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.

Stockholm duo Eliot Grace have been quietly beavering away for twelve months on a handful of tracks made public via their SoundCloud, but it’s with ‘Rebecka’ that the pair really intend to take off. Sweeping, grandiose pop boasting a forceful romantic tug at the heart strings and a hook that’s borderline inescapable.

The first ‘official’ single from the group, ‘Rebecka’ is doused in sweeping eighties production that’s so on point right now, but comes from such an honest and true place, you can’t fail to fall under its charms.

Take a listen below.

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.

Drenge’s 2012 demos ‘Dogmeat’ and ‘People In Love Make Me Feel Yuck’, were mere skipping stones of concentrated fuzzy, fuck you rock ‘n roll, compared to this year’s apocalyptic asteroid-sized debut, ‘Bloodsports’.

Crowned Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record in the World on Radio 1 just moments ago, new single, ‘Backwaters’, will firmly place the brothers Loveless, and their spittle-soaked work into critical context.

In all likelihood, said context will be ‘GUITAR MUSIC REVIVAL’. The painfully clumsy and shamelessly bland pseudo-genre recycled across pop criticism every year.  A throwaway tag in most cases but – if/when applied here – an insult to the considered depth of Drenge’s scratchy, gut-busting guitar tones on this ode to shit towns up and down the UK. They’ve got the two-piece dynamic totally nailed down now: Eoin attends to guitar-god solos, Rory rains down upon his kit with eye-wincing ferocity. ‘Backwaters’ bounds along on a QOTSA rifling combo of rubbery guitar, tinny snare whips and open hi-hats.The duo bare their bloodied gums at the 1.50 mark; a snarling crunching riff compliments their warped harmonies, a sort of slit-throat gurgling, ‘I got missin’ teethhh, gotta lot of those’.

‘Backwaters’ culminates with Eoin’s cold, calculated baritone cutting across the malaise of feedback and ‘verb like a rebellious loudhailer announcement; it’s a call to arms in the ‘guitar music’ nanny state, a one-fingered salute to all the patronizing penmen who have uttered that slovenly term in the last twelve months. These Loveless boys aren’t interested in serving as kindling for your ‘revival’. Hell, they’re interested in little more than carving their names into the garage-rock Wall of Fame with broken beer bottles. Cherish them.

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.

Bringing a new kind of sexy back, a stark, exposed experience in song form, singer/songwriter, and producer Indiana rips through our understanding of all that is good in the world, and in the process, shakes us to the core.

Through her sparse, and slightly corrupted tales, the young starlet paints a dark, haunting picture of the world as she sees it – she isn’t asking you to come hither or fawn. Instead, she’s doing so much more, she’s baring her soul. Evoking a pain that has touched us all on some level drips through harsh percussion as haunting choir notes writhe and creep behind Indiana’s shrill, sultry cries – a feeling that’s almost too intimate to be sung aloud. Beneath a bassline that speaks to your body in all the right places, the Nottingham singer’s take on soul flirts recklessly with R&B, crawling on its knees towards you ensuring your eyes (and ears) are locked for every move.

The odds that this young starlet has ever been to Indiana are slim, but we can’t be mad – her sexy, brooding music is too captivating to care what it’s called. Best Fit was lucky enough to nab one of the first introductions with her, so read on as we talk inspirations, Frank Ocean, the future, and so much more.

You possess this sense of raw emotion, in your recordings and your live performances, that other artists lack. It’s something that feels very tangible. Can you talk about where that comes from?

I think I’ve learnt to channel my emotion. I lost my Dad when I was 17 in a very traumatic way and my childhood leading up to that moment was pretty tough. It wasn’t until I discovered music that I learnt how to deal with the stuff I’ve been through. I think you can hear the pain in my voice, it’s like a release. I’m not bottling it up anymore and acting out… I use it as a tool. Some people say Dad left me, but he left me with a gift… it just took me a while to discover it.

Your music is soulful and a bit bluesy, with pop and R&B elements scattered throughout. Where do you draw your musical influences from?

I love James Blake, I love his voice and production. The xx, Portishead and Gary Numan have all played a part in creating my sound.

Do you have a particular process for writing and recording songs?

