After writing the first Sound of 2012 article, I not only realised that I’d missed out so many incredibly exciting upcoming acts, but also that it wasn’t quite as sonically diverse as I’d originally envisioned. With Part I focusing quite heavily quite on lo-fi orientated songwriters and solo musicians, Joel took about compiling his own list of acts who may well find commercial success in 2012. Now, the balls back in my court, to bring you a list of slightly more obscure artists, whom I believe will flourish in the coming twelve months.
Ouisa Hound
Having only introduced Ouisa Hound a few days ago, I’ve had his two debut tracks pretty much been on repeat. With the intimately atmospheric feel he creates proving particularly powerful, I was also intrigued by the eloquent way that Ouisa Hound went about describing his own music – ‘Of this music, it is perhaps enough to say this and no more: it was born of a brain pregnant with good and sober sadness.’ If that’s not enough to entice you to check out his two debut tracks Gloom Roaming and Well Overtaken, then I may as well give up now.
REID
Another artist with only a handful of tracks under his belt, young Irish beatmaker REID conjures up majestically elegant ambient soundscapes. With the Four Tet influence fairly plain to hear, it’s refreshing that REID relies less on sampled vocals and instead specializes in drawing the listener in to his own visualised world. Having released a double A side through Blah Blah Blah Records earlier this year, the next few months are looking especially bright for REID.
Sam Cleeve
Seemingly appearing from nowhere, Reading producer Sam Cleeve fashioned one of the most emotionally fraught instrumental records of 2011. With a sombre, majestic piano forming the backbone to many of his tracks, the layers gradually build and spiral into a beautiful cacophony of sound, opening the listener up to Cleeve’s wondrously expansive soundscapes.
Noble Oak
Another artist whose electro-ambient inspired release No Bloke registered amongst my top EP’s of 2011. With his immaculate production values and confidently spacious atmospheres, this Canadian producer is clearly a perfectionist with his tracks, chiseling each and every one to his exact vision. All that said, it’s the untouchable simplicity that allows Noble Oak to excel; this is music to fall in love to and nobody can deny you that.
Perfect Triple Backflip by Noble Oak
Rochelle Jordan
Out of all the acts I’ve mentioned across both my Sound of 2012 lists, Rochelle Jordan is probably the most likely to see mainstream success in the next twelve months. With a host of relatively high profile magazine shoots and interviews underway, you can guarantee that people WILL be talking about her. Her sassy, sensual attitude and slick R’n’B vibes make her lightly comparable to The Weeknd and Frank Ocean, but with a slightly more raw edge that’s undeniably appealing. Check out her debut album R O J O, as well as recent singles Here I Go and _Shot.
Hollow Pigeons
This kid is 15. Yes, you read that right. Fifteen. Even if Hollow Pigeons only succeeds in one area, it’ll be making you feel old. His chillwave inspired tracks showcase a maturity far beyond his modest years, and his Birthdays EP deservedly gained him a fair amount of recognition earlier in the year. Mixing a remarkable knowledge of production with elegant samples, 2012 may be slightly too early to be touting this teenager as a star, but given the strength of his releases so far, who knows where his music will take him.
MONEY
The least Google-friendly band name of the year goes to Manchester’s MONEY. Having previously gone under the similarly obtuse names Books and Youth, their shows in their home town are kicking up rave reviews. Managed by Max Moran (Egyptian Hip Hop, Vondelpark), their music is a gorgeous Arcade Fire meets WU LYF car crash, featuring sombre pianos and strained vocals, alongside gritty images and footage from World War 1 documentaries. Pretentious? Slightly. Awesome? You bet.
Polar Dear
In Even If I’m Late, electro-pop duo Polar Dear released one of the indie dance anthems of the year. Part Bloc Party, part Justice, it’s irresistible and deserves far more coverage than it’s experienced so far. Alongside the track, the duo made a stunning video, encapsulating the vivid energy of their music (and also featuring a couple of rather attractive young women). Their follow up release Thanatos took their sound in a slightly different direction, whilst maintaining their dominant dance inspirations.
Polar Dear – Even If I’m Late from Polar Dear on Vimeo.
League
A two piece from one of the slickest cities in the world, who create Beach Boys inspired surf pop; LA’s League pretty much epitomize ‘cool’. Whether it’s the 80’s Cure vibe of Your World or the sugary sweet How Do I Know, these kids do it better than anyone else around. Take a handful of your dreams, a packet of marshmallows and a star-eyed, beauteous girl, and you’d still only be halfway to imagining the sound that League create. In short, League are awesome, and your girlfriend will love them.
NO
Having wowed the blogosphere with their euphoric Stay With Me earlier on in the year, then dropping their nigh-on flawless debut EP Don’t Worry, You’ll Be Here Forever, Echo Park’s NO have had a pretty sensational end to 2011. With a full-length record in the works, and the five piece extremely excited to hit the road, 2012 is set to be a fantastic year for the group. Combining the intimate lyricism of The National with their very own, unique touch, NO write anthems of the highest quality, destined to be played to packed venues.
Another Life by NO.