12 emerging artists you need to hear: February 2023

WAAW are a London-based DJ duo — literal twins, best represented by a palindrome that screams “WOW!” — whose global club sound curation is both accessible and adrenalised. WAAW have a musical taste that holds out a hand to casual listeners excluded from patrician Facebook groups (you’ll recognise heroines from Mary J. Blige to Jorja Smith throughout their club sets), but also make sure to invite all dancers into a new world of genre-blending, drum-heavy mixes that will, like WAAW’s R&B queens, stand the test of time. 

WAAW take their listeners on global journeys, from the gqom of South Africa to the rap of South London. The past year saw them feature live at the Colour Factory’s New Year’s Eve night, on Foundation FM and at events with London legend Lava La Rue’s NiNE8 collective. 2023 will see the two produce their own music, and put on their own plush events across the capital. Joseph Lyons

For fans of: Bambii, Vanessa Maria, Prestige Pak
Photo: Dennis Eluyefa

An integral part of the London-based collective Daytimers and one fourth of the psychedelic rock band Flamingods, Karthik Poduval, aka Mera Bhai, has long been making a legacy through his music. With a London upbringing and Indian heritage, he’s experienced living life in many parts of the world, from Italy to Nigeria. His musical influences are as far reaching as his travels: his debut release on Moshi Moshi featured collaborations with soul singer/songwriters Andrew Ashong and Alxndr London, as well as a bootleg version of the ’80s record ‘Jama El F’Na’ by Ahmed Fakroun, a record that melded traditional Libyan music with Western pop. 

Two years on, he’s made a welcome return with ‘Relax Into Yourself’ on his new label Morning Raga. He’s collaborated with an abundance of artists, including Private Joy for ‘Be This Way’, an uplifting, ’90s-inspired house record that beams of nostalgic dancefloor memories. ‘Fire Bun’ features lyricist Joshua Idehen alongside acid bleeps and the distant echoing sounds of jazz instrumentals. Testament to his breadth of musical knowledge, his latest work fuses together glimmers of the past and present into something that feels completely fresh and new, and it’s destined for great things. Anna Wall

For fans of: Hercules & Love Affair, Rohan Rakhit, Dan Kye

There are plenty of techno artists based in Berlin who are keeping the scene fresh and colourful, and Philippa Pacho is one of them. 2023 kicked off on a solid note for the Sweden-born artist, who joined Berghain’s marathon Silvester Klubnacht on NYE — a night that reserves most of its slots for the club’s in-house residents. Having cut her teeth DJing 10 years ago on the Stockholm rave circuit, primarily through her residency at Under Bron, Philippa has evolved into one of the most promising artists in Europe. 

Co-running the label positivesource with Blue Hour, the imprint has recently released the ‘src004’ V/A, featuring techno heads Blasha & Allatt, Spekki Webu, Phil Berg and Ipeo. Upcoming gigs include her return to clubs Basement, Berghain and a B2B with Setaoc Mass in RSO. Plus, she’ll co-curate positivesource’s debut showcase in Den Anden Side, Copenhagen. Step into Philippa’s world via her latest podcast for Bassiani. Niamh O’Connor

For fans of: Freddy K, D.Dan, Tasha

Bermuda-born, London-raised Blood Trust blends the bleak futurism of early tech-step with ritualistic halftime rhythms. His appropriately named ‘Dread Pilot’ EP for CNVX is a perfect example, while his brand-new remix of Resound’s ‘Gnosis’ for Straight Up Breakbeat cranks up the minimalist original’s seismic bomb bassline and pairs it with a tough drumfunk break. The start of 2023 will also see a release for modern jungle specialists Repertoire, produced in collaboration with Basic Rhythm. 

His own Digital Red Label is another key outlet, home to tracks like the urgent, glitching war dance of ‘Stimulant’, grimy and militant ‘Gangstalking’, and ominously industrial ‘Surface To Air’. But while 170bpm beats have been his bread and butter so far, Blood Trust is keen to stress they’re not the be all and end all either. Inspired by Instra:mental and the autonomic sound, homes of genre splicing like Hemlock and Skull Disco, as well as more traditional d&b, he maintains the vibe of a track is more important than how it’s labelled. Thus he aims to bring a consistent atmosphere across all his music, no matter the genre. Ben Hindle

For fans of: Loxy, Resound, Antagonist

Following her debut vinyl release ‘Flowing With Honey’ on Marie Montexier’s label Paryìa Records, Dublin-based Small Crab has another EP in the works on Manchester-based imprint Left, Right & Centre. It’s an ideal outlet for the German artist, who channels broken, breaks-heavy bass and techno, although it’s impossible to pigeonhole the sound of Small Crab, which makes her all the more captivating. 