Not really, it can start from anywhere. From a beat in the studio to a chord progression on the piano. It rarely starts with a lyric. Normally I’ll hear something of someone else’s and want to interpret it in my own way.

Your cover of Frank Ocean’s ‘Swim Good’ was completely unexpected but truly brilliant. Are you a big Frank Ocean fan?

Yes. I still have channel orange on repeat in my car. He takes chances with his music, he’s inventive, creative, innovative… I like to think I am too. Hopefully I can pull it off as well as Frank!

What other artists are you currently a big fan of?

I do like Clean Bandits stuff. Their stuff is fresh and exciting.

Did you have any music idols as a kid?

Me and my sister used to make up dances to Michael Jackson songs… but who didn’t?

How long have you been singing and writing music?

About 2 years now.

You were discovered by Grammy-nominated composer and songwriter, John Beck. What has it been like to work with him?

Ha, its funny I just know him as John. It’s been amazing. I’ve achieved more than I ever thought possible. I owe so much to him. But equally, if we didn’t connect the way we do, we wouldn’t still be working together. We have something, he brings out something in me I never knew was there and I think that works both ways.

When you were working with John Beck on your first song ‘Blind As I Am’ were you going by “Indiana”, or another name?

My birth name is Lauren, I was still deciding what to call myself. I had a YouTube page called musicbyl (urgh) which is where John found my cover of Gabriel. Thankfully I discovered Indiana before we finished ‘Blind As I Am’.

You call yourself, a “Raider of Arks”. What’s the story behind that?

It’s just a nod to Indiana Jones, which is where Indiana came from.

Congrats on signing with Sony! What can listeners expect from your debut album?

Cheers! And… All killer no filler!

Any collaborations on your album or in the near future?

No not as of yet,  I’d love some remixes of my stuff though.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned so far in your music career?

I haven’t really learnt any industry lessons, but I have properly grown as a person. Discovering my voice and songwriting has changed so much about me.  I’m so much more creative than I ever thought. I’m now a singer/songwriter as well as producer, short film writer, designer, director… it’s crazy!

What can we expect from Indiana in 2013?

More music, videos, clothes and probably a dozen hairstyles.

Any closing words/shout outs?

I’m part-owner of the clothing label, Some Kind Of Nature. I’m one of the designers, check out my stuff!

The risque clip to IS TROPICAL‘s recent single, ‘Dancing Anymore’, what we pre-emptively labelled “video of the year”, has racked up a whopping 800k views on Vimeo, having been banned from Youtube within a hour of its initial uploading. Compare this to the 74,359 listens on Soundcloud, under 10% of its Megaforce-directed treatment, and the London trio could be slated as shock over substance.

But as ever with the French film team’s work (MIA, Yeah Yeah Yeahs et al), they sure know how to pick ‘em, their stamp of approval becoming almost synonymous with forward-thinking dance-pop. And the new record from IS TROPICAL, I’m Leaving out on Kitsune come Monday (20 May), is no different. Combining elements of noise-rock, tribal beat, 70s psych and Parisian-inspired electro, the ten tracks are just as striking as the image of a teenager imagining fellatio from a mermaid.

Listen to the album in full below, exclusively on Best Fit, and pre-order it now. IS TROPICAL are playing The Great Escape (Thursday at 9PM at Komedia) and will host album launch show at Hoxton Gallery on Thursday 23 May.

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.

A mainstay here at Best Fit, MØ returns with ‘Waste of Time’ – the fourth track we’ve now seen aired online from the Danish singer songwriter.

And, as per this years hype machine, you should expect close comparisons to the likes of Grimes and Lana Del Ray. But this doesn’t feel like another bloggers track – its wholesome, catchy, and shows a warm vocalist who shouldn’t fall feat to the prey of hipster labels.

Unlike most of the torrents of deadpan, dark, egotistical music that seems to be catching the eyes of the hipster elite in 2013, MØ shows something all the more interesting.

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.

At the beginning of the year a track emerged online that whipped-up a gentle, but nonetheless concentrated, buzz. In a world where pop (that tricky word) seems to be dominated by talented, soulful female songwriters, Josef Salvat is quietly flying the flag for the boys. 

