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i really like the sound chalk makes

london constantly surprises me. it's only really been within the last six months that i've been able to explore the city properly. hadn't been to fabric in yonks, but i recently found myself back there for sophia stel's headline show. had totally forgotten the layout. once i was in, it all fell into place. i've made no secret of the fact i love sophia stel's music, but that night, i left mesmerised by the sound chalk makes. consider my interest piqued.

in many ways, there couldn't have been a better setting for me to discover the sound chalk makes. dark room, flashing lights, a rabid crowd. scenes. it's hard to nail down where the sound chalk makes, real name kabir's music sits. the london-based, mumbai-raised artist is a law unto himself. tracks like 4wheelpharmacy real exemplify what makes him special. what starts as an indie ballad slowly morphs into a head-banging, manic ode to club nights spent heartbroken, sampling the chainsmokers' (undeniable) banger closer. manmade manmaid also sticks in the memory. its mix of hyperpop, indie, and electronic has me throwing shapes. it is experimentation and imagination running wild in all the best ways. it's exciting. it's fun. it's new. it's the sound.

truth be told, i was always going to be a fan when i found out kabir originally wanted to call himself hiraeth, a welsh word for a nostalgia that never happened. my guy. cymru am fyth. expect to hear so much more about the sound chalk makes very soon. opening for the hellp and sophia stel should be all the evidence you need that this lad has something special. i-d profile makes for great reading. we need more of the sound chalk makes in the club. until then, i'll be banging the drum for him.

good night.

i don't want to yuck anyone's yum, but if the wind isn't your least favourite type of weather, i can never fully trust you. wind sucks. what do you mean my hairline's exposed? what do you mean my fit has been compromised? shambles. hate it. despite all that, i always feel a sense of relief when it calms. those interludes are to be savoured. anjeli's music fills that space beautifully.

i'm so intrigued by anjeli's music. it's early doors, but i'm captivated by her sound. her's is a true 'child of the internet' smorgasbord of influences, ranging from drum and bass, to rap, to r&b, to bedroom pop. to compare anjeli to other artists would be to do her a disservice, because right now, no one sounds like her. at the moment, i'm loving life i never had. the softly sung vocals over those keys and that beat is beautiful. much like her sister's music, there's an implacable quality to it that i absolutely love. not eerie-ness. but a tension. it's wonderful.

the stage is set for anjeli. eyes are on her right now. if you're heading to her sister ledbyher's show this evening, there's a strong chance you'll be seeing her. their songs together are the stuff of dreams. quality. her latest single, so sick, is a treat. featured on bbc introducing recently. go on. i'm so excited to see what anjeli does next. i'll be there.

go support her.

moses ideka's music breaks and heals my heart all at once

i miss wales a lot. i go home fairly regularly, and i'm never shy about pointing out its shortcomings, but it's always in my mind and in my heart. the rolling hills, the rivers, the remnants of the mining industry, the endless rows of terraced houses dappled across the valleys. it's home. there are lots of artists that feel like home, but at the moment, nobody is topping moses ideka.

if you're familiar with his work, that shouldn't be surprising. a quick recap. moses ideka is a south london-based artist who, over the past few years, has cemented himself as one of the most promising musicians in the uk. lad is ludicrously talent. i don't have the technical nous to articulate why he's such a fantastic vocalist, but the proof is in the pudding. just listen to him. powerful. he's been working with some of the artist's laying the ground work for generational greatness. we'll be telling our kids about them-level artists. dexter in the newsagent. kwes e. sahn. sampled by untiljapan. candlelit set for always do what you should do. moving me.

moses ideka's music is soul crushing in the most life affirming way possible. as i mentioned, i associate a lot of his music with the complicated relationship i have with wales, which, given that his recent ep was inspired by his memories of cornwall, is unsurprising. what is consistently surprising is the breadth of emotions i feel when i listen to him. take beast of bodmin moor. the first two minutes of the song are serene. they are the rolling hills. they are the rushing rivers. as the song develops and the vocals build, it overwhelms the senses. i want home. bless my heart indeed. it's a lot on little old me. i put myself through it daily. very few songs have touched me like that.

