musomusofm on the radar playlist #21 - Beafets, Black Pixels, Almahata, Josh Long, Highasakite and more....
With Valentine’s Day out of the way, we can all move on, safe in the knowledge that we can’t possibly be in the doghouse for forgetting the big day!
I’ve dug deep and unearthed another 9 stunning tracks from unsigned acts from all over the world, you’ll be glad to hear that they are not slushy, romantic numbers but they are all very very good and certainly deserve 30 minutes of your precious time.
If you like what you hear, scroll down underneath the playlist and you will see some bios and socials for our featured artists who all appear on the playlist. Spend some time having a dig, dish out a few ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ and the bands will thank you later!
See you on the other side.
Beafets
Beafets are a 4-piece indie band from East Kilbride/Glasgow, Scotland. Since forming in their current line-up in 2019 Beafets have released a string of guitar driven indie anthems whilst receiving praise from the likes of Trainspotting's Robert Carlyle. 'Falling Knives' is their 6th studio single recorded with Jamie Holmes at Castle of Doom studios and their first of several releases planned for 2022.
There must be something akin to magic in the Scottish water supply. How else can you explain the level of absolute brilliance found in their musicians? Scotland has produced some of the finest bands – from The Jesus and Mary Chain and Mogwai to Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad. This is why we aren’t surprised when we learn that an emerging band with a catchy sound is Scottish. Such is the case with Beafets: a few seconds into the first listen of their new single made us instant fans of this four-piece from East Kilbride outside Glasgow.
Of the track, they added, “"Don't waste a crisis, it's not always like this". This was the first line written during the height of lockdown and its message would become the focal point of the track. The aim was to write an anthem that could inspire people to see the best in a bad situation. Whilst the lyrical content in the verses is heavy, we wanted the chorus to counterpoint this with a positive message and be backed up by uplifting instrumentals.”
Socials
Black Pixels
Black Pixels are a Post Pop band from East London made up of Alanah Shiel (Vocals), Sam Williams (Electronics / Guitar / Backing Vocals), Matt Felix (Bass / Synth / Backing Vocals), David McDougall (Guitar) and Dec Norton (Drums).
‘Hurricane’ is the debut single released on 14th January on their own imprint B REC.
Black Pixels get their kicks from fusing Pop music with Art Rock, Post Punk, House, Techno and Lo-Fi and Influences include Joy Division, LCD Soundsystem, Radiohead, WU LYF, Yves Tumor and Laundromat.
The track is a blend of mournful vocals, melodies and lo-fi instrumentation mixed with strings and a wall of guitars and the song is the first in a series of singles that will culminate in the release of their debut album.
Black Pixels played their first gig at the O2 Academy Islington, then a pandemic happened. They spent the subsequent two years recording their debut album. Keep your eyes open for this as it will be one NOT to be missed.
Socials
Almahata
Formed in April 2021, Almahata is a new independent project nestling somewhere between indie synth-pop and old school folk.
With their debut single 'Heart Of Me' receiving plays for 3 consecutive weeks on BBC Introducing
and a UK tour supporting acclaimed Brighton artist, ‘Bess Atwell’ that took place in Jan/Feb ’22, a week after the new single release, it’s been an exciting time for this new project.
The new single, ‘What If Now We All Change?’ (Out now) was started during the first UK lockdown back in April 2020 and finished during the second in November. It's written as juxtaposition of the contrasting emotions people may be feeling during these extraordinary times: Working to find liberation in our confinement and hope in hopelessness. The song is about asking questions. Is it really that naive to wonder whether this time has the power to change us as a society?
Of the track, they said, “Working with Brighton based producer Chris Matthewson (Soft Sports, Bess Atwell) on this track we really wanted the songs overarching theme of confusion and conflicting emotions to resonate sonically, in a hope to represent the uncertainty of the time we are living through.”
Socials
Josh Long
Following the release of the 2020 EP "Shooting Star", Josh Long started 2022 with a bang, he released his first single of the year titled “Last June” on January 14.
This song was written, recorded, produced, and mixed entirely inside his cozy little San Francisco apartment. “Last June” is a song about romanticising a prior relationship or time in someone's life that has passed and longing to return to that time. The nostalgic tone of the lyrics are translated through the music, which features brass elements and funky bass lines of classic disco music combined with modern synth elements.
Born in San Diego and based in San Francisco, Josh Long is a self taught producer and guitarist of over ten years whose California roots run deep throughout his music. His musical combination of 70’s and 80’s inspired instrumentation with modern pop songwriting flare gives this track a unique upbeat vibe and nostalgic feel.
Josh developed a deep passion for Disco, Classic Rock, and Pop music at an early age, and has since released multiple singles, a six track EP, and collaborative features with up and coming artists such as Kidd Doxx.
Of the track, Josh adds, “‘Last June’ is my love letter to musical and emotional nostalgia. I wanted to further develop my storytelling as a songwriter with this track, and I believe that the lyrical message of reminiscence translates throughout the music as well. The intoxicating Pop and Disco rhythms combined with the sentimental lyrics paints the picture of a hopeless romantic longing for the good old days of a prior relationship”
Socials
Highasakite
‘Mother’ is the new single and title track from Norwegian pop sensation Highasakite’s upcoming fifth album, which was released on 28th January.
The album, which will see the Norwegian duo headline London’s Islington Academy on 27th April, is a remarkable thing – tender in its emotions yet epic in scope, a powerful synthesis of cool pop, entrancing Berlin techno and cutting-edge Scandi production.
It finds the duo at the top of their game and demonstrates why Håvik and drummer Trond Bersu have accumulated over 200 million streams on Spotify to date, earned multiple Norwegian Grammy Awards (Spellemannprisen), praise from the Norwegian Music Publishers Association (Musikkforleggerne) and 4 Gaffa Awards. They have performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Awards alongside Sting and Halsey and appeared on Conan in the US.
Socials
SO there you have it folks, another 9 awesome tracks for you to get your ears around. If you liked any of them, please hit them up on the socials and tell them, mention that you heard them on the musomusofm on the radar playlist and they might even buy me a cookie if our paths ever cross!
Please take a moment to spread the word on social media, it’s on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, just head to musomusouk on either platform and give it a LIKE, SHARE, THUMBS UP or whatever you can!
Until next time…..