January: Six artists you need to check out this month

For someone who hails from California’s City of Angels, AMAZONDOTCOM makes merciless music. Sweltering, murky bass, ritualistic drums and shamanic field recordings infuse her exceptional 2019 debut ‘Mirror River’, lending it the kind of purging, curative feeling of a rainforest ceremony. AMAZONDOTCOM has stepped back from touring and producing to focus on cultivating the next releases on her LA-based SUBREAL label. We hope it won’t be too long before we hear from her again.

‘Mirror River’ is out now on SUBREAL

RibekaRibeka is a resident at SO LOW, the cult Glasgow night where you can hear everything from post-punk and primitive industrial music to chugging EBM and rare Belgian new beat. Carving out a reputation as one of the city’s most idiosyncratic and knowledgeable DJs, she has a monthly show on NTS alongside friend and regular B2B partner Sofay. She also juggles a job at the BBC and an A&R side project with Mute sub-label Liberation Technologies.

The Sofay & Ribeka show is monthly on NTS Radio

Despite only emerging onto the UK drill scene last year, teenage North London trio OFB – Double Lz, Bandokay and the currently incarcerated SJ – are already some of its most dynamic and important figures. SJ and Bandokay’s staggered, swaggered bars are offset by Double Lz’s ice-cold, monotone delivery. While SJ’s loss has been felt, Double Lz and Bandokay haven’t let up, joining fellow Broadwater Farm don Headie One on tour and releasing their debut mixtape last October.

OFB’s debut mixtape ‘Frontstreet’ is out now

London-based TSHA makes hazy, down-tempo house with intricate melodies and unusual instrumentation, but behind the dreaminess there’s grit and resolve. Early in 2018 Teisha Matthews jotted down her musical goals, including ‘make an EP’ and ‘release music on a good label’. Two years on she’s hit these and more. She was inspired by seeing Bonobo in Berlin – and he remixed her second release ‘Sacred’, leading to a deal with Ninja Tune sub-label Counter. A real-life fairy tale.

The ‘Moonlight’ EP is out now on Counter Records

[Photo: Kiran Gidda]

What better way to start your third decade than being scouted for a Fabric residency? Just out of uni, Jaden Thompson got the call days after turning 20. Since then, the Swindon-born producer’s been busy working on tech-house heaters in his garage studio and has Seth Troxler and The Martinez Brothers as fans, so it makes sense that ‘Control Freak’ – a drum-focused late-night trip – was on Cuttin’ Headz. He has plenty more wonky weapons ready to go.

‘Thirsty Eyes’ is out on PIV in January

Nature speaks through Gaspar Narby’s music – in a literal sense. The Swiss-born artist takes inspiration from one of his heroes, Franz Treichler of The Young Gods, incorporating his own tapes and field recordings. The result is organic electronica with soft, dreamlike beats. Based in London for several years, he’s shared a stage with the likes of Imogen and Will Lister. Latest release ‘La Fièvre’ features former The Voice: France competitor Claire Faravarjoo’s soulful vocals layered over textured electronica.

Gaspar Narby will release three EPs in 2020

[Photo: Syn Liu]