Featuring No Photos, E The Artist, Zissou, Delac, Jealous Of The Birds, Stephen Shannon, Olive Hatake, Patrick Stefan, Honey Still, Banyah, Loop Heavy, Daryl Bengo, GNS, Confamm Charlito, TraviS, Elzzz, Reggie, Tidah.
A lot of music from Ireland and Northern Ireland comes our way and every week, we listen through it all, sift the list down to a manageable list and share the best new tracks from emerging artists and some more established acts 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.
No Photos
Anything
New Dublin band No Photos have released a number of fine songs lately, and ‘Anything’ continues the band’s memorable song streak.
“It’s a song about feeling lost and searching for the next spark,” they say.
2.
E The Artist, Zissou
Akira
Dublin producer E The Artist already featured this week on the Gash Collective compilation, and here’s another one to dig – a Zissou-featuring short rap beat track.
3.
Confamm Charlito, TraviS, Elzzz, Reggie, Tidah
Low Key Hating
Loving this drill track with the pop chorus from the five-way artist crew of Confamm Charlito, TraviS, Elzzz, Reggie on raps and Tidah on the hook.
4.
Jealous Of The Birds
Beginner’s Luck
‘Beginner’s Luck’ is another high level masterclass in songwriting from Naomi Hamilton ahead of Jealous Of The Birds’ new album called Hinterland, due on Atlantic / Canvas Back on May 19th.
Previously: ‘Morse Code’
5.
Delac
Xenon
London-based English/Irish electronic duo of James McAdam and Stephen Dooley’s third Nialler9 feature arrives as the pair are making a sonic step into larger sounder productions, with ‘Xenon’ sounding like a peak-big-room dreamy house song in the vein of Bicep.
“After organising a club night in east London, we promised ourselves that we’d write tracks for the dancefloor and away from the inward-looking electronica we’d grown used to producing. Xenon is a gateway to that dancefloor. Its initially haunting atmosphere, symbolic of those early pandemic days, is reversed by a soaring synth line that gives an overriding sense of hope. It sets the scene for the new direction we want to go in.”
6.
Olive Hatake
1975 (feat. HallowboysDance)
Formerly known as OliveyOlive, and the creator of one of my favourite Irish albums of last year Life Of Colour, Olive Hatake returns with a more open-hearted production, dealing in heartbreak and losing a best friend.
“The track explores the nature of heartbreak from the male point of view, detailing the conflicting feelings that arise in public and in private. “It’s this whole bubble of toxicity and we deal with it while the world watches and judges, almost like we’re in a movie….”
The video was made by Olive too.
7.
Stephen Shannon
EYOT
Dublin composer and producer Stephen Shannon (and one half of Mount Alaska, aka Strands) has announced a new solo album called Fathoms, is out on May 19th via 251 Records.
The first single ‘EYOT’ is a fine slice of what to expect – as electronics and strings combine in a hex fashion.
Shannon’s album launch happens at the National Concert Hall on May 19th. The show will feature some artists who appear on the record, a full ensemble of Max Greenwood (piano), Mary Barnecutt (cello), Matthew Nolan (electronics, synths) and a Crash Ensemble string quartet of Cora Venus Lunny, Maria Ryan, Kate Ellis and Lisa Dowdall, as part of the Metronome series of concerts. Support on the night is from Catscars (Robyn Bromfield, Everything Shook).
“I’ve been collecting and playing synthesisers for over twenty years and am obsessed with their unique sound. I’m particularly drawn to 1980s synthesis, rooted in childhood memories of watching Depeche Mode, A-ha, New Order and Yazoo on Top of the Pops. This has informed and influenced how I make music, both for film and my own compositions. My work unites orchestration and electronically created sound, influenced by artists like Jóhann Jóhannsson, Ólafur Arnalds and Nicholas Britell. Working with arranger Mary Barnecutt and some of Ireland’s finest musicians – Diamanda La Berge Dramm, Maria Ryan, Kate Ellis and Lisa Dowdall – brought something new to the album.
8.
Honey Still
Don’t Talk
Honey Still is London/Barcelona-based Kevin Douglas aka Dougy a Dublin artist whose debut single was recorded at Studio 13, which is owned by Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn.
‘Don’t Talk’ was made while working as a studio assistant and assistant recording engineer for Albarn. It’s a languid little ditty, that seems tailor-made for the impending summer sunshine.
Douglas has assistant engineering credits on the Gorillaz new album Cracker Island, and has recently worked with Jorja Smith, Tems, Ezra Collective and many more.
9.
Patrick Stefan
The Waves, The Waves
Patrick Stefan is one of two artists on IMC’s Incubator Programme, where people can support the artist direct and it’s matched by funding from the organisation.
‘The Waves, The Waves’ is new song since that news broke, and has a distinct James Blake flavour.
It was actually it was a hidden track on the CD release of Stefan’s recent album.
10.
Banyah
Too Easy
Banyah are the brother/sister electro-pop duo of Aisling and Paul Jarvis from Dublin, who featured here last in 2021, but took a break since. They’ve been playing in Clannad’s live band so good for them.
‘Too Easy’ is a fits-like-a-glove return to the duo’s electro-pop melodies.
It’s from an upcoming EP due this summer.
11.
Loop Heavy, Daryl Bengo
Wont Stop
Dublin rapper Loops Heavy is releasing a song and a video a month in the run up to a debut album. ‘Please Stop Mouthing’ was featured last month, and here we are in April, with the hook-filled ‘Won’t Stop’ featuring Daryl Bengo.
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
