Earlier this year I stumbled across Kite Base after reading that Savages' bassist Ayse Hassan was one of the two members in the band alongside Kendra Frost. That fact alone was more than enough to convince me, so I checked out their material on soundcloud. I was definitely impressed on first listen but for some reason didn't return to it for a little bit. It wasn't until I later introduced them to a friend that I listened again and remembered how good they were, and as if in answer to my thoughts and prayers, they announceed that they were playing a free show at Electrowerkz in London on a day that I was free... all for free. I got those tickets so fast, there was no way I was passing up this opportunity.

Unfortunately as I was travelling from the Midlands I only caught the tail-end of the support act, Vactrol Park but check them out on soundcloud. They're a synthy/electronic duo and from the last couple of songs that I caught, they sounded like I lot of the techno that I've heard in Germany - pretty lo-fi stuff.The main note that kept coming to mind was that their songs had some build, and just when you thought they were going to open it up, they dropped back down again. Now for me, that's not my cup of tea in particular but by all means, if you truly appreciate techno music give them a listen.

Now, now, now, Kite Base. Only one word to describe how I felt after this show - giddy. For them to have such a level of presence in this tiny, dreary room, was an achievement in itself. When they opened up with their latest single "Soothe" I'm pretty sure that I had a few butterflies. There's nothing more exciting than seeing music you like; music that you've jammed to alone, for the first time live. I felt like a proud mum singing along. The new songs that they played translated really well live too, which was encouraging given the quality of the sound. During "Miracle Waves", giant lit up balloons were released into the crowd, boosting the energy in the room and producing outbreaks of laughter. To be honest, I'm impressed the band kept their composure, because the picture of the crowd helplessly flailing and being battered relentlessly with bouncing balloons must have been even more hilarious from the stage. Closing with their first single and my personal favourite "Dadum" they finished with raucous cheers from the crowd and huge smiles. This felt more like a show for family and friends than anything - one of the most memorable shows I've been to in a while and it lasted about a millisecond.

I still don't understand how this show was free - I'm not complaining but I'm just astounded. My friends and I all said the same thing after we left. It was a privilege to catch them when we did because I expect the next time we see them we'll be lucky to even get a ticket.

Overall rating - 7.5/10


Here are some pictures from the night...

Charles Dixon is an alternative hip hop artist from Watford. A friend of mine gave me the heads up and told me to have a listen to his work and I love what Charles is doing. Have a listen to the first track I ever heard of his...



As well as his experimental take on hip hop, over soulful and diverse beats, I love that he's bringing in fellow creatives in and around Watford to feature on his tracks. He's in the process of releasing his debut mixtape Cloud Walking Vol. 1 which he has self-mastered and produced. If this is just a taste of what's to come from simply the first mixtape, then I'm very excited to see how his work develops as time goes on and he releases more. 

Just from looking at Charles' presence on social media, you can tell that there is a hardworking nature behind him. Also, judging by the amount of feature artists and collaborators that he's working with, this debut should be full of a wide range of influences, keeping the listener engaged and interested throughout. I'm buzzing to hear the finished product out this summer. In the mean time check out his track "Walk With Me" and keep up with his releases and live dates on Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram. 

In this generation, there are tonnes of London based producers and sound engineers, and the numbers just seem to be increasing. However, as the numbers are growing so is the amount of amateurs and beginners trying to get their music out there. That's why it was so refreshing to stumble on King Kel's soundcloud and find a wide range of quality tracks.

King Kel's last release - The Prelude - was a really easy listen. I loved the second track "The Prophet". All in all, this record just shows such huge potential and in time this could become a big brand.

Often collaborating with Sykes Beats and Mr. Roneo; King Kel is also a part of the UK hip hop collective - UKMAMA with Herbivore the MediC and Benjamin Saint. The creators are busy putting out new mixtapes, EPs and tracks for download regularly and each at a "name your price" value. It's super refreshing just to see people doing it for the music and not simply for what they might gain. That's not to say that they're the only ones, but it's always good to see!

