What I find so appeasing about Bristolian rapper OLOFF is that you can never guess his next move. His second project of the year, ‘Expat’ took me a bit by surprise as it contain pretty slick uses of samples, ranging from retro soul, right through rock/90s grunge plus samples that has a twang of 50s Hollywood Glamour – see, I told his guy was so delightfully unpredictable!
One thing that’s not predictable is his infamous askew delivery which at times ferociously pierces through some of the most delicate productions (listen to intro single ‘I Don’t Breathe’, ‘Obvious/Someone’s Missing/Luigi’s Mansion)
I appreciate that ‘Expat’ isn’t everyone’s cup of tea or a one size fits all type of mixtape, but it’s definitely worth a go just to hear the juxtaposition of his wayward delivery against the varied arrangements.
Must Listen: I Don’t Breathe, Lord’s Prayer, Luigi’s Mansion
‘Daylight’ is the fourth single from JESSICA WILDE‘s concept album, with each song serving as a diary entry, going on a journey from addiction, toxic relationships to self-love and living sober. Her latest effort has a classic soul sound, with rich textured backing vocals reminiscent of a 60’s golden era but with an unexpected twist as Wilde introduces her fresh statement London rap flow, telling the tale of a relationship fueled on reckless, wild, party nights turning into a self-sabotaging Groundhog Day.
‘Daylight’ will be followed by two remixes set to land 10th September from Murder he Wrote, who last year amassed over half a million streams and has consistent support from Jeremiah Asiamah (BBC Radio 1), Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6Music) and Anna Lunoe (Apple Music) and duo Ren Phillips and Ying Yang who have regular releases on Sola, Cr2 and Support from Jamie Jones, Joel Corry and SKT.
Wilde’s exciting project and authentic artistry has already picked up some serious heat across BBC Radio including ‘Record of the week’ on BBCR1xtra, BBC Radio London (Robert Elms show/Claira Hermet/Lionheart and Salma El-Wardany/Emelia Poamz) 6 Music, KISS FM (Rudekid), Hoxton Radio (Kerry Boyne), Reprezent Radio (Amika Eazer/Laughta), Radio 5 (Amsterdam) and many more.
Here’s your chance to check out ‘Daylight’, where Wilde has once again collaborated with producers Eljay and Grammy award winner Kiris Houston (The Disciples, Little Mix).
South East London based non-binary artist HARVE sparsely blends R&B and electronic music with single, ‘Other Side Of The Room’. Accentuated by Harve’s signature play with distorted vocals and layering, this track was written whilst they were in a long term relationship – lyrically it explores gaining a new perspective and taking a step back to see things a little more clearly.
Speaking on the track, Harve says: “OSOTR is both a song I wrote entirely for myself; about finding home within, listening to my own needs. But it was also my final attempt to let my then partner know how I was feeling. OSOTR is about checking in with yourself, it’s about knowing when to let go, it’s about stopping yourself from being left behind, and finding yourself in your loneliness.
An incredibly exciting new talent, the past few years have seen Harve in all the right places including supporting Celeste alongside Fredwave at one of her first headline shows and stunning a packed out Hoxton Bar and Kitchen with a stripped back set for Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce. Coming straight outta lockdown #1, they debuted music from their EP live on Sofar Sounds and begun to host a regular slot alongside non-binary artist Attz on Polyesterzine called ‘ENBY CHRONICLES’ discussing all thing non binary.
Early singles ‘City Scapes’, ‘Caught Up’ and ‘ReAD’ and caught the attention of key tastemakers including XL Recordings, COLORS Berlin and Glamcult as well as garnering multiple plays across NTS and Reprezent shows and support from Jamz Supernova, Mary Anne Hobbs and Phil Taggart on 1Xtra, 6Music and BBCR1. Blending elements of R&B, Soul and electronic, through ardent lyricism, Harve dissects what it is to be a queer person; the self-acceptance, the relationships, the doubts, and the love.
Coming up this year they have a new project in the works and will continue to co-host Smooth Operator on Foundation FM with their podcaster sibling Nic Desborough; playing new and old music from around the world with a focus on highlighting queer artists.
London based polymath MATHS TIME JOY‘s single ‘Cut The BS’, his collaborative project with New York based artist Rich, was penned from the aftermath of an abusive relationship.
Sharing more behind the track Rich Shared: “I wrote this song after the fallout from the abusive relationship I sing about in Change. I would see my abuser’s friends every once in a while at parties and different social situations. My conversations with those friends always felt surface-level and overly-cordial. I felt like they weren’t being completely upfront, which led me to question who I could trust.”
‘Cut the BS’ is the third single to be revealed from the new project, the follow up to the emotive and passionate ‘Hoping You’d Call’. Earlier this year they debuted with ‘Change’, a beautiful, melancholy offering, born from the moment of realization Rich had that he was in an abusive relationship, an experience that has also fueled the creation of ‘Cut The BS’.
Quickly growing a reputation for their winning combination of flawless vocal talent and weightless, abstract production the pair have already scooped support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, American Songwriter, Early Rising and Notion, not to mention a wealth of playlisting support across DSPs and love from the likes of Radio 1’s chillest record, Radio 4’s Iconic show Loose Ends and Elton John’s Rocket hour who coined their sound ‘Sensational’’.
Maths Time Joy is one of the UKs most multifaceted talents, a Grammy nominated recording artist, producer and DJ. Teamed with the unmistakable, widely acclaimed talent of Rich, the pair have a winning formula that is not to be missed. Check them out below…
Comprising of vocalists DaCosta, Jean Carter and producer ghettoblasterman, Los Angeles-based R&B/Hip-Hop trio YOUR GRANPARENTS make music that hints to the nostalgia of previous decades without feeling dated – and their single ‘Sunlight,’ is a true testament to that statement as the single oozes a smooth neon blend of hip-hop & neo-R&B which arguably takes you back to the nineties.
Sunlight is taken from their album, ‘Thru My Window’, out now via The Orchard. Nodding towards the realms of funk, soul, hip-hop, rock and blues, the self produced/written album is an alternative commentary on love in early adulthood. Illustrated through the joint perspective of Your Grandparents, the narrative portrays the origins of a budding relationship and its potential complexities.
Why not check out the video for ‘Sunlight’ (highly recommended):
