Sudan Archives ‘Natural Brown Prom Queen’ (Stones Throw)
Sudan Archives’ take on R&B is some of the most stylish, soulful and captivating music you’ll ever hear. The producer, singer, songwriter and violinist is the full package —paring flawless production, that moves effortlessly between gentle and emotional to surging and subtly intense, with her beguiling voice and vocal delivery,
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Regularfantasy ‘New Glow’ (Specials Worldwide)
On ‘New Glow’, Canada’s Regularfantasy straddles the gap between pop and club over four new tracks. From the sickly sweet garage stylings on ‘Not Real’ to the lighthearted vocals on ‘Hot Gossip’, ‘New Glow’ perfectly captures the Montreal producer - both camp and whimsical in equal measure. Topping off the record is two new edits from Planet Euphorique boss D. Tiffany, and a hyperpop take on Regularfantasy’s ‘So Sweet’ from Cecile Believe.
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Tim Reaper & Kloke ‘Museum / Flow State’ (!K7)
Almost a year on from their first collaboration, Future Retro head Tim Reaper links back up with Melbourne’s Kloke on a fresh two-track EP ‘Museum / Flow State’ via !K7. Inspired by the rhythms of London’s ‘90s jungle hotspots, both tracks are influenced by the pair’s musical predecessors in Goldie, LTJ Bukem, Grooverider, and beyond resulting in two dynamic high-tempo cuts that could almost definitely start a sweat on the dancefloor.
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Jook & Blumey ‘Shade’ (ESO Recordings)
Bristol-by-Manchester pairing Jook & Blumey bring together a scorching three-tracker on ESO Recordings, melding garage with grime and hard, unyielding dubstep. On ‘Shade’, the record’s opening track featuring grime wordsmith Logan, the pair take from 2-step legend EL-B and early 140 tracks to create something that you could “listen to at home, on the go & at the club”, in their words. Elsewhere, ‘Shade’ gets an instrumental cut to round off the EP, sandwiched by the melodic ‘She’, a synth-led beat still taking from elements of noughties garage.
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Freddie Gibbs ‘$oul $old $eparately’ (Warner Records)
Welcome to Freddie Gibbs’ casino which is definitely worth spending money in. With a title born from the last lyric of his 2019 track ‘Education’, this album is no gamble but instead a carefully crafted piece of art. Opening with a grand entrance from singer Kelly Price, the LP has a luxurious and classy feel from the get-go. ‘Dark Hearted’ is a prominent track. Produced by James Blake, Gibbs opens up about his past taking a more personal journey prior to becoming a rapper compared to his usual witty lyrics. He does resort back to a more playful tone however with voicemails to The Triple SSS casino interludes throughout with messages from the likes of Jeff Ross, Joe Rogan and even Jesus. Rap royalty also features on this fiery album from Pusha T on ‘Gold Rings’, Scarface on ‘Decoded’, and Rick Ross on ‘Lobster Omelette’.
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Shygirl ‘Nymph’ (Because Music)
Yes, it’s finally out! Shygirl has welcomed us into her utopian world which is her debut album ‘Nymph’. Opening with ‘Woe’, it feels as if she's mixed two songs together as it creeps in with a whispering whirlpool that intensifies after a small interlude. As that track shows, this album is flexible as it falls from dance to hyperpop even within one song. The song ‘Come For Me’, produced by Arca, has engulfed an abstract essence of the club with a sprinkling of Shygirl’s pixie dust voice. The standout track is ‘Shlut’ for its bouncing beat and Shygirl’s slick vocals. This album is the epitome of being sex-positive with other stand-out and explicit tracks ‘Nike’ and ‘Missin u’.
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DJ Q ‘Est. 2003’ (Local Action Records)
With his first album since 2014, DJ Q has either teleported us to the heyday of UKG or given the genre a taste of 2022. The first feature on the album ‘Speedy G’ is from the speed garage enthusiast Finn. Its gentle beginnings of a vocal loop and soothing synth lets you catch your breath before diving deep into a naughty breakbeat. Hiccups of bass surprise you throughout ‘Sweet Day’ with Todd Edwards joining for the first collaborative track between the pair. The raucous bassline of ‘Heavy Like Lead’ featuring Sharda is destined for a crowd of gun fingers and wheel spin. In fact, from start to finish this whole album is spot on as it encapsulates everything that makes UKG great while being blended together just as if DJ Q was on the decks.
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Om Unit ‘Acid Dub Studies II’ (Self-released)
Exploring all things dubby and acid (duh!) Bristol's very own Om Unit goes back to his roots with this 10-track follow-up to 2021’s enlightening ‘Acid Dub Studies’ — a sonic love letter to reggae dub and the 303. Picking up the tempo slightly from the last record, ‘Acid Dub Studies II’ retains the melodic, ambient approach to the titular elements — but contributes a generous helping of enlivening percussion and grinding breaks. Highlights include the trippy-yet-stimulating grind of hypnotic third track ‘Strange Brew’ and the brooding, atmospheric wobbles of ‘Liberation’ — with the latter employing chiptune-esque clinks that sound as if they’ve come straight out of the N64 Goldeneye soundtrack. ‘Acid Dub Studies II’ builds on its predecessors' foundations, adding depth and intrigue.
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dj poolboi ‘rareties volume. 3’ (Shall Not Fade)
Dishing out some much-needed tranquillity as we near the end of festival season, the third edition of Austin producer dj poolboi’s ‘rareties’ series feels something akin to what we imagine a jade roller on your frontal cortex would be like. Taut percussive stabs and seeping hi-hats are met with ethereal synths and soft, cleaving keys in ‘comfort’; while delicately pulsating chimes swaddle an almost bawdy drum beat on ‘I’ll be there for you’. A perforating lo-fi bassline is marched on by a floaty array of pads on ‘away from here’, while a rich piano unfurls and unwinds against the backdrop of some eerie atmospheric rhythm that wobbles and oscillates around the melody. Aaaaaand relax!
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