Like every June, our team hold a very serious – not so serious – committee meeting and pick their favourite tracks of the first semester. That way, you can go on holidays with a cool soundtrack. No need to thank us. You can find these 20 entries in alphabetical order below as well as in our Spotify and Apple Music playlists, which also contain some other great contenders that were released over the last six months.

Anika – “Change”
Bobbie Lovesong – “Organic Orange”
Burial – “Space Cadet”
Cabiria – “Abrigo de Sol”
Cassandra Jenkins – “Hard Drive”
Dawn Richard – “Boomerang”
Erika de Casier – “Polite”
Japanese Breakfast – “Be Sweet”
Jordana + Magdalena Bay – “Push Me Away”
Katy Kirby – “Portals”
Kero Kero Bonito – “Well Rested”
L’Rain – “Two Face”
Mette – “Petrified”
Mia Porter – “Pivot”
Mr Twin Sister – “Expressions”
Nana Yamato – “Do You Wanna”
Rachika Nayar – “The Trembling of Glass”
Slayyyter – “Clouds”
Theodora – “For One Heart”
Tirzah – “Tectonic”

Two years after their surprise Civilisation I EP, London trio Kero Kero Bonito (Sarah Bonito + Gus Lobban + Jamie Bulled) will unveil a sequel to the 3-track project, which was made on vintage hardware. Coming along the announcement, the band have unveiled the Dan W Jacobs-directed animation of the first single, an explosive tale entitled “The Princess and the Clock”.

“‘The Princess And The Clock’ is the tale of a young explorer who is kidnapped while sailing the world, imprisoned at the top of a tower and worshipped as royalty by an isolated society,” the explained. “Trapped in her chamber, she spends years dreaming of escaping, until one day she disappears. A legend of our own invention, “The Princess And The Clock” was written before Covid emerged, though the long, lonely hours and escapist dreams its protagonist experiences will be relatable to many right now. It’s a song for anyone who has ever felt trapped, lost and alone.”

Chicago-based producer-songwriter Laura Les and Los Angeles-based producer-songwriter Dylan Brady, together, make up the fascinating whirlwind duo of future-pop group named 100 gecs. Their critically acclaimed debut album, 1,000 gecs (2019), is now anticipating a start-to-finish remix treatment, and their first offering of both the decade and the remix album is the hooky rework of their digi-cute track “ringtone.”

The backbone of the original track still remains intact, however, 100 gecs did not shy away to provide a complete cosmetic makeover that redefines the track entirely and demonstrates just how close pop music runs in their blood and veins. Extra instrumental alterations and additions on “ringtone” compliment the powerhouse features, each of which bring their own personalized flair to the remix – Charli XCX with her signature auto-tuned vocals to kick off the party-pop banger, transitioning into Sarah of Kero Kero Bonito with her soft-spoken verse that builds up to the blissfully lethal energy of Rico Nasty, whose introduction paired with the distorted guitar sounds like an old school heartthrob punk rock anthem:

“I think I might be addicted to your kisses, Lovestruck, baby, you’re the piece I’m missin’ / I know you’re what I’m lookin’ for and I’m so tired of wishin’ / We can do it now or later, it don’t make a difference”

“Ringtone” remix is now the third single, following up from the “745 Sticky (Injury Reverse Remix)” and “money machine” remix by A.G. Cook, off their highly anticipated remix album 1000 gecs & The Tree of Clues. The release of this track is accompanied by a very DIY, gec-fashioned visualizer of Laura and Dylan passing back and forth cut-outs of Charli XCX, Sarah (Kero Kero Bonito), and Rico Nasty on popsicle sticks in a dark room.

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London’s indie-pop trio Kero Kero Bonito have just dropped a surprise EP titled Civilisation I. The project features “When the Fires Come“, an apocalyptic track released a few weeks ago. The EP follows up on their 2019’s double single “Swimming/The Open Road“. Listen below.

The band are also about to start their North American tour later this week. Check their full itinerary below.

Kero Kero Bonito did not have the time to take some rest since the release of their sophomore album Time ‘n’ Place last year. Besides touring the whole planet, they have also been working on new music. The London-based trio has just shared a new track and video. Announcing a brand new project, the bright yet apocalyptic electro-pop offering deals with climate change, as they explained:

[su_quote]’When the Fires Come’ is about the worldwide wildfires heralding the seemingly imminent climate change apocalypse. It was partially inspired by our experience on tour in North California last year, when we got caught underneath the smoke cloud from the Camp Fire. The video was shot on the hottest day of 2019 in Britain. It is the first song of a new project.[/su_quote]

Watch the James Hankins-directed video, get the track via Bandcamp and check their upcoming gigs below.

