- Words Liam Cattermole
A weekly playlist sharing our pick of the best new music from the world's most exciting emerging musicians. You heard it here first.
‘Came Thru’ by Downtown Kayoto
Zimbabwe-born, Hull-raised artist Downtown Kayoto is back with another genre-defying single, called ‘Came Thru’. Off-kilter Timbaland-esque drums and the singer’s occasionally auto-tuned vocals tie together a story of devotion, as the polymath looks for reassurance that his music dream isn’t in vain.
‘Had Ya Called’ by Nourished By Time
Catching Chickens is the follow up project to Nourished By Time’s 2023 break out album, Erotic Probiotic 2. Across five tracks, the recent XL Recordings signee sings vignettes of love and lust in his Baltimore burr, fixing together warped funkadelia, cosmic synths and spacey guitar riffage. ‘Had Ya Called’ with its killer bass line brings abundant groove to the fore.
‘Disposition’ by Sam Akpro
Punching you in the gut with a relentless groove, south London post-punker Sam Akpro’s latest single, ‘Disposition’, is his most danceable work to date. Singing in a falsetto, the rising artist glides over drony guitars and bleeping electronica, attempting to run away from all the intrusive thoughts on his mind.
‘WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DO NOTHIN’’ by Yazmine MB
Smooth and sultry vibes to ease you into the weekend, ‘WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DO NOTHIN’’ is Yazmine MB at her buttery best. Her smooth cadence is poised against a scintillating jazz-soul beat, which melts into hypnotic guitar solos and shuffling percussion.
‘Wind’ by Jawnino
Jawnino’s poetic observations on ‘Wind’ allude to a melancholia we haven’t yet heard from the artist. As he soul searches through memories of missed proms and lost gucci belts, we realise that there’s a veneer of vulnerability that makes the rapper susceptible to being hurt: a welcome shift from the usual braggadocio you get in UK rap circles.
‘Push 2 Start’ by NAPPYNAPPA, dreamcastmoe
Slurry flows and syrupy beats, NAPPYNAPPA’s infectious delivery deserves to be right up there with mumble rap’s finest. On this blistering trap cut, the artist pushes DC native dreamcastmoe out of his 4/4 comfort zone and into a potent rap space of his own.
‘X code’ by Gal Go, KEYAH/BLU
Producing music under the pseudonym Gal Go, multi-instrumentalist Ignacio Salvadores is known for his work on King Krule albums and as part of his live band. A deschacer, which translates to ‘to undo’ in English from Spanish, is the title of the Argentinian born artist’s new jazz-tinged project, which features a killer vocal feature from KEYAH/BLU on ‘X code’.
‘NAOMI’ by ayrtn
“UK music is in the dumps rn. Boring,” tweeted ayrtn earlier this week, causing a debate among rap fans about the scene’s originality. Back to save the day, the esteemed south-east London producer-rapper is as vivacious as ever on ‘NAOMI’; the supermodel referencing new single filled with steely flows and greezy 808s.
‘Inside’ by Pretty Girl
More emotional dance music from Pretty Girl, who’s quickly becoming our fave electronic producer from down under. ‘Inside’ sends you to out of space with its spectral breaks and pumping bassline, twinkling between her delicately delivered vocals.
‘No Way Out’ by Tara Lily
South London British Bengali artist Tara Lily is bringing a vibrant perspective to alternative R&B with her cinematic soundscapes and dulcet falsetto. Sending us into a dreamlike state, ‘No Way Out’ sees the singer-songwriter trapped in her thoughts, trying to escape those that appear the most deprecating.
