Two of our favourite worlds collide on emerging disco-house music stars Behling & Simpson’s edits of R&B honey Ciara’s ‘Surgeon’. 

The track that originally appeared on Jackmaster’s 2012 “Master Mix”, is finally seeing a proper vinyl release, which also includes a stellar version of Ciara’s ‘Goodies’.

The Bristol duo have been steadily climbing the ranks of the house music world with their smoothed out boogie beats, with recent releases on some of cult favourite dance labels, Futureboogie and Outernational.

For their Ciara series, Behling & Simpson roll out their signature chunky slink, adding slow rolling punches and pops, sparse stabs of rumbling bass in a variety of forms and these wild alarms that emerge twirling and sputtering through an ether of funky beats. Keeping the bpms turnt down (for once), and adding whirring vintage synths and slightly Caribbean sounding percussion, ‘Surgeon’ is transformed into a sparkling disco-in-slow-motion we don’t ever want to leave.

“Behling & Simpson vs Ciara” limited edition vinyl is out now, get it from Rubadub Records.

A new track from The Weeknd just dropped via his Twitter a few moments ago.

‘Kiss Land’ retains some of the darkly sexual tones of Echoes of Silence (the last part of Trilogy) wrapped up in a slickly-produced track that nearly hits the eight minute mark. The sense of urgency, panic and paranoia that Abel Tesfaye evokes so well still remains although all signs would point to the next record – due out later this year – being a complex listen, to say the least.

Listen to ‘Kiss Land’ below.

Earlier this week, BBC Radio 6 Music were running through the “best musical collaborations of all-time” to mark Daft Punk’s new, and cameo-heavy, Random Access Memories. It’s a shame that this new Mount Kimbie track has surfaced mere days too late, as it’s already strong enough for such inclusion.

Featuring London wordsmith King Krule, ‘You Took Your Time’ wraps Archie Marshall’s moody nasally snarls in sludge-thick bass, warped arpeggios and ringing echoes. It’s the latest track from the electronic duo’s upcoming LP, Cold Spring Fault Less Youth, out 28 May via Warp.

Listen to ‘You Took Your Time’ below:

Premiering over on The Guardian, Swedish production legend Dan Lissvik transforms NONONO‘s current single ‘Like The Wind’ into a dub heavy summer smash.

‘Like The Wind (Lissvik Remix)’ is available exclusively on the 12″ edition of NONONO’s debut release for our signature label Best Fit Recordings. Pre-order a copy now for shipping in June.

Alt-rock duo Pølterghøst claim to hail from Nibelheim, and while we’re aware that’s a fictional region in Wagner’s Ring Cycle, and also home to the protagonist from Final Fantasy VII; there’s something to be said of their astute awareness of Germanic opera. Although it’s more likely the product of several stoned all-nighters, spent accruing an intricate knowledge of video game narratives.

Formed by Fanzine members, Jock and Kit, Pølterghøst aired their debut track, ‘Holy Smoke’, this week. A chugging slab of Dog Man Star indebted rock, packed with sudden breaks and crunching spit’n'sweat-flecked guitar riffs. Even Jock’s louche drawl packs a punch reminiscent of Brett Anderson in his amoral, debauched pomp.

Cresting atop a squalling, sleazy solo before draining away with Jock’s final wiry declarations; ‘Holy Smoke’ heralds an edgy, glammy, utterly thrilling turn of pace from the Londoners.

Channelling the spirit of golden-era Fleetwood Mac in a way unlike any other band around right now, the incredibly talented Milo Greene offer a considered, sun-kissed take on classic seventies rock n roll. 

The LA quintet, who play London’s Scala tonight and Brighton’s Great Escape showcase festival tomorrow, are a testament to musicianship and skilled harmonies. Their self-titled debut long–player dropped in January and we’re offering a stunning live version of the opening track  ’What’s The Matter’ – also released in EP form this week – which you can grab below.

Guitarist Robbie Stern’s roots in precocious indie-pop outfit Cajun Dance Party really come to the fore on ‘This Could Be A Bridge’, the latest offering from London duo Post Louis.

Where former bandmates Daniel Blumberg and Max Bloom immediately went on to peddle big chunks of sunbaked fuzz in Yuck; Robbie has – until now – been biding his time. Buddying up with singer Stephanie to record incisive 90′s indebted alt-rock under the  Post Louis banner; the duo aired debut ‘Oldsmobile’ last month, a track resplendent with calming looped vocals and subtle percussion.

Five years has passed since the release of CDP’s debut, The Colourful Life, and Stern still retains a familiar sense of wonderment in his dexterous soloing on ‘This Could Be A Bridge’. Said guitarwork provides the ideal foil for Stephanie’s uncomplicated cooing; a dainty little murmur which grows in stature alongside chiming cymbals and layers of yawning reverb as the melody beefs up.

They mightn’t be ready to break the alt-rock mould  just yet but their gentle bending of the genre’s conventions is pure, buttery bliss for now.

West Londoner Freddie Dickson‘s debut cut ‘Shut Us Down’ hinted that he had the guts and guile to mix it with the likes of Lana Del Rey and Frank Ocean in the cinematic-pop stakes. Well, the 24-year-old has just inked a deal with Heart Throb Records to release his first four-track EP of the same name and is now streaming another track, ‘The End’, ahead of its 20 May release.

A darkly compelling lullaby anchored around a simple, stylized guitar motif; ‘To The End’ homes in on Dickson’s broken-boned lyricism more than its scarred flesh instrumentation. Hollowed-out beats and pulsating bass notes clot with the youngster’s breathy croon; sparse and functional,  it’s the narrative that mesmerizes.

Dickson’s story blooms from a milky twilight waltz into the broken and bruised finale via an emotionally charged middle eight. Like thumbing through a blotted neo-noir comic; there was never going to be a happy ending here.

London scuzz-pop duo Crushed Beaks are releasing their debut EP, Tropes, on 16 September via ASL Records.  Eschewing the wistfully meandering 70′s indie-pop of ‘Breakdown’ for grittier textures, here’s the free-to-download title-track from that short-player.

Where the aforementioned release was permeated by reverb thickened riffs and Matt Poile’s navel-gazing vocal hooks; this one finds Crushed Beaks focusing their energy on intermittent blasts of gurgling guitars which pinball off juddering toms and shunted cymbals. Poile’s washed-out ‘wooah’s swept along on the chugging torrent right until the sudden, nonchalant climax. Garage-rock with muscle and melody in equal measure.

Listen to ‘Tropes’ below:

Crushed Beaks play London’s Lexington on September 13. Tickets are on sale now for £6.

Patience is a quality that many music aficionados often lack. Why stick around and search one whole track for the hook buried within when you can plough through ten tuneless intros in the same time? ‘Far Away’, the new song from Fat Possum signatures, Mean Lady, takes a whole precious minute to get going but when it does, the rewards are bountiful and even more sweet.

The Baltimore trio whisk us away from an intro of flickering piano chords and disorientating synth swells to a far more pleasantly upbeat plane. The chintzy pianos taking on a grander, more crystalline quality; pricking away at wafts of Eastern strings and fidgety percussion.

Vocalist Katie Dill puts on a typically assured show, her dulcet repetitions of “I Will Call Your Name” swaying like foam atop Sam Nobles’ cool tropical waves of melody. We doubt Mean Lady care about the turnaround in our weather of late but we’ll thank them anyway for helping out with the soundtrack.

‘Far Away’ will feature on Mean Lady’s debut LP Love Now. Out 23 July via Fat Possum.

‘Gigantic’ and ‘Texas’ may have been the tracks from her (Best Fit Recordings-released) debut EP that first showcased Eddi Front‘s unique knack for capturing tenderness over jewellery box lullabies, but it was her cover of Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’ that proved how her sound was so strong that it could be artfully transported to another’s words.

And now here is the New York songstress again to prove the point with a pair of slightly haphazard (one track is claimed to have even been recorded in a living room), but nonetheless brilliant, covers – namely ‘Nobody Does It Better’ originally by Carly Simon and Christopher Cross‘ ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best You Can Do)’.

Listen to both songs below, and purchase her self-titled EP here.

Current Best Fit obsession Tove Lo caught up with Swedish music bible PSL to cut this stripped back version of recent single and bonafide ear worm ‘Habits’.

Ignore the smoky room and poor light and just breath in the wonderfully emotive take on perhaps the finest pop song of the year so far.

Stream the PSL session above and, just for reference, watch the official video for ‘Habits’ below.

Following up one of the best songs of 2013 (‘Before I Ever Met You’, if you were wondering) – LA siren Banks returns today with a sultry new late night jam.

Produced by Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, ‘Warm Water’ is more reserved than the pop starlet’s previous offerings but nonetheless bewitching.

Stream ‘Warm Water’ below. Grab it via iTunes from 27 May.

You might remember Brooke Candy from her star turn in the clip for Grimes‘ ‘Genesis’  – Candy was the one wearing that chrome-plated armour and platforms.

The 23-year old Californian also popped up on Charli XCX‘s track ‘Cloud Aura’ last year and made a splash herself with a string of equally bold tracks (remember ‘I Wanna Fuck Right Now’ from back in February?).

