When Annelotte de Graaf self-released two EPs under the name Amber Arcades, it was almost 10 years ago. Her eponymous debut punctured the ethereal dream pop bubble and the "Patiently" EP donned a languid strum. She was taking a break from her legal career in the Dutch city of Utrecht to share tales of white fuzz and the meaningful connections between... read full bio
'Peace + Harmony' is a release that First Word Records is happy to offer. This young singer, who is originally from Moss Side in Manchester, has been slowly establishing a reputation as one of the UK's most intriguing soul vocalists over the past few years. His recordings include a diverse range of genres, including alternative R&B, future soul, hip hop and... read full bio
By fusing jazz orchestration with hip-hop beats and MCs, Abstract Orchestra creates some of the most engaging hip-hop songs. The 18-piece all-star big band pushes the limits of live hip-hop by producing distinctive music that is both heavy and beautiful. A number of the band's members have performed on tour with some of the biggest performers in the world, including... read full bio
This powerful group is closing down venues and festivals all across the UK to earn their keep and bring back the classic Garage vibe each and every time! These 24-hour party ladies are an irresistible force thanks to their powerful combination of exuberant dancers, vocalist Kelsey (Ministry of Sound) and Garage ladies creator/KISS FM DJ SHOSH. You won't want to miss... read full bio
Jake Stewart, a Portsmouth native who now calls London home, has identified the hedonistic hotspots of UK ravers through the varied output of his "1-800 GIRLS" artist project. After stunning extended-play releases that were sold out on well-known raw house labels Shall Not Fade and clipp.art, as well as brooding, emotionally charged releases on Feelings Worldwide, Lost Palms and his own imprint,... read full bio
Glaswegian artist Big Miz has evolved from his early prominence in the city's clubbing scene to become a key producer and DJ to emerge from the genre's ever-fertile house and techno field. He has played numerous UK and European shows, recorded Boiler Rooms live from Sub Club and performed at the Fly Open Air festival. Big Miz's music is a joyful and... read full bio
Basement Revolver continued to write songs and record music despite the seeming end of the world; one band member quit and was replaced. However, they were unable to perform on tour, practice or record as normal. The band underwent severe reflection as a result of the time between producing material and being alone. Their most recent album is chock full of... read full bio
B. Cool-Aid, a duo consisting of rapper Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee, specializes in sophisticated, slick music that falls halfway between Butcher Brown's live-band jazz and A Tribe Called Quest-style boom-bap. Their most recent song, which serves as the album's lead single, is about maintaining faith: Siifu sings, "Everything's gonna turn around someday/Everything gonna make sense, let's pray," over a... read full bio
Awkward Moments is a collaborative performance art project with sound at its center that use a variety of mediums to examine the psychological, philosophical and metaphysical ramifications of a lifespan and its perpetual recurrence. Awkward Moments, which explores the relationship between sound, space and scenography, was inspired by the idea of "Expanded Cinema," a term coined by American experimental filmmaker Stan Vanderbeek to... read full bio
Vocalist, producer and DJ Bklava Lara Sweeney is not at all worried. She has performed a live PA/DJ set in Mixmag's The Lab LDN, been added to Amazon Music's list of Ones to Watch and has recently confirmed a residency at the Warehouse Project. The Brighton-based musician also completed Autonomy, her latest EP for Ministry of Sound, continued to be a regular... read full bio
Julianna Riolino is skilled at capturing and showcasing beauty before it vanishes. She volunteered her time to repair stained glass windows at Toronto's St. Michael's Cathedral during the days leading up to the publication of her solo debut. Riolino couldn't help but think back on her own history and the recollections of hurts, healing and love scattered across it as she... read full bio
The Austin, Texas-based alt-Indie band DAIISTAR consists of four members. With modulating synths, loud guitars, bouncing bass lines and spiraling melodies, the band brings the neo-psychedelic music of the 1980s and 1990s (The Jesus and Mary Chain, Spaceman 3, Primal Scream) into the present. The result is a narcotic fusion of noise and melody. DAIISTAR recorded their debut studio album, which... read full bio
SAL is an Australian DJ, experience curator and former Boiler Room participant who is living in Naarm/Melbourne. As a performer, her music is informed by her experience as a Chinese-Vietnamese diaspora member. Versatile but fearless in her taste, she is always seeking out new underground and obscure club sounds that she can include into her unique yet constantly evolving curation. She... read full bio
Producer, songwriter, composer, DJ and maybe one of the top MCs in the nation, POOKIE is headquartered in Melbourne. She cites Missy Elliot and the wider hip-hop community as the originators of her love of music. Growing up in Perth, POOKIE developed a passion for a wide range of artistic endeavors, including poetry, painting, drawing and sculpture. With the use of this... read full bio
Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman, members of the well-known electro-folk group Moontricks, are based in the unassuming Kootenay Mountains of Western Canada and are inspired by the constant cycles of the natural world. The band finds comfort and beauty in the union of seemingly unrelated components, which is both unstable and consistent—like nature's greatest gifts. Each piece is rooted in... read full bio
Blazer Boccle is accustomed to contradicting himself. His Rastafarian mother fed him Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone and Erykah Badu as rock and guitar music blasted from neighbors' back gardens in the primarily white neighborhood where he was reared in Bradford. While a teenager, Blazer helped his Asian father's family sell narcotics on the opposite side of town while listening to old school... read full bio
Who is 'C'est Qui' There is an easy solution. When Closet Yi and Naone, alias C'est Qui, performed their spontaneous b2b set for the first time at Seoul's club Contra two years ago, they came up with the moniker. Only a few months after making several performances as a young DJ duo at neighborhood events, including their own, they performed... read full bio
Venice is where Cesco was born. He has always been a huge music fan and learned to appreciate a wide range of musical genres and styles via his brother's radio. At the age of 16, he developed a greater interest in the underground music scene. He starts listening to electronic music, including techno, tech house, minimal and other genres. Because of... read full bio
Caro, a French-born producer now residing in London and the main vocalist of the pop trio Planet 1999, is a signee of the future-pop label PC Music. Her debut album is titled "Heartbeats/Heartbreaks." The album is a compilation of recollections that were sparked by various moments in the producer's life but that musically and emotionally were rooted in her childhood... read full bio
James Boyle, alias Breakage, has never been one to fit into a mold. Breakage has established himself as one of the most adaptable performers in either scene to date, gliding with ease between drum and bass and dubstep. He is really talented and has already had a lot of legendary recordings, but he keeps refining his sound. Breakage's music is... read full bio
