Single Review: ‘Fanfare’ – Silkarmour
Single Review: ‘Fanfare’ – Silkarmour There’s almost a devotional quality to ‘Fanfare’, but with its shifts in narrative tense, Samuel’s writing rarely stays reverent for too long [Support Silkarmour on Bandcamp] By Eli Callingham 24 September 2026 ‘Fanfare’ feels like a strange confession. its lyrics are frank, almost apathetic while the backdrop surrounding them is anything but. Across its runtime, Silkarmour shifts between recollection and admission, narrative tenses and non-sequitars, with every refrain gradually bridging the distance between what was and what is here and now, and, rather poignantly, “the absence of light”. The latest single by London-based producer/composer Enzo Samuel, ‘Fanfare’ continues the steadily evolving sonic language of his Silkarmour project. If ‘Pig’s Ballad’ found beauty in a more subdued, melancholic and droney register, (with the integration of the harmonium into his repertoire), ‘Fanfare’ feels more encompassing and immediate, while retaining the hymnal quality and ornate arrangements central to Samuel’s output. With a contemplative opening built upon viscous, reversed textures, and a slow introduction of rich harmonium chords, the arrangement gradually begins to resemble a dawn chorus. There’s almost a devotional quality to the song, but with its shifts in narrative tense, Samuel’s writing rarely stays reverent for too long. Photo by Minxu Li ‘Fanfare’ performs a fake out from its pensive outset into something more groovy; discreet drums pulse just beneath shifting textural blocks which undulate between the more processed digital layers and dense, regal acoustic warmth. True to its title, the track ends grandly, seen out by a chorus of trumpets over a deep, distorted bass. Built upon gradual shifts, there’s a final movement from the pastoral to the ceremonial, while contending melodies and inversions gather toward a final flourish. https://youtu.be/ncENwzn7inY?si=14JBo5LDNrW6inzn The accompanying self-directed music video extends the pastoral and ceremonial imagery into Silkarmour’s visual world. Shot by DOP Arthur Attenborough, whose credits include Bladee and Clark, it marks a return collaboration and a loose follow-up to their work together for ‘Pig’s Ballad’. Throughout, an ensemble of guerrilla militants brandish folk instruments inside an ascetic room, surrounded by candles and pistols. The flying pig, now synonymous with the project’s iconography, is suspended above the scene upon a quilt, painted on a canvas, and tattooed on an arm. This new track arrives off the back of a second packed-out Venue M.O.T headline show. Live, Silkarmour performs as a hybrid three-piece of harmonium/vocals, drums and electronic organ (with foot pedals). The project has previously played alongside black midi, Factory Floor, and Sorry, while Samuel’s work as a producer extends beyond Silkarmour into studio production with abrasive noise-rockers gegenpress and Maddison Windfarm, shining new voices in London’s DIY circuit. With each Silkarmour release, we are invited into a play with the folkloric and absurd. The flying pig hangs over it all, increasingly familiar, but no less mysterious. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Album Review: ‘Decoding Birdsong’ – Antony Szmierek
Album Review: ‘Decoding Birdsong’ – Antony Szmierek A masterclass in vulnerability and rhythm that invites you to cry, dance, and live a little louder By Nat Kossyvaki 12 September 2026 Just eighteen months after his critically acclaimed debut album Service Station at the End of the Universe, the poet, spoken-word artist and producer from Manchester returns with a radically vulnerable piece of work that signals a new era for UK dance music. Released on 21st August, Decoding Birdsong is an album about luck and loneliness, hope and choosing to believe in something – whatever that is. Or as Antony humbly describes it: “It’s a bit of poetry, bit of alternative music and a bit of dance music. Equally suited to the pres, the durings and afters.” Including an eclectic lineup of collaborators such as Pretty Girl, Imogen and the Knife and 1-800 GIRLS, and paired with Antony’s audaciously hopeful poetry, the album challenges you to ask yourself the questions that are most difficult: Is there a meaning in everything, or is there any meaning at all? What happens if I fail? Am I living the way I want to be living? Across 13 songs and 46 minutes, you’re invited on a journey into the deeper parts of yourself you’re too scared to touch. The music is spacious, nostalgic and empowering. The lyrics are sharp, vulnerable, and Antony’s