Written by Sophie Wyatt
Not restricted by any one genre or style, Gilles Peterson and Brownswood Music’s talent development plan Future Bubblers, embraces all kinds of musical talent. Actively seeking out new and exciting creatives within the music industry, Future Bubblers aims to support and mentor these artists to the best of their abilities. The musicians will receive one-to-one production workshops with music software company Ableton, be given the chance to perform at live Future Bubbler showcases and record live sessions from the iconic Brownswood basement, among many other opportunities that will give them a running start into the music industry.
Collaborating with Arts Council England, the programme focuses on creating paths to new opportunities, both geographically and musically. Each year the programme sets a focus city in which the bubblers reside. The programme has a particular focus on cities outside of London; Salford, Nottingham, Sheffield, Hull, Southhampton, Liverpool. Due to the pandemic this years focus city is a repeat of 2020’s, Wolverhampton. The nine new artists will be the programmes ‘Year 6’s’.
So, you may be thinking, how does this entire process start? Well first of all, the Bubbler’s ethos is deeply rooted in underground, alternative world. With the goal of finding and supporting artists, this is all be obvious. After going through a stripped back, ‘no frills’ application process, the Bubblers are paired with an industry mentor, handpicked to tailor to the individuals musical needs. And from there, the sky is limitless. So, let’s take a look at this year’s Bubblers, who were announced earlier today.
Born in London but raised in Manchester, new wave R&B artist Victoria Jane is heavily influenced by the cities diverse range of sounds. Combining R&B, trap and hip-hop among other genres, allows Victoria to produce an incredibly interesting and instantly recognisable tune.
Hip-hop and jazz wordsmith Ceeow has dedicated the last five years of his life to music. Alongside following his passion, Ceeow has spent his time working in mental health support, working with people in recovery and individuals with behavioural needs. For these reasons the Manchester-based artist holds mental wellbeing close to his heart, which is paralleled by his emotion fuelled music.
Alfie Holloway, aka. Nowsm, uses a mix of breakbeat and house to create his compelling, and individual music. Growing up in Derbyshire, Alfie felt somewhat restricted by his location. However, he decided to sought out like minded creatives, and in doing so has received support from programmes such as NTS, BBC Introducing, and now Future Bubblers.
Finding inspiration in the chaos and beauty of the world around him, Yoruba-born Seigried’s sound is entirely original and instantly capturing. Classically trained in saxophone, the multi-instrumentalist is talented beyond his years. Still drawing on his classical training, Seigfried weaves classical layers in over many other sounds to create his unique pieces.
After moving to Norwich at the age of 12, Zimbabwe-born Tadi The Great discovered his distinct musical sound. The name Tadi The Great pays homage to his Zimbabwe routes, while his chilled music reflects his home in Norfolk. With a drive to carry on learning about his passion, Tadi explores the use of samples, analogues and unique blend of sounds.
From Welsh heritage but currently residing in London, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Plumm is set to take the world by storm. Having graduated from the BRIT school and already headlined a show at The Jazz Cafe, Plumm is using her eclectic range of skills to produce some groundbreaking beats. Her powerful and soulful records have made a huge splash in the music scene already, so we are excited to see just how much further she can go following her time as a Future Bubbler.
One of the most exciting up and coming artists in the West Midlands right now is Jericho Noguera. Since his debut in 2018, the artist has released a stream of EP’s and singles that have continued to land well with fans across the world. His new album has also gained a lot of traction from the BBC and is set to be released later this year.
Influenced from a young age by jazz, acid jazz, afrobeat and dub, Coventry-born artist Shrikers’ music is truely an homage to her passion and how it continues to develop. Exploring sounds taken from hip-hop, jazz and neo-soul, Shirkers’ allows her to truely express her inner most creativity.
And lastly cross-genre band Zeñel. Blending synth sounds and electronic undertones, the flourishing group is gaining attention for their otherworldly sounds. Continuing to grow both their discography and their fanbase, we are more than excited to see where the Future Bubblers programme will lead them.
Head over to the Future Bubblers website to hear more about this years musicians and how the programme is impacting the industry.