Nia Archives ‘Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall’ (Hijinxx/Island)
In her second six-track EP, Nia Archives continues her blaze of glory as the flag-bearer for jungle’s next gen with a set of emotional heaters that showcase her range. Appealing to the afters devotees and reformed sesh heads alike, it weaves a narrative arc between universal and deeply personal experiences. Kicking off with the irresistible ‘Baianá’, a raucous soundsytstem rattler that’s propelled by a sample of Brazilian choir Barbatuques, it’s a it goes full throttle of the carnival vibes, but by the time the closer title-track comes along, the mood has mellowed to more pensive territory.
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Fever Ray ‘Radical Romantics’ (Rabid/Mute Records)
No one explores the human condition quite like Karin Dreijer. The Swedish experimental pop artist’s third solo album as Fever Ray explores knotty, intimate topics - from bedroom kinks to anxieties over growing old - through synth pop frameworks and a warming, sensitive candour that can catch you off guard and feel totally comforting at the same time.
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Andrea ‘Due In Color’ (Ilian Tape)
Andrea has been responsible for making some of the most gorgeous techno soundscapes going since he first debuted on Ilian Tape a decade ago and this latest album - his second on the Munich imprint - is another sublime work. Dreamy, richly textured and with a subtle sense of momentum throughout, it’s like being wrapped in a blanket of bliss.
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James Holden ‘Imagine This Is A High Dimensional Space Of All Possibilities’ (Border Community)
James Holden still loves rave music. That was a relief to read ahead of his latest album, which surely has the most ‘coined-deep-in-the-afters’ title of any LP this year. The 12-track release is correspondingly stirring and psychedelic, conjuring up feelings of utopia that only the most potent combo of bright-eyed optimism and the right chemicals can inspire. Listen and you’ll be lefting feeling all Smiley.
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Chunky ‘Somebody’s Child’ (Eglo Records)
It’s rare to find a record that feels like an exhale, that seems to fill a void within music that you never knew existed, bubbling to the forefront of your thoughts hours afterwards — it’s clear on first listen of ‘Somebody’s Child’ that it achieves all three of these feats. Equal parts touching and turbulent, Chunky digs into his experiences growing up in Manchester within a Zimbabwean family — fluctuating between rough-edged, fragmented grime and oscillating influences from the African diaspora. Particular highlights include the cheeky weed references on ‘Dancing on Tables’ and ‘Yes I’, a frenetic chain of thought that dissolves into a tender interview with the rapper’s little cousin; while the soft sax riff that lies beneath Jermaine Peterson’s vocals and Chunky’s address to his mum on ‘Giv U’ feels like a breath of fresh air. Music is a better place with ‘Somebody’s Child’ in it.
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Sabrina Bellaouel ‘Al Hadr’ (InFiné)
The culmination of a decade’s work, French-Algerian artist Sabrina Bellaouel builds upon her deeply-introspective EPs ‘We Don’t Need To Be Enemies’ and ‘Libra’ on ‘Al Hadr’, a multi-faceted record that explores everything from the spiritual to the sensual — performing a delicate balancing act to represent both her past and present identities. Collaborations with a varied cast of musicians - such as DJ/producer CRYSTALLMESS, alt-pop singer Bonnie Banane and experimental jazz musician Monomite - are a complimentary fixture of the record, but still allow Bellaouel’s voltaic R&B to take centre stage. A listen to treat yourself with.
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JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown ‘SCARING THE HOES’ (AWAL)
Hearing the announcement that two of US rap’s most distinctive artists and voices were linking up was certainly eyebrow-raising. With both making their names for embracing wildly leftfield, and very deliberately abrasive sonics, the album title ‘SCARING THE HOES’ feels like both a warning and a self-aware nod. “Play something for the bitches / How the fuck you supposed to make money off this shit?” JPEGMAFIA asks on the title-track. But in a sweet and sour perfect combination, they find remarkable balance – JPEG’s disparate, glitching productions forming a wide soundboard for his own bars and Danny Brown’s yowling, satirical vocals – with the pair flicking through topics of the day including Elon Musk, Xanax, sex, and cryptocurrency.
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DJ Girl ‘Hellworld’ (Planet Mu)
With a frantic opening salvo yelling “Ready or not?/Get down”, Detroit-raised DJ Girl’s new LP ‘Hellworld’ – released via one of footwork’s most important labels Planet Mu – starts exactly how it goes on. For eight tracks, the music is largely unrelenting, fast-paced and undeniably forward thinking. It’s footwork and jungle with slices of trap and techno – certainly not uncharted territory – but with the dial cranked up to 12.
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Yves Tumor ‘Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)’ (Warp)
As an artist who is ever-changing and exploring their capabilities, Yves Tumor has set off on an adventure into avant-garde electronica and rock with their latest album (the title of which is just too long to repeat). Compared to their last album ‘Heaven To A Tortured Mind’ - which includes tracks that will forever be fan-favourites - this new release has less ambience but more intensity. A hybrid of musical genres, Tumor creates complicated layers to build concepts. For instance, the track ‘Operator’ twists each instrument with distortion to generate fresh horizons of how their music can be delivered. These heavy-yet-busy tracks represent a more rock-fuelled direction from Tumor, edging further away from their electronic roots.
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Navy Blue ‘Ways Of Knowing’ (Def Jam)
The rapper, producer, model and skateboarder has returned with a new album blending hip hop, jazz, R&B and reggae. Melting his bars into each track, Navy Blue - real name Sage Elsesser - delivers rhymes on themes such as family, community and spirituality. Each track brings a new element from the harmonic chorus within ‘Freehold’ to jazzy horns of ‘Embers’ featuring Liv.e and Venna. A standout track that beautifully outlines his whole persona of a family forward character is ‘Pillars’: speaking poetically, Elsesser illustrates his relationship with his grandparents, including a sound bite from his grandmother saying: “I love you and I am so glad you're my grandson”. This whole album seems to be dedicated to them, especially his grandfather who is pictured on the cover. It’s a touching tribute where we are invited to listen to Elsesser's honest emotions.
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Gayance ‘Mascarade’ (Rhythm Section)
Haitian-Canadian producer Gayance landed on Rhythm Section this month with the 10-track record ‘Mascarade’, a collection of introspective musings paying homage to her 20s. Steeped in personal storytelling and Afro-centric rhythms, ‘Mascarade’ plays with textures and sounds layering soul, broken beat, and R&B, using both her own vocals and others to create a joyful, club-ready album. “I love R&B groups and having all our vocals on it was something I wanted to experiment with,” she says. “It’s like a sisterhood-powerhouse meeting. We put a feeling into sound”.
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Tower Block Dreams ‘Aint It Funny’ (40GRIT Records)
Bridging the gap between dubstep and UK garage on this latest three-track triumph, Tower Block Dreams toys with the “darker side” of garage in ‘Aint It Funny’, released earlier in the month via 40GRIT Records. The EP’s Killa P-featuring title-track opens this record with moodier basslines under the MC’s rapidfire flow, a shift in pace from its follow-up ‘YesLDN’, a 2-step cut looking back to the ruffneck sounds of the early ‘00s.
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Giulia Tess ‘Vista Mare Forever’ (Scarlet Tiger)
Following the 2021 EP ‘200417’ on Ross From Friends’ Scarlet Tiger imprint, Italy’s Giulia Tess returns to familiar ground with her latest record ‘Vista Mare Forever’. The club-focused three-track release dedicates itself to those peak-time hours in the club, each honouring the producer’s Italian heritage from the places she grew up to her personal influences, including the late Italian actress Monica Vitti. All three experimental tracks go beyond the boundaries of club, too, with reflections on pop, juke, and basement techno.
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