New music guide The Neu Bulletin (Ross From Friends, BAUM, Castorp & more)

Producer Felix Clary Weatherall – better known under his moniker Ross From Friends – is the latest addition to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. He’s gearing up to release his new ‘Aphelion’ EP next month, which is set to be a melting pot of all his influences, from Eurobeat to Italo disco. On new track ‘John Cage’, he blends together hip-hop elements and smooth R&B with guitar-like twangs and more ambient tones, wrapping it all up together inside six minutes that’s both warm and glacial, experimental yet danceable. (Eugenie Johnson)

On last year’s single ‘Hot Water’, Los Angeles singer BAUM made an exceedingly strong impression, flitting between the fist-pumping pop of Robyn and the most tender, sombre moments of The 1975. New track ‘Ungodly’, the title track of a new EP, is polished, full of atmosphere, and simply huge. Sabrina Teitelbaum’s vocals pelt along at breakneck speed, barely keeping up with her own thoughts but providing a non-stop, intoxicating punch of feeling. (Will Richards)

At the end of last summer, South Coast quartet Sad Palace provided a perfect send-off to lazy summer evenings with ‘Frostbeat’. Returning with new cut ‘Honeycone’, the hazy, dream-like state seems to be out, while funky, insatiable guitar licks are firmly in. “I just wanna get you sleep deprived,” they sing, and ‘Honeycone’ is a return full of confidence and with the highest of ambitions. (Will Richards)

“Shit needs to be shaken up” says Alyse Lamb, guitarist and vocalist of Parlor Walls. Shake things up they do. Their latest track ‘Low Vulture’ is a behemoth of shuddering guitar riffs and punishing electronic bass pulses that serve as a crushing foundation for Alyse’s vocals, which transform from unbridled cries in the verses to controlled and menacing in the hook. As they gear up to release new EP ‘EXO’, ‘Low Vulture’ serves as a pretty brutal yet absorbing call to arms. (Eugenie Johnson)

Wales-via-South London songwriter Steffan Davies goes by the name of Castorp, and makes gorgeous, idyllic odd pop. The track fidgets along, with stabs of synths and stop-start percussion, but it’s all tied together by Davies’ gorgeous, distinctive vocals and a dream-like sense of calm. Like Unknown Mortal Orchestra if he emerged with an accent born deep in the Welsh valleys, ‘Cruel Sea’ is a fresh, brilliant twist on an established recipe. (Will Richards)

Baker Island’s new single ‘Always, 1995’ is apparently a celebration of the eating habits of golden retrievers. If that little titbit didn’t already reel you in, then the knowledge that you’re in for five minutes of joyous, slightly ramshackle yet altogether charming noise-inflected alt-rock most probably will. Featuring vocal contributions from Sophie Evans of Glasgow shoegazers Life Model, ‘Always, 1995’ is an explosion of joyous guitar riffs, powerful percussion and cascading, soaring hooks. (Eugenie Johnson)

Pip Hall - a Preston native with a penchant for dark but invigorating down-tempo pop bangers - is releasing her debut LP this summer. Its latest preview, ‘Fire’, rattles along with ease, and is punctuated with vocal turns that recall a certain three Haim sisters. Sitting in a middle-ground between pop sweetness and something closer to driving, punchy pop-rock, it’s a track that’s initially a little perplexing, but ultimately fills a gap perfectly, even if it’s one we didn’t know needed to be filled. (Will Richards)

Tags: Ross From Friends, Listen, Features, Neu, Neu Bulletin