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rd a y 2 9 d e ce m b e r s saat tuurd a y 2 9 d e ce m b e r NEW YEARS EVE: NU EN WG YMEAARRCO S E&VEESA : YO
YO U N G M A R CO & E SA m o n d a y 3 1 d e ce m b e r m o n d a y 3 1 d e ce m b e r D E T R O I T SW I N D L E
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SKREAM
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INTERVIEWS 14
30
WHAT’S ON
FLOHIO
58
SLOWTHAI
60
FEATURES 13
64
EVENTS
GIGS OF THE MONTH
DECEMBER/JANUARY LISTINGS
NEW SOUNDS
the 15 acts we think we rule 2019 46
ON THE STEREO 83
85
IN LONDON
THOUGHTS... Flohio Cover Story: Page 14
REVIEWS 50
ALBUM RELEASES
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
Online Editor: Beth Sheldrick beth@londoninstereo.co.uk
Sub-Editor: Loki Lillistone loki@londoninstereo.co.uk
Festival/Clubs Editor: Katie Thomas katie@londoninstereo.co.uk
New Sounds Editor: Gemma Samways
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Jack Urwin
Advertising: sales@londoninstereo.co.uk
Photography: Flohio cover story: Jenn Five (jennfive.com) Contributors: Hassan Anderson, Rhys Buchanan, Kezia Cochrane, Guia Cortassa, Geoff Cowart, Thomas Hannan, Jon Kean, Charlotte Krol, George O’Brien, Emma Madden, Robin Murray, Nate Rockwell, Kelly Ronaldson, Kate Solomon, Harriet Taylor, Lee Wakefield, Henry Wilkinson. londoninstereo.com
@londoninstereo
London in Stereo: 09
PLUS PLUSSPECIAL SPECIAL GUEST GUEST
11 DECEMBER 2018 11 2018 BRIXTON O 2 ACADEMY BRIXTON ACADEMY
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New Sounds 2019 15 acts that are going to make the most vital music of the next 12 months
words: Katie Thomas photography: Jenn Five
Flohio “I
feel so welcome now... It’s good man,
good energies all around. I’m excited for what’s to come...”
New Sounds 2019
London in Stereo: 15
he’s cool!” Flohio giggles, talking about herself. “She has nice things to say, and it sounds good when she says them.” What begins as a shy mumble in response to my questions develops into a relaxed and animated back and forth, punctuated with the odd excitable “ooh!”, “yeah!”, and “oh my days!” as Flohio’s whirlwind mind flits from one idea to the next. We speak on Guy Fawkes Night, our conversation peppered with fireworks in the background. This year 25-year-old Funmi Ohiosumah, AKA Flohio, has set off some fireworks of her own. Her most recent offering, the four track EP Wild Yout, follows a handful of blistering singles including August’s swaggering ‘10 More Rounds’. “It’s Flo Flo season” she declares, defiantly staking her claim on the moment. Flo rounds off 2018 with a string of U.K. shows, “I can’t wait to perform to my friends, my family, to familiar faces”, she says excitedly, referring to the Corsica Studios date which will complete the tour. With the help of close friend and regular collaborator HLMNSRA, and his penchant for the 808, Flohio is carving her own explosive, genre-bending space in the U.K. rap scene, her rapid and articulate flow holding its own over rumbling basslines, menacing snares and industrial synths. “Bring out your wild side” instructed her social media platforms on the day of Wild Yout’s release. “That’s me and my wild yout” Flohio says of her bold and fiery stage presence. It’s a far cry from her everyday Flo has repeatedly described herself as shy in previous interviews, pointing to a line in Wild Yout’s title track that goes “I just blend when I come through” as symptomatic of her demeanour. “I’m kind of incognito” she explains, “when I go places, I go in, I chill, that’s it.” Ohiosumah might consider herself incognito in the day-to-day, but with all eyes and ears on her high-octane, dynamic sound and her sure-fire flare on stage, Flohio is anything but.
New Sounds 2019 As she rides the wave of Wild Yout’s success and prepares for her tour, Flohio and I speak about the breakneck pace of the music industry, writing books and earning your stripes. Hailing from Lagos via Bermondsey, Ohiosumah’s musical journey began at a youth club down the road from her south London home. Honing her craft alongside a group of five friends, they grew up together, taking advantage of the recording studio on site. “It was inspiring”, Flo explains “it was such a good time for me and I wish it still went on.” In the face of many youth club closures, Flohio’s burgeoning success is a marker of the positive impact and opportunity such a space can have on young people. “It made me want to do more” she says, “encouraged me to see myself in bigger places and aspire to have my hands full.” Years spent experimenting in the club’s studio with her peers led to an appetite for penning lyrics, and nowadays, Flo finds her inspiration outside and on the go.
“ ...when
you ’re still
your mind is occupied , but when you ’re moving , your mind creates things on its own... ”
“Your mind is clear” she says, “when you’re still your mind is occupied, but when you’re moving, your mind creates things on its own”. The four padded walls of the studio are seldom a productive place for her songwriting. For Flohio, the most beautiful moments present themselves when she’s busy, when she’s least expecting it, deep from her subconscious. “It’s the same with any artist - drawing, writing, painting; I catch a sentence, a paragraph, a word even, then I go home and build on that”. For Flo, connecting the dots lyrically is important too. “I want to write a book one day. At the end of the day I’m trying to tell a story, but what’s the story going to be?” she wonders aloud, saying much of her inspiration is founded on wanting her music to make sense, and a desire for each record to fit together as one extended body of work. “Every piece of music I write”, she goes on to explain, “if my nephew reads it for example, when he gets older and he reads, or he listens, I want it to make sense.” London in Stereo: 17
Bands
@flohio16
flohio
Corsica Studios, December 6th
When it comes to Wild Yout, each track sheds light on a different side of Flohio. Brazen opener ‘Bop Thru’, with its infectious hook is her intro, and one of her favourite songs to perform live. “It’s confirmation that I trust my sound, I trust myself, and I’m feeling confident in my own steps” she says. Frenetic follow up ‘Breeze’ is Flohio’s energy on stage, her purest, rawest form. A first foray into a more stripped back and down-tempo palette, ‘Toxic’ aches of vulnerability, and touches on Ohiosumah’s tendency to over-think. “It’s feeling alone, feeling like you don’t belong” she admits, “one minute everything is all good, all fun, and then the next minute, mad thoughts.” Finally, ‘Wild Yout’ is getting what you want, owning your playground and believing in yourself. “Everyone has their inner wild yout” Flo explains earnestly, “they’ve got that force within. Embracing your wild yout is knowing what you want and going for it wholeheartedly.” Before pursuing music in a full time capacity, Flohio worked at Ninja Tune as a graphic designer. Quickly learning that the industry doesn’t exactly allow for space to “chill”, her time at the label taught her to work quickly, to keep the plates spinning, and to be reactive. From design for the label to the artwork for her own material, Wild Yout’s cover is more sentimental than the boisterous content might infer. In Nigeria, newborn babies are presented with jewellery, “you know, three wise men and that” she laughs, “my jewellery is a part of me”. The necklace on the EP’s cover was designed by Duncan Loudon, director of the video for ‘Wild Yout’. “I like that energy” Flo says, talking about the stripy top she’s wearing in the cover image, “it’s my uniform, you know”. Often dressed in stripes for her live shows too, it’s a statement of self-belief. Flohio is earning her stripes. “I’m having a moment!” Flo exclaims. I’ve asked if there any live performances that were instrumental in her choosing to pursue making music. She begins to talk about a
New Sounds 2019
memorable Rick Ross show, before stopping in her tracks. “I’ve remembered another one!” Years ago the youth club took its members to the O2 Arena, and to Flo’s disbelief, a young musician from her area was performing. “You’re used to seeing huge artists on a stage like that” she explains, “you’re a little kid looking up, and seeing someone I knew was like, damn!” Seeing him in the bright lights of a stadium-sized venue was all the motivation Flohio needed to keep pushing herself and to keep making music. Fast forward to today, and knowing that her music is supported serves as consistent ratification. “Knowing people care, knowing they’ll party with me when I perform” she says, sounding grateful, “it makes me want to go crazy times ten.” On the flip side, there are times when Flohio struggles to enjoy her success, and she blames it on being a perfectionist. “I’m constantly questioning, analysing, trying to be better” she says, going onto say how it’s rare for her to take time to bask in her achievements. A self-confessed workaholic, there’s no time right now for Flohio to stop and take stock, instead she’s making progress and, for her, that’s what’s most important. Speaking in an interview a little over two years ago, Flohio said that she didn’t yet feel she was part of London’s rap scene. Is it safe to say that’s no longer the case? “I feel so welcome now” she smiles, “It’s good man, good energies all around. I’m excited for what’s to come.” In an endearing analogy Flo refers to the music industry as “a little school”, in which practice makes perfect by completing each semester. Right now, the semesters represent new live instrumentation, different sounds and different countries, “I’m having fun on this journey” she says, “I’m gaining experiences and growing up”. If 2018 – Flo Flo season – represents just a semester in Flohio’s electrifying trajectory, the world better watch out as she catapults towards the next assignment. London in Stereo: 19
