Fresh off the weekend, DJ Hydra unleashed his debut Moyo Wa Upendo EP on June 6, 2025, via OVAVA Music, marking the label’s eighth release. The rising Afro House talent has been building serious buzz, especially with his upcoming single ‘Bamidele’ set to drop later this month on his own imprint, Suru Records. Inspired by heavyweights like Keinemusik and Black Coffee, DJ Hydra has honed a sound that resonates from intimate club nights to massive festival stages. This two-track EP solidifies his place as a bold new voice in Afro House, blending cultural depth with dancefloor-ready energy.

The EP’s title track, ‘Moyo Wa Upendo’, is a heartfelt journey, weaving Swahili vocals with pulsating Afrocentric rhythms and warm electronic layers. Translating to “heart of love,” it’s a nod to heritage, balancing traditional roots with forward-thinking production. The B-side, ‘Like House’, cranks up the tempo with infectious percussion and raw, dancefloor-driven spirit. Both tracks showcase DJ Hydra’s knack for storytelling through sound, merging introspective vibes with high-energy grooves that feel authentic and fresh.

Backed by OVAVA Music and its visionary head Ollie Mundy, this release is another win for the label, which has earned praise from outlets like Mixmag and DJ Mag. With Mundy’s residency at Pikes ‘Back To Mine’ in Ibiza and a slew of upcoming projects, the label’s momentum is undeniable. Moyo Wa Upendo EP is out now on Beatport and all major streaming platforms, cementing DJ Hydra as a name to watch in the global Afro House scene.

Stream Moyo Wa Upendo EP:

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‘Fogo’ is a thumping track with pulsating rhythms and an infectious groove. The groovy undertones beckon you to surrender to the rhythm, as the artist unfolds a narrative that defies conventions and transcends the boundaries of traditional genres.

Memento Mori shared: “I believe music is a boundless journey, and ‘Fogo’ is my expedition into uncharted territories. It’s not just about the beats; it’s about the freedom to explore, evolve, and challenge the norm. In the world of ‘Fogo‘, genres blend, boundaries disappear, and the listener becomes a fellow traveler in this sonic odyssey. It’s an invitation to embrace change, dance without constraints, and experience the warmth of Housey vibes. Join me on this musical venture, and let’s create a space where the unexpected becomes the norm.” 

Follow Memento Mori:

Youtube – Soundcloud – Instagram

After establishing himself at the forefront of the Brazilian electronic music scene with viral hits such as ‘Da Fonk’ or his excellent remix of Diplo’s ‘Express Yourself’, Mochakk is back with the classic house track ‘Jealous’. 

Stream / Download: Mochakk – ‘Jealous’

With ‘Jealous’, Mochakk turned Lolleatta Holloway’s ’77 classic, ‘Dreamin’ into an upfront classic house track featuring pumping kick drums, an infectious vocal and groovy high-energy basslines perfect for the club. When asked about his highly anticipated release, Mochakk explained, “I’ve been waiting for Jealous to be released for so long, it’s probably the track I got asked about most this year. It’s definitely the biggest track in the set almost every time I play it.”

At only 23 years old, he’s already been named one of BBC Radio 1’s Future New Stars of 2023, and Mochakk intends to maintain his reputation as Brazil’s biggest underground dance music star. The release of ‘Jealous’, which will soon be followed by a full EP, constitutes an exciting new step in his young career as his first collaboration with CircoLoco Records. 

Stream / Download: Florian Picasso – ‘The Edge’

It is the second track he has released in the past month, being the follow-up to ‘Make Me Dance’, but it’s different. “When it comes to releases on my own label, I see it as a cycle: my two previous releases were more house and sexy,” he said. “Now it’s time for the dark and filthy cycle with this release.”

Read our previous feature on Florian Picasso’s single ‘Safari’ here

We can attest to the filthiness of the record. Florian did not hold back with this one. It feels sweaty like a drenched-t-shirt or a festival-goer in the middle of a swarming crowd. So grab a towel, and hit that play button!

Follow Florian Picasso:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

Follow La Californie Musique:

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West African DJ and producer AMÉMÉ continues his hit streak with new single ‘Kaleta’, out on his own imprint One Tribe Records.

An Afro House mover, ‘Kaleta’ evokes a carnival atmosphere with its frenzied percussion, spiritual chants, and pulsing bass. AMÉMÉ’s masterful production skills are in full flow as bursts of arpeggiated synth accelerate the track toward an electrifying climax. The song samples vocals by AMÉMÉ’s Mum which he recorded 8 years ago in NYC and revisited 5 years later when he moved to Berlin.

Named after a holiday tradition in Benin in which children dress up in costumes and masks and fill the streets, the track is a “celebration with song and dance, embodying happiness, joy, family and community”, says AMÉMÉ. “It’s the perfect interpretation of what jungle tech is, with its rhythm and drum orientation, high energy, and a touch of synthesizers.” 

West African native AMÉMÉ channels his cultural roots and ancestry into everything he does. Born and raised in Benin, AMÉMÉ (Hubert Sodogandji) helms One Tribe, a global community and brand identity centered on unity and good vibes. His visionary capabilities and unwavering dedication have been the catalyst behind the rapid growth and proliferation of both his musical endeavors and One Tribe as a whole.

AMÉMÉ has a busy year ahead with a number of bookings at some of the biggest and unique festivals including Envision Festival (Costa Rica), EDC Mexico (Mexico City, MX), CRSSD (San Diego, CA), SXM Festival (Saint-Martin), Tomorrowland (Belgium), Lightning In A Bottle (Central Valley, CA), OffSónar (Barcelona), Pal Norte (Monterrey Nuevo León, MX) and Sunwaves (Romania), just to name a few.

Following up on the success of his last EP Power, which established AMÉMÉ’s position at the forefront of the Afro House revolution, the West African continues to evolve his sound with his latest single. Sporting AMÉMÉ’s signature blend of rich eclectic grooves, tribal percussion, and spiritual vocals, “Kaleta” once again breathes new life into the genre.

Follow AMÉMÉ:

Instagram – Spotify – Apple – Beatport

West African native AMÉMÉ celebrates the release of his first original production of 2022 “Wait No More” via acclaimed UK techno and house mainstay Nic Fanciulli’s Saved Records imprint.  

Making his Saved Records debut, “Wait No More” showcases AMÉMÉ’s signature sound infusing tribal drums, shuffling percussion, melodic synths, magnetic vocals, and Afro grooves throughout destined to ignite the dancefloor. After dedicating the past year of his career to refining his signature sound, and delivering dynamic sets to dance floors across all continents, the delivery of an original production on one of the UK’s most respected dance labels comes at the most opportune time for the swiftly ascending producer. 

The release of the original “Wait No More” comes in the wake of two dynamic remix deliveries, most recently for Jan Blomqvist’s hit “Back In The Taxi” released via Armada Electronic Elements, for Yamil & G. Zamora’s track “Cosa Buena” as well as a remix for Omah Lay’s “Understand” that closed off 2021. All three of these recent releases have set the stage for a string of original productions set to come over the course of the remainder of the year.

AMÉMÉ channels his cultural roots and ancestry into everything he does. Born and raised in Benin, AMÉMÉ (Hubert Sodogandji) helms One Tribe, a global community and brand identity centered on unity and good vibes. His visionary capabilities and unwavering dedication have been the catalyst behind the rapid growth and proliferation of both his musical endeavors and One Tribe as a whole.  

Specializing in Afro-leaning electronic music, with flourishes of tribal percussion and spiritual vocals built upon a foundation of contemporary deep house and tech, AMÉMÉ’s DJ sets are eclectic, paying musical tribute to his West African heritage.  In the studio he is equally dynamic and adept, seeing releases via his One Tribe label finding their way to Black Coffee, who supported the music in Tulum back in 2019.  With such an influential figure backing his productions, it was inevitable that AMÉMÉ’s name would soon be ringing in the ears of other key tastemakers. Over the past few years he’s seen his music signed to Watergate Records, Blond:Ish’s Abracadabra imprint and the mighty MoBlack Records all bringing the West African wonder on board. 

From Benin to Brooklyn to Berlin, his worldly outlook and unrelenting drive foreshadow a rosy trajectory; surely to see AMÉMÉ hosting his own percussion-fueled rituals on dance floors across the world for many years to come—uniting the global community and reminding us that we are all One Tribe.

Follow AMÉMÉ:

Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |  SoundCloud | Spotify

Follow Saved Records:

Website | Instagram | Twitter | SoundCloud

Image credit: TBC

COCO returns with another outstanding EP after massive releases from Prok & Fitch, Billingy & Trallez and of course label boss SOSA. Next up on the label is London based David Lowe who makes his debut with ‘Ya Daughter’ EP. Following releases on FREAK, Techbox Records & Rawsome Recordings David’s next release is brimming with energy and elements of psychedelia. Each track on this three track EP has been skillfully crafted to flow together with a real sense of cohesion throughout. It’s another stellar minimal-tech release on COCO as the label continues to establish itself as a true tastemaker of the underground house scene.

Follow David Lowe:

Instagram / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Beatport

Brazilian electronic talents Slow Motion and Victor Lou have joined forces on new single “I’m Flying”, making its official release now  via Astralwerks.

“I’m Flying” is  Slow Motion’s sophomore appearance on Astralwerks, following his remix of Joyia’s record “Come Down”. Directly succeeding his remixes of “Forbidden” by dwson and “Naive” by Asha Gold, “I’m Flying” with Victor Lou is a marriage of atmospheric synths, slick vocal fragments and infectious tech house grooves, with all of the essential elements of an irresistibly refined club jam.

Paired alongside a thrilling music video, the visual depiction of “I’m Flying” sees Slow Motion and Victor Lou come face to face with trouble. After a heated discussion with a villainous character, Victor and Slow are kidnapped and thrust into a small plane.  In a battle for their lives the pair of collaborators escape, and jump out of a plane to freefall into safety, celebrating victory by flying kites.

