Future Bubblers announce Year 6 candidates

15 April 2021 - Press release

9 new, unsigned artists chosen for Gilles Peterson-backed talent development scheme 

The Future Bubblers team are pleased to announce 9 new artists selected for Year 6 of their talent discovery and artist development scheme. An expansion of the Gilles Peterson and Brownswood Music network, the team have been continuously supported by Arts Council England to develop unsigned talent and build audiences for left-field music. 

Each year the final Bubblers are selected from a countrywide open call for aspiring musicians via a no-frills, no barriers application process. The Future Bubblers ethos is firmly cemented in the underground and alternative music scene with all those selected marrying up to this. Bubblers are paired with an industry mentor who is handpicked to suit the individual needs of the new musicians and from there, the fun begins. Each Bubbler receives a number of opportunities that are designed to set them up professionally. Offering; one-to-one production workshops from music software company, Ableton, performances at live Future Bubblers showcases (COVID depending), recording live sessions from the iconic Brownswood basement, professional press shots, PR and radio advice and beyond the year, long-term support throughout their career. 

Future Bubblers aim is to promote and encourage music across the country with a particular focus outside of London. Promoting and motivating artists in the lesser supported cities will ultimately aid in creating micro music cultures across the country hopefully creating the desired ripple effect. The previous 5 years focus cities have included; Salford, Nottingham, Hull, Sheffield, Southampton, Liverpool, and Wolverhampton. Due to the pandemic, Wolverhampton has remained the focus city for 2021 to ensure all those involved get to enjoy the full Future Bubblers experience.  

Below, you can read the full breakdown of the 9 Bubblers and the mentors they’ve been assigned. 

 

Victoria Jane 
London born, Manchester raised musician Victoria Jane belongs to the new wave of R&B talent to push the boundaries and pave the way for more to follow. Heavily influenced by Manchester’s musical DNA, Victoria has immersed herself in the scene since as long as she can remember. Inspired to connect with people through her music, her distinct style incorporates not only R&B but Trap, Hip-Hop and is constantly evolving. A musician by night, sales exec by day, Victoria also spends a lot of her time nurturing new talent on Unity Radio, where she thrives being part of artists' journey to success.  

Mentor - Gerard Cantwell
Gerard has worked in the music industry for nearly three decades - firstly as a DJ, then a club promoter, then a radio DJ, and then a label manager, before settling into artist management around 15 years ago. He now works as a Senior Artist Manager at Red Light Management. They're a team of 50 managers, supported by 250 staff in 8 offices across North America and the UK, with approximately 350 artists on their books. Gerard’s current roster includes Bonobo, Jordan Rakei and The Heavy.

Gerard loves the fact that he can sit at his desk listening to new music and discovering new artists, and that he gets to experience the world through his work.

 

Ceeow
Manchester-based, Birmingham raised wordsmith Ceeow is the perfect combination of Hip-Hop and Jazz. Finding inspiration in everything he does, a defining moment for Ceeow was hearing his music supported on-air and in stores throughout Manchester, London & Birmingham, giving him the confidence to keep on grafting to achieve what he’s set out for himself. Thriving off community, Ceeow has dedicated the past 5+ years to music but also to mental health support where he has worked closely with peoples recovery and wellbeing as well as working in a behavioural needs unit. Mental resilience is something he practices on a daily basis and holds contentment and happiness in the highest regard, especially when it comes to his music.

Mentor - Emily Kendrick 
Emily works as Director of Campaigns for much-loved independent music imprints XL Recordings and Young Turks Recordings. She has overseen campaigns for Thom Yorke, Arca, The xx, Låpsley, KAYTRANADA, Radiohead, Ibeyi and ADELE, amongst others. Her role encompasses development of strategy, marketing and promotions and co-ordinating the international teams across the full breadth of each artist’s campaign. Her portfolio includes experiential events for Radiohead, The xx, Thom Yorke, Jamie xx, Jack White and Everything Is Recorded.

With roots in the UK rave scene, XL Recordings has gone on to become a multi-faceted cultural trendsetter.