‘Pussy Make The Rules’ doesn’t mince its meaning for a moment and the visuals to accompany the track hit home Candy’s rhetoric with a spiked 4 X 7.  Crystallising the sexually confrontational à la Lil Kim, with the same absurdity that makes Nick Minaj and the Gaga so interesting, Candy’s set at next weekend’s Great Escape festival in Brighton is sure to be one of the event’s more colourful moments.

Watch the clip for ‘Pussy Makes The Rules’ below.

After her set at The Great Escape next week, Candy heads to London for a headline show at XOYO on 22 May.

Newcastle ambient rock outfit Grandfather Birds haven’t been hibernating in their year-long absence; more squirreling away the intricate little acorns of 90′s alt that flourished on their sprawling April comeback track.

Where ‘Spithope‘ trod tentatively into unknown, exploring themes of disorientation and detachment via thick layers of haunting tremolo, b-side ‘Things Beneath The Water’ warmly embraces their more direct side, last heard on 2011′s Radio 1 approved single ‘Higher Bridges’. Softly insistent guitar tolls and thudding kicks cleanse our palates of  the a-side’s strung-out vibes in an instant.

Matt Saxon’s sinewy enunciations afford the increasingly more frenetic melody a certain pop-centric tautness. His esoteric musings and subtle barbs – ‘maybe there’ll be a day when, I’m talking and you’re listening’ - lulling in the creases between shuddering cymbal crescendos  and  chirruping guitars. ‘Things Beneath The Water’ confirms  Grandfather Birds’ penchant for embedding strong hooks in high-intensity structures has lost none of its appeal.

The ‘Spithope’ single is available as a free download here.

Premiering on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show this evening, this new one from Katy B featured, aptly, as her ‘Special Delivery’.

It certainly feels as much; this first track to emerge since her Danger EP at the end of 2012 is a typically seductive, late-night outing for everyone’s favourite London garage rejuvenator.

Filled with her sultry vocals, particularly crisp production and a heady balearic hue, it continues where she left off and its appearance is timed to perfection; a soundtrack to imminent parties into the early hours.

It’s Friday night – celebrate with this brand new banger from dub-step’s leading-lady.

With his new album IV Play, an album title with a sixth-form level pun included, due later this month, R&B man The-Dream has offered up new single ‘High Art’ featuring Jay-Z.

The title of this one refers to smoking weed and writing a song about it, rather than – you know – going to the latest Lichtenstein exhibition. Listen to it in full beneath:

Electro-pop pace-setter, MØ, is yet to put a foot wrong and, while we haven’t had anything new from the energetic Dane for some time, a remix from the equally excellent MS MR will quell our appetite, at least for the moment. 

Filled with all the heady, restlessness of the original, the New York duo have subtly subdued the verses to emphasise the “for the hell of it” chourses. Teaming the revved up sound with flickering images of marble sculpture lets the mind wander and throws new light on Karen Marie Ørsted’s wonderful debut ‘Pilgrim’.

It’s hard to believe that siblings, Sasha and Theo, aka Wardell, dropped their debut track ‘Opossum‘ over two years ago now.

As great as it is, we feel like they’ve left us craving another installment of breezy Beach House-on-a-sugar-rush pop for far too long. We weren’t about to give up on the LA duo but few could deny that ‘Call It What You Want’ has come at the perfect time.

A magical little ditty which finds Sasha sucking in the haziest West Coast fumes straight out of Beth Cosetino’s lungs while Theo explores Girls‘ penchant for sprawled-out guitar filigrees. Huddled together under an umbrella of glistening harmonies, calypso organs and surfy percussive patterns; it’s comforting to hear the duo – like fellow LA fam-band Haim - sounding so completely in sync with one another.

You can hide in the shade this summer but you still won’t escape a baking from Wardell’s feel-good rays.

‘Call It What You Want’ will feature on The Brother/Sister EP. Out 3 June via National Anthem.

Photo by Jason Williamson

Brighton-based multi-instrumentalist Cosmo Sheldrake‘s debut drop ‘Rich’ was one of the finest tracks to be selected Song of the Day at Best Fit last month. The London-born biologist’s son returned again this week with another new track, similarly jam-packed with found sound claps, clicks and rustles called ‘The Fly’.

Verses from William Blake’s poem of the same name are cut with twinkly bells, twanging banjo and twitchy samples: including some smashed Welsh slates, personally recorded by Cosmo himself. It’s that childlike approach to sonic exploration which really endears the 22-year-old. Dabbling in everything from hip-hop breaks through to jazz, it’s clear that he’s still keen to experiment and improvise.

