March: Six artists you need to check out this month

A pianist who works with hardware synths and samplers, Korea Town Acid draws on her musical education to make experimental electronic music. The Korea-born, Canada-raised artist’s unique live shows are all about improvisation, and her 2018 debut EP ‘Mahogani Forest’ on Toronto label Cosmic Resonance deftly mixed free jazz, avant-garde techno and minimalism. A recent tour taking in Stockholm, Berlin and London suggests her reach is widening.

Korea Town Acid’s second EP is out on Clipp.art soon

[Photo: Mich Chiu]

Oceanic’s DJ sets and productions on Rimini and his brother’s Nous’klaer Audio label blur the boundaries between dancefloor sounds and something more ethereal. His recent project, the first LP on De School’s De Nieuw outlet, is an ambient live set recorded using a custom-made string instrument connected to a modular synth. Ben UFO is a fan, selecting one of his remixes for his Mixmag Cover Mix last year.

Catch Oceanic at DGTL Amsterdam in April, or monthly at De School

[Photo: Ruben Evez]

Manchester-based producer and vocalist Iceboy Violet is challenging the archetypes of grime and club through their music, their DJ crew boygirl, and label and event series Mutualism. Channelling the visceral energy and abrasive emotion of grime while drawing from noise, experimental club and more, debut mixtape ‘MOOK’ on bleeding-edge London outlet TT (fka Tobago Tracks) channels the unique intensity of their live show.

Iceboy Violet’s ‘MOOK’ mixtape is out now via TT

Kiev-based Artur Kryvenko and Vitalii Limarenko are all about deep, dark bass and hypnotic synths. Supported by Pete Tong, Maceo Plex and Solomun, they had a recent release on Diynamic. From the bouncing beat of new track ‘Atlas’ to the mesmerising ‘Tabu’, ARTBAT have won over the hearts of some of techno’s leading figures, and with a string of impressive collaborations set up already, this year things just look set to get bigger.

ARTBAT’s ‘Upperground’ EP is out now on Diynamic

Imagine Kate Bush covering Massive Attack. Now picture listening at 3am in an off-world dive bar where drinks are laced with acid and the crowd consists of Star Wars characters. Bay Area singer, songwriter and producer Chrystia Cabral sounds a bit like that. Cabral was inspired to start SPELLLING by messages sent to her in her dreams, and her psychedelic, 808-driven soul certainly has an ethereal quality. Bewitching production underpins her second LP ‘Mazy Fly’, but Cabral’s voice is the real draw.

‘Mazy Fly’ is out now on Sacred Bones

[Photo: Catalina Xavlena]

Michael Bibi grew up influenced by his father Robin Bibi’s blues and jazz career and the d’n’b, house and techno of Brixton’s nightlife. These core sounds pepper the slew of killer cuts he’s been serving up, not least this year’s ‘Hanging Tree’, which has had major labels in a right old fizz. He also runs party brand and label Solid Grooves, booking and releasing music from the likes of Dennis Cruz, ANOTR and Reelow, and has a 2019 Ibiza residency locked in.

Michael Bibi plays Sub Club on March 21