The May Roundup

Highlighting my favorite new music that came out this month

1.Mdou Moctar - Layla

This entire record floored me upon first listen - it is a rare piece of music that perfectly engages the past with the present and this idea flows through the grooves, the handclaps, the congos, the guitar and the deep yet light group vocals. “Layla” is a strong highlight from the record, with the grooves so tight yet propelled each second that it just makes you want to dance or burst with joy. Definitely one of the best records I’ve heard this year

2.Sons Of Kemet, Moor Mother & Angel Bat Dawid - Pick Up Your Burning Cross

Sons of Kemet is an incredible group who find ground and meaning at the intersection of jazz, reggae, hip-hop and soul. This is best exemplified by the stellar “Pick Up Your Burning Cross” from their latest record. They bring in the poet extraordinaire Moor Mother and the incredible Angel Bat Dawid to create a track that burns like a raging fire. Shabaka Hutchings’ performance is filled with energy and is perfectly complemented by the frenetic drumming and Moor Mother going OFF. Incredible stuff

3.Talal Qureshi, Maanu - HICO

Talal Qureshi seems to strike up chemistry with any artist that he collaborates with, which is a testament to his skill as a great producer. This time he collaborates with the versatile rapper-extraordinaire Maanu on a two-peat “5 AM”/ “HICO”. While “5 AM” is great in its own right, HICO highlights both artists in their element, with Talal providing an infectiously bouncy beat with a sweet horn sample for Maanu to have fun with hilarious bars, references and puns, all the while throwing subtle disses to other rappers, questioning their skills while flexing his own. A great showcase of both artists in their element

4.Fatima Al Qadiri - Zandaq

The latest record from Fatima Al Qadiri, titled ‘Medieval Femme’, is an absolutely beautiful record anchored by and inspired by poems by female Arabic poets from the Middle Ages. She creates such beautiful sounds which are driven by modern ambient sounds yet grounded by the traditional sitar (or what sounds similar to one). The last track 'Zandaq' is a perfect example, which builds up ever so lightly, like eavsedropping on a Conference of Birds on a beautiful Sunday morning. Really the whole album should be given a listen, it's breathtaking

5.LSDXOXO - Baby

One only needs to say this about this track: it's the erotic dancefloor banger you need to hear today. It's a track that truly feels alive in its instrumentation and production, with LSDXOXO weaving in sounds that are too hot to handle but wont stop you from trying to dance it all away.