Things are officially starting to slow down. The first week of December is typically the cut-off point for major releases unless you're about to do a Beyoncé (oh hai RiRi) and people are starting to knock-off work early to do other things like drink margaritas so there's no one around to hit upload on Soundcloud. Lucky there are a select few who don't let their work ethic slip even over the silly season. These 10 are those artists. Three cheers for the work-horses of the industry:
FKJ
Better Give You Up
French Kiwi Juice who goes by FKJ for short is gearing up to release his self-titled debut album soon and this track, Better Give U Up, is plucked from that. The French producer has delivered a funky, grooving, falsetto-soaked tune that washes right over you with ease. It feels like the sort of jam that would be nestled in a Stevie Wonder album - the type that just continues to get under your skin.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/fkj-2/fkj-better-give-u-up[/soundcloud]
Majid Jordan
Something About You
You probably best know duo Majid Jordan from their feature on Drake's Hold On We're Going Home but they also have an impressive collection of their own stuff and this week they announced there's an album coming on 5th February. Something About You is from that record and it's a late contender for R&B jam of the year. Loaded with pitch-altered vocal samples and a throbbing beat, it's a sexy, late night cut. The vocal on it fluctuates between the falsetto and the powerful finding a spine-tingling sweet spot.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/majidjordan/something-about-you[/soundcloud]
Cosmo's Midnight
Hurt (Feat. Sarah Bonito)
After what feels like years of waiting, Sydney producer duo Cosmo's Midnight have dropped their Moments EP. It's a boundary-pushing, forward-thinking collection of songs with the highlight being this track which features Sarah Bonito of Kero Kero Bonito fame. It marries kawaii vocals and synths with industrial beats that give it a much needed toughness. It definitely sits within Wave Racer and Basenji's world but at the same time it has their own unique stamp on it thanks to that delicious melody.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/cosmosmidnight/cosmos-midnight-hurt-feat-sarah-bonito[/soundcloud]
World Champion
Tip Pit
Today marks the release of Future Classic signees World Champion's debut EP Avocado Galaxy. Over the past few years the Sydney duo have managed to capture the attention of Beats 1 and you can see why listening to the EP. They've managed to find their niche in an overcrowded psychedelic scene and still inject really delectable, radio-ready melodies. Trap Pit encapsulates that perfectly. It's instantaneously loveable mixing psychedelia with motown and soul just like Tame Impala first did on Lonerism. Really impressive stuff.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/futureclassic/world-champion-tip-pit[/soundcloud]
Lontalius
Kick In The Head
Kiwi producer Lontalius is becoming wildly unpredictbale and it's thrilling to watch. His last single All I Wanna See entered into the world of Troye Sivan pop and now he's done a backflip and headed for atmospheric indie-rock influences on Kick In The Head. It's almost completely removed from the world of electronic music but it's a beautiful, sprawling piece nonetheless lacing him in the world of a band like Volcano Choir or even The National.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/lontalius-official/kick-in-the-head-1[/soundcloud]
Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge
Link Up
Anderson .Paak is a very busy man right now. In the past month, he’s dropped two solo tracksand also appeared on TOKiMONSTA’s new single but that hasn’t stopped him adding another project to his ‘to do’ list. The latest is a collaborative EP Link Up & Suede with producer Knxwledge. The pair previously connected as NxWorries but now they’re using their own names perhaps because .Paak’s profile has skyrocketed.
Link Up was premiered by Zane Lowe over at Beats 1 and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s funky to no end but Knxwledge’s production is intricate and eccentric making it as interesting as it is danceable.
https://soundcloud.com/stonesthrow/nxworries-anderson-paak-knxwledge-link-up[/soundcloud]
ANOHNI
4 DEGREES
ANOHNI, FKA. Antony and the Johnsons, has collaborated with Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never on <em>4 DEGREES</em>. It is a massive dance track celebrating global warming and collapsing biodiversity with ANOHNI stating that this is her contribution to the Paris conference. It's an unsuspecting collaborating but a wonderful addition to the current musical climate. Together they have crafted a beat that is reminiscent of a Roman empire marching to victory.
Chairlift
Romeo
It’s been a badly kept secret for a while now that Chairlift are damn good at crafting an alt-pop song. They proved it best on their last album Something, then Beyoncé noticed it enlisting frontwoman Caroline Polachek to write for her and now they’re back dropping total fire off their forthcoming album Moth. Romeo is the latest and quite frankly it’s hard to fault. Driven by an ’80s-tinged beat, Polachek leads the track into a glorious chorus centring around the line, “hey Romeo, put on your running shoes I’m ready to go.”
Elliphant
North Star (Bloody Christmas)
If you're not digging Kylie or Bublé this Christmas then maybe you should look towards cray cray Swede Elliphant for your xmas tunes this year. She's written a raw ballad to celebrate the occasion but it's not all that happy. "We know it could never last," she sings with a sadness in her voice far removed from the usual seasonal cheer. Elliphant is heading down-under this month to play Falls Festival so if you see her around make sure you wish her merry christmas and cheer her up a bit. Or not because it's a great song.
dvsn
Too Deep
Last month, the internet cottoned on to dvsn the moniker of another moniker Nineteen85 who is credited with producing Hotline Bling. He dropped two tracks With Me and The Line which proved him capable of holding it down up-front and not just behind the production desk. Too Deep proves that point even further, delivering a wobbly bass-line and Boyz II Men-channelling vocals that’ll surely give you shivers all over.
[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/dvsndvsn/too-deep[/soundcloud]
