2021 was a strong year for Welsh music, with artists more ready than ever to experiment and collaborate. What will 2022 bring and who should be on your radar? In Klust’s first publication, we present to you 22 artists with big ideas.
Thallo — Recordiau Côsh
Taking her name from the ancient Greek goddess of flowers and spring, the warm, soothing sounds of Thallo are easily worshiped. Along with her six-piece band, London-based singer-songwriter Elin Edwards fuses jazz, folk and electronica to create intimate, alluring melodies. With new singles on the horizon, 2022 will be a big year for one of Cosh’s most exciting names.
Lemfreck – Nocotown
Welsh grime is set for new heights and Lemfreck is leading the way. Drawing comparisons with Skepta and Slowthai, Lemfreck not only possesses a profound urban sound but a powerful message to match. Pushing his artistic vision far beyond his native Newport, make sure that Wales’ trailblazing rapper is on your radar.
Greta Isaac – MADE Records
Following her vibrant debut EP, ‘PESSIMIST’, Greta Isaac is back with bigger hooks and even bigger choruses. Now affiliated with MADE Records, a Norwegian management company who exclusively “focus on artists with a vision”, Greta’s euphoric blend of charisma and character will be stretched further than before. Her first big release of 2022 ‘NUH UH’ is out everywhere on January 14.
Skylrk. – Trac 42
Skylrk, the musical pseudonym of artist and director Hedydd Ioan, is set to take a shift in gears. First-single ‘dall.’ points towards an innovative creative who holds a strong, visual identity. Winner of last year’s ‘Brwydr y Bandiau’ (Eisteddfod & Maes B’s Battle of the Bands), Skylrk is here to shake-up the Welsh language hip-hop scene.
Artshawty – Forte Project
Singer-songwriter Iqra Malik, otherwise known as Artshawty, takes inspiration from lo-fi pop queens Clairo and Girl in Red as she creates hypnotic electro-beats from her bedroom in Cardiff. One of 10 artists to be supported by the Forte Project this year, Artshawty has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Eädyth, Hana Lili and CHROMA – some of Forte’s previous successes.
Shtëpi
Based in Guilford and fronted by Cpt. Smith’s Ioan Hazell, Shtëpi are not for the faint-hearted. Their latest EP ‘Yacht Rock’ is twelve minutes of organized chaos in the form of deep basslines and electro-punk riffs. Promising a string of new singles, DIY three piece Shtëpi are definitely a name to follow. For fans of Working Men’s Club + Shame.
Magi. – Ski Whiff
Despite only having three singles to her name, Magi’s woozy productions are instantly recognizable. Going for a hazy vibe, Magi’s mellow mixes are a must for your lazy Sunday mornings. Can we expect more glitchy beats to come out of Ski Whiff’s HQ in 2022?
Endaf – High Grade Grooves
2021 was a strong year for Welsh music, with artists stretching their pool of collaborations more than ever. One of those frontrunners was Caernarfon-based DJ, Endaf. From dance tracks to rap remixes, he does it all. One of Endaf’s major strengths is that he gives other up-and-coming Welsh artists a platform for their music. Klust cannot wait to see what’s next for one of Wales’ most underrated producers.
Deyah
Since winning the Welsh Music Prize in 2020 with her critically acclaimed self-produced, self-released LP ‘Care City’, Deyah has gone from strength to strength. Storytelling comes naturally to the Cardiff-born neo-soul hip-hop rapper as she evokes a sense of reflection in her resonating, cathartically delivered spoken-word. Currently working alongside Ten Billion Dreams (producer of Ghetts’ Mercury-nominated album ‘Conflict Of Interest’), Deyah’s next move could be BIG.
Tacsidermi
Libertino’s dazzling double-act features Gwenllian Anthony of Adwaith and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Kilgariff. In their second single ‘Ble Pierre’, we saw Tacsidermi set their unique blueprint of melodic psych-pop with super-tight structures. Can we expect an EP this year?
Check out our full #Klust2022 list here.