New Music BRISTOL
Peoples Playlist – community selection of the best music coming out of Bristol right now. In partnership with Outer Town Festival.
Eli Picks: UK Alternative Rabble
Eli Picks : UK Alternative Rabble Artists and band recommendations from someone who notoriously has a complicated relationship with alternative music and the concept of it. Expect the sounds of Indie, Alternative, Slacker Rock, and a smidge of Shoegaze. People’s Playlist {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The Sounds of UK Underground Rap #4
The Sounds of UK Underground #4 Part 4 of a monthly TNAM series exploring the current sounds and sub-genres of UK rap music: Jerk, Rage, Cloud Rap and ‘UK Underground’. *Now including Republic of Ireland artists.* People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The Sounds of UK Underground Rap #3
The Sounds of UK Underground Rap #3 Part 3 of a monthly TNAM series exploring the current sounds and sub-genres of UK rap music: Jerk, Rage, Cloud Rap and ‘UK Underground’. Here are my notable artists and song picks: 1. W0nderthug: #KNIFEWORK South London rapper W0nderthug is emerging as a new forerunner of the ever-evolving metal influenced rap sound, merging UK drill flows with the blown-out abrasiveness of rage production. Appearing on underground line-ups from Post Party to Antivision, a live circuit that favours the cutting-edge and confrontational, which W0nderthug leans into. His debut project METAL GANGSTER RAP, released February 2026, leaves little ambiguity about where W0nderthug is positioning himself sonically. ‘#KNIFEWORK’, built around a barrage of distorted 808s and blown-out textures which create a deliberate sensory overload. The bars feel knowingly exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek, threatening and ironic in equal breath, channeling Gen-Z surrealism and internet-age absurdity. 2. Magnus Brandt: Selfie London-based artist Magnus Brandt first built an underground following through releases under the aliases ‘Mag’ (2017-21) and ‘Magthegod’ on SoundCloud, where his DIY aesthetic gained a cult following. Moving fluidly across genres from trap and alternative pop to slacker indie, Brandt has developed a reputation as something of a sonic chameleon. From Genius user ‘@mungorse’ (suspected to be a Brandt burner account), the change of artist name is framed as a kind of “Jungian integration of the whole” – multiple approaches consolidated into a single identity and under a single name. The Smile EP (July 2025), his most recent project, feels like the outcome of this process, an extensive hodgepodge of influences siphoned through Brandt’s particular lens. ‘Selfie’ exemplifies this integration. The production is sparse yet intricately detailed, punctuated by digital chirps and camera snaps that mirror its title and thematic concerns. The lyrics are earnest and confessional, circling questions of self-identity and the uneasy act of comparison with another. 3. Mnwa Echs – bullets At just 20 years old, Mnwa Echs (pronounced “Man Wa Ex”) is an artist whose trajectory feels difficult to ignore. Echs has steadily built a catalogue defined by consistency, experimentation, and a clear sense of authorship. Regularly releasing new material and collaborating across the underground UK rap scene, including work alongside ‘Llondon Actress’, he occupies a space within the loose lineage of post-emo SoundCloud rap, drawing on its emotional directness while pushing its sonic palette somewhere stranger and more individual. His ‘Emergence EP’, released in January 2026, crystallises much of what makes his work compelling. A fully self-contained project, Echs takes on every role himself: artist, producer and engineer, resulting in a record that feels both diaristic and meticulously assembled. Hazy melodic fragments, brittle percussion and sudden ruptures of distortion pair emo rap’s confessional impulse with a sharp ear for texture and atmosphere. ‘bullets’ stands out as the EP’s emotional centre. Over a sparse instrumental, Echs delivers the line: “Music is the only thing I really love”, a fervent sentiment, heard within the context of a project he has built entirely himself; it reads as a statement of intent. 4. iamawakesorry: Making It Out At just 20 years old, Mnwa Echs (pronounced “Man Wa Ex”) is an artist whose trajectory feels difficult to ignore. Echs has steadily built a catalogue defined by consistency, experimentation, and a clear sense of authorship. Regularly releasing new material and collaborating across the underground UK rap scene, including work alongside ‘Llondon Actress’, he occupies a space within the loose lineage of post-emo SoundCloud rap, drawing on its emotional directness while pushing its sonic palette somewhere stranger and more individual. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham Add Your Heading Text Here You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Avant-Club UK #2
Avant-Club UK #2 Club,Electronic,Experimental,Hyperpop,Industrial Part 2 of a monthly deep dive into the contemporary electronic artists working within the UK and around the frameworks/aesthetics of post-club, deconstructed club, UK Bass, and everything few and far-between (championing the fringe and experimental). My standout tracks, and words on them below: 1. The Twins: TURMERIC Identical twins Omar and Jamal are the Twins of the moment. Pulling influence from their South Asian heritage, they fuse electro-clash with desi sounds, sampling Bollywood to regional folk music. With Omar on vocals and Jamal on production, the duo have coined their style “Bollywood Electronic.” Their debut album ‘TUMERIC’ is a must listen, and so is the track of the same name. High octane and built around a fractured and reassembled sample, supported by pumping bass and dhol rhythms, with Omar’s vocals treated with glitchy processing. The tail end isn’t unlike something you would hear on ‘Go Plastic’ by Squarepusher. A distinctive take on hyperpop and the music of the adjacent indie sleaze revival. 2. Proc Fiskal: ADDICTIONZ Edinburgh based Proc Fiskal (real name Joe Powers) provides a different form of dance floor catharsis through his idiosyncratic strain of electronic maximalism. ‘ADDICTIONZ’ is the lead single and opening track from his recent project ‘Exchequer EP’. Released on acclaimed electronic label HyperDub, home to releases by cutting-edge electronic artists Burial, Kode9 and aya, it situates Powers within a lineage of forward-thinking UK club experimentalists. Intricate and rhythmically entrancing, the track starts with a slew of synths before giving way to gorgeously programmed MIDI strings and harp. A marriage of his grime roots and hyperpop sensibilities, interwoven with classical instrumentation in service of what he has described as “the utopian idea of the pastoral.” If you are enamoured by the dense, somewhat fantastical, and detailed sound design of projects like ‘Leo Line Eon’ by Iglooghost you may have interest in this one. It ventures into similar sonic terrain, but with different stride. 3. Another Country $$$$ – ANOTHER COUNTRY The new darlings of the UK underground band circuit, as the live electronics standouts. Manchester based duo Another Country $$$$ merge live drums with a distinct club vocabulary. Their live shows (I thankfully caught them during Pitchfork Music Festival at Cafe Oto) also feature live visuals, another cornerstone of their practice. With ‘ANOTHER COUNTRY’ (which I hope is their walkout song), a list of ‘another’ statements are read by text to speech, a mantra for pushing forward (it feels like) there will always be another something or other in life. Merging delicate sonics, not so dissimilar to ‘botanica’ with post-rave trance like lush synth chords which enter the fray with the driving kit. The track, its progression tastefully curated, feels imbued with nostalgic sentiment. If you ever get the post-rave blues, maybe they sound something like this. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham Add Your Heading Text Here You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Abstract Electronic UK #2
Abstract Electronic UK #2 Ambient,Electronic,Experimental Part 2 of my monthly dive into contemporary experimental electronic practices within the UK, artists producing at the intersections between post-ambient and power-ambient composition, electroacoustic methodologies, and the frameworks of deconstructed club. These works explore timbre and texture as forefront compositional components and demonstrate advanced approaches to sound design and signal processing. Non-linear form, wonky rhythms, and process-driven compositional systems take precedence over traditional structures/form, rhythmic or harmonic progression. 21st-century work that draws from the spectral, noise, and post-industrial lineages of the 20th century. This approach to composition is shaped by an informal pedagogy transmitted through technology, online channels, production techniques and club contextualisation rather than through formal institutional structures or genre formulae. 1. BJ Holy: ‘Earth Sign’ BJ Holy is a multidisciplinary artist who seamlessly switches between roles: composer, producer, and instrumentalist. He effortlessly combines elements from electroacoustic, avant-club, ambient, and folk styles, performing live vocals, flugelhorn, and guitar alongside electronics. ‘Earth Sign’ (track nine from his debut album ‘Broken Horns’) offers just a snapshot of the record’s range. A structure built around an evolving motif alongside a patient build of texture that leaves you suspended, waiting for all the elements to converge (the drop), and for the full weight to be realised. With guest vocals from Charlotte Mandell, the pair move in call and response, their voices (at parts) intersecting in atmospheric bliss. Both vocalists recite abstract poetic musings, including fragments reprised from track three of the project ‘Clean Slate’: – “It’s my clean slate, perfect hideaway.” – “It’s my earth sign, it’s my third try.” Colliding fragments dissolve into one lingering question: What’s your Earth Sign? 2. Damsel Elysium: ‘Shoreline – Alex Faingold Rework’ ‘Shoreline’ is a cut from the London-based experimental sound artist’s 2024 EP ‘Whispers and Speaking’. Known for their multi-faceted practice, particularly their integration of strings, voice, electronics, and site-specific field recordings. Elysium weaves a textural composition that blurs the line between environment and instrument, grounded in their practice as an established cellist. Faint vocals like a siren song, electronic murmurs, and processed cello texture quietly bubble and recede. Tectonic audio plates shift beneath the surface, creating subtle drama. Saturated rhythmic stutters gradually move to the foreground, later swept away by sounds of the ocean. You’re taken on a real journey, like traversing a desolate landscape. Both Elysium and Faingold were in the short-lived band ‘Maine’. The release of their only album, ‘Barbary’ in 2023, strongly embodied my taste at the time, and I would still highly recommend it. It’s great to hear another collaboration from them, even in a different form. 3. MOBBS and Susu Laroche: ‘AXE’ Susu Laroche, one half of the currently inactive duo ‘The Fertile Crescent’ (with producer Oxhy), continues to carry the torch of a distinctly ritualistic strain of post-industrial in this collaboration with MOBBS. The ZEPO EP landed on Modern Love, a fitting home given the label’s history of atmosphere-driven releases from Demdike Stare and Andy Stott. ‘AXE’ is evocative, built on a driving, almost processional rhythm that thuds like distant war drums across the cavernous mix. Laroche’s vocals sit front and centre, layered chants upon a bed of vocal texture that sound plucked from antiquity. It feels less like a song and more like a rite, folkloric, a call to return to the primordial soup. 4. Myriad Myriads: ‘Fifth Shard’ Track five from the London-based producer’s ‘Shardcore’, an album intended to be the aural representation of taking consecutive keys of Ketamine. As K’s use on the dancefloor has exponentially grown, it’s a fitting concept. To give a curveball comparison, it’s not unlike DJ Screw and ‘Chopped N Screwed’ – where tempo drag, chopped repetition, and syrupy production aesthetics emulate the sensations of being under the influence of that purple drink. Every track on this project is brain nourishment (more so than K itself, which isn’t nourishing for your brain or for your bladder). This is my favourite ‘shard’ of the album, brittle and jagged synths sequenced with thematic wonky rhythms and motifs that stretch, condense, and resolve in the most satisfying way – replicating old Ken’s effects of time dilation. Like the Caretaker’s: ‘Everywhere at the End of Time’, but instead of slowly degrading memory, you’re moving closer to the K-hole. Released on ‘The Trilogy Tapes’. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham Add Your Heading Text Here You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Alt+Electronic UK #2
Alt+Electronic UK #2 A snapshot of contemporary UK-based artists working at the crossover of alternative and electronic music, not quite one or the other. Artists influenced by post-internet culture, bedroom production/DIY aesthetics, and the cross-pollination between pop, electronic, and art-music worlds. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
The Sounds of UK Underground Rap #2
