Catalonian-born vocalist/producer Uma is pleased to share her first new single of 2024, ‘Nothing Without You’, in collaboration with Slow Dance Recordings. Recorded in Uma’s home studio in the rural town of Catalunya, near Barcelona, ‘Nothing Without You’ pairs hypnotic R&B percussion with understated vocals: a beguiling introduction to a year in which we’ll hear plenty more form Uma. “’Nothing Without You’ is about going through the highs and lows of loving someone,” Uma says of the track. “Feeling happy by yourself but choosing them every time.” Having relocated to York from her Spanish village to study contemporary classical music, Uma – who is of Thai/British descent - parted ways with the genre in the pursuit of more “free” avenues through which to exercise her creativity. “If you’re gonna do something that’s creative and unpredictable and has no financial security, then you might as well enjoy it,” she reasoned. Eschewing traditional genre boundaries in favour of freedom has remained something of a theme throughout Uma’s output, with stripped-back Spanish folk, electronic beats and sweet, earworm melodies all leaving fingerprints upon the artist’s treasure chest of tracks. Also central to her ethos is collaboration. Uma’s Can Obert home studio (or ‘open house’, in English) has grown into a hub of creative activity since her mother purchased the then-dilapidated building decades ago. Artists including Puma Blue, Nilüfer Yanya and Rosie Lowe have spent time at Can Obert, with Uma contributing writing credits to the latter’s new album during her stay. Today, Can Obert is a haven where artists from all backgrounds can sleep, eat and, crucially, make music in the sleepy Catalan countryside.
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From forthcoming Midnight Snacks Vol. 2, Save it for the Rave explores the whole mixtapes theme of friendship. Specifically how the differences between two people can be the very things that draw them together, and how those differences can create a tension that causes friendships to grow and also fall apart.
Drawing inspiration from lovers across the centuries; from the love letters between Heloise and Abelard in medieval France to Bonnie and Clyde's romantic partnership in crime in 1930s America, the New Eves bring you something that feels both modern and ancient. The songs’ refrain, ‘Many are the stars I see, but in my eyes no star like thee’ can be found on a 17th golden ‘poesy’ ring that is housed in the British museum, once given as a love token. The line embodies the feeling of the song, of a love that is both fated and cosmic.
Now into its 8th edition, the release of the Slow Dance-curated compilation at the start of each year is usually an indicator of what's to come. Uncovering the best new lo-fi, experimental and alternative music from London and beyond, the compilation predicts new avenues, and key artists from various scenes and spaces outside the industry. Alumni of the compilation have gone on to sign and release with a plethora of labels from Ninja Tune, So Young, 4AD and Rough Trade. Its notably given the first outings to bands and solo projects from black midi to Black Country, New Road;, from Otta, Goat Girl and Martha Skye Murphy to Drug Store Romeos, Sorryand Folly Group. Receiving press praise from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music ("Compilation of the Month") The Quietus and Hard of Hearing, Cillian Murphy is also a fan. The actor spun The Guest's debut single (AKA Isaac Wood, BC,NR) on his BBC show back in October, as featured in Slow Dance '18 This year's edition represents the label's longest and most ambitious yet. Spanning 18 tracks, Slow Dance '23 returns to the ethos of bedroom recordings, whether that bedroom is on the stage, or cucooned in flats around the globe. Featured here come the lo-fi experiments from London live-circuit mainstays Cuckoo Spit, Plutoz Beach and Hank; baroque Gothic theatrics come from Velvetine and Jesus and The Zealots. There's intimate watery vocal productions from FLOCO and feeo, which take the compilation deeper into ambient electronics. LIPWORMS' acidic electro-punk drills the tempo towards the club, while Suzy Clue band-member HORNET’s shoegaze impresses with washed out urgency. Nukuluk founder Luke Kulunukis and GG Skips of Glows and Sorry also release new solo material on the compilation.
n.o. Art Ensemble is a recording and performance collective based in London. Their debut release, Death and Entrances, started as a lockdown project, after which they have organised a series of gigs performing their music. They hosted a 50th anniversary concert commemorating Tony Conrad’s legendary Outside the Dream Syndicate, as well as staging an experimental opera they wrote, boasting a 50-piece orchestra. Their newest record E V ER Y RU N G O N TH I S L AD D E R TO G OD, featuring Charlemagne Palestine (a close collaborator of Conrad), was recorded over the last year in different bedrooms and studios in London and Glasgow and is rooted in exploring the possibilities of drone-based music.
