#10 BLINDSIGHT BLINDSIGHT
How would I describe the S/T record by blindsight? A huge sonic cloud raining down the kind of audio vibes I need in my life right about now! I’m so impressed at the growth of this dynamic Trip Hop duo blindsight. Every tune you will encounter on this record is a portal that will point the listener to their dreams and beyond. The production is perfectly matched with insanely awesome vocals. As I write this, my heart is still crying at the death of my mother, but songs like “Shiver” give me the audio hug I need to keep going. I see blindsight for all of their brilliance and I hope that they release this perfect collection of anthems on cassette. I want to say thank you to them for creating music that takes me out of my dark mental state and brings some light into my life! If the year was 1999, this band would be mentioned amongst the Trip Hop giants of that era. Read Full Review
#9 BODY MEAT Starchris
The new BODY MEAT album Starchris has been a sonic space of healing for me, and for that, I want to thank them. I was amazed at the amount of freedom and passion that’s in every song on this album. Imagine if Corbin took acid with Aphex Twin and then shapeshifted into LIL Tracy before going to an underground Gang Gang Dance show where Travis Scott was the DJay — the outcome of this whole affair still would not come close to the sounds of this collection of experimental tunes. While plugging myself into BODY MEAT’s audio universe, I almost feel as if I’m trapped inside a Motherboard. I know for a fact that as I immerse myself in the song “Right Here,” all of my pain washes away and I just want the song to never end! The vocals and the production of this composition are simply sublime. This album reminds me of life itself, and what I mean by that is that it is filled with the ups and downs we all face on a daily. Starchris is an album that with each listen will open a new door with your imagination and point you to a future you did not know existed. Read Full Review
#8 DREAMCASTMOE MOLLY’S SON
It isn’t on you, it’s in you! Case in point the funk is in DREAMCASTMOE and his new EP Molly’s Son only proves that even more! This brother’s music takes me back to how I felt being young, gifted, and black during the 70s. DREAMCASTMOE creates soundscapes that uplift our culture and humanity! If he reads this, I want him to know that every song on this EP is a straight banger and our whole family are fans of yours!
#7 CRUZA Cruzafied
The new sound of Blackness and the new sound of our futuristic humanity are the thoughts that come to mind as I listen to CRUZA’s album Cruzafied. I can’t tell you why, but as I immerse myself in their intergalactic soul, I have visions of picking blackberries in the summer Savanah sun as a young raggamuffin. As the levitating sounds of “Lovers Rock” play, I remember growing up in a home full of Black music that made me happy to be a Black youth surrounded by the raddest expression of melanated sonic creativity. CRUZA’s tunes are portals of R&B bliss that will enchant your senses while making you want to dance. Real talk, I love seeing how my brothers and sisters are coming together to reshape what we know as Cosmic Funk! Imagine if the Brothers Johnson – D’ Angelo – Jah Shaka – Omar and Portishead decided to collaborate on a project — the outcome just might sound like Cruzafied. Honestly, this album is not just about one single, this record is about the vibrations that CRUZA wants us to feel. The vocalist in this band is so on-point — as I bump big tunes like “On Fye,” I can’t but think about Elizabeth Frazier of the Cocteau Twins on an R&B tip. Read Full Review
#6 DAWUNA Southside Bottoms
Three days before my birthday, Dawuna dropped their new record Southside Bottoms and it’s a sonic gift to the world! Imagine if Prince circa Dirty Mind, Aphex Twin, Fresh Four, and Maxwell all came together to manifest a sonic love child the outcome may sound like Southside Bottoms. When I hear songs like “Prayer,” I can’t help but think about how complex the Black experience has been in this fucked up country we call AmeriKKKa, and how I refuse to be put into a box. The production is both warm and cold while at the same time — it’s full of tension. Dawuna is magical and is a light shining on negative self-talk while guiding me to my worth. I can’t front, experimental R&B is speaking to me lately. On a lyrical tip, Dawuna I have nothing but respect for this human. Their big tune “Heaven” makes me think about my youth in Savannah, GA and how the spirits of our ancestors would speak to me as I looked up the sky! Read Full Review
#5 Lo.S.O Posted
Dear Lo.S.O,
