Organic New Music Friday #1

Following the curation of our weekly New Music Friday column by Joe Childs, it felt only natural to steer this concept down a more organic route too, celebrating the abundance of up-and-coming artists that circulate Leeds and its surroundings. Finding music that is distinct from mainstream charts and the commercially produced can at times be challenging, often falling deep into a YouTube hole in search for new genres that seem appealing, or being overloaded with slightly weird edits of once sacred tracks. And yet, Leeds is lucky enough to be regularly inundated with rising talent, with a buzzing community of musicians, DJs and producers networking together to create a culture of amazing music.

For our first week, I'm very pleased to present to you an absolute belter of releases that will spoil your ears rotten. Hope you enjoy!

199 – '199 Presents: In Arms'

First for Organic New Music Friday is a release from Leeds-based duo 199 – run by Front Bench (Richard Byers) and Alex Galloway. 199 Presents: In Arms is their second compilation of the year, collaborating with a serious selection of producers from not just Leeds, but around the world. This compilation is impressively diverse – swimming through an array of breaks, electro, garage, footwork and more - yet retaining the classic 199 style of sophisticated and exciting tracks for the dancefloor. Notable mentions go out Kiddy. Wav's electro-infused, mega-heat-packed number Ready or Not, alongside a supersonic remix of Cardi and Megan’s WAP by Raph. To make this release even more special, its proceeds are being donated to @toms_fight, raising money for 199’s friend Tom Lazarides who suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury earlier this year. The money raised will contribute to his recovery.

199 Presents: In Arms is out now on Bandcamp and available to listen to and share on Soundcloud.

Zeitgeist and Pixie Cola - 'Come Over Here'

Second up is Leeds-based Zeitgeist and Pixie Cola, with their first collaboration. Zeitgeist is part of the thriving scene of producers emerging from LS6, joining forces with ReadyMeal Sound vocalist Pixie Cola on his latest track Come Over Here. Released on the 9th of September, this track oozes all the energy of our summer-that-should-have-been: combining Pixie’s effortless and soulful vocals with bright steelpans and a huge drum and bass beat. And of course, Come Over Here cannot help but bring with it a glorious sense of nostalgia, from sampling Mura Masa’s notorious track ‘Lovesick’ - a song that itself exudes the carefree and tropical feel of summer.

Come Over Here is out now on Spotify and Soundcloud via KingPin Productions.

Kilig - Ape

Kilig's new track Ape dropped yesterday, as part of his magically eclectic EP Dream Logic released via Scuffed Recordings. As an anonymous producer, the enigma of Kilig is largely reflected in the music he makes, using this EP to venture through all kinds of ambient, techno and minimal sounds. This tune in particular has a fascinating industrial depth, creating a dreamy abyss of percussion for your ears.

Ape is out now on Bandcamp and available to listen and share on Soundcloud.

Luxe - 'Falcon’s Rise'

Manchester-based Luxe brings an elegant contribution to Banoffee Pies Records new VA Limited Series 09, with her track Falcon’s Rise. Pairing delicate female vocals with a sophisticated set of breaks and other worldly sounds, this piece is a pleasure to listen to. Discussing her inspirations when writing, Luxe created the majority of Falcon's Rise in the depths of lockdown. She reflects her emotions at the time - nostalgia, isolation and yearning - through the continuous features of the track, such as the incessant sub and restless percussion. You can catch more of Luxe monthly on Melodic Distraction, and recently on Shifting Sphere's compilation ‘Spheres of Sound: In support of Roshni and UKBP’.

Falcon's Rise is released on Bandcamp on the 23rd October via Banoffee Pies Records.

Darama – 'It’s Too Late'

Released via Bristol-based label Slippery Sounds, Darama’s new track It’s Too Late combines a gritty bassline with breakbeat inspiration from his Uncle’s old records. Combining modern bass design with this sophisticated percussion, Darama achieves a track of satisfyingly heavy layers. Darama is a project, started by Dhillon Chhabra last December, with the intention of exploring his South Asian heritage alongside his interest in UK rave culture. There is sure to be a whole load more from Darama in the near future, so keep an eye out for his promising new releases.

It’s Too Late is out now on Soundcloud via Slippery Sounds.

Osignat Premiere: K.I.I.A – 'Killing Time'

K.I.I.A has quite literally killed it with this downtempo electro-housey number. Resembling the soundtrack to an 80s film that exudes the nostalgic summertime, Killing Time was birthed during her time travelling Central America, often waiting around in airports – hence its title. The track’s spaced-out, psychedelic elements come from the landscape of Lake Atitlan, with these idyllic surroundings providing K.I.I.A with oober bursts of creativity. K.I.I.A is one to watch on the scene in both London and Bristol, moving her event night Cue – co-hosted with her boyfriend - to the capital in the hope of clubs reopening.

Killing Time is out now on Soundcloud to listen and share and is released on 25th September via PSU.