SOLD OU
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SOLD OU
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SOLD OU
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ALEXIS TAYLOR ANIMAL COLLECTIVE ANNA CALVI ARCTIC MONKEYS BILL RYDER-JONES BLOOD ORANGE BOB MOSES CAT POWER DIRTY PROJECTORS FLASHER FRANZ FERDINAND GEORGE FITZGERALD
HOW TO DRESS WELL JON HOPKINS JULIA HOLTER MELODY’S ECHO CHAMBER PORCHES PRAM STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS SUPERORGANISM TIRZAH VILLAGERS WILD BEASTS WILL OLDHAM
Pussy Is God
@KingPrincess69
New Sounds 2019
King Princess
words: Emma Madden
inder’s a weird place for lesbians. When King Princess, aka 19-year-old Mikaela Straus, released ‘Pussy Is God’, the feed lit up with girls who like girls posting it as their anthem, just to confirm that they too like “pussy”. Torres, St. Vincent, Anna Calvi walked so that King Princess could run. She is, and will continue to be the icon and image for women desiring women, because God knows, we need it. Girls who like girls are notoriously timid, and having a song as brazen as ‘Pussy Is God’ conjures up the daydream of a world in which our desire can be less passive. Is the music good? Yes, but at this point, that seems secondary. Until we get her debut album — probably sometime in 2019 — then we’ll really get to appreciate the bops. Her singles so far have followed a similar methodology. She borrows modish chart tropes — vocal drops and staccatos, chill electro-house beats, ‘70s influenced funk basslines — and queers them. And what
makes KP so irresistible is her very blatant ambition to be desired. She sings in a voice that sounds as though she’s just woken up, in swoon-inducing lullabies, while backed by beats to make the stiffest of hips gyrate. And sure, she looks good on the Gram, but Straus deserves far more credit than that. Her self-produced debut single, ‘1950’ which blew up earlier this year, showcased KP’s talents as a primed pop creator. It’s a cleverly contrived single inspired by Patricia Highsmith’s memeably sapphic novel, The Price of Salt — and it sounds a bit like Billie Eilish giving a Women’s Studies class. That’s a good thing, by the way. It seems as though, at least to the new generation of women loving women, that there’s no one more appealing than King Princess to teach them about the history of their desire. From her run of singles, it’s clear that KP has an intuition for the catchy, hooky, and the popular. So, it’s only a matter of time before the world treats her like the Patron Saint of Gay. London in Stereo: 23
Victoria Park London E3 24 May > 02 June
Fri 24 May
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS
HOT CHIP > PRIMAL SCREAM
SPIRITUALIZED > LITTLE DRAGON > DANNY BROWN > LITTLE SIMZ > IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE
Sun 02 June
BON IVER
MAC DEMARCO > FIRST AID KIT > JOHN GRANT > THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH JULIEN BAKER > SNAIL MAIL > KOKOKO!
+ MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED Tickets on sale now
Fashion
@jimothylacoste
Koko, February 14th
New Sounds 2019
f you’re like me, the first time you heard a Jimothy Lacoste (not his real name) song you were probably left feeling a little bemused. Like a joke you hadn’t been let in on. He was Poundland Bandit’s mate and it couldn’t feel more modern. But before the end of the song something suddenly clicks, and it makes perfect sense. His deadpan delivery – speak-rapping over catchy-as-hell bedroom synths – suddenly hits, and your synapses flare as he offers his unique brand of fresh, homespun wisdom. Listen and you’ll learn about: not doing drugs (‘Drugs’), love and commitment (‘Future Bae’) and the joys of the efficiency of the tube (‘Subway System’). His star is rising fast. He’s racked up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube with his brilliant lo-fi videos featuring his enigmatic dance moves, bopping on top of double decker buses, and hanging onto the back of trains, but he’s a lot more than a mere meme. He’s too clever, too funny and too sincere for that. There’s a joy and freshness to the songs that overtakes you, like when you first listened to the Streets. Like Mike Skinner, he’s also funny, really funny. His dapper style might see him dismissed but his music is more than a one-trick joke. There is substance behind the style, and songs are bursting at the seams with ideas (editor: put down The Big Book of Fashion Idioms, Danny). As, erm, Chase and Status have said: “Vibe, sound, look - it’s all running.” The overwhelming impression is that this is what it’s like to be young and living in London. Or at least one wonkily, witty take on life in the capital. “Life is getting quite exciting,” he sang on his 2017 breakout track ‘Getting Busy!’ A self-fulfilling prophecy that shows he’s always one step ahead and as smart as his surname suggests. In 2019 get ready to see a lot more Lacoste on the streets.
Jimothy Lacoste words: Danny Wright London in Stereo: 25
Rollout
@RLT___
New Sounds 2019
Self Esteem words: Kelly Ronaldson
photo: Charlotte Patmore
ith a highly-acclaimed career spanning ten years as Slow Club’s percussionist, vocalist and more, Rebecca Taylor is certainly no novice when it comes to the British music scene. But while the band enjoyed success and adoration, being part of a duo left Taylor grappling with the idea of reducing herself, simultaneously struggling with women’s expectations to be quieter and well-behaved while portraying what she considered to be a ‘meek version’ of who she was. Now, enter the direct and unapologetic Self Esteem, the pseudonym under which Taylor presents her latest musical efforts. What began as a joke in an attempt to reject her own insecurities and self-doubt has transformed into an outlet of creative expression and self-discovery for the Yorkshire musician, this time without hesitation or compromise. “Only now am I feeling like it's alright to be ambitious or have ideas. It’s blowing my mind,” she says. “I was so girly, so submissive. And it's time to just be true. No one's gonna fuck with me now.”
Last year marked the release of Self Esteem’s debut single, an electro-pop track by the name of ‘Your Wife’ that showcased Taylor’s innovative new venture through a series of uplifting beats, along with lyrical concepts of empowerment and raw vulnerability. In recent months, single releases such as the vibrant and rhythm-driven ‘Wrestling’ have built up high anticipation for forthcoming material (there are whispers of a spring album), while the lyrically reflective ‘Rollout’ represents everything Self Esteem has become: challenging how female artists are expected to behave, and embracing her new-found identity within the industry under the guise of what she describes as a ‘bloody break-up song’, Taylor looks back with one question in mind: “What I might have achieved, if I wasn’t trying to please...” Self Esteem is unapologetically female, presenting a musical embodiment of Rebecca Taylor’s mind through an infectious blend of entrancing basslines and powerful lyrical hooks, and a burning desire to challenge (and defy) expectations. London in Stereo: 27
HINDS SAT 1 DEC EARTH
ANGELO DE AUGUSTINE MON 18 FEB OSLO HACKNEY
JOCKSTRAP THURS 6 DEC ST PANCRAS OLD KATHRYN JOSEPH CHURCH TUES 19 FEB UNION CHAPEL ADWAITH THURS 17 JAN YANN TIERSEN THE ISLINGTON TUES 19 & WED 20 FEB LOST UNDER ROYAL FESTIVAL HEAVEN HALL THURS 24 JAN OSLO HACKNEY NATALIE EVANS WED 20 FEB DILLY DALLY SERVANT JAZZ WED 30 JAN QUARTERS THE GARAGE PEEPING DREXELS THURS 7 FEB BERMONDSEY SOCIAL CLUB ODETTA HARTMAN TUES 12 FEB PAPER DRESS VINTAGE BESS ATWELL FRI 15 FEB ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
JUNGLE THURS 21 FEB ALEXANDRA PALACE LALA LALA THURS 21 FEB SEBRIGHT ARMS THE WAVE PICTURES THURS 21 FEB KOKO
PALACE TUES 26 FEB OUT VILLAGE SOLD UNDERGROUND MOTHERS WED 27 FEB OSLO HACKNEY LEIF ERIKSON THURS 28 FEB TUFNELL PARK DOME GENTLY TENDER WED 6 MAR OSLO HACKNEY GIANT PARTY WED 13 MAR OSLO HACKNEY PLASTIC MERMAIDS WED 13 MAR THE LEXINGTON
EMPRESS OF TUES 26 MAR SCALA SHARON VAN ETTEN TUES 26 MAR ROUNDHOUSE KARPE TUES 2DAPR OUT SOL SCALA GHUM THURS 4 APR BERMONDSEY SOCIAL CLUB KELLY MORAN FRI 5 APR PURCELL ROOM STEVE GUNN FRI 5 APR OSLO HACKNEY
ROSIE LOWE THURS 14 MAR OMEARA
BC CAMPLIGHT THURS 11 APR SCALA
BEDOUINE FRI 22 MAR PURCELL ROOM
THE STROPPIES THURS 18 JUL THE LEXINGTON
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Safe In The Hands Of Love
29 9999999
New Sounds 2019
slowthai
words: Gemma Samways photography: Aiden Cullen
elow the Simpsons logo, and adjacent to the mugshot of the Mona Lisa, slowthai - real name Tyron Frampton - has ‘Nothing Great About Britain’ scrawled on his stomach in capital letters. It’s not the most eye-catching tattoo the Northampton MC possesses, nor the most creative, but as shorthand for the 23-year-old’s lyrical preoccupations, political beliefs and confrontational flow, its tone and sentiment is bang on the money. “Fuck Theresa May, man,” he snarls today, when I ask about his allegiances. His response won’t surprise anyone who saw the promotional campaign behind his forthcoming UK tour. To launch it, Ty encouraged fans to troll the PM on Instagram, by flooding her mentions with the hashtag #BrexitBandit. “It was the most interaction she’s ever had,” he cackles at the memory. Like large swathes of the country, Ty isn’t exactly hyped about the UK’s imminent departure from the EU. “We’re losing in all aspects for the sake of what?” he seethes down the line from Ramsgate, where he’s been recording new material. “Because people who can’t be bothered to get a job feel like people are taking their jobs? Because people think we’re going to have a better NHS if we close the borders?
“We feel like, ‘We’re the British and we’re great’, but we’re a tiny speck on the Earth’s surface. We need to remember that. We need to be building bonds of love, sharing and bringing people together, rather than feeling like we’re fucking entitled to everything.” Growing up on a housing estate in the East Midlands, Ty witnessed the destructive effects of social division first hand. “People were so quick to put other people down,” he recalls. “And because I’m mixed [race], I used to get called things by a lot of white people. Man was stereotyping, being racist.” Instead of succumbing to the negativity, he remembers the abuse strengthening his resolve to rise above his circumstances, “Otherwise I’d be sat in some shithole in Northampton doing nothing but watching people’s lives deteriorate, and mine amongst it.” In just two years of “serious” writing, Ty has established himself as one of the most vital MCs in the UK, infamous not just for his murky productions, visceral verses and inventive videos, but for the gripping live shows, packed with punk energy. When he’s not being carried onstage in a coffin, he’s stood stripped to his boxers, wildly eyeballing the front rows and inciting venue-wide mosh pits.
In 2019, it’s time to evolve. Fuck shit up. Rip down walls. Break barriers...”
“
London in Stereo: 31
Rainbow
@slowthai
nospacenocaps
York Hall, April 1st
New Sounds 2019
“...I’m
all about aggression. If anything pisses me off, I’ve got to address it...” “I just want everyone to fucking zone out and feel the music; for their eyes to roll back in their head,” he enthuses. “Because the best part is seeing people actually connect with you live. All the other shit, I fucking hate it. I like meeting people, but I hate all the falseness. Everyone in this industry is fake as fuck, and it’s boring.” Fake is an insult you could never level at Ty, whose bars are searing, and lyrical focus heartfelt. Subjects tackled so far include social mobility (‘Doorman’), racism (‘Rainbow’) and toxic masculinity (‘Ladies’); in essence anything he feels passionately about. This unfiltered approach has already proved too real for Radio 1, who blacklisted his track ‘Drugdealer.’ But Ty remains unapologetic, “It’s a human right to have a
freedom of speech, so why wouldn’t you say how you feel?” he shrugs. “I’m all about aggression. If anything pisses me off, I’ve got to address it.” Pre-watershed radio might not be courting Ty just yet, but 2018 has been a landmark year for the rapper. “It’s been eye-opening and life-changing,” he reflects. “In 2017 I was having a lot of problems with addiction and I just lost my marbles a bit. As soon as I got to 2018, it was the first time I smiled and it wasn’t a synthetic smile; it wasn’t synthetic happiness. I felt like I’d climbed out of a hole, and every day in 2018 has been a blessing so far.” And what’s next? “In 2019, it’s time to evolve. Fuck shit up. Rip down walls. Break barriers. And fucking laugh in the faces of those who put us down.” London in Stereo: 33
KAMAAL WILLIAMS
SEVDALIZA
DALEY
THU 06 DECEMBER
THU 06 DECEMBER
MON 10DECEMBER SEPTEMBER TUE 11
OMEARA VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON
CLAMS CASINO
ORBITAL + PLAID
A NIGHT WITH THE COMPOZERS + LOTTO BOYZZ
MS. LAURYN HILL
SUN 16 DECEMBER
THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY
+ MANSUR BROWN
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
BARBICAN
+ NSG + UNKNOWN T
23 UNOFFICIAL + JAY SILVA + T MULLA WED 12 DECEMBER
+ NAO + IAMDDB + PATORANKING MON 17 DECEMBER
THU 13 DECEMBER
SAT 15 DECEMBER
SNEAKBO
THE BLOCKHEADS
KOJO FUNDS
FRI 21 DECEMBER
TUE 22 JANUARY
OU SOLD 31 JANUARY WED 30 & THU
LIL MOSEY
A TRIBE CALLED RED
THE MODERN STRANGERS
KOVIC
SUN 03 FEBRUARY
WED 06 FEBRUARY
THU 07 FEBRUARY
FRI 08 FEBRUARY
BLACK COFFEE
CHIP
TANK AND THE BANGAS
PAROV STELAR
SAT 16 FEBRUARY
TUE 26 FEBRUARY
FRI 01 MARCH
ELECTROWERKZ
+ GRIZZY + SWARMZ
TUE 18 DECEMBER
KOKO
EVENTIM APOLLO
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
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bmbmbm
@blackmidi
Bloc, January 25th
Already labelled in various quarters as alternately London’s “most progressive” or, more simply, “best” guitar band, Black Midi are garnering a considerable word-of-mouth following. What’s all the fuss about then? Look online and you won’t find much, but what’s there is immediate and impressive; a few live videos from performances at Brixton’s Windmill and a debut single of sorts entitled ‘bmbmbm’, recorded by Dan Carey and released on his own Speedy Wunderground label. In these glimpses though, as well as at their sets at festivals like EOTR, these precocious teenagers cross the avant-spirit and math rhythms of Bloodsport with the bloodied, feedbackdriven gnarl of Girlband. With snarling vocals sitting somewhere between Mark E Smith and Joe Pasquale (yes, him), they already possess a uniqueness and self-assurance that’s envied by bands well beyond London. With another single out in early January and a UK tour to follow, you can be sure their reputation is only going to increase. Henry Wilkinson
photo: Jack Greeley-Ward
Black Midi
New Sounds 2019 photo: Alec Donnell Luna
Haai Be Good
@haaidj
fabric, December 15th (with Nathan Fake, Kelly Lee Owens & more)
The term ‘selector’, it’s been argued, has been thrown around far too liberally in recent times. Purists insist the art of crate-digging is fading due to a new crop of DJs bubbling to the surface. You do wonder if those same gatekeepers have been lucky enough to catch a Haai set before. By the time her Phonox residency came to an end earlier this year, each show was attracting critical acclaim, famed for a vibrant melding of styles and Haai’s ear for an irresistible banger. Slots on the most prestigious of stages followed throughout summer, as well as genre-spanning releases on her Coconut Beats imprint, the Motorik Voodoo Bush Doof Musik EP flirting with menacing techno and psychedelic breakbeats. Further releases and remixes are promised for 2019, each surely more batshit than the last. While her own sound may evolve, Haai’s passion for unearthing forgotten sounds from across the globe remains, bleeding into every selection and proving digging is far from dead. Lee Wakefield Perdida
Biig Piig
@BiigPiigMusic
Village Underground, March 19th
Biig Piig pushes a lot of our buttons. She’s named after a pizza (very us), called her most recent EP Big Fan of the Sesh (same) and makes hazy but direct love songs that we can’t get enough of. We could hit you with terms like ‘neo-soul’ and ‘sounds a bit like Erykah Badu’ but that’s doing a bit of a disservice to the kind of deconstructed hip-hop-jazz hybrid Jess Smyth has created. Her slow-jams lollop along like they’ve had one too many edibles; time slightly out of kilter, beats about as low as your heart-rate. ‘Sesh is a break-up record of sorts, but there’s something powerful about how she owns the pain. “I just want to lay here,” she sings on the excellent ‘Perdida’. “Until my hurting’s done.” Kate Solomon London in Stereo: 37
IN THE ROUND 22 – 31 JANUARY 2019
ANA MOURA • FATIMA • GRUFF RHYS PATTI SMITH • THE HOT SARDINES RONNIE SPECTOR & THE RONETTES SAM PALLADIO • JIM JAMES THIS IS THE KIT + ODETTA HARTMAN SHIRLEY COLLINS INTIMATE SEATED SHOWS THAT PUT YOU CLOSER TO THE MUSIC
Our Resident Artist Programme offers emerging artists the chance to support acts at this year’s In the Round
With velvety, rich vocals, rippling electronica and brooding R&B ambiance, Harvey Causon has been rapidly winning over hearts, and rightly so. The Bristol-based musician and producer crafts songs imbued with emotive poignancy purveyed through his pensive and insightful lyricism. His debut EP, Murphy’s Hand, came out earlier in the year with smooth, lingering melodies and glistening instrumentals melded with brooding melancholia, especially on the stunning ‘Worn You’ that bears the kind of atmospheric potency of James Blake. Causon’s talent for creating harmonious sonic elegance shines through as the layers of piano, glistening electronic melodies, and flowing vocals blend together to form richly-textured sounds. Over the past year or so Harvey Causon has progressed from strength to strength with gathering momentum and it’s only going to continue – so if Causon’s heartfelt melodies and R&B-tinged electronica sounds like your thing you should probably take note. Kezia Cochrane
Harvey Causon Worn You
@HCauson
If the comments on UK drill videos are anything to go by, South London’s Kwengface is someone a lot of fans are expecting big things from. A key member of Peckham group Zone 2, who have long established themselves as consistent proprietors of gutterborn speed drill, Kwengface’s athletic flow is best demonstrated on his Behind Bars freestyle for Link Up TV. He remains a mysterious figure and like a large majority of drill rappers is rarely to be seen without a mask on. There are rumours that he may be quitting music entirely after his hotly anticipated single ‘Split Personality’ comes out in 2019, but this only adds further intrigue to this much talked about MC. Hassan Anderson
Kwengface 3 Stripes
@NarstyKwengface
New Sounds 2019 Let’s just take a second to look into Cuco’s recent pop history: a dreamy collab with Clairo (‘Touch’). A tour with Kali Uchis (see them perform Kali’s ‘Tyrant’ on YouTube) and frequent shout-outs from Empress Of in interviews around her Us LP. Without hearing a note, we know we’re in the best of company here. The music, though? It’s more than a match. Cuco (Omar Banos to family and friends) makes charm-laden lo-fi Cali-pop that straddles genre with carefree ease. It’s the sound of hazy backyard parties, all mismatched sunchairs, half-deflated paddling pools and icy beers. It’s decidedly and wonderfully non-London. Check ‘Touch’, check the lame-car lament of ‘CR-V’ and the psychedelicstinged rap of ‘Lucy’ on his 2018 Chiquito EP and when you’re there you’ll find ‘Dontmakemefallinlove’ and you might never listen to anything else again... until his 2019 record drops, at least. Dave Rowlinson
Cuco
photo: David Rodriguez Suscato
Dontmakemefallinlove
@icryduringsex
At first glance, a stinging critique of Donald Trump may feel like it’s aimed at a far-too-predictable punchbag but, with Wynne, it’s all in the delivery. Her takedown on ‘An Open Letter To Donald Trump’ is thought-provoking, uncompromising and unexpectedly poignant, not allowing her rapid-fire flow to eclipse the captivating lyricism she’s quickly gaining a reputation for.
Wynne Buzzer
@wynne
It shone again on ‘Buzzer’, a blistering, two-minute spit of political commentary, while latest track ‘Don’t Touch’, built on a brooding synth and sparse beat, explores themes of loneliness and blazing her own trail, as well as serving a stark warning to any doubters that might remain. If Wynne continues on this ascent in 2019, you suspect there won’t be many left. Lee Wakefield London in Stereo: 41
Sweet
@keyahblu
Nobody has dared utter the phrase ‘trip-hop’ for nearly 20 years, such was its all-consuming dominance in the mid-nineties. Ready yourself though, cos there’s definitely something of Tricky’s work with Martina Topley-Bird, on the peerless Maxinquaye, to be found in the ice-cold beats and beauty of Keyah/Blu’s sublime track, ‘Sweet’. Not that there’s anything even remotely backward-looking about Keyah/Blu this is someone pushing firmly forwards. A founder member of south London arts collective, Set Count Worldwide (that’s already seen the break-out of the equally vital Denzel Himself), 2018 has seen a compilation of material from 2016/2017 (Country Grove Demo Tape), the single ‘Melty’ and a sold-out show at Peckham’s Four Quarters that saw us crammed into a basement, where Keyah/ Blu’s impeccable performance left us in no doubt that we were witnessing someone pretty damn special. ‘Sweet’ might be about sneaking out the house to spend the night with your boyfriend, but the lyrics “Cool and collected until the end of the day, I'm getting better at it, what can I say?”, work equally well as a potent promise for what’s to come in the future. Dave Rowlinson Hype Ting
Keyah/Blu
@Official_Yizzy
Grime is always different, always the same. Stylistically impossible to pin down, it’s nonetheless an ever-present part of British youth culture. Put simply: when you hear it, you know. Lewisham’s Yizzy is someone who knows a lot about grime. It’s in his DNA, and it’s something he wants to protect with every muscle in his body. The S.O.S. - Save Our Sound – EP was a bold introduction, tapping into the white heat of grime’s first wave while offering something new. The aptly-titled single ‘HYPE TING’ ramped up expectations even further, the sound of an incendiary MC setting his sights high, and matching expectations at every turn. Bold, brash, and idealistic, Yizzy’s stunning ambition is set to scorch a trail across the next 12 months. Robin Murray
New Sounds 2019
Moonchild
photo: Laura McCluskey
Greentea Peng Greenteasensi
Yizzy
With a name, look and sound that all work as wonderful compliments to each other, Aria – aka Greentea Peng – might just be the warm remedy you need to get through the long winter months. Her debut EP Sensi dropped in October and on it her dub-influenced, ad-lib style vocals waft over wavy instrumentals like incense across a low-lit room. Standout track ‘Moonchild’ sees Aria reflecting on her past life while an almost anxious synth throbs in the background. Though everything written about Greentea Peng mentions the relaxing nature of her music, there is an unsettling edge to her sound too, that comes from her lyrical laments and woozy production. “Looking through my phone, why can’t I be alone?”, Aria croons on the intro to ‘Loving Kind’, another track from her debut EP. It’s this rich tapestry of anxiety and relaxation, diagnosis and antidote, that absolutely makes Greentea Peng someone to watch real close in 2019. Hassan Anderson London in Stereo: 43
WED.05.DEC.18
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WED.03.APR.19
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the London in Stereo Tracks
of the Year
INTRO Our absolutely-finely titled ‘All Those Tracks Of The Week’ playlist (we’re still jealous of Loud & Quiet’s being called ‘No Shit’) is the result of huge chunks of our weekends being spent listening to every song we can find that’s been released that week. The criteria for making it into the list is a very simple: “Would it matter if we never heard this song again?” If it wouldn’t, it’s gone. As with every year, most tracks are forgettable, some should never have been committed to soundwaves, but a precious few make it all worthwhile - the ones that make your skin fizz with the thrill of finding something unique, something loveable, or something we just can’t stop dancing around to. So here, are a selection, in no particular order of the music that’s gotten us through 2018 (artists from our New Sounds picks in the mag not included cos that’d be greedy). LiS Cardi B Be Careful
Tirzah Gladly
(photo: Jora Frantzis)
Suspect Say It With Your Chest
(photo: Ashley Verse)
Mitski Nobody
(photo: Sebastian Nevols)
Let’s Eat Grandma It’s Not Just Me
(photo: Poppy Marriott)
(photo: Bao Ngo)
Marie Davidson So Right
(photo: Etienne Saint Denis)
Empress Of - Just The Same Ider - ...Whole Life Ahead Of You Baby Gwenno - Tir Ha Mor Christine & The Queens - Doesn't Matter Robyn - Honey Viagra Boys - Sports Lana Del Rey - Mariners Apartment Complex Clairo - Flaming Hot Cheetos
CAT POWER (photo: Phil Sharp)
Kero Kero Bonito - Only Acting Junglepussy - State Of The Union Helena Hauff - Qualm Octavian - 100 Degrees Sudan Archives - Nont For Sale Miya Folick - Deadbody Neneh Cherry - Synchronised Devotion Ariana Grande - Thank You, Next Cat Power - Woman
TOMMY GENESIS (photo: Ebru Yildiz)
Jevon - Redemption Brockhamton - 1997 Diana George FitzGerald - Roll Back Halona King - Cacophony Janelle Monáe - Pynk Sharon Van Etten - Comeback Kid Young Fathers - In My View Tommy Genesis - 100 Bad AJ Tracey - Mimi
JUNGLEPUSSY (photo: Ebru Yildiz)
FOLLOW OUR SPOTIFY ‘ALL THOSE TRACKS OF THE WEEK’ PLAYLIST FOR ALWAYS-UPDATED NEW MUSIC London in Stereo: 47
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CLOSEST TUBES CHANCERY LANE OR FARRINGDON
CLOSEST TUBES CHANCERY LANE OR FARRINGDON
DRAHLA
FREE MONEY
BILL RYDER-JONES
KIRAN LEONARD
ICEAGE
OSCAR JEROME
SAINTSENECA
CHYNNA
TOY
THE SOFT MOON
CALEBORATE
COSMO SHELDRAKE
GIA MARGARET
26 Nov 100 Club
27 Nov Moth Club
27 Nov Sebright Arms 28 Nov Scala
29 Nov EartH
CALPURNIA 29 Nov KOKO
THE ORIELLES 29 Nov Heaven
BEASTIE BOYS BOOK 29 Nov O2 Forum
BEASTIE BOYS BOOK 30 Nov EartH
COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS 3 Dec Union Chapel
JOSH T PEARSON
4 & 5 Dec St John on Bethnal Green
BLISS SIGNAL 4 Dec Corsica Studios
MILLIE TURNER
6 DEC SEBRIGHT ARMS 7 DEC EARTH
7 Dec Corsica Studios 8 Dec Five Miles
19 Feb EartH
20 Feb EartH
20 Feb Village Underground
DU BLONDE 26 Feb The Lexington
17 Jan The Slaughtered Lamb
BUKE & GASE
SWERIN’
ONOHTRIX POINT NEVER
29 Jan Moth Club