Tinkering with baroque instrumentation and ultra-contemporary layering and looping techniques,  Cosmo has landed upon a wonderfully rustic yet no less refreshing mural of Romantic Age Britain. Give ‘The Fly’  a chance. There’s something very special behind all the buzz.

Responsible for a very early ‘song of the summer’ contender with the brilliant ‘Move‘, Mausi continue to bring the fun with this vibe-filled mash-up, recorded in session for Radio 1.

The exciting Newcastle via Milan outfit recorded the Solange and Destiny’s Child cover at Maida Vale and with its warm, loungey chord progression, uplifting disco beat and typically soulful vocal, it is an inspired bootleg that continues to show just how damn cool they are.

Dip your toe in with this sun-kissed take on the Knowles sisters’ works below.

Revealed just a few hours ago via BBC Radio 1xtra, here’s the official audio for ‘Weatherman’ – the brand new single from Essex newcomer Dream Mclean, lifted from the debut EP of the same name.

A fusion of dark, brooding beats and Mclean’s witty social commentary spark shout outs to Twitter, casual sex and groupies; the lyrical theme echoing that of a light hearted equivalent to ‘Over’ - Drake’s 2010 ode to future stardom – yet delivered in a very typically British way.

Dream Mclean’s Weatherman EP is released as a free download via Chase and Status imprint MTA Records on 22 May with Mclean set to perform at London’s XOYO on the same day.

East London’s Midnight Davis seems to have a bit of a fixation on the superstars of the MTV generation; specifically those at the peak of their powers circa-1987.

Following on from his rather disturbed ‘cover’ of INXS mega-hit and guaranteed panty dropper ‘Need You Tonight’ from last year, the elusive producer has had a pop at Terence Trent D’Arby‘s ‘Sign Your Name’.

Claustrophobic and slightly haunting, Midnight Davis has stripped away the sass of the original in favour of something that sounds akin to what a stalker would listen to in between acts of blatant voyeurism. ie: a bit f–king creepy and unsettling. The sound of a restraining order waiting to happen.

Watch out for a new Midnight Davis EP later this year, for now – get your laughing gear around this. 1987 represent!

Heavy on the autobiographical, (broken) heart on sleeve emotion that helped propel The Weeknd to the mainstream, if ‘Fucked Up’ is anything to go by, 19 year old Londoner Joel Compass may well be next in line for similar accolades.

Lifted from Compass’ debut EP Astronaut, due to be released through Black Butter in June, ‘Fucked Up’ tells the tale of a regret stained one night stand; whilst one girl is passed out unconscious in Compass’ bed, his girlfriend is persistently calling him up on the phone seeking an explanation to his whereabouts.

An antidote to Drake‘s ‘Marvin’s Room’ perhaps. Either way, it’s nothing short of magnificent. Stream ‘Fucked Up’ below.

These New Puritans are back with the first taster proper of their new album. The proviso? “A bit different”.

After the utterly abrupt left turn into dark experimentation with second album Hidden, we’d probably settle for nothing less. Simulating the sound of human skulls being cracked by smashing cream cracker lined melons with hammers? Check. Full choirs of children? Check. Cover of a poem written by Victorian author Richard Garnett and set to music by Elgar? Double check. The result was a wonderfully uncomfortable evocation of the stark netherzone between man and machine, where a 13 piece orchestra battle to assert their organic warmth in their relentlessly cold surrounding.

Perhaps the mastermind behind the myth has mellowed. In the first press release for the album, Jack Barnett refers to liking the sense of being “surrounded by people playing instruments. You can hear someone move or breathe before they begin playing”. He goes on to talk about the “gap between me and the music” shrinking to nothing on this release.

It shows. Whilst little has changed in terms of the totalising aesthetic, and its controlled cohesiveness (the final incarnation of ‘Fragment Two’ contains reportedly the 76th drum take), this first take from the upcoming Field of Reeds oozes textured beauty, rather than a rabid doom drive. It’s still dark, but its melodies feel richer, as if they occupy every shade of grey, rather than a depthless black. Via a pealing trumpet, and the textured horn outro of last week’s trailer, this meaty fragment thrills within its subtle limits, rather than exploding out of its hiding place. The measured magnificence of this sliver, however, more than justifies the hype surrounding its body. Engulf yourself below. And for those who were worried they’d settled down into too comfy an armchair, do not fear: they spent a whole day smashing glass to achieve the desired sound for one album track.

Field of Reeds was put together in London, Berlin, and the West Country, and features new addition to the line-up, Elisa Rodrigues. It comes with a deluxe vinyl alternative, and the cover is below. The album is due to be released on 10 June on Infectious Music.

