Half Year Review: 2014 Edition #30-21

What came out of nowhere was a proper yet mysterious debut by UK's Huntar with "Expectations". Months later he gave us a second dose that knocked us on our backs and had us crawling back for more with "Naked Noises". His tracks are nicotine laced with their electronics glistening over pounding beats. Not only are we dying for a full EP from Huntar but we want to know who is behind this indescribably addictive project. For now the mystery continues...

By far our favorite discovery this year was Claudia Kane. There's a whole lot of spunk to this girl with her voice reminding us of early Kimbra mixing into a full on whirlwind of electronic beats and exuberant synths. She's been on a slow climb to reaching big name status as she wowed us with "Darling Is Not My Name" and continues to bust out more stellar tracks in her works. Big things are on the horizon for this UK girl!

Back in January we got dropped back into a vintage laced landscape with Prelow's debut track "For The Team" that had us reminiscing about the rebellious days of high school. They then went on to give us their doses of fuzzy synths with "Simple Song" and that's when we knew that Prelow wasn't playing around. They create tracks that are perfect for those late nights of laying around your apartment with friends and sharing a laugh or two that carry into the early hours of the morning. Prelow is definitely that band we are expecting to see a breakout from within the year. 

If you're into Miike Snow as much as we are you're going to love David Harks. This Brighton guy is causing quite some noise with his past two releases "We" and "Illusion". Both tracks craft a distant sound that lets David's flawless vocals come front and center sending you into a full on state of awestruck. You'll be looking up to the stars as you listen to David Harks getting lost in the vastness that is all around you.

We've been following Mapei ever since she first released her debut single "Don't Wait" back last fall and ever since we've been watching as she instantly made the music industry drool over her months later. Mapei then pour a little gasoline onto the fire with "Change" and literally the world knew about this "it" girl. She's roaring up the ranks with Seinabo Sey and Ryn Weaver becoming a household name in pop. Mapei aimed for the sun and landed among the stars and she's glowing brighter than ever. 

Jack Garratt brought his game when he made his debut earlier this year with his debut "I Couldn't Want You Anyway", which has since disappeared from the internet (Don't worry! We've been assured it will be back up soon enough). We knew something was magical in his voice after his debut and continued to wait until he released his second single "Water" that hard our hearts numbing to his soulful sound that mixed with a intense wubbing bass. All eyes are on him as he prepares for the release of his debut EP this month that's surely not going to disappoint.

Layla has been around for well over a year after releasing two EPs before she really picked up some steam with her latest Black Mud. The lead track off of this EP "Smokestacks" instantly received well reception from the masses lighting up the blogsphere with classic folk sound that sends you into the foggy English countryside. After this EP Layla is definitely spiraling into something bigger that ever imagined and we can't wait to see what lays ahead for this talented artist.

Sweden has been on fire this year. A long line of powerhouse acts have been making their way from the country and into the pop scene. Tove Styrke was one of those who came big and strong into the scene with her debut track "Even If I'm Loud It Doesn't Mean I'm Talking To You". Her sound has been compared to the likes of The Ting Tings with a full on Swedish angsty twist that makes everything 10x better. With just one single out, we expect her second single to literally send cosmic waves throughout the world making her another Swedish-gone-worldwide superstar!

Racing Glaciers raced onto the music scene with their exuberant single "New Country" that channeled all the right bits of indie rock and indie folk. This UK band has been making major strides in the UK music scene by hitting up some major festivals this year and setting themselves as one of the biggest acts to cross our paths in 2014 (so far). Their sound will sweep you away to lands far away as their lyrics paint beautiful pictures in your mind you'll never forget.

Ben Khan had all the right moves when he crossed our paths back last year with "Savage", a full experience of acidic electronics mixed with an unforgettable voice. After wowing us once, he instantly wowed us again with his debut EP 1992 that hits all the right spots. It's excellently produced and his voice just keeps getting better and better with every listen. You'll be lost in the database of Ben Khan with one listen and will likely never escape.