Music by Bergman: Shiny Joe Ryan

A mane of curly locks, a hilarious sense of humour, a lilting Irish brogue, Shiny Joe Ryan is a bit of an enigma.

His musical offerings are as unique as he is – a mix of genres encompassing country, pop and rock, all mangled and mashed into something new, strange and tender. The result, after incubating inside the eccentric mass of hair and ideas that is the noggin of Joe, is The Cosmic Microwave Background.

Now, The POND multi-instrumentalist’s new album, Shiny’s Democracy, will be his first in seven years when it arrives on July 23rd. He presents the whimsical new single ‘Ketamine’ alongside the droll visual accompaniment.

Music by Bergman: NiNE8

NiNE8 are music industry misfits. Since banding together nearly six years ago, the London-based collective, comprised of eight uber-talented late teens and twenty-somethings, has been perfecting its DIY sound.

With a series of alt hip-hop releases and sleek production in their arsenal, NiNE8 have gone from music college pals who liked to jam, to international names found jetting to studios in Los Angeles and winning adoration from the likes of Clairo and pop queen Billie Eilish.

NiNE8 was co-founded by rapper and visual artist Lava La Rue in 2014.  La Rue met Biig Piig in music class in college when they were both just 16. Piig is known for her soft vocals, switching between English and Spanish at lightning speed. Also in that music class: Lloyd, aka Mac Wetha, a beatmaker and producer who has worked on solo tracks for Piig.

19-year-old MC and vocalist Nayana IZ first saw La Rue perform at a Grenfell fundraiser, before introducing herself. Then we have rappers, LorenzoRSV, known for his grittier style; Bone Slim, the masked storyteller; Nige, aka DJ Sukha, and model, MC and producer L!BAAN.

Music by Bergman: Dayglow

Sloan Struble, also known as Dayglow, is a self-made artist who is just having fun with his talents. With catchy tracks like “Can I Call You Tonight” and “Hot Rod,” the Texas student has amassed over five million Spotify plays and counting. While his sound draws comparison to that of other rising indie pop acts like Boy Pablo, Wallows, HUNNY, and Coin , Dayglow has managed to distinguish himself clearly in an already crowded genre.

Dayglow releases his brilliant second album ‘Harmony House’ via Very Nice Records/AWAL. 21-year-old Sloan Struble has also shared the video for his new single.

Music by Bergman: Sirens Of Lesbos

Sirens Of Lesbos is the new wave of Worldbeat,
shifting the genre from folkloristic cliché and cheap
exoticism to urban nonchalance.

Difficult to box and even more difficult not to love, Sirens of Lesbos all met through the city of Bern’s vibrant musical scene. A collection of instrumentalists, music producers and choir singers, their own unique musical backgrounds contribute to their distinctly modern, yet retro sound.

 In the case of SOL, the long-awaited debut from Sirens of Lesbos, the listener is served a delectable smorgasbord of intoxicating instrumentation with notes of reggae, R&B, funk and pop. Here, flavours are steadily developed, culminating in a well-tempered sonic palette which leaves a lasting impression. 

Music by Bergman: Tigercub

Brighton alt-noise- pop trio Tigercub have had an incredible couple of years, fulfilling the frighteningly intense potential that so many have seen in them since they first started gigging across Brighton back in 2012.

Their confident debut album ‘Abstract Figures In The Dark’ is jagged and harsh. It is a pill that isn’t easily swallowed, nor digested; it is emotionally overwhelming and entirely self-aware. It doesn’t fit neatly into a box on the shelf marked “punk” or “grunge”.

They have recently made their highly anticipated return, announcing the release of their second album, As Blue As Indigo, which is set for release June 18th via Blame Recordings. They have also shared the second single from the album, Stop Beating On My Heart (Like A Bass Drum). Listen below.

Music by Bergman: Liars

Liars is an Experimental Electro/Rock band formed in 2000. Australian-born Angus Andrew is the founding and only constant member. Liars have always been a band that keeps fans guessing. Creating an aesthetic sound of punk meets electronica, their music has never been short of mesmerizing. Now with a new album The Apple Drop announced for an August release, they’ve shared the lead single “Sekwar” and a new video that adds a dark visual to pair with the music.

Music by Bergman: Vilde

Vilde is the wandering project of Thomas Savage, which in it’s 5 years in existence has been based in Stockholm, Norwich, Düsseldorf and Melbourne. Four LP’s reflect this windy journey, each in which Thomas explores new tangents & moods.

Hazel is among a collection of songs set to constitute a fifth record in 2021. It was written in Stockholm and later produced & engineered by David Pye in Norwich, UK. Long time Vilde collaborator, Jesper Hättander, contributed drums recorded from afar in Stockholm.