The album tracklist for Field of Reeds is:

1. This Guy’s In Love With You
2. Fragment Two
3. The Light In Your Name
4. V (Island Song)
5. Spiral
6. Organ Eternal
7. Nothing Else
8. Dream
9. Field of Reeds

Mariah Carey x Miguel previously seemed like a dream only achievable in some terrible mash-up made to fill late-night DJ sets. But no, not anymore, as it’s just become a wonderful reality.

The two generational representatives of R&B hook up for this slow-jam duet, given the oh-so-contemporary title ‘#Beautiful’.

Get yourself a gin and juice and take a listen to this one below:

Former shoegazer, Neil Halstead embraces simplistic folk with this subtle re-recorded number from his latest record Palindrome Hunches.

With Mojave 3 on hiatus, the British songwriter, who fronted 90s genre-pioneers Slowdive, has unveiled a touching country-inspired track that feels as satisfying as it does heart-warming.

With its gentle melody, finger-picking chord structure and slide guitar, it brings Iron and Wine to mind, and highlights Halstead’s sentimental songwriting proficiency. ‘Spin The Bottle’ with this new piece of delightful folk below.

Four years since the release of Deaths and Entrances, the second album from Scottish indie rock experimentalists My Latest Novel, the band return today under the Alphabetical Order Orchestra moniker – an entirely new side-project featuring a slimmed down line-up and a more sprightly, carefree direction.

Featuring brothers Chris and Gary Deveney alongside drummer Ryan King, ‘The Architect’ acts as the first instalment of AOO material and was recorded just a few days ago at Chemical Underground studios.

A ‘chirpier’ affair than that of My Latest Novel’s oft bleak material, the song speaks of fresh starts and do-overs with the Deveney brothers musing “has it ever killed anyone to start again?” over breezy acoustic guitars and a brisk drum backing.

Straight-forward in approach, ‘The Architect’ steps away from My Latest Novel’s previous dalliances in post-rock and epic arrangements to deliver a short and tender folk pop song. Listen below.

When disco revivalists Flight Facilities aren’t churning out mixtapes and remixes, they’re making dance music that is insistent upon ushering swathes of people to the floor.

‘I Didn’t Believe’ is joyful funk and house at its most playful. Alluring vocals from Elizabeth Rose simmer on top of a classic disco arrangement before the track really comes alive with a burst of energy during the chorus.

The Australian production duo are currently on tour around the continent of Oceania before they head to Europe, where they’ll be on stage watching a sea of uncontrollable dance moves at Wireless Festival.

R&B-kissed pop’s undeniably strong 2013 just got a whole lot more interesting with the arrival of Boston-born London-dweller Kenzie May.

Previously restricted to guest spots on FTSE‘s ‘Float’ and  Sub Focus‘ ‘Falling Down’, the 19-year-old finally stepped out on her own last week with the impossibly smooth ‘Hide & Seek’.

Pulsating beats, sweeping strings and flitting synth arpeggios provide the ideal canvas for May’s sweet glossy tones to cavort. With a knack for sharp vocal hooks and a self-assured command over the caramelised future pop melody; you certainly wouldn’t consider ‘Hide & Seek’ the work of a rookie. Especially when Kenzie launches into the stratospheric blitz of a chorus; boasting her deeper, more forceful vocal qualities.

Future-pop continues its ascent and while Black Butter’s rising star Lulu James courted our undivided attention in the first half of the year, all eyes are now fixed on Miss May’s next bold step.

If you picked up the Best Fit/Music Finland Record Store Day vinyl we were giving away a couple of weeks back, then you’ll have fallen hook, line and sinker for the featured track by electro duo Sin Cos Tan.

‘History’ is filled with sweeping breaks, replacing the dark underbelly of some the Finnish band’s earlier tracks with a more heartbreaking dynamic drawing from the synth melodrama of Bronski Beat rather than leather and chrome-era Depeche Mode.

And the track’s incredible video plays out like a Lars Von Triar/Dogme 95 nightmare meshed with hellish montages that recall Robert Breer’s Blue Monday 88 promo. A barrage of allusions but it’s just that good. Watch below:

Singer-songwriter come electronic production whiz William Arcane has surfaced again with a new track ‘Want Somebody’. The follow-up to his March drop ‘Not The Only One’, both tracks will feature on the Londoner’s debut EP Permanence. 

Muddied and pitch-shifted vocals compliment the simple staccato melody of fizzling synths and choppy percussive ticks and tocks. Arcane’s less is more production savvy proves a breath of fresh air. Joined by some chintzy keyboard stabs and woozy sampler sounds as the track wheels into the final third; Arcane’s disembodied tones rippling like skipping stones across the surface of  a tranquil lagoon to the fade.

