Croydon-born creative Quiet Storm (the musical persona of legendary A-list celebrity stylist Dean Aslett) is set to unleash a new single, ‘Song On The Radio’, on March 29, 2024. Born in Croydon and now based between London and Mykonos, the singer-songwriter’s first four singles, ‘Lady Show Me’, ‘I Could Almost Cry’, ‘You Make Me Shudder’ and ‘Your World’ enjoyed consecutive Music Week UK Top 10 Chart positions. His most recent single, ‘This Place’, has received support from notable tastemaker EARMILK. Additionally, his music has received airplay from National Public Radio network NPR Music. Dean has a compelling and extensive career within the fashion industry, working for household names like Versace and styling or being a personal shopper for A-listers such as Princess Diana, Prince William, Elton John, Joan Collins, Liz Hurley and members of Duran Duran - to name but a few! He has now left the fashion business to pursue music full-time, continually expanding his sonic palette with each new release.
Dean developed a love for performance and electronic music at a young age, beginning to play piano and organ at age eleven. Immersing himself in music from the late 70s onwards, he became enamored with electronic music when his twin brother bought an LP album, Out of This World by the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in 1979. Composers like Ennio Morricone (Chai Mai, The Mission, Cinema Paradiso), Jerry Goldsmith (Alien, The Omen), producers like Brian Eno (David Bowie, Talking Heads) and Bob Clearmountain (Bryan Ferry, David Bowie & Simple Minds) started to appeal to Dean as his formative years progressed. Clubbing in London’s watering holes in the 80s further cemented this passion of his. He also cites New Wave giants of his teenage years such as David Bowie, Roxy Music, Blondie, David Sylvian, Duran Duran, Visage, Soft Cell, Ultravox, The Cure and The Cult as major influences.
Buying his first synthesizer (a KORG POLY800) in 1984, Dean formed a five-piece rock outfit Clockwork Orange in 1985, which disbanded the following year. However, Dean continued to write songs under the name Quiet Storm, a name adopted from a club in Mayfair, London.
‘Song On The Radio’ sees Quiet Storm flipping his usual recipe of dreamy abstract sounds into an assertive synth-pop anthem. Producer Chase Emery Davis cooks up a classic concoction of upbeat drum machine samples, synth stabs and new wave keys and guitars, pulling the listener into an irresistibly danceable trance. The track is energizing yet nostalgic, with a hint of wistful defiance, beautifully capturing the anger of betrayal with the uniquely melancholic danceability of the 80s.
Quiet Storm shared: “‘Song On The Radio’ simply came from a desire to create something a bit different and more assertive, "in yer face" to what I normally create which is normally more abstract. I don't normally go in for big choruses but this one just came out of nowhere and sounds more American than European with a slight late 70s new wave touch. Obviously the song is about personal betrayal and the song was a cathartic release.”
