Neu Petite Noir

: Yannick Iluga
Based: Cape Town, South Africa
Listen: ‘Till We Ghosts’
Similar to: BLK JKS, Foals

Yannick Iluga possesses the kind of baritone vocal you dream of having if you were to be reincarnated as any songwriter. Make me a Matt Berninger, a Tunde Adebimpe, a Yannick Iluga, you might say. These vocals: they make every off-hand phrase a grand statement, a declaration of intent.

In Petite Noir’s genre skewing, head-turning ‘Till We Ghosts’, Iluga throws out words like “Tell my wife, ‘cause she doesn’t know, I’m never gonna be the same again.” Against such a colourful backdrop - tribal percussions, acoustic guitar patterns and spiky, Foals-like riffs, floaty synths - these words might not be the first thing you pick up on, but Iluga harbours this incredible ability to stop you in your tracks. This is about as grand and ambitious as a debut single gets, so take notice.