Jake Emlyn - The Wonka Hath Landed (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Anyone who's familiar with eccentric London rapper Jake Emlyn will know that he's been rapping for several years now. It could be argued that his lack of mainstream attention is down to his androgynous and occasionally effeminate style, and his lack of interest in hip hop trends and standards. But what fans of Jake most love about him is that despite the criticism and confusion surrounding his identity, style and genre, he never changes anything about himself and his music.

"The Wonka Hath Landed", lead track and single off his Scandinavian Alien mixtape, is probably his most outlandish and controversial offering to date. Rapping over a Robyn-esque synthpop pulse, Jake Emlyn on "Wonka..." is self-deprecating, crude, tongue-in-cheek yet a lot more confident than the comparatively subdued and dark "My Name's Jake", his previous calling card track.

He paints a defiantly non-gangster image of himself, drolly referring to himself as "white trash like Kate Nash" wearing "skinny jeans so tight that my penis can't breathe". He also makes his outsider status patently clear, spitting at the climax "my spaceship crashed, I'm stranded, the wonka hath landed." It's an opaque metaphor, one that will continue to confound Jake's growing crowd of picketing nay-sayers. But the apocalyptic Vangelis synth lead and grandiose choirs that follow the statement couldn't make the message clearer - Jake's ambitions are considerable, and he's on a mission that cannot be thwarted. As the man himself says in the second verse: "just when you was about to stop listening to rap, I came back with the wickedest track."

Download Jake's brilliant (and free) Scandinavian Alien mixtape by clicking on the cover above.

FOR FANS OF: Robyn, Brooke Candy

Top 10 Songs of May 2013.

10. "Lost Hearts" - Last Days of 1984
Funky and addictive indiepop laced with a dark, obtuse atmosphere. Like Friendly Fires held hostage by The Knife.

9. "Intentions" - Gorgon City feat. Clean Bandit
Begins occupying a wistful Ibiza chillout space, as the gorgeous tones of Clean Bandit make their mark effortlessly, before dropping to a typically deep and hypnotic bass breakdown that is fast becoming Gorgon City's calling card.

8. "Modern Hearts" - The Knocks feat. St Lucia
Gloriously uplifting indie dance from these guilty pleasure connoisseurs with the lush St Lucia adding an irresistible 80s new wave vocal.

7. "Every Night I Say A Prayer" - Little Boots
Finally dropping her surprisingly brilliant second record in May, "Every Night I Say A Prayer" is its warm Italo-heart, with a subtly euphoric piano hook guiding proceedings onto timeless ground. Not bad for an act that many proclaimed very much left in BBC Sound of 2009.

6. "Warm Water" - Banks (prod. TEED)
The American Banks has a very British tinge to her warm, subtley aching voice, and Oxford dance prodigy TEED tones down the synthpop to create a shimmering and sparse post-R&B soundscape for Banks to vibe over. It feels like it's not just Banks herself on the verge of something great in the song, but also in her rise to success.

5. "My Name's Jake" - Jake Emlyn
Having dropped a demo version of "My Name's Jake" in 2012, the track was pretty game-changing even then, but  the version that closes his Scandinavian Alien mixtape is a whole new level of epic. A deliciously melodramatic new orchestral and choral first verse drops into a much harder beat than before, and this time when Jake sneers "I'm famous and nobody knows it yet" it doesn't quite fly; people are going to know very soon.

4. "Iran Air" - Hiatus feat. Shura
The organic and beautiful alter ego to Burial, London producer Hiatus, dropped his majestic debut record Parklands in May, and although hard to pick highlights from an album where subtlety and darkness come together perfectly on every track, when the magnificent viola loop drops on "Iran Air", all bets are off. Shura does what she does, but somehow it's her most spine-tingling performance on the record, on par with "Fortune's Fool".

3. "fallingforyou" - The 1975
How the shamefully underrated 1975 manage to occupy two polar musical spaces with ease continues to elude, as the groggy but heartbreaking dark ballad "fallingforyou" closes the same EP that the epic and hedonistic "The City" opens, much as "Me" did for "Chocolate" on their Music For Cars release. This gloriously bi-polar band continue to more than prove their complex and achingly human credibility.

2.  "Doin' It Right" - Daft Punk feat. Panda Bear
"Doin' It Right" is Random Access Memories' "Face to Face"; the dark horse of the album, one that begs multiple plays outside of the context of the record. Uncharacteristically sparse, the song is held together almost entirely by an irresistible vocodor hook and Panda Bear's performance. It's the most effective guest spot on the album, purely because the Animal Collective vocalist's delirious and euphoric vocal adds a human edge to an otherwise quirky and robotic record.

1. "Endorphins" - Sub Focus feat. Alex Clare
Sub Focus has come under minor scrutiny for his new commercial direction, particularly on the euro-dance rave vibe of new single "Endorphins", but there's no denying that the man knows how to simultaneously create a rave frenzy and tug on a heartstring at the same time. "Endorphins" is just as emotionally charged as last years phenomenal "Tidal Wave", with Alex Clare providing a singalong wet dream of a lead vocal. If there are more tracks in the vein of "Out The Blue", "Tidal Wave" and "Endorphins" on the way, Sub Focus' second record should indeed be named after the latter song. Wikipedia describes actual Endorphins as hormones released during feelings such as excitement, love and orgasm - so far in the last 12 months, Sub Focus has very nearly caused me all three.

Azealia Banks - Yung Rapunxel.

"Yung Rapunxel" feels like Azealia Banks' true second single, her first real showstopper since she first dropped "212" about a year and a half ago. It is miles less commercial than that track, but it is also miles more ambitious, and although it's taken 18 months, it makes sense to have taken that long, given the massive controversy that she has largely put herself through. Because "Yung Rapunxel" wouldn't exist without it.

It's worth remembering that "212" stopped the underground in its tracks because it was a crossover record that didn't sound like a crossover; it was already a great dance track thanks to Lazy Jay who produced it, but Azealia Banks turned it from that, into what simply was an Azealia Banks track. Sure the notorious and frequent use of the c-word probably helped hype it up, but what was really exciting was her sheer disregard for genre. She knew what beats she liked, and she knew how to spit over them. A rapper - yes; a hip hop artist - not really.

But whilst it was hard to categorize "212", it seemed totally unnecessary. It was a total mindblowing rave track, who wanted to ask questions? Through 2012, we saw Azealia Banks lean more towards certain genres, on her House-heavy "1991" EP and then regress a bit more into Hip Hop on her impressive "Fantasea" mixtape. 

But there was no denying she had placed the bar impossibly high for herself after the sheer effortlessness of her performance on "212". How many of us were quick to wonder who actually produced "212"? Not many. Yet how many of us were instantly aware of her collaborations with Diplo and Munchi? Her good taste in beats were beginning to overshadow her talent, simply because we were all expected a crazy flow on par with her breakthrough hit.

Well now we've got it. She hyped it up, boy did she hype it up, but now we see why. First off, she's chosen low profile producer Lil Internet to provide the beat, which is a vicious variant on his own "Rhinoceropolis Anthem". Hints of old school Prodigy and 90s hardcore rave (no housey pianos here), led by a Tyrannosaurs Rex stomp of a heavily distorted kick drum, as distant screams, thunderclaps and Araabmusik-esque euro-trance leads scuttle round. It's a mindfuck of a listen, and a totally perfect choice for the category-evading Banks.

But above all this, we finally have that epic follow-up performance from Azealia herself that we've been waiting for for 18 months. When a voice warns "Danger!" at the beginning of the track, it sets the tone quite accurately. On "212" she was playful, self-assured, cocky; on "Yung Rapunxel" the 18 months of hype, drama, endless "beef" have clearly turned into a more aggressive player in the game. In a way that was first hinted with her hastily-brought-out but delicious Angel-Haze response "No Problems", "Yung Rapunxel" showcases a genuinely threatening tone to Banks' verses.

Whilst she previously taunted "you do like to slumber don't you... I'ma ruin you c**t", she now seethes "Bitch nigga, you could get bent, remov-ed and spent" and "I'ma rip your n***as head off", not to mention the utterly arresting climax, where Azealia screams "What the fuck? Dare you ta, dare you ta! Brrrrp-brrrp-brrp-brrp!" Sure, she yelled a bit on "212", but here she genuinely sounds unhinged, and dare-I-say dangerous.

And maybe she is. She seems to repel high profile artists and producers left, right and center, seemingly on purpose, and maybe that's the point. The underground is where she feels most at home, and if you have any form of ego or sell-out tendency, beware, because Ms Banks will come for you. So you could say it's a blessing that the mainstream won't touch her right now. Many artists have tried to do it over the years, but maybe Azealia Banks really is the one who's going to represent the underground in a chart-music-blinded world. She certainly seems to have no desire to sell-out any time soon, and with a fanbase growing by the second, who says she needs to?

FOR FANS OF: Who the hell cares?

TOP 10 TRACKS OF FEBRUARY 2013.

10
"Attracting Flies"
AlunaGeorge

GivePopAChance said...
"AlunaGeorge continue to elude genres whilst sounding effortlessly cool and current, and the crumbling beats and battering ram synths of "Attracting Flies" are no exception." READ MORE...



9
"So Close"
Kidnap Kid feat. Sinead Harnett

After a stunning yet mysterious debut on Disclosure's "Boiling", Sinead Harnett returns with a similarly subdued tune. The consistently tasteful Kidnap Kid drops subtle and unusual balearic chords, with just enough ambiance to still please his underground house fans, and Sinead's songwriting takes centre stage. Unlike the distant reverb-laden ad libs of "Boiling", the chorus of "So Close" is full of positive energy, uplifting and warm, and unlike on the Disclosure number, Sinead makes the track her own with her lullaby tones.



8
"XTC"
LIZ

GivePopAChance said...
"This will be, without doubt, a cheesy dated mess to many people, but it's an ultimate retro R&B guilty pleasure for me." READ MORE...



