Summer is peeking around the corner in London. The street vendors roasting nuts over an open fire by Tower Bridge are beginning to look seasonally incongruous, and sweaty. The rastas blasting reggae and day drinking outside Brixton station suddenly seem to have the right idea.
British people greet the sun with the eye-twitching, violent enthusiasm of a kid who isn’t allowed to have sugar at home drinking a whole co*ke. It is both a little endearing and a little frightening. I was at the seaside last weekend and saw a woman cowering in a dark corner of a café, lobster-red, desperately pressing an iced latte against her flaming face. And it was only lunchtime.
But the parks are filled with solo sunbathers whose sojourns bear all the joyful hallmarks of spontaneity: a commuter bicycle tossed casually to the side; a button-down shirt rolled up hastily at the sleeves; an impulsive snack purchase in hand, usually an ice cream.
I probably sound like those Christian-girl-autumn food bloggers who soliloquize too long about random sh*t before actually getting to the recipe (I don’t care about the color of the fall leaves, Teighan, just tell me how to make my harvest salad already).
So, without further ado: in the spirit of festival season I want to write about some of my favorite artists in London’s underground music scene. I am fortunate to know many of these artists personally, and I first encountered most of them at live shows curated by my friends Kaytie and Jaffar, who run an underground music project called USB, and acquaintances at Sister Midnight, an initiative to establish Lewisham’s first community-owned music venue.
In no particular order:
Atlanta-born but London-raised (a reverse 21 Savage?), JoeJas is a wonderfully eccentric rapper, producer, skateboarder, and fashion designer. He collates his work under his Fat Llama brand, where you can buy CDs alongside llama-branded varsity jackets, skateboards, and socks. I find it hard not to think of Tyler, the Creator after meeting JoeJas: his offbeat, self-produced music; streetwear ventures à la Golf Wang; and rapping about his gap-toothed smile all feel Tyler-esque in the best way.
What’s their sound?
JoeJas calls his music “a fun journey through a weird brain.” It’s hard to label his sound, but expect bouncy hip-hop production with some unexpected, harder-hitting punk moments, and fun rhymes about topics ranging from llamas to Pokémon.
Where can I find them?
Music on Spotify; Instagram @hairymuffinman (for Joe himself) and @fatllamagram (for Fat Llama)
What should I listen to?
I like “Escape!” and “Suedeflips!” off of his newest album Gaps & Nomads.
2. anti.Net
anti.Net is an East London artist collective composed of Vice?! (aka Martel), Wave Noir, Skrrgeon, and Jaffar Aly. Fronted by Martel and his trademark call-and-response shout of “EAST LONDON!”, anti.Net combines high-quality rhymes, hard-hitting and creative drill beats, boisterous live energy, and signature artwork from Jaffar.
What’s their sound?
Martel told me he makes “cyberfuturistic music pushing the boundaries of hip punk to the edges of the known universe.” If that is not self-explanatory, I will try to break it down: anti.Net make what they call “cyberdrill,” combining the dark, staccato rhythms of UK drill with digital aesthetics. They see their songs as future-thinking and take lyric and fashion inspiration from anime and cyberspace. If that still doesn’t make sense to you, watch this video.
Where can I find them?
Spotify, though their Soundcloud has a few additional songs; Instagram @antixnet
What should I listen to?
Their 2022 album ALWAYS ONLINE is excellent, but “Overtime” is a standout track for me.
I am a little obsessed with margomool. You know those people who seem to be years ahead of you in therapy? margomool literally radiates healing energy. They are an artist and facilitator who explores, in their words, “how collective vocalising and improvising can be a tool for generating body-autonomy for trans+ people,” leading trans chorus workshops across South London alongside their music production.
What’s their sound?
margomool describes their songs as “ethereal sonic worlds that sing to queer existence and empathy as revolutionary tool.” They draw from jazz, soul, folk, and electronic music and have cited the ambient, medidative soundscapes of Beverly Glenn-Copeland as an influence.
Where can I find them?
Unfortunately, some of what I’ve heard margomool play live must be improvised/unpublished because it isn’t on their Spotify. Guess you’ll have to follow them on Instagram @margomool and catch their next live show.
What should I listen to?
The Misconceptions EP.
4. Princess Xixi
Claiming the mantle of “the hardest trans rapper on TikTok,” Princess Xixi is a rapper, producer, and DJ who delivers bars (in both English and Chinese) over forward-thinking production that also merits the “cyber” label. Her music combines the hardest edges of drill, EDM, and hyperpop, ranging from dark, sinister drill beats to manic rave anthems. After seeing her live, I can confirm that Princess Xixi is a cold MC who is TikTiok famous for good reason.
What’s their sound?
While her rapping is excellent, Princess Xixi’s production is where she really stands out—her cybermusic takes inspiration from all corners of the internet and reconfigures them in gloriously genre-defying mashups. Expect trap, grime, drill, hyperpop, Chicago footwork, EDM, digicore, and a bunch of other subgenres you probably haven’t heard of.
Where can I find them?
I am not on TikTok personally but it appears this is where Princess Xixi is most active (and has gone viral). She is also on Soundcloud, Instagram @the_princess_xixi, and has a few songs on Spotify.
What should I listen to?
