Watch: Drive Me Crazy by Jean Valery

Hailing from Belgium, Jean Valery brings together a loose and engaging blend of hip-hop, alternative rap and rock into a seamless sound with an effortless sense of cool. Having worked within the hip-hop duo Blackwave, Drive Me Crazy sees Valery unveil his debut solo single.

Drive Me Crazy has a snappy sense of momentum to it, skittering along on rapid rhythms and fuzzy instrumentation. Jean’s performance slips between a percussive rap flow and sung vocals, giving the song a sense of dynamism, and creating a sense of it being constructed in-the-moment, in response to his experience.

The song is an encapsulation of the sense of superposition that can exist in a relationship — of being in two states, both wonderful and distressing. As Jean Valery’s performance switches between styles and a sense of delivery, it feels like two sides of the same story. His deadpan rap is cold, rational, reflective, but gradually builds up as the addictive force of love overrules his head. Describing the song, he says:

‘Drive Me Crazy revolves around a string of experiences and emotions that were lived in a very intense but short, raging love story. So passionate… but turbulent. Blissful… but woeful. Fresh out of a swimming pool full of lovers, urging to feel connected, we shared plenty. Love, affection, pain, and trauma. It was a trip, to say the least. I let her chaos set fire to my being, to my spirit and whichever path it was to be taking me, I became acceptant of it… letting it lead me. While sinking deep into my thoughts, I embraced her beauty, her fury. Succumbed by its existence, I let it fuel me like a raging flame that got out of control… out of character. Until I broke. Until I found myself in the middle of the aftermath, looking to reconstruct the beauty of it all.’

The result is both emotionally resonant, and melodically infectious. Check out Drive Me Crazy below.

Listen: Lithify by Diatribes

Hailing from San Francisco, Diatribes is the musical pseudonym for the Lead Designer in a well-known branding agency.

As someone who also works in the world of branding and advertising, I know that the divide between your working and personal life, and the working hours themselves, can get blurry. With conceptual development and technical production work sometimes bleeding into the night, Diatribes’ musical work has become a form of escape, and a way to leverage his talent for a more personal form of output. With a musical style that draws on contemporary electronic stylings, including Future Bass and UK Garage, Diatribes combines these with elements of House, Hip-Hop and Indie Rock.

Taking its name from the process of lithification, which sees sediments compounded under pressure into rock, Lithify is, appropriately, an exploration of ‘internalized pressures and expectations of one self’. The song rides along on crunchy percussion, layered synths and bass tones, with layered vocal elements all evoking a modern sensibility. Diatribes notes the influence of both Mura Masa and Flume on his sound, and both are on display in the organic feeling electronics here.

The resulting song is atmospheric and emotive, and whilst the lyrics themselves are largely obscured, the sense of introspection is clear, and vocal snatches reference thez song’s subject. At the same time, there is an upbeat springiness to Diatribes’ sound, creating a sense of movement and forward momentum. Whether the rock that emerges from lithification a lifeless stone, or stronger and more capable, is for you to decide.

Listen: GIRLS! by Jenny Kern

The new single from Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Jenny Kern, GIRLS! is a breathless tribute to the liberation of embracing your desires.

Having garnered increasing attention since the release of her debut single, Slow Burn, Jenny has been refining an indie-dream-pop sound. Here on GIRLS!, we get to experience her journey of self-discovery, as she explains:

‘This song is probably my most exciting and empowering song to date. I had this moment in my head where I realized, omg, I think I like girls. This track marks the beginning of a huge journey of self-exploration and coming into what being queer means to me… …I hope people hear this song and feel the same sense of freedom to be whoever they are and love whoever they want.’

Both the song’s message, and the way Kern conveys it, are beautiful. Hearing her commitment to connect-with and be at one with herself is inspirational, as is her desire to empower others to do the same. I also find myself enthused by the contagious affection this record embodies. Jenny bounces from hushed vocals that liken romantic sweetness to Cherry Cola, before coyly singing:

‘What if I told you, that I was in to you? Would that be saying too much? 'Cause I’m down to risk it all: I don’t care who knows it’

The result puts me right into Jenny’s headspace — excited, determined, and awed by a new-found recognition of her sense of self. GIRLS! has a thrilling, fresh energy. I can’t get enough of it.

Watch: N.S.M.L.Y.D by SCHØØL

Formed late last year, SCHØØL are a Parisian four-piece with aspirations to become the band they dreamed of as teenagers.

Inspired by shoegaze outfits from the 90s, including Swirlies and Drop Nineteens, SCHØØL’s sound feels like a wall of sound, chaotic yet buoyant. The slow, melodic dirge of N.S.M.L.Y.D reminds me of creative abundance that aligned with The Horrors’ sophomore album, Primary Colours.

Primary Colours was, in and of itself, an effective reimagining of the intersection of Joy Division and German experimental rock outfit Can. On N.S.M.L.Y.D, SCHØØL position themselves as the natural conclusion of not just those sounds, but My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Somewhat ironically, the melodic playfulness at the centre of all that noise is intended to mimic the kind of catchy earworm you might experience in a classic mobile phone ringtone. In some ways, this feels subversive, and yet I hear a similar playfulness elsewhere in shoegaze, for example in the melody of My Bloody Valentine’s When You Sleep.

Just listening to N.S.M.L.Y.D sent me down a rabbit hole of other artists that I love, and perhaps that is the point. The song’s title is an acronym for “Nothing Satisfies Me Like You Do”, the repeated refrain that makes up its chorus, and the song itself is about the experience of being a fan, and of idolising others. Add SCHØØL to the growing list of artists that satisfy me, and look out for the forthcoming album, promised soon.

Listen: Good News by MANTA

Bringing together elements of garage, jungle, and house, then combining them with a shoegaze aesthetic, MANTA’s new single Good News rides on a sense of urban alienation.

The combination of sounds and styles makes sense for London-based Irish musician and producer, MANTA. Long known for its creative fusing of sounds and genres, London takes its place, a fitting backdrop for the song’s video. Channelling Good News’ sense of isolation, the video sees us take a journey through the city, surrounded by people, and yet immersed in a sense of being alone.

The song itself gradually progresses through a variety of sounds and elements. The garage beat that kicks things off is quickly joined by hollow-sounding, reverberating bass. The various instrumental elements melt away in places, giving space to the vocal from which the track gets its name. Overall, Good News is an effective and affecting tribute to UK dance culture, and the urban experience.

Check out the song below, and head to YouTube for the video.