CLOUD NOTHINGS 31 Jan Earth
5 Mar The Lexington 8 Mar Roundhouse
ANNA OF THE NORTH
ELDER ISLAND
25 Mar Village Underground
LULUC
24 Apr EartH
SHABAZZ PALACES
1 May Oslo
TANUKICHAN
15 May The Garage
SNAIL MAIL
19 June O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
1 Feb EartH
5 Feb The Lexington 7 Feb Jazz Cafe
17 Feb Sebright Arms 13 Nov The Dome
TELEMAN FIL BO RIVA G FlIP
KEVIN MORBY
5 Dec Paper Dress Vintage
rockfeedback.com
We’ve waited an awful long time (since 2007, in fact) for Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong to gather again as The Good, The Bad & The Queen. A time that’s seen Britain change in many ways - mostly terrible. In the interests of balanced review, Blur fan Danny Wright got Blur fan Thomas Hannan and Blur fan Dave Rowlinson together to find out if Damon can still capture the British mood like no other... So, did you expect another The Good, The Bad & The Queen album? Dave: Hoped for... maybe not expected. Thomas: I'd heard rumours of one for ages but they'd dragged on so long I wasn't exactly holding my breath. Dave: It's a disparate bunch of people to get together, I'd imagine, but – apart from a solo album – it's the iteration of Damon I wanted back most. Thomas: I'd agree. I don't really ‘do’ Gorillaz. Put that on my tombstone. And what do you think? It takes a couple of listens for it not to... jar for me, but now I love it. Dave: First listen it was quite, yes… jarring. I was all “It's out of tune and out of time and Damon's forgotten how to sing”, but I quickly got over that panic and settled into it, and now it doesn't really seem jarring at all. It feels
photos: Pennie Smith
like Damon pushing himself, rather than settling in a comfort zone, which is a good thing. And I don't feel like these things are ever... performative with him, it just seems as if the challenge to be inventive keeps him interested. Thomas: I agree. I didn't like it much at all on first listen. But I remember thinking the same about the first album... now I think it's the best thing Damon's done since 13 (the first album that is - I'm not quite there with this one yet). Dave: I listened to the first one today - it's aged really elegantly. Thomas: Regardless of the many, many weird noises everywhere I think so much of this new one is expressing a malaise, even a despair, at the state of Britain at the moment that I share so precisely that I'm not sure I'm ready to hear it sung back to me yet. Dave: Oh god, exactly. Also, he’s very genuine about loving England isn't he? Thomas: Warts‘n'all. Dave: Like, the bits we all probably like about England - the unique elements that are now pretty much pure cliché: proper pubs and pie‘n’mash and sad seasides and all that kind of stuff. And the sadness is little Englanders appropriate those things - thinking unique means ‘better’, rather than just ‘different’.
It seems a very apposite time for them to come back. Does it ever feel too on the nose? Thomas: In a sense... although I think if you're the kind of person who's not fussed either way about Brexit/Trump/Tommy Robinson etc, there's enough here to convince you that you fucking should be. Dave: He’s said he felt guilty about not being vocal about Brexit and it does all feel quite guilty and sad. It's sad to listen to… ‘Sad’ is a word I know. It's also not always lyrically subtle, which l like. The lines “Are we green? Are we pleasant? We are not either of those, We are a shaking wreck where nothing grows”, sum up the album perfectly. Thomas: Must just mention Tony Allen and Paul Simonon - what a bloody rhythm section. Dave: Solid spine, innit? Allen, Simonon, Albarn – ol' Tongy floating about doing what Tongy does. Tony Allen said “This time around, people can dance” – is that true? Dave: I would not like to see me dance to it. The first album was probably more lively? Thomas: No, me neither. Though Tony is higher in the mix. And what about favourite songs? Dave: For me it’s the dubby little charmer 'Drifters and Trawlers' - lots of classic Damon lyricisms - I really like the “Throw away your fears, Throw away the nets, And throw away the past, When it’s taken you, Half of the day to get over the waves you carve”, lines. Thomas: ‘Lady Boston’ for me. The choir's gorgeous, a lovely counterpoint to the creepy recorder line that goes through it. I also really like ‘The Truce of Twilight’ because it makes me picture some sort of lowly street urchin moving around the perimeter of a circus trying to find a hole in the fence. And the gang vocals are well Combat Rock-era Clash. Dave: ’Gun To The Head' is great too - it kind of reminds me of the b-sides from ‘The Universal’ - 'Ultranol' or 'No Monsters In Me' all oompah and end of pier organ and silly noises, plus a big catchy chorus - and then
mutates into a weird discordant drift. Which probably isn't as heavy-handed a sonic metaphor for Britain as it might be if you accidentally thought about it… He's talked about going across the country for the album. Does it capture that Britishness like he wants it to? Thomas: It just feels like a huge sigh. A resigned, wistful sigh. But I think it's closer to capturing the national mood than offering a definition of Britishness. Dave: He described it as “an Afro-soul Parklife, if that’s possible”, a while back which, to be honest, is maybe a bit... awkward. Simonon described it as “modern English folk music with a bit of rub-a-dub-dub in it” - which on paper sounds like the worst thing ever - but actually kind of makes sense. And will this album help stop Brexit? Dave: The “Stroppy little island of mixed up people” has become, like, a seething mass of conflict and frustration with no compromise and no conversation. And this album will 100% change all that, of course. Thomas: Nah, it won't stop anything. We're doomed. Merrie Land is out now via Studio 13. LIVE: EartH, December 4th, 5th 6th. @goodbadqueen
@thegoodthebadandthequeen London in Stereo: 51
WILLIAM TYLER GOES WEST Merge January 25th
LUBOMYR MELNYK FALLEN TREES Erased Tapes December 7th If I said that Lubomyr Melnyk was eight foot tall, with a nine-foot wingspan and several pairs of hands, each with extra fingers, you’d rightly suspect that I was talking out of my arse. Then I’d press ‘play’ on Fallen Trees, his forthcoming release, and you might indulge my exaggeration. Melnyk is one pianist that could outmanoeuvre Nils Frahm in a thumb-wrestling contest. I reckon he could complete a Rubik’s Cube, peel a tangerine and tie his shoelaces onehanded and simultaneously if the technically-virtuosic fivepart title track is anything indicative. ‘Barcarolle’ has intense cinematic beauty. Other tracks carry a more heavy-BPM, EDM-Unplugged feel. It’s excellent austerity music. Divide the album’s price by the number of notes played, and each note is more or less free. Jon Kean
While it may be a stretch to call such a move ‘daring’, it’s certainly a point of note that Goes West finds its creator casting aside the electric guitar which dominated his 2016 masterpiece, Modern Country, in exclusive favour of its unplugged counterpart. In reality, though, Tyler has managed to create something quite wonderful out of what could perhaps be described, a little unfairly, as ‘acoustic guitar noodling’ - no minor feat - and built something unabashedly American in its influence; it’s the soundtrack of open roads at dusk, and the work of an artist who seems to reach higher peaks with each new offering, and shows no signs of slowing down. What a lot of joy and beauty there is to unwrap in these ten instrumentals. Jack Urwin
SWERVEDRIVER FUTURE RUINS Rock Action January 25th It’s a shame that the first album in ten years from the legendary Oxford band is so blighted by a lazy reliance on overblown guitar reverb. It swamps the affair – especially the endearing fragility of Adam Franklin’s voice and his prescient lyrics. Thankfully the band rediscover their lost form on the title track. It’s a stunning six-minute slowburner featuring Franklin’s morose political ruminations: “We are ruled by fools, These are future ruins, Rocket fuel, Force-fed rules” and a superb goose pimple-inducing chorus of: “If I could only get my hands around them”. Sadly, Swervedriver 2.0 won’t trouble their status as criminally overlooked indie behemoths of the early 90s. But when they swap the muscular for the thoughtful, they can still summon up the magic. Geoff Cowart
SHARON VAN ETTEN
