Written by Sophie Wyatt
Although many of us desperately wished away the last few months (maybe even the first few as well) of 2020, one thing the year did not disappoint in is good music. In the absence of live gigs and festivals, we have been forced to turn to our trusty streaming platforms in order to get our fix of new and nostalgic music. 2020 also gave us the chance to discover an uncountable number of new artists. We have created a list of some of our favourite albums and EP’s from emerging and established artists alike that have been released over the past 12 months to keep you grooving through the first few months of this new year.
Heartbreak – Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Friends since 2015, renowned music producers Bonobo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs have worked together to release a pair of singles ‘Heartbreak‘ and ‘6000 Ft.‘. First track ‘Heartbreak‘ attributes to New York City’s disco scene over the 1970’s/80’s. The nostalgic groove of their first track compliments their slower paced second song ‘6000ft‘ which embraces more of a familiar combination of both of the producers unique sounds.
Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios) – Kali Uchis
2020 also saw the release of Colombian-American artist Kali Uchis’s first completely Spanish LP ‘Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios)‘ or ‘Without Fear (of Love or Other Demons)’. After releasing her debut album back in 2018 with features from the likes of Tame Impala, Thundercat and the Gorillaz, Kali Uchis has grown a huge following world-wide and continuing to grow her following and broaden her musical horizons by incorporating her heritage even more in this latest album. She uses this album to not only explore new avenues within the music industry, but also as a way of refining her unique sound.
CHEW YOUR FOOD – Deema
Emerging artist DEEMA has made a huge splash in the UK rap scene over the past 12 months. Putting his own spin on both rap and grime with catchy tracks and genius lyricism, DEEMA’s music has become instantly recognisable. The young artist’s debut solo EP consists of a seven track collection which combines witty comments with creative observations. If this is just the start of DEEMA’s career, we can’t wait to see what’s to come.
Lose Your Head – London Grammar
2020/2021 has also seen the official comeback of electronic-pop trio London Grammar. In the run up to their first full length album release since their 2017 album ‘Truth is a Beautiful Thing‘, which is set to be released 9th April 2021, the UK group have released three emotion driven tracks; ‘Baby It’s You‘, ‘Californian Soil‘ and ‘Lose Your Head‘. The touching, relatable lyrics set against upbeat music has just reminded us how much we love the group. We are ready and waiting for ‘Californian Soil’ to be the soundtrack to our summer.
Hopprock – Madlib
Towards the end of 2020, music producer, multi-instrumentalist and rapper Madlib lifted the spirits of many by announcing his collaborative album ‘Sound Ancestors’ with fellow producer Four Tet. The pair have been working on this album for the past five years and are excited to release it later this year. In the mean time, Madlib has released a pair of songs from the eagerly awaited album ‘Hopprock‘ and ‘Road Of The Lonely Ones‘. Edited, arranged and managed by Four Tet, ‘Road Of The Lonely Ones‘ entices you in with warm and familiar vibes, while also expressing a completely new sound.
In Your Head – Isabelle Brown
UK singer-songwriter Isabelle Brown released her second mixtape in 2020, which contains a collection of vibrant tracks with a nostalgic feel to keep you grooving through tough times. The flourishing artist’s mixtape also consists of several of her previous catchy singles such as ‘Work It All Out‘ and ‘In Your Head‘. Isabelle’s upbeat music has been closely refined over her years of writing and creating songs, and her second mixtape showcases her most entrancing work yet!
Soundboy – p-rallel
At just 21-years-old, multi-genre DJ and music producer p-rallel has honed in his confident and unique style in the UK music scene. Intricate and carefully engineered tracks make up p-rallel’s latest album ‘Soundboy‘, which also includes features from artists such as Greentea Peng, Nayana IZ and Louis Culture. Growing with a number of different musical genres, it no surprise that the young artist is able to switch between (as well as combine) genres from jungle to R&B and soul to garage. After making his mark at such a young age, we are nothing but excited to see what the future holds for this incredibly talented creative.