'Pretence' - President Elect & Holda Sek
LIKE A WATERFALL, ‘Pretence’ takes over the listeners completely, wrapping them in electrifying love-themed nostalgia and appealing charisma. Penned by British up-and-comers President Elect, the track features fellow creative Holda Sek, lending her distinctive vocals to the cause. The result is frankly surprising, the alchemy between the two is INDISPUTABLE. I’d love to hear more of this in the future!
'Madrugada (Versión Acústica)' - Sofia Lafuente
LET’S TALK ABOUT SOFIA LAFUENTE. WHY IS SHE NOT WORLD FAMOUS YET? Her material is absolutely wonderful, a collection of elegant pop, poignant gems and heartwrenching tunes, all drenched in the shattering fragility and deep introspection contained in Sofia’s lyricism. Catering to both the English and Latin markets, her short but intense catalogue has recently been focusing on Spanish lyrics, and frankly, IT WORKS. An acoustic version of ‘Madrugada’ is out today, and that’s one of the best things we have ever heard. PERIOD.
'Standby' - ROREY
ROREY. You don’t know her, do you? CHANGE THAT. From New York, she’s been making WAVES in the indie pop landscape, and it’s easy to see why. I have been listening to her since last year (‘Nobody’ being the absolute highlight of it), and the project has become one of my best-kept secrets - especially here in the UK. All good things must come to an end though, and it’s time for the wider music landscape to acknowledge the American songstress. ‘Standby’ is ROREY’s latest effort, a tamer, more reflective gem than usual, still rocking the same sleazy and dreamy character so dear to her catalogue. Loving it!
'Seasons Changing' - Chiara Nova
NOW FOR THE POP BANGERS CATEGORY. Chiara Nova calls London her home, but her charisma and fierceness are perhaps more familiar when compared to classic French and Italian icons (MINA comes to mind). ‘Seasons Changing’ is her latest offering, a slice of punchy and vibey electro-pop with a strong nostalgic flair. THE CHORUS IS ANTHEMIC, CINEMATIC, ready to be sung out loud into an Arena or a Stadium. We’ll get there, peeps!
'Three' - Four Tet
I DO NOT NEED TO EXPLAIN WHO FOUR TET IS. FOUR TET. SAY HIS NAME. The most inspiring artist in the electronic music scene since THE LATE 90s, Kieran Hebden unveils today his latest album, ‘Three’. It’s a welcome return to more leftfield, trip-hop and chill-out territories, a dear throwback to the DOMINO era, and a temporary pause to his most recent club-oriented catalogue. ‘Three Drums’ is our favourite track on the record.
By the way, I saw Four Tet live a bunch of times, here’s a breakdown:
- 2013, in Pavia, Italy: an outdoor festival where mosquitos absolutely ate me alive. I did manage to hand Kieran a demo of my band though.
- 2015, London, Kingston: a small party for Banquet Records. Fun fact, I was there alone, someone knocked my glasses off me while dancing and they got lost in the crowd. I could not see FOR SHIT and had to get a cab back home.
- 2022, London, Brixton Academy: one of Four Tet’s small, impromptu rave nights. I was on a date. This is what I learnt: don’t go to a concert while on a date, it will distract you from ACTUALLY enjoying the music.
GIGS RECOMMENDATIONS:
Troubadour: Clara Pople, Bandi, Ydea // Tomorrow March 16th, £10 (HERE).