Offering-up intelligent, thought-provoking ballads with added punch through warm layers of sound and a voice that packs both power and poise, ‘This Life’ announced the Australian-born Londoner onto the scene, but the track stood alone and relatively little appeared about the man behind the music.

With great interest comes great expectation though, and following this first track, on top of the weight of the male pop saviour tag, couldn’t be simple, but a second song has followed and emphatically justified this buzz – Josef Salvat deserves our attention.

So we heard you’re busy recording?

Busy doing more tracks, for what specifically, I’m not sure. I mean I have a lot of songs – I write them, and then demo them, and it’s about turning those demos into something that’s listenable for everybody else. What shape that’s going to take? I’m not sure. Whether it’s an album or an EP – I don’t know.

How do you go about the songwriting process?

Well, I’ve been writing for 11 years; I wrote my first song when I was 13.

Do you still play that song?

The first song I wrote was actually pretty good! But there was a lot of shit that came after that. I don’t necessarily play stuff from when I was a teen, but I do mine it occasionally for musical ideas, not lyrical ideas, but musical ideas for sure.

‘Hustler’ was written in 2009, so it was a while ago, whereas ‘This Life’ was written last year. ‘Hustler’ is a song that is essentially relevant to me, I don’t feel dishonest reproducing it now as opposed to four years ago – I’m comfortable with it.

It does feel very honest – how did it come about? What more you can say about it?

I guess essentially it was an exploration. Everybody has their self-destructive elements, so I guess I was struggling from that a bit at the time. It was written very quickly, in like 20 minutes, whereas ‘This Life’ was more of a construction, which is funny because I think they sound the opposite.

How has it felt getting all that attention over the Internet? How do you feel about the way the industry works now from your point of view?

Obviously it’s really exciting; it’s great to get some recognition and validation and to go, “Okay I can do this”, but at the same time I do think, it’s a shame.

It’s not gonna change the way I write, or how I think about it, and at the end of the day it’s like as quickly as it’s whipped up it can die, so I’m under no illusions about that; you’re only as good as your next song.

I just think it’s a shame because I think people don’t really get time to develop themselves properly. It seems like you can put one good song out there and then everybody thinks it’s all about that. Maybe your next song isn’t as great, then you’re used goods. Whereas I feel back in the day, you had like two or three albums, you had time to make mistakes and fuck around before you were under such scrutiny.

Do you think that puts extra pressure on your songwriting?

I just don’t know if there’s a one-size-fits all approach. We’ve put out two songs and I think whatever comes next will be something more. I think that’s the only way to do it now, unless you’re picked up by a record label when you’re really young and then they develop you. But I don’t know how that works, because that’s not how I did it.

I feel lucky because I was able to develop a style of songwriting outside external influence. I had to answer my own questions. I’ve never done a co-write or that kind of stuff. I am really looking forward to getting to, but it’s meant I’ve had to rely on my own devices, which means I’m confident with what I have to offer. I’m happy about my situation but I don’t know how easy it is to create it – if you have that luxury, the luxury of time, you should definitely take it!

So are you working with anyone else at all at the moment?

Well Rich Cooper produced ‘This Life’, I’m working with him. He’s produced a bunch of other stuff which is in the live set. I haven’t done a co-write because I guess a sound is developing, but I wouldn’t say that I have one specific sound.

The two tracks are quite different – was that a conscious decision?   

I don’t think I can help it! Once I get one song done I don’t want to write another the same because then I feel like, oh shit that’s done, i’m fucked! So every song is quite different. I do think ‘This Life’ and ‘Hustler’ are darker and more down-beat, which is a word that’s tossed around a lot.

Before heading down to Brighton for UK showcase festival The Great Escape festival this week, brand new Kissability signings, Glitches have unveiled their new single ‘Only Time Will Tell’.

The East London three-piece, often reported to live above a night club in close proximity to the, erm, African mafia, have constructed a song a world away from that urban setting. Opening with shimmering guitar lines and bursting, suddenly, into festival-ripe anthemic indie pop. There’s an immediate emotional resonance here from the hopeful vocals and soaring repeated refrain of “only time will tell”. Listen below.