7
"Make A Little Room"
Al Lewis

In the wake of Ben Howard's sweep at the Brit's, it bodes well for a lot of folky British singer songwriters, but there are few as deserving as Welsh sweetheart Al Lewis. There are no awkward metaphors, no pretense, just classic, relate-able songwriting. The flecks of country in the upbeat tempo and cutesy female backing vocal only add to the charm of this modest, clean cut love song.



6
"Falling"
Haim

These girls are so 80s pop/rock that many bands would shy away from their gutsy vocal hooks, shamelessly funky basslines and twinkling synth, but their sheer Fleetwood Mac brand of cheese is to be admired if anything. Even the closing hook of "Never look back, never give up" is forgivable  as these girls stand by every overly confident hook they write and pull them off with panache. And god damn it, "Falling" is catchy.



5
"Sloe Gin"
Dream McClean

GivePopAChance said...
"Over a stumbling, drunken beat and head-swirling synth line, Essex rapper Dream McLean woozily tells partially-blacked out tales of "drinking sloe gin too fast"." READ MORE...



4
"London"
Official-O

So much goes on in the gorgeous yet harsh "London", that it's hard to pinpoint one particular sound Official-O, or "the artist known as Ofe" as his website cryptically states, was aiming for. The vocoders are straight from James Blake's debut, but Ofe's voice is from the Alex Clare school of gritty soul. Every sound, including the optimistic, sunny piano chords and thunderous drums and deafening wall of vocals at the climax, all form a perfect soundtrack to the hectic streets of London. And to anyone who's ever lived there, the sound is crazy but beautiful.



3
"Chocolate"
The 1975

The 1975 simply have to be the next big indie band. There's a level of rebelliousness that a lot of the pretty indie boys of 2012/2013 have eschewed in exchange for a more twee sound, and right from their anthemic lead single "The City", The 1975 have been anything but quaint or twee. These boys tell stories of fumblings in the backs of cars, being young and being stupid. "We're never gonna quit it, never gonna quit it no" yelps their (utterly gorgeous) lead singer, and guitars jump around in a gorgeous tapestry. The pulsing drum machine that is exposed towards the end of the song emphasizes the message even more. There's no point of being a mopey indie band when you can be one that lives for the party.



2
"Retrograde"
James Blake

GivePopAChance said...
"New single "Retrograde" is a total relief, a revelation and a triumphant sign that Blake is no mere BBC Sound-of-year flash in the pan. A seemingly complex acrobatic vocal hook becomes somehow unforgettable by the end of the song, and Blake's voice seems confident and utterly heartwarming." READ MORE...



1
"Metal and Dust"
London Grammar

When a track like London Grammar's (already song-of-the-year standard) "Hey Now" comes along, there's no doubt that there is something really special there. The question is, is it the band that's special or just the song? The Naked and Famous released the epic, heartwrenchingly perfect indie anthem "Young Blood" in 2009, but followed it with an album bogged down with almost exclusively uninspiring synth rock = THE SONG. On the other hand 80s goth-pop revivalists Hurts' released their seminal, timeless song "Wonderful Life" around the same time, and followed it with a benchmark album full of timeless songs; just look at "Stay" or "Blood Tears and Gold" = THE BAND.

As you might have already guessed by my placement of London Grammar at the top of both my January and February lists, you would be very accurate in guessing that London Grammar, two songs in, look like they belong to the latter category  "Metal and Dust" has all the sparkle that made "Hey Now" so spellbinding, the mesmerizing vocal, the sparse, perfect guitar parts, but whilst "Hey Now" was infused with a longing and melancholy, "Metal and Dust" replaces that with a fire and a passion. "We argue we don't fight, stay awake till the middle of the night" chants singer Hannah Reid, and the youth in the band shines through more here than on the drifting loneliness of "Hey Now".

Similarities between "Metal and Dust" and "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack can be made, but that is no mean feat, and by all means a huge compliment: the busy breakbeat that the track rides on, the majestic strings that envelop it, and not to mention the epic cut and paste vocal loop that cries out towards the end of the track. But once again, as with London Grammar's own "Hey Now", Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" was a sad song, one that had a lot of emotion wearing it down, whilst "Metal and Dust" soars, totally reinterpreting the sounds it has been influenced by. If London Grammar can demonstrate such maturity, such range and such depth and range of emotion, skill and meaning in just two songs, there can be no other prediction to be made: London Grammar's debut simply must be the album of the year.

Dream McClean - Sloe Gin

If anyone feels a little embarrassed for still liking J-Kwon's "Tipsy" in 2013, but also feels Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools" is too pro/con on the subject matter to replace it, there's a new shameless booze anthem to enjoy, and this time it's homegrown in the UK. Over a stumbling, drunken beat and head-swirling synth line, Essex rapper Dream McLean woozily tells partially-blacked out tales of "drinking sloe gin too fast". Dangerously more-ish.

FOR FANS OF: Wiley, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar