After the release of their first mixtape in 2019, London’s favourite art and music collective NINE8 are back with NO SMOKE VOL. 2. Featuring the group’s signature DIY-or-die approach, the album is defined by confidence: the group’s contageous energy is mixed with blurry bedroom beats and slick samples, creating a smooth, polished sound. “GROWN” is a slinky guitar number with hushed vocals and airy guitar licks, while “BLUE” is a looping lo-fi track punctuated by keyboard arpeggio. A highlight is track “079EIGHT”, a woozy rap ballad with lyrics like: “I avoid my ex like them IOS updates/ She got Blackberry curves/ After me you can never really upgrade”.

Elsewhere this week, Brooklyn-based drill rapper Bizzy Banks drops his debut mixtape and virtual cyberpop star Hatsune Miku is back with some hyperreal bangers. Take a listen below.

BIZZY BANKS, G.M.T.O. (GET MONEY TAKE OVER) VOL. 1

DIRTY PROJECTORS, SUPER JOÃO

GALYA BISENGALIEVA, ARALKUM

HATSUNE MIKU, BEAUTIFUL COLOR SYNTHESIS

MUTANTS, MUTANTS VOL. 2: RIOT

TRICKY, FALL TO PIECES

YELLE, L’ÈRE DU VERSEAU