“It comes from self-sabotaging good intentions – from distancing yourself from love before it gets too close, because you don’t want to hurt others with your own emotional complexity. Instead of showing all the beautiful things I carry inside, I end up showing my destructive sides – the person who never feels good enough – and then I’d rather destroy it before ending up in yet another superficial or staged relationship. ‘hot but depressive’ is, in many ways, a song about the fear of loneliness.”
Danish-based British artist Retro Kid (aka Jake Juba) starts our weekend with his delightful new single, ‘Think I Know’.
The song serves as a taster to the producer’s forthcoming EP and is inspired by Juba’s life as a father to a young son, who, at the age of three, is confident enough to know what he wants but still finds ways to make life ‘interesting’ for his dad.
“I think I know what I want… dry socks (and more than six hours of sleep).”
As Retro Kid, Juba has won acclaim for his distinctive approach to electronic music from outlets as prominent as Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing, Indie Shuffle, and EARMILK.
If you love soul and see yourself as a hopeless romantic, then you’ll most likely appreciate Calby’s latest offering, ‘Deeper Love’.
Serving as a taster to the artist’s next album, this track showcases a charming blend of soul, pop, and R&B and was written purely as an ode to relationships. It’s a simple message, but one that is relatable to anyone who has ever been in love.
“‘Deeper Love’ is a song I wrote for the love of my life. It’s my tribute to everything we share. It’s about what we’ve been through together – how I can see myself in her scars, and how she carries them more gracefully than I ever could. It’s a declaration of love – honest, unfiltered, and without reservation.”
Calby is an acclaimed and well-established Danish singer-songwriter based in Copenhagen, who has already released two albums to date – 2021’s ‘Burnout’ and 2023’s ‘Inner Critic’s Choice Awards’. You can listen to both records here.
We’ve got a new and exciting Danish musical project to share with you today, going by the name of muuk – the solo project of artist Ines Roervig Lewkovitch.
‘i’m no soldier’ is muuk’s debut single. It presents listeners with a thoughtfully constructed alt-pop production that builds intensity as the song evolves, while also showcasing Lewkovitch’s captivating vocals.
“‘i’m no soldier’ relates to loneliness creeping in on life and the realization and acceptance of needing support from your loved ones.”
The track was created alongside close friend Andreas Jaaks, who also served as the producer.
“‘i’m no soldier’ went very smoothly at first, until we suddenly got stuck to a point where we almost left it in drawer. I think that’s kind of funny, because that sums up the song pretty well. Feeling stuck in life, getting real low, and losing every hope of finding joy.”
Despite this still being muuk’s first release, we’re very excited to see how the project evolves over the coming year.
Danish artist Nathav has just unveiled one of the sweetest songs of the week, called ‘Over You’.
Blending dreamy pop with jazz and mellow synth tones, this track really stands out for its originality. It’s emotional and heartfelt while also being experimental and slightly avant-garde.
Lyrically, this is a beautifully written heartbreak song that offers comfort to anyone who’s healing from a ruined romance.
“The song is dedicated to all the brave hearts who try to hold it together when heartache has shattered them into pieces.”
Nathav is already an established fixture within the Danish music scene, performing as a member of the bands Lovebites, Blake, and Umatic across the years. If you’re now a fan, then be sure to check out her positively received 2024 EP ‘Moon River’ here.
Today’s release of ‘Blood’ by Faroese artist Elinborg has really blown us away. It’s been a minute since we’ve come across something this flawless from the Nordic region.
It’s electronic pop at its most elevated. The song is dark, intense, and cinematic and is a reworking of an original version by the artist called ‘Blóð’, now with English lyrics. Elinborg explains:
“I chose to release an English version of my song ‘Blood’ not only because it holds a very special place in my heart, but also because I wanted to explore how my sound might change when I switch languages. I’ve always been intrigued by different languages, and even though Faroese has a special place in my heart—and I’ll absolutely continue writing in it—I think it’s important to grow and evolve as an artist. That’s why I wanted to try releasing English versions as well: to reach a more international audience, but also to add new colors to my artistic world.”
If you love this sound as much as we do, then make sure you explore the artist’s latest album, ‘Í Ævir’, over on Spotify.
