Over the last five years, Toronto’s electronic music producer and vocalist Victoria Cheong has been particularly active as a DJ, remixer and contributor alongside reggae legend Willi Williams, Chandra and Jennifer Castle’s Angels of Death amongst others. She is also an active member of Nice Hands, a duo that she forms with poet Aisha Sasha John. Despite all of these collaborations, she has also found some time to refine her vision as New Chance, an electronic moniker with who she caught our attention in 2018 (with her track “Chasing The Sunset” that you can re-discover below). In a few days, Cheong will release her sophomore EP and we’re happy to premiere its second single today. Given all of her parallel projects, the title “Overworked” seems particularly appropriate.

If New Chance‘s music definitely draws inspiration from club culture, her tracks avoid the main clichés of the genre by proposing non-standard deviations. Indeed, Cheong prefers languid and progressive arrangements to upbeat and calculated build-ups and climax. As heard in “Overworked”, her combination of elusive structure and floating textures results in something particularly haunting and introspective. Loaded with anxiety and vulnerability, this pre-burnout offering sounds like an ambient, Xanax-fuelled response to Marie Davidson‘s “Work It“. Listen below.

A lot of artists from the boiling underground scene are unfortunately flying under our radar. Hopefully, our Brussels-based curator Free Anckaert scours through hundreds of SoundCloud tracks to bring the best of them to the surface. Check a few of his favourites and stream the whole playlist below.

Mount Liberation Unlimited – “BODY LANGUAGE (MOUTH MIX)”

Mount Liberation Unlimited is a Swedish electro disco pop duo constisting of Tom Lagerman and Niklas Janzon. When I read ‘Body language’ was the title of they’re new baby, I though it’d be a remake of Booka Shade’s “Body Language” like Jax Jones’ “You Don’t Know Me” but WITH the reference. Instead MLU’s “Body Language” is a lovely disco song that goes with two versions: the Swedish Version and this lovely mouth mix.

88rising: Rich Brian – “watch out!” / NIKI

88rising is a musical platform and label for Asian artists. The home of artists as Rich Brian and NIKI, but also of Rina Sawayama (who conquered our heart with last year’s album “RINA”), Keith Ape and Higher Brothers. I think these artists are just the beginning of a new generation Asian artists (also looking at you Yaeji) capturing our ‘Western’ ears.

Sylvere – “Straightjacket” (Green Ray EP)

Paris based producer Sylvere is specialised in grimey synth “seduced by the staccato rhythms from UK Funky” if we may believe his Facebook page. This song – all of his brand new Green Ray EP tbh) is so bouncey, bubbly danceable it’s just a matter of time the guy is dj’ing at parties like Brussels based Los Ninos or Beursschouwburg.

Canadian dreamy and ambient pop star New Chance comes into our life with “Chasing the Sunset.” Another Canadian gem: Ralph teams up with rap-boy Tobi and brings us more than an urban ballad on “Girl Next Door.”

Swedish duo Kassia Klein delivers poetic chill pop topped by some breezy guitars on “Kokomo.”

London producer and singer Couros really breaks through on “Undertone:” a pulsating and emotionally charged power track from his “Jupiter EP.”

This week with Deer Du Bois, we cross borders but we will always stay human. With music in our hearts!

Only a few months after her killer debut song, UK vocalist Paige Bea is back with the impressing “Your Echo.” A track that will reflect in your mind for days.

Lastly, indie-synth hero Chad Valley is back with his soothing voice and glowing beats on ABC from his latest album “Imaginary Music.”

If you want to drink a bit more until you get tipsy, you should check him on Facebook and Soundcloud, and follow his regular posts on our site.