STEPS EP is set for release 14th November 2023 via Slow Dance. The EP co produced with Louis O Bryen - member of the London band Sorry, as his debut production role. Following her previous EP ‘Leak Your Own Blues’ and accompanying film & mixtape under the ‘Midnight Snacks’ monkier, Sarah steps out of the blue to face the wind. STEPS is the 23 year old Londoner’s third EP and features six new tracks that recollect her personal experiences of sexual trauma, albeit painted and portrayed with unexpected splashes of colour, character, and Sarah’s ability to own those experiences through her own strength and power. She explains further, “STEPS EP is about moving forward into the unknown. I never intended to create a project around sexual trauma, but making these songs at the time played a big role in helping me process a way of accepting and taking ownership over some things that have happened. I hope it brings a distinct vulnerability and perspective to the subject matter….Steps is ultimately about ‘making it through’ to define new versions of ourselves after such experiences. “I initially thought it was going to be a self-produced project but ended up taking about half of the songs to my friend Louis [O Bryen], who I feel very grateful for providing a space to elevate those songs in the way we did. My production and recording style for this EP was similar to my Midnight Snacks’ project of demos - made singing into my laptop microphone tucked up in bed. However, it felt necessary to have some of these songs, such as ‘Fucktoy’ ‘Sister You Said’ and ‘Red Hands’, production elevated in a way that could explore new sounds whilst also making these songs feel less discreet, in a “saying them with my chest” sort of way. I hope this project can make people feel seen in what they can relate to from it, or in a non-threatening way, gauge people to ask questions of themselves upon listening.” Musically, STEPS EP dips colour into the noirish, shadowy hues of her Leak Your Own Blues EP. It recalls, in part, the instinctive rawness of early Cat Power recordings, with a loose, lo-fi charm that portrays Sarah’s words with emphasis, feeling and meaning. An important, impressive release by a smart, tactile young songwriter.
Steps, the new single from the forthcoming EP of the same name, is about moving forward into the unknown. "I never intended to create a project around sexual trauma, but making these songs at the time played a big role in helping me process a way of accepting and taking ownership over some things that have happened. I hope it brings a distinct vulnerability and perspective to the subject matter….Steps is ultimately about ‘making it through’ to define new versions of ourselves after such experiences." STEPS EP is set for release 14th November 2023 via Slow Dance. The EP co produced with Louis O Bryen - member of the London band Sorry, as his debut production role. Following her previous EP ‘Leak Your Own Blues’ and accompanying film & mixtape under the ‘Midnight Snacks’ monkier, Sarah steps out of the blue to face the wind. STEPS is the 23 year old Londoner’s third EP and features six new tracks that recollect her personal experiences of sexual trauma, albeit painted and portrayed with unexpected splashes of colour, character, and Sarah’s ability to own those experiences through her own strength and power.
‘Missing June’, which is to be Jude’s only release of 2023, represents another left-turn for the mercurial songwriter. Built upon atmospheric synths and shoegazed-drenched guitar chords, the slow-burning track comes in a just over two minutes. Low Loudly (Drug Store Romeos’ singer Sarah Downie) joins on guest vocals. A very different version of ‘Missing June’ was going to be on Jude’s debut album, Signal, before it was omitted and re-written in January as a retrospective piece on the year that had just passed. “I want ‘Missing June’ to have different meanings for whoever is listening,” Jude says, when pressed for context on the track. “But, for me, I was writing as a means of finding meaning from things that happened to me last year.”
Uma is a boundary-pushing musician hailing from Catalonia, Spain, whose upbringing in an environment of creativity and open-mindedness has deeply influenced her captivating sound. With a diverse range of musical influences and a passion for collaboration, Uma's music is an intimate exploration of emotions, blending genres and creating a unique sonic experience that resonates with listeners worldwide. Raised in a household known as "The Open House," Uma was immersed in a world of artists and writers from an early age. Surrounded by individuals who encouraged self-expression and embraced the freedom of creative exploration, Uma's musical journey took shape. Drawing inspiration from her multicultural background and travels, Uma's music reflects her deep connection to different cultures and their rich musical traditions. Uma has garnered substantial recognition for her distinct sound, with over 7.5 million Spotify streams to date. Her music has received early support from prominent platforms and radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, 6 , Anthony Fantano The Line of Best Fit, and So Young. Uma's growing presence in the music industry attests to her unique artistic vision and her ability to captivate audiences with her emotive and genre-defying compositions.
