by Alex Griffin
What’s great about the young and developing scene we have in London (and beyond), is the sheer diversity of it. It seems every day a new artist is coming to our attention, sounding new and innovative and original, yet still so distinctly British. Artists are getting weird and artists are getting experimental, and it’s due time we started highlighting some of these creatives that may otherwise slip under our radar. With that being said, we’ve devised this column those looking for something different; Go Left, GRM’s guide to alternative grime, hip-hop and R&B.
We will also be uploading more alternative videos onto our YouTube channel. If you fit in with those who don’t fit in, are part of the Go Left gang and have something wavy for us, send an email to [email protected]
Be sure to check out the last column of dopeness right here too.
HANA – “Sun Up” (ft. Flowzart)
HANA is a singer/songwriter from the South of London, who’s really grabbed our attention with her fresh off the press release “Sun Up”. It features vocals from Flowzart, who also produced the breezy instrumental. It’s a futuristic and sultry R&B song, perfect for those late night/early morning vibes.
Black EL – “Getaway” (ft. Black Josh)
“Getaway” is a transatlantic collaboration, between Black EL from Boston and Black Josh from Manchester. The latter is a rising member of Manny’s hip-hop scene, having cut his teeth touring the country with The Mouse Outfit collective, before joining the ranks of Culture Clash-competing titans Levlez. His contributions to this wavy record have got our attention, making this a must-pick for Go Left.
Megan Liberty – “Worthy Sirenz”
What do you get when you mash up dramatic female vocals, Dizzee Rascal’s “Sirens” (word to Jorja Smith), Jhene Aiko and an atmospheric trap instrumental? It sounds random, but what you get is “Worthy Sirenz” from Megan Liberty, a South West songwriter who’s collaborated with producer Lil Uglee for this certified vibe.
Tom Misch – “Crazy Dream” (ft. Loyle Carner)
Tom Misch has become somewhat of a regular on the pages of Go Left, with his various contributions to other London creatives. Today the mulinstrumalist/producer/singer is on here with his own track as lead artist, linking up with Croydon’s own Loyle Carner for a sunny new tune, that takes elements of boom-bap, funk and electronic music. His EP ‘Reverie’ will be available to download on July 15.
Gardna x Kreed – “Sunday”
We take things back to the South West for our final selection on Go Left this week, as dub-wise MC Gardna releases his new track and companion EP. “Sunday” sounds like a festival in MP3 format, with a wobbling and bass heavy riddim provided by Kreed, while Gardna delivers flows ready to mash up the dance. The official video features Maisie Williams of ‘Game Of Thrones’ fame, which you can check here.