Offie Mag

Our long-serving editor, former mayor of Brighton and owner of a recovering anterior cruciate ligament, Matt 'Brickcellphone' Leppier, has typed out his favourite new independent music releases for you. We gave him 50 words or less.

Follow our Music of the Month playlist to hear all of these sounds in one cohesive order, and for crying out loud, buy some music, follow the artists, and tell a friend about them.

Turich Benjy - Stunna Son:

Cincinnati native and fashion designer-come-rapper Turich Benjy jives across this Tommy Guido beat flamboyantly. This one drops after the recent success of his Pink Siifu link-up, IT’S TOO QUIET..’!! and NBA 2K24 soundtrack inclusion. Listen to this one ‘before, during and after anything you’re doing.’

Novelist & Prem - The Balance:

Philadelphia, eat your heart out; Lewisham is the new City of Brotherly Love™️. Novelist leading a sermon over a classic Prem production - couldn’t pray for anything more perfect. Amen.

Tay Jordan - 2089:

I listened to this and started getting targeted ads for Coupe De Ville’s in my area.

Alexander Spit - VIGNETTES VOL.3:

California’s top flight producer, Alexander Spit has been on a tear of late. Coming like Phil Jackson with a team that’s going 82-0. A team that includes Goya Gumbani, Sideshow, Jadasea and Navy Blue, headed up by All-Star point guard Semiratruth making a late-season case for MVP on ‘Scissors!’.

Qendresa - 2 Much:

Qendresa’s new single is a spiritual experience, much like using that bath bomb that your secret Santa from work got you for Christmas. Her effortlessly smooth vocal floats perfectly atop that funky, bubbly bassline. Get that face mask on, candles aflame and pray that your upstairs neighbours are out.

VRITRA - AMBER

A psychedelic trip bound to no genre. ‘GREY MATTER’ will have you redlining your speakers, and ‘SILVERADO’ gives you the green light to screw your face up. AMBER is 22 mins of GOLD.

Kelela - RAVE:N, The Remixes

Let me just write down a list of whose remixes appear on this tape, as that will do the job of selling this release better than my words. Bbymutha, Karen Nyame KG, Shy Girl, J.D. Reid, Liv.e, DJ Swisha, LSDXOXO, DJ Manny, Yaeji, Loraine James. Reads like a shortlist at The Offie Mag Awards.

AceMo - Moblu:

This is a great listen as you’re turbo-walking through central London. You know them ones. Headphones in. Dodging, ducking, dipping, diving and dodging dawdlers. Pirouetting between electric taxis. Would be even better if I had two functioning ACLs.

Angelo Outlaw - Axis Of Time

Your favourite mallet percussionists’ favourite mallet percussionist. If you haven’t heard Angelo Outlaw play the vibraphone yet, you’re depriving yourself of a half-board trip back to 1970-something. A trip that departs on 15th March 2024 when his new record arrives. Tickets, please.

For a monthly pouring of new music, follow Offie Mag's Spotify playlist. The good stuff.