Hailing from London and Brighton
For fans of Underworld, MGMT, Animal Collective
On the horizon An as-yet-untitled EP, to be released in 2026
The two singles shared so far by Ashnymph resist simple labeling: their own description of the sound as “subconscioussion” provides few hints. The first single Saltspreader married a pounding industrial rhythm – bandmember Will Wiffen has sometimes been seen on stage wearing a T-shirt that features the symbol of the trailblazing band Godflesh – with vintage-sounding synthesisers and a guitar line that vaguely recalls the classic Stooges track I Wanna Be Your Dog, before melting into a wall of disquieting noise. Its intended effect, the band has indicated, was to suggest road trips, “the grinding circulation of vehicles all day long over great lengths … nighttime orange glows”.
The subsequent track, Mr Invisible, sits somewhere between nightclub tunes and experimental rock. Firstly, the track’s rhythm, strata of mesmerizing synths, and singing that comes either hallucinogenically distorted or spellbindingly cyclical in a way that brings back Dubnobasswithmyheadman-era Underworld all point towards the dancefloor. Conversely, its forceful live-sounding dynamics, brink-of-disorder feel and fuzz – “achieving a crunchy texture is a long-term goal,” Wiffen noted – distinguish it as very much the work of a band rather than a solitary home producer. They've gigged around south London’s DIY scene for under a year, “any spot with loud speakers”.
But each is thrilling and unique – from one another and anything else around at the moment – to prompt questions about the band's future direction. No matter what it is, on the evidence of Saltspreader and Mr Invisible, it’s unlikely to be boring.
The Week's Fresh Highlights
Dry Cleaning's Hit My Head All Day
“I really require adventures”, Florence Shaw decides on her band’s beguiling return, but over six minutes – with exhales setting the pace – you get the sense that she's unsure of the reason.
Danny L Harle – Azimuth (ft Caroline Polachek)
Welding Evanescence goth drama to the height of trance music – even the words “and I ask the rain” – Azimuth hints at dusting off your best Cyberdog wear and making your way to a rave, stat.
Robyn's Acne Studios mix
Robyn’s soundtrack for the the fashion brand's latest show previews her TBA ninth album, including gritty guitars reminiscent of Soulwax, energetic beats like Benny Benassi and the lyrics “my body’s a spaceship with the ovaries on hyperdrive”.
Jordana – Like That
Listeners adored her soft rock album Lively Premonition last year and the Stateside musician keeps displaying her impressive hook-crafting ability as she expresses unrequited feelings.
Molly Nilsson – Get a Life
The solo Swedish pop act released her latest album Amateur this week, and this song is remarkable: a synth-guitar melody thrusts forward rapidly as the singer urges we grab life by the scruff of the neck.
Artemas – Superstar
Following tales of weary romance on his hit single I Like the Way You Kiss Me and its accompanying release Yustyna, the musician of mixed heritage is wretchedly in thrall to his latest lover