Artists You Need To Hear About Right Now
Four unmissable artists, all in one place. The team at Slow Motion Panic Masters has more incredible musicians for you all to pay attention to right now, or regret missing out on some of the most exciting music the world has to offer.
But first, make sure to follow our spotify playlist with the link below and tune in to hear a regularly updating stream of sensational underground appreciation:
DEQN SUE - LOS ANGELES/ALABAMA, USA
A few years ago, my singing teacher stormed into the classroom where a friend and I had been waiting for him, sat in front of his computer, and grinned: “I’ve found something good.” Then he played us DEQN SUE’s tiny desk concert in full. And I fell in love.
My lord, this woman can sing. My voice teacher had a field day going over her impeccable technique with us back then, rambling excitedly about her use of twang and associated breathing exercises. Listening to her now, though, it's not just her voice that I find astonishing, but the sheer creativity that burst forth from her music too. Each and every one of her quirky, alternative pop jams introduces something you’ve never heard before. ‘Magenta’ and its colour-based metaphors, the tango-tinged beats of ‘Shook Up’, and ‘Bloody Monster’s witty, humour-filled take-down of a racist roommate are just a couple highlights to get you started.
Mixing and matching elements of funk, pop, R&B, and even vaudeville, DEQN SUE has managed to put together a sound that is entirely hers – and fun as hell to boot. ‘menace.’, her latest single, is possibly one of her most subdued songs to date, but even it has enough of a funky twist to make you want to get up and shimmy a little. My voice teacher was right, as he often was: DEQN SUE is good; go listen to her music now.
- AINHOA SANTOS GOICOECHEA (@ainhoa.jpeg)
MOULETTES - LONDON, UK
The more music Moulettes release, the more assured I become in my belief that they can do no wrong. The 2010s have seen this worldwide music collective provide us with nothing less than a banquet of wonder and creativity. Their latest EP, Xenolalia V, features the brilliant single ‘Picture//Frame Pt.1 (Electric)’ - a highlight amidst Moulettes' releases for how it showcases the band's staggering range. This song is a joy to uncover whether you're a newcomer to the band or a seasoned listener; one moment you're assembling graceful ballerina poses to a chorus of soft and curious voices, the next you're headbanging to a thriving electric guitar. The contrast between instruments, genre, and timing forms a sonic conflict to represent the sporadicity of conversation and the erratic emotions unearthed in much of human communication.
Eclectic and mesmerizing, Hannah Moule and Raevennan Husbandes infuse sincerity and elegance into their delicate yet empowering vocals. Experimental and contradictory, these wonderful musicians marry tranquility with rage, the classical with the modern, folk with electronica. They have a diverse catalogue of music: ‘Lady of the Midnight Sun’ will fulfill your need for the mystical and dreamy, ‘Blood and Thunder’ will equip you with the energy you didn't know you had as you dance merrily around your room. I encourage all creative individuals to listen to Moulettes' music: it will replenish your imagination and restore your faith in what it means to make art.
- OLIVE ANNALISE (@oliveannalise)
T H R O N E - Sandia Mountains, New Mexico
T H R O N E are the real deal. A fusion of lo-fi aesthetics and outrageously confident underground hip-hop, there are few unearthed gems that shine brighter than this astonishing duo.
Synthesising an unmissable sound somewhere between Erykah Badu, Jorja Smith and Earl Sweatshirt, this talented couple have fished out something truly compelling from their pool of influences. The duo, made up of the supremely promising rap prodigy Hayatheus and the extraordinarily versatile neo-soul/hip-hop talents of partner YVHIKV form a phenomenal musical connection.
Sourcing beats from a list of incredibly talented underground producers, T H R O N E elevate every instrumental that gets sent their way. Already, this group has an identifiable sound. Connecting with YVHIKV’s ability to sing perfectly both in the emulation of neo-soul royalty and modern Cardi B/Nicki Minaj rap inflections, Hayatheus delivers bars with a supreme confidence in his own abilities. And deservedly so.
Having synthesised such an identifiably style, this duo has already overcome the hardest obstacle that often stands in the way of emerging hip-hop talents. Now, with a solid foundation, expect
T H R O N E to accumulate the praise they already deserve.
- BEN WHEADON (@wheadsauce)
SOFIA KOURTESIS - BERLIN, GERMANY
During a time when clubbing feels like an unattainable fantasy, some of us may be struggling to find your next booming house fix. If that’s you though, don’t worry: Sofia Kourtesis has got you covered. This Berlin-based, Peruvian-born producer is a truly inventive globe-trotter, collecting samples from all over the world and putting them together to create that special brand of futuristic house that is appropriate for any occasion. You can play tracks like the upbeat ‘Sarita Colonia’ or the trance-like ‘Trains and Airports’ at a party, or during a long car ride, or while you study: they will never seem out of place.
Nevertheless, it seems like Kourtesis is concerned with more than just making you dance. Upon releasing her latest single, ‘La Perla’, she also explained the concept behind the EP it will be a part of: “Freisa Magdalena is about activism,” she wrote on an Instagram post detailing the announcement. More specifically, it will be a tribute to Kourtesis’ mother, Freisa, a life-long activist who fights for the people of Magdalena, Peru. And if ‘La Perla’ is anything to go by, well, you should be excited for this EP's March 19th release date. Dedicated to her late father, Kourtesis' new single is a song that demands to be held close, an absolutely buoyant track, that mixes lightweight synths, reverberating lyrics, and easy-going melodies. I for one cannot wait to see what else this brilliant artist has in store for us. Talented, creative, and full of heart, Sofia Kourtesis makes house for the soul.
- AINHOA SANTOS GOICOECHEA (@ainhoa.jpeg)
Ainhoa Santos Goicoechea (pronounced "I-know-ah") is a culturally confused Creative Writing postgraduate student from the Basque Country, Spain. She is passionate about film, music and politics, and she should probably know more than she does about all three.
Olive Annalise is a music production student from Bristol whose interests include poetry, sound design and film. In her spare time, she indulges in wine mom humor and enjoys telling people she can speak French, although her Duolingo owl would disagree.
Thanks for reading! Slow Motion Panic Masters is a music, arts and culture blog created and edited by Ben Wheadon, a literature student and musician based at the University of Oxford. He is also a Fleet Foxes shill.
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