REMIND ME TOMORROW Jagjaguwar // January 18th It was once easy to file Sharon Van Etten under “confessional singer-songwriter”. The connecting tissue between her albums was invariably guitar-driven reflections on love. After four years away in which she’s had a baby, returned to university and starred in The OA, the New Jersey native’s worldview has expanded considerably – and with it her music. Remind Me Tomorrow is a diverse collection of muscular songs that traverse nostalgia, depression, love, motherhood, and more with new-found confidence. On the Springsteen-indebted ‘Seventeen’, Van Etten swaps her country-tinged guitars of yore for widescreen Americana that’s riddled with different voices and teen vignettes. ‘Comeback Kid’ feels like its companion piece with multiple narratives and lunging ‘80s synthpop punch. Piano arpeggios, slinky basslines and mechanical rhythms mobilise a stunning lullaby on ‘Stay’, which hears Van Etten examine impending motherhood. She’s conflicted with losing her identity (“don’t wanna run away from myself”) while marvelling at parenthood’s grounding effects (“you won’t let me go astray”). The album’s most arresting tracks, ‘No One’s Easy To Love’ and ‘Hands’, chug along with distorted basslines and industrial beats that crank the complex wheel of love. The lyrics “Put your hands on your lover / I’ve got my hands up / Mean no harm to one another” on ‘Hands’ are purposefully ambiguous. A manipulative relationship teetering on violent? Van Etten makes it harder to surmise the stories this time: life’s too complex, too turbulent. Remind Me Tomorrow is her most intelligent, daring and assured work to date. Charlotte Krol
EX:RE
SELLING
4AD November 30th
City Slang Out Now
EX:RE
Ex:Re – pronounced “ex-ray” – is the new solo project of Elena Tonra. Best known for fronting indie giants Daughter, the LP was recorded in the summer and early autumn of this year, and appears somewhat out of the blue, following its stunning, pulsating lead single ‘Romance’. Fans of Daughter will be pleased to hear Ex:Re is packed full of chilling emotion, driven by the haunting brilliance of Tonra’s unmistakable vocal and themes of heartache and drunken rants. The songs themselves are arguably some of the strongest she has been involved in: dark journeys build with string-clad, almost Radiohead-esque hues alongside stripped-bare acoustic numbers like ‘My Heart’, all offering power, hope and desperation in equal measure. Ex:Re is a beautiful triumph. George O’Brien
ON REFLECTION Dropped without any warning last month, On Reflection is the debut album of Selling, a duo comprised of Jas Shaw, half of Simian Mobile Disco, and Derwin Dicker, better known as Gold Panda. For a record that was birthed out of just “mucking around”, it ranks as one of the year’s best. Derwin approached the project having only ever recorded solo, while Shaw breaks away from lifelong collaborator James Ford, and the pair found their new-found partnership to be immediate in exploring the territory of hard techno. Eventually chopped down to nine dense tracks, the intensity is dialled down in favour of lush soundscapes, most notably on ‘Keeping Txme’ and ‘No Reflection’. But ‘Dicker’s Dream’ remains the highlight, an eight minute odyssey of woozy, unfurling electronic bliss. Lee Wakefield London in Stereo: 53
ALESSIA CARA
THE PAINS OF GROWING Virgin EMI November 30th “You’re on your own, kid,” just might be the perfect statement to open Alessia Cara’s sophomore release. Expanding on the concept of growing up too fast from her critically-acclaimed debut, The Pains of Growing presents a more mature outlook on life as Cara navigates her way through adulthood, comes to terms with the end of a relationship, and searches for answers to life’s biggest questions. Highlights such as recent single ‘Trust My Lonely’ solidifies Cara’s trust in herself, while the soulful ‘Comfortable’ showcases her powerful vocal abilities and ‘My Kind’ takes the form of a bittersweet and nostalgia-fuelled love song. Overall, the album makes excellent use of Cara’s much-loved songwriting formula, blending captivating vocals with steady R&B rhythms, drawing focus towards the songs’ lyrical content. Kelly Ronaldson
MAGGIE ROGERS
HEARD IT IN A PAST LIFE Polydor Records // January 18th Moments before Pharrell Williams was wowed in 2016 by Maggie Rogers’ song ‘Alaska’, in a career-making video, she recalled a “spiritual” musical awakening in Paris. The hitherto banjo-strumming folk musician had clicked with dance music. Rogers has since welded rootsy sounds with propulsive electronics. The result is a debut album that’s unmistakably pop but crafted using creative, natural sound – a mourning dove cooing here, lap taps there. ‘Alaska’ itself uses such techniques, opening with a skeletal backbone beat to drive Rogers’ story of a transformative hiking trip. It’s a shame that Rogers’ intricate organic-synthetic marriage is contradicted elsewhere with less imaginative melodies (‘Light On’, ’Retrograde, ‘Burning’). But songs like ‘Say It’ and the feverish ‘On + Off’ display such startling promise that much can be forgiven. Charlotte Krol
THE TWILIGHT SAD
IT WON/T BE LIKE THIS ALL THE TIME Rock Action // January 18th Following the departure of member Mark Devine, and a tour with The Cure that significantly broke the mould, The Twilight Sad return with their first new music in nearly five years, and it may well be their magnum opus. Combing the stark electronic arrangements of No One Will Ever Know into the fold of their noise/feedback dynamics – best present on Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave – is the sound of everything the band has worked towards. James Graham’s vocals sound more direct, urgent, yet still teasing in word play as he switches out pronouns without missing a beat. The material is claustrophobic – it’s The Twilight Sad after all – yet a few moments of hope can distilled for those with the disposition to search through the darkness. Harriet Taylor
BUKE & GASE SCHOLARS Brassland January 18th On Scholars, sonic shapeshifters Buke and Gase once again fabricate a new world of sound that takes the duo’s idiosyncratic, indefinable musical sensibilities and moulds it into brooding, pulsating electronica. Following on from the 2013’s General Dome, their new record sees New York multi-instrumentalists, Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez, delve further into the realms of electronic experimentation offering a potent blend of heady melodies, sharp rhythms and sonic eccentricities. Title track ‘Scholars’ pulsates with thunderous beats and rippling synths, over which Dyer’s ethereal, entrancing vocals soar. On ‘Temporary’ reverberating chords and vocal distortions create eerie, hazy atmospheres whilst ‘Grips’ offers expansive, growling basslines, while elsewhere the duo craft spiralling, melodic fragility. A record of hypnotising eclecticism, Scholars is a striking testament to the duo’s sublime talent. Kezia Cochrane
FOXWARREN FOXWARREN Anti- Records November 30th Running parallel with his solo career, Andy Shauf has also been keeping busy making music with a bunch of childhood friends – under the moniker of Foxwarren – for more than a decade, though keeping it a secret. Now, the Saskatchewan band have finally released a first album. Following in well-trodden singer/ songwriter footsteps, the ten tunes in this self-titled record are a soft reminiscence of the Beatles' McCartney side and the American songwriter era of the Sixties – the Band and Paul Simon are manifest influences, together with Pedro the Lion – enriched with a touch of synths and sweet melancholy, plus a nuance of country/folk-ish forlornness. A gem in its genre, Foxwarren’s debut adds further evidence to Shauf's often-overlooked talent as both a singer and a songwriter. Guia Cortassa
DEERHUNTER
WHY HASN’T EVERYTHING ALREADY DISAPPEARED? 4AD January 18th Deerhunter’s eighth record isn’t exactly a cheery affair; perhaps that’s because it’s mostly concerned with things disappearing. More specifically, it’s the band mulling on the disappearance of culture, humanity, nature and emotion. It’s an interesting concept and naturally, there’s a bleak and sinister undercurrent throughout the listen. As for the musicianship itself, it feels like the band have U-turned back into a grittier state of mind after the more sprightly, pop-centric sounds heard on their last full-length Fading Frontier. They demonstrate once again they’re not about to shy away from experimentation; Cate Le Bon plays harpsichord on ‘Death In Midsummer’ and Tim Presley adds lead guitar to ‘Futurism’ which both fit nicely. It’s by no means the band’s boldest move to date but it’s certainly inventive enough to keep us flying their flag. Rhys Buchanan London in Stereo: 55
