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Column aiming to present 6 glowing with quality tracks, under the “future soul” genus; An amalgam of soul, contemporary R&B and even hip-hop and electronic elements.

-not to be confused with Daley’s “Future Throwback Soul” term-

GAKO – ‘Redemption’

Quick pitch:

Gospel combined with old school hip-hop rhythms, jazz instrument samples result in a gospel/retro soul ‘litany’ by GAKO.

dynamic: ★★★★★/5

style★★★/5

performance:   ★★★/5

Trivia:

Gako, real name Patrick Ngako, is a lo-fi artist based in Southern California. He is known for his throwback, authentic sounds that are crafted with thoughtful artistry and that meld musical genres from the past in a contemporary, signature style that is chiefly his own: wise, resilient and evocative.

Gako was born in NYC from a Bajan mother and Cameroonian father. Growing up in his fatherland, he was only ten years old when his father brought home a broken keyboard, which he picked up and learned to play on his own. As a teenager, Gako was already beat boxing and creating instrumentals for local musicians. Soon, he was working and performing with singers and rappers in the Yaounde music scene.

A silvery storyteller, Gako considers music as a vital way of expression that has shaped him through hardships and provided requisite catharsis. Inspired by his need for balance, and mindful of his choice of instruments and samples — no computers are used in his music — he strives to tell fresh stories infused with spellbinding yet unfussy rhythms and melodies.

Over the years, the artist has self-produced and self-featured myriad sounds. He has collaborated with his wife, singer and actress Sibongile Ngako, French R&B artist Soane, and other producers, including Nadyim Drake.

Gako is a quiet force to reckon with. Reminiscent of pillars of hip hop and R&B such as D’Angelo, DJ Premier and A Tribe Called Quest, his upcoming album, Voodoo Child, draws sounds from jazz and hip hop and sways through elevating stretches. The artist carefully sprinkles his own magic over spirited beats that keep one both moving and moved.

L Y N E – ‘Together’

Quick pitch:

An expansive R&B offering, with lush afrobeats, soul and rap sensibilities by up-and-coming L Y N E.

dynamic: ★★★★/5

style★★★★/5

performance:   ★★★★/5

Trivia:

Introducing 23-year old London-based Belgian Congolese songstress LYNE, who – after teasing us with three well-received introductory singles in the past couple of years that have seen her garner strong support from the likes of Capital Xtra, Reprezent Radio, MNM Belgium, Tarmac, and Pulse88 Radio, among others – is excited to unveil her brand new debut EP titled Bipo Feels, a phrase which Lyne coined about the way relationships can have us feeling bipolar, with completely opposing emotions all the time.

Dave Devia

BIAS – ‘In Fire’

Quick pitch:

The future of Danish “future soul” belongs to BIAS. Hold your breath for their stunning 2nd single!

dynamic: ★★★★★/5

style★★★★/5

performance:   ★★★/5

Trivia:

BIAS is a brand new band on the Neo-soul/Future-soul scene. Originated from Denmark the band is adding a scandinavian touch to the scene.

Richard Griffith – ‘Last Thoughts’

Quick pitch:

Impeccable style (soulful contemporary r&b with lo-fi pop finishing touches) in by a young Brit named Richard Griffith with an uplifting track reminiscing on ever changing times.

dynamic: ★★★/5

style★★★★★/5

performance:   ★★★/5

Trivia:

Richard Griffith is a 24-year-old producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer from the UK. His music is difficult to pin down, spanning a range of styles from dusky hip-hop beats to warm house grooves, united by a distinctive soulful mellow atmosphere. Originally classically trained in piano, he began teaching himself guitar throughout his teens, before getting deeper into jazz whilst at university. During this time, he began releasing beats on soundcloud before putting out his EP ‘Fading Blue’, described as an ‘impressive introduction’ by HighClouds. In his upcoming debut album, ‘Percepts’, he has spent time honing his lyrical skills, combining late-night existential musings with dark jazzy tones.

Telemachus – ‘Greed’ Feat. Jerome Thomas

Quick pitch:

Second single from Telemachus‘ upcoming ‘Boring & Weird Historical Music‘ album dropping on the 22nd of May 2020, featuring Jerome Thomas.

dynamic: ★★★★/5

style★★★★/5

performance:   ★★★★★/5

Trivia:

South London avant-garde producer Telemachus collaborates with Neo-soul singer Jerome Thomas on new single ‘Greed’, taken from his forthcoming album, ‘Boring & Weird Historical Music’. The skittering jazz drums, dystopian synths and silky vocals produce an unusually soulful brew – while the lyrics and visuals transport the listener on a journey through the natural world and the destruction that we bring to it.

Matti Roots – ‘Get Love’

Quick pitch:

Smooth, infectious neo-soul by Matti Roots. Summer’s soundtrack!

dynamic: ★★★★/5

style★★★★★/5

performance:   ★★★★/5

Trivia:

It’s been a little while since Matti Roots released his critically acclaimed debut album BeatRoot back in 2011. Since then, Matti has gained a reputation as a worthy songwriter and producer, with a uniquely soulful sound. In 2015, he collaborated with Jaguar Skills and Chords to rework the track Lust into a Drum and Bass smash. It was released on RAM records and went to #1 on the DnB charts , supported by the likes of Zane Lowe and Mistajam.

In 2017, Beetroot was re-released by Audio Network, which led to his track ‘Let’s Get Back Together’ finding it’s way onto the Spotify Global chart , peaking at no. 33 and accruing over 1 million streams.

Over the last 6 years, Matti has mostly been in producer mode , working with stellar names such as Dua Lipa, Kojey Radical, Sampha, Mugun, Bento BDA and newcomer Rebecca James (signed to Janet Jackson’s imprint) and countless others. In that time, however , Matti has been constantly writing material for himself and is now set to release some of these tracks. Late last year, Matti released ‘Loving That’ , a soulful electro vibe , heralding a detour from his more live sounding debut.

“Soul Professor”: Christos Doukakis