PLAYLIST: Breakthrough Fridays

Each week, we highlight some of the best in upcoming, independent artists from around the globe. This week we’ve got a diverse playlist of hip-hop, electro-soul, and R&B, jazz and indie-tinged electronica. We really do encourage you to check out these artists and pay attention to these hand-picked named, some of which you’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about in the very near future.

If you’d like to submit your music for next week’s playlist please do so via SubmitHub.com.

AE The Cool, Danger (Produced by Illfigure)
Smooth and sensual, I’m in love with the melody, both tone and rhythm. With a unique structure and shuffling jazz layers, this is a really interesting, really lovely piece.
Kura, Our Sun ft. Zebra Katz (Olivander remix)
This track is amazing. With a husky, demanding melody, peppered by industrial synth flickers and a dramatic, bulging rhythm, I’m immediately entranced – and that’s before we even talk about the incredible guest verse from Zebra Katz.
SIR, Another Sleepless Night
I love the slinky rhythm, gliding under the radar, led by an ice cool melody, piano trickles and gorgeous choral hooks. One of my favourites for this week.
JC Juice, Just A Rapper
I’m really impressed by the observational lyrics in this one. With a casual inflection and a slick, swift rhythm, it’s easy to listen to this one on repeat.
BAYA, LUFT
I’m really digging the R&B and indie-tinted electronic tracks this week, and this one just takes the cake. The atmosphere is huge and interesting at every turn, progressive, fluid and catchy from start to end.
Brittany Campbell, I Want You
While the rhythm is mesmerising, it’s Campbell’s voice – and the harmonies throughout – that makes this track so special. Powerful and packed with soul, this one really gets you swinging.
La Belle Musique, Twig Pigeon – Seeds (ft. Vanessa Stacey & Chris CK)
We featured Twig Pigeon in a recent playlist, and they’re here again with another solid groove. Blending jazzy rhythms and percussion with heady synths and a bluesy melody makes for a unique, and seriously cool new piece.
G E N I U S, Dreamchase (ft. Vain Smith)
My favourite track for the week. With a tone and feel that’s kind of halfway between Lauryn Hill and Angel Haze, I absolutely love that perfect blend of the jazzy vibe with that hard-hitting vocal tone.
ELKA, Burnt Out
A brighter indie track with a crunchy bass and really cool guitar lines in between the melody and rhythm, I’m really digging the overall atmosphere of this catchy track.
Kid Pharaoh, Burn It Up (feat. Hau)
Kicking off with a deep bass and a really cool percussive rhythm, I love the verses, the samples and everything in between. Listen to this one a couple times in a row – these boys really know the rap business.
Hoosier Scott, Improvise
This one follows on from Burn It Up really well. Another lyrically brilliant piece with a soulful instrumental backing, there’s a lot to learn from Scott’s new track.
Meeka Kates, Empire (Feat. Allen Ginsberg)
Ending this week’s playlist on a really sexy note, with this intimate, Glass Animals-esque dark sensuality. With a rhythm equally playful and sensual, and a particularly cool bass, not to mention quoting lines from Ginsberg’s Howl, this is one cool track.