I came across Xamvolo fairly recently, four and a half hours into a painfully long nighttime drive. “Old Soul” started to play in the background, ever so slightly hidden by the patter of soft rain and coffee-resistant tiredness. I remember being compelled to turn it up. As an emerging artist Xamvolo has a remarkable sense of self-identity, staying true to the “dark jazz grooves” he produces, of which “Old Soul”so beautifully represents.
“Alaska” comes from American singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, who may well be known to you from the longlist of “BBC’s Sound of 2017”. “Alaska” was penned in fifteen minutes (yup, a quarter of an hour) for a music masterclass in the presence of Pharrell Williams. He was visibly impressed and a viral video of the moment made its way around, increasing her fanbase and paving the way for her imminent takeoff. With a particularly organic sound, the track takes its inspiration from a hiking trip – have a listen below:
There is nothing more exciting than when something fresh and intriguing comes from your hometown, and that is exactly what has happened with King Orange. The trio – comprising of Leo Joslin, Oli Witty and Tom Green-Morgan – met whilst students in Hull, and started jamming together informally and at student showcases. From there they decided to branch out to make their own music, on their own terms. The payoff has been respectable, landing them gigs all across the city at its most well-known venues. I suspect that bright things are in store for this band; with the same indie feel as Circa Waves and Royal Blood it won’t be long before their latest single “Fifteen” will be the anthem of UK Summer.
I’m extremely happy to say that I have managed to see milkd perform live on a number of occasions around Edinburgh’s grassroots music scene, although up until recently they have only been known as friends ‘Will and Andy’. Perhaps one of the scariest things any musician must go through is the leap between playing for fun and taking it seriously, but what a debut single they have gone for. ‘Rosie’ effortlessly blends the sultry keyboard skills of Will Langston and Andy Stern’s similarly-forced guitar. It is hard to believe that they are still only students rather than professional musicians, but with a wide breadth of experience under their belts and a natural talent that exceeds what age can bring, I have no doubt that milkd have a bright future.
Let me introduce to you Mabel – a talented 19-year-old performer from Stockholm, Spain and London. It is evident from her music that her childhood was based around rhythm, with both of her parents heavily involved in music production and her childhood home being a recording studio. Music has influenced her so much that she initially enrolled to study music theory and production in Stockholm, before deciding to pursue her own musical career. “Finders Keepers” is her explosive new single ft. Dojo Funds, and it is easy to see how she won a prestigious place in the ‘BBC Sound of 2016’.
The track “Plage Isolée” is brought to us from French duo Polo and Pan – who formed after their own careers as Polocorp and Peter Pan. With such a diverse range of influences it is near impossible to comprehensively or universally describe their music as a particular category, although each song in their eclectic mix is bound by an upbeat and versatile sense of surrealism – which would be as well suited to a pop-up bar as it would to a gallery opening.
When Nao began studying vocal jazz at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, I don’t imagine her ten year plan included reaching the levels of success she has done so quickly. Having spent some time familiarising herself with the art of performance by singing back-up (most notably for Kwabs), she decided to take the plunge and go solo in 2014. The leap of faith paid off; landing her MOBO and Brit nominations amongst a wealth of festival appearances. Her single “Girlfriend” excellently showcases the “wonky funk” she and her exquisite synths are known for.
I will always remember watching James Vincent McMorrow at a gig in Barcelona last year. English was sparse amongst the audience but he had an astonishing ability to communicate with his Spanish anyway, using his performance to move some people to tears. Whilst he is probably best known for his track “Higher Love”, it is fair to say the rest of his repertoire is secretive to all but his biggest admirers, but nevertheless they were as emotive and calming as you would expect. I first heard his latest single “Rising Water” on vinyl, and accidentally played it at 33RPM rather than the 45RPM it needed, and even though it was much lower and slower, it was still fantastic. Now is that not the definition of versatility?
Having supported the likes of Circa Waves and alt-J it would appear that Gengahr have already been recognised for their unique and hauntingly smooth style. Available on June 15th 2015, their debut album “A Dream Outside” captures perfectly the essence of the band – with each of the eleven records advertising the range of musical talent they can portray whilst maintaining a delicate fluidity throughout. No note is out of place on the LP, a feat only possible due to the fact that the band has discovered their musical identity, something becoming increasingly unheard of with a few emerging artists. It’s so refreshing to listen to an album that takes you on a mildly psychedelic journey, and for me that’s where the true gem of Gengahr’s music is situated. From the well-recognised “She’s A Witch” to the newer “Trampoline”, every aspect has been carefully considered. When I saw them as a support band, having no knowledge of their music beforehand, I was made to feel like a lifetime fan and found myself singing along. The band seems familiar, and I’m sure in a few months they will be even more so due to a developed popularity.
With over 2 million views it wouldn’t be surprising if you’ve already heard of Leeds-based producer Favela from his record “Gong”, despite his anonymity whilst completing his dissertation. But today we heard some exciting news – June 29th will bring his debut EP. Entitled “Future Visions” and spanning just three songs it seems to have a robotic etherealness to it. If the lead single is anything to go by you can expect disjointed melodies and abstract synths that combine to form a tone rich in futuristic emotion – and if that’s not clever we don’t know what is.
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