Following the delivery of his single ‘Stay Forever’ earlier this month, spellbinding British producer Catching Flies returns with the release of his new EP The Long Journey Home. Featuring the aforementioned lead single and two others (‘Grey Skies’ and ‘The Long Journey Home’) the instrumental EP is covered in warm thoughtful beats and affectional samples (including a cheekily incorporated Badu reference on ‘Long Journey’). Listen below.

After surprising fans with ‘Cole Summer’ yesterday, today J. Cole releases his brand new Truly Yours 2 EP. Produced by Cole, Canei Finch & Jake One the new EP features six new songs and boasts guest appearances from Bas, Young Yeezy & 2 Chainz. The tracks on the both instalments of his Truly Yours EP series are a product of J. Cole recording “at least 4 albums worth of material” while recording his upcoming second LP Born Sinner (June 25th). “Some of [the songs] are great and important stories that just won’t make the album (either they don’t fit sonically, don’t fit theme or there’s just not enough space… Tonight, I want to give you a few of these songs because you deserve them.

Listen and download (free) below…

Shlohmo’s recent pairing with How To Dress Well excited a lot of folk last week (myself included) and so the full stream of his highly anticipated new EP Laid Out (courtesy of Pitchfork) couldn’t have come sooner. Boasting five new songs the release seems to reflect a growth in Shlohmo’s productions – now more so than ever before his beats form captivating and enigmatic compositions full of unraveling suspense and emotion.

… Still excited to hear that pending Jeremih collaboration too.

We first featured burgeoning London collective Last Night in Paris way back in December 2011 when we introduced Rainy Milo and her wonderful debut single ‘Bout You’. Since then a number of their represenatives have released some exciting sounds, now though the crew have come together to release a full-on collective project titled Roses.

While their assembled talents as singers, emcees and producers come together well across the 11-track EP, I find what the singers do between the airy, spacious productions particularly interesting; It’s the same thing that first intrigued us with Rainy Milo. And although all the artists deliver individually I’d personally be keen to explore this side of what LNiP do a bit more. And kudos to the producer(s) on here – some really interesting sounds being executed.

Look forward to seeing this grow.

Raider Klan’s Chris Travis quietly released a new 11-track EP this week called Side Effects. The tape is a sprawling journey through some of the haziest, trippiest beats courtesy of the likes of grandmaster SpaceGhostPurrp, AraabMuzik, Eric Dingus and SavaageBeatz, over which Travis laces some codine-induced verses (some coherent, others not so). SGP’s atmospheric aesthetic on ‘Diamonds Pt 2′ epitomises the ideology of what this movement is all about – if lean had a sound this would be it. Viiiiibesy.

‘Diamonds Pt 2′ is definitely the standout track on Side Effects but cop it below (free), there’s more on there to sip to.

Download: Chris Travis – Side Effects EP

As we begin descending into the indulgence of the festive period, we thought it only right to see the year end out with some sounds that have either helped make 2012 a promising 12 months or like in this instance, with an artist who we feel (and have felt) will make an impact on the forthcoming next 12.

Twigs quietly burst on the scene back in July with ‘Hide’, a charismatic and nocturnal single that made a big impression on us and our readers. Since then we’ve been treated to a second single ‘Ache’, along with an accompanying video. Last week however Twigs, of whom very little is known (we offered some insight in August), unearthed an EP containing the two aforementioned songs, with an additional two new ones. As we’d hoped the extended player reachers further into Twigs’ exploration into the darkened world of leftfield eclecticism.

Said it once, we’ll say it again – keep a very close eye on this lady.

Still riding high off her recent Mercury Music Prize nomination, songstress Jessie Ware has unleashed 3 new reworkings of her single ‘No To Love’, taken off her debut album Devotion. The EP features craftsmanship from George Fitzgerald, Ewan Pearson & Todd Edwards and so, as you’d imagine, it’s advisable you turn up those subs… Gah.

Listen / buy below via Soundcloud.

If you didn’t catch Rainy here back in December with breakout cut ‘Bout You’, then huddle up as her star is rising on this debut “collection of songs written on red buses, tubes, cloudy days and chilly nights in London”. Sailing out to the soultronic hub of LA, connecting with musicians like Oddisee and Ariel Pink associate Cole M.G.N, the singer/songrwriter from Norwood has knocked out these growed up, leftcoasting, downtempo vibes that belie her 16 years. Still soaked in Londonisms and broods on boyfs, Chanel and some business about the clink – there’s an undeniable, earthy charm. Sinking in and out of those impulsive diary entries, the singer’s velvety drawl rides on the fresh side of pop angst, as nimbus grooves keep the grit.

The EP also features production from Chet Faker and Last Night In Paris‘ Blk Rssian and is perhaps destined for heavy Autumnal spins. Especially with standouts like ‘Don’t Regret Me’, making our top 22Tracks right now, and ‘This Thing Of Ours’. Free download below…

A stunning debut EP dropped from Toronto producer Zodiac on Jacques Greene‘s label Vase last week. It sees the man behind game changers ‘What You Need’ ‘Loft Music’ and ‘The Morning’ overseen for The Weeknd, pull out these giant instrumentals needing serious new pipes to hold them down. Jesse Boykins III feature on ‘Come’ has already been an exquisite certifier for both, and may only be the beginning.

The producer, real name Jeremy Rose, recently signed to do some work under Paul Epworth‘s new label Wolf Tone. Now I’m just wondering what it’ll be like mixing the high class pop of one of the biggest super-producers this 21st century, with Zodiac’s mysterious R&B, shapeshifting hip-hop and aerial-scapes from the next…

‘Forgetting And Learning Again’  is the first single to see the light of day from Lapalux‘s forthcoming Some Other Time EP, which is set for release on 16th October on Fly-Lo‘s Brainfeeder imprint. There aren’t many amongst today’s chop and screw happy producers that can work a female vocal like Lapalux (see ‘Moments‘). His liquidised beats and honey-coated synths manage to evoke a lucid state somewhere between dreaming and awake, that just make you wanna  curl up in his tracks like a nice warm duvet.