CARLY WILFORD, BIIANCO AND LEA LEA COLLABORATE TO SHARE UNIFYING MESSAGE IN POWERFUL SUMMER ANTHEM: ‘BEEN RIGHT HERE’
May 26, 2023 – When artists like Carly Wilford, BIIANCO and Lea Lea come together, who are each making waves in the dance music sphere, magic happens. ‘Been Right Here’ lands on Armada Music today, signaling a celebration of diversity and a turning point in gaining recognition within the industry.
After spontaneously meeting in LA at the end of 2022, Armada Subjekt alumni Carly Wilford, London- & LA-based BIIANCO and multitalented Lea Lea bonded instantly over their shared experiences within the music industry; from finding a voice in a space where many groups are underrepresented, to how much work goes into refining the craft of producing, DJing and songwriting. Immediately jumping in the studio felt like the natural step.
On the track’s title and vocal motif Carly Wilford says ‘It all stemmed from a conversation within the first ten minutes of meeting each other about how the three of us became the artists we are today, and the fact we’ve ‘been right here’ the whole time despite it taking a while to get heard in such a crowded space. The conversation we had was so honest and empowering, and I think that really comes across in the track. We wanted the to create something punchy that shows we mean business.’
Infectious ‘til the very last second, ‘Been Right Here’ showcases an irresistible synergy between the radiant piano chords, consistent groove and inspiring vocals that evoke a sense of empowerment. Inspired by 90s dance and classic powerhouse vocals, listeners can expect a layered vocal arrangement led by Lea Lea and additional backing vocals from BIIANCO and Carly Wilford. Not forgetting additional quirks to the production such as clapping in the vocal booth to create an extra human element to the production layers.
‘It’s not often that you connect with other artists instantly, but that is exactly what happened here, and we felt really compelled to put our feelings down in this way,’ explains Lea Lea.
‘Tracks like this that come out of what feels like nowhere are always the most important because they are so raw and meaningful,’ adds BIIANCO. ‘I hope this one inspires others to collaborate and make the change they want to see in the world.’
After learning to produce in lockdown, Carly Wilford is quickly becoming one of the most promising new names in dance music. Her recent releases 'Burning Night and ‘Sky High’ were heavily backed by Radio 1 gaining ongoing support from Sarah Story, Danny Howard and also becoming Jaguar’s ‘Dance Floor Moment’. After standout performances at Glastonbury Festival and in Ibiza this summer, her high energy sets bring forward a new wave of house music whilst honouring the very roots of the scene she grew up raving to. Starting out as a Presenter, her early career saw her take over the airwaves on the Rinse FM Breakfast Show before taking bold steps to become a respected DJ and Music Producer.
BIIANCO is the multi-instrumental music producer, vocalist and overall mad-scientist in a new era of electronic music. The past year has seen them stride into dance music, championed by the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Kiss FM, KCRW, KEXP, Diplo’s Revolution on Sirius XM and more. The common threads of playful acid, breaks and trance that run through the punchy productions are reminiscent of the Chemical Brothers with the mainstream appeal of a more emotional Jamie XX. They’ve garnered press from outlets like NOTION, Wonderland Mag, Billboard, EDM Identity, tmrw and more, while also catching the attention of pioneering tastemaker labels such as Armada, This Never Happened and Part Four. They continue to tour globally, supporting big names like SG Lewis and Dusky, while their festival slots — Secret Garden Party, Body Movements and Outloud among others — clear the way for their high energy and technically mind-blowing hybrid DJ performances.
As a queer, partially blind femme producer, BIIANCO has quickly become a symbol of inclusion in a music industry often too lacking in it. At the end of the day, BIIANCO creates art from a place of raw, emotional movement. They make music to dance and ugly cry to.
East London vocalist, DJ and film sound editor, Lea Lea, rhythmically roars her audience to attention. Inspired by '90s dance, sultry RnB and UK Garage, Lea Lea has featured and written for acts such as Chk Chk Chk, Goth-trad and Nu:Tone, hitting the dance charts with the latter on DnB track 'Tides'. Slated as "one to watch" by Lauren Lavern (BBC Radio 6Music) and a "vocal velveteen" by DJ Mag, she has toured around the world (Glastonbury, Primavera, Dimensions) and performed on line ups that include Jay Z, Beyoncé and Kaytranada. Additionally, she also co-runs 'FIXX' - a party brand born out of wanting to create a respectful space to celebrate riddims and ravers.
For all release assets (artwork, lyrics, listening link etc.) please click here.
For Carly Wilford’s press kit please click here.
About Armada Music
Armada Music is the biggest independent dance music label in the world. Founded by Armin van Buuren, Maykel Piron (CEO) and David Lewis, the label manages an ever-growing catalog of over 40,000 tracks, built up across twenty-plus years of specialized dance music exploitation.
Representing artists such as Armin van Buuren, ARTY, D.O.D, Eelke Kleijn, Jan Blomqvist, Loud Luxury, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, Tensnake, THEMBA and Yulia Niko, Armada Music amasses more than one billion streams per month, airplay on leading radio outlets such as BBC Radio 1 and Sirius XM, and top positions in the world’s most notable charts. The label also takes great pride in major achievements such as Armin van Buuren’s GRAMMY nomination for ‘This Is What It Feels Like’, Loud Luxury and Brando’s ‘Body’ surpassing one billion streams on Spotify and breaking artists such as Lost Frequencies into global stardom.
Across offices in Amsterdam (HQ), New York, London and Laren (NL), Armada Music offers a truly global appeal to its growing roster. The label has its own club, radio studio and multiple production studios, and hosts various live formats. Producer platform Armada University, which offers educational products and opportunities, shows the label’s sustained effort to nurture the next wave of talent.
In 2023, Armada Music launched BEAT Music Fund, the world’s first dance music investment company, that acquires catalogs with the mission of honoring, representing and reinvigorating them. BEAT’s portfolio will continue to grow; in the first six months following its launch, BEAT acquired the catalogs of, among others, electronic music star ARTY, house and techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Records, legendary NYC-based house label King Street Sounds and chart-topping producers Chocolate Puma.
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