Danish artist Asbjørn kicks off the week with a nostalgic bop that could have very easily fit into a playlist from a London radio station in the 90s.
‘show u the future’ is a collaboration with La Boum Fatale and blends a classic UK garage sound with electronic pop in a way that feels retro but also current. It’s playful and optimistic and harks back to a time when club culture was at its peak.
“‘show u the future’ rewinds to a time of skipping snare rolls, shuffling 2‑step grooves, and late‑night bassline pressure. This one is for the ravers, the lovers, the dreamers in the corner, dancing till sunlight creeps through the blinds.”
The song serves as a taster to Asbjørn’s upcoming project, ‘HAUSPARTY’, an EP inspired by club music and the nightlife culture, and its unique way of building communities out of music lovers.
“There’s something strangely liberating about writing through discomfort — through the unforgivable. Maybe it’s because it allows you to say what’s never been said, even as you feel a creeping fear of being changed by the story or identifying too closely with it.” – Elliot
“‘Love of My Life’ is about the dream of finding true love – and just as much about how exhausting, painful, and endlessly lonely the search for it can be. That feeling of knowing she must be out there somewhere, yet having no idea where to look. Hinge dates, endless nights out, and solo bike rides home through Copenhagen started to feel more and more meaningless. I wrote this song mostly as a way of letting go of the pressure to find ‘the one’ – with the quiet hope that sometimes, it’s only when you let go, that you actually find what you’ve been searching for.”
“It’s about accepting that when you’re living with ADHD – which both my brother and I do – you may never experience life in a ‘normal’ middle ground. And that’s okay. We wrote this as a celebration of that difference” – Lea, ORA
Taken from the new album, ‘:(:’, which is out now.
We honestly can’t remember the last time that we featured talent from Denmark, so we’re really excited to be sharing with you a new artist from the region, who goes by the name of GIMI.
This Copenhagen-based, Danish-Kosovan singer and songwriter has been steadily gaining traction from the release of only a handful of singles so far.
New single ‘Communicate It’ treats listeners to a beautifully introspective piece of dark pop which is sonically experimental but also emotionally charged. Speaking on the track, GIMI explains:
“I wrote this song about this deep rooted need I have for validation. It’s about how we often seek self-worth through the attention of others, turning casual hookups into a search for approval and trying to find your value in someone else’s desire.”
With support from the likes of BBC Introducing, KALTBLUT and The Line of Best Fit, it’s quite clear to us that this talent’s momentum is on the rise.
Photo / Fanny-Alba Bang Jönsson & Mathilde Ferro Fransen
“‘Can’t Find You’ is a song about searching for someone, or something, who literally disappears in front of your eyes. The person shows up in very strange places and keeps leaving weird clues, like in the pages your notebook.”
Danish artist HISSY (aka Martin Grønne) has unveiled this weekend’s anthem, and it’s called ‘Silenzio’.
If you love your indie-pop with an electro twist, then you’ll adore this track. It’s an energising and breezy style of sound, which is really quite compelling to listen to.
Lyrically, the song looks at the effect that people’s words and opinions can have on us – and our desire to simply ‘switch off’ these thoughts.
“The song is about needing to shut out other people’s voices if they’ve moved into your head and make it hard to hear what you feel yourself.”
While HISSY is Grønne’s foray into solo music, this musician is already well known as a member of the acclaimed group Virgin Suicide, which he serves as the front-person for.
In turn, Virgin Suicide has gathered praise from the likes of The Guardian, while also selling out shows across the globe and performing on iconic stages like Roskilde and The Great Escape.
Track of the week. We’ve made no secret of our admiration for emerging Danish music talent, so we’re stoked to be sharing with you another new outfit from the Nordic nation called 100%WET.
Signed to acclaimed label Crunchy Frog (home to The Raveonettes and Yune, among many others), this duo has caught our attention with their unique productions, which blend nostalgic 90’s sounds with shoegaze and electronica.
Euphoric new single ‘Ether’ will be our weekend bop and is very quickly becoming one of our favourite songs of the winter.
“‘Ether’ describes the juxtaposed feelings of being in an altered state of mind—the perception of momentary bliss while also experiencing everything at a dissociate remove.”