i could make similar cases for most of moses' discography. but i leave that to you. go find the song that breaks and heals you. moses ideka is one of the greats in waiting. well played.

go support him.

i'm feeling jovial today. wore shorts outside for the first time this year. brand new pair of 95s on. the pink foams, if anyone's interested. my second pair in that colourway. sun shining. took myself off to a coffee shop with a book in my hand and a song in my heart. what was that song, i hear you ask? well, it was skiifuego's eirebby. what a tune.

skiifuego's potential is mind-boggling. every artist that bursts onto the scene has a lot of potential. but in this case, it's hard to envision a timeline where skiifuego's isn't at the forefront of the next generation. his sound is so addictive, in large part due to its cacophony of influences. it draws from elements of bubblegum pop, hyperpop, rap, and pluggnb, which, coupled with his melodic vocals, make for exceptional listening. skiifuego's music is for sunshine and a canned cocktail.

this is unrelated to his output, but i'm also incredibly impressed by how articulate skiifuego is. he was recently interviewed by upper nostril, and the confidence and knowledge with which he discussed his influences and his journey as an artist really shone through to me. as a journalist, it's always so refreshing to hear an artist talk about their craft with such conviction. skiifuego knows his stuff. i'm very excited about him. gonna spin eirebby again, i'll chat to you later.

nice one.

i like to drink pepsi max and listen to bloody shield

i feel like i'm so late to bloody shield. picture the scene. i'm sat in the office, pepsi max in hand. discovery playlist on. lots of great music playing. then 3 by bloody shield comes on. lads. when i tell you i had to stop what i was doing. took a minute. went on a walk. what is he cooking, and why is it one of the best songs i've heard in ages?

the deeper i dove into his discography, the more my intrigue grew. bloody shield has something special. i spoke yesterday about the uk being fertile ground for new stars, and bloody shield feels as if he's at the cusp of that stardom. his sound is so current, stylistically similar to the cloud-influenced sound that shot esdeekid and rico ace to the top of the musical world, yet distinct enough to stand entirely separately. the drums. the monstrous production. the energy. it's all there. another colourful addition to the growing tapestry of trailblazing artists dotted across the country. beautiful to see scottish artists continuing to blossom on the world stage.

bloody shield is a star in waiting. he was recently part of the nike x victory lap tour, opening for jawnino. featured on vlap too. shelled it. been performing with post party. these are all beautiful things. glasgow's next star is upon us. i'm so excited. i might've been late, but i'm onboard now. bloody shield made my week. go on son.

go support him.

lauzza's doing live shows again. we are so back. in some ways, this event couldn't have come at a greater time. i'm not going to retread old ground here. if you're already here, you know the uk scene is on fire. despite our wealth of talent beginning to burgeon internationally, the scene feels more fertile than ever. now's the time to make your mark. all eyes are on. who better to put you on than one of the most influential tastemakers in britain?

lauzza's run has been special. not only is he one of the uk music world's most established directors, he's easily one of the most important tastemakers. i don't think he gets enough credit for that. look at who he's worked with. jim legxacy. nia archives. bxks. natanya. he was on yt for early. events wise: same thing. look at the lauzzaview 2 line up from late 2024. esdeekid. fimiguerrero. teebofg. don't wind me up. bro knows ball like few others. take heed of this lineup. there are stars on there. everyone on that lineup has already earned their stripes. now it's time to see them shine.

class venue too. outernet is one of my favourites in london. screening burner munde too? i'm clapping my hands excitedly rn. this is an event made for the ones drinking in all that's good about the uk right. there's something for everyone. don't be a mug. make sure you're there.

nice one.

if i hadn't found lancey foux's music, my life would like very different. i say that with absolute certainty and without hyperbole. during the pandemic, i knew that i wanted to start writing about music, but at the time, i only really listened to artists you'd consider mainstream. no one was gonna read about a 16-year-old welsh kid's thoughts on kanye. one day, youtube recommended me the india music video. it opened my eyes and ears to a sound and culture i had no idea existed. more than five years on, here we are. he is comfortably one of my favourite artists of all time.

