2013 was a year chock full of innovative, exciting music. Synthesizers blared, drum machines boomed, guitars wailed, and broken hearts were mended, sometimes not. Temperatures seemed to cool, as many artists slowed things down to a stark, seductive R&B pacing. It was a year of both reflective contemplation and in-the-moment elation. Just take a look at the albums Drake, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, or Kanye West released this year. They each explore the existential highs and lows of an uncertain present. While these pop titans had releases that captured the vibe of 2013, we also got a taste, an amuse-bouche may you will, from many exciting artists who have yet to blossom into pop stardom. These artists, like Kelela, ASTR, and Mas Ysa, are making music that is utterly fresh and forward-thinking, and are about to have a breakthrough year in 2014.
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Gesaffelstein
For all the flak thrown in the direction of the 2013 American dubstep boom, it may well have been the catalyst to push dance music solidly into the pop conversation. In 2014, we can expect a wider global acceptance of different kinds of dance music. If popular EDM a la Skrillex is a high-octane sugared-out energy drink, French techno producer Gesaffelstein is a triple-shot of black espresso served in a steel cast of a former Soviet dictator’s clenched fist. It’s unrelenting, invigorating music. Gesaffelstein is known to perform in immaculately tailored suits, DJing with stark command that is probably, most likely totally serious.
ASTR
As the disputed border between what’s pop and underground continues to blur, artists like ASTR are taking advantage of the times by pushing the eraser a little further. Their pedigree—singer Zoe as a former major label signee and producer Adam as a multi-instrumentalist crate-digger—confidently shines through in their lush, dynamic tracks. Just listen to their single, one of the year’s catchiest, “R U With Me,” for proof. It has the ecstatic bubblegum piano-drum combo of The-Dream’s best production with sultry vocals akin to Rihanna. If their impending 2014 release is anything like the handful of singles released so far, there’s no doubt this duo will be making a huge splash next year.
Tourist
House DJ and producer Tourist (birth name William Phillips) first came to our attention with his remix of Haim’s “The Wire.” The remix has a decidedly Caribbean feel, with a steel drum synth leading the song (as the best remixes do) in an entirely different direction. While some of his earlier work was sometimes a little slow for the more hyper dancers on the dance floor, his newer material has him moving towards my favorite kind of house music: There’s a sleek French feel, an Italo-Disco groove, and hypnotically textural synths. It’s deeply catchy, and above all (remember, this is dance music) it’s rhythmically exciting. Can’t wait to hear more of this guy’s tracks.
Kirin J Callinan
Australian singer-songwriter Kirin J Callinan is hard to pin down. His debut album, Embracism, features plenty of noise and dissonance—see the title track for proof—but also ’80s power-pop on “Victoria” and sincere country-tinged balladry on “Landslide.” His music focuses on the more primal, sometimes ugly side of human behavior. Callinan is a striking performer, often confronting audiences with challenging banter alongside his masterful guitar-playing. If anyone in 2014 is carrying the torch for the cathartically destructive cultural introspection of punk rock, it’s Callinan. It may be hard to watch, but it’s impossible to look away.
Mas Ysa
The debut single from Thomas Arsenault (a.k.a. Mas Ysa), “Why,” pumps ever-forward in scattered phases of emotive vocal catharsis and pounding 909 techno drums. His music reflects the disparate musical and cultural influences of his time spent living in Montreal, Sao Paulo, Brooklyn, and most recently, Woodstock, N.Y. As a recent signee to Downtown Records, Arsenault is poised to release his debut EP this spring. The artist has performed with avant-garde rockers Deerhunter and Wu-Tang beat genius RZA, so expect to hear a lot more from this multi-talented songwriter/producer in 2014.
Francis and the Lights
Even though he’s penned tunes for some of the world’s biggest stars (see: Beyoncé, Drake), the limelight has yet to land squarely on Francis Farewell Starlight. The sole credited member of Francis and the Lights (the lights refer to the lights on the stage, not his talented backing band), Starlight recently released the Like A Dream EP with London label Good Years continuing in the vein of his hyper-aware minimalist modern soul. Equally adept at shredding piano as he is dancing and dressing stylishly, Starlight asks on the titular track, “Like A Dream,” “I’m ready for the big time/ Is it ready for me?” We can wholeheartedly respond, “Yes,” and “Please.”
Empress Of
Don’t let her sweet, endearing vocals fool you, Lorely Rodriguez, also known as Empress Of, is seriously talented. Her unique brand of electronic pop utilizes complex Latin shuffles more than it ever does a simple four-on-the-floor rhythm, and her vocals, sang in both English and Spanish, rarely follow a basic traditional pattern. None of this is to say her music is difficult, because it’s still utterly catchy pop music, built for the modern day by an artist who understands the multifaceted nature of modern pop. After releasing her most recent single, “Realize You” with Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear’s Terrible Records, we’re anxiously awaiting much more music from this Brooklyn-based rising star.
FKA Twigs
London-based singer FKA Twigs’s smoky, sensual electronic music sits somewhere between the heart-broken R&B of Sade and the sultry trip-hop of Tricky. The videos released to tease her second EP were highly-stylized and highly-discussed works of filmmaking that left the viewer with more questions than answers. Twig’s simply titled EP 2, released with Young Turks this year, helped give us a window into this elusive artist’s world. It’s filled with longing and fragile vocals, enshrouded by wildly clever, dark and brooding production from Arca, who earlier this year helped Kanye produce Yeezus. If her full-length is anywhere as powerfully cohesive as the EP, there’s no doubt Twigs will be big in 2014.
Kelela
Kelela’s debut mixtape turned plenty of heads this fall. Produced by her LA-based Fade To Mind label cohorts, the mixtape is a surprisingly cohesive, forwarding-thinking blend of delectably syrupy R&B vocals and progressive production. Picture clean, dexterous vocals reminiscent of Yukimi of Little Dragon layered over production that sounds like Portishead got lost in the 2024 Houston hip-hop scene and you’ll start to get the picture. And with the amount of success she’s had off a lone release, you can only wonder what Kelela will bring to the table next.
Sampha
Sampha Sisay has been flirting with his big break for the majority of 2013. After being one of the few featured artists on Drake’s album, Nothing Was The Same, and releasing the Dual EP centered largely around piano flourishes and densely rich vocal melodies, Sampha is more than ever ready to enter the limelight. Not only is Sampha a highly skilled vocalist, but he also shreds the piano and has contributed production work to various artists’ projects. One thing’s for sure, Sampha is an artist you’re going to hear a lot about in 2014.