King Kel and Herbivore the MediC are currently working together under the name WZRDZ and have a new album coming out at the end of April. Have a listen to the first single from the record - "A King And His Horse" below...

I wrote about The Bongo Club as a new discovery a couple of years ago here and I've been waiting patiently for them to blow up over here in The UK and I think that now is finally the time.Their debut album dropped on Sunday and I've been listening to it ever since! Here are some things I thought whilst listening through...


1. The Hush Hush Song
I wrote about this single here after the video came out. I must admit, I wasn't expecting it to be the first song on the album but no complaints here, it's still a cool and catchy tune.

2. High Horse
As soon as this track started playing I was bopping my head and smiling. I feel like this'll be the track that I overplay and go straight to from now on. Big tune! I love this song - can't wait to hear it live. It's simple but still entertaining... and that breakdown!!!

3. Turn Off The Lights
This is just an album full of singles - every one of these tracks is pretty much stand-alone. When I first listened to their music I thought they'd be "a band of the summer", one of those bands you'd only keep on your summer playlists but the more I listen to them, the more I just enjoy their music independent of the season.

4. I Don't Wanna Dance With Your Daughter
This is the belter - that chorus is huge. I can just imagine hundreds of people shouting this already. Again, it's not even the most complicated song it's just a lot of fun.

5. Get Myself Together
This was the next single after "The Hush Hush Song" and a great follow up in my opinion. I love the swagger that it has about it.

6. Who Are You To Say
This track can be played anywhere, from adverts to clothes shops to pubs. Great riffs, great lyrics and just a great sound. This is currently one of my favourite songs on the record. The breakdown at the end is awesome.

7. Lucy
From the title I kind of expected this song to be a little more like the ballad of the record... I was wrong. Keeping the pace going as well as the quality - strong song.

8. Hound 
When the song started I thought that it would be one of those songs at the end of a record that makes me feel like there's still another song coming afterwards but they ended it quite nicely and sealed off the album.


I could have done with a couple more songs on this album for sure but as far as debuts go, this is a good'un. The very consistent and strong set of songs - all killer, no filler. It's time for people to start taking notice. Stream the album on soundcloud or Spotify, purchase it on iTunes or simply head out to a live show when they have one on. Tell your friends, tell your enemies.

Overall Rating - 7/10

Thank goodness for social media eh?! The lads in Goodbye Stranger sent through their latest track on Twitter for me to check out, but before I say anything about it, have a listen below...

GOODBYE STRANGER - Cave

With Little Dragon kicking off their European Tour (in support of Nabuma Rubberband) in Paris tonight I thought it only right to post the chat a had a few days ago with their brilliant bassist - Fredrick Wallin. If you don't know who Little Dragon are yet, you're going to want to find out...

After seeing Superfood perform here at Notting Hill Arts Club last month it has really cemented my liking for them as a band and actually managed to get me excited to hear their debut album. Originally I wasn't too keen on their recorded material but seeing it live has made me hear it I guess a different way. One track that especially stood out for me after seeing them is now their latest single...

SUPERFOOD - Mood Bomb



I love the bass on this track - so simple yet so funky. In fact, everything about this song is fantastic. I'd like to think that if I ever played all the parts on a song myself it would sound like this song. Every instrument is doing exactly what I want it to. This will be a great debut, and of course I'm hoping for more performances like this. This single will be played quite a lot on BBC Radio 1 over the coming weeks so it should be enough to tide fans over until the release of their debut.

This was actually a pretty recent discovery for me and a great one at that. Whilst listening to some artists on soundcloud, it just continued to play on and this song came up...

SZA - Julia

This song has such a nice vibe. After listening to it I obviously started doing a little bit of digging and found loads more of her songs on her website here from her See.SZA.Run EP. If I'm honest though, I'm actually surprised that she already has so many likes on Facebook - not because of talent just because I hadn't really heard anything about her prior and for some reason expected that others hadn't either. Anyway, I'm glad that she's got this recognition because she has a gorgeous voice! Waiting for this song to be a huge hit in the near future.