JW Ridley, “Everything (Deathless)”
Former art school student turned bedroom artist? Check. Recorded his initial demos on a four-track tape machine? Check. Creates music from a place of catharsis? Check. London-based Jack Ridley is a veritable indie dream, ladies and gentlemen, one bolstered here by the ever-reliable knob twiddling of Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey. It’s eight minutes long and would be eight minutes longer if we had our say.
Syd, “All About Me”
Produced by Steve Lacy, “All About Me” is taken from Syd’s debut solo album Fin, a record marking her descent into the depths she wants to take The Internet — her band, not the thing. Directed by Calmatic, the accompanying video features Only God Forgives lighting and friends including Tyler, The Creator surrounding Syd and her new merch. (Where can we get the hoodie?)
Mr. Tophat feat. Robyn, “Right Time”
A match made in Swedish heaven (Valhalla) here as house maestro Mr. Tophat joins all-round phenomenal woman Robyn for an extended disco jam. “It was really nice for me to be submerged into his world and lose myself in something that wasn’t my own,” describes Robyn of the experience. Aww, doesn’t she say the Swedish things?
Sampha, “No One Knows Me Like The Piano”
This beautiful and stripped back piano (duh) piece makes us sincerely excited about February 3, when Sampha’s debut album Process will be ours to feel all the feelings to. “This song is dedicated to my mother binty sisay,” he tweeted this week. “The more time that passes, the more I see the extent of her love for me.”
Loyal, “Moving As One”
A marching beat and nice stick-together manifesto here from brand new enigma-mongers LOYAL. A Brighton-based collective whose ranks are occasionally swollen by a whole host of auxiliary members — including a five piece choir — the mood is one of positive reinforcement (something we could all do with a bit of following Donald Trump’s latest, ahem, leak).
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Harajuku Iyahoi”
Strutting gun fingers and a various incarnations of everyone’s favorite J-pop star dancing some kind of jig with a couple of tree people, piles of teddies, mountains of tshirts, and magic mirrors with her face smiling out of it — you won’t believe it but this is all quite tame for kawaii princess of weird music videos, KPP. Venturing into the realm of EDM, she’s singing about how awesome Harajuku is while daydreaming about her future collaboration with Charli XCX. For real.
Letta, “Far Off” w/ Ryan Hemsworth
Taken from Redemption, the follow up to debut album, Testimony, L.A. producer and fan of one word album titles Letta teams up with Ryan Hemsworth to create some of his cheeriest work to date. “A slice of light on a grey winters day,” writes Queen Josephine in the Soundcloud comments section. Josephine, you’re hired.
Alicia Keys, “Sweet F’in Love”
Alicia Keys and Kaytranada are talking ’bout sweet f’in love. It’s sexy.
They., “U Rite”
There is not a song on earth, dear readers, that couldn’t be improved by the application of an air horn sound effect. The Rocky Theme? Obviously! Game of Thrones? Loads better! Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven“? But of course! They know it, you know it and They. know it, the L.A. rap duo peppering new single “U Rite” with more honks and squawks than an afternoon at Evesham Geese Sanctuary.
David Bowie, “No Plan”
We miss you, David Bowie.
Cherry Glazerr, “Nuclear Bomb”
Uh oh, looks like Clem from Cherry Glazerr might be suffering from a disorder known as objectophilia. “If I had a rickenbacker I’d be romancing it too… lucky bitch,” commented Vanessa Garcia on YouTube. “Best 4 minutes of my life,” added Sylvie, before Skyler Harlow requested that the band, “pls upload to pornhub.”
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn and Matthew Whitehouse