all too often on this app, i read posts and see conversations about where his legacy ranks against this person, or whether that person is having a better career than him. fuck that. i don't care to have those conversations. the impact he's had on me, and british music at large, is immeasurable. i often think about life in hell and its rollout. i don't think anything i've seen since tops it. the makeup and prosthetics. the new york pop-up. the london headline shows. the music. oh my days, the music. that project hops from techno-soul piano ballads, to rage, to rock, and back to rap without ever missing a beat. one of the greatest projects in british music history. it's that good. you could probably make a similar case for all of lancey's albums. first degree 2 has the potential to be his defining work, culturally speaking. a pulsing, energetic fuck you to label constraints and industry politicking, with proceeds donated to charities supporting independent musicians. this, my friends, is using your platform the right way.

i don't claim to know what the future holds for lancey foux. only that once his next project arrives, there's not a doubt in my mind that it will shake the foundations of this scene. true to form for an artist who for nearly a decade, has proved to be at the cutting edge of what makes british music beautiful. innovation. style. raw talent. that's something to be celebrated. he will forever be one of the greats. don't let no one tell you different.

cheers.

british summers are hot. like, exceedingly so. hot, heavy, and humid. long days, too. plenty of scope for beer gardens, picnics, and miscellaneous mischief. the romance of it has never been lost on me. it's made for it. 'summer loving, had me a blast,' as danny zuko said. class. until it isn't. but what do you listen to in the summer when you've had your silly little heart broken? can't be putting on marvin's room or pnd. grow up. well, if you happen to find yourself in this predicament come three months time, sahn can help.

i came across sahn for the first time a few months. pretty much every creative whose work i love was posting him. couldn't escape him. i dove in. wow. i get excited by a lot of artists, and rightfully so, but sahn? lads. i have things to say.

sahn is a bonafide star. one of the most vocally gifted artists i've come across in a long time. i chose blonde to play over this post, because it encapsulates all the qualities that i think make sahn one of the most exciting artists about right now. he's a revelation. his vocals are stunning. the emotions they illicit reverberate around the soul. it feels heavy. genuine emotional baggage. his instrumentation only compounds that sensation. the strings on blonde sound beautiful. they're uplifting. pleasant. paired with sahn's voice, they combine to create something truly bittersweet. it sounds like the memory of what once was. pretty special stuff if you ask me.

i'm locked all the way in on sahn. his latest track, superstar, takes a different direction to his biggest songs to date. it has a more rap-adjacent flavour, and i'm here for it. there's never been a better time to become a sahn fan. do yourself a favour. get stuck in. a crazy talented vocalist who makes fantastic music? what's not to love?

go support him.

i've never been ritualistic about how i listen to music. that's largely a circumstantial thing. there's only a finite amount of time in a day. i don't want to find new music while i'm preoccupied with something else. i want to take it in properly. how often do we get to just sit and listen to music?

well, on wednesday, the fine folk at spotify gave me just that opportunity, inviting me down to their london office to check out their brand new listening lounge. stunning gaff was this. shoes off at the door. slippers on. treated myself to a spicy lemon marg. nice one. before long, it was off to check out the space. lads. they've smashed it. with a sound system designed by shivas howard-brown of friendly pressure, in collaboration with cake architecture, it was truly a sight to see. lovely carpet. all burgundy. comfy furniture. was tempted to ask where it's from but i can't imagine it's within my budget.

the music. curated by a pair of legends in nao and joy crookes, we were treated to some all time classics on an unreal sound system. there was something cinematic about it. a group of people sat in a dark room taking in phenomenal art. it was quite moving, if i'm being honest. we heard classics from the likes of stevie wonder, d'angelo, jamie xx, massive attack, donny hathaway, and frank ocean.

that one got me. nao was asked by host yazmin lacey (who killed it) what sounds like the future to her. she chose nikes. she chose right. i have loved that song since i was 15. i first heard it in full at night, walking back from a night with some friends. i never really understood why that song was so emotionally powerful. like yeah, lyrically and sonically it's a masterpiece, but why does my soul ache when i hear it? seven years on, i still don't know the answer. but i feel a little bit closer now. to hear that song on that sound system was a privilege and an experience that i won't soon forget.

