The Predatory Wasp
duendita’s cutie lands as one of the standout tracks from their new album a strong desire to survive, out via MIKE’s 10k label. It’s a low-slung, slightly off-kilter soul tune that leans into brittle drums, tangled instrumentation and a vocal that pulls everything into place without trying too hard.
https://duendita.bandcamp.com/album/a-strong-desire-to-survive
Saya Gray’s debut album SAYA is out now. It’s a loose, low-key collection that floats between folk, R&B and experimental pop – mostly quiet, often heavy. Written after a breakup and a solo trip through Japan, the record feels personal without over-explaining. Sketchy guitar loops, voice notes, half-sung vocals – it’s all pretty stripped-back and all the better for it with PUDDLE ( OF ME ) a clear standout.
i was put on this earth is DJ Python’s debut EP for XL Records and his first solo release since 2022. Across five tracks, Python (Brian Piñeyro) gently forays into uncharted territory as a singer, producer and collaborator. For me, his 2020 LP Mas Amable is still the high watermark, and I do wish he’d return to that hypnotic style, but until that happens Marry Me Maia will more than do.
https://djpythonnyc.bandcamp.com/album/i-was-put-on-this-earth
OHYUNG made my favourite album of 2022, the ludicrously under-appreciated ambient masterpiece imagine naked!, and on the basis of my first few listens their latest LP is going to be right up there in 2025. You Are Always On My Mind marks a shift—away from the rawness of their earlier experimental work and towards something more pop-adjacent, but no less nuanced. Built from processed string loops and glistening synths, You Are Always On My Mind is “a declaration of love for raves and the dark hazy rooms that helped me to be free and true with myself – seeing other people who are so free and beautiful and thinking that one day that can be me – that’s me in the future.”
The second LP from revered techno collective Sandwell District, End Beginnings, serves as a poignant tribute to the late Juan Mendez, known as Silent Servant, who died halfway through the album’s production. The closing track The Silent Servant is as a heartfelt requiem, weaving distant mechanical murmurs with orchestral synths, while white noise sweeps through like wind rustling barren branches.
Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s latest LP Gift Songs is a sparse, meditative collection shaped by his life as a Zen priest, hospice worker, and Hudson Valley resident. Blending piano, modular synth, guitar, and acoustic textures with a small group of collaborators, the album evokes shifting landscapes and quiet inner states. Inspired by the idea of music as a “gift,” its five pieces – including the stand-out 20 minute opener The Milky Sea, unfold slowly; a distinctly human take on ambient minimalism.
I really like it when artists I haven’t thought about for years pop back up with something brilliant. I was mildly obsessed with Moomin in The Story Of You era, which terrifyingly was 15 years ago. Lots has changed for me in that time, but it’s reassuring to know he’s been making pretty much the same music; namely dusty, lofi house with plaintive piano lines and samples of waves gently rolling onto the shore. Joni is actually a bit of a outlier as he ventures into more expansive breaks, but that lead synth line really is pretty special.
From The Private Collection Of Saba and No ID is a collaborative album between Chicago artists Saba and producer No ID. The project blends hip-hop, soul, and experimental production across a series of tracks and features various guest appearances while leaning in to No ID’s sample-driven, textured production and Saba’s lyrical focus and vocal versatility. There’s a lot to enjoy here, but the 90 second Reciprocity with vocals from Ibeyi is a definite highlight.
Penned at his hometown of Wheaton, Maryland, soul boy Jalen Ngonda returns with Just As Long As We’re Together – a smooth, soulful nod to classic Motown, with effortless falsetto, warmth, and lush instrumentation. Channeling the spirit of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield, Ngonda delivers a heartfelt ode to love, wrapped in rich melodies and timeless charm.
https://jalenngonda.bandcamp.com/track/just-as-long-as-were-together
I saw Walt McClements support Mary Lattimore in a tiny venue in a town most of you have never heard of last year, and it was pretty amazing hearing him create an overwhelming wall of sound from an accordion, a loop pedal and not much else. One woman fainted! But it was quite hot and she was quite old, so take from that what you will. You get a sense of the power and grandiosity of his music from Sirens, the latest single to be released from his upcoming album On a Painted Ocean, due out in April on Western Vinyl.
https://waltmcclements.bandcamp.com/album/on-a-painted-ocean
The Predatory Wasp 