Heaters: Deb Never, FKA Twigs & Planet Giza

South London rapper KAM-BU is next up on the UK scene.

Previously linking up with Lord Apex to cut through a plume of smoke with sharp lyrics in ‘Different’, KAM has returned with another monochrome offering in ‘Are You On?’

While the grandiose opening wouldn’t feel out of place in Untitled Unmastered, KAM slyly evades any comparisons unleashing a whirlwind the moment percussion hits.

Pairing captivating visuals and thought-provoking lyricism, KAM-BU has announced his arrival as a genuinely compelling and unique prospect.

Northern Irish folk singer Joshua Burnside is starting 2021 with a left turn.

Inviting uladh (Joel Harkin) for a remix of ‘The Only Thing I Fear’, the pair have presented what feels like Clams Casino’s take on Ireland’s surrealism through a lo-fi lense.

Finding its rhythm in the groove-laden strings provided by Tom Misch, Joel Culpepper’s Poetic Justice is an exercise in reconciliation.

Speaking on the track Joel said, “Part of justice is forgiveness, no longer enslaved by the pain of what someone’s done to you but the ability to move on from it.”

It landed this month alongside a stunning video, directed by Julianknxx and comes ahead of his debut album Sgt Culpepper.

Turbulent times often result in compelling art and after becoming stranded in London in the midst of a global pandemic, Deb Never has been releasing the best music of her career thus far.

‘Someone Else‘ follows a recent collaboration with Lava La Rue and sees the LA-based artist take a tear jerking approach before succumbing to a beautiful breakdown.

Maintaining her early momentum on what is set to be a huge year, Deb is set to feature on Slowthai’s upcoming album before dropping her sophomore EP in late spring.

Back in December, Drogheda-based drill collective A92 shook the music industry by charting with their ruthless ‘Plugged In Freestyle’.

20 million streams later and two of the crew’s members in Offica and DBO have kept that momentum gong in ‘Take It’. Produced by Kid Spyral and Charley Manson, it’s appeal lies in its energetic back and forth.

Whilst the world was falling apart, Australia native Logic1000 increasingly turned to her home studio for solace. It resulted in a new EP and followed praise from Four Tet, DJ Python, Caribou, and many others who found themselves drawn to her thoughtful approach to dance music.

You’ve Got The Whole Night To Go gels bouncing percussion with earworm vocal samples to provide living room-friendly hip shakers.

There must be something in the water in Canada. Montreal hip-hop outfit Planet Giza channel the same freewheeling energy exuded by fellow native Lou Phelps on ‘When The Moving Stops’. Simultaneously, providing their own unique sauce to the cut, there’s an unshakable confidence in their delivery that harks back to golden era hip hop.

The track comes ahead of their new EP Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon.

The trio also recently launched their own radio show Mellow Mellow Radio with Kaytranda featuring as their first guest.

NiNE8 Collective spitter returned this month with ‘Cycles’.

Arriving like a first round knock out, the record’s claustrophobic strings lay a hypnotic backdrop before L lands his punches and dips.

On ‘Blue Denim Jeans’ Elevation/ Meditation production maestro p-rallel and London songstress Lauren Faith capture the inexplicable myriad of conflicting emotions felt during lockdown.

Whilst P provides a dreamy backdrop, Lauren spills her thoughts that are firmly grounded in a darker reality.

The juxtaposition between the lyrics and sound capture perfectly the confusing emotions that are running adjacent to each other at any given moment during lockdown.