The newly released title track, “Written Into Changes,” really captures the heart of the album. The song reflects on those big life shifts and the mix of emotions that come with them. As Emerson explains: “Sometimes change barrels down tracks, announced by a high loud whistle. Other times it flows seasonally over sand, carving a canyon. ‘Written into Changes’ is a song about moving across the world and turning chapters in life. This song came together in London with Bullion, Hunter and Keivon.” Dreamy and reflective, it also arrives with an intimate performance video filmed in Avalon Emerson’s home studio alongside collaborators Hunter Lombard and Keivon Mehdi Hobeheidar.

“‘Eden’ is the voyage along the endless river carved between mountains of joy and loss, of experience and exhaustion,” Avalon Emerson explains. “We glide over a teeming riverbed of relationships and love, revealing the path itself is the point.” The track also reflects the creative momentum she’s been building since signing to Dead Oceans earlier this year. It grew out of her first studio session with Bullion after wrapping the & the Charm live tour in late 2023, a moment that made her realize this musical lane wasn’t “just a detour from DJing and dance music, but the entrance to a deep cave, full of passages to wander.”

Watch the video and check her tour itinerary below.

Upcoming Avalon Emerson Live Dates
*= DJ set
^= & the Charm set

11/21 – Manchester, UK @ Warehouse Project*
11/22 – Dublin, IE @ Fidelity Studio*
12/05 – Miami, FL @ Factory Town*

2026
03/31 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo^
04/01 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Pink Room)^
04/02 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall^
04/04 – Paris, FR @ Badaboum^
04/06 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Upstairs^
04/08 – Berlin, DE @ Säälchen^

One of our favorite producers, Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion, has consistently impressed us over the years with both his solo releases and his collaborative work with artists such as Nilüfer Yanya, Westerman, Avalon Emerson, pinkpirate, Joviale, and Georgie & Joe more recently. A few days ago, the artist announced his new album, Affection, which he recorded upon returning to his hometown of London from Lisbon. The LP includes contributions from the excellent Panda Bear, Charlotte Adigéry, as well as Carly Rae Jepsen, who lends her vocals to the lead single, “Rare.”

“I’ve been a fan of Bullion from the first listen,” she explains. “His music just sends me some place good every time. We started writing together over Zoom sessions in lock down and then met in real life in Toronto, London and LA. When I first reached out to him, I said “it would be fun to see how your world of music and mine could play together” and it’s been one of the coolest discoveries. To be featured on “Rare” is such a sweet start to 2024. And as a fan still, I’m really looking forward to this whole album.”

North London polymath Joviale has just announced the release of their sophomore EP, which was, like their debut EP Crisis, crafted in collaboration with Bullion. Entitled Hurricane Belle, in reference to the exhibition of contemporary artist Peter Shenai, the 4-track project introduces a strong, frontal and disarming new sound, as heard on aptly-named first single “Blow!”. Combining digital textures, funk inflected sax and an assured groove, this lament to doomed love in chiaroscuro also comes with a self-directed video, courtesy of RedChartreuse.

Like every year, our team vote for their favourite tracks of the year. You can stream this list, as well as other tracks that were close to entering the top, via our Spotify and Apple Music playlists below. You can also check our Best Albums and Best EPs/Mixtapes of 2020.

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50. Julia-Sophie – “x0x”

49. Blue Hawaii – “Not my Boss!”

48. Zelma Stone – “Fly”

47. Young Ejecta – “Crayon Cactus”

46. Sedona – “Crying On My Own”

45. Zoee – “Rio’s”

44. Prince Innocence – “Angelyne”

43. Laura Groves – “Foolish Games”

42. Cindy Lee – “I Want You To Suffer”

41. Lido Pimienta- “Eso Que Tu Haces”

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40. Jayda G – “Both Of Us”

39. NNAMDÏ – “Perfect In My Mind”

38. Lomelda – “Hannah Sun”

37. Braids – “Young Buck”

36. Against All Logic, Estado Unido, FKA Twigs – “Alucinao”

35. oklou – “unearth me”

34. Kate NV – “Sayonara”

33. Agar Agar – “Nap”

32. Annie – “The Streets Where I Belong”

31. Beadadoobee – “Worth it”

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30. TOPS – “I Feel Alive”

29. Yves Tumor – “Gospel For A New Century”

28. Dua Lipa – “Physical”

27. Cakes da Killa, Proper Villains – “Don Dada”

26. Namasenda – “Wanted”

25. Ultraflex – “Never Forget My Baby”

24. Shamir – “On My Own”

23. Discovery Zone – “Dance II”

22. Couch Prints – “Of Drawing”

21. Nilüfer Yanya – “Crash”

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20. Cindy – “2y & 6m”

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19. Bullion – “We Had A Good Time”

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18. Kelly Lee Owens – “Melt!”

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17. Phoebe Bridgers – “Garden Song”

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16. Waxahatchee – “Can’t Do Much”

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15. Maria Minerva – “Apology”

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14. Shygirl – “FREAK”

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13. Jónsi, Robyn – “Salt Licorice”

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12. Perfume Genius – “On The Floor”

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11. Ela Minus – “Megapunk”

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10. Romy – “Lifetime”

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9. SAULT – “Wildfires”

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8. Soccer Mommy – “circle the drain”

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7. Eartheater – “Below The Clavicle”

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6. Helena Deland – “Comfort, Edge”

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5. Fiona Apple – “I Want You To Love Me”

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4. Charli XCX – “Forever”

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3. Dehd – “Loner”

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2. Christine and the Queens – “People, I’ve Been Sad”

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1. 070 Shake – “Guilty Conscience”

Let’s not beat about the bush: 2020 was the worst year of my life and I think it might be the case for a lot of people around. As a music fan, not being able to attend any concerts, seeing some of my favourite venues and festivals endangered and reading that up and coming talents are struggling more than ever has been a big bummer. I’m not even mentioning all the emails starting with “hope you are well during these strange times”. Well, guess what? We aren’t!

Even if we have spent most of our time locked at home, streaming more music than ever, not sure the smallest DIY artists will see the difference when they’ll receive their royalty revenues. All of that to say that artists need you more than ever. As we always repeat it, streaming is good but it’s not enough. Buy your vinyls, cassettes and merch and so on on Bandcamp special days (so they get 100% of the amount) or via your local record store (yes, they’re also having a hard time), attend virtual shows or, even better, send direct tips to the artists.

Some good news, though: 2020 has been pretty amazing music-wise. While it’s not always easy to support everything or to keep up with all the weekly releases, our staff tried their best to introduce you to some promising up and coming talents and bring the best new music to your ears throughout the last 12 months. Today, we are presenting our favourite EPs and mixtapes of 2020, with some obvious picks and a few overlooked discoveries to keep an eye on in the future. Thank you for reading us. Hope you enjoy and discover some cool new stuff. You can also check our Best Albums and Best Tracks selection.

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40. Ferrari Garden – “Longest Slow Dance”

39. ascendant vierge – “Vierge”

38. quinzequinze – “Le Jeune”

37. Sedona – “Rearview Angel”

36. Gabriels – “Love and Hate in a Different Time”

35. Julia-Sophie – “y?”

34. Pearly – “prettydarksexymusic”

33. Sports Boyfriend – “Seek No Answer”

32. TDJ – “TDJ001”

31. Zsela – “Ache of Victory”

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30. Sofia Kourtesis – “Sarita Colonia”

29. Bumper – “pop songs 2020”

28. Planet 1999 – “Devotion”

27. Alaska Reid – “Big Bunny”

26. Tomberlin – “Projections”

25. DVC Refreshments – “Hits Only”

24. Isla Den – “Virtual Garden”

23. Alpen Glow – “Amertape 2020”

22. Lysandre – “Maison-Dieu”

21. Forever – “Close To The Flame”

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20. Nilüfer Yanya – “Feeling Lucky?”

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19. Shygirl – “Alias”

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18. 박혜진 Park Hye Jin – “How Can I”

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17. Molina – “Vanilla Shell”

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16. Murmur – “Behind Your Back”

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15. Jockstrap – “Wicked City”

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14. Magdalena Bay – “Mini Mix, Vol 2”

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13. Isola – “EP1”

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12. Penelope Trappes – “Eel Drip”

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11. Eris Drew – “Fluids of Emotion”

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10. Couch Prints – “Tell U”

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9. Blue Hawaii – “Under 1 House”

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8. Japan, Man – “The Bad Days”

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7. Christine and the Queens – “La Vita Nuova”

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6. Charli XCX – “How I’m Feeling Now”

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5. Zelma Stone – “Dreamland”

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4. Laura Groves – “A Private Road”

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3. Yaeji – “WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던”

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2. oklou – “galore”

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1. Bullion – “We Had A Good Time”

Lisbon-based producer and songwriter Nathan Jenkins, aka Bullion, will share his second EP in 2020 in a few weeks. Titled Heaven Is Over, the melancholy 5-track project is released via Secretly’s new project Friends Of. Jenkins has also shared “Strike A Light”, the spacious closing track of the project. Listen and pre-order via Bandcamp below.

London-based singer-songwriter Westerman will finally unveil his debut album in June. Titled Your Hero Is Not Dead, the project was crafted with regular collaborator Bullion. After “Waiting On Design,” he has now unveiled the title track of the record, which closes the project on a hopeful tone as he sings “From dark into bliss / Your hero is not dead.”

“This was the last song I wrote for the whole record, but I had the title for the album before any of the music was formed,” he stated. “I remember I wrote it on the day that Mark Hollis died. He’s probably as close to a musical hero as I have. The song isn’t about him or Talk Talk necessarily, but when he died I wanted to put myself to task and respond to the sadness I was feeling at that moment.”

The track is also featured in a mix of “freeform communal music” titled Huxley, that you can also stream below as well.