Permanence is out on 10 June via Pictures Music. 

The first week of May brought some of the best weather we’ve seen in the capital this year followed by a bank holiday that has – so far – let us down, in typical British fashion. Thankfully, the same can’t be said for the last week in music.

As April ended, a flowering of incredible tracks dropped, keeping us challenged, entertained and soothed. At one end of the spectrum, the melodramatic, fragile sound of eighteen-year old London boy Jamie Isaac wowed the pants of us, with ‘Softly Draining Seas’ staking a claim as one of the best early doors songs we’ve heard in quite some time.

At the other, Cardiff quarter Islet gave us the madcap marmite of ‘Triangulation Station’.

And inbetween there was Janelle Monae, who unveiled the video for ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’, the first cut from her upcoming second record. Technically the track came out two weeks back but the video reminded us just how great it was all over again – watch it while the rain ruins your bank holiday, folks. And enjoy today’s best of the week in new music.

Still riding the wave of success from their debut EP Marie Celeste, Dublin production duo Terriers debut their slow rolling funk-drenched single, ‘Sometimes When You’ve Gone Too Far, You Just Can’t Go Back’, here today.

Somehow conjured up out of the darkest corners of Philip Glass’ psyche and splattered across the internet in various forms from CFCF’s delicate arpeggios slowed to a drooling pace to Elite Gymnastics’ psychedelic take on ambient, a new style of music has emerged, known as ‘Nightbus Music”. Once demystified, the second you hear it, you know exactly what it is.

If there were ever a musical definition of such a genre of music, Peter Ward and Ronan Downing aka Terriers have spelled it out for you just perfectly. Floating through the murky ether, thick, bubbly synth rolls through soft muted bass and digitized bursts of illustrious effects as haunting vocals beckon for you to lose yourself in their trance-inducing words. Found sounds fade in and out of consciousness as you stare out the window and into the sea of infinite night.

Mustachioed Canadian crooner Sean Nicholas Savage has unveiled another cut from his forthcoming Other Life LP, out via Montreal indie-heavyweight Arbutus Records.

What ’More Than I Love Myself’ lacks in texture or depth, it more than makes up for in pleasantly romanticized quirks. Savage’s wispy but no less purposeful intonation is burnished by the light caress of synth strings, wafting bass notes and cushioned beats; poignant lines such as, ‘How can I live with myself/when I need you more’ jutting out amongst the cotton-candy soft instrumentation.

The fragility of the melody combined with such lyrical openness might leave a lesser man feeling completely laid-bare. Not Savage though, he simply clicks his heels and lets those bittersweet vocals roam free; hopscotching precisely over the emotionally strung-out narrative with a carefree guile.

Hooded Fang have unveiled a new piece of post-punk psychedelia and teaser to their forthcoming record, Gravez, due later this month.

With its relentless, crunching bass line, languid vocal and tie-die infused guitar hook, ‘Ode to Subterrania’ is covered in a colourful, vintage hue.

It feels like a trippy soundtrack that matches its album cover completely, and there is something wonderfully moreish about the whole package. Take the restless, heady journey with this latest offering from the Toronto quartet below.

Tales of a choirboy coming of age, singer/producer and jazz pianist Jamie Isaac debuts the second single off his forthcoming 12” vinyl release for House Anxiety Records.

Whisps of James Blake sentiment, half erased, ripple through your veins until every hair on your arms stands straight up. Relaxing once again, lush reverb melts pronounced piano chords and apprehensive words into a crystalline memory, no matter how blurred the edges may be.

Like a young seedling, just beginning to peek out of it’s earthly recluse, ‘Softly Draining Seas’ continues to bloom with every listen, revealing a subtle beauty destined for greatness. The ability to expose such mature heartbreak at such a tender age is a testament to Jamie Isaac’s brilliance as a musician. We can’t wait to hear more from Croydon’s young talent.

Jamie Isaac’s I Will Be Cold Soon EP is out on 12-inch vinyl and digitally 24th June.

Cardiff experimental quartet Islet return to show the current crop of psych acts how it’s done.

The first cut from their second full-length LP, Released By The Movement, ‘Triangulation Station’ lashes splintered cymbal ticks and venerable synth organ trills together; creating a sticky compound that simply refuses to be digested. No complaints from us. Despite its unruly structure – and we use that word in the loosest sense – the whole track is swaddled in wisps of endearingly proggy dreaminess. From the repetitive drum cycles and madcap synth sequences to Mark’s wiry loudhailer vox careering into Emma’s equally distorted but distinctly sweetened chirping; it’s sticky as hell but somehow it all works.