poetry feels effortless. In the verses, you’ll be drawn into endless metaphors and existential explorations, whilst the choruses will lift you up with hope with a simple sentence like “You’ll never be alone again, my love” or “Find something you love and get lost all in it”. A masterful strength of this record is that it allows space for the listener to project their own realities and make their own meanings. But yet, you don’t need to fully understand the meaning behind everything – you just need to listen. Each song hits you in your feels and creates a liberating need to dance. It pushes you to move, to see more clearly, to want to hug your friends, to cry a little, to live more loudly. ‘Chalk’ sets the scene. It’s restless and enigmatic, almost provocative, interrogating luck and control in an infectious electro-dance beat – a defining album opener. https://youtu.be/TkTRa6a2zQI?si=eRYk_3eMXSg37Nwd Moving in a disco-themed nostalgia, ‘The Heron’ speaks about patience, self-belief and being present. ‘Bookie’s Favourite’ feels dark, vulnerable and exposed, paired with melodic synths and Ellur’s haunting vocals. ‘Seminal’ is for dancing. The kind where you’re alone in a room and moving like nobody’s watching, while screaming “oh my god it’s hysterical just how lonely you feel!”. Bold and deeply poetic. ‘Flight Simulator’ is a turbulent yet euphoric journey through life. No one really knows how to navigate life or love or loss or fate. You may fly so high and touch the sun, and then suddenly crash. Do you take the risk and try your luck? Or wait for that sign and lean into it to guide you? https://youtu.be/bPq-zhiC3aw?si=1As8eZ5ezrX31VVm When you get to ‘The First Five Minutes of Magnolia’, that spontaneous head movement starts. Punchy electric guitars take over and Pretty Girl’s smooth vocals navigate the beat, while Antony muses on loneliness, coincidence and his favourite film. ‘Commune’ talks about love, while ‘You’re Not Supposed to Do This Forever’ wrestles with fate and existence – reminding you that everything ends at some point, and that’s okay. At ‘Aussie Gold Hunters’, you reach your epiphany and may relate to some of the lyrics a bit more than you expected. By the time you hear the last piano notes, you know you’ve reached the end of a beautiful self-exploratory journey. You may need a minute to take it all in before you get back to your day – just like when you’re not quite ready to leave your seat after watching a great film at the cinema. Decoding Birdsong is a simply beautiful record. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
EP Review: ‘Summer Indoors (or outside wearing black)’ – The Healing Power of Horses
EP Review: ‘Summer Indoors (or outside wearing black)’ – The Healing Power of Horses Alluring and shiny… dispersed with jolts of dissonance and energy. By Hannah Ugboma 2 September 2026 ‘Summer Indoors (or outside wearing back)’ is the debut EP from Cambridgeshire duo The Healing Power of Horses and their first release since signing section1, an LA-based label and subset of Partisan Records, which aims to ‘operate in an art-first way’. The release follows the mysterious tape ‘NS005’, released in 2025. Like their previous work, this project reflects the conditions in which it was recorded: ‘NS005’ sears like the ‘Biblical heatwave’ it was recorded during, and ‘SID(owb)’ is more moody, darker, reflecting the attic isolation the EP was written in. This 4 track release is alert, with a clear sound and level of urgency within the music. It mixes genres and sounds, from trip-hop to grunge, with elements of classical music mixing with electronic sounds seamlessly. ‘Summer Indoors (or outside wearing black)’ is alluring and shiny. It has a murky sound, sweeping and encompassing, dispersed with jolts of dissonance and energy. Opening with the hypnotic ‘i wait, i sink’, a trip-hop esque track which announces itself through a sparse but driving drum pattern and a commanding bassline. The half-time feel of the track is broken up by fractious guitar licks and deep, layered vocals. It sounds desperate at times as lyrics repeat again and again, like a prayer or mantra; begging for release from something beyond sight, as the song ends in a sinking distortion. The off-kilter guitar tone and mantra-like singing style continues in ‘So-Perfect(Combining)’, the guitar dispersed with shadowy 808s. A secretive tone is set, you feel like you might be listening to something you shouldn’t, amplified by the inclusion of what sounds like a phone call recording midway. Unease and quiet builds with the pitch. The track then shifts; you only hear the soft calm