern relationships, with a high-pitched melody backed by farcical harmonies.[14][15]
"Every Night" (2014)
Diamond's singing is exaggeratedly innocent and infantilised.[16]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Diamond's third solo single "Every Night" was released in November 2014 and became PC Music's first single available through the iTunes Store.[17] The song discusses feelings of desire and showcases a more bold personality than Diamond's earlier songs.[18] Her vocals are childlike and staccato, supported by "oh-ooh-oh" harmonies.[17][19] The production drew comparisons to La Bouche and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen".[17][20] "Every Night" received nearly 200,000 plays on SoundCloud within two weeks, and it became Diamond's first song to appear on a Billboard chart, reaching 28th on the Emerging Artists chart.[17]

March 2015 saw Diamond head to the USA to play the PC Music showcase at the Empire Garage in Austin, Texas as part of SXSW. Her performance was very well received with The Guardian calling it a "well-crafted performance, as much about the aesthetic and choreography as the camp songs" [21] and according to Flavorwire was the one "who impressed the most."[22] On 8 May 2015, Diamond performed as part of a PC Music show at BRIC House in Brooklyn, New York as part of the Red Bull Music Academy Festival. The show was billed as the premiere of Pop Cube, "a multimedia reality network".[23] In November 2015, Diamond released her song "Hi" with a music video made in conjunction with i-D magazine. After having the resources to produce her first music video, she selected "Hi" as a "way of tying up my older material, and a good way of introducing my next phase".[24] Diamond has begun recording a full-length album, originally planned for release in 2015.[24][25] February 2016, saw Hannah Diamond collaborate with Charli XCX on a new track titled "Paradise". The song features as part of the "Vroom Vroom EP", the first release on new label "Vroom Vroom Recordings" set up by XCX. According to the singer, the label will combine her “love for bubblegum pop with mystery and darkness.”[26]

Art career

Growing up, Diamond followed the work of fashion photographers such as Mert and Marcus, David LaChapelle, and Nick Knight.[2] She studied fashion communication and styling, and her early work focused on Internet celebrity.[27] She is a member of Diamond Wright, which has made promotional images for QT, latex clothing brand Meat, and PC Music artist Princess Bambi.[16] She recently shot Charli XCX in global commercial campaigns for Boohoo and Lynx Impulse.[28] Before the founding of PC Music, Diamond worked with Cook on marketing material for makeup brand Illamasqua.[27] She has also done work as co-editor and director of photography for LOGO Magazine.[16]

In contrast to other PC Music artists, Diamond appears on her cover artwork, more akin to a traditional pop star.[29] She cited the futuristic visuals for TLC's "Waterfalls" music video as influential for their emphasis on technology.[30] Diamond's music is often inspired by high-definition imagery and fashion campaigns.[7] Cook describes her as an artist "in control of [her] own image", noting Diamond's involvement in producing the promotional material.[31] Her cover artwork uses heavy photo retouching to produce unnatural, hyperreal versions of herself.[27][29] The covers show Diamond in front of empty, one-dimensional spaces.[32] Her outfits are influenced by London streetwear, and she is known for wearing her trademark pastel pink puffa jacket.[31][33] January 2016, saw Diamond feature on the cover of OKgrl, a new online platform created by stylist Louby Mcloughlin & DVTK, the ex digital directors of fashion brand Kenzo.[34]

Discography

Singles/Tracks

Year Title
2013 "Pink and Blue"
2014 "Keri Baby" (with A. G. Cook)
2014 "Attachment"
2014 "Every Night"
2015 "Drop FM" (with A. G. Cook)
2015 "Hi"
2016 "Paradise" (with Charli XCX)

References

  1. ↑ Wright, William. "From Inside Frieze London". V. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Weinstock, Tish (12 February 2015). "hannah diamond and gfoty's beginner's guide to pc music". Vice. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. ↑ "Hannah Diamond is the number 1 most blogged artist in the world today". Giant Men Management. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Bowe, Miles (24 April 2014). "Hannah Diamond – 'Attachment'". Stereogum. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  5. ↑ Bassil, Ryan (23 May 2014). "Trying to Make Sense of Hannah Diamond and Post-Ringtone Music". Vice. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Moynihan, Joe (13 August 2014). "PC Music: The 10 Best Tracks From 2014's Most Divisive Record Label". Fact. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  7. 1 2 Stephens, Huw (25 March 2015). "PC Music Interview". BBC Radio 1. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Milton, Jamie (20 November 2013). "The Neu Bulletin (20th November 2013)". DIY. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  9. ↑ Barchi, Aly (12 December 2014). "CMU Artists Of The Year 2014: PC Music". Complete Music Update. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "The 100 best tracks of the decade so far". Fact. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  11. ↑ Moynihan, Joe (13 August 2014). "PC Music: the 10 best tracks so far from 2014's most divisive record label". Fact. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  12. ↑ Cliff, Aimee (21 November 2015). "PC Music Forever". The Awl. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  13. ↑ Milton, Jamie (25 March 2014). "Hannah Diamond Confirms Debut Live Appearance". DIY. Retrieved 8 February 2015.
  14. ↑ "PC Music pop star Hannah Diamond drops digital ballad 'Attachment'". Fact. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  15. ↑ Lau, Melody (29 April 2014). "Hannah Diamond: 'Attachment'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 Sherburne, Philip (17 September 2014). "PC Music's Twisted Electronic Pop: A User's Manual". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Trevor (4 December 2014). "Will Butler, Against the Current & Hannah Diamond: Emerging Picks of the Week". Billboard. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  18. ↑ Bassil, Ryan (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond Released a Cute Song Called 'Every Night' That Perfectly Captures the Feeling of Falling for Someone". Vice. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  19. ↑ Murphy, Sarah (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond 'Every Night'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  20. ↑ Chapman, Alex (2014). "SoundClouds of the Underground: Holiday Party Edition". Interview. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  21. ↑ http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/20/pc-music-sxsw-good-taste-pop-makeover
  22. ↑ http://flavorwire.com/510450/from-online-to-irl-inside-pc-musics-debut-live-show-at-sxsw
  23. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/11/arts/music/review-pc-music-and-sophie-in-a-high-concept-extravaganza-at-bric-house.html?_r=0
  24. 1 2 Whitehouse, Matthew (5 November 2015). "hi, it's hannah diamond | read | i-D". i-D. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  25. ↑ Rettig, James (19 February 2015). "A. G. Cook – 'Drop FM' (Feat. Hannah Diamond)". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  26. ↑ "Charli XCX and Hannah Diamond unleash rave-ready ‘Paradise’". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  27. 1 2 3 Hunt, El (11 June 2014). "Inside the hard drive of PC Music". DIY. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  28. ↑ "Diamond Wright on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  29. 1 2 Joyce, Colin (24 November 2014). "Hannah Diamond: 'Every Night'". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  30. ↑ Harrison, Angus (3 February 2015). "Hannah Diamond Knows Meta is Better". Vice. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  31. 1 2 Jones, Charlie Robin (11 September 2014). "PC Music's Digital Dream". Dazed & Confused 4: 178–183. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  32. ↑ Geffen, Sasha (30 March 2015). "PC Music's Inverted Consumerism". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  33. ↑ Frank, Alex (19 September 2014). "A Visual Primer on PC Music, London's Weirdest New Subculture". Vogue. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  34. ↑ "OKgrl is here! | Wonderland Magazine". Wonderland Magazine. Retrieved 2016-02-15.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.