If you’ve been paying attention to the news, but there was a historical referendum held a few weeks ago. The United Kingdom has officially voted to leave the European Union.
Branded by news organizations as the “Brexit” vote, by following British artists on Twitter it is clear that many of them feel very strongly about this.
Whether for or against, this decision will drastically effect the lives of everyone living in the UK, and as a result there will probably be some serious art coming out of there in the coming months.
Not that there isn’t always a serious amount of great music coming from across the Atlantic, but the world literally changed over night and the UK is at the center of that change. It’s very likely that artists over there will channel the emotions caused by the vote into their craft.
Obviously this is all speculation, but these are 5 artists you should keep an eye on regardless.
1. Mura Masa
Hailing from a tiny island in the English channel, the music of Mura Masa, a.k.a. Alex Crosson, has never been ordinary. Frequently blessing his fans with larger releases, every track he puts out maintains his effortless instrumental style. His bass-fueled composition “Lotus Eater” has ruled festivals and clubs since its release almost two years ago, and now Crosson is touring the world in support of his upcoming debut album. Granted his album would have come out regardless of how the UK voted in the referendum, but an artist with a flare for the unique like Mura Masa doesn’t come along too often, and a debut album always says something profound about the artist in question.
2. Will Clarke
It might be a little late to have your eye on Will Clarke, but his recent string of greatness is only a sign that it will continue. Other than finding massive success with in America through Claude Vonstroke’s Dirtybird imprint, Will Clarke has remained faithful to the UK 808’s that define his sound. Currently he’s running his own radio show “The Barber Shop” and was just recently nominated for the award of “Best Newcomer” at the upcoming DJ awards in Ibiza. Regardless of how you feel about awards, someone doesn’t garner a nomination like that unless they’re going places.
3. Elderbrook
Throughout the history of music, the UK has been a place that not only produces chart-topping hits, but redefining artists. Another one of those artists is Elderbrook (a.k.a. Alexander Kotz). I usually don’t like to quote other websites on these sorts of pieces, but Allmusic’s description of Elderbrook is literally perfect, and to describe his music in any other way would be a disservice:
“Electronic musician born Alexander Kotz and based in London who employed smart beats with zero-gravity atmospherics.”
Especially that last part about “zero-gravity atmospherics”. Every song Elderbrook puts out makes you feel like you’re floating in room with the residual strain of Kotz’s euphonious voice. Other than occasional covers and remixes, Elderbrook’s only releases are two EP’s on ever-impressive Black Butter Records. Which means that there’s a lot more to come in the (hopefully) not to distant future.
4. Gentlemens Club
Consisting of the trio, Coffi, 50 Carrot, and Soloman, Gentlemen’s Club has been a shining example of why Dubstep isn’t dead for years now. As all of three of them grew up on the island where dubstep was invented, the true UK sound clearly caught their interest at a young age. That interest brought them together and they’ve been rising through the ranks ever since. Just last weekend the three of them did a back-to-back-to-back at EDC Vegas. They had an early slot this time, but it’s just a matter of time before they’re back to close out night.
5. Sabota
Ok so Sabota may be from Canada not the UK, but Canada is a part of the British Commonwealth territories and Sabota’s music kicks so much ass I had to mention them. Their combination of soul and electronic music transcends classification, which is why their unique sound is now being heard all over the world. Whether it’s at one of their own gigs or through a set of CDJs, Sabota slid into the world of music with the same finesse that they use when producing and performing.
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