Sound Scout: 'Cene Playlist #39 + Music Reviews
Featuring Tia Gordon, Motel Green, Harry Shotta, Ben Macklin, Jay Malakhi & Sandhouse
TIA GORDON
I’M NOT MAD /3:52
Fast-rising Westerham-based talent Tia Gordon releases her brand-new EP wait! I have something to say. x. Co-written alongside R&B darlings Pip Millett and Sophie Faith, the EP comes as a relatable breath of fresh air in the R&B scene.
Track I’m not mad showcases Tia’s impressive vocal abilities and soulful, distinctive tone.
Tia says: “I wrote this song leaning on experiences in my life where I felt really disrespected and put to the side. At the time that feeling felt really strong, I chose to lean on it even more and pull from the feeling and experiences as much as I could.
“Sophie Faith, who I wrote the song with, is so amazing – she just really understood the mindset I was in. She pushed me to new parts of myself. I’ve never sung the way I’ve sung with Sophie, she really got me, and writing together was an absolute dream!” Moving.
MOTEL GREEN
MELTDOWN / 3:30
Youth-led record label Wantsum Music? has released the debut single from musician Motel Green - Meltdown.
Meltdown “brilliantly weaves urgent themes of environmental catastrophe and mental health, creating a sound that’s as captivating as it is thought-provoking”.
Recorded at Ramsgate’s Big Jelly Studios with production by Mikey Collins, the pulsating artificial drum machine pairs with an intricately fingerpicked rhythm guitar to create a sonic adventure. Growing up in a musically diverse household, Margate-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Motel Green found his voice in indie, folk and jazz. Drawing inspiration from artists like Mac DeMarco, Alice Phoebe Lou, Her’s and Adrianne Lenker, they craft an imaginative soundscape. Captivating.
HARRY SHOTTA, MC SPYDA, P MONEY & RAG’N’BONE MAN
IMPOSTER / 4:00
With a heavyweight line-up that includes MC Spyda, P Money and Rag’n’Bone Man, Kent lyricist Harry Shotta has returned to his hip-hop roots with fast-paced, gritty track Imposter.
Each MC brings their signature style to the track, which was produced by Manchester’s Metrodome, with some amazing transitions and heavy beats, while Shotta’s recognisable, rapid flow works in beautiful juxtaposition to the soulful tones of Rag’n’Bone.
It is taken from the hugely respected Shotta’s upcoming album Odyssey, which will see him revisit his hip-hop foundations while also blending grime, jungle and DnB. It has been reported that there will be features from legends like Shabba D, Eksman and Fliptrix. Grit.
BEN MACKLIN ft. Ami Palmate
FANTA / 3:06
For someone who considers sipping on a Fanta to be an integral part of a holiday, Kent producer Ben Macklin has captured a beautiful mouthful of summer in his new track.
Ethereal synths, springy keys and beach-bar-inducing rolling beats provide a bed for the floating vocals of Ami Palmate. With elements of summertime legends like Spiller and Zero 7, Fanta has all the hallmarks of becoming a must-add track for the 2025 sunshine months. Relax.
JAY MALAKHI ft. Tia Lowe
SPACE / 3:00
@jaymalakhi
Maidstone artist Jay Malakhi has the ability to merge a smooth R&B feel with some hard-hitting lyrics in the track Space.
Taken from his EP The Great Escape, which is racking up serious plays since its full release in March, Space is a reflective track in which Jay touches on some of his struggles and challenges in the past, exploring his own isolation and need for space in which to think.
It features neo-soul artist Tia Lowe, almost acting as a voice of reason to Jay’s raps, answering negative thoughts with encouragement and positivity, making for a brilliant storytelling element on what is a really enlightening song. Jay says: “It’s the song that changed my life and really created a lot of opportunities for me.”
The EP is a must listen, with tracks like Money Trees and Therapy layering his hip-hop style with emotional and thought-provoking complexity.
SANDHOUSE
UNDEFEATED / 2:43
@_sandhouse
Caspar Holloway and Anna Sutherland are the duo behind Tonbridge indie rock outfit Sandhouse. New track Undefeated opens with a laid-back melody and floating vocals before descending into a chorus of fuzzy grunge guitar, thumping drums and crashing symbols.
A genre-defying track, Undefeated has shades of the chaos of Nirvana and the juxtaposition of a Radiohead song.
They say: “Undefeated explores the relentlessness of male aggression and how surrendering yourself to someone else’s needy, angry confusion can erode you into nothing.”
The track is from their debut EP Circus, which will be released in May.