Regularly playing the Dublin circuit, Small Crab has shared the bill with Jyoty, Jossy Mitsu, Chloé Robinson and Long Island Sound in clubs like Wigwam, Izakaya Basement and The Racket Space. She recently ventured to the UK too, playing alongside Bambounou at The Loft in Manchester. Back home in Dublin, Small Crab leads music production workshops with the Skin&Blister crew, a platform that nurtures and encourages female, trans and non-binary creatives in the world of music and the arts in Ireland: a surefire sign that Small Crab is a rising talent to watch. Niamh O’Connor

For fans of: Ben UFO, Batu, Bambounou
Photo: Emilia Rigaud

Nowadays based in London, Manchester-born Matthew Neequaye has fast been making a name for himself in the capital and beyond. As a resident for Hamish & Toby’s Butter Side Up party that began in Leeds, he’s played alongside the likes of Francesco Del Garda, Laurine and Cecilio, Gene On Earth, Christian AB and plenty more, and during this time has truly mastered the art of working a dancefloor at any time of day or night. 

He’s a regular at renowned spots such as Lion and Lamb, Wire and Pickle Factory, and last year saw him venture into the festival circuit, playing Gottwood, Come Bye Festival and Dimensions, the latter of which he’ll be returning to this summer for a soon-to-be-announced B2B. This year, he’ll also be making his debut at the party boat Hoppetosse in Berlin, and has just released a new mix called ‘Going To London’ — plus, we can expect to hear some music productions coming soon. His sets dig deep and travel seamlessly through various formations of house music with class and effortless groove. Anna Wall

For fans of: Voigtmann, Andrew James Gustav, Truly Madly

“It’s the story of my twenties. I pay homage to this kid everybody knew, but not deeply. It’s about retrieving a power that has always been mine, making peace with the past and moving forward.” That’s Montreal’s Gayance (real name: Aïsha Vertus), talking about the thematic thrust of her debut LP, ‘Mascarade’, coming out on 3rd March via Bradley Zero’s Rhythm Section label. The album serves as a follow-up to a largely self-released series of tracks and EPs, and sees the multi-hyphenate artist teaming up with a crew of fellow Montrealers — Janette King, Hua Li, Sarah MK, and Judith Little D among them — to craft an album that merges jazz-kissed melodies, rich chords, gliding vocal work, broken beats, and R&B vibes.

“Gayance” is a Haitian creole word for “joyfulness”, and it’s a fitting pseudonym — though the vocals occasionally contain hints of longing and heartache, ‘Mascarade’ is an uplifting collection of tunes. If it sounds like the work of someone who’s spent years immersed in music, that’s because it is: Gayance, who also DJs, has spent time as a music journalist, served as a music-program consultant at the POP Montreal festival, and curated the Visions Hip Hop QC exhibition at the PHI Center, among other activities. Hard work, it seems, pays off. Bruce Tantum

For fans of: Little Dragon, Rochelle Jordan, Kelela
Photo: Tess Roby

Who’s yearning to feel a bit lighter? Lucky for you, there are artists like Furcloud, the New York-based producer and sound designer whose output is as soothing as it is rejuvenating. Inspired by acts like Le Youth, Durante, and RÜFÜS DU SOL, Furcloud produces music that draws from the ambient and melodic house realms, resulting in buoyant works that land on labels like Purified. The Nora En Pure-helmed imprint served as home to the ‘Rise’ EP, his 2021 four-track debut alongside Belarusian beatmaker, Heard Right, which put him on the map as one to watch. 

The past 12 months proved prolific, too. He dropped two more extended players and a deep house single called ‘Moments’ on Armada — a mellow exploration of warm synths and ascendent keys that’s built for capturing happy memories like snapshots to store in the mind for when we need them most. The year wrapped with ‘Alive’, an equally feel-good groove, featuring rising star L.GU. With tunes so sweet, it’s easy to see why scene-shaping names like Lane 8 and Sultan + Shepard are already cheering in his corner. Perhaps it’s time to stop doom- scrolling and do the same? Megan Venzin

For fans of: Ben Böhmer, Enamour, Lane 8

Last year, Gl0bal scored a nomination for Best Dance & Electronic Artist Of The Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards. Now, he’s living up to his moniker and lighting up the international stage with his hybrid brand of trap and dubstep that packs a punch of quintessential UK flavour (which makes good sense, given he’s originally from there.) 