The Sounds of UK Underground Rap #2 Rap Part 2 of a monthly TNAM series exploring the current sounds and sub-genres of UK rap music: Jerk, Rage, Cloud Rap and ‘UK Underground’. The “underground” in the title refers to both the status of the artist across multiple UK rap styles and to the emerging UK underground sub-genre spearheaded by artists such as Fakemink, Feng, and Jim Lxgacy. This series functions as a curated snapshot, a macroscopic view of standout tracks shaping the current moment. Since the last mix, the UK Underground scene has rapidly approached mainstream visibility, rendering the label ‘underground’ almost antithetical. Masked rapper EsDeeKid, in particular, has reached new levels of notoriety. At the time of writing, he ranks among Spotify’s most-streamed rappers, globally, bolstered by industry co-signs and a now put to rest online conspiracy claiming his true identity to be actor Timothée Chalamet. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Timothée Chalamet (@tchalamet) EsDeeKid’s rise feels inseparable from both his Scouse accent and the sleek, futuristic production of the ‘PHANTOM AUDIO’ collective (more on them later). His success highlights the importance of regional accents in rap music and underscores the need for broader mainstream representation of differing vocal identities in the UK. American rap has long embraced regional variation as a strength, so why not the UK? PHANTOM AUDIO operates with deliberate opacity. For producers Wraith9 and Lancer, anonymity is inseparable from the project’s aesthetic, even as both maintain visible stakes across a broader creative network, including the brand ‘No Fear’ and ‘Virus London’ events. Wraith, in particular, obscures his face with an array of head coverings across visuals and live appearances, reinforcing the collective’s spectral branding. Both producers’ solo releases prove just as compelling as their collaborative production work. Standout tracks, and words on which below: 1. Lancer: White Stag I came to Lancer’s ‘White Stag’ before registering his affiliations, which in hindsight the sonic connection is unmistakable. His solo releases pull from alternative, footwork, and modern rap styles, resisting easy categorisation. On White Stag, Lancer is personal, vulnerable, and introspective. He talks about a misalignment in a relationship and in action, frozen like a deer in headlights, yet whipping through red lights. Where Jerk production defined much of Summer 2025, with LV Sandals by EsDeeKid, Rico Ace and Fakemink emerging as a defining anthem of the UK underground. White Stag demonstrates the breadth of PHANTOM AUDIO’s sonic palette. A glassy, rompler-style digital piano anchors the track, invoking the spirit of pluggnb’s melodic haze, while skittering percussion draws from footwork’s restless rhythmic language. Interjections of vocal samples act like call and response and play off Lancer’s musings. – “Slackjawed lost my keys on the 202, why the fuck am I in Blackheath?” As a South London native, I was often dragged here, I can relate. It speaks to the anguish in my heart. 2. Jaxzun: oneofone interlude Little information is known so far about rapper Jaxzun, including where he is based. According to Genius, his debut track, ‘Speakerz’, appeared in May 2025. Yet from his output, he doesn’t sound like a novice. Much like earlier algorithmic finds such as TheAdult and LedByHer, his music appeared unprompted and demanded attention. Instagram Reels remains an unexpectedly fertile space for discovery, even through the noise of endless “reels music.” His listener base has grown rapidly, reportedly surpassing 20,000 streams within a week of this track’s release. The discourse surrounding Jaxzun online is intriguing: equal parts admiration and confusion, with listeners debating possible influences and production techniques. Is it Sstepteam? Does he use tremolo, ring modulation, or sidechaining? What is clear, however, is that he produces his own material. On ‘oneofone interlude’, the sonic palette is unstable; the 808 erodes the instrumental around his voice, collapsing the sense of spatial depth as he explains why he is “oneofone.” As we move into 2026, I think he is an artist we should all keep an eye on. 3. Trellion: Fresh Paint In a conversation about under-rated UK rappers I was reminded of Trellion, the Sheffield rapper whose work occupies a singular space within UK Hip Hop. Active since the mid 2000s and closely affiliated with cult label ‘Blah Records’, co-run by Lee Scott, Trellion has long operated outside mainstream visibility, despite reported collaborations with heavyweight producer ‘The Alchemist’. His sound and approach feel increasingly rare in today’s landscape: ‘boom-bap’ built on skillful sampling and steeped in moody atmosphere. Online discussions about Trellion hold a mythic quality. The r/ukhiphopheads thread ‘Anybody know what happened to Trellion?’ had users speculating about his disappearance during a lengthy absence from solo releases, with rumours placing him either working or running an Italian restaurant somewhere in Sheffield. After roughly a decade without a solo project, Trellion resurfaced in 2025 with a trio of releases, Ok, the fire, Big Sur and The Man Who Couldn’t Die, reasserting a presence that never faded among devoted listeners. ‘Fresh Paint’ exemplifies his return. Built around a dust-covered piano sample reminiscent of a vintage horror soundtrack, the sparse production leaves deliberate space for Trellion’s laid-back delivery and introspective bars. Themes of renewal, identity and surreal rebirth run throughout: 4. LONESTAR: PERFECT TIMING ‘PERFECT TIMING’ is a single from West London rapper LONESTAR’s upcoming January album, ‘LIFE IN COLOUR’. A release he told me to watch out for when I interviewed him with Sleepy C after their performance at Antivision Vol 3 in November. Rooted in the UK rage sound, with hard-hitting, confrontational production, LONESTAR nonchalantly raps about his position in the scene, a mix of braggadocious musing and vulnerability: “I was never meant to get this far. I am an anomaly”. He also keeps the mood light with quips like “sending that boy back to the lobby”. The LONESTAR and SleepyC Interview. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The UK Playlist Collective (@tnam.uk) People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }}
Alt+Electronic UK
Alt+Electronic UK (01/26) A snapshot of contemporary UK-based artists working at the crossover of alternative and electronic music, not quite one or the other. Artists influenced by post-internet culture, bedroom production/DIY aesthetics, and the cross-pollination between pop, electronic, and art-music worlds. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Avant-Club UK
Avant-Club UK Club,Electronic,Hyperpop,Industrial An introduction to contemporary electronic artists working within the UK and around the frameworks/aesthetics of deconstructed club (Ship Sket), glitch (Two Shell), hyperpop (BABii), UK bass (Mun Sing), and industrial-wave (Rat Section). ‘deconstructed club’ (sometimes referred to as ‘post-club’) emerged in the early 2010s and is often traced back to the New York-based GHE20G0TH1K club nights. An early major platform, these nights brought together artists and DJs from diverse musical backgrounds, foregrounding experimental, hybrid, and post-digital approaches to club music. Deconstructed club is not a rejection of club aesthetics but a subversion of them, working with the core logic of club music (intensity, structure, rhythm, and repetition) and refashioning these elements to create something innovative and transgressive. Strongly connected to LGBTQ+ communities and queer club culture, deconstructed club developed with an emphasis on identity and experimentation and a resistance to homogeneous or normative procedures. Since its emergence, these ideas have expanded beyond a specific scene or group of artists and now function as an inspiring ethos, one that prioritises process, hybridity, and shared production methods over stylistic consistency. The artists collected here reflect this ethos. While their sounds differ, they share an approach shaped by an informal online pedagogy, post-digital production techniques, and an artistic milieu that values eclectic influence and experimentation. In this sense, this playlist and artists included sit closely alongside those in my Abstract Electronic UK series. My method of compilation is also similar, tracing a loose but connected network of current artists and their corresponding influences from different movements rather than a typical genre-based playlist. My introduction to this ethos mirrors many others: a deep interest in computer music and the sound design of Arca, as well as spending hours scouring forums such as MOD WIGGLER, the depths of Youtube, and subreddits such as r/organicsignals. Discovering projects like XYZ (Iglooghost, Kai Whiston, BABii) in 2020 and Lux Cache in 2021 introduced me to a wider network of producers and a shared approach to sound, where process, texture, and digital experimentation are at the forefront. This appealed to what at the time felt like conflicting musical influences/interests. People’s Playlist by Eli Callingham {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts