London music

Stephanie Rodd: “Stronger Than Ever”

For us uncultured Americans, we tend to invent a caricature when we hear about a “French songstress”. Yes, we let our assumptions automatically paint a picture of a smoky nightclub against a traumatic war torn backdrop, a slender figure in haute couture wardrobe, cigarette in one hand, microphone in the other, and lyrics toutes en français. The reality, of course, is much more of a mixed bag; I mean c’mon…we’re talking about a massive nation with a century-plus of cross cultural influences here.

Enter: Stephanie Rodd. The Parisian-Londoner up-and-comer pardons herself past the stereotypical chanson midcentury chic of Edith Piaf or Juliette Gréco and instead slides towards the more contemporary energy of acts like Adele, Estelle, and the late Amy Winehouse. Based on what little we’ve heard so far, there’s no doubt that Rodd’s time in England has helped her find the right R&B-soul-pop soundscapes for her singing style that’s reminiscent of Jorja Smith.

And in 2024, as part of a rapid trajectory, Stephanie Rodd’s shooting for the moon with the release of her debut EP next month. Following her mid-February introduction “Worth It”, Rodd’s sophomore single “Stronger Than Ever” finds Stephanie sounding…well…just like the song title. It’s an intriguing, minimalist arrangement filled with passionate chord pads, seductive synth squeaks, carnal guitar, trap-type drums, and soul-warming subs – all anchoring a bold vocal mix of triplet rhythms and unconventional melodies.

Ekiti Sound: “Mami Wata”

The Nigeria-UK connection has given us some of the greatest musical talents of modern music; while Shirley Bassey and Sade became more of national symbols, legendary performers ranging from Seal to grime icons like Skepta and Dizzee Rascal alongside modern innovators like Little Simz, and Obongjayar have really upheld London’s reputation as an incomparable centerpiece of cultural crossroads. But of course, they’re not the only ones.

For instance, there’s also Leke Awoyinka, better known by his creative handle Ekiti Sound. Stemming from a childhood split between Lagos and Essex, this producer-vocalist just launched his eponymous “Ekiti Sound Show” on Hot FM Lagos – which as of now is the sole electronic music specialty show on Nigerian terrestrial radio. Ekiti Sound’s own style also reflects those cross-country pollinations with electronic-anchored junctions of Afro-juju, Afro-pop, the foggy UK mish-mash jungle/DnB/dubstep, as well as turn-of-the-millennium hip-hop, and Caribbean dancehall. Ekiti Sound first caught ears internationally with his bold foray into Afro-fusion on 2019’s Abeg No Vex, a near-hour-long full-length that lent itself to critical acclaim and a remix EP the following year – Ekiti Sound’s final pre-pandemic studio output.

Friday after next, Ekiti Sound drops his long-anticipated sophomore LP Drum Money. On top of circulating a much-needed fresh batch of percussive currency, Drum Money and its immense seventeen-song track live up to Ekiti Sound’s legacy of bridging the globe’s very best sounds through unorthodox yet accessible originals. For Westerners, it’s nothing short of exotic. For Awoyinka though, it’s just another passage through the transcontinental pipeline that is life between London and Lagos. And although Drum Money lacks some of the explicitly UK-derived grit of Abeg No Vex, it compensates with semi-placeless arrangements, somehow steeped in specific Nigerian regional soundscapes yet simultaneously fitting for party playlists across the globe. Hear for yourself on one of Drum Money‘s more subdued offerings, which follows “Chairman” from this past March. With a grime-inspired stop-and-start 808 beat, a vibrant blend of traditional and digital instruments, and truly untethered vocals, “Mami Wata” perfectly encapsulates Ekiti Sound’s worldly eclecticism and borderless genius in just over four minutes.

Obongjayar: “Message in a Hammer” (Live at Scholz Garten)

Somehow six whole years have already slipped by since London rapper Little Simz played as part of our annual SXSW live morning broadcast. Of course, Simz has blown up exponentially since her 2017 Four Seasons performance, to the extent that we probably couldn’t have booked her now even if we wanted to. But in an impressive display of “small world” kismet, KUTX at Scholz Garden showcased another Londoner with direct ties to Nigeria, Obongjayar. On top of that, it happened the same week that Obongjayar and Simz’ “Point and Kill” played as part of IMDb Pro’s music video competition during SXSW film. When it comes to classifying Obongjayar’s style, there’s not a whole lot of consensus. Best we can say is it’s a politically-and-spiritually-inspired balance between rapping, chanting, and singing over Afrobeat-adjacent electronic soul. But there’s also something surprisingly unobtrusive about Obongjayar’s in-your-face aura that makes his outrageous originals so damn accessible. Which is doubly impressive when he’s got his live five-piece competing for a piece of the crowd’s energy. Obongjayar was still lucid off his debut full-length Some Nights I Dream of Doors when he obliterated the Scholz Garten scene with high-octane tunes like “Message In A Hammer”. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wake up either.

