Since you last heard from me these past couple of weeks have brought us a few pleasant surprises, including something new from KCRW favorite Anderson .Paak which my colleague, Marion Hodges, featured in last week’s MFYW post. Fortunately, that wasn’t the only gem to have come out recently…
Disclosure – “Ultimatum feat. Fatoumata Diawara”
Disclosure really needs no introduction. I personally love how much these Brit brothers have created deep house that’s palatable for the masses. Being a deep house head this brings me great joy. Another great joy is seeing Fatoumata Diawara featured on a track with them! Disclosure teamed up with Diawara shortly after they discovered her music just a few months ago and boy am I glad they did. Just in case you aren’t familiar with her, Fatoumata Diawara is a Malian songstress whose catalogue I have enjoyed for many years. You may have even heard me play her music on the occasional Thursday night. Enjoy 🙂
Jordan Rakei – “Wildfire”
Born in New Zealand and now based in London, Jordan Rakei is one of my favorite singers to have emerged over the past 5 years. When listening to his music, it becomes glaringly clear that he is a direct descendant of the Soulquarian movement of the 1990s. Rakei’s sound is influenced by neo-soul luminaries of that movement such as Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Lauryn Hill and especially, D’Angelo. I have been and fan and supporter of his since 2013 and I am both pleased and impressed with his growth as a songwriter and overall artist. Well, his latest single “Wildfire” is yet another example of his supreme artistry.
Amber Mark – “Conexão”
This young lady was one of the breakout stars of 2017 in my opinion, only eclipsed by Duckwrth. In many ways she reminds me of a modern day Sade. She makes soulful, sexy music with just enough tinge of pop. She brings both a depth and subtly to her music that is absolutely infectious. There’s no better example of this than her latest single, “Conexão” which means connection in Portuguese. With that in mind, it should be no surprise that she also chose a Bossa Nova sonic landscape to deliver her message of connecting. I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. My favorite kind of tunes are the ones that both sound good and feel good and that’s “Conexão”. Take a listen and I dare you to disagree. By the way, the video link allows you to check out the full EP of the same name, though the first song is the title track.
(Disclosure carousel and header images: Batiste Safont)