Every week, we feature some fresh new releases from emerging talent around the world, these are highlighted on our New Music Spotlight playlist on Spotify, but we also share a handful of artists in our round-up who are making waves and deserve a platform.
You can read more features in our Music + Culture section.
RYL0, Fairy Boy, Frank Royal – LUV You
We are fully obsessed with the new collaboration from RYL0, Frank Royal and the iconic Fairy Boy. RYL0 was just featured as the cover of Fresh Finds on Spotify, and we have been hypnoptized by Fairy Boy since their release of Snake Charmer. The three have created a moody, subversive and catchy dark-pop banger fusing euro-dance, grunge and lots more, sending us to another dimension!
LUV You is featured on our New Music Spotlight playlist!
Tom Aspaul – Kiss It
British artist, Tom Aspaul has released his sexy new video for his latest single, Kiss It. Serving euro-pop in the TA2 era, we have to stan. The video delivers choreography, moody black and white cinematography and the artist living his queer pop star fantasy.
Bruno Muerte – Monodrone
Opening with a celestial and psychedelic synth, fused with luxurious yet piercing textures, Bruno Muerte‘s latest single, Monodrone sends us to another dimension. The electric guitar is exquisite and we can’t get offer how seamlessly the instrumentation flows, evoking an array of emotions. Nigel Firth is on guitars and synths, whilst Stefano Maio plays synths and creates the drums.
The middle segment has us transcending to the astral realm with out-of-this-world synth-work, and the outro is unique and takes on a form of its own. Fans of Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Tangerine Dream and Fabio Frizzi will love. We cannot wait for Bruno Muerte‘s EP coming out in May.
Zara – Dying For Romance
With lo-fi pulsing drums and ethereal textures and vocals, we are already transfixed by Zara‘s latest self-produced single Dying For Romance. Zara is a rising artist who has created her own universe with her soundscape.
Dying For Romance is an introspective song reflecting on the want for love from the young Iraqi artist who is based in London. Or perhaps not being ready yet as the case might be. She reflects on her last partner and takes us on a cerebral journey of love, healing and self-love, in line thematically with her other songs like FLXWXR GRL.
DEROSNEC – 3 Lives
We are obsessed with the multi-genre adventure that DEROSNEC recently released! Fusing rock, techno, operatic vocals, heavy metal and ethereal frequencies, 3 Lives makes for a wicked journey.
Visually, DEROSNEC is a filmmaker and illustrator, and that comes through in the cinematic sonic universe that she has created. The multi-disciplinary artist has a passion for storytelling has inspired shorts, movies, and graphic novels as well as standalone pieces of drawn or painted images.
We are obsessed with the diversity of the opening track Towers, and love the guitar and bouncing 80s synth on Save Me, her ethereal vocals and danceability on Desire and the evocative finale, Nighttime in the Desert has two version and we love them both! The (Tehran) edit features stunning acoustic guitar and paints a poetic and softer journey for us as the EP completes its journey.
Musically, DEROSNEC is a singer, performer, and songwriter. With her unusually low voice and wide operatic vocal range, she makes music that pulls from all genres of the musical world to create a moody, personal, and intense sound.
Her lyrics range from politics and philosophy to her own experience and feelings, and are unusually straightforward while being simultaneously laced with double meanings and word play. We have added Towers to our New Music Spotlight playlist!
Mykki Blanco + Michael Stipe – Family Ties
“Having Michael Stipe sing and collaborate on this duet I wrote was a once in a lifetime moment!” Blanco wrote on Instagram. “Thank you Michael for believing in my songwriting and believing in me! You are an icon and I am blessed to have worked with you.”
We love the collaboration between the iconic Mykki Blanco and visionary R.E.M. frontman. Speaking on the creation of the track, Blanco said: “‘Family Ties’ is the first song where I sonically found my voice and I mean that in a very literal way. It’s the first song in my entire career where I am singing, I don’t rap.”
“I wrote this song about the relationship between my ex-boyfriend and his father that has had bouts of mental illness. When the person you love is going through a situation that you can’t alter in any way, or help or be active in trying to correct it not only hurts them but it hurts you.”