Another week, another playlist. Every day we receive a bunch of submissions from all kinda of artists across the globe; from the biggest stars in the world to those with 30 followers and less than 200 plays, we try to find the best in new music for you to enjoy. The breakthrough playlist is an awesome opportunity to showcase promising independent, upcoming talent from artists just starting out.
If you’d like to be featured on next week’s playlist, please send us your music via submithub.com.
- Des Brennan, Drift (Produced by MFakka)
We wrote about Des Brennan last week, and this week he’s back once more with another juicy helping of lush, storytelling hip-hop. Opening on an eerie piano and gentle beat, it leaves plenty of space to place the spotlight firmly on the illustrative verses, socially conscious and aware. Complemented by a soulful hook, this is another great track from one of my favourite upcoming rappers. -
The Pheels, Turn Me Up
The Pheels are back with a spindly, space-age slice of chunky electronica with a hip-hop edge. I love how fluid this track is; it’s the perfect for a slinky, late night dance, and just as ideal for an afternoon walk witha bounce in your step. I really like this sound, atmospherically mesmerising and so unique. -
Granville Sessions, Calgon Sunrise
This track opens on a really ominous instrumental, with ultra-high keys and super deep notes. The verses nestle somewhere in the middle, carried along by a smooth rhythm and interesting lyrics, while dramatic brass and the odd guitar add splashes of colour to the instrumental. I’m really getting into more UK hip-hop at the moment, and this is a great example of why. -
Just Matthew™, Beverly Hills (Prod. by Artem)
Here’s a really funky track for that bedroom playlist. I really love the husky tone of voice in the verses, meshing really nicely with the melodic moments. Production courtesy of Artem, too, is lush and dreamy, all the while anchored by that flickery percussion. Smooth. smooth, smooth. -
Lime, Cliché
This is probably my favourite track of this week’s playlist. I absolutely adore this instrumental. An entire world is created in just a few bars, with immersive, stunning chord progressions and twinkling synths up above. The verses are rich and the melody is warm. Before long, a heady layer of distorted guitar enters, and all in all, this brings me back to the kind of music that got me into indie music in the first place. -
Deep Dark Blue, AtomsOpening right into a glistening, ambient atmosphere and futuristic synths, this is a delicate, intriguing, post-rock inspired track, the kind where devil is in the details, and the kind that I like even more upon each listen. Although light and airy, there’s something dark and quite sinister about it that I absolutely love. This is my other favourite track of the week. I am completely mesmerised.
- Kyle Bent, Something Different (Prod. Sarubeatz)
I recently discovered Kyle bent and I’m glad I have. Albeit simple, the instrumental is cool, a kind of twisted-haunted-house-on-drugs instrumental. The lyrics are really fascinating too, essentially talking about the muffling of creativity in children in terms of stuff like ADHD diagnoses and drugs, and the need to be different and stand out from the crowd. - A. Barb, The Jump (Prod. by 2icybeats)
My favourite new hip-hop track of the week, this is frantic and powerful, ready for a dab and still lyrically interesting. A. Barb’s rapping prowess only gets faster and slicker as the track progresses – and I love the little A$AP joke after the halfway mark. I’m really looking forward to hearing more from this guy. - Connor Evans, Neva feat. Pressure Busspipe
This one’s a lot of fun. Packed with vivacious, wild beats, Connor’s verses are slick and kinda funny, with some cool in-line rhymes. Meanwhile, Pressure Busspipe’s incredibly energetic dancehall guest vocals lay atop a bulging beat and a piano melody, making for two totally different, opposing angles to the one track. - Big Gigantic, C’mon (ft. GRiZ)
Ending this week’s playlist on a completely different track, a kind of hectic Dillon Francis-esque, sample-laden electro-banger. I spent ages replaying this and deciding whether I loved or hated this one, but I concluded the former. An adrenaline rush in a song, it just made me wanna get up and run, and dance, and flail my arms around