There’s an almost mythological quality to the world of Juan Pablo Wauters. The Uruguayan-born, Jackson Heights, NY-dwelling musician is best known not for a specific musical style, but instead for the crystalline sincerity that underpins everything he does.

Blood Wizard is the moniker of Cai Burns, a singer songwriter hailing from South London by way of Nottingham. He burst into the scene with his debut album ‘Western Spaghetti’ in 2021, released to a frenzy of underground acclaim through the revered indie label Moshi Moshi Records. Offering a twisted interpretation of the earthy tones and introspective musings of artists like Aldous Harding and Kurt Vile, Blood Wizard carved his own unique path. Performances at End of the Road’s main stage, Pitchfork Festival and an endorsement from Wet Leg followed, as did sold out headline shows in London and further afield.

Now, with his sophomore effort ‘Grinning William’, Blood wizard unveils a more intricate and diverse body of work. Without compromising his distinctive sound, this second album ventures into sonic realms akin to the captivating discographies of artists like Alex G. Produced by Theo Verney (of Lime Garden, English Teacher, and Egyptian Blue), the 2024 offering signifies a monumental leap forward for the former Kagoule frontman. Exceptional songwriting and a kaleidoscope of moods are united by Blood Wizard’s wry vocals and poetic lyrics that have become his signature. Stepping beyond the enigmatic allure of his debut, ‘Grinning William’ sees Blood Wizard emerge once more from the woody undergrowth with a 10-tracker of even greater originality: another seminal record for those in the know.

Gal Go [lgnacio Salvadores] is a multi instrumentalist born in Argentina and based in London. Salvadores produces music under the pseudonym Gal Go, recording and mixing everything in his home studio. A key collaborator with Archy Marshall, Ignacio was one of the forces behind King Krule’s Mercury Prize nominated The Ooz and named as one of the central influences for Man Alive and Space Heavy, King Krule’s most recent records. Pitchfork has coined Gal Go’s music as “a burst of passion that’s mysterious and striking”. Gal Go returns with a batch of exhilarating new music in 2024.

Rebe is a lost doll that, when squeezed, produces whispers, cries and chords that a thousand times have sounded in the tradition of Spanish song, this time crossed by interferences that seem to sneak in from a nearby fair or a distant forest. It was created, according to her, after love and just before passion. That may explain why it has ballads of incomparable eroticism. However, the intricacies of its sounds and its way of piling up arrangements on the outline of a pop song to the point of deforming it make it difficult to place it in any genre. Rebe tells little legends about herself, theatrical love entanglements that are sweet, bitter, ridiculous, fiery and catastrophic, but never implausible because she is the protagonist. Actually, as a doll she is deceptive, for it is she who plays with you once she has your attention. It seems that she is only looking at herself in the mirror, but she is at the same time captivating, making you uncomfortable, begging and making fun of whoever looks at her.

On Raccoon Nights, musician and producer Tall Juan returns with his most resplendent creation yet. Down the hole we dive into a world of psychedelic-pop enveloped in buzzy synthesizers, burning backbeats, and new wave overtones. Throughout these nine songs, Juan grapples with isolation and uncertainty, bringing along an impressive troupe of collaborators to share in the healing party.

Recorded at Outlier Inn in New York’s Catskill Mountains and at his home in Rockaway Beach, Juan aimed for a high-fidelity sound that reflected the difficult times he was living through. Taking on the roles of both engineer and producer, he wanted to work with as many musicians as possible, which resulted in contributions from over 30 different players. When tracking was finished, the album was mixed by Grammy award winner Hector Castillo, whose glittering resume includes projects with David Bowie and Phillip Glass. This synergetic process culminated in an uplifting sound inspired by artists like Syd Barrett, Talking Heads, and Lizzy Mercier Descloux.

La Élite is a group that was born in Tàrrega during the year 2015 as a result of boredom and the need to spend time in a more or less “productive” way. So, during that same summer Nil and Diosito locked themselves in the garage for 4 afternoons and made their first demos, from which songs like Marlburro came out. The band will continue for a few years making demos for pure fun and without any kind of claim beyond making music with synthesizers and drum machines. Until 2020 there is not much to add, they just do their own thing. It is not until the end of the pandemic that they release music again and decide, after 7 years, to play live. Since then, the band has not stopped growing based on single releases, later their debut album, and with a very electric live show, irreverent, and cheeky, filling up virtually all of their concerts and festivals on a grand tour for Spain. In November 2023 they plan to release the new singles to what will be their second lp, which is planned for Feb/March 24 release.