“LENG LOI” goes hard. She also has some great Soundcloud DJ sets including the brilliantly-named “bruk up Zionist toilet.”
Newham-raised and of Jamaican heritage, Reptile B is another extremely cold MC on the cutting edge of queer grime and drill who frequently collaborates with Princess Xixi. A self-described “rap game cutie,” he is not so cute on the mic, dropping scathing putdowns like “Bend arch, point, me dead/That’s what your man says when he’s in the bed/Don’t ask me why he left you on read/Bitch, Reptile B got that 10 out of 10.” Like Princess Xixi, Reptile B is emphatic about his vanguard status in the UK grime/drill scene, where there are few openly gay Black rappers.
What’s their sound?
Reptile B’s music embodies what I love most about UK grime and its Jamaican roots: chopped up and sped up dancehall beats, and rapid, clever rhymes that slip effortlessly in and out of patois.
Where can I find them?
Also on TikTok; Spotify; Instagram @onlyreptileb
What should I listen to?
“THG” for some great bars; the “Summer 21” collaborative mixtape showcases his Jamaican influences beautifully.
6. Harvey Causon
I first stumbled across Causon at a tiny Corsica Studios gig. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the earnest, gangly dude who took the stage with an array of pianos and synths. But I was immediately impressed by his dark, emotive soundscapes, which showed a real talent for building tension and release over the course of a song. I’ve seen him a few times since and he’s only gotten better.
What’s their sound?
Icy, R&B-inflected electronica. Imagine James Blake crossed with Purity Ring, but with faster beats. Like Blake, Causon often builds songs around brooding, minor-key piano melodies and R&B vocals, but Causon’s music is decidedly more danceable: most of his songs have a buildup and drop of some sort. His heavy bass and frosty synths very much call to mind shrines-era Purity Ring, so if you’re a fan of them you’ll probably like him.
Where can I find them?
Spotify; Instagram @harveycauson
What should I listen to?
“Frisson,” “Alliance,” “Midas,” and “Foxtrot N” are some of my favorites.
Fred Jones, aka Freddy Forbidden, is another genre-defying East London artist who first caught my eye with his electrifying live performances and unique sound. A model who always takes the stage with memorable glam rock- and punk-inspired outfits (and more recently, red face paint), Freddy has a dedicated following who can always be found moshing to his infectious anthems.
What’s their sound?
Freddy Forbidden—particularly his brand new album, New World Order—draws from the UK punk/post-punk lineage, with additional influences from grime, trap, emo, and classic rock. His songs often recall the jangly, head-nodding post-punk of The Smiths and Joy Division, with half-sung, half-shouted vocals that approach the punk and emo trap of Lil Uzi Vert or Playboy Carti’s Whole Lotta Red.
Where can I find them?
Spotify; Instagram @freddyforbidden
What should I listen to?
“Miss Tanya” is a hopelessly catchy anthem about a schoolboy crush on a teaching assistant (“You’re looking pretty like a stonebaked pizza” is a particularly memorable line). “Nephilim” has more of an emo vibe and is another favorite.
8. Lorraine James
Hailing from Enfield, producer Lorraine James grew up absorbing the myriad musical influences of her council estate and proceeded to digest them into experimental, sensitive electronic soundscapes that are unmistakably London as much as they are a clear product of her inner world. I saw her at a festival last year during a raging downpour and the rain felt appropriate for her introspective music.
What’s their sound?
James makes club music for introverts, similar to Yaeji (one of her songs is literally called “Self Doubt (Leaving the Club Early)”). It’s the after-echo of a rave, the music lingering inside your head after you leave the party: abstract, looped vocal snippets; introspective lyrics; dreamlike synths; understated but still dancefloor-ready beats. You can hear faint threads of familiar genres like dub, grime, drill, and even Jersey club lingering in the air, always with James’s idiosyncratic spin.
Where can I find them?
What should I listen to?
It’s all so good, but my favorite tracks include “2003,” “Black Ting,” “Self Doubt,” and “Glitch Bitch.”
I’m still discovering this artist, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about him because few singers have left such a first impression on me. I was at Brick Lane Jazz Festival a few weeks ago and grumbling about their poor crowd management; after waiting in an unmoving, 50-person line outside Rich Mix, we gave up and were walking away when we glimpsed a crowd gathering outside Common Counter, a queer arts venue on the corner of Brick Lane. We peeked inside and saw the stage decked out in gold streamers and a tuxedo-clad live band playing a mixture of throwback soul, funk, and R&B.
Like moths to a flame, we gravitated inside and saw him: Charles, with a stunning tuxedo/skirt combo and black-and-white pompadour, owning the stage with such verve, such panache, that the room felt too small for his overwhelming star power. His unforgettable voice—a seductive, impossibly deep baritone à la Barry White—and impeccable choreography held us transfixed for the next half hour. His backup singers and band were amazingly talented. It was one of the best live performances I’ve seen and Charles belongs on a much bigger stage, ASAP.
What does he sound like?
Classic ‘70s funk, soul, and R&B with a modern twist. Think James Brown, Prince, and Teddy Pendergrass.
Where can I find them?
Spotify; Instagram @whereischarles
What should I listen to?
“Boyfriend” is such a fun track.
thanks for reading!