it was a fantastic evening. you lot made it possible. i'm just a lad from wales with a phone and opinions. thank you for supporting me and allowing me to be in those rooms. love you lot loads.

goodnight.

afrosurrealist is the flag bearer for the future of british music

i'm not one for living in the present. very much a 'what are we doing tomorrow?' man, much to the chagrin of my family and friends. to look to the future is to look towards security, especially in the arts. british rap is at a pivotal moment. this momentum is unlike anything i've seen in the time i've been actively engaging with music. we're riding high. but what does the future hold? you need only look to afrosurrealist.

buybritish is such an important album. beyond the significant role it's played culturally in the reframing of how we're viewing the union jack (which you can read more about in a brilliant pigeons and planes article), it is doing wonders for preserving the future of british rap. present tense, because seemingly every day i'm revisiting the project and finding new artists, or developing a further affection for artists i already like. i've spoken before about my love for 6 figures, but the project holds so much more. it has my favourite ceebo verse, which can be found on wunblud. it hosts features from a plethora of newcomers, including brooklyn lodovico and ehsi, alongside some of the most exciting talents of this new generation. saiming, zino vinci, n4t. the project is as bold a declaration of the scene's golden future as you could possibly hope for. we've got nowt to worry about. the future is in safe hands.

afrosurrealist is set to headline the lower third tomorrow. if you're in london, and you're able, get yourself there. support one of the most exciting artists and producers in britain. support the future of british music. you're set for a banger of an evening i reckon. i know nothing about what's planned, but i'd stake my house on there being a whole host of special guests to look forward to. big night. crucial one. go support afro. he's making great music. he's leading the charge. he's doing important work.

have fun.

the british weather is a constant mystery to me. clocks went forward last night. days are drawing out. yet the weather is still fairly cold, the warmth of the sunlight is fleeting, and the wind is ravaging what remains of my hairline. it's quintessentially british, i suppose. when i'm getting battered by the wind, i'm not really in the mood for something loud and garish. when it's grey, i seek comfort. iced coffee and a read, ideally. and some good music. recently, i've been seeking comfort in sophia stel.

the more i listen to her music, and the more i learn about her, the closer sophia stel becomes to being one of my favourite artists. sonically, i'm totally hooked. for me, her music sits somewhere between 070 shake and caroline polachek. alt-pop that moves, both physically and emotionally. the synths on taste are some of the best i've heard, layered with sophia's soft, almost raspy vocal delivery. proper. i think what really draws me to her music is the process. it is reactionary in the best possible way. recording in a haze of weed smoke, digicam flashes, and harsh vancouver winters, it is authentic in the best possible way, encapsulating the messiness of a breakup, the love of your favourite hoodie, and coming of age in one big package. sound, visuals, interviews, the lot. sophia stel is herself.

it seems the rest of the world thinks the same. sophia was recently unveiled as the second signee to a24 music, joining fellow sonic marvel mark william lewis. the fashion world has taken note, with sophia walking for ann demeulemeester, and featuring prominently in a palace lookbook. her interviews are all worth reading. i love when an artist lays it all out, and sophia talks about her music with an enthusiasm that exudes off the page. i'm all in. chuck your favourite hoodie on, make a cup of tea, go on a walk, and take sophia stel in.

a future great.

sinn6r's music makes me want to two-foot someone

personally, i can't listen to anything light when i'm walking at night. you lot listening to drake on your late night dash to tesco are doing it wrong. moving like your playlist has the word 'vibes' in it. none of that. i need something heavy. something to storm to the shops to. in and out. quick and easy. like i'm angry at the ground. there's a few artists who fit this feeling to a tee, but recently, not many have been doing it better than sinn6r.

sinn6r feels like a superstar in waiting. we're all agreed on that, right? the clips coming out of his tour look bacchanalian. frenzied. crowd's are loving it. and why wouldn't they? sinn6r's come-up has been one of the most consistent and enjoyable to watch. ay caramba is a ton of fun. female top is a blast. that schoolboy9 bar reverberates around my head on a daily basis. now now is built for running playlists the world other. turn your strava off and get that on. with federal, and its ongoing tour, the momentum sinn6r has been gathering has hit supersonic levels. forget plaudits from his contemporaries and critics, the music is revelatory.

the project is profound. for all the intensity and organised chaos of the project, put together by an all-star team of producers, it's got so many introspective and earnest moments, label dinner being one. bolstered by an incredible ledbyher feature, sinn6r's matter-of-fact references to his family and his desire to provide are both touching, and further proof that sinn6r is one of the most exciting artists in the uk. you want to root for him. you want to enjoy his music. i'm doing both. can't wait to see the antics of the crowds when he touches back down in london. sold out dates and class music. he's got it going on.

go support him.

unknown t is one of my favourite rappers. what's he up to?

i can still remember the first time i came across unknown t. i was a bit young for the homerton moment. wasn't really on rap like that. deep in my weeknd phase. we were all there at one point or another. let me take you back. colors has often been a proving ground for artists. an actions speak louder than words type gaff. show us what you've got. there's a reason unknown t's performance of goodums has gone down in british rap folklore. flow state doesn't come close. one of my favourite songs of the 2020s, no question about it. if you follow my personal, you'll notice i probably post that song once a month. iconic.

not only was i fan from that moment, i was actively engaging. new singles. albums. reading reviews and watching interviews. the lot. moving like a leo dicaprio gif when he made his cameo in boarders. proper fan, basically. right now, it feels like unknown t is at the beginning of an exciting new chapter. bbk had my attention. got me excited. today, we got hear dat styl, featuring another one of my favourites in aj tracey.

it's easy to say you're fucking with something. or that you rate a song. lads, when i tell you i haven't stopped thinking about this song all day. production is atmospheric. unknown t's delivery is measured, assured, intentional. it's also reserved in the best possible way. lad is showcasing the best of his abilities without overwhelming his audience. it's a precision that so many often jumble. not here. aj tracey's feature is a wonderful accompaniment. that before you even get to the quality visuals, courtesy of dom shot this. deela's uncredited vocals. the corteiz wardrobe. mate. need every garm in that video. when all's said and done, this track is two greats having a go. i'll take that. have seconds and all. tune. this ain't leaving the playlist anytime soon.

cheers.

you lot ever see those tiktoks where it's someone chatting about "wearing my zone 1 fit in my hometown"? i think about that a lot. not necessarily in reference to myself, although i did once go through a phase of wearing my vintage issey miyake fur fleece in my old town. can't say they were the target audience for those fits, but whatevs. i think what those tiktoks really speak to is individuality and otherness. being unashamedly yourself. wearing your heart and your influences on your sleeve. doing you. slew is making music for these people, and i'm loving it.

slew is a grafter. lad has been making music for more than half a decade at this point. the past six months have really seen him start to reap the rewards of his efforts, with a shutdown headline show in hoxton, a mixtape that released to widespread acclaim, and co-signs from some of the biggest artists in the space, as well as one swae lee. go on. it goes deeper though. the londoner was at one point juggling his burgeoning career as a model, working with burberry on several occasions, with working on a flower stand. fairs. long days and sore feet, i imagine.

this graft shines through in his music. it's otherworldly. alien, even. no one sounds like slew. his authoritative, intense delivery proves a great match for the rage-influenced production you'll often find him on. vocally, he's in a different lane. i'm a sucker for a distinctive accent, and you'll be hard pressed to find one as recognisable as slew's. he's the talk of the town right now. his new single with lancey foux is proper. it's a watershed moment. a collaboration with arguably the most influential force in the sound that has swept the music world is one hell of an accolade. tour coming soon. saturday night in london? lads. that's a no-brainer. here's to being your own person. here's to wearing archive raf to the premier. here's to slew. what a man.

go support him.

for someone who really loves fashion and is deeply immersed in its culture, intricacies, and history, i hate clothes shopping. i thought since moving closer to london i'd be in paradise. nah. can't cope with it. slowly coming to terms with the fact i'll be rocking the same three fits eternally. that said, there's one brand who are on my mind often. a cut above. tekky. meet avere forza.