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09/13 – Saint Petersburg, Russia @ The Place

09/14 – Moscow, Russia @ Pluton

10/03 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East #

10/04 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #

10/05 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground #

10/06 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall #

10/08 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #

10/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer #

10/10 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel #

10/11 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club #

10/12 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre #

10/13 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre #

10/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #

10/16 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick #

10/17 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre #

10/18 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre #

10/19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe #

10/22 – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Bar #

10/24 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theater #

10/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre #

10/27 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom #

10/29 – Sacramento, CA @ Holy Diver #

10/30 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom #

10/31 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda Theatre

11/01 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern #

11/02 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory

11/03 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre #

11/05 – Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall #

11/06 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk #

11/07 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger #

11/08 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar #

11/09 – New Orleans, LA @ The Republic #

11/10 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Wilbury #

11/12 – Gainesville, FL @ High Dive #

11/13 – Orlando, FL @ The Social #

11/14 – Tampa, FL @ Orpheum #

11/15 – Miami, FL @ Gramps

11/17 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Corona Capital

12/07 – Singapore, Singapore @ The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions @ Pasir Panjang Power Station

# w/ Negative Gemini

A few weeks ago, London’s trio Kero Kero Bonito shared a video for “The Open Road“, the second track of a new double A-side single. They’re now unveiling the visuals for the opening track, “Swimming,” which is also featured on their latest album Time ‘n’ Place. About “Swimming”, the band stated:

[su_quote]It is about visiting the beach with your mother as a child, and returning as an adult without her. It’s a tribute to growing up, our mums and the ’70s singer-songwriters we enjoy together.[/su_quote]

Directed by James Hankins, the accompanying visuals were shot off the coast of Dorset and definitely inspire a desire to travel to England. Watch below.

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London trio Kero Kero Bonito have just shared a double single which features a track taken from their sophomore album Time ‘n’ Place as well as a brand new track as side B. As its title suggests it, “The Open Road” depicts a hectic and adventurous road trip. Hazy, slightly fuzzy, and definitely sweet, this glittering new offering sounds a bit like a crossroad between their dance-y pop debut and their recent lo-fi turn. Listen below.

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For their second album which was released by surprise, Kero Kero Bonito are giving their bedroom guitar pop tunes some self-directed VHS-like visuals. They already shared clips for several tracks, including “Make Believe” and “Time Today“, and their last offering accompanies the track “Flyway”. You can watch it below, and check as well the dates of their current world tour which will make a stop at Brussels’ Beursschouwburg.

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Kero Kero Bonito tour dates:

10/16 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall $ [SOLD OUT]

10/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere $ [SOLD OUT]

10/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA $ [SOLD OUT]

10/19 – Hoboken, NJ @ Stevens Institute of Technology

10/20 – College Park, MD @ MilkBoy ArtHouse $ [SOLD OUT]

10/22 – Durham, NC @ Duke Coffeehouse $

10/23 – Atlanta, GA @ 529 Club $ [SOLD OUT]

10/24 – New Orleans, LA @ Hi-Ho Lounge $ [SOLD OUT]

10/25 – Houston, TX @ Satellite Bar $

10/26 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda $ [SOLD OUT]

10/27 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger $

10/28 – Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Company $ [SOLD OUT]

10/30 – Norman, OK @ The Opolis $

10/31 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf $

11/01 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole $

11/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater #$ [SOLD OUT]

11/03 – Long Beach, CA @ Tropicalia Fest

11/04 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater #$

11/05 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore #

11/08 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom #$

11/09 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret #$

11/10 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre #$

11/13 – Grinnell, IA @ Grinnell College – Gardner Lounge $

11/14 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall $

11/15 – Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx $

11/16 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace $ [SOLD OUT]

11/17 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa $

11/18 – Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel [SOLD OUT]

11/22 – Paris, France @ L’Olympic Café [SOLD OUT]

11/23 – Brussels, Belgium @ Beursschouwburg

11/24 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Sugarfactory [SOLD OUT]

11/26 – Hamburg, Germany @ Uebel & Gefährlich

11/27 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Ideal Bar

11/28 – Berlin, Germany @ The Monarch

11/29 – Warsaw, Poland @ Smolna

12/01 – Barcelona, Spain @ Razzmatazz

12/07 – Moscow, Russia @ Pluton

12/08 – St. Petersburg, Russia @ The Place

02/07 – Manchester, England @ Gorilla

02/08 – Bristol, England @ Thekla

02/09 – Glasgow, Scotland @ SWG3

05/23 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom

$ w/ Tanukichan

# w/ Frankie Cosmos