AL L AN R AY M AN
B E N H OWAR D
14 DECEM BER
1 6 , 1 7, 1 8 & 1 9 J A N U A RY
2 6 J A N U A RY
SCAL A
O2 ACADE MY B RIXTON
EVE NTI M APOLLO
AM Y S H AR K
TH O M A S DY B DAH L
JUNIUS M E Y VANT
N AT H A N I E L R AT E L I F F A N D T H E N I G H T S W E AT S
3 0 J A N U A RY
1 4 F E R B U A RY
2 5 F E B R U A RY
H E AVE N
U N ION CHAPE L
VI LL AG E U N DE RG ROU N D
S AM FE N D E R
FR E YA R I D I N G S
D E AN L E W I S
2 8 F E B R U A RY
11 MARCH
E LECTRIC B RIXTON
ROU N DHOUSE
15 APRIL
O2 SH E PH E RD’S BUSH E M PI RE
new things happening soon that you just don’t want to miss out on Malena Zavala (photo: Rachel Davis)
BEST FIT’S FIVE DAY FORECAST 2019 Our pals from Best Fit host a week of their favourite new artists at The Lexington every year and it’s one of the very best ways to get pumped for a year of new music. This January sees everyone from from hotly-tipped Chicagoan Gia Margaret supporting Faye Webster, the brilliant Makeness headlining the Thursday and the captivating Malena Zavala taking to the stage, and that’s just to name a few of our faves. Place your bets for who the secret Friday night guest might be too, see you there to find out. JANUARY 14TH-18TH. THE LEXINGTON, N1 9JB @bestfitmusic / seetickets.com/tour/five-day-forecast
NEW YEAR’S EVE ACROSS LONDON New Year’s in London, a little overwhelming no? The options are basically endless, from house parties, pub hangouts and huge club nights with massive names. Well, we’re here to point out some of our faves. Firstly there’s one of London’s best places to drink and see live music: Paper Dress Vintage. They know how to throw a party, the shop will be transformed, and you’ll be in for some brilliant surprises. It’s the perfect size to make you feel at home. Get ready for some electric party times and head to Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen for a Pulp Fiction extravaganza. The Victoria have Average Sex warming up the night (there’s no way of mentioning that band without an accidental pun) followed by a night of post-punk, sixties and indie tracks from Scared to Dance. Or get messy at The Old Blue Last’s house party, shots, bands, DJs, what more do you need?
GINGERBREAD CITY Christmas events are mostly just clichéd adverts brought to life, but this one caught our attention for being a) impressive b) food based. Each year the V&A commissions a huge number of architects, designers and engineers to build more than 60 gingerbread buildings that together form The Gingerbread City. Encouraging conversation around the future of our built environment- it’s also just, well, a sight to behold. DECEMBER 8TH-JANUARY 6TH, VICTORIA & ALBERT, SW7 2RL @V_and_A // vam.ac.uk
NEW YEARS EVE
JETTA
LOYLE CARNER’S YARD SALE PIZZA When we watch Clapton CFC (in Walthamstow) we go to Yard Sale, when we visit the Chesham Arms (in Clapton) we order Yard Sale in. Pre-Rowans? We’re hitting up Finsbury Park Yard Sale. In 2015 we put Loyle Carner on the front of our New Sounds issue, and we knew he’d go on to great things. We got that 100% right - but we never saw this coming-together of worlds happening. Yup, Loyle’s made a special xmas pizza. Inspired by his cookery school (a free initiative, helping teenagers with ADHD into kitchens), it’s called the ‘Christmas Con Carner’, and we can’t wait to try it. Loyle’s a good guy, so there’s a veggie option. Yard Sale are good people so £1 from every pizza will be donated to Loyle’s school. Everyone’s a winner. DECEMBER 4TH-JANUARY 8TH, ALL YARD SALE LOCATIONS @YardSalePizza // yardsalepizza.com
CAMDEN ASSEMBLY’S SPOTLIGHT
LOYLE CARNER photo: JustinDeSouza
Okay, a week of new music is good, but Camden Assembly are really upping the anti with a whole month of their favourite new acts. Teaming up with some of our favourite promoters, sites and labels, it’s a month full of treats and the best bit? They’re all free. Yep. £0. Who are we most looking forward to? Well Paigey Cakey, Jetta and Sharky are all going to be absolutely brilliant, and it's probably the best way to find your new 2019 musical crush. THROUGH JANUARY 2019 Camden Assembly, Chalk Farm Rd, camdenassembly.com @CamdenAssembly London in Stereo: 59
our selection of the best upcoming shows O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON
ELLA MAI
SHEPPARD
January 10th + 11th £72 adv // @o2sbe
Shepherd’s Bush
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
December 16th £14.10adv // @O2Islington
Angel
MAKENESS
JOHN JOSEPH BRILL December 5th £10adv // @ServantJazz
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
THE DOME TESS PARKS December 13th £10adv // @DomeTufnellPark
Tuffnell Park
THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY HAZEY JANE + EDDIE SMITH & THE 507 + LEWIS MCKALE December 14th £5adv // @CamdenAssembly
Chalk Farm / Camden Town SLOTHRUST
THE LEXINGTON MAKENESS + FELICITA January 17th £9adv // @thelexington
Angel
THE WAITING ROOM WWWATER December 3rd £8adv // @WaitingRoomN16
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS MIHO HATORI + ORA THE MOLECULE December 10th £11adv // @shacklewell Arms
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
BRIXTON WINDMILL MADONNATRON + BAT-BIKE + AFGHAN SAND BAND + CHUPA CABRA + PENNY METAL
BOSTON MUSIC ROOM SLOTHRUST January 24th £9adv // @BostonMusicRoom
Tuffnell Park
December 14th £5adv // @WindmillBrixton
Brixton
MOTH CLUB
BUSH HALL
SWEARIN'
DAN BAIRD + HOMEMADE SIN
January 29th £11adv // @Moth_Club
Hackney Central
December 9th Shepherd’s Bush Market / Shepherd’s Bush £20adv // @Bushhallmusic
THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB
HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
GIA MARGARET
ALICE JEMIMA
January 17th £7.50adv // @slaughteredlam
Farringdon/ Old Street MAYA JANE COLES
January 30th £8adv // @HoxtonSquareBar
Old Street
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE HUSSY + AFTER LONDON January 11th £5adv // @paperdressed
Hackney Central
O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN YG December 11th £22.25 adv // @O2ForumKTown
Kentish Town
LADY LESHURR
XOYO MAYA JANE COLES + JOSHUA JAMES December 22nd £8adv // @XOYO_London
Old Street / Liverpool Street
SOUTHBANK CENTRE
OSLO
AMAROUN
LADY LESHURR + AITCH
December 21st (5.30pm) FREE // @southbankcentre
Decemer 11th £15adv // @OsloHackney
Waterloo / Embankment
JAZZ CAFE
DREAMLAND BAD MANNERS December 15th £20adv // @DreamlandMarg
Hackney Central
TY & FRIENDS Margate (Kent)
January 17th £12.50adv // @TheJazzCafe
Camden Town London in Stereo: 61
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LONDON’S GIG GUIDE Your full listings guide to all the best shows happening across North, East, South and West London this winter. Saturday 1st December
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
FULL DECEMBER LISTINGS Monday 3rd December Sunday 2nd December
Tuesday 4th December
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Thursday 6th December Wednesday 5th December
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FULL DECEMBER LISTINGS
Friday 7th December
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Sunday 9th December
Saturday 8th December
Monday 10th December
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
FULL DECEMBER LISTINGS Wednesday 12th December
Tuesday 11th December
Thursday 13th December
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Friday 14th December
Saturday 15th December
find us on Spotify at London in Stereo to keep up with our weekly new music playlists
FULL DECEMBER LISTINGS Sunday 16th December
Monday 17th December
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Tuesday 18th December
Thursday 20th December
Friday 21st December
Wednesday 19th December
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
FULL DECEMBER LISTINGS Wednesday 26th December
Thursday 27th December
Friday 28th December Saturday 22nd December
Saturday 29th December
Sunday 23rd December
Sunday 30th December
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Monday 31st December
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Tuesday 1st January
Sunday 6th January
Wednesday 9th January
Wednesday 2nd January
Thursday 10th January
Thursday 3rd January
Friday 4th January
Friday 11th January
Saturday 5th January
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FULL JANUARY LISTINGS Saturday 12th January
Monday 14th January
Tuesday 15th January
Friday 18th January
Wednesday 16th January