Slow Motion otherwise known as Kaynã Reis’ love for music started at an early age being surrounded by many musical influences, from Rock n’ Roll to Hip-Hop. Cultivated a curated interest in electronic music, he’s worked tirelessly to build out his sonic identity as what we recognize today.

His big break came in 2016 when he released a remix collaboration of “Drinkee” by Sofi Tukker with Vintage Culture, a track that remains in heavy rotation and has been streamed millions of times across the world.  He then released his world-conquering remix alongside Vintage Culture of Jorja Smith and Maverick Sabre’s hit “Slow Down” last year. The track has amassed over 153 million Spotify streams, reached #1 on the Beatport Deep House chart and consistently charted on the Spotify Global Viral 50. 

Victor Lou burst onto the scene in 2014 with his signature single “Back”. This was followed by the likes of “Untitled”, “GHOUSE” and “Fé”, with the Brazilian DJ and producer earning a reputation as an eclectic yet seamless producer that now sees him collaborate with Slow Motion on this dynamic Astralwerks release.

Two of Brazil’s most in-demand dance musical talents, Slow Motion and Victor Lou combine their production proficiencies to deliver what is an uncategorically epic result.

Follow Slow Motion:

Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud

Follow Victor Lou:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website

We caught up with him in the wake of his release for a chat about his artistic process, his inspiration, and how the pandemic has affected the infamous Manchester nightlife.

‘Elegy’ is a high energy track, beautifully suited to the dance-floor. How does it set the mood for your upcoming album Mezzanine?

The whole EP follows on the same vibe Elegy gives off: mellow, reflective & blissful. I feel all 4 tracks have energy behind them, but they don’t intrude too much so they’re equally as suited for both home-listening or the dancefloor. 

Pre-save Mezzanine EP

You wrote ‘Elegy’ almost as an ode to the pre-covid days of clubbing. How has the pandemic changed things for the House Music scene in Manchester?

I think since clubs have opened things have definitely changed since the days before lockdown. More exciting local artists and DJs have emerged and some promoters seem to be making a conscious effort to diversify their lineups. Lockdown was crippling to a lot of people in the nightlife industry, and it’s been so nice to see it start up again. Manchester’s nightlife has always been one of the best, and the people here are determined to keep it that way.

Stream / Download ‘Elegy’

Tell us about your earliest musical memory?

My absolute earliest memory would be sitting in the backseat of my parents car with Moloko – Sing It Back playing on the stereo. According to my parents, whenever that song would play I would drive them crazy by just repeating “back, back, back, back, back…” as it was the only part I knew how to say

Please list some of the most influential albums on your creative outlook and output:

Daft Punk – Discovery, Massive Attack – Mezzanine (yep, same name as my new EP ahah!), Tycho – Dive, Daft Punk – Alive 2007, Little Dragon – Season High. 

I don’t necessarily make music like in these albums, but the themes and nuance in these albums are very influential to my musical development.

What key pieces of gear/software are you using to define your sound?

Hardware wise, I have a Novation Peak, Digitakt Elektron and a Kog Minilogue. I love using them so much and pretty much use them in all my productions. VST wise, Korg Monopoly, U-he Diva and TB-303 are my most used. 

What inspires you outside of music? What do you turn to when the creative well runs a little low?

I usually turn to DJing or searching for new music. That always gives me a new lease of creativity. If that fails then I just take a step back for a week or so until I feel my creative levels are back up. 

Studio work and music creation or performing and interacting with a live audience, what do you prefer?

I love doing both, they go hand in hand for me. DJing is a great way of getting that instant buzz whereas producing and creating music brings a gradual sense of achievement. 

As a music artist, it becomes apparent that there is a huge difference between the art and the business. Is there anything about the music scene that you would personally change?

In the last few years it has been really good to see more varied lineups at festivals and events. In particular, it’s so refreshing to see more diverse people (female, queer, POC) higher up on billings as opposed to lineups 100% male orientated. Whilst there have been improvements in certain cities and events, the scene as a whole has a long way to go until we reach a point of full diversity and inclusion with event line-ups. 

Any new or upcoming artists on your radar? Who shouldn’t the world sleep on?

Guy Contact, Dylan Forbes, Harry Oscillate, Reptant! 

What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?

Well, gig wise I’ll be doing my first vinyl set in Manchester which is exciting. And I may be heading to Paris soon for something with Houseum Records. Additionally, 2022 looks to be a busy one for further releases on some very fun record labels. 

Follow Aiden Francis:
Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Instagram – Spotify

Inage Credit: Alex Winton

Seamlessly blending digital and organic elements has always been characteristic of the Japanese producer, but what makes this track most impressive is Lycoriscoris’s ability to amplify different sides of his music within one single track. While ‘Utsurou‘ encompasses aspects of minimalism, the track is still energetic and emotive.

He explains the origins of the track: “’Utsurou‘ means things are “changing” in Japanese. It is sad and beautiful at the same time because all things are in flux and no two moments are the same. All life is short, but I think that’s why people live it so hard. The song is like a hymn to humanity.”

Stream / Download Chiyu LP

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     Image credit: Miki Takahira