Dreamed up in 2021 by Kate Mager (bass), Ella Russell (Drums, flute, vocals), Nina Winder-Lind (cello, guitar, vocals) Violet Farrer (violin, guitar, vocals) while lying together in bed, the quartet hosted their first jam sessions in a studio under a railway in the middle of car wash that stunk of hamsters and sweat. "Debuting haunting cut ‘Mother’ on this year’s esteemed Slow Dance Compilation, the previously unreleased ‘Original Sin’ unleashes an engrossing hybrid of rustic folk and 60s garage, with tender, soul-stirring group chants and lightning punk thrashes converging to tap into some uncanny, ineffable power, as the band explain:“The band is fighting a biblical battle between shame and pleasure, body and mind, good and evil. The lyrics are poetic and unapologetic. “Throw away my fading halo and start dancing” is the type of line that’s calling to be written on the bedroom wall of teenagers up and down the country. This is the song Eve would have written if she had an electric guitar.” With members who are themselves established painters, dancers, writers and photographers from across Brighton’s sprawling underground, the band pride themselves on a dedicated DIY aesthetic, designing all their own artwork, directing their own music videos and co-producing all their own material, alongside Lau Ro of Wax Machine. Defined by a powerful communal bond, each member contributes lyrics and themes during the writing process, often singing and speaking together to cultivate that compelling, unanimous force central to their live spectacle.
Sarah Meth
Steps
SD109
Platonica Erotica
Terror Peaks
SD056
Saint Jude
Bodies Of Water
SD047
Aga Ujma
Songs Of Innocence and Experience
SD054
Uma
The Moth & The Dove
SD049
DIVVAS
Challenger Deep
Bel・li
SD027
Fran Lobo
Brave EP
SD033
SD020
Glows
J.L. HOOKER LOVE PLEASURE FOREVER
SD018
GG Skips
GG1
SD014
James Martin
Our Giant Panda Is Not Pregnent
Cope
SD010
Martha Skye Murphy
Heroides
SD008
Hambling
Oh Babes/ Harsh Truthz
SD003
Nothing Without You
SD115
Save It For The Rave / Computer Love
The New Eves
Astrolabe
SD113
SD107
Missing June
SD106
Original Sin
SD105
Send Me Off
SD100
Filthy Rich
Muay Thai
Wake Up To The World - Ghost Print / Kill Mix
SD097
Tārā
Signal
SD80
Granada
SD086
Mela Femmina
Make Love
SD078
What You Don't Want Me To Be
Pull
Crocodile
No Angels
Chaser
SD079
Hello Chic
SD072
Feedback Song (feat. Low Loudly)
SD070
Blue
Heka & GG Skips
High Tide For The Wicked
SD065
Bestias
Wicked
Binti Red
Dexter
McCabe
Supermodel
In Tongues
Dressed Down
EXPORT
On Scene
Double Helix
Rat Rave
Teeth Machine
Drive By DK
Ebyan
Matar
MAY
LUCKY
Bara & Isa
Gate Song
Aright, All Tied
SD064
Maybe We'll Wake Up
SD060
Tropic / Hold Hold
SD058
Tropic
I Can't Be Your Everything
SD059
Marriage Of Convenience
SD055
↼ Oo°⌕⟜ ⇀ Blis
SD046
In The Ocean
SD051
Altitude
SD047-1
Sᐝo⼁❘ ︲⏐ ˌ ˈ ̩/ Showyou
SD045
Nebula
Molina
Brave (Glows Remix)
SD042
Bring Me The Mountain (feat. Lucy Lu)
SD039
Brave (Loraine James Remix)
SD037
Roscoe Roscoe
Brain Retrieve
SD035
SD036
Keep The Light Inside The House
SD028
EASY
SD029
Astronaut/ Mockingbird
SD026
Head Is Spinning
SD019
Deaf Ears, Blind Years
SD017
Foam
MOTR002
PERLA
MOTR001
Good Dog, Bag Dog
SD015
Black Eye
SD013
I'm Not Looking
SD007
Pet Grotesque
Boy
SD006
Great Dad
1000 Speedboats / Humming
SD005
Slow Dance '23
SD111
V/A
Slow Dance '21
Slow Dance '20
SD050
Late Works
Slow Dance presents Late Works: Of Noise
SD040
Slow Dance '19
SD023
Slow Dance '18
SD011
Slow Dance '17
SD002
Slow Dance '16
SD001
About Us
Slow Dance is a London based music collective, label, radio and promotions company started in 2015.
Please send any demos to demo@slowdance.co.uk, please note we recieve a lot of emails so may take some time to get back to you.