100%WET comprises of producers Jakob Birch and Casper Munns, while vocal contributions come courtesy of artists like Eir from Sweden (as featured on ‘Ether’), Polly from Denmark, and the UK’s Hockeysmith.
Track of the week. We’ve got a really exciting new R&B-pop talent emerging from Denmark to share with you today, going by the name of Carlina de Place.
This 21-year-old Copenhagen artist left school at only 17 to pursue music, and it’s safe to say that the gamble is already paying off. Her new single ‘Selfish’ was produced by Morten ‘Rissi’ Ristorp, who is known for collaborations with Lukas Graham, Kanye West, and Beyoncé.
The track itself is beautifully emotive and gathers its inspiration from relationships that ought to end but continue to exist. The artist explains:
“’Selfish’ delves into a perspective of love that represents the opposite of fighting for it. Sometimes, that’s what we pretend to do when we’re only holding on to the dream of what we could have been.It can be hard to face the truth, but what if the greatest declaration of love would be to let go of it.”
While only Carlina’s third release to date, it’s clear to see that this newcomer is destined for great things, so keep this kid on your radars.
This weekend’s banger comes courtesy of acclaimed Danish DJ and producer Christian Nielsen and his newly released techno track ‘Halo’.
Nielsen cites icons like Kerri Chandler, Moodymann, and Frankie Knuckles as inspirations for his style of work, which is evident when you listen to his songs. His sounds are immediately gripping, and deliver a type of electronic music that is fresh and easy to form emotional connections with.
With more than five million catalogue streams on Spotify under his belt, it’s clear to see that Nielsen is well on his way to establishing himself as one of Denmark’s brightest techno talents.
We’re starting the week with a massive banger from Copenhagen musician IAMJJ and his new single ‘Extra Spicy Noodles’.
Now, I know what you’re thinking… Denmark? Spicy noodles? Yes, but also no. In what might be the weirdest coincidence in music history, this song actually focuses on the flaws of togetherness.
”When love gets complicated and frustrating we tend to try and spice things up with a ‘romantic’ trip to Paris or buying that sofa you never needed. It’s like noodles: it doesn’t taste of much but if you spice it up with chilli you might be able to enjoy it or at least numb your senses for a minute. If you accept that life has got you in a deadlock maybe it’s time to move on.”
IAMJJ is one of Denmark’s most prolific musicians, with more than 25 million career streams to date. He’s released three albums, toured his home nation several times, and played on some of Scandinavia’s most prolific festival stages.
It might still be Thursday but Danish trio Takykardia have already unleashed the week’s biggest banger.
‘You Got Me Feeling Bad’ is sonically reminiscent to the breakbeat productions that took over radio stations all across Europe in the late 90s, and treats today’s listeners to the full Y2K experience.
“There is an urge between the three of us to channel out unexplored energies. The only limit is our imagination, and as an act, we strive to evolve and to stay curious about the past, the now and the future. ‘You Got Me Feeling Bad’ is a celebration of being single rather than being with someone who makes me feel bad and insecure about myself!” – Luna Matz, Takykardia
Takykardia are steadily marking themselves as one of Denmark’s hottest prospects, and have found praise from the likes of Earmilk, Kaltblut, DMY and VICE, as well as BBC Radio and Rinse FM.
The new year has begun, and with it comes a new swathe of Nordic bangers – the first of which is by Danish star Theresa Rex.
‘BAD BLOOD’ focuses on themes of betrayal, and presents listeners with an anthemic electro-pop sound that is as bold as it is punchy. On the lyrics, Rex explains:
“‘Bad Blood’ is the story of two friends – a close friendship in that ‘blood pact’, ride or die-kind of way. But also, the song is about the ultimate betrayal, because she stole my boyfriend. I quickly forgot about that guy who cheated, but the loss of that friendship was heartbreaking. She stabbed me in the back and found it extremely hard to realise that this forged bond, I thought we had between us, was so easily broken. Friend break-ups are just one of the things that hurt the most.”
Alongside her own work, Rex has also collaborated with the likes of Wankelmut, Martin Jensen, Jonas Blue, MORTEN, and the legendary AFROJACK – resulting in a catalogue of releases that have amassed more than a billion streams to date.
