Playlist: Twenty Twenty Two

Welcome to the year 2022. We are already nearly a month into the Year of the Tiger, the great year for a Gemini, maybe the beginning of the end for Covid-19 around the world and, it just might be, all 'decidedly purple' in colour.

We know how hard it has been for musicians around the world because of Covid but, despite this, so many musicians have carried on making music wherever and whenever they could. We have been delighted to see so many musicians in the studio for Selector Radio over the past months, celebrating its 20 year birthday last year, and hearing so many more dedicated to making music around the UK.

Looking ahead into 2022, we’ve put together this playlist enjoying new music from the likes of FKA Twigs, Rosie Lowe and Paraorchestra, celebrating up-coming releases and live events that are so great to see in the diary already.

Find out who chose what and why for our 2022 playlist below.

Warning: some tracks contain explicit lyrics.

Bonobo and Jordan Rakei – Shadows

Bonobo has always provided solid tunes for collaborations with great vocalists and this track with Jordan Rakei is a beauty. It's a lead track from his just released new album.

Find Bonobo on Bandcamp

Find Jordan Rakei on Bandcamp

– Joel Mills

Mandy, Indiana – Bottle Episode

The UK only managed half a festival season last summer, so I was really pleased when the inaugural Wide Awake Festival finally blessed a sunny Brockwell Park in South London, more than a year later than originally planned. I love the first few hours at a festival, wandering around exploring the site and stumbling across new bands. There was one clear winner for me at Wide Awake and they’re called Mandy, Indiana. Their explosive live show is a must see. In the meantime have a listen to ‘Bottle Episode’ from their 2021 EP ‘…’

Find Mandy, Indiana on Bandcamp

– Tom Sweet

Secret Night Gang – Journey

I want to pick a track from the Selector New Wave 2022 episode because this one particularly caught my ear as something that sounds very different but I can also hear the familiarity of Brownswood Recordings and their other signing, Kokoroko.

Find Secret Night Gang on Bandcamp

– Katie Weatherall

Self Esteem – I Do This All the Time

After reading the brilliant reviews for Self Esteem, the moniker for Sheffield artist Rebecca Lucy Taylor, I had to grab myself a ticket to see her in March. There’s no high like seeing a great live show, so I am excited to envelop myself in an anthemic pop chorus of three and soak in the energy.

– Joel Mills

Yard Act – Payday

Releasing their first single just before the start of the first lockdown in 2020, this Leeds 4-piece give a biting social commentary on the state of the UK, with hints of The Fall’s legendary Mark E. Smith. 2022 sees the release of their debut album ‘The Overload’ and if their performance for the Selector 20^th anniversary is anything to go by, I think it'll be a busy year for them. Have a listen to ‘Payday’ to get a flavour and then watch the fabulous Yard Act performance for Selector at 20.

Find Yard Act on Bandcamp

– Tom Sweet

Alfa Mist – First Light

For me, we are so lucky to have so many fabulous jazz performers in the UK at the moment but what makes some players better than others (to me anyway) is their ability to not only improvise but also write music that makes you sit down and really listen. Alfa’s music is compelling here and the pianist is definitely one to watch again this year.

Find Alfa Mist on Bandcamp

– Stephen Bloomfield

FKA Twigs – which way

FKA Twigs – honda

FKA Twigs has a new album and it sizzles and fizzes already. She has an array of guests from Pa Salieu, Shygirl, to The Weeknd and more …

Find FKA Twigs on Bandcamp

– Joel Mills

The Vernon Spring – Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

I have special memories of a few live experiences seeing The Vernon Spring (Sam Beste) play in the basement of a small Dalston venue in London in early 2020 for his monthly residency. Since then, he has released a steady stream of great singles and EPs and hopefully there is more on the horizon for 2022. This is the third single he has released in his mesmerising response to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’.

Find The Vernon Spring on Bandcamp

– Grace Pitkin

Grove – Black

Describing their music as a mix of dancehall, punk, pop and jungle, Bristol’s Grove gave a memorably captivating and high-energy performance at London’s Roundhouse Rising festival in late 2021. This was an event programmed by their label Saffron Records, currently supported by the British Council to support women and non-binary music producers in Tunisia and Pakistan. Great to see Grove on the current BBC 6Music playlist for their track Skin2Skin and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ll bring in 2022. Read more about Grove for Crack Magazine and check out this track from the EP ‘Black + Queer’.

– Leah Zakss

Martha Skye Murphy – 86 km

Martha’s had a busy few months. Last year she featured on ‘Navigator’, the first single from Squid’s debut album, and January saw the release of latest ethereal EP ‘Distance On Ground’ which is a joint project with composer and double bass player Maxwell Sterling. Next month she’s premiering ‘Postcards Home’, an experimental opera as part of Southbank Centre’s ‘Purcell Sessions’. Listen to ’86 km’, from ‘Distance On Ground’.

Find Martha Skye Murphy on Bandcamp

– Tom Sweet

Cosey Fanni Tutti – Tutti

Cosey Fanni Tutti is an experimental music and composer perhaps best known for being part of Throbbing Gristle. She headlines Deliaphonic Festival in March and British Council Music are working with to present FAMLAB as part of Coventry City of Culture.

Find Throbbing Gristle on Bandcamp

– Joel Mills

Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra – The Unfolding

I enjoyed visiting Bristol in 2021 for Hannah Peel’s collaboration with Paraorchestra, alongside a premiere of new work by their very own Lloyd Coleman, and am excited about their spring 2022 album release on Realworld. Spot words by UK writer Robert Macfarlane in the opening track and check out the trailer here on YouTube.

Find Hannah Peel and Paraorchestra on Bandcamp

– Leah Zakss

Rosie Lowe, Duval Timothy – Gonna Be

A genius collab and a beautiful album by two great artists. I love everything Duval Timothy does. Put your headphones on and turn everything else off.

Find Duval Timothy on Bandcamp

Find Rosie Lowe on Bandcamp

– Grace Pitkin

Alex Hitchcock – Yeshaya

Sax player, Alex Hitchcock, brought out the album ‘dream team’ towards the end of 2021 featuring some of his favourite musicians. He said: ‘lockdown offered an opportunity, both to get the musicians together practically but also to respond positively (and with unity) to the difficult past year’. I love his approach and it’s great to see he has several live dates coming soon around England. If he’s nearby for you, do check him out!

Find Alex Hitchcock on Bandcamp

– Stephen Bloomfield

TANGRAM – Lunar New Year Premieres

It already feels like an annual event by Tangram – the collective exploring Chinese transnational identities, formed by UK-based musicians Reylon Yount and Alex Ho. 2022’s ‘New Year Premieres’ concert at LSO St Lukes, London, will feature a world premiere by percussionist and composer Beibei Wang, a performance from Reylon’s drag/dreamfolk alter-ego Mantawoman, and guest Emmy The Great – a former British Council/PRS Foundation Musician in Residence, China. Check out Mantawoman’s cover of Eurythmics’ Here Comes the Rain Again on yangqin.

Find Emmy the Great on Bandcamp

– Leah Zakss

More Music?

If you want more music choices from the team, check out our past playlists here: