Tokayo is brough together by the etheal spirit of Mndsgn and a collaboration with Virginia’s T. Hemingway. The self-titled Tokayo EP is filled with beautiful moments- smooth, almost spiritual sounds to complement poetry which highlights the group’s love for existential humor, universal truths and of course music. Produced entirely by Swarvy, the record fully captures a…

Connecticut producer Foisey. is back with two new beat-tapes following the EA8+ tape he released last February. The second new project is titled spirit_whops. (Feminine Edition) and features soulful, jazzy and R&B-influenced beats. Once again, the way he samples and interpolates all the smooth vocal snippets into his detailed, funky and slow-paced soundscape he creates is executed impeccably…

Connecticut producer Foisey. is back with two new beat-tapes following the EA8+ tape he released last February. The first new project is titled spirit_whops. (Masculine Edition) and features slick and soulful production. The way he loops some of the samples to create an ethereal and beautiful vibe is impressive, especially with tracks such as “Wrk.” and “Provide..” The…

Detroit musician Denmark Vessey is back again with a new 2- part extended play titled Sun Go Nova. After a trip to LA, Denmark created connections with the likes of Earl Sweatshirt (who was a fan at the time, proclaiming that Vessey’s Martin Lucid Dream (2015) is what you needed to listen to if you wanted…

Los Angeles-based producer Aaron Koslow, aka Elusive, is back with a new project released on Alpha Pup titled Dissonance. 8 tracks long, the talented musician delves into a dense and experimental electronic sound that captures a glitchy, vibrant, distorted and manic atmosphere. With quirky samples, hi-hats, deep basslines and heavy beats, this record sounds as…

Ras G, the cosmic LA beat legend is back with an experimental, dynamic and excellent new release with The Afrikan Space Program titled Stargate Music. An album which is an astral ode to women, Ras G describes it as “a record that I livicated to the Womb-man…to the Vagina, The Stargate from which beings emanate…

This is a legendary collaboration. Fly Anakin, who is one of the illest emcees doing it right now has teamed up with one of the most talented producers in the game, Ohbliv, for a 16-track LP titled Backyard Boogie. Fly Anakin’s tone and flow as a rapper is what makes him such an exciting talent.…

Released back in March, Dominic J Marshall’s debut album on Inner Ocean Records Compassion Fruit exhibits his talents as a producer and multi-instrumentalist so well you’d think he’s been in the game for a decade with 5 albums behind him. There’s something about this project that feels authentic, raw mature and meticulous in its detail. It’s a…

The short new release from Oakland, California based poet Tenesha The Wordsmith is dense with racially charged lyrics, telling stories of the racial sufferings of black people in America. An incredibly saddening story of the injustices they have faced in the past and in the present tense, it is backed with DJ Khalab’s tribal rhythms,…

Still catching up with releases I missed in March, we have DJ Khalab and his first release on award winning record label On The Corner Records titled Zaire E.P. With tribal rhythms, hard-hitting beats and synth-heavy production, DJ Khalab is able to create an eclectic, dance-oriented vibe that is so excellently executed. The title track “Zaire”…

Tribal, bass-heavy, atmospheric and jazzy, London-based producer Delonte Rivers’ first release on XVI Records is a banger. Midnight Congas EP features 3 tracks of the finest dance music I have heard this year. Inspired by House, Psychedelic and Afro-beat music, the EP is full of colourful melodies and infectious grooves which should grace the London…

Once again proving why he’s one of the dopest producers working today, Knxwledge releases a tape with all new material titled Gladwemet. The short tape features a track with Traffic titled “Relapse”, who in 2016 got his first break by appearing on ScHoolboy Q’s closing track “Tookie Knows II” off his last album Blank Face LP. The heavy funk…

London-based musician Neue Grafik has been making waves for a couple of years now with his emphatic jazz- heavy broken-beat music. Perfect for dancefloors all around the world, Neue Grafik’s new release Innervision is wildly groovy, meditative and gorgeously put together. Over the 6 tracks, the talented producer explores the broken-beat rhythms of London, as…

Asal Hazel’s sound, while easily characterised as a genre of music, is also incredibly unique. The Persian-American neo-soul singer has been closely affiliated with the Stones Throw/Akashik Records family, and her new release Like water- tape is her debut release. Influenced and inspired by the depths of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles (where she…

Eddie A is a Swiss producer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Having been recently introduced to his music, I didn’t expect such a level of skill in crating a slow-paced, electronic vibe that is translated consistently through a whole project. On his most recent album Quiet Understanding, released late last year, he does exactly that. Over 10…

On Tom Misch’s debut album Geography, the talented 22 year-old musician from South London produces a smooth and soulful guitar-driven album that perfectly captures the sound of London at the moment. The colourful soundscape Tom crafts on Geography is filled with jazz-inspired riffs, a smooth and beautiful vocal performance throughout by Tom himself, as well as…

Legendary West Coast rapper Blu has teamed up with Grammy-award winning producer Shafiq Husayn for a mixtape album titled The Blueprint. Produced almost entirely by Shafiq, with the exception of “RED HOT L.A” (produced by Taz Arnold) and “GANG ST A (REMIX)” (Produced by Nottz), the project is sonically experimental, featuring off-beat rhymes and rhythms. The…

*2018 Album of the Year* With Everything’s Fine, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris’ new collaborative album, the two newly engaged rappers go completely left-field creatively with an off-beat, satirical masterpiece that is soulful, freaky and funky in sound, while its lyrical density also shines through. The contrast in tone between Quelle Chris’ laid back, monotonous…

*2018 Album of the Year* Shabaka Hutchings’ talent and musical vision stands at the forefront on the jazz scene in London- vibrant, experimental, spiritual and technically flawless. As the bandleader of Sons of Kemet, he has created a densely rich and textured sound which encapsulates the history of African culture beautifully. Their LP Your Queen Is…

*2018 Album of the Year* London-based production duo Blue Lab Beats are one of the most exciting groups to come out of London in recent years. Consisting of NK-OK and Mr DM, the incredibly talented due have been making music as Blue Lab Beats for a couple of years now. Having met at a weekend…

Portland-based musician Quickly Quickly has come through with his long-awaited and anticipated debut LP Paths. Released in the beginning of March, this album follows one of my favourite EP’s of last year, Preach, which was a collaborative effort with Australian producer ANH. It was an upbeat, feelgood project with incredibly forward thinking production, so I…

lojii has been someone I have been anticipating an album from for years. His dark, gritty style was most apparent on his collaborative project with Swarvy titled DUE RENT, released on Fresh Selects last year. He’s finally back with his long awaited new LP titled lofeye, a dark, gloomy insight into lojii’s sound and creative mind. Featuring…

The queen of the London music scene Nubya Garcia is back with a new EP titled When We Here, the follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2017 EP Nubya’s 5ive. The two tracks on this project, “When We Are” and “Source,” feature frequent collaborators Joe Armon Jones on Piano/Wurlitzer, Daniel Casimir on Double Bass and Femi Koleoso on drums.…

If you’re looking for an online platform to discover new beats and instrumental albums, French-based website Beatbliotek have you covered. They document new music from artists all around the world, and have been increasingly influential on social media. They greet 2018 with a compilation album titled LIBRARY 01, an impressive collection of tracks from some of…

Leeds producer Reg Jula is back with a new tape titled Examples, following the release of his excellent Running Tangents project last year. With a funkier and more eclectic tone than his last tape, Examples showcases Reg Jula’s talents as a producer as well as having a clearer focus and vision with it. The basslines are funkier,…