The band will be playing at the Metro Hub stage at The Great Escape on Thursday 16 May.

‘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.

Huw Costin‘s time as the frontman in Nottingham desert-rock four piece Earth the Californian Love Dream is almost imperceptible among the swirling intelligent-pop soundscapes of his solo work.

You may recall ‘Something/Nothing’, which our friends at The Quietus premiered last month, a track that was sonic-Escher: a looping-back-on-itself vocal and rumbling instrumentation that engendered the serene in a quite spectacular way.

Next up to tease Costin’s second long-player Something/Nothing (which drops on 10 June via SpecialSoundUnit) - is a new track ‘Disconnected’. More traditional in structure and possessing a folkier slant, the track finds its USP at around the one minute mark when there’s a glorious build-up/breakdown reminiscent of latter-day Radiohead.

Watch the video below, by Midlands-based animator Emma Reading who also brought ‘Something/Nothing’ to life, only on Best Fit.

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.

Just ahead of their record release show in London, Dublin duo Solar Bears put together a selection of tunes near and dear to them exclusively for Best Fit.

From dance music legends The Chemical Brothers, to newcomers Letherette, this mix spans the electronic music spectrum. When we spoke to John and Rian about the mix, they filled us in on why these particular tracks are so special. Memories of playing with Simian Mobile Disco in 2012, to a longtime admiration for LFO, each song holds a unique place in their heart.

If you’re in London on June 4th, be sure to stop by The Nest in Dalston to catch Solar Bears enigmatic live set celebrating the release of their new album Supermigration, out now on Planet Mu. Watch the the pair’s recent Yours Truly session below and you’ll see what we mean.

Tracklisting:
Letherette – D & T (Clark Remix)
Mr Oizo – WC
Simian Mobile Disco – Interference
LFO – Freak
The Chemical Brothers – Under the Influence
Carte Blanche – The Molecules

Cut from their forthcoming double a-side single ‘Break You’/'Goodbye’, Ligers‘ brand new video encapsulates their sound perfectly: all hazy, kaleidoscopic light flashes and bright, pop colours.

The slower of the two tracks, ‘Goodbye’ is marked by gentle, cyclic guitar rhythms, powerful wide-ranging vocals courtesy of singer Liz Stott and broad, classic indie pop strokes. Filmed by Elva Rodriquez at the bands studio in Kilburn, this early outing aligns the London four-piece with a pained, nostalgic and straight-cut sound we can’t wait to hear develop.

‘Break You’/'Goodbye’ is due out on 27 May via the band’s own label MEME.

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:

Neo-soul shivers run up the spine of Oxfordshire quartet Glass Animals’ sultry new single, ‘Black Mambo’.

Sing-songy storytelling slinks across bouncy xylophone notes and slow, jazzy drums, while drips of hollow coo’s dance with the candlelight shadows projected on the wall.

The band that wow’d us in 2012 with their fantastic Leaflings EP, Glass Animals continue to evolve their blend of billowing hip hop beats and inviting tales told after the lights have been turned out, and all tied together by stunningly polished production, and still managing to sounds like nothing else we’ve ever heard. If they’re not on your list of acts to watch in 2013, you’re doing it wrong.

‘Black Mambo’ / ‘Exxus’ is out next month on Paul Epworth‘s Wolf Tone label.

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.

From making his name busking on the New York subway to an arresting Jools Holland appearance via collaborations with Grizzly Bear, TV On The Radio and Bat For Lashes, Marques Toliver has seen more of life than most commuters on the L-Train would dare to dream exists.

Though a gifted violin player and vocalist first and foremost, Toliver is clearly a man unwilling to be pigeonholed.  His debut album Land of CanAan, released on May 14th via Bella Union, ranges in scope from luscious, Van Dyke Parks style string arrangements (‘Repetition’) to a combination of shit kicking pop (‘Stay’) and sultry RnB balladry (‘Weather Man’) that confirms he’s spent as much time obsessing over Beyonce as he has any of his hip, indie mates – precisely what makes this worth a listen.