of strings, and another mantra begins. It’s a graceful break before a new drum beat enters, creating a sound not dissimilar to previous tracks by Headache (aka Vegyn), a perfect symphony. C – The Great Escape 2026 ‘TOURNIQUET’ shifts the tone completely, as harsh percussion leads to a harsher synth line driven almost completely by 808s. C talk sings over a spare percussive beat, with fast hi-hats and bass deep in the track. The sound crashes back in during the chorus, before fading into an almost twee outro, the sound alleviated by woodwind and a bouncier bassline. The EP closes out with the disparate ‘In Yr Right Hand Reveal Heaven’. The vocals are slightly fried and strained, over a gloomy, strummed bassline, interrupted by brighter specks of alleviation and chord change. The durgier sound is fractured by some relaxed acoustic guitar and smoother vocals. The track soars, more triumphant and ecstatic, as a new mantra repeats. It eases out on graceful strings, softer whispers, and slight unease. The Healing Power of Horses – The Great Escape 2026 The EP is fully in control of its sound. It feels sweeping, graceful, intriguing and quite beautiful. The lyrics are often repeated again and again, leaving one sitting with the imagery they provoke (“Your window is like a mouth, daylight is pouring out”, “I saw again the tent of Yael and heard a scream/Be quiet it’s just an incision” are some favourites). The record is almost fervent with religiosity, with references to a ‘right hand in heaven’, ‘the devil’, ‘heaven in your arms’, ‘hammer in the yard like a holy son’, creating a rich layer of intrigue alongside the general tone. The duo have played at the Great Escape and Green Man, and will be performing a string of shows this autumn, including Left Of The Dial in Rotterdam and the Pitchfork Music Festivals in both Paris and London. Listen to the EP and support the band via their Bandcamp. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Single Review: ‘Full Spectrum Dominance’ – Dummy
Single Review: ‘Full Spectrum Dominance’ – Dummy This collision of the past and the future conjures up some serious grooves By George Bicknell 27 August 2026 Ahead of their hotly anticipated third album, ‘do you love the color of the sky?’, Los Angeles-based indie pop band Dummy have treated us to a new single, ‘Full Spectrum Dominance’. Building on the caustic yet hazy psychedelia of 2024’s ‘Free Energy’, this new single finds Dummy at their most insatiably groovy and at their sharpest politically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7OQIVHfQ0c Waves of distorted guitars, a steady breakbeat, and singer Emma Maatman’s typically cool performance combine to instantly take you back to some of the best Madchester bands of the early 90’s while still presenting something incredibly pertinent. On crafting the new single, guitarist Joe Trainor said: “I was trying to make something just heavier, and we joked it was our nu metal song. During the recording, we added the tambourine that gives it a more dancey vibe, Deee-Lite meets Deftones.” Emma added, “This is the Technofeudalism bop. Tech billionaires are treating AI like the new Alchemy, using it as a source of power and magic. This supposedly soon-to-be all-powerful technology could not exist without harvesting all of humanity’s intellectual property and collective work. ‘Prima Materia’ is the building block of all alchemical matter, so in the canon of the song, we humans are the Prima Materia.” Dummy – Photo by Kyle Berger The anti-AI message of the song is cleverly captured both through the satirical lyrics and the anxiety the production successfully builds by sticking to the steady funk beat as the guitars warp into a shoegazey wall of noise and Emma’s voice bounces between the headphones. This is a band that not only has excellent taste in their influences but is also incredibly in touch with the here and now, and hearing those two features combine in their songwriting creates something incredibly cool that we can’t wait to hear more of. ‘do you love the color of the sky?’ arrives on 16th of October via Polyvinyl Record Co. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Video Interview: In Conversation with Tony Njoku
Video Interview: In Conversation with Tony Njoku Ambient,Classical,Electronic On the eve of Thursday 9th July, we joined Tony Njoku at West London’s “hidden gem”, Ladbroke Hall for a playback of his latest EP, ‘A WORLD OF BODIES ON FIRE’, recently released via PRAH Recordings. Before the playback began, we caught up with Tony amongst the bamboo in Ladbroke Hall’s garden to discuss the EP, his improvisational practice, artist recommendations, London’s experimental scene and his reflections on Conjuring four editions in. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Tony Njoku Recommends
