Spotlighting underground and unsigned talent is exactly the reason why TATC was started and is exactly the reason why we continue to crack on.
The quality of music that was made in 2022, by artists who have barely been at it a year, is a pretty phenomenal feat and so, in no particular order, enjoy the musos whose names you need to familiarise yourself with.
Will Linley topped the charts this year with an unprecedented viral debut rolling over into a fully-formed career within months – topped by a Rocking the Daisies slot and a European tour alongside Matthew Mole. Channeling a zealous indie-pop distinctiveness which smacks of young-gun stardom, Linley has nowhere to go but up. – Skye Mallac
With a debut EP piquing my interest in 2021, it was with his follow up EP Echoes in 2022 that alternative singer-songwriter, Mars Baby, really caught my attention. As part of the STAY LOW collective he’s thrived alongside likeminded artists, with a quiet and determined work ethic to get the job done and execute his vision. – Tecla Ciolfi
Provoking conversations around GBV and sexism, Angie Oeh’s proudly sexualised sound reclaims and liberates topics of sexual identity and gender expression, all of which have been stereotyped in harmful ways by the music industry over the years. Oeh is at that pivotal stage in her career where image means as much as the music itself, and she’s pushing a bold, brilliantly transgressive persona we can’t get enough of. – Alessandro Gueli
Behind the balaclavaed cartoon moniker, Yung Beathoven came into his own in 2022, changing up his release strategy to drop a single every other month, on top of the collab EP he released with Brogan The Band back in September. His latest pop-rooted single “Outta Here” feat. Zubin is doing crazy streams across streaming platforms and is a testament to his hard work yielding its inevitable rewards. – Tecla Ciolfi
Locnville only slide into my Inbox with the goods and when Andrew emailed me about Polokwane rapper Bimz (Bimini Monde Nyakale) who’d just signed to their CBGSV Entertainment label, I couldn’t get enough. I forced everyone I came into contact with to listen to “Yvonne Rossouw” the week we featured it on TATC. That was back in October. I need more music from my swart Jack Parow, STAT. – Tecla Ciolfi
This woman will not be boxed – from Amapiano to hip-hop to Bollywood, Yashna will make it work and make it look easy. Churning out three distinctly different EPs this year, each fully conceptualised with their own narrative and aesthetic, this transformative singer continues to surprise me month-on-month, which is not an easy feat to achieve since I’m quite a cynical bastard. – Tecla Ciolfi
There’s nothing that I don’t love about TCGS. With each member bringing their own unique set of skills to the table, it’s the infusion of soul and jazz and hip hop on their debut album Suite Nites, coupled with an epic first music video and transfixing live show that sets them apart. – Tecla Ciolfi
MaxX & Love are a well-oiled cacophony of blues rock with a unique storytelling ability that needs to be experienced live. I saw them for the first time quite early on in the year at a phenomenal show at The Living Room in Maboneng, and they took me on a Bayou-rooted journey that was perfectly in-sync and in character. – Tecla Ciolfi
Seemingly overnight Moskitos made their mark on the Cape Town psych scene and it shouldn’t be long ’til they’ve taken over the whole country. All the infectious energy that’s made them such a draw-card at live shows comes across in their recorded music and makes them a band well worth keeping an eye on. – Daniel Luckhoff-Wessels
Balancing modern pop sensibilities with ’80s synth-pop proclivities, SunMan blend haunting vocals with compelling beats and dynamic compositions to weave a tapestry of undeniably danceable vulnerability and honesty. – Daniel Luckhoff-Wessels