Chuck in some spectral gospel choir-aping background harmonies and you’re left with a genuinely quite demented but nonetheless brilliant soiree through the murky marshes of psychedelia old, and new.

‘Triangulation Station’ is out on 10 June via Mark’s label, Shape Records.

Animal Collective’s Centipede Hz might not have set the world alight quite as brightly as its predecessor Merriweather Post Pavilion (though no reason why not, says I), but the Baltimore boys rightly retain a substantial amount of admiration from listeners and contemporaries alike.

The likes of Teengirl Fantasy and Gang Gang Dance are lined up to feature on Monkey Been To Burn Town, a new selection of remixes of Centipede tunes due out on May 28^th via Domino. But they aren’t the only reasons to raise one’s eyebrow.

Though they might not have top billing on the EP, Seattle’s experimental hip hop wizards Shabazz Palaces are arguably the most exciting collaborators on the track list.  They’ve also turned in the record’s first must-hear cut, a characteristically downbeat head-spinner of a track that re-imagines ‘New Town Burnout’ as a maelstrom of bleak funk, all but entirely stripped of the original’s more melodious bent.

Current Best Fit favourites Postiljonen appeared live on Swedish independent radio station P3 last night to perform a selection of songs from their forthcoming debut album, due out via Hybris later this year.

Stripping back to just piano and subtle guitar flourishes, the explosive and at times other-worldly dream pop of Postiljonen’s recordings is given room to breath and expand in a natural live setting. The results are nothing short of stunning.

Also making an appearance was Nordpolen who showcased a number of songs from his recent album Vi Är Många Som Är Vakna I Natt, out now through Gothenburg pop pioneers Sincerely Yours.

Listen to the 90 minute broadcast in full below.

Photo: Kristoffer Olsson/Sveriges Radio

We haven’t laid eyes on Baltimore musician Michael Collins since he dropped the blissful hypno-pop Dreams cassette under his Run DMT alias back in 2011.  The shape-shifting affable oddball has now returned under a new – and faintly obnoxious – moniker, Salvia Plath with an album pencilled in for 8 July via Domino imprint Weird World. 

The first cut from The Bardo Story entitled  ’House Of Leaves’ opens with frantically strummed acoustic guitar and rattling drum beats; the tempo easing gradually with the introduction of gently lilting organ and Collins’ hazy drawl. It’s a far cry from the frat-boy brattiness you’d half- expect given the amalgam Salvia Plath comprises notoriously potent legal weed and troubled poet. Instead we’re gifted a warm dollop of pastoral underground pop, lashed with a wavy psych-folk splatter; the product of just the right number of blunt tokes we reckon. 

South London beatmakers Kiran Kai x Carla are set to release their debut EP Equanimity on 1 July. The record is a collaboration with Jesse James, who in turn was a co-conspirator on Darkest Shades Of Blue, the recent hip-hop leaning mixtape from Edgar The Beatmaker aka Archy Marshall.

Tenuous links aside, our knowledge of who Kiran Kai x Carla are and what they do is fairly limited. Thankfully, their solitary soul-steeped track ‘Drift’ speaks far louder than a spartan Facebook profile and colourful Tumblr page ever could. Lulling King Krule flavoured guitars billow behind prickly hi-hats and sweetly teased sax in an arrangement that occupies ambient spheres similar to fellow rising South Londoner Jamie Isaac. And while Carla’s dulcet verses skip over the smooth, steady beat with graceful poise, the distorted male vocals chafe: ice-cool and full of menace.

Who cares if we’re going in blind on this exciting new collective? We kinda like it better this way.

We kinda missed LA duo Wardell when this track debuted at the tail-end of 2011.

Brother and sister duo Sasha and Theo come to us with lots of promise; good early reviews and a sound that dips between Beach House swoons, Jenny Lewis lows and Neko Case highs. That’s actually underselling it though: while their influences may be immediately evident on ‘Opossum’, there’s enough movement to suggest these two will develop nicely in the coming months. They went down a storm at SXSW and hit the UK next week for two shows in London – they’re at The Queen of Hoxton on 7 May and Electrowerkz on 8 May.

Listen to ‘Opossum’ below.

Producer/rapper El-P and Killer Mike have come together as a duo, calling themselves Run The Jewels.

First Watch The Throne and now this. Two great albums between the pair last year must have made the push for Run The Jewels to exist.

The hype level grows with ‘Get It,’ the first song released under the RTJ moniker. El-P’s production is as right-brained as ever, this time throwing an ’80s break-beat into a swinging-pendulum synth soup. His penchant for polysyllables is here in spades, too. Killer Mike slays everyone as usual, finding yet another way to both say he’s better than you and threaten that you’ll never catch up. “My name is Michael Render/ And we are the new Avengers,” he asserts. “We here to tell ya all your false idols are just pretenders.”