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

What we have here is less a remix and more what used to be called a ‘12” Version’, the kind producers like Arthur Baker would turn in when asked to transform a summery three minute pop hit into a darker, nine minute floor filler.  It’s a medium frequent Lindstrom collaborator Prins Thomas has clearly studied closely.

Where the Shout Out Louds’ original ‘Illusions’ burned brightly but briefly, Thomas’s version smoulders – he’s detonated some  dynamite under its synthesisers, blasting all its composite sections off to inhabit their own distinct territory, with each afforded more space to breathe and reveal its melodic charms.  It’s a reinterpretation so masterful it almost makes the original sound a little bit hurried.

Shout Out Louds return to London next month after their sold out show at The Lexington in April. The Swedish five-piece play XOYO on June 13, presented by Schoneberg Concerts and The Line Of Best Fit, tickets are available here.

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.

Since the release of Kate Boy‘s critically acclaimed debut EP Northern Lights back in January, there has been an unsettling lack of musical output from the promising Australian-Swedish electro-pop quartet.

Thank goodness, then, that they’ve finally ended the wait and stormed back on to the scene with ‘The Way We Are’, a future-retro synth-driven pop sensation. Punchy, powerful, with a military rhythm reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Really Care About Us’; the track has an instant appeal, solidified by a rousing arms aloft chorus.

Kate (Akhurst), the Australian singer-songwriter, and her Swedish band-mates are currently playing a series of European shows, and will be touring the US in June. The band make their UK debut at London’s Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on 19 June.

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. 

Stream Ireland’s charming electro-pop duo Young Wonder’s EP Show Your Teeth, out today on Feel Good Lost Records.

Producer Ian Ring and singer Rachel Koeman’s second collection of electronic fueled pop tracks invites listeners to delve into a more developed and refined take on Young Wonder’s infectious sound. Blending pitch-shifts and vocal snippets with influences ranging from dubstep and house to R&B and dreamy, Young Wonder combine traditional Irish roots with a love of creating the perfect soundtrack to your Friday night house party.

Chopping up samples and live vocals, Young Wonder’s Show Your Teeth is a whirlwind of layered percussion, harmonies and beats drawing you into their poptastic fantasyland, where dreams really do come true.

Empress Of finished fairly high on many end of year lists as 2012 finished up, with a farrago of blogs and tastemakers tipping her for great things.

Indeed, tracks ‘Don’t Tell Me’ and ‘Champagne’ were sparkling cuts of shoegaze-laced artpop, glistening with luxurious synths and the sun-bleached voice of Lorely Rodriguez, the brain and talent behind Empress Of. Her debut EP Systems cemented her rapidly accelerating reputation for au fait electronica with cuts like ‘Tristeza’ and ‘Hat Trick’, both becoming swallowed by the hype machine.

She began her writing career with ‘Colorminutes’, an audio scrapbook of glinting ideas and vibrant colours; it’s a project that launched her music, something she used/uses to influence full-length tracks. It’s a unique way of working – instead of bashing out a few ditties in a studio, she records snippets of inspiration and squirrels them away on YouTube for future use.

On the back of her wondrous, flightly electro-pop, she’s been touring with Jamie Lidell. The Brooklynite takes a few spare minutes out of her tour-comedown period to chat her writing habits, sexism in the music industry and her live learning curve.

Did you have a good time touring with Jamie?

It’s been good! It was the first tour for me so it was largely a learning experience. For the most part it was DIY. I did a lot of the driving and dealing with promoters and a lot of other things, but it was insanely awesome.

Was it daunting performing your music for the first time? How did the audience react?

Every night was a new audience. It was cool to see how people in different cities react to my music – none of them were really there to see me because I was the opening act for Jamie! But for the most part people were really supportive. I think after playing 30 shows straight I feel pretty confident now, and have gotten a little better at communicating with an audience, which is so valuable.

Do you think you’re set up for a headline tour any time soon?

I would really love to headline! I definitely think I have the experience to, as a performer, but I would really love to play some new songs first. I’m really excited to come to London for Great Escape, It will be my first time there!

Your EP came out here earlier in the month, how did you write and record it?

