The latest propulsive offering from Brighton producer Bonobo, AKA Simon Green, is his relentless new track ‘ATK’, which, Green says, is “aimed more at the dancefloor”. The release comes in the midst of Bonobo’s North American tour supporting his excellent seventh studio album ‘Fragments’, proving not only his remarkably consistent work ethic, but also his versatility.
‘ATK’ is this week’s leading addition to the NME Radio playlist, where it sits alongside the latest single from rising bedroom pop star Dora Jar, a choice cut from Santigold‘s latest album, and new tracks from the likes of Rosalía, Gabriels and FLOHIO.
Check out the latest additions to NME Radio 1 and 2 below.
On the A List:
Bonobo
‘ATK’
With his latest single – his first new material since the arrival of ‘Fragments’ in January – Bonobo is out to set the party ablaze. The bouncy ‘ATK’ sees the producer/musician switching up his typically airy sonic formula, opting instead for punchy rhythms and lean melodies here to create a delightfully up-tempo banger.
Dora Jarkowski’s new single sees the singer/songwriter weaving an enchanting sonic and lyrical tapestry as she reflects on the affection she feels towards a lover. Big Thief-esque acoustic guitars are paired with Jarkowski’s delicate vocals against moody drums and bass, which cruise along until the track transcends with the chorus’ spellbinding chords, behind which Jarkowski sings: “”.
When I bump into you / I ripple out of my illusion
Santigold opens herself to love on ‘Fall First’, the final cut off her fourth studio album ‘Spirituals’. The track sees Santi White singing of a whirlwind romance with a partner she can’t resist (“I was in my room / And you knew exactly what to do / I know who you are / I wanna dance when I look at you”), but her passion is channelled through an unlikely vintage post-punk lens, complete with a motorik beat, an ominous bassline and cavernous reverb. Santi’s signature yelp fits like a glove over this sonic mixture, sounding like the closest we’ll get to a Siouxsie Sioux comeback in 2022.
Taken from the recently released deluxe edition of Rosalía’s March album ‘Motomami’, ‘CHIRI’ demonstrates the Spanish artist’s boundless inspiration during the LP’s sessions. Snappy kick drums glitch and stutter away behind nothing more than manipulated vocal samples and 808 bass, before giving way to a delicate piano-led interlude that’s topped off by Rosalía’s emotive vocals.
Classic R&B revivalists Gabriels have released the latest preview of their upcoming debut album of the same name, ‘Angels & Queens’. The sultry track features a slinky bassline, funky guitars and Jacob Lusk’s seductive falsetto. Lusk’s straightforward lyrics keep the song grounded, rounding off the track’s presentation as a simple paean to a lover: “I don’t need nobody but you and me, I can conquer anything / I don’t need nothing but your love and time, It’ll be just fine.”
FLOHIO throws herself a party with this dancey second preview of her forthcoming debut album ‘Out Of Heart’. Over a groovy ‘80s synth pop-influenced beat, FLOHIO spits bouncy bars celebrating her rise, tracing its trajectory from her Nigerian roots (“Taking it minor / Went through some mad stuff / Boogie down in Lagos”) to her commitment to authenticity in the present day: “Greatness made me, what made you? / Screen got blurry, still made moves / Bathed in your lies, I stayed true yeah, I stayed true.”
Mura Masa keeps things light with ‘e-motions’, the final single off his third album ‘Demon Time’. This delightful garage track tempers its classic, punchy bounce with a delicate harp accompaniment, resulting in a suitably luscious backing for Erika de Casier’s vocals as she heartbreakingly sings about unrequited devotion: “You don’t see, you don’t think of my emotions / Might as well leave you be, it’s not like you’ll notice.”
Emerging Manchester-via-Birmingham artist LayFullstop’s dreamy new track features a velvety instrumental, which juxtaposes airy background vocals and jazzy changes from a springy electric piano with a dancehall-influenced beat. Sandwiching the track’s refrains are soulful rap verses in which Lay ponders her spirituality and its place in relation to herself and the world around her.
Halifax trio The Orielles are back with this wispy second preview of their upcoming album ‘Tableau’. The track’s cyclical chord progression imparts the song with a wistful energy, while the drums propel the song forward at breakneck speed as vocalist Esmé Hand-Halford adds to the tension with lyrics which draw out the contrast further: “You take it all away / But it’s not there any more to take any more / It’s the last journey we will take / I hope you find me there.”
Lincoln’s The Rills are back with their ripping new single, ‘Spit Me Out’. Frontman Mitch Spencer’s opening lyrics (“From the floor you could see two pairs of Converse”) make clear the crowd they wrote this bona fide rabble-rouser for: the sneaker-clad lot seeking catharsis in sweaty, beer-stained underground music venues.
Essex’s Cassyette jumps at the opportunity to express her unabashed love for 2000s nu-metal on ‘September Rain’, complete with drop-tuned guitars, soaring choruses and growled lyrics. Cassy Brooking’s vocals sit comfortably in the mix as a bridge connecting the worlds of pop and rock, her authentic rasp enhanced with a radio-friendly sheen.
THUS LOVE‘s ‘Family Man’, the fourth preview of the Vermont trio’s upcoming debut LP ‘Memorial’, finds them exuding major Talking Heads energy, with a funk-adjacent bassline and a guitar line Robert Fripp would approve of.
Mykki Blanco‘s glacial track is all about its minimal production, featuring icy, droning synths and a spare drum arrangement. In the track’s final third, a grimy guitar riff is introduced alongside a choir of ominous background vocals, taking its already hostile atmosphere even further into the darkness.
