A. G. Cook ‘Without’ (New Alias)
A. G. Cook’s song mourning SOPHIE, the late electronic music icon and his dear friend, is a beautiful and tender tribute. Opening on strummed guitar chords, his voice is soft and high-pitched, as if on the edge of cracking. As the chorus kicks in, the guitars become fuller and more crunchy - in a style SOPHIE and her passion for maximalist chaos would likely appreciate - before fading away again to accompany the final lines conveying the enormity of her loss: “I never guessed / The loudest sounds are hollow”. As he interpolates lyrics from SOPHIE’s all-time classic ‘BIPP’ in the final section, tears again sounding close, you may feel a lump developing in your throat.
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Diffrent ‘A Little Closer’ (Club Heart Broken)
It’s looking like yet another speed garage summer is loading for the UK festival circuit, and this banger from Diffrent on Club Heart Broken will be one of those anthems that you can’t escape — and why would you want to? It’s straight fire, with a propulsive beat, reese bassline grit, serotonin-soaked synth notes, addictive vocal refrain, dub siren samples and MC shouts. Who’s ready for the rinse out?!
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Dean Blunt ‘DOWNER’ (feat. Panda Bear & Vegyn) (World Music)
A major meeting of ‘alt’ musician minds. Dean Blunt and Vegyn’s production is the perfect foil for Panda Bear’s distinguishable vocal style, swimming through the layers of warm distortion, trembling guitar notes and trip hop-esque drums. A real gem of a collab that’s perfect for hazy summer evenings.
Stream it here
Koreless ‘Seven’ (Young)
It took 10 years from Koreless releasing his first single for 2021 debut album ‘Agor’ to materalise, with the Welsh producer evidently putting a lot of thought and pressure on himself during its creation. ‘Seven’ arrives as his first single since, with the release notes making reference to “post-album liberation.” On it, he sounds unleashed: pushing through an opening of echoey percussion and eeries chimes to untether a chugging pulse of subtly huge synth notes, which brim with dancefloor potential.
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Sempra ‘Citadel’ (Club Fantasy)
Bristol-hailing DJ and producer Sempra lands on Club Fantasy this month with a “mysterious dubstep project”, shifting his weight from soulful garage to the depths of 140. The opening track on this three-track EP takes inspiration from Chopin’s nocturnes and feels whimsical, cinematic, maybe even well placed in a horror film.
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Bklava & MJ Cole ‘All Around Me’ (Spin Suga)
Ariel Zetina ‘Slab Of Meat (L-Vis 1990 Remix)’ (Local Action)
More than a year on from the release of her lauded debut album ‘Cyclorama’, Ariel Zetina invites three artists to take on remix duties. L-Vis 1990, back to his original moniker after a stint as Dance System, is first up with his take of ‘Slab Of Meat’, lowering the bass and transforming the track into a gnarly, industrial grime cut.
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Karen Nyame KG, Dave Nunes, FS Green ‘Dividends’ (All Good Music/Diaspora Community)
New heat from the rhythm goddess herself Karen Nyame KG. In classic KG fashion, it’s a bouncy tune with her catchy melodies complemented perfectly by smooth logs and syncopated snares. For this one she’s linked up with eclectic Dutch producers FS Green and Dave Nunes to produce a summerpready hit, the first of a number of singles they’re set to release with London collaborators.
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Tanhai Collective ‘Ode Two’ (Tanhai Collective)
The newest track from South London jazzers Tanhai Collective marks yet another step for their rapidly developing sound. While essentially a jazz band, they take inspiration from a wide range of sources, with tracks that span elements of broken beat, house and nu-jazz. Their debut EP ‘The Tanifesto’ announced themselves on the scene, and their carefully curated remix album cemented their commitment to electronic music, with features from DJ Earl, Samurai Breaks and Adam Hare. ‘Ode Two’ is a dubbed out soundscape, with echoey horn choruses complimented by occasional Mansur Brown-esque guitar licks. Perfect morning listening.
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Larry June ‘Meet Me in Napa’ (EMPIRE)
West Coast rapper Larry June drops his latest blissed-out hit. Complete with tropical visuals, this one is a cool breath of fresh air, with Larry’s laid-back flow the perfect remedy to any intense summer heat. The release follows on from his April single ‘Imported couches’, a track which has already gained more than a million streams, and at 2 minutes 40 this song demands repeats.
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Verraco ‘Godspeed >’ (Timedance)
Here at Mixmag we don’t exactly hide our adoration for spine-tingling bass bangers that can just as fittingly soundtrack an H. G. Wells adaptation as act as the 5:AM final push during a festival set. So thank you very much Verraco, who unleashed his very own as the first single from his upcoming Timedance debut ‘Breathe... Godspeed’. The track masterfully combines the dark, eerie synths and percussion of bass-loaded techno that have become a trademark on Batu’s imprint, with a frenetic myriad of drums into a breakneck rhythm that is unmistakably Verraco; complete with that tantalisingly terrifying bassline through the centre. ‘Godspeed >’ will have you shaking those hips right towards your doom.
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LYZZA ‘90210’ (CLUB LYZZA)
Who says a call-to-arms can’t also be a catchy club track? For her latest EP ‘SUBSTATE’, Brazil-born, Amsterdam-based artist LYZZA turns her frustration and anger at the hostile environments she has faced into a raucous dance record — addressing issues such as racism and inequality through a soundscape of drill, Baltimore club and more. ‘90210’ touches on experiences in the music industry, with lyrics alluding to struggles with image, as well as difficulty meeting expectations, delivered in her typically smooth tenor — all underpinned by a blistering low-end bassline and grinding Baile funk-esque percussion to pack in that extra punch.
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Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew 'The Spark' (The Kabin Studio)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this month, we’re betting you have come across this absolute drum ‘n’ bass whopper from Irish rap sensations the Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew. Created as part of the Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 “Rhyme Island” initiative, ‘The Spark’ quickly gained traction after debuting on RTÉ — garnering 7 million views on Twitter and even leading The New York Times to declare it The Sound of the Summer 2k24. Buoyant lyrics provided by two Cork-based youth groups and DJ Fresh-alike production from PapaPedro Beats make for an effortlessly catchy banger, while the accompanying music video will have you desperately wishing you still had the dexterity to do the worm. “Think you can stop what we do? I doubt it!”
