CHAI / PUNK
Hailing from Nagoya, this Japanese girl-group puts their own stamp on punk one shouty chorus and one loud, matching outfit at a time.
Dogwhine / Dog Of God EP
Dogwhine
Nervy post-punk production paired with some of the most politically daring lyrics ("Leader must come from election/ Can't escape the same problems/ Leader must come from here/ Us") make Dogwhine's debut EP essential listening.
Black Midi / Schlagenheim
Black Midi
The much-hyped British four-piece lived up to all expectations and more on their debut LP Schlagenheim, a collection of primal, visceral, chaotic yet precise experimental rock.
MorMor / Some Place Else EP
Operating as MorMor, Toronto singer-songwriter Seth Nyquist crafts wistful songs especially suited for those gazing-out-of-the-window moments. More of that beautifully transpires on his sophomore EP, where lush bedroom pop meets existential angst.
Anne Müller / Heliopause
The Berlin-based cellist emerges as a solo artist in her own right with a deeply personal, experimental debut that recontextualises classical music.
FKA twigs / Magdalene
Barring Björk and Beyoncé, FKA twigs has got to be one of the very few artists who can translate her artistic versatility into a full-blown multimedia experience. Thrillingly innovative and deeply intimate, Magdalene is a celebration of that rare artistic freedom.
Junlaholaan / Junlaholaan EP
Sakon Nakhon-based trio Junlaholaan may be one of the early adopters of folk-rock / luk thung fusion, but their EP glistens with a level of conviction that's hard to match.
Phum Viphurit / Bangkok Balter Club
Phum Viphurit
The affable Thai singer-songwriter explores a more varied sonic palette that extends beyond his usual offerings of breezy indie-folk. Bangkok Balter Club already marks a defining moment in his budding career.
Ariel Zetina / Organism EP
Ariel Zetina
The moment when we heard the Chicago-based queer DJ/producer uttering "Establish yourself in my body!" on her EP, we knew that we were in for a wild ride. Organism is a stunning dance record that will shatter any preconceived idea of how dance music should be.
The Dumbs / The Dumbs
Beneath the earnest, self-deprecating charm of The Dumbs' debut EP lurks brilliant nuggets of sharp social commentary. This is, rather regrettably, one of the most underrated and overlooked releases of the year.
THE PLAYLIST
Khana Kwanjai / Yai Pa
Khana Kwanjai is an emerging Thai indie four-piece whose sound is a wholesome blend of folk and song-for-life aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from legendary artists like Caravan, Carabao and Pongsit Kampee, the quartet have only been releasing yearning folk tunes since last year, but the feedback has been nothing short of phenomenal (one of their singles Ror Mai Mee Gum Nod Garn has racked up more than 5 million views on YouTube since it was released in June). Their latest cut Yai Pa (Moving Woods) is yet another gorgeous folk offering where frontman Ble's earnest songwriting comes to the fore ("Little birdie, flying back to its nest/ Longing for some comfort and warmth/ Splendid woods, won't you hold me tight?/ For my breath is you"). Together with wistful harmonica and bird chirping, this is a powerful ode to love and belonging.
The Weeknd / Heartless
Abel Tesfaye, aka The Weeknd, returns with new single Heartless, thus effectively heralding the forthcoming release of his fourth studio LP, Chapter VI. Here, the Starboy pretty much sticks to the formula, rehashing his well-established brand of sleek, trap-adjacent R&B and narratives that never quite evolve beyond sex, drugs, and the usual slew of oft-misogynistic braggadocio. "All this money and this pain got me heartless… Tryna be a better man, but I'm heartless/ Never be a weddin' plan for the heartless," he warbles away in the chorus that sounds like a half-baked excuse for poor behaviours.
Koffee (Featuring Gunna) / W
Rising Jamaican singer Koffee joins forces with Atlanta rapper Gunna on W, her first new track following the stunning Rapture EP dropped earlier this year. "Pull up in rocket, me blast off/ You could never get me half off," the 19-year-old reggae queen sings on the twerkable production, shrugging off negative vibes and focusing on the positive ones ("w" stands for "winning" in case anyone was wondering). "You gon get da full price/ Been this real my whole life... I'm livin' my best life 'cause life good," she continues alongside Gunna, who sounds suspiciously like Drake on a good day.
Grimes / My Name Is Dark (Art Mix)
The latest taste of Grimes' upcoming fifth studio album, Miss Anthropocene, has landed in the form of My Name Is Dark. Unlike the previously shared So Heavy I Fell Through The Earth, Violence and last year's We Appreciate Power, the song is loaded with lurching industrial guitar riffs and gritty basslines. "So, we party when the Sun goes low/ Imminent annihilation sounds so dope," the Canadian pop experimentalist coos in the first verse, this time assuming the role of an earthbound party rager living it up in the cyberpunk dystopia. "I'm not gonna sleep anymore (I hear they're calling my name)… That's what the drugs are for," she further asserts over the reverb-drenched outro.
Caribou / You And I
A few week back we described Caribou's first single in five years, Home, as something of an outlier. Now with its follow-up You And I, it's looking more and more like the Canadian musician and producer is inching away from the blissful house styling of Caribou, and gravitates towards the more funky side of 60s soul and lush synth-pop in the same vein as Hot Chip. Built on melodic synth lines, the track highlights the artist's pensive vocals and his ability to seamlessly swing from new wave textures to unexpected trap elements. In lesser hands, this could have been a disaster.