Yazmin Lacey: “Bad Company”

SXSW provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy international artists right here in our own city limits. Yet for some, the city-wide wanderlust can get overlapped by a desire to discover acts from specific regions. Well, fortunately for those folks, there are a ton of origin-curated SXSW showcases scheduled for this week, both officially and unofficially. For UK music enthusiasts, consider stopping by BBC Presents: The British Music Embassy, whose eclectic across-the-pond 2023 roster includes stunning up-and-comer Yazmin Lacey. Like many singers-in-the-making, Lacey got her start in church choir before her ears caught on to hip-hop, soul, and R&B. But, like her contemporary Danielle Ponder, Lacey didn’t pursue music professionally until the late 2010s, when she was already past the “prime” age which most creatives launch their career. Nevertheless Lacey impressed us with beautiful, reactionary honesty in a three-EP progression at the turn of the past decade; 2017’s Black Moon, 2018’s When The Sun Dips 90 Degrees, and 2020’s Morning Matters. Since the start of March, Yazmin Lacey’s been riding high on her astonishing, moment-capturing hour-long inaugural full-length Voice Notes, which has already cemented her status as a neo-soul sensation. If you want to hear this modern day mashup of Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and more in person, you’re in luck; Yazmin Lacey entertains our airwave neighbors KMFA at 3PM today before making a two-night run on 4th Street: 9PM tonight for British Music Embassy at The Courtyard and again 9PM tomorrow for Jazz re:Freshed Outernational at Seller’s Underground. So show some support by diving into Voice Notes on streaming or by joining the crowd downtown. Either way, you’ll find yourself in delightfully “Bad Company“.

Alabaster DePlume: “Now (Stars Are Lit)”

The term ‘avant-garde’ tends to get thrown around egregiously in the world of music, especially by up-and-coming acts who have yet to realize that their sound falls within more recognizable genres. So when an artist authentically encapsulates ‘avant-garde’ in a way that’s not just ‘weird for the sake of weird’, it can be pretty refreshing. To that point, saxophonist-poet Alabaster DePlume (the nom de plume of London’s Gus Fairbairn) continues to challenge the conventions of contemporary music in a way that’s astonishingly accessible.

Going back to his 2012 debut Copernicus – The Good Book of No, Alabaster DePlume’s carved out a sound that complements his own complex perspectives and used songwriting as nourishment to help himself (and others) get over whatever life throws at them. That tradition of healing and reckoning continues on the nineteen-piece epic GOLD – Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love, ADP’s upcoming seventh full-length that drops this Friday. Mapped out well before a single note was recorded, GOLD offers an experience that flows together thanks to Fairbairn’s poetic, omnipresent narration. Six of the nineteen tracks are already out, and are joined today by GOLD‘s final single, “Now (Stars Are Lit)”, a haunting instrumental that eerily illuminates vocals, sax, strings, and light percussion for one of DePlume’s most mesmerizing compositions to date.

PREP: “Turn The Music Up” (KUTX Pop-Up)

From weekly food assembly rituals to pre-exposure prescription drugs, the word “prep” carries a ton of different connotations. Arguably its most common use is to describe Ivy League chums, something that’s been re-appropriated by Oxford-alum Tom Havelock (and his equally talented colleagues) for the buoyant London-based project PREP. PREP first cast out from the dock in 2015 and has continued to obscure the waters separating Gaucho-era Steely Dan and contemporary chillwave for a je-ne-sais-quois sound quality, thanks in no small part to the diversity of the members’ musical backgrounds.

PREP showcased careful attention to instrumental arrangements and timeless indie-adjacent grooves on their self-titled debut last October but still haven’t had a chance to drop by Austin due to COVID conditions. That said…PREP’s given us the next best thing. Through the power of green screen, PREP’s captured all the Austin scenery you could ever want for an exclusive 45-minute video set, so drop what you’re doing and kick it off with KUTX airwave favorite “Turn The Music Up”!

Django Django: “Asking For More” (KUTX Live at Home)

Quentin Tarantino wasn’t the only artist igniting delight with a silent D in 2012; just ask London four-piece Django Django, whose eponymous debut full-length launched the same year. Since sharing that baker’s dozen back at the beginning of the past decade, these Brits have brought more and more joy with each new exploration of prog rock, psych, electronic, and indie, further weaving their undefinable sound.

Following the release of their fourth LP Glowing in the Dark in February, Django Django’s just announced a month-long European tour kicking off in October. And though we’re still quite a ways from the prospect of the group performing in Austin pandemic-wise, these Studio 1A veterans have offered us a socially-distanced set that you can enjoy in the comfort of your office, living room or on-the-go. Be sure to watch the full thing starting off with the retro-inspired Hall & Oates/Joe Jackson-style groove on “Asking For More”!