A lot of Irish and Northern Irish music comes Nialler9’s way and there’s little time to feature everything we think is worthy of a thumbs up or more ears. Every week, we collate the new songs from emerging artists that deserve to be heard by you.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section for individual track features.
1.
Pretty Happy
Fintan O’Toole
A surreal extremely fictional song about Irish Times journalist Fintan O’Toole from the Cork band Pretty Happy from their four-track EP Sluggers Bridge, out now on Art For Blind.
2.
wtr
Hold Em Back
I love where this one goes.
The duo of wtr featured here with the dance-trap of ‘Today’ last October, and their latest track ‘Hold ‘Em Back’ moves from a slothful glistening production into a reggaeton-rhythm twinkling with possibility.
“It’s all about relationships with girlfriends and friends and dealing with when they aren’t going so well.”
3.
Willzee
No Remorse
Limerick rapper Willzee has been dropping thoughtful short bangers of late, ahead of a a debut album to come out on Enda Gallery’s Welcome to the New World label. ‘No Remorse’ is 1 minute and 18 seconds that addresses the envious and serves as a healthy appetizer for the long-player.
“No Remorse is an answer to those so-called friends we have in our lives that, are only there for information and news of things going bad, those friends that we work on projects with to achieve a unified goal but envy you all the way. This is my answer to those people.”
4.
Elephant
Nova Scotia
Dundalk based multi-instrumentalist Shane Clarke came back to his Elephant project last month with ‘Envy’, and his latest ‘Nova Scotia’ continues the question of life choices with a song that rumbles on gently but probingly.
‘Nova Scotia’ is a brag. You’re telling that person from your past how well you ended up doing for yourself. Of course, it’s all a front to mask your debilitating insecurity about every choice you’ve made since you last saw them! “I’ve got money now!!”
“I was thinking a lot about the people from my past. Friends I’d not seen in years, people I never got on with, old flings, ex-loves, teachers, relations… all these people who, if put in the position, would probably all ask the same question. Are you still at the music? Yes. No it doesn’t pay the bills. Because it makes me happy. It doesn’t have to make sense. You don’t need to “get it”. Worried about what? Im not mad, I’m just hungry.”
Clark worked with long time collaborator and producer Joseph Edwards and the band Robocobra Quartet back him up. Elephant’s third album will also be coming out on Pizza Pizza Records.
5.
Dena Anuk$a
Boy Bye
Northern Irish Egyptian artist Dena Anuk$a comes through with a sun-beaming R&B single.
6.
Agents of Fusion
Agents of Fusion
A collaboration between Arveene, Glen Brady & Shamon Cassette, ‘Agents Of Fusion’ is a rolling Moog-featuring electro-house chugger that sounds like it belongs on a Deewee compilation.
“Think The Beloved with the Pet Shop boys, meeting De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest at Pike’s Hotel in Ibiza one wavy summer afternoon,” is how they put it.
7.
Elzzz
Mileage (feat. Trever)
Some new Irish drill from Nigerian/Irish artists Elzz and Trever who formed the Gliders collective. The current trend for sampling old Irish vocals in drill, as heard on Sello’s sample of Sinead O’Connor recently, continues here.
8.
Apollo Monroe
Bubblegum Boy
There’s no doubt what line of producers that Apollo Monroe is in thrall too. The PC Music-inspired producer’s latest after ‘Soda Pop’, is a collaboration with British producer Old Pup (they met on a hyperpop subreddit). ‘Bubblegum Boy’ in tone and lyrics feels like a homage to the music of Sophie’s early work, with a rush of trap beats and synths injecting the track with a dayglow atmosphere.
9.
Floor Staff
Empathize
Anthony Donnelly’s Floor Staff returned with ‘Aspiration’, his first music in four years last month, quickly followed up with ‘Empathize’, a song that feels like a further grander stretch.
“Sometimes we feel guilt in relationships for allowing them to continue when, perhaps, our heart isn’t really in it anymore. For me, a realisation followed that I wasn’t the only one feeling that way and that there’s often a thin line between being strong, trying harder to appreciate something and letting that person and relationship go because it’s truly the best thing for both parties in the long run. That’s what ‘Empathize’ examines.”
10.
Cosmic
Cocktails in California
Cosmic is a relatively new Dublin artist who worked as a sound engineer and producer who has worked on music from Rubberbandits, CLU, Kodaline and Jodie Abacus as well as creating music for YouTubers like Terroriser, as well as dabbling in creating some virtual instruments like Icecream VST, Little Phatty Controller under his former artist name Cosmic Boy.
Now, just Cosmic, ‘Cocktails in California’ interpolates a lyric from The Drums’ ‘Let’s Go Surfing’ into a song that bursts with Chromeo-esque electro-pop hazy summer sounds.
It’s from an upcoming debut EP called Dirty Runners.
