These Fresh Faves were picked by our readers over the weekend – and reviewed by Fresh On The Net’s John Michie this week. You can hear all these tracks in a single Soundcloud playlist here.

A word from Del: Hey everyone, welcome to another week of faves, thankyou very much to everyone who voted over the weekend, as well as artists who sent us tracks! You may notice that I’ve made a slight tweak to the layout of the faves, now you can find the artists listed below on streaming services if they are there. Please show them your support on those services as well.

As always, if you want to be considered for my Islington Radio show send me an audio file and a bio to my email.

Over to you John!

AFRODREAM – Afrotrip

Turin’s Afrodream sweep us completely off our feet with the grooving Afrotrip. The composition is a heady blend of afrobeat rhythms and warm melodies that feel both cinematic, in a Lalo Schifrin sense, and deeply alive.

Formed in 2018, the band carve out a unique sonic space where wraparound textures meet enticing percussive grooves. In this banger every element feels expressive. Electric guitar lines tumble and dance in vivid, technicolour solos, saxophone breaks free with jazzy abandon, horns pulse and the vocals move effortlessly with the rhythm. It simply compels you to move!

Official |Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

BALLOON TWISTER – Surrender

Balloon Twister’s Surrender is the sound you imagine if you step into a neon-lit fairground just as the sun dips below the horizon. The textures are synthetic, surreal, and strangely seductive. Built around a steady electronic house music beat that commands you to bop your head, the track pulses with a mechanical precision.

Over the top an array of airy synths creates an open, trancelike vibe that’s sublimely hypnotic. There’s also a cool detachment in the female vocal. Half-spoken, wistfully processed with synthy effects, and floating just above the surface like a message from a distant future.

Instagram

JODIE LANGFORD – I See Only Red

Jodie Langford’s I See Only Red is one of those songs that simply grabs you by the collar and throws you straight into the chaos. In what I can only describe as a high-octane blast of electro party punk the music pulses with frenetic energy. Whether it’s the rapid-fire beats, sluggish, dirty bass or gated synths that refuse to let up, you are in for a treat!

Langford, a staple of Hull’s scene and a certified festival “Firestarter,” delivers the lyrics with an unfiltered charisma. It’s in-your-face, unapologetic, and built for sweat-soaked nights where the only rule is to keep moving. Put simply… If you get it, you’re in… If not, step aside.

Official | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube | Bandcamp

MADDIE ASHMAN – Toffee

From London, Maddie Ashman’s Toffee is a dizzying, genre-blurring eddy of sonic playfulness that will perk the ears up of anyone who loves psych-tinged tracks. It is one of those compositions where you feel you are in a woozy kaleidoscope where intimacy and chaos walk hand in hand.

Ashman stitches together something really special with this track in what I would describe as Smiley Smile-era Beach Boys, with a splash of early Tame Impala, mixed with the cinematic crunch of Jack White. Throughout the vocal is soft and close like a secret. It floats effortlessly through the madness with an eerie calm. Toffee is a song that feels like it’s melting in your hands… sugary, strange, and completely seductive.

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Bandcamp

NADIA SHEIKH – Memories

British-Spanish artist Nadia Sheikh has built an impressive CV with slots at Glastonbury, Kendal Calling, Y Not Festival, and airplay across the BBC from 6 Music to Introducing… Returning with the indie rock track Memories it’s clear why!

The composition is reflective, widescreen and elegantly polished… ebbing and flowing with contemplative confidence. Immersing us in dreamy, arpeggiated keys during the shimmering, quieter moments… before breaking way to swelling, emotionally charged choruses. Sheikh’s vocal is effortlessly clear and expressive in a performance that is confidently nailed. It strikes that rare balance between heartfelt intensity and mainstream charm. Memories is the sound of an artist stepping further into the spotlight one big chorus at a time.

Official | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube

NOVELTY ISLAND – Foam Animals

Novelty Island, from Liverpool, have appeared at Glastonbury, toured extensively and already won over tastemakers at Mojo, Shindig!, BBC 6 Music, Absolute Radio and… me of course who has been a fan for a number of years! Foam Animals is their latest magnificent release. The track shuffles along with a laid-back, mid-tempo, playful, offbeat charm that brings to mind Blur but also Beck. For me it is the perfect track to press play on whilst hitting the road or just relaxing to on a warm summer’s eve.

Throughout, acoustic guitars rise and fall with a woozy, sliding motion, which for some reason makes me want to draw comparisons to Soak Up the Sun by Sheryl Crow. Underneath, the bassline bounces with a melodic flair that could have been pulled straight out of the Beatles playbook, whilst the vocal oozes a worn in, sun drenched vibe that’s hard to resist!

Official | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Bandcamp

PET TWIN – I Want To Win

Pet Twin plunge us in a meditative, quietly captivating moment with I Want To Win. This is a slow-burning, reflective gem that flows with understated confidence. The music moves at ease with a measured pulse thanks to the sturdy drumbeat that calmly anchors the dreamscape above.

Electric bell toned piano drifts in and out like flickering, evening sunlight, while mellotron lends a soft, string-like, Jay Darlington-esque repeating motif. All the while subtle, jangly electric guitar curls delicately around the edges. At the centre, the weightless mood is cemented by the intimate, tender vocal performance of Pet Twin. This track is one not to miss!

Linktree | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

SINEAD CAMPBELL – Stand

Jamaican-Irish singer Sinead Campbell soulfully glides into focus with the track Stand. The track is a laid-back yet emotionally rich number about resilience and staying true to what you love and believe.

There’s a pleasant vintage-tinged polish to the production which reminds me of some of the bangers that hit the charts in the 1990s… think smooth, steady grooves with a subtle R&B shimmer. Campbell’s vocals that are surrounded by lush harmonies are simply the star of the show. With a warm, expressive, soul-stirring presence you can’t help but get lost in. Stand is as catchy as it is stirring!

Linktree | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube

SOFT CENTRE – Mazes

Jodie Nicholson, aka SOFT CENTRE, immerses us into introspective electronica with Mazes. The track balances ethereal moods with steady, hypnotic beats much in the same way as You’re Not Alone by Olive or when The Chemical Brothers decide to shift everything down a gear.

The track is rich in dreamy and hypnotic textures whether it is the airy pads, weaving, arpeggiating synths or staccato piano grooves. Glued with generous layers of reverb and awash with transportive vocals, Mazes has a late-night club vibe that feels both nostalgic and tastefully fresh.

Official | Instagram | Twitter/X

SONOPHORIA – IO

Welsh electronic producer Sonophoria is quietly building a reputation as one of the UK’s most intriguing underground names… and has certainly made an impression at FOTN being featured fifteen times on Eclectic Picks, five on the Listening Post, and once already on Fresh Faves. This time Sonophoria makes a vivid impression with the instrumental IO. Musically, this can only be described as a voyage.

With a mid-tempo, cinematic charm, the track pulses with melodic intent and a subtle sense of drama. Synths glimmer, glide and rhythmically pulse, progressively pulling you into a tantalising hypnotic groove. It is almost as if you are being swept into the heart of some otherworldly carnival where the pageantry is at its most animated… especially when you add in the steady percussive beat. Immersive, smartly detailed, and richly imaginative. IO is electronic music for dreamers with their eyes wide open.

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter/X | YouTube

PS from Del: If you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t been picked for the Listening Post, our team has definitely listened to it and there’s no need to send it again: feel free to send us an even stronger track another week. The same goes if you were picked for the Listening Post but didn’t feature in our Fresh Faves.

But if we’ve recently featured you in our Fresh Faves – please wait three months before sending us another track, so we have space to help other deserving artists… For more info see Robinson Has A Good Old Moan.