 

Nowsm
Nowsm (real name Alfie Holloway) sits within the vast Electronic musical landscape drawing influence from Ambient, Breakbeat, House, and Experimental music and has become renowned for weaving in interesting samples throughout his music. Growing up in Derbyshire, opportunities felt limited but Alfie sought out like-minded individuals who helped shape who he is today. Supported by NTS, BBC Introducing and now Future Bubblers, plans for his debut album are currently in the works. By day, Alfie pulls pints and works in audio editing to pay the bills but has also recently received a degree in Audio & Music Tech, with the aim to broaden his artistry skills for future projects.  

Mentor - Alex Patchwork 
Alex started out as a music journalist before transitioning into working for record labels such as Soul Jazz Records, Brownswood Recordings / Gilles Peterson Worldwide and he currently works at Ninja Tune and Brainfeeder as a project manager running campaigns. He also previously ran his own label / club night Earnest Endeavours for a few years, DJed a bit as Patchwork Pirates with two friends (that's where the "patchwork" tag comes from) and still enjoys messing about producing music, most notably as The Diabolical Liberties with Rob Gallagher.

 

Seigfried Komidashi
Afrofuturist, London born and of Yoruba descent, Seigfried Komidashi is anarcho-Blackness, experimentation and exploration.

Komidashi works with nature, sound, and space; immersing himself in a process of learning and unlearning, drawing inspiration from the beauty and chaos of the world around us.

A classically trained saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, his artform began to take shape when he saw musical notations come to life on and off the page, introducing him to the idea of playing with classical forms and transforming them into something otherworldly.  

Mentor - Dan Horitz 
Daniel Horitz is an A&R and project manager at London-based record label and music publisher Lex Records. Having joined the company in 2012, Daniel previously oversaw digital marketing, content management and design, before moving into A&R and project management. Lex Records releases music by artists like Danger Mouse, MF DOOM, Eyedress, Pink Siifu, Fly Anakin, MIKE, Kate Tempest, Golden Rules, Prefuse 73, Haleek Maul, Neon Neon, Boom Bip, BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah.

  

Tadi The Great
Zimbabwe-born, Tadi The Great moved to Norwich at the age of twelve. His distinct musical sound sits between present-day greatness and unrivalled nostalgia. The name Tadi The Great pays homage to the Shona tribe - which he is a part of - from Zimbabwe who built the great Zimbabwe ruins in the late Iron Age thus making him ‘Tadi The Great Zimbabwean’. Inspired by Norwich and it’s laid back vibe, the city gives him space to create without haste, allowing him to constantly broaden his horizons through his use of samples, analogue equipment, constantly driven by his undeniable passion to learn.  

Mentor - Alice Whittington
Alice Whittington runs daily operations as General Manager for the respected independent record label, Soundway Records. After running the first international electronic music festival in Cuba in 2016, she went on to work several years at Sounds of the Universe record store in Soho. Aside from a monthly show on Soho Radio, she has contributed mixes to The Vinyl Factory, Stamp The Wax, Phonica Records and more - alongside DJing regularly, including a live performance on Boiler Room, supporting KOKOKO! in 2019.  

Plumm
Plumm is a hybrid of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer hailing from South London with Welsh heritage. Graduating from the BRIT School and then a SOAS degree in Ethnomusicology specialising in North Indian Classical, Plumm constructs mood-driven soundscapes and gritty timbres. After being invited to play a live set at Maida Vale Studios with Moses Boyd for BBC 1Xtra, playing with Taylor McFerrin at Oslo in Hackney and championed by BBC Introducing London, Plumm is branching into genre-less territories and feminine power.  

Her records marry a theme of eclecticism in production and musical styles to drive through her powerful and soulful vocals. Dark and eerie, but also warm and rich, Plumm is an eccentric live performer and an active member in the London scene. Her performances evolve through her ever-rotating band, a one-woman vocal pedal show and part of larger collectives such ‘Levitation Orchestra’. Her headline show at The Jazz Cafe interpreting Massive Attacks’s Blue Lines album is due 2021 and exciting new material is coming very soon. Her recent single, ‘Pour in the Blue’ is out now on all streaming services. 

Mentor - Ali Raymond
Ali Raymond has worked in the music industry within various capacities - A&R, Journalist, Promoter, Art Director and Artist Manager - for over 12 years. In 2014 he launched Beatnik Creative - an artist management company and boutique record label. In 2020 he won MMF's 'Breakthrough Manager of the Year award. He is based in London and currently manages Arlo Parks, Miso Extra and Encore. 

