Features
September: Six artists you need to check out this month
September sounds
Sadaf
Sadaf’s background in visual and performance art is tangible in her musical output. Tracks like ‘C.F.C.’ and ‘VITA CHAR’ flit between loud, grating percussion and soft vocals, painting an aural landscape that’s both disturbing and compelling. Born in Iran but raised in Canada, her experimentalism is not for the faint-hearted, but listeners up for a challenge will be rewarded by idiosyncratic productions that tread a fine line between restraint and excess.
‘History of Heat’ LP is out now on Blueberry Records
Gigi FM
France-born, London-based Giulia Fournier-Mercadante is a DJ, producer and radio host whose varied interests feed into her eclectic output. As Gigi FM, she combines techno and electro with everything from trap to Cardi B to Kate Bush – all with an infectious smile and some high-energy dance moves behind the decks. You can find her mixes on Hackney’s Netil Radio, but it’s in the club she shines brightest, expertly tapping into the energy of the crowd.
Gigi FM has a monthly residency on Netil Radio
[Photo: Eugene Tumusiime]
Chlobocop
While school music lessons for most 13-year-olds consist of bashing the DJ function on a Yamaha keyboard, Chlobocop recited Lil’ Kim’s ‘Queen Bitch’ for her second year exam. Hailing from Glasgow, the 21-year-old “Lil Red ridin’ from the hood” merges dystopian textures and woozy melodies with slick bars that back up the braggadocio. Her first video, for single ‘999’, is bold, featuring the ghost of her absent father and a run-in with the law.
‘Pay As You Go’ EP is out now
Sevdaliza
Sevdaliza’s protean fluency produces music that defies categorisation. With help from long-time collaborator Mucky, the Tehran-born and Rotterdam-based artist seamlessly blends genres to create rich sonic landscapes which she layers with her hypnotising, breathy voice to head-spinning effect. In 2017 she released debut album ‘ISON’, named after a comet. ‘Darkest Hour’ and ‘Martyr’ have since confirmed her status as an electronic pioneer.
Sevdaliza’s ‘Martyr’ is out now on Twisted Elegance
[Photo: Zahra Reijs]
Wheats
Wheats fell in love with house in his early teens, influenced by his father, who also DJs. By 18, he had a residency at Love Amplified in his home town of Portsmouth. Then Toolroom boss Mark Knight heard Kerri Chandler play an early demo. Now Wheats has established himself as a prolific producer of floor-primed tech-house with releases on Toolroom, Saved and Solä, and also a dynamic DJ who’s played support slots for Calvin Harris, Solardo and Alan Fitzpatrick.
Wheats & Alan Fitzpatrick ‘M27’ is out now on Toolroom Trax
Joy Crookes
Joy Crookes channels influences from her Bangladeshi and Irish heritage into a genre-straddling take on neo-soul. The 20-year-old Londoner has a voice reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, and combines her vocals with witty lyricism and heartfelt meditations on love and life that cut straight to the point. Lines like “You’re a man on a mission but you seem to forget, you came here through a woman – show some fucking respect” on ‘Power’ are proof of a fearless writing style that marks her out as one to watch.
Joy Crookes’ ‘Perception’ EP is out now
