December – where did that come from? This week’s new music certainly doesn’t sound like it’s the end of the year.
Laura Bettinson was formerly the brains behind afrobeat group Dimbleby & Capper, currently heads up Ultraísta and has now has a new guise as FEMME. October’s 'Fever Boy' was instantly recognisable as one of her own with its clap-happy beats, cutting vocals and undulating grooves. The track’s now been washed with Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon’s heaving chants and dirty drops, and squares up well to the original cut.
Eugene Quell’s debut offering 'Weird Purr' was too hard to ignore with its soft grunge snarls and fuzzy layers. He’s no stranger to this sound though, having played in bands since the early 90s. The track makes a bed in your head with drowsy snare snaps and chatty vocals. It might be laid back, but it’s deceptively bright and confident, psyching us up for future releases.
Building on the game-changing RnB that’s dominated this year is the latest track from Ben Khan. 'Savage' is buoyant, energetic and a quick shot in the heart with its funk guitars, klaxon synths and rich singing. We think he might have chucked older hooks into the mix here, clogging up its thick layers with sprightly guitar lines.
London duo Kaleida dropped the second track from their debut EP and our synthpop hearts exploded. Like 'Eden', 'Tropea'‘s synths glint inside dark chasms of ghostly vocals and gallant rhythms. It’s promising music: self-assured and wholly accessible.
As far as debuts go, few can stretch minds as well as Adult Jazz’ first effort. 'Springful'‘s art school, chop-pop textures recall much of Dirty Projectors’ back catalogue and yet sound completely new. The Leeds fourpiece are trying to push boundaries. They can do this as much as they like.
Listen to our selection of the week’s best tracks below:
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