Gilles Peterson is known first and foremost for his unparalleled ability to seek out and support the finest new talent. How he does it? Nobody knows, but Peterson will forever be known as a genuine tastemaker. His latest finding, Brighton-based duo Anushka, only adds fuel to that reputation. Soul and R&B singers are becoming more and more popular right now so it can be easy to be dismissive about yet another act rising up, but there's so much more to Anushka than R&B or soul, describing their style as "vocal bass music from the future."
Vocalist Victoria Port, backed up Max Wheeler's production, has a firm yet fragile style that may just allow you to make room in your super exclusive record collection for cool people. In virtually no time at all, and just on the back of a scant few tracks, Anushka have already earned their stripes with names like Karizma, Brackles and Annie Mac all giving their seal of approval. Did we mention Gilles Peterson has pledged his support, too? Their latest offering, "Atom Bombs"—which has been dutifully remixed by NameBrandSound—stands as a pretty solid calling card, though the actual remix completely throws that out the window.
Vocal samples from the original are kept to a minimum, using brief snippets to fire back and forth with one another, creating a confusing dialogue between each layer which only adds to the dizzying effect of NameBrandSound's skittering footwork tom toms. If you're wondering how a remix like that is supposed to clue you in on how Anushka sounds, then you should also take note that they'll be embarking on a UK & European tour over the next couple of months in support of their debut album, Broken Circuit. The full list of dates can be seen after the stream.
UK/EU dates below. More info here.
Sat 27 Sep 2014 - The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge, UK
Tue 30 Sep 2014 - The Shacklewell Arms, London, UK
Thu 02 Oct 2014 - Audio, Brighton, UK
Sat 04 Oct 2014 – Start The Bus, Bristol, UK
Fri 17 Oct 2014 – Antwerp Mansion, Manchester, UK
Sun 19 Oct 2014 – The HiFi Club, Leeds, UK
Fri 24 Oct 2014 - La Superette Festival 2014, Neuchatel, Switzerland
Sat 01 Nov 2014 - Het Depot, Leuven, Belgium
Tue 11th Nov 2014 – Buffalo Bar, Cardiff
Nov 2014 – The Cellar, Oxford
