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Not long after he announced that he was leaving Vampire Weekend, Rostam Batmanglij is now going by his first name only as he launches a solo career. A new song, Gravity Don’t Pull Me, is darker and less frantic than much of the work by his big-selling old band. Its video is on YouTube now.
New London soul singer Espa had Giggs on her last single, and another rapper, Bonkaz, joins her on her latest. The slow-moving electronica of 141 is on her Soundcloud page now.
French dance duo Cassius rose as contemporaries of Daft Punk but haven’t released an album in a decade. Now they’re back with a star-studded new song. Action, with shared vocals by Cat Power and Beastie Boy Mike D, is an irresistable groove on their Soundcloud page.
Anohni will be more familiar as the remarkable voice of Antony and the Johnsons. In her new project she’s making political electronica in collaboration with experimental producers such as Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never. Her latest song, Drone Bomb Me, is a stunning work, drowning in emotion, with a video starring Naomi Campbell that’s on Apple Music now.
New Zealand singer Ladyhawke makes a welcome return this summer with a third album, Wild Things, coming in June. The first song, the head-nodding electropop of Sweet Fascination, is on YouTube now.