December: Six artists you need to check this month

Kathy Lee was born in New York but moved to South Korea after her parents became concerned she was becoming too Americanised. She now lives between Seoul and the Big Apple and channels both cultures into dreamy soundscapes as Yaeji. Her music combines hazily textured production with silky vocals, shifting between spoken word and Galcher Lustwerk-esque crooning, in Korean and English. At times her voice is so delicate it sounds as though it’s escaping into the ether, while her beats fuse trap, house and UK Garage elements. ‘Drink I’m Sippin On’ from her recent Godmode release 'EP2' has surpassed 3 million views on YouTube, confirming Yaeji as a compelling new voice in dance music.

Yaeji’s ‘EP2’ is out now via Godmode

Following in the footsteps of our September cover star J Hus, 19-year-old Not3s effortlessly fuses Afrobeats, grime and vocal hooks. Signed to Sony, the Hackney rapper’s ride share-referencing debut ‘Addison Lee (Peng Ting Called Maddison)’ clocked up millions of streams and won fans in boxer Anthony Joshua and the Arsenal team. Up next is the infectious, chart-destined ‘Aladdin’ and the ‘Takes Not3s’ mixtape with huge collabs including Wretch 32, Shakka and MoStack.

'Take Not3' is out now

For Sophie Reilly, being a librarian by day and a DJ by night is a dream. “You meet a lot of weird and wonderful people,” she says. The 24-year-old worked at Glasgow’s Subcity Radio station while at uni there; she now works at Glasgow Libraries and plays regularly at the School of Art venue. Her atmospheric sets have also been featured on Livity Sound’s NTS slot and at Glasgow’s Optimo 20 party.

Sofay’s Self Service show airs on Subcity Radio

Mixing acid house, funk and disco with fizzy, punky energy, Golden Teacher’ are a stylistic melting pot. The six-piece met at a training course for unemployed musicians and have since gone on to deploy their improv jams on EPs for Optimo Music, Sounds Of The Universe and Rough Trade. Their debut album, ‘No Luscious Life’, continues that trend. Whether it’s the disco sprawl of ‘Sauchiehall Withdrawal’ or the Afrobeat rumble of the title track, it recalls an era when music was looser and more out-there.

‘No Luscious Life’ is out now on Golden Teacher Records

Vancouver’s Sophie Sweetland has made music under a number of different aliases and groups since her debut cassette came out in 2014. But DJ Zozi, Ambien Baby and Plush Throw were one-offs, and most of her output is as D. Tiffany. Her beautiful, drifting house jams have been out on various Canadian labels but her latest, for Pacific Rhythm, is the boldest expression of her talent so far, melding swaying rhythms, airy synths and lurching bleeps.

D. Tiffany tours Australia this month

Inga Mauer was first introduced to the electronic music community through her Bon Voyage show on Radio Cómeme. Her penchant for weirdo jams began turning heads, and she soon turned her hand to production. Her debut release (on John Talabot’s Hivern Discs imprint last September) channelled the spirit of early EBM and industrial, offering updated, dubbed-out interpretations. More releases are in the pipeline for early next year, but for now she continues to perfect a live show she debuted at this summer’s Berlin Atonal.

Inga Mauer tours India this month