Thursday 17th January
visit londoninstereo.com/subscribe to get London in Stereo delivered every month
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Sunday 20th January
Saturday 19th January
Monday 21st January
Tuesday 22nd January
Wednesday 23rd January
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FULL JANUARY LISTINGS Thursday 24th January Saturday 26th January
Friday 25th January
Sunday 27th January
Monday 28th January
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Tuesday 29th January
Thursday 31st January
Wednesday 30th January
SUBSCRIBE NOW LONDONINSTEREO.COM/ SUBSCRIBE GET THE NEW ISSUE OF LONDON IN STEREO DROPPING THROUGH YOUR LETTERBOX EACH MONTH
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12/1—18/19
Lanzarote
MOTH Club Valette St London E8 Wednesday 5 December
DUDS Thursday 17 January
LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE Tuesday 29 January
SWEARIN’ Wednesday 6 February
MOLLY NILSSON Wednesday 20 February
PETRIE Saturday 23 February
VINYL STAIRCASE Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Tuesday 4 December
PAINT Saturday 8 December
WORKIN’ MAN NOISE UNIT
lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks
Programming
Friday 1 February
ACID DAD Saturday 2 February
THE MURDER CAPITAL Tuesday 5 February
IAN SWEET The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Monday 3 December
WWWATER Thursday 6 December
KELORA Monday 10 December
AUSTEL Tuesday 11 December
DESPERATE JOURNALIST Thursday 13 December
WASTEFELLOW Monday 31 December
IVAN SMAGGHE X NATHAN GREGORY WILKINS
Monday 10 December
MIHO HATORI Thursday 11 December
POISON POINT
Multiple Venues Saturday 27 April 2019
TEST PRESSING FESTIVAL
New Sounds 2019 photo: The London Vagabond
with
“...end your night at midnight, sitting on the lions in Trafalgar Square. Never fails to bring me joy....”
Suzi Wu
Why do you live in London? My mum moved us from Blackpool when I was three to go to Central Saint Martins and try make some art. It’s not possible to live off your art in most of the north, sadly. I stayed to do the same thing.
Do you have any favourite outdoor spaces? To be honest most of them are in places I’ve climbed up where I’m not meant to be, haha. Legal ones… Parliament Hill, and I like to go to Kenwood House at its least-busy times and pretend I own it.
What are your go-to places to eat and drink? There’s this place in Broadway Market called Broadway Cafe and it does these spicy feta wraps which’ll blow your mind. Other than that, I’m still looking for a good smoothie place - so if you know one, tell us.
What’s the bit of London you live in got the rest of London hasn’t? East has the best nights out I think. I’m scared of answering this one cause everyone is so loyal to their postcode.
Winter’s kind of here. Where are the best places to hunker down away from the cold? I like buildings that are built solely for entertainment so I’ll go to the Odeon Cinema in Holloway. With people or by myself - I’m a firm believer in going to the movies by yourself. It’s in a 1930s Art Deco-style building and has been a cinema since its inception, which is cool. What’s the best way to spend one great day? Find a local pub. Failing that I’d say spend the morning on the lock in Camden Market and get breakfast, move to Glasshouse Stores pub in central and get pissed, then go to Las Vegas arcade down Brewer Street and play Dance Dance Revolution, and end your night at midnight, sitting on the lions in Trafalgar Square. Never fails to bring me joy.
Do you have any favourite venues? I saw Princess Nokia a couple of years ago in Corsica Studios, really small and packed, with great sound. Does living here influence your music? Completely. What’s the worst thing about London? The landlords and developers are thieving bastards, draining the culture out of our city, that’s a shell of what it once was, and turning it into a big shopping centre. Good coffee though. Suzi releases her Error 404 EP January 18th via AMF Records/Def Jam. Grim Reaper @therealsuziwu
@therealsuziwu London in Stereo: 83
PRESENTS
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A PURELY SPECULATIVE GUIDE TO THE PERFORMATIVE TASK OF A MIDDLE-AGED WHITE MAN COMPILING AN ALBUM OF THE YEAR LIST by Nate Rockwell You’ve made it to November: it's time to grandly announce your Albums Of The Year list to a public that have definitely been waiting for this moment. A list you know will be markedly different to all the others. This is your chance to shine, to show everyone that despite advancing years you're still engaged, still relevant, still a voice worth projecting into the void. Absolutely the last thing you want to do is list the ten records you've actually listened to the most. Get your Top 10 wrong and you've fucked it. They’ll see you. Everyone will know. Everyone. Will. Know. As clearly London in Stereo’s worst writer, I’ve put together a fool-proof guide to this testing time of year. And if any young women have the temerity to challenge your choices, feel free to gather some other middle-aged men and shout them down. Oh, and if you’ve bought any records from your list on vinyl, this is the time to take the wrapper off and get them on Insta. 1. Do not put your favourite record here, ffs. Number one is reserved for maybe your second or third favourite, but which is definitely cooler than your real number one. You know which one’s cooler, right? Of course you do, pal. 2. This is where your actual favourite record of the year goes. As long as it’s not Muse. 3. A rap record, preferably by a woman. Important you can name a favourite song which isn’t the title track. Knowledge is power. 100% do not attempt to define the rap genre. 4. A dance record, preferably by a woman. You might only be able to think of a couple of examples you know you can get away with when Phonica check your list. Phonica are definitely going to check your list. Go for the cooler one. You know which one’s cooler, right? 5. Your second or third favourite record of the year, depending on who you put at number one. Feels good to get that in. You’ll feel a bit bad it’s not higher. Get over it. 6. A rap record. Something people have heard of, but which you think might otherwise get lost in everyone else's lists. Y’know that Earl Sweatshirt album that’s not out yet..? 7. A noisy or just-really-not-fun-to-listen-to record you've never heard and have no intention of ever hearing but which'll demonstrate your versatility. What if John Doran sees your list? 8. A dance record. One you've also heard in the club - and by club I mean a regular gig venue where everyone stood still and watched the DJ, drinking lager from a two-pint cup. Maybe nothing too obvious? Can you think of something a bit more intellectual and refined? 9. A record which you're really not interested in at all but you know is going to be on everyone else's list, and if it's not on here it's gonna look weird. 10. A record by lads with guitars. You need this for balance. Pick a band that seem politically engaged and quite likeable. Not one that's been hyped in the last few months - maybe something from earlier in the year? Are they good on Twitter? Even better. 11. It's always hilarious to throw in a rogue extra number - and this is the perfect opportunity to put in a pop record that you were a bit underwhelmed by, but you know pop is youth and if you don't have a pop record... Do not put Troye Sivan in, nobody’s going to believe you. Honourable mentions… put in all the records you’ve actually been listening to. Absolutely fucking nobody is still reading at this stage. Find Nate in an Uber around London. He said he deleted the app, but it’s just on his second screen. London in Stereo: 85
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Experience moments of magic from the movies S TA R R I NG
LISA GER R A R D
CONDUC TED BY
GAV IN GR EENAWAY
CU R AT ED BY
HANS ZIMMER
SATURDAY 23 MARCH THE SSE ARENA, WEMBLEY
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PRESENTS
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S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS
PLUS VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
03 FEB / ALEXANDRA PALACE
07 FEB / ALEXANDRA PALACE
PLUS SUPPORT
02 / 03 / 05 / 06 / 07 FEB O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
19 FEB / OSLO
22 FEB / THE O2
22 FEB / ROUNDHOUSE
Tourist 28 MAR / EARTH
04 APR / O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
RICHARD ASHCROFT 04 MAY / OLYMPIA
29 JUN / O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
