Fresh New Kicks: Halfway To Mexico- Jodie Abacus (prod. Royce Wood Jr.)

We’re already aware that Royce Wood Jr is a phenomenal producer- he put in years of service to others before dropping The Ashen Tang after all- but this latest Jodie Abacus track only strengthens the knowledge. Titled Halfway To Mexico it boasts a squelchy, swampy beat that gathers the listener up and sweeps them along, exuberant and the perfect accompaniment to Abacus’ rollercoaster vocal journey. He’s an artist who emotes with more than just the melody- there’s changes of tone, pacing, even brief snatches of spoken word in this bouncy soul denunciation of the predatory vultures he finds surrounding him, in what appears to be a Hollywood-esque town populated by people without a moral compass. It’s a sad situation- but at least this diamond emerged from the muck.

Follow @JodieAbacus on Twitter now. 

FRESH NEW KICKS: Sharpness- Jamie Woon

By now it seems relatively safe to dub Apple Music’s Beats 1 radio a comprehensive success. Artists are premiering exclusive content over the airwaves at a rate that probably has Jay Z crying into a handkerchief worth more than your entire wardrobe. OVO, FKA twigs and Pharrell are just a sample of musicians choosing to drop new tunes on their own shows without so much as a hint of a pre-order option on iTunes. And thankfully, that has led us to this happy occurence: Jamie Woon, the original sonic mould for thousands of Soundcloud electronic R&B artists, has returned to rescue us from the musical doldrums with a brand new track that Pharrell cheekily decided to air on his Beats 1 slot, without Woon’s prior knowledge. Then Disclosure followed suit by showcasing it on Radio 1 and now the song has finally made it online for you to listen at your leisure.

FRESH NEW KICKS: .WAV Theory- Towkio

‘This shit better turn your shit out’ squeaky-voiced spitter Chancelor Bennett instructs on Clean Up, the first proper track to be found on .WAV Theory, fellow Save Money alum Towkio‘s second mixtape. The artist formerly known as Tokyo Shawn has been threatening a fire release for a while now, his Soundcloud page racking up plays courtesy of glittering disco-rap track Free Your Mind, the Kaytranada cruise jam Involved and glorious white-gown gospel delivered by Heaven Only Knows. All three of those feature familiar faces: Vic Mensa takes a break from aping Ye to showcase his super-smooth vocals, liberally drizzling effortless charisma all over Involved, Donnie Trumpet‘s fingerprints are smudged upon the sparkling surface of Free Your Mind and Chance’s appearance on Heaven Only Knows offers up a pretty-good summation of the entire project. ‘Why you bout to have the hottest tape of 2015? It’s stupid’ he laughs.

STOP EVERYTHING: Acquaint Yourself With Phony Ppl

If you’ve had the pleasure of coming across Jordan Rakei, my favourite musician of the first quarter of 2015 (he recently recieved a shout out from Sam Smith, an act that has forced me rethink my entire position on The Bland One), you’ll know he’s one of the new crop of artists who put creativity and quality above the quest for fame. Therefore, any recommendation he makes is gonna be pretty damn special.

And so it is with Phony Ppl a collective from Brooklyn who are the purveyors of some of the most individual and multi-faceted soundscapes I’ve heard in a good few years. Think what Andre 3000 was trying to achieve on The Love Below but with about 5 more splashes of innovation. Tracks range from melancholy jazz inflected musings upon the passage of time to throbbing electronic odes that exult the beauty of romance, interjected with twisting rap verses.

Think of a influence and it’s there: Latin, funk, soul, afrofuturistic grooves that spirit you away to another plane through sublime artistry. Phony Ppl are the band that make the endless searching clicks on Soundcloud worth it; even their Wonderful Christmas Time cover transforms the song into a soulful anthem, achieving the impossible and making a cheesy Xmas hit into a chilled cut to play on your downtime with bae. Download latest album Yesterday’s Tomorrow now to satisfy a need you didn’t even know you had.

Follow @PhonyPpl on Twitter now.

FLEX ZONE

Flex Zone sorts the wheat from the Chief Keef

I Guess- Black Milk

When I’m 31, I hope I’ll have done something equivalent to releasing 6 albums, but let’s be honest, that soulless office job is calling my name. While I practice twirling sadly on my spinny chair, here’s latest cut from overachiever Black Milk which finds him in a particularly speculative mood.

living room flow- Jhené Aiko

Does the sensual slow talk delivered by Jhené Aiko technically count as rap? Probably not, but 1 minute of this song is enough to have you reaching for your other half or Tinder. Sorry, I’m gonna need a moment.

Hall & Nash EP- Westside Gunn ft. Conway

If you haven’t hopped on Westside Gunn yet, do it now while you can still glean some points from being in the know. Or alternatively, do it because HE’S FUCKING GREAT, YES?

100 Foreva- Ace Hood

Ace Hood proves his claims of being ‘100 Foreva’ by not letting up for a second on this menacing throwdown to anyone who dares challenge him.

That’s Love- Oddisee

Oh god, there’s brass instrumentation, my musical weakness- hold me please. This sounds like something The Social Experiment would release, which is a plus in my book.

Headed To The Top- Charles Hamilton

This is actually another Oddisee track, but this time he’s serving as a producer and assisting Charles Hamilton with his comeback. Muy bueno.

Institutionalized- Kendrick Lamar

Alright, here’s some Kendrick to keep y’all quiet.