 

Jericho Noguera
Jericho Noguera has steadily been making a name for himself as one of the most exciting upcoming artists in the West Midlands since his debut in 2018. Hailed for blending a signature Buckley-esk vocal with new-age inspired synths, and adding his own unique twist on classic soul, his first two EP’s ‘Black Lake’ and ‘Get it by the Feel’ have struck a chord with listeners both at home and at live shows across the UK. 

Jericho began life as a singer-songwriter based out of Bristol in early 2018. The release of his acoustic debut ‘Black Lake’ saw him compared to cult artists like Elliot Smith in some of the UK’s leading independent music mags, and his next release ‘Get it by the Feel’ drew more attention to Jericho’s ever-evolving and ambitious sound. 

In 2020 Jericho Noguera started work on his debut album ‘Siskin Dreams’, with the first few singles ’Your Sweetness’, ‘Separate’, and ‘For This’ showcasing an exciting new take on a blend of foundational genres. Notably, the new songs take giant leaps in self-production, whilst making use of an extended instrumental repertoire. The new album has gained attention and support from BBC introducing, and the full release is set for early 2021. 

Mentor - Charlie Millar
Charlie Millar is an artist manager at Au Contraire Music and Humxn Agency. For the previous 5 years he has worked across the careers of Lianne La Havas, Otzeki, Oscar Jerome & Ted Jasper and has toured extensively with his bands learning first hand how international careers are forged and networks grown.  

 

Shirkers
Coventry born and bred, Shirkers upbringing has nurtured and shaped her broad talent into something wildly innovative. Growing up in a household filled with Jazz, Acid Jazz, Afrobeat and Dub, she now makes music spanning across Hip-Hop, Jazz, Neo Soul, Electronic and more whilst not feeling the need to stick to one space. An active member in the Punk scene in the Midlands, she draws inspiration from this and has cultivated a passion for manipulating sounds and instruments through her music production and performances. 

Mentor - Marta Salongi
Marta Salogni is a Grammy-nominated engineer, producer and mixer working from her own studio, Studio Zona, in London. She began her career as a live sound engineer in her hometown Brescia (Italy) and moved to London in 2010. Marta established herself as a recording engineer in studios such as RAK, Dean Street and Strongroom and shortly after started engineering for David Wrench. She worked with David on various projects including The xx, Goldfrapp, Sampha, FKA Twigs, Glass Animals, Frank Ocean and David Byrne. In 2018, Marta won Breakthrough Engineer of the Year at the MPG Awards, in 2020 was awarded MPG Breakthrough Producer of the Year and is currently nominated for 2021 MPG UK Producer of the Year.  Since taking on her own production and mix work, some of the artists Marta has worked with include Björk, Sampha, M.I.A, Bon Iver,  Romy, Holly Herndon, Anna Meredith, Ela Minus, Dreamwife, Daniel Avery, Porridge Radio, Planningtorock, Lafawndah, Alex Cameron, Shura and the Orielles. Marta is also involved in the London music scene playing both composed and improvised live sets using tape machines, loops and feedback under her own name and more recently with the ensemble Melos Kalpa. 

Zenel
Cross-genre band Zenel is made up of London based trumpet and guitar player Laurence Wilkins, Portuguese native Zoe Pascal on drums. Their instrumentation includes two synth players and a plethora of electronic midi devices. Their sound is a poetic combination of Jazz improvisation crossed with the world of Electronic music. Their music is centred around sounds not normally heard in live band contexts, but rather the rich cultural heritage of the UK electronic music that inspires them. Their unusual and unique use of sounds has already gained attention, drawing vast interest from music lovers around the world with experimental ears and they hope to spread their sound even further throughout 2021. 

Mentor - Pete On the Corner 
Pete On The Corner plays and releases exceptional music that pushes boundaries. Linking local scenes globally his imprint On the Corner is renowned for its personal connection to Worldwide scenes and innovates at the edge of leftfield electronics, deep jazz and percussive house music. He traverses the eclectic underground laying down that good time feeling for the floor.

As a regular at European festivals, beach bars and in the clubs of East Africa the sounds of his travels influence his cosmopolitan residencies and his diverse label.