Bringing you a pick of the month’s best releases, Maria Hanlon presents 10 tunes that have hit her decks – and got a reload – in December. Starring The Mouse Outfit & Misha B, SBTRKT & LEILAH, Asha Gold, Little Simz, Debbie & BERWYN, Sam Wise, Asher Kosher, Mafro, Natty Wylah & Headie One…
The Mouse Outfit, Misha B
FLWR
TMO Records
For fans of… Summers Sons, Koj, ENNY
Why listen… Manchester’s’The Mouse Outfit and Misha B have joined forces to conjure up a soulful sound.
Hip Hop collective The Mouse Outfit never disappoint and their latest single, featuring Misha B, is no exception. Misha B’s soulful bars laid on top of The Mouse Outfit’s signature production is a match made in sonic heaven. Whilst this might be the first time The Mouse Outfit have teamed up with Misha B, she’s been on the scene for over 10 years with her stunning solo work. The collaborative track came out on December 9th and after hearing this we’re excited to find out what’s next for both The Mouse Outfit and Misha B.
SBTRKT, LEILAH
FORWARD
Save Yourself
For fans of… Sampha, Mount Kimbie, Jamie xx
Why listen… This emotive electronic track will have you hooked.
British Producer SBTRKT has released dream-like track ‘FORWARD’, which was first previewed in Drake and 21 Savage’s ‘Jimmy Cooks’ music video. The new track features vocals from LEILAH, making this their second track together, following previous single ‘Ghost’. SBTRKT’s latest release will appear on his third studio album next year. Speaking about the track, SBTRKT shared: “I’ve always viewed this song as more of an album track than what I might consider a single, so it’s great to see that it has resonated so widely.”
Asha Gold
Morning Love
Asha Gold
For fans of… Rosalía, Hope Tala, Mahalia
Why listen… Rising Star Asha Gold’s new track ‘Morning Love’ will get your day started in the best way.
London’s Asha Gold has been making her mark on the UK music industry in 2022 with her silky smooth vocals and catchy backing beats. Whilst coming from a classical music background, Asha keeps her songs contemporary and fresh, fusing together R&B, soul, pop & more. ‘Morning Love’ is part of Asha’s five-track EP which came out on December 2nd. Asha posted on Instagram – “I’m really proud of this project. Two new tracks for you on there – five songs in total which recount some of the lessons I’ve learnt over the past few years. I really hope it makes you feel something.”
Little Simz
Gorilla
Forever Living Originals
For fans of… SAULT, Inflo, Obongjayar
Why listen… Simz is back with another masterpiece, the bouncy and brilliant track ‘Gorilla’.
Little Simz has just released her brand new album ‘NO THANK YOU’. After winning the Mercury Prize for her previous album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, Simz gives us a brand new body of work to end the year. The album was produced by Inflo and spans 10 incredible tracks, with ‘Gorilla’ being track number 2. ‘Gorilla’ has a bouncy bassline which brings a playful pace to the track, making it stand out. Simz spoke on the album: “Emotion is energy in motion. honour your truth and feelings. eradicate fear. boundaries are important.”
Debbie, BERWYN
Cousin’s Car
020 Def Jam
For fans of… Stormzy, Olivia Dean, Jords
Why listen… Rising Star Debbie shares her beautiful, nostalgic track ‘Cousin’s Car’ featuring BERWYN.
After gracing her vocals across five tracks on Stormzy’s latest critically-acclaimed album, ‘This is What I Mean’, Debbie returns with her stunning new single ‘Cousin’s Car’ featuring fellow Brit, BERWYN. The song is honest and heartfelt, reflecting on the intensities of life and the need for escapism. Speaking on the record, Debbie says “Cousin’s Car is all about escaping. Life can get really intense sometimes, and I like the idea of having the space to get away when and if needed”.
Sam Wise
Thankful
Sam Wise
For fans of… p-rallel, Finn Foxell, MANIK MC
Why listen… This tune from one to watch Sam Wise is heartfelt and uplifting to get you feeling ‘Thankful’.
South London based rapper Sam Wise has just dropped his new single ‘Thankful’. The song centres around being grateful for the little things in life. His bars are laid over a mellow, laid back beat that will encourage you to sing along. ‘Thankful’ comes from Wise’s brand new six track EP ‘None The Wiser’. The EP invites listeners into Sam’s inner thoughts, striking a chord and reminding us why he’s one to watch for 2023.
Asher Kosher
Mug
Root 73
For fans of… The Silhouettes Project, Eerf Evil, KeepVibesNear
Why listen… North London’s Asher Kosher gifts us his new single ‘Mug’, just in time for Christmas.
Asher Kosher is a name you need to know, he’s a North London based rapper and founder of Root 73, an artist development platform, fully equipped recording studio, and record label. His track came out on December 9th and Asher posted some context behind his latest song on Instagram, “I wrote this song a couple years ago but it feels more relevant than ever… we’re all being taken for mugs in this unequal world and it’s good to see people starting to fight back.”
Mafro
Hollow
UMG (on behalf of Mafro, distributed by LG105)
For fans of… ATRIP, TSHA, Jasper Tygner
Why listen… Ascending artist Mafro is causing some serious waves in the Electronic scene, take a listen to ‘Hollow’ to find out why.
Emerging electronic producer Mafro released ‘Hollow’, on December 2nd via LG105. Mafro takes inspiration from the likes of James Blake, Tourist, Jacques Greene and Jon Hopkins, yet remains totally unique and versatile. The track features celestial vocals with dance floor infused production to create a smooth club focused feel. He said on Instagram “Really happy to have this one out in the wild. It took a long time to get this one just right.” With his debut EP on the horizon, Mafro is quickly making a name for his signature sound.
Natty Wylah
2 2s Ain’t Always 4
Rhythm Section International
For fans of… Bradley Zero, The Silhouettes Project, NiNE8
Why listen… This is Natty Wylah’s first self-produced track and unsurprisingly, like his other releases, it never misses.
London-based artist Natty Wylah has just released ‘2 2s Ain’t Always 4’ via the latest Rhythm Section International compilation, the ‘SHOUTS 2022’, which came out at the start of the month. Natty’s distinctive voice and rapping style shines over his own impressive production. This is the third instalment of ‘SHOUTS’, this time starring 29 tracks, showcasing a range of genres from contemporary R&B, to jazzy hip-hop from Berlin, and more club-focused cuts.
Headie One
50’s
Relentless Records
For fans of… Nines, Fredo, MoStack
Why listen… Headie One returns with his highly anticipated single that you’ll want to play again and again.
Rapper Headie One has just dropped his latest single ‘50s’, that seems to have hidden clues of what’s to come from him. On the track, Headie raps about his past, younger OFB members and teases a stacked 2023. Headie also hints at a collaborative mixtape but doesn’t confirm who the other artist is yet. This song was previewed a few weeks before its release & since its official release on 8th December has already had 2 million streams on Spotify.
Words by Maria Hanlon (MH)
Listen to @mariahanlon Maria Meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month 3-5pm on voicesradio.co.uk
