After launching our Ones To Watch in 2014 series yesterday, we’re delighted to bring you some picks from a DJ and tastemaker we’ve admired for a long time. With no restrictions on genre, LeFtO’s weekly show on Studio Brussels and Global Sounds playlist on 22tracks have become one of the go-to places to discover new sounds. He’s also been a resident DJ for Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival since 2008 and his set at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards Sunday After Party in London this weekend is sure to be a highlight of the night.
The Worldwide Awards after-party is in association with Soho-based sneaker store Foot Patrol, one of London’s foremost and freshest trainer spots. You can still cop tickets to the event at Brownswoodtickets.com. Be quick though, it’s sure to sell-out!
Check out LeFtO’s picks for 2014 below:
Kwabs
UK based and Ghanian roots, this guy is probably my favorite voice at the moment. He’s like a futuristic Michael Kiwanuka, deep voice on beautiful productions by SOHN. He’s releasing an EP entitled “Wrong or Right” next week.
SOHN
Talking about SOHN, he’s been pretty busy in 2012 with the excellent “The Wheel EP” and 2013 with a few releases but 2014 should be the year of his first long player. He sings and produces the whole thing somewhere between Vienna and London.
Illum Sphere
From Manchester, he’s definitely not a rookie, he has been around for some time but why 2014 then? I’ve been lucky to listen to his debut album “Ghosts of Then and Now” coming out on Ninja Tune and it is a beautiful piece, that’s why.
The Breathing Effect
Signed to Daddy Kev’s Alpha Pup imprint, I received this promo a couple weeks back and since then it has been on heavy rotation. It’s a band with psychedelic and jazz influences and I’m not sure where they’re based but I’d guess California.
Mr Carmack
This Hawaiian producer has been very busy in 2013, advanced trap music with unpredictable structures as he just dropped an album through his bandcamp “Dimebag” but honestly the new material on his soundcloud is already a taste of what to come in 2014.
You’re playing at the Worldwide Awards x Foot Patrol Party this Sunday. Given the footwear connection, we’d be interested to know what your favourite music/sneakers collaboration is? And if you could choose one brand and range to make your mark on, what would it be?
I own a pair of De La Dunks, they’re pretty cool. I would probably go for an Asics Gel Lyte III collaboration as that model reflects my style, mixing up the old school and the new school (the split tongue) and I love the sneaker. I own the Patta and the two Parra models, they came with backpacks, no boxes.
