ILM 2026 Listening Club

2026 version.

Spotify playlist: ILM 2026 Listening Club

House rules: please post artist name and title of track (as well as any YouTube links if you want) and please hold off on spamming thread with lots of tracks at once.

Otherwise let's go and the road to placing in the 2026 Top 77 Tracks starts here...

obvious old hat (rob) at 4:06 3 Mar 26

Kiss Facility - Cheap Poetry

I should probably describe it so you know which bunch I mean: it's in the Venn diagram of shoegaze, dream-pop, and trip-hop with beautiful singing in Arabic. Their new album is pretty interesting too, gets a little techno/house-y at times

Nice, let's go!

Mexican Institute of Sound, Meridian Brothers - Cumbia Fantasia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2-lUGrhTk

Heard this on the radio this weekend, how can I describe it? Like a Mexican William Onyeabor?

thanks for starting the thread and porting my recommendation, groovypanda!

this is my most listened to track so far this year, kinda like a more chill Bar Italia...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmOdUUu5WTU
Deer Park - Black Cat

Let's get things started: an appetising sonic starter

Kate Peaches - Easy Action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbKdkkCKwkg

addictive euphoric electronic art-pop / alt-pop, sublime production, great vocal delivery with conviction and attitude. Probably my most played track of 2026 so far. Rinse & Repeat.

Kate Peaches is from Brighton, UK.

Links to streaming: Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Tidal etc.
https://awal.ffm.to/easyaction

Discovered via Breaking More Waves on X:

If anyone likes the idea of Kate Bush doing alt 80s synth bangers in 2026, then welcome and get your ears round newcomer Kate Peaches.

Excellent stuff. (A late addition to my weekly new music playlist) https://t.co/oiTMJ5kaOS

— Breaking More Waves (@BMWavesBlog) February 7, 2026

xp i like that track but not as much as “pharmacy,” that duo’s collaboration from last year.

didn't actually know that song but i like it! thanks :)

The whole Deer Park album from last year was kinda good? I sorta hated the whole presentation when I stumbled on them, but it's pretty good?

Hällas - Face Of An Angel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSbZwuOHLvE

Never mentioned on ILM? four albums deep, Hällas sit somewhere between proto-metal/80s synth prog. new LP opens with a 21 minute side-long prog epic 'Above The Continuum' followed by 4 shorter rockers. tasteful but not shit, some beautiful production touches and vintage synth choices.

a Lemon Twigs for Blue Oyster Cult fans?

Some nice Aphex-y sounds from Nondi_. The album album is nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuUDdPyNDqM

Catchy bit of dance punk this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orZihOQgqJM

really love the new loraine james song ("in a rut" ft. sydney spann)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHkjkqYttD8

Haute & Freddy - Showgirl At Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBWAYWwS_jY

Los Angeles duo Haute & Freddy (Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp)

this A+ pop music. The vocals, the songwriting, the dramatic sound, the production and visuals everything combines to deliver poptastic perfection.

Michelle is like a 21st Century Cyndi Lauper.

track taken from the brilliant debut Haute & Freddy album Big Disgrace that was released on March 13th.

Know very little about the artist but loving this R&B meets frantic breakbeats track from LA's Denyah

Denyah - Running (matters of the heart)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4-Yf396qqc

My most loved albums so far are Avalon Emerson and Ms Ray EP.

Erm two songs from them:

AVALON EMERSON - God Damn Finito
MS RAY - You’re Here

Listen to both in full though, it’s hard to pick highlights.

this song from the new ora cogan album has a chord progression that tickles my brain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zPizH4ZQnA

fcukers have some bangers on their new album, my personal fav is "getaway"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F99P39CpYk