The four songs on the EP are from the Colorminutes collection of demos. I chose the four that I connected with the most, that I also felt were cohesive with one another, and I elaborated on those ideas. They each took on their own course to develop as fully conceived ideas – it took me a month to finish the song ‘No Means No’. It’s really interesting to go through and hear the different stages of that song because there are so many different bounces (when I turn them into MP3s from the recorded session). I really like where that song ended up though.

Has the EP got the reaction you were hoping for?

Well its gotten a positive reaction from a lot of people, which is all I can really hope for! I think I’d like to see how people have reacted to the B-side which is in Spanish, but I haven’t really had the opportunity to speak to anyone who lives in Spanish speaking countries to ask them… I just hope that someone in those countries has listened to it.

Will you continue to write and record using both languages, or was it just an experiment?

It was a concept I had to split the EP: divided by language, but cohesive in music and sharing the same sonic ideas.

Was it difficult writing in another language?

No, I speak Spanish! It was really fun. It’s really important to me to write my style of music in the language because I don’t really hear much experimental electronic pop done in Spanish… and sometimes the Spanish speaking bands write songs in English, so I wanted to do it for that reason. I think I’ll do another release in the future in Spanish.

What influenced it all?

Well I wrote the Colorminutes (which then turned into the EP) on a daily basis for thirty days, so the bulk of those lyrics are literally what happened to me that day. There was this one about me and my friends going to this island, it literally is this moment described word for word. We’re at this harbour island in New England area by Boston, and the water is so cold there no matter what time of year, and we were jumping in taking off our socks. Now that I listen to it it’s like a little diary. I get transported back.

Will you do something similar to the colorminutes for further releases?

Totally! I think its my favourite way to work so far. I’m trying to find the space right now to dive into another writing session in New York. I’m going to do a similar process where I write a song every day to find material for my full-length. I don’t know if I’ll show everyone this time around… but maybe someone will steal my computer and upload them on bandcamp…

What about music that’s influenced your sound in general? Do you have any musical heroes?

Well the sound I’m developing into is hugely influenced by female singers. I never really grew up listening to female singers – I always listened to male singers – but recently I’ve gotten into bands that have frontwomen like Broadcast, who are one of my favourite bands of all time, and Deerhoof.

Satomi [Matsukazi] is such an amazing performer, and her style of singing doesn’t really conform to a genre. I guess that’s what I like about these female singers that I’ve gotten into – they don’t really fit into a box. Like Elizabeth Fraser, she just invents the genre or the sound.

Grimes has just released a pretty scathing review of the music industry recently. What’s your reaction?

I read it yesterday, It’s awesome. I think she obviously had a reason why she posted her commentary.

Do you agree?

As a women who writes and produces my own music, I have found it very often that people who try to help me say ‘you should work with this producer or work with this writer’ and I get offended, especially when I come off a long tour, because my involvement in those aspects of the music is what makes it sound like that. I know these people are just trying to help and don’t realize that its offensive, because that’s how it works for the majority of the time. I think there aren’t many female producers/songwriters in the business and that’s why they get treated like that. I’m hoping that changes in the future. I think what Grimes is doing and what a lot of other female producers are doing, like Julia Holter and Laurel Halo, will influence a lot of younger artists to continue on the path.

Do you think that things will change eventually?

I think so. I know that I will continue to work this way, and I feel very obligated as an artist to have a lot of creative control in my project, so I hope that that only influences more female artists.

Do you aspire to be a figure that can make those changes/spearhead a movement/lead a revolution? Will the changes be sudden or do you think it’ll be an uphill struggle?

Well I think in regards to the music industry, I think there have always been some amount of female producers but I think because of the Internet and technology and the ability to record music yourself its increasing more and more. I think its just inevitable. I’m hoping it will not be too much of a struggle, but you know there are always people who judge based on stereotypes. I think the audience I’m trying to make my music for has to be accepting of pushing boundaries.

And a bit of a non-sequitur for the final question: have you got any plans for the rest of the year?

I don’t know what’s going to happen this summer. I always want to play more shows, so I would really love to play some festivals this summer (I don’t have any planned for now though). I’m going to start writing music for a full-length, which I’m really excited about. I’ve never done an album before and I think its going to be an amazing challenge. I’ll be playing some shows in New York with Doldrums, Twin Sister and some other great bands!

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.