Over the last few weeks, Jords brought the bounce on yet another banger titled ‘Rudeboy Ting’, Nia Archives continued to dominate the DnB world this time with a Jungle twist on ‘18 & over’ and Willow Kayne delivered a genre-bending track that escaped front he late ‘90s called ‘Opinion’. Whether it’s hidden gems, standout singles, revolutionary remixes or archetypal albums, come celebrate the overlooked exceptionalism and individualism of today’s best musicians with the CULTED Release Radar.
JORDS – RUDEBOY TING
2021 has been Jords’s year. After dropping a strong contender for the coldest collab track of the year titled ‘Old School Flex’ alongside D Double E & Izzy Bizu, the South London maestro has returned with ‘Rudeboy Ting’. Jords brings the bounce through on this one with a minimalist beat that places wordplay and cheeky chappy confidence at the forefront. We are so here for this new phase of Jords’ career and can’t wait to see what is to follow in 2022.
NIA ARCHIVES – 18 & OVER
Following our sit down with Nia earlier in the year, she has gone on to conquer a host of new sounds that seamlessly blend her DNB roots with her sultry vocals. ‘18 & Over’ is a true roller right from the offset with a jungle flair strung across a breakbeat style adlib montage. Nia is unquestionably one of the brightest sparks in UK underground DNB to arise this year and we have a feeling 2022 will see an explosion of festival bookings and club appearances for the Bass-hungry Brummy.
OSCAR SCHELLER – WEIRDO
Producer extraordinaire Oscar Scheller is already releasing more heat just months removed from the release of his third studio album Boys Cry. ‘Weirdo’ is a noxious cocktail of nostalgia and steely surf-rock guitars. His honey-toned vocals go heavy on the reverb, creating a vintage radio quality as the watery lick of his guitar lap up against the fast-rolling riddim of the drumline.
SUBCULTURE – LETTER TO POOH FT. GOYA GUMBANI
This track hits like the smokey opening credits track for a 1940’s Parisian Crime Noir film. Gently placed trumpets and off-beat eastern-influenced guitar licks dance delicately in tandem before the bass filed baritone vocals of Goya Gumbani blend a Hip-Hop influence into the track. This track is plucked straight from the tasteful duo’s recent collaborations album titled KRYSTIN, an exercise in worldbuilding executed to the highest calibre.
WILLOW KAYNE – OPINION
Willow is the new face of genre-blurring pop hip-hop fusion in the UK after her standout single ‘Two Seater’ transported her into the public consciousness as a boundary-pushing MC with boundless talent. ‘Opinion’ is a late ‘90s / early 2000s anthem that hits like an old-school M.I.A track with the character-filled delivery of TrueMendous.
THE NEW COOL COLLECTIVE – CHERRY BOND
If Joan Jett and Foo Fighters collaborated on a Bond Anthem it would sound a tad like this a-typical Jazz-Rock fusion track created by Dutch Jazz band The New Cool Collective. Making their debut on the CULTED Release Radar, this group typically leans towards a more soft-spoken and improv style of Jazz rather than learning toward heavy drum progressions and metallic melodies of keys and synths. However, their new album YUNIKON is a subversive exploration of their traditional style, delving into the weird and wonderful side of their subconscious to toy with a host of new sounds.
KENSINGTON – DO I EVER (UNPLUGGED)
This ruthlessly raw edition of Kensington smash single ‘Do I Ever’ is a wistful breeze on an Irish mountainside as the sparks of the bonfire bounce beyond the stars. Whilst Kensington have been rocking out to Do I Ever for the best part of a decade, their new UNPLUGGED album is a war cry the mist and a beautiful ode to their storied career before the group retire at the end of 2022. If you looking for something to warm the soul this winter then jump into this extraordinary project.
BASTION – REDEMPTION FT. AFRONAUT ZU
Afronaut Zu is one of those rare artists whose name bounces around the underground circuit for years before he emerged into the public spotlight. His Alternative free-flowing style of song construction has led him to work with legends of the DNB world like Foreign Beggars and Netsky before becoming the lead live vocalist for Rudimental. This hard-hitting rager with Bastion is exactly what he does best, big empowered anthems that could take over a rave.
SABA – STOP THAT
Chicago based MC SABA is talking straight unfiltered crud on this one. A hauntingly opening of wailing air-rade sirens juxtaposed with an airy and spacious rhyme scheme creates a full-bodied sound with bass so strong it can tear the paint straight off your walls…so listen with caution!
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See also: NIA ARCHIVES BREAKS DOWN ‘SOBER FEELS’ & HER ‘HEADZ GONE WEST’ EP
See also: JENEVIEVE & THE RENAISSANCE OF 90S R&B
