Every single day, some rising noisemaker posts a new visual, a mixtape collab, a must-listen-to EP or a fiery debut album, and we’re all sitting here with barely enough time to process why it’s now summer. And whilst we’ve all been busy arguing over Rihanna or shouting about how astonishing Kendrick’s To Pimp a Butterfly is, there are loads of hidden gems that have rolled towards us and away, getting lost in a tumultuous sea of Björk, Drake and Jamie XX records. As the mid-point of 2015 has now landed upon us in a blaze, what better time to go over some of the best records that may have passed you by in the last six months? Here are some of our faves. 

JLIN – DARK ENERGY EP

In 3 words: Unpredictable, intricate, alive

For fans of: Holly Herndon and RP Boo

To listen to when... driving through the city in the twilight hours. 

ABRA – ROSE

In 3 words: DIY, addictive, dance-ready

For fans of: Sky Ferreira and Shura

To listen to when... drinking Malibu and doing your eyeshadow.

TORY LANEZ & WEDIDIT COLLECTIVE – CRUEL INTENTIONS EP

In 3 words: Seductive, honey-dunked, blissful

For fans of: Drake and The Weeknd

To listen to when... drifting off into a post-sex slumber.

SOKO – MY DREAMS DICTATE REALITY

In 3 words: Sexy, lo-fi, post-punk

For fans of: Ariel Pink and Savages

To listen to when... it's the summer after you've gotten over an ex. 

JOHNNY JEWEL – LOST RIVER OST

In 3 words: Opiate-soaked, electronic, magnetic

For fans of: Kavinsky and Ghost Culture

To listen to when... watching Ryan Gosling’s gorgeous arthouse odyssey Lost River.

LSDXOXO – SACANAGEM 

In 3 words: Shadowy, skeletal, mellowed-out

For fans of: Evian Christ and Lofty305

To listen to when... crying in the club.

SHAMZ LE ROC - INCIPIO

In 3 words: Languid, mid-tempo, heaven

For fans of: Kele Le Roc and Hudson Mohawke

To listen to when... riding on the top deck of a bus through Hackney, dreaming of another world.

LUCKI ECK$ - X

In 3 words: Wavy, lean-back, poetic

For fans of: Lolawolf and Chance the Rapper

To listen to when... getting baked on a breezy summer’s day.

RAHEL – ALKALI

In 3 words: lush, offbeat R&B

For fans of: Ashanti and Nivea

To listen to when... trying to remember what the early '00's felt like.

GIRLPOOL - BEFORE THE WORLD WAS BIG

In 3 words: stripped-back, LA vibes

For fans of: Babes in Toyland and Daphne & Celeste

To listen to when... it's the last day of high school and you're burning your schoolbooks.