Obongjayar has been a name on everyone’s lips since his appearance on last year’s hit record from Little Simz, which made the Nigerian-British artist’s debut album, ‘Some Nights I Dream Of Doors’, an anticipated release. Steeped in anthemic tracks and passionate fillers alike, this debut sees Obongjayar open up and show his range in both falsetto ballads and Afropop-influenced stylings.

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Paying homage to the street on which he grew up, Knucks’ debut record ‘Alpha Place’ is the culmination of years of trial and error in the UK rap scene. After breaking through with the hit 2020-released track ‘Home’ some 10 years into his career, Knucks’ impressive forte for story-telling through lyrics has now landed him some heavy-hitting names including Stormzy and M1llionz on this promising debut record. Peppered with melodic stories of London in the gritty noughties, Knucks recognises: “The person I am today was birthed there. So it’s only right I introduce myself, from the beginning.”

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Following up their last EP, Ivy Lab’s newest three-tracker ‘Double Blind’ is the perfect complement to 2021’s ‘Everythingmustchange’ but a definite step away from the 140 classics you might usually associate the duo with. On ‘Double Blind’, high-energy rollers and synth-led projects give a taste of the new sound that the pair are experimenting with, while the EP’s finale, ‘Svcar’, drops back into a dark, unflinching bassline.

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Summer’s coming baby, and what better way to curl your toes through the sand and sip on a kir royal than with this euphoric LP packed with soul-warming synths, twinkly bloops and delectable lo-fi-disco that will have you aching for 30 degree heat. Released as part of a double album drop, ‘Quest for Fire’ alongside ‘LUZ’ are Axel Boman’s first full-length records since the release of his debut album ‘Family Vacation’ in 2013. The record is unafraid to delve into grindy acid (‘Les Lèvres Rouges’), ethereal synths (‘One Two’) or even frenzied drums (‘Jeremy Irons’) — but on the most part it has all of the unmistakable blissed-out charm that the Studio Barnhus co-founder has become renowned for. We can practically smell the sun cream in the air.

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Having become a mainstay of the European club and festival circuit, the creator of many an iconic Boiler Room and a track record for engrossing releases such as 2020’s ‘Head Above The Parakeets’ — expectations for HAAi’s first full-length record were certainly high. Thankfully, the Australian-born DJ and producer has never been predictable — and destroys all preconceptions with ‘Baby, We’re Ascending’. The 13-track record spans a multitude of genres and tempos — while prevailing through a cinematic narrative. Even the opening track ‘Channels’ sounds like a distorted version of the THX theme. Sticking to her club roots, much of ‘Baby, We’re Ascending’ employs dancefloor influences — breakbeats, nosebleed techno and bristling drums, while maintaining a playful, experimental edge. The record has an abundance of incredible vocal samples and features such as ‘Human Sound’ with Kai-Isaiah Jamal, ‘Biggest Mood Ever’ with Alexis Taylor and of course the ever-rinseable ‘Purple Jelly Disc’ with Obi Franky. Title-track ‘Baby, We’re Ascending’ which features John Hopkins feels like the perfect encapsulation of the entire record — its hard, its fast, its euphoric; simultaneously making you want to move as quickly as your limbs will allow with an emotional underbelly that will make you want cry. We may have ascended to be honest.

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Truth is there are sometimes records that will leave you itching to dissect, to greedily pull apart so you can hear every drum beat, every chime, every acid riff; sometimes there are records that you can barely pull a coherent thought together while listening to because all that is running through your head is “phwoar”. Pariah’s ‘Caterpillar’ before you read any further, is both of those things. The three-track EP is complex, it plays with rolling breaks and giddy electro – enough to have you dribbling at the thought of a club playthrough. ‘One On One’ is packed with squelch and symbols, while ‘Frogspawn’ mixes twinkly synths and bolshy kick drums to make a track that will have you excitedly swaying side-to-side on the dancefloor feeling like a lovely little… tadpole I guess? Of course its title track ‘Caterpillar’ you’ve all already heard smashing through club soundsystems — that blood-curdling bassline is probably already a regular occurance in your dreams by now. It sounds like an alien spacecraft is coming to harvest your organs, sure? But it's also an absolute banger.

