Banks works her magic on Peter Gabriel’s ‘In Your Eyes’ and in doing so transforms the 80′s classic into a more characteristically darker affair. Her infatuating and distinct voice carries with it a fresh ethos that naturally seems to translates over the songs brooding canvas from which she administers her compelling charm. Listen and download for free below.

Last week we introduced newcomer Elliott Power, a West London singer/producer who’s debut single ‘Sink/Swim’ we became quickly enamoured with. Today he returns with a new and even more elaborate single titled ‘Saw [Did]‘. The track reasserts Elliott’s apparent thirst to combine generational hallmarks into new vividly shaped rearrangements. Like it’s predecessor ‘Saw [Did]‘ combines a plethora of ideologies and in this particular instance (and perhaps rather oddly) makes me wonder what Pharrell Williams (circa ’02) would have sounded like on Grace Jones’ Hurricane album.

‘Stay Forever’ is the mesmerising new single from London based producer Catching Flies. The songs multi-layered mindset provides a rich soundbed from which the 22-year old blends docile keys and ambient synths with electronic glitches and beats.

A looped vocal begins an ornate serenade that in parts burst out like a Sade soul-cry and in others can be traced back to the unique musings of artists like Ghostpoet and King Krule. The song concludes in a spellbinding sax solo ending what can only be described as a riveting experience.

‘Stay Forever’ is taken off Catching Flies forthcoming EP The Long Journey Home, due out June 17th.

Earlier this week L.A based singer and self-producing artist Sunni Colón shared his latest offering from his forthcoming free album The Els Flower’s. Following last years Dearly Beloved mixtape, Colón has come gone away crafting a more eclectic and polished sound. Arresting in it’s own right ‘Karma’ is an alluring voyage made up of stuttered keys,  weeping guitars and Colón’s softly gravelled vocal tone. It’s a record that clearly cities Frank Ocean’s channel ORANGE as an influence, but one that still highlights Sunni’s own musical instincts.

Not since A$AP Rocky has a rapper created such a simultaneous buzz on and offline like Chance the Rapper is generating right now. Currently courted by every major label in the U.S and hot off the heels of his recently released Acid Rap mixtape, the Chicago born emcee teams up producer Nosaj Thing for the latest installement of YoursTruly’s ‘Songs from Scratch’ series. ‘Paranoia’, which features in-part on Chance’s aforementioned mixtape (see: ‘Pusha Man’) marries Nosaj Thing’s off-kilter beat wizardry with the rappers multi-layered, multi-personality wordplay.

‘Sink/Swim’ is the enigmatic debut single from West London newcomer Elliott Power. The brooding track builds over a complex autonomy of diverse and conflicting sounds. It manages to adorn the shifting rhythmic remnants of post-90′s trip-hop, while being absorbed by the melodious structure and layered harmonies of post-modern R&B. It’s celestial disposition, rumbling sub-bass frequencies and tribal influence endows ‘Sink/Swim’ in a great deal of chrisma and energy.

So, this happened.

The internet is a buzz with the surprise appearance of a ‘some type of’ Jai Paul release that made it’s way onto bandcamp early this morning. While there’s no official word on what exactly this is, there a few cryptic messages and tweets floating around that suggests that this obscure release (discovered and dissected by CiTR) is an official release i.e. was uploaded by or on behalf of the elusive Rayners Lane singer/producer.

None of the 16 tracks (including a cover of Jennifer Paige’s ‘Crush’ and a few tracks that you’ll already have heard floating around) are labelled and many sound unfinished or in demo form, but for fans who have been waiting for anything from this guy – this is a huge moment. ‘BTSTU’ (track 16) dropped back in ’07 and ‘Jasmine’ (track 9) was uploaded to soundcloud in 2012 – since then, we’ve all been in an unnerving state of limbo. We even tried harassing some friends of ours who are close to the project – their answer: “when Jai Paul decides to release something, he’ll release something, but until then we’ll be waiting just like you”… So this type of ‘random’ release fits his MO and at this stage no one is claiming it to be a fake or an illegal upload – including his record company XL Recordings.

I suggest you listen and buy whatever this is (we’ll call it the Holy Grail tape for now) before it disappears forever and digest what looks to be an album/mixtape that for many of us has been over six years in the making.

Update: Jai Paul has released a statement on twitter stating that the untitled project that hit the web yesterday was an unauthorised leak and not an official release. Taking to his until-now-dorment twitter account the reclusive singer said “To confirm: demos on bandcamp were not uploaded by me, this is not my debut album. Please don’t buy”. The 16 track upload has since been pulled from to bandcamp and customers who purchased the release have begun receiving refunds.

… A sceptic might say this all a feels a bit suspect, but hey – who really knows. Lets just hope this guy releases something soon.

Ahead of the release of his new album Anything in Return (January 29th), Toro Y Moi graces us with a new and completely fantastic 4-part single titled ‘Lyin’. If anyone needed proof of this young mans versatility or aptitude they should really listen to this a few times. The songs multiple parts cascade using varying styles which not only show off  Chazwick Bundick’s many contrasting influences but also his talent for interpreting them in a very stylised way. 

Off the hotly anticipated Black Radio Recovered EP dropping this week comes an absolute gem featuring Solange Knowles. Covering one of my favourite Little Dragon tracks, thumping percussion (do you hear the Crooklyn Dodgers-esque bells!) coupled with the pure-silk vocals courtesy of Knowles over the Glasper chops. Apparently recorded as part of the original Black Radio sessions, this refix by everyones favourite drummer and producer extraordinaire beefs it up on a whole new level. Others who feature on the new album include the likes of Pete Rock, Phonte and Black Milk. Real Hip Hop in the building. Make sure you catch Glasper as part of the London Jazz Festival with featured guest MF Doom. Expect a musical journey of epic genre crossing proportions.

Kidsuke is a collaboration between Kid Kanevil and Daisuke Tanabe and with the upcoming long-player release over a month away (2nd November on Project Mooncircle), the fine people over at Brownswood have released a full album track as part of their current electr*c 3 compilation to wet our beaks a little. If this track is anything to go by I can’t wait for the album. Dance floor dynamite, video game mind expanding eskimo dance-esque riddims. Listen, enjoy and support.