to anyone familiar with the brand, their quality should come as no surprise. the brain child of fashion and culture content creator geoffrey owusu, the brand is a product of its environment in the best possible way. geoff's content is some of the best out there, hands down. his encyclopaedic knowledge of football and fashion culture makes for some incredibly entertaining viewing. educational too. every day's a school day. i find myself binging his content a lot. he also spent a year with the basement, interviewing some of the most influential folks in the space, including tremaine emory and skepta. proximity to greats isn't always a guarantee of greatness, but it did the trick for avere forza.

take the brand's latest offering, the griffey jacket, the name itself a reference to legendary baseball player ken griffey jr. shit got me thinking about the homer and the bat episode of the simpsons. talkin' softball. i'm getting distracted. this drop encapsulates why avere forza are on their way to becoming one of the most crucial brands in british streetwear. they just get how things should be done. a fitting reference point. rich colours. that shade of red is making a lot of sense. distinctive imagery. their promo shoot for this was so simple. backdrop on a wall. and yet it works. there's something aspirational about the brand. a mix of true diy thinking with quality materials, painstaking attention to detail, and a deep cultural bag and appreciation for why fashion and sport are so intertwined. i'm all ears whenever there's a drop. need to get my bread up and fill my wardrobe with their garms. they're the ones.

cheers.

what do you define as your formative period? the time when you truly started to grow up? for some people, it's their gcse's. others, it's uni. some lads hit that stage during their mid life crisis. no shade. we'll all be there at some point. for me, it was my first couple of years at uni. not an ideal period, but i learned a lot. if i could bottle that period and express it through music, it would sound a little like rian brazil.

i'm still on a journey with rian brazil. i'm trying to figure him out. his music is mad. truly crazy. in the best possible way. the brighton-born artist is toying with seemingly every genre, and he's making magic. his discography to this point is stuffed with inventive production, captivating visuals, and truly earnest artistry. lad is having a crack. to my ears, his influences range from 100 gecs to mike skinner to idles, to even motown acts like the jackson five. his newest single, things 2 make u smile, takes me back to the upbeat, soulful pop music of the 70s. to find an artist this versatile this early in their career is a rarity. i'm loving it.

the world is rian brazil's oyster. as i mentioned, it's still early days for him. he's building a fanbase. gathering steam. but he's got the tools. his versatility alone makes him a class act. he's speaking to my adolescence. mock tudor gaffs and dark trees with no leaves. seeing your breath in april. that's the one. intrigued to see what's next for him. ep in may. we will be there. i hope you will be too.

go support him.

no one is making music like wesley joseph.

wesley joseph has just released his debut studio album. half a decade in the making. to fully articulate why this album has hit for me the way it has, let me give you a history lesson. the first time i went to produce anything content related in london was in may 2022. i was offered guestlist for wesley joseph's headline show at xoyo. i was a fan before. i left a super fan. the energy of that crowd and the power of his music in the flesh rocked me to my core. a year later, i was at his headline at koko. photo pass this time. to this day, the best photos i've ever taken. sun was setting over london in the early summer warmth, and wesley joseph matched that beauty perfectly. we're already at legend status. fast forward nearly three years. here we are. forever ends someday.

when i say no one is making music like wesley joseph, that's not me making some sensationalist statement to get you to listen to his music. that's not me overdoing it. i listen to a lot of music. he's one of one. his fusion of rap, r&b, electro and alt-pop is a totally unique. there's a quality to his music i adore that you so rarely hear now: the distance. what i mean by that is his music is his own to the point that sonic analysis is futile. when i listen to overjoyed by stevie wonder, i'm not sat there thinking about it. i'm in awe. when i listen to purple rain, i'm in awe. when i listen to wesley joseph, i'm in awe.

this new album will feed generations. his fans have been living off two excellent ep's for years, so this is christmas. it goes without saying that i think it's fantastic. from the bedroom-pop influence on if time could talk, to the haunting violins on peace of mind, to july's victory lap with jorja smith. that's the one that's sticking with me. two kids from walsall come good. vocally exquisite. narratively rich. it's a hit, basically. buzzing that this record exists. do yourself a favour. put your mates on. wesley joseph is back.

enjoy your friday night.