I want to say thank you so much for creating such a moving and on-point record!!! Your offering Posted rocks me to my core! As I listen to “Damaged (feat. Debbie Deitering),” I lose myself in your rad wordplay, and Debbie’s vocals are magical, like a Glastonbury stone circle. Immersing my being into this album makes me think about how I felt when I heard ALPHA’s “Sometime Later” for the first time. The energy I experience from Lo.S.O’s songs is birthed from the grey skies of Bristol. The production has me rising above my worst daze only to be empowered by my past. Lo.S.O paints vivid, emotionally-laced verbal portraits that illuminate perfect diction. Imagine if Lewis Parker did a collabo with Portishead through the lens of Aba Shanti-I, the outcome might sound like Posted. Real talk, this sound could only be manifested by a Bristol collective (Cold Light family) — their bass music roots run deep and their inspiration gets tricky kid. Big facts, this is one of my favorite releases of 2024 and it should not be put into any sort of box. Read Full Review
#4 FERGUS JONES Ephemera
I write this as a huge thanks to Fergus Jones and everyone who unified with him to make his new album Ephemera (out on Numbers) a sonic reality! I’m transfixed by the frequencies that make up every second of this audio event. What strikes me right away about Ephemera is how Dub flows through all of the compositions while crashing up against everything good that I always loved about Trip Hop. As I take in the tune “It Should Be (Free)” with Huerco S., I can’t help but think about the first time I heard Alpha’s “Somewhere Not Here,” and how the world looked brighter with each listen. Fergus Junes has manifested an album that is rooted in Transcendental Bass music, but is willing to point us all to our futures and beyond. No matter who you are, trauma is something we all encounter, and sometimes you need music to uplift and ground you in a sense of self, which is what happens to me as listen to “Heima” with Huerco S. and James K. Fergus Jones also knows the power of creative unity, which is why has brought together his creative comrades to contribute to Ephemera, and at no time do his collaborations sound forced. The song “Tight Knit” features 3 unreal MCs that float on the track: Birthmark, ELDON, and Withdrawn. Read Full Review
#3 NOURISHED BY TIME Catching Chickens EP
Hey, Nourished by Time, I want you to know that both of your records (Catching Chickens and Erotic Probiotic 2) have brought so much joy to my life! You create R&B in your likeness and I’m a fan. From a personal perspective, I know that society loves to put Black creativity into boxes, and the sonics that you manifest are free of those perceived or actual constraints! I want you to know that your voice is a celebration of life and it’s complex, like the experience of our people in this land that we call Amerikkka. Read Full Review
#2 JAWNINO “40”
Something happened to me when I first heard Jawnino’s new LP 40 on True Panther and Worldwide Unlimited. Let me tell you what happened: I became instantly hooked and ran out to buy the vinyl (I have listened to it at least once a day). Imagine if So Solid Crew, The Streets, Space Afrika, Mad Professor, JME, Roll Deep Crew, and Rainy Miller combined to make a record dedicated to the Man Demin the Endz broadcasting from a universe that has yet to be discovered. I love how this artist can twist melody around glitched-out soundscapes that become earworms. I know that he is speaking for young creative youth who are creating art for themselves through their eyes and not for the high street. So here is the deal, bump his tune “redstripe interlude” and you will realize that dreams do come true and that they come in the form of audio portraits that all might not overstand. Read Full Review
#1 FLORENCE SINCLAIR departures, wonders & tears
Hey, Florence Sinclair, I want you to know that your new album departures, wonders & tears is unbelievably amazing!!! I know I’m late to the game, but it’s time to give you your flowers for such an outstanding audio sculpture of freedom. As I immerse myself into every track on your record, I get this sense of wonderment and a cloud of inspiration floats above my head! Sinclair, you should know that your broken beats and off-kilter flows shine so much light into my life. As I plug myself into the song “Eyes Wide Shut,” I’m reminded of the first time I breathed in London air and from that day on, I knew my musical home would always be this city. Your song “Snowfall” makes me cry tears of joy, because I realize no matter what box white supremacy tries to put us in, BLACK JOY will always reign supreme. I respect the way that as a producer and vocalist, you are pushing the culture forward to new heights. departures, wonders & tears is an album that could only be made by someone who is comfortable in their creative skin and that person happens to be you Florence! Read Full Review
