NEW ARTIST DISCOVERIES: Srirachi, Jay Cooper, Mikado and Ratu

Finding new artists in the Australian music scene is arguably our favourite part of what we do. We are consistently finding new artists from across a variety of different genres that are experimenting with sounds, blending genres to create unique music and pushing the boundaries. In this latest edition of the New Artist Discovery segment we explore four Australian artists that are experimenting with their sound and building a discography that is unique to them. Today, we explore the classic boom bap sound with a twist from Sydney Rapper Ratu. Jay Cooper takes on a futuristic Dark R&B journey that is intense and enchanting. Sriracha brings that raw passionate energy through her gut-wrenching bars. And Melbourne's Mikado slows down the pace with her single 'My Own'. Read on for the full breakdown below!

SRIRACHI

Genre: Rap

Song: 'Archimedes'

State: Victoria

How the fuck has it taken me this long to come across Srirachi? Being the first song of hers that I have listened to, ‘Archimedes’ was a ruthless and vigorous listening experience. The production by Deer stands out immediately with heavy 808’s and a thumping bass providing the perfect framework for Srirachi to spit some gut-wrenching bars. The hook flows exceptionally well and had me singing along from the first memorable listen. Naturally after losing it to one absolute head-thumping banger from Srirachi, I decided to browse the rest of her discography. I can safely say that I can’t wait to rage at one of her live sets in the near future.

JAY COOPER

Genre: Dark R&B

Song: 'NOBODY / A Place to Vent'

State: New South Wales

I’m blown away by the talents of Jay Cooper. The single greatest thing I did this week was come across his discography. Jay brings a Dark R&B sound into the future and makes it his own, through the use of futuristic inspired production, carefully chosen melodies and evocative vocals. Although this track is not overdone with complex vocals, the placement of his humming, reverbed vocals and repeated lines creates a hypnotic experience where you live every part of it. I highly recommend you to browse Jay’s discography, he has a unique take on a futuristic sub-genre of Dark R&B that I can see taking off in the near future.

MIKADO

Genre: R&B / Hip-Hop

Song: 'My Own'

State: Victoria

Mikado has combined the perfect aspects of old-school R&B and new wave R&B on this track. Her robust and malleable vocals work wonders on the track, moving from a melodic delivery to slow soulful singing and eventually to rapping a short verse that had me absolutely astounded. Writing this song from a third-person perspective as a letter to herself was genius, as Mikado motivates herself and acknowledges the journey she has been on. On this track, Mikado has proven her versatility as an artist and at the same time created the perfect tune for springtime picnics, birthday celebrations and long road trips.

RATU

Genre: Rap

Song: 'Casualties of War'

State: New South Wales

Adapting to and switching up flows on a beat are some of the hardest things to perfect as an MC. Sonically, you want it to be seamless and to surprise the listener, and Ratu has achieved exactly that with ‘Casualties of War’. As someone that loves boom bap Hip-Hop, this track was nostalgic to me and reminded me of the days when me and my mates would play basketball down at the local park. And the more I listen to this song, the deeper the bars get. Lyricism is arguably one of the most complex forms of poetry, and listening to this late at night as I write this review reminds me that war has far-greater effects beyond the two sides fighting over common ground.

Jay Cooper's Photo by @nk.vis

Mikado's Photo by David Walker (@davidwalkervision)

Ratu's Photo by Morgan Morris (@lister.morris)

Srirachi's photo by Jaida (@jaidathecreator)

Words by Maroun Ghossain