Now based in British Columbia, Gl0Bal’s racked up releases on Circus Records (2020’s euphoric ‘Believe’ had us flying) as well as Subsidia Records, the imprint belonging to B.C. pioneer and tastemaker, Excision. Their connection recently brought Gl0bal to Lost Lands, and in February, he’ll unveil his first full-length LP, ‘Judgement Day’, the lead singles for which are downright menacing. ‘Demon Hours’ slings the fast-paced rhymes of London rapper Big Jest up against UK drill beats. ‘Pain’, a bass banger featuring Armanni Reign, dropped January 12th, and it’s about as heavy as they come. If all his drops are this relentless, it’s only a matter of time before Gl0bal has the whole world quaking. Megan Venzin

For fans of: Excision, Flux Pavilion, TroyBoi

Back in 2016, the DJ and producer Tinashe Jomairwa, who produces and spins as Nash La Musica, met Vox, a fellow DJ in his hometown of Witbank, South Africa. Not long after, Vox, who has since passed away, sent Jomairwa a spoken-word recounting of a DJ gig he’d had years earlier. Jomairwa built a track around it — and ‘Go Deeper’ was born. The tune has finally seen the light of day via the Issa’min label. Both minimal in construction — a few chords, a hollowed-out bass tone, and a bit of synth filigree draped over a subdued 4/4 rhythm — and lushly emotive, it’s a beautifully subdued deep house groover, like Larry Heard crossed with Kerri Chandler in his more introspective moments. 

If ‘Go Deeper’ sounds like the work of a veteran, that’s because it is. Jomairwa’s been releasing tunes since 2017. His rapidly-burgeoning discography included production work on Q Maasta’s luxurious “Want It’, the driving ‘Drums Of War’, and the amapiano-flavoured ‘Love & House (Soulful Yanos Vol.2)’, released under the Tinashe name. There’s plenty to dig into — and, with tracks like ‘Go Deeper’, we suspect there’ll be a lot more to come. Bruce Tantum

For fans of: Mr. Fingers, Abacus, Theology HD

Field recordings of water flow throughout the Kenyan composer Nyokabi Kariũki’s debut album ‘Feeling Body’, just released on NYC’s experimentally-minded cmntx records. Its healing qualities and the solace it can bring are among the recurring motifs on the LP; another is her experience of dealing with the effects of long Covid. She says that the LP, a follow-up to last year’s ‘peace places: kenyan memories’ EP, was difficult to write and produce. “There is a lot to say about being sick, about being sick during a pandemic,” she says, “about how the world treats you if you are sick for longer than ‘just a cold.’” 

But there’s hope to be found in the album as well. “I am ever in awe of our bodies, and how they keep going, despite and in spite of all the pain we go through in life. In a way, this album is an expression of love, and gratitude, to my own.” “Feeling Body’ is certainly a heavy listen, but it’s a beautiful one as well, with those field recordings and her own voice. The 12-and-a-half-minute title track is built around a stream-of- consciousness voice note — augmented by various electronics, piano, and contributions from violinist Yaz Lancaster and trumpet player Michael Denis Ó Callaghan. It all adds up to an emotional and truly moving work. Bruce Tantum

For fans of: Pamela Z, KMRU, Laurel Halo
Photo: Gianfranco Bello

Electropop enthusiasts already dig Salt Cathedral, the Bogata-bred, Brooklyn-based band known for cuts like ‘No Love’ and ‘Carisma’. Their tropical, synth-slathered grooves have made them favourites on Ultra Music, but for one member, the musical aspirations don’t stop there. Nico Losada, who is largely responsible for the group’s vibrant soundscapes and rhythmic drum patterns, now has a solo debut album in the works. ‘Nueva Generación’ drops next month, and its unusual texture took shape when Losado began tinkering with whatever instruments he had at hand. Using cumbia, Afro-Colombian bullerengue, gaita flute samples and more, he’s created a soundtrack that fuses Latin American elements with club-adjacent beats, and the results are exceptional. Among its lead singles is a chilled- out groove titled ‘Vistas Panorámicas’, which serves as a love letter to the landscapes that move him.

“‘Vistas Panorámicas’ has a feel based on my love for mountains,” Losado explains. “Every time I’m around a mountain, it vanishes my own self and it gives me this feeling of serenity.” The third single ‘Waking Love’ was another enchanting selection elevated by hymn-like vocals. As a pair, they lend confidence that the forthcoming LP will be in a league of its own. Megan Venzin

For fans of: Bomba Estéreo, Ela Minus, Salt Cathedral
Photo: Jesse Bronstein