Listen: Time - Sophia Bel

Time is the new song from Montreal via Quebec City musician Sophia Bel, her first single since 2017. Having grown up in the early 2000s, Bel's youth tracked its way through skate-punk and emo. Whilst her music is inspired by electro-pop and trip-hop, dosed with an overwhelming sense of melancholy.

Time is released along with Bel’s announcement of her debut EP, Princess of the Dead. Describing the new single she said:

“Time really set the tone for the EP. It felt like the beginning of a fantasy that later transcended into the 3 other songs of this record. The mood is blue, with visions of a windy coast in a sunny paradise. The energy is dreamy and nostalgic. What inspired the lyrics was my difficulty to let my guard down. I was listening to a lot of trip-hop at the time and the artist that rubbed of on me the most in this one is Moby.”

You can definitely hear Moby’s influence in the gently unfurled piano on Time, but there is also a real late-90s / early-00s feel to that basic bouncy electronic bass sound. Sophia’s vocals are the star of this piece though... They manage to capture the somewhat damaged feel of Portishead whilst creating their own distinctive, haunted sound. It’s a little bit like a 90s trip-hop piece through the lens of modern alternative R&B.

Watch: U.N.I. - Mating Ritual

U.N.I. Is the new single from Mating Ritual, an indie pop duo from LA. Previously working as Pacific Air, Ryan Marshall Lawson created Mating Ritual as a solo project when his brother Taylor decided to go back to school. Over time, Mating Ritual become more collaborative however, and the brothers realised they missed making music together. The result is an old partnership but with a (relatively) new name.

With a five-albums-in-five-years plan, Mating Ritual are already on their third album, Hot Content, which is due for release on 10 May on Ryan’s own label Smooth Jaws.

U.N.I. is shiny like a diamond and glossy like satin - a slightly tongue-in-cheek reimagining of pop that calls to mind Chromeo. With a sexually charged atmosphere, the track ultimately feels aloof, or in denial... the equivalent of 10cc’s I’m Not In Love, only instead of repeating a lie, U.N.I. buries the truth by single it with a matter-of-fact coolness, dancing through a heartbreak. The video is also interesting and visually impressive - a great accompaniment to the song itself.

Watch: Loyal - Jasmine Thompson

Loyal is the new track from London musician Jasmine Thompson. Born of a Chinese mother and an English father, Thompson brings the influence of her upbringing into her music:

“Having one immigrant parent always provides a unique perspective growing up, a sense of one foot in two different worlds.”

Loyal is the first of three singles Thompson worked on with well known musician, songwriter and producer Eg White. The song is actually focused on the relationship that ended just before Thompson reunited with White, but when she started working on the song a year previously, Loyal described the trust issues Thompson experienced in that same relationship. “We didn’t trust each other, and as it turned out, we both had good reason”, says Thompson before adding a barbed post-script, “Also, he owes me £600”.

The final track captures that feeling of things not quite connecting in the right way in a relationship, despite the effort you and the other person might put in. There is a loose, jazzy feel to Loyal, Thompson’s vocal harmonies shining amongst a melody initial feels tenative but ultimately soars. As the song hints towards the end, after everything, Thompson still feels a sense of loyalty:

“I’m still loyal to the person I met at the beginning, who made me really excited and gave me butterflies.”

You can check out the video for Loyal below:

Listen: Dirty Water - Yoshi Flower

Yoshi Flower is back with another new single in the form of Dirty Water. Following on from the likes on Just On Drugs and Brown Paper Bag, this is by far his most pop moment to date. Yet Dirty Water still shows Yoshi Flower’s desire to treat his music like a melting pot, throwing together a wide variety of ideas and themes with abandon.

Opening with a gentle funk-infused guitar line Dirty Water has a California style easiness to it right up until a big, grimey drop comes in at the chorus. It creates an entirely different feel for the song - cloying and urgent in contrast to the laid-back feel of the verse.

As with much of his other work, we have a druggy feeling of existential angst running through this song. Describing his feelings about the record, Yoshi says:

“Dirty Water, love and liquor, dependency, hope. I don't remember writing the song, but I do know these methods of filling some void informed the creation. We're all like fish swimming along in schools or all alone, as the water gets murkier and the screens get clearer.”

Listen: Slow feat. Jouska - Whales & This Lake

Whales & This Lake hail from Norway, where they are already positioned as one of the more popular indie electronic bands. After a number of successful singles, an album and an extensive tour the group are back with the promise of a new sophomore album, due in the autumn, and a new single in the form of Slow.

Slow grooves along with a fuzzy, indie sound but the pace of the rhythm gives this a real spring in its step. With the kind of saccharine vocal harmonies that recall Passion Pit and fellow Scandinavians Lo Fi Fnk, there is a joyous feel to this... Especially in the little touches like the whistle that occasionally punctuates the melody. It’s a beautiful record to lift your spirits.

Check out Slow below: