As mince pies, selection boxes and crackers start to dominate the shelves of our supermarkets, we wanted to turn your attention to the music that defined our spooky season. Is it too early to feel festive? Almost definitely, but with the way of the world at the moment, it’s just about all we have to look forward to. Before you fill your playlists with bare Bublé, check out our recommendations for October.
FLOHIO FT KASIEN - WITH EASE
With Ease is another exhilarating track from Flo Flo. Adding to the energy, Kasien delivers a contagious hook and comes in with a vibey verse - embodying Cadenzas’s typically wavey production. Originally postponing the video’s release, Flohio wanted us to focus on the fuckery happening in the world at the moment; She is one of many artists vocalising support fro the #EndSARS movement. You can now watch the artists hit up their local boozer in the video below.
BAKAR - 1ST TIME
Bakar finally came out of hiding to bless us with a new single last month. Channelling similar energies to BADKID, but in a way that feels more refined, 1st Time simmers BK’s raspy vocals over a contagious chord progression. Watch the saucy visuals below.
GREENTEA PENG - REVOLUTION
With such social and political turmoil in the world, a revolution would be welcomed by most of us with welcomed arms. Tadafi’s reggae dub production is bifta ready, lighting Greentea’s modulated delivery and accommodating the lyrics effortlessly. Peng announced a European tour upon the release of this single. Find out more here.
LADY SANITY & CUZN FRED - PALLY PALLY
Pally Pally is our pick from Lady Sanity and Cuzn Fred’s collaborative EP A Problem Shared. Providing nothing but straight shellings, the project gentrifies some of Britain’s most profound underground sounds: grime, jungle and trap melt into a visceral pot of sonics. The whole EP is worth listening to, so we have linked it below.
JESHI - MASK ON
If you’ve been keeping up with our output, you’ll know we have been fucking with Jeshi for a while now. The East Londoner’s had a busy 2020, dropping a genre defying EP, with features from John Glacier and Fredwave, and now Mask On too. A melting pot of trappy snares glitchy synths and off-filtered drums assembles the instrumental, which comes via PULLEN and Tev’n, who have also been killing it this year.
BAWO - UNDERCOVER FT DONALEE
Bawo and Donalee teamed up for a silky smooth single, which should definitely be filling your playlists this month. Whimsical lyricism, radiant deliveries and an R&B groove all combine to deliver yet another infectious single from Bawo. We are hoping to see a lot more of him in 2021.
PA SALIEU - BLOCK BOY
The latest single off Salieu’s forthcoming mixtape, Block Boy is a cosmic afro-beat banger. As always with the Coventry native, his visuals fail to disappoint. Check back here for more news on Send Them To Coventry.
D DOUBLE E - CONTACT US
Opening Double’s latest mixtape, Double Or Nothing, Contact Us unites industrial drums with the rapper’s idiosyncratic flow. The wordsmith is in fine lyrical form, reflecting on his prestige in the scene and the amount of weed he chuffs too of course. When Splurgeboys and D Double link up for a track, there is only going to be one outcome.
CHLOBOCOP FT NOKIA MANSION - I’MNOTWEIRD
With more waves than a diamond jubilee, Chlobo and Nokia Mansion’s infectious I’MNOTWEIRD is the collaboration you never knew you needed. The track came as a triplet of single releases from the Glaswegian, but this cut stood out with its groovy latin influence and stellar individual performances.
FEUX - SKY HIGH
When we told Feux this was our favourite track from PURENINE, he was pleasantly surprised. Worrying it was too mainstream, the artist confessed it nearly didn’t make the album: hookwise, it’s one of the strongest tunes on there. Read our full interview with him here.
KIANVSLIFE - TAXI MAN
Boom baps, soulful soundscapes and howling vocals make up TAXI MAN, which comes off Kian’s new EP ‘Lady Jasper’. If you are fed up with conventional U.K. rap taking over your airwaves , the Brighton based artist’s new project is thoroughly recommended. It’s 16 minutes of dreamy bedroom indie, for better use of the term, is well worth checking out.
THE SILHOUETTES PROJECT - CLOSER
For this instalment from the Silhouettes Project, it is Elisa Imperilee and Whoeva? linking up in fine fashion. The polished jazz instrumentation nestles under Imperilee’s scintillating vocals, providing the perfect soundtrack to any moody afternoons this winter. Preorder the Silhouette Project’s forthcoming vinyl here.
BEMZ - WHAT IT SEEMS FT OYAKHIRE
Coming off Saint of Lost Causes, Bemz’ latest EP, What it Seems is a raw depiction of the rapper’s life thus far. It’s an emotionally charged collaboration with Oyakhire, who elevates the track’s conscious nature.Bemz is just one of many rappers killing it up in Scotland at the moment, keep an eye on him.
SHAYBO - DOBALE
Is there anything Shaybo can’t do at this point? As comfortable over a drill beat as she is on afrobeats, the artist has been one of 2020s break out stars. Dobale only adds to her versatile repertoire, and pays homage to the multcucultal community she’s been brought up in. Watch the vid below.
GHETTS FT SKEPTA - IC3
Ghetts’ album is shaping up nicely. Mozambique has to be one of our favourite tracks of the year, and IC3 is right up there with it. Bringing the energy of their Risky Roadz and Kiss FM freestyles, this single accentuates just how far both artists have come. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for Ghetto’s forthcoming LP.
ANT D FT BRANDON ISAIAH - CARMEX
We nearly let this article come out without checking our DMs, but thankfully we did. Ant D’s latest single, featuring Brandon Isaiah, blends British and American sonics to accommodate the lyrical finesse both artists bring to the track. It’s classic boom bap vibes on this one, with production as smooth as the tune’s title.
JOE ROSE - BLUE SKY
The latest release off Ashtray records comes via one of their in house creatives - Joe Rose. The dark, industrial production is surprisingly spacious and the rapper bodies an understated delivery too. Soundscaping hazy melodies and the rapper’s gritty tones, the track excels in minimalism. Take a listen below.
JORJA SMITH FT POPCAAN - COME OVER
Jorja Smith’s latest single is a stomping dancehall heater, so there is no surprises that Popcaan hops on for a feature. Arguably there is not enough of the Jamaican native, but the song is too hard to not have on this list.
HEADIE ONE FT SKEPTA TRY ME
Headie One went straight to number one with Edna, and there’s no guesses to what our favourite tune was. Both Skep and Headie body Gottionem’s production, firing punchy verses back-to-back with the same, dexterous energy Back to Basics brought us.
Written by Liam Cattermole