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Filled to the brim with club-ready tracks, which are equally as enjoyable to listen to at home, the album's narrative follows Surya Sen on a night out in the city after a lockdown, chronicling his adventures, his heightened emotions, and tales of love and friendship. Surya raps over bouncy house beats, giving emotive lyrics a brand new zest of life as they are paired with upbeat drums and groovy bass. The project presents itself as a love letter to the connections forged in London, with the infamous TFL tube voiceover lacing itself into many of the tracks and interludes, and with several references to the city and its history throughout.

‘Crest’ is ambient and atmospheric, and takes listeners on a journey both sonically and emotionally. Much of the EP was started during lockdown, and the feeling of escapism runs through the entire project as, at parts, it sounds otherworldly and euphoric. This EP showcases the true extent of the duo’s musical ability and skill - as there are moments with racing, club-ready percussions and moments with ambient bliss. A standout track is ‘Tahara’ - which is narrated by singing synths and a catchy drum beat. ‘Tahara’ is rave-ready and will get listeners wanting to move their bodies and lose themselves on a dancefloor.

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‘DNM’ showcases Bryte’s wide range of influences, fusing Afrobeat, hard club sounds and powerful lyrics. Born in Accra, Ghana, but now based in London - Bryte marries his myriad of influences in this project and highlights how sounds from both cities can fuse together and create dancefloor-ready anthems. These tracks are all high-energy and feel good, and make for an easy pick-me-up. Single ‘Good One Deh’ has been frequently played out by Bryte’s regular collaborator Mina at their joint shows. Lead single ‘Amanda’ is also a highlight of this project, showing the power of music by making listeners want to move their feet along to the beat.

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Ravyn Lenae’s latest album is a sexy mix of her pleasing voice and skilful production that has each song roll into one another. The squeaking synths of ‘Venom’ juxtapose Ravyn’s gentle harmonies, making it the most playful song on the album. ‘Skin Tight’ is an acoustic yet funky track that feels like a chilled summer at the beach — especially once Steve Lacy jumps on with his delicately toned voice.

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Eight tracks of beauty from IDK. Similar to house records and amapiano, ‘Drugstore’ kicks off the album with a conventionally slow beat yet layering vocals, making for an earthy start. Produced by the one and only KAYTRANADA, you can hear his authentic style, especially in the rolling drums of ‘Dog Food’ featuring Denzel Curry. A jazzy twist comes with ‘Taco’ as IDK’s vocals flow across the blues riff of the piano and bass which ends with a sweet flute solo.

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‘Mr Morale and the Big Steppers’ is the latest chapter in the fable of Kendrick Lamar, exploring religion, legacy, poverty and violence — and that’s just on the album cover. Kendrick has created another hip hop phenomenon, which transcends rap and even storytelling, it reaches an artistic level which can seemingly only be reached by Lamar himself within music. The standout song with ‘N95’, seemingly named after the respirator of the same name used for face masks during the COVID pandemic. This however is no lacklustre lockdown song, it’s a real banger with fantastic lyricism and flooded with a host of the transitions we know and love Kendrick for. ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Count me out’ are also key cut to not only this album but the already mighty Kendrick catalogue. This album is filled with stories which need telling, and need listening to, which makes it a must-hear.

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M Huncho takes you deeper than ever before in his latest LP ‘Chasing Euphoria’. The 22-track album pushes M Huncho out of the trap-wave genre he has become a key pillar within, as he explores new ground, tackling issues such as family, loss and adjusting to fame while reflecting on his life of crime before the British rapper found stardom. The standout song is ‘Doomsday’ where he pays homage to the late MF DOOM, potentially shedding light on the inspiration behind Huncho’s masked appearance. Other key tracks include the psychedelic, trap-wave phenomenon ‘Gone’, ‘38’ featuring long-standing collaborators D-Block Europe, as well as Lean, which sees Huncho linking up with British rap royalty Giggs.

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