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PLAYLIST: Breakthrough Thursdays

We’ve had a couple weeks off the Breakthrough playlists, meaning we’ve got a super-sized one for you today! Each week, we look for the best in upcoming, independent music across the globe to showcase on Howl & Echoes. This week we’ve got a solid mix of hip-hop, R&B, indie rock, electronic and more for you to enjoy.

If you’d like to be featured on next week’s playlist, please send us your music via Submithub.com.

We’ve had a couple weeks off the Breakthrough playlists, meaning we’ve got a super-sized one for you today! Each week, we look for the best in upcoming, independent music across the globe to showcase on Howl & Echoes. This week we’ve got a solid mix of hip-hop, R&B, indie rock, electronic and more for you to enjoy.

If you’d like to be featured on next week’s playlist, please send us your music via Submithub.com

  • PomradRush Hour ft. Steve Kashala
    Opening on a bright and spritely electronic number. The rhythm and vocals are funky as, and I love the juxtaposition of the deep bass notes and the bright, almost video-game style synth layers.
  • iamDesCornbread Ft. DJ Will Da Beast
    Once you get over the fact that it’s a track about eating cornbread, it’s a really cool single, with a sleek backing loop and a really dynamic, varied tone on the verses. Keep an ear out for some great lyrics, too.
  • Milo TainParadise
    Really classic, soulful vibe on this one – the lyrics and melody say ’90s R&B, while the bass says understated Funkadelic. Smooth, so smooth.
  • SagaIf We (prod. Ayatollah)
    The first of two Saga tracks on this playlist! I love the blend of that laid back, old school rhythm and the frantic, punchy verses. Along with some really subtle instrumental embellishments and a wicked bass, this is such a solid track.
  • Keiynan LonsdaleHigher
    This is one of the best electro-soul tracks we’ve ever featured in these playlists. Deep and dark, with a stunning melody and pristine production, it’s amazing to hear such a fresh, beautiful track from such an incredibly oversaturated genre.
  • St. Pyro & Face, Trip Your Mind
    A sci-fi sample opens this dark track, with music and vocals both flying low beneath the radar. I love how ominously calm and collected this is – slick, yet spooky.
  • SagaWhat You Want (prod. by Exile)
    Here’s the second Saga track, opening on an old soul sample, before breaking into a big, synth-tinged rhythm and a really solid flow. Definitely one of my favourite discoveries of late, Saga has a real knack for blending classic with modern.
  • SHDWRejuvenated
    A really well-executed “started from the bottom now we here” story, with lyrics on point and a sultry soul instrumental. I’m digging this one a LOT – SHDW has loads of talent and it immediately shows.
  • Pete Rock & AMEER, I Swear
    I usually don’t dig pitch-shifted vocals like these, but they complement the deep verse and the low rhythm well enough that I can look past it. Really liking the flow throughout the verses, too – well worth a listen.
  • SkaaSummertime (Prod. Omito Beats)
    Smooth and simple, this one isn’t rewriting any rules, but it’s husky, sultry, and so easy to groove along to. Perfect for those late nights which turn into early mornings.
  • The BlancosCameras
    One of my favourite dark R&B tracks for the week, it’s kind of a Weeknd-influenced dark indie-pop, with a dramatic bass and bulging synths.
  • ThandiForgetful
    This is definitely one of my favourite tracks today. I adore every single layer of this flirtatious and confident electro-pop number, packed with soulful elements and husky vocals reminiscent of Kelis and Santigold. Flawless!
  • ArloeStrike Gold
    I’m really digging electro-R&B this week. This is a really slinky offering, playfully toying with jabbing synth and percussion trickles, all beneath a cool, understated melody and some wonderful harmonies. One for the bedroom playlist.
  • Ras Kass, Downward Spiral (ft. Freddie Foxxx & Onyx) (prod. by ILLinformed)
    Deep, aggressive and hyperbolic, I can’t get over the lyrical dexterity. I doubt there’s many songs out there which reference Killer Mike, Star Wars, Oscar Wilde and the Bible in one verse. I don’t dig the second verse to be honest, but the rest kills.
  • WonderbitchMiracle Drive
    I figured we’d need a brief break from hip-hop. Here’s a cruisey, easygoing rock piece filled with a freeing richness and a lovely retro vibe.
  • R34L, Neon Tongue (ft. Jake Barinholtz)
    A jazzy, futuristic reggae-infused track with vocal samples sparring with all manner of space-age synths and percussion – and that’s before the vocals even kick in. The environment continues to build and change – this is so engaging. Another one of my favourites this week.
  • sagecoltonbaker, Alcoholics
    The instrumentation on this one – soft guitars and a lulling rhythm – feels contemplative and immersive. While the vocal tone grates a tad in its over-richness at first, it smoothes out during the chorus, pitted so well against that huge, low bass.
  • Danielle GrubbGHOST
    Not your average indie pop track, I love the musical simplicity and the dulcet melody , but what’s stuck with me is the genuine feeling of depth and realness in the lyrics and delivery. Understated and well-balanced, I’m really digging this one.
  • CloselyEmpty
    Like I said, I’m loving electro-R&B this week. I love the contrast and progression throughout – while the layers feel controlled and separated at first, they soon join together to create a full, atmospheric soundscape, before spreading back out again for the second verse.
  • Soul PandemiaHow Long
    I’m also loving reggae infusions this week. This is a toned down, bluesy track with a seriously sexy groove and seductive instrumentation – that trumpet, phwoar. The only vocals come in the form of a brief wail at the end – all in all, my favourite instrumental piece this week.
  • GOSTOTime For Me
    There’s a really dark, mysterious music in this one that immediately caught my attention. The vocals lead the way, atop the music which plays around with sound and silence, adding a melodramatic feel to darkly funky track.
  • SharnBorn
    Another emotive, rich Chet Faker-esque track, with a dark edge to it that makes it stand out. I love the flitting percussion, breaking up the depth and long flows of the bass and vocals.
  • Xeus, White Jesus
    This one kind of reminds me of Das Racist, with its tongue-in-cheek, self-aware, wickedly funny lyrics and simple yet thumping instrumental. Smart and slick, all in one, I’m really enjoying this track.
  • StohouGone
    Ending the playlist on a lovely experimental instrumental, blending progressive electronic layers with angelic vocals and a sparse, fluid rhythm. There’s a lot going on here, and there’s a lot to love about every layer.

Image: Thandi