‘Get It’ comes from the (presumably) self-titled LP, due out in June via Fool’s Gold. The album will be release for free digitally, as well a limited edition physical version. You can hear it below.

‘Frisco-by-way-of-Brooklyn dance-rockers, Lemonade have thrown a stand-alone single online called ‘Perfect Blue’.

And it’s about as great as anything they’ve put out. The spacey, warbling synths are in tact, this time forming concentric circles around gentle percussion that just assertive enough to propel the song forward. Meanwhile, vocalist Callan Clendenin gets better with each song and ‘Blue’ is no exception, his voice elevating the song through the stratosphere.

You can stream it below.

Photo by Laia Benavides.

New York City-based producer Harry Fraud has released a song featuring Earl Sweatshirt and RiFF RAFF called ‘Yacht Lash.’

It’s as strange as you may have guessed, RiFF’s presence notwithstanding. A pairing of frantic hi-hats over molasses-slow synths and drums creates a push-pull effect, but leaves just enough room for Earl to free-associate about his life between the beat. That said, RiFF’s definition of “free association” is on a whole other level of weird. To wit, he links laundry detergent with desert-island virgins seemingly because they rhyme.

You can stream/download ‘Yacht Lash’ below, which will appear on Harry Fraud’s upcoming EP entitled High Tide.

Teenage producing duo Bondax have remixed the ’90s classic ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet.

Considering the production on the original, that’s kind of an ambitious project for a coupl’a teenagers. Here, they trade New Jack Swing for sped-up disco-infused house complete with stabbing background synths. They also drop the Dr. Dre and Queen Pen verses, effectively making the song a rave track. Oh and there’s a snippet of Justin Timberlake’s ’Suit & Tie’ is thrown in at the end just for kicks.

You can stream it below.

Recent signings of Montreal label Arbutus Records, Braids revealed a pointed change of direction this week with a new cut from their forthcoming 12″ called ‘Amends’.

Gone are the interloping guitar sequences and lissome basslines found on their debut LP – along with keyboardist Katie Lee, who departed during second album recording sessions – and in their place we find marshy synth loops and sparse percussion underpinned by Raphelle Standell-Preston’s buttery chirps.

Apparently a product of collective crushing on ambient acts like Max Cooper, Aphex Twin and Burial, ‘Amends’ is doubtless an accomplished piece of in-vogue electro . That said, the worry for fans wooed over by the more traditional shapes of Native Speaker is that Standell-Preston isn’t so much tip-toeing into the elongated experimental electronica of side-project Blue Hawaii as she is brazenly splicing the two together. With guitars featuring just once on the new album, only time will tell if this brave reinvention can pay dividends.

Due for release on 6 June, ‘Amends’ will be bundled with ‘In Kind’ (both will feature on their new LP) as well as exclusives ‘Near Enough’ and ‘A Dawn In Me’.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After more than two years of tinkering with their brand of experimental-pop, Detroit duo Phatasmagoria have finally got their elements working in harmony; discovering the magic formula struck upon by Purity Ring on Shrines with new drop, ‘Two Worlds’.

Lianna Vanicelli and Christopher Jarvis actually cut a playful contrast against their 4AD signed contemporaries. Where the Canadians revel in their warped, faintly mechanistic tendencies; Phatasmagoria are partial to a more natural approach with peacefully warm synth sounds and earthy guitar parts lapping in and out on ‘Two Worlds’. The one undeniable parallel is the intrinsically linked vocal deliveries of Lianna and Purity Ring’s Megan James. Fresh, soul-sweetened tones anchored at the epicentre of whirring sequencers and off-pace percussive trills make for a thrillingly giddy experience. There’s enough poppy deftness and delicacy here to suggest their time in the shadows is coming to an end.

‘Two Worlds’ will feature on Phatasmagoria’s forthcoming DAYZE LP.

Photo by Andi Hedrick.

Frequent Disclosure and Rudimental collaborator Sinead Harnett steps out on her own for the first time this week with debut single ‘Got Me’.

Striking the same rich seam of ultra-dancefloor friendly electro that her contemporaries have been mining vehemently of late; Harnett’s honeyed vocals are sandwiched between production duo EEL’s (otherwise known as Eats Everything and Lukas) fizzy hand percussion and gluey synths. Achingly moreish stuff from the young Londoner. Expect more simmering teasers like ‘Got Me’ ahead of her debut full-length, slated for an oh-so distant 2014 release.