← Back Artist Playlist Tony Njoku A playlist featuring music made or selected by Tony Njoku, plus some related suggestions from the TNAM team. Ambient,Classical,Electronic {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
EP Review: ‘Dogma / Heaven Sent / Sure Shot (Remixes)’ – Kiosk
EP Review: ‘Dogma / Heaven Sent / Sure Shot (Remixes)’ – Kiosk Built on drum machines, synth loops, and a shared love of electronic alliance in music By George Ginn 20 August 2026 The heavily Leedstronica-inspired duo Kiosk returns with an addition to their 2026 EP, ‘Heaven Sent / Sure Shot’, that includes reworks of their tracks curated by some of the scene’s key players for club-ready music: DJ Subaru, TURNSPIT, and Bug Teeth. Previously only available on a now-sold-out vinyl run, via Private Regcords, the band finds themselves at the forefront of the latest wave of electronic/indie acts, having shared stages with the likes of The Itch, SILVERWINGKILLER, Another Country $$$$, and Mermaid Chunky. The EP opens with their first single, ‘Dogma’, a slowed breakbeat instrumental filled with warped synth loops that welcomes you into their world of dance music. “Dogma was the first song we wrote together”, Bella and Maz explain, who reminisce on also recording and working with DJ Subaru for the first song: “She really helped us realise it with her insane dance production chops, so with the remix it felt natural to let her go full Subaru on it.” Built on drum machines, synth loops, and a shared love of electronic alliance in music, their work together creates something heavier but still melodic from the original release in 2025. Abbie Bruff TURNSPIT’s remix of ‘Heaven Sent’ takes a different approach to the band’s initial techno version. It truly depicts the real shift and evolution in Kiosk and TURNSPIT’s music, showcasing an ambient and darker side to them as two bands both up-and-coming in the Leeds scene. I was lucky enough to attend TURNSPIT’s headline show at The Windmill earlier this year, with support from MAY, MM’99, and multiscreen. Their live set felt tuned all into one song, including their rendition of Kiosk’s ‘Heaven Sent’, which adds to the track and EP’s theme of grief and soul-searching in a world that is suddenly far bigger than it ever has been before. Last but not least, Bug Teeth’s remix of ‘Sure Shot’ adds to the improvised spoken-word track about driving through a desert that, on the first listen, felt like one of those late-night smoking area Windmill or venue MOT conversations you get invested in with the people you’ve just asked for a lighter. In discussion with Argus Far, Bella expresses her choice in improvising the lyrics on ‘Sure Shot’ and how she doesn’t tend to write stories about other people or things she hasn’t experienced herself: “I’ve always found writing lyrics to be a bit of a release, and they often end up being quite spur-of-the-moment as opposed to that thought-through”. Originally produced as an outro section for ‘Heaven Sent’, Bug Teeth’s remix delivers an enigmatic fusion of electronoise and darkwave sounds. The psych dream-pop outfit curates ‘Sure Shot’ into an atmospheric epilogue for a journey through the middle of nowhere to come to a complete stop; an outro that only feels like we’re just getting started on Kiosk and Bella’s hiking story. 3 brilliant tracks reworked into 3 other brilliant tracks. The duo is on tour supporting Adult DVD across the UK from the 22nd October, with other extensive gigs including Green Man Festival this weekend. Be sure to check them out and their new EP. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Review: ‘A WORLD OF BODIES ON FIRE’ Tony Njoku – EP Playback at Ladbroke Hall
Review: A WORLD OF BODIES ON FIRE’ Review – EP Playback On Thursday 9th July, for the release of his new EP ‘A WORLD OF BODIES ON FIRE’, Tony Njoku hosted a free listening party in one of the many rooms of the gorgeous Ladbrooke Hall in West London. Words By Hannah Ugboma Edited by Eli Callingham 1 August 2026 Njoku hailing from North-West London described the space as a “hidden gem”, choosing to stray outside the usual South, South East, or East London focus. The venue is like a sprawling estate; combination restaurant, art gallery and performance space. The playback was held in what could have previously been a Victorian antechamber, now modernised, with a soundsystem and ornate chandelier and 2 giant sash windows. The chairs in the room were modern and stylish, brown tones matching the colour palette of the space, facing towards these windows, through which one could watch the swaying trees in the garden. The setting felt carefully considered. With no distractions or elaborate staging, instead a space similar to a front room, encouraging a deeper, more familiar listening. This relaxed atmosphere allowed for a deeper, more appreciative focus on the music. It was an intimate gathering, as we sat facing Njoku, who introduced the new EP and its background. Before pressing play, he provided some context. Describing it as “A 4 track expansive mix of compositions through improvisation, the title has several meanings, formed through different frameworks and perspectives. On one level, it reflects the burnout Njoku has experienced as an artist feeling, in his words, “burnt to a crisp” by life. It also draws on the image of self-immolation as an act of protest, exploring how both personal and collective despondency and rage can resemble the same consuming fire. Yet the title also refers to renewal, as the project embraces extended improvisation over a string of six live performances. Njoku described feeling metaphorically set alight once again, this time with passion rather than exhaustion. That creative renewal formed the foundation of the EP. Taking his carefully developed live setup to Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate, he recorded a series of extended improvised performances that would be later shaped into the four compositions heard on ‘A WORLD OF BODIES ON FIRE’. The record itself is intricate and contemplative, and doesn’t seem to follow exactly the same mood between tracks. It begins with the title track, a bass heavy feature with dramatic, rolling synths (I could really feel the bass in my bones, with the sub of the system directly behind me). The track demands your attention, with slight unease. Track 2, ‘STREAMS AND STORMS’, is my favorite. Minimalistic, mantra-like piano motifs sit upon the solid foundation of a bassline. As the track progresses, more piano lines and textures enter the fold and settle in layers, a sonic experience with a very apt title. ‘THE QUIET CHAOS OF PLAYING IT SAFE’ is the longest piece, at just over 9 minutes, and as Njoku later revealed his favourite to play live. It begins with haunting synth lines, and evolves into a slow, drum driven piece, with much of the drama as the first. ‘ETUDE NO.1’ is the closing statement, a short, somber piano etude, which allows the listener space to reflect and digest the entire proceedings. It is overall a driven and dynamic piece, with elements of repetition, and a fusion of classical and electronic sonics. The improvisational nature of the EP lent me to imagine that the evening was more akin to an intimate live gig, reflecting the spontaneity of the record. The release itself was recorded over one day at Big Jelly Studios, with minimal arranging and editing in post production. This improvisational feel is retained in the recording, the live flair is captured, and it now seems that Njoku was double present in the room, building the music around us in real time, similar to his Conjuring series. After the playback, Njoku answered some questions about the album’s production, style, inspirations, and some of the more unique elements of each song. It could also be described as an ‘ode to the open road’, and some of the more tiresome elements of being a touring musician. Before the listening party commenced, amongst the bamboo in Ladbrooke Hall’s garden, Tony graciously offered some of his time to ask some of our questions about the EP, improvisation, artist recommendations and his reflections on Conjuring four editions in. [Interview coming soon] You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Single Review: ‘Go!’ – iKeda
Single Review: ‘Go!’ – iKeda 2010s Nostalgia Meets Dancehall Swagger on iKeda’s New Single By Aude Flanda 29 July 2026 Last Thursday, self proclaimed ‘London Gyal’ iKeda dropped her new single ‘Go!’ ahead of her upcoming EP Bangs N Braces, set to be released later this year and it’s been on rotation since. Channeling icons from the golden era of electro-pop (think M.I.A., Lady Gaga, and Santigold) iKeda combines high energy tracks with sick visuals, and keeps it experimental by fusing sounds from her own heritage which she refers to as bubble riddim representing a growing wave of Black British artists reclaiming and reshaping electronic music. Growing up between London and Cambridge, and having a mum obsessed with club culture and a reggae musician for a dad, it’s no surprise her sound is so expansive. Serving rudegyal energy, the music video gives Major Lazer with a Rihanna flair; neon colours and a lyric video touch that focuses on carefree enjoyment and dancehall queen confidence (‘Rude Boy’ springs to mind). The vocals sit somewhere between M.I.A’s command and Lily Allen‘s sweetness, layered over distorted backing vocals for more edge. Production is club ready and fully woman produced, courtesy of Tailtiu; a longtime collaborator and friend from Belfast who’s also behind the production on Babymorocco‘s debut Amour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl6whTIGUh8 What sets her apart is her strong brand identity so early on. From sound and visuals to choreography and attitude, it all feels very intentional. Working closely with graphic designer and creative Archie Barr, she revives the Frutiger Metro inspired graphics, magazine collage aesthetics and the indie sleaze glamour of the early 2010s, creating a visual world that feels nostalgic but distinctly her own. After only launching her debut single in 2024, she has built momentum with tracks like ‘Luv drunk’ and ‘Ocean Nights (Like Everyday)’ as well as supported the beloved PinkPantheress twice, most recently with her European tour which wrapped in June. In her most recent interview with Church Electronic, she reveals more headline shows are in the works with an upcoming show in Berlin currently scheduled for November. You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Review: Ground Rules Festival – “The Past, Present and Future of the Hardcore Rave Scene”
REVIEW – GROUND RULES FESTIVAL 2026 An exploration of the past, present and future of the hardcore rave scene [Festival Info] By Imogen Sleith 26 July 2026 Ground Rules Festival was the next logical step for Singularity Uk, who started off putting on nights in a Stoke Newington basement. The festival is a passion project born of a need to recreate the old skool rave scene, and emerged from a postlockdown rave series at Grow Tottenham with Albion Audio. Located in Deene Park, Corby, a site which previously hosted Illusive Festival in 2024, an undoubtable amount of thought and care went into this first year of Ground Rules. With four main stages and a heavy focus on sound system, the festival was a three day love-affair with UK underground dance music and the cultures that surround it. Most attendees looked around my age (mid-late twenties), but there were enough millennials letting loose to indicate the team definitely achieved the old skool feel they were after. Photos by Maddie Corleone The days started gently with live dub, funk and soul at Terra Firma, the festivals 2nd largest outdoor stage powered by Firmly Rooted. After having my aura cleansed by The Purificators and watching a heated game of twister with The Clamor Clowns, I bounced between happy hardcore at Crashsite (rig by Shakedown Audio) and jungle at Gridlock. (Scotland Yard and Albion Audio). I mainly floated between two groups of mates, but every stranger I spoke to was keen to yap and share who’s set they’d loved and who they were excited to see next. I had a few solo side quests to attend the workshops at The Living Room Yurt. My workshop highlight was an introduction to Vinyl DJing with fairy godmother of the scene Louise Plus One, and Singularity’s own Silver Snipa. My set highlights were Chinese Daughter spinning vinyl at Crash Site and Midrib’s smokey set at The Living Room. Tokio Station also cast a bit of a spell on me during their sunday night sunset slot at Terra Firma, before the whole festival reconvened a couple hours later for ‘the last dance’, a final send off and a reprise of the weekend’s musical highlights. The attention to detail was unmatched; from The Womb Tomb (a tent dedicated to sanitary products and a place to wash menstrual cups) to the range of food stalls and a gluten free pale ale for all the celiac baddies, everything decision from the Ground Rules team seemed thoughtful and practical. Photos by Maddie Corleone The detailed visual world of the festival, from merch to staging and decor was created by lead illustrator Dani Nova, and harked back to the DIY culture of the UK rave scene. I wasn’t alone in finding the androgynous aliens dotted about the site kinda sexy, and the relentless queue outside the merch tent spoke for itself. Ground Rules really felt like an exploration of the past, present and future of the hardcore rave scene. It was a marriage of Bristol to London and everywhere in between, with endless energy and love poured into every element. You Might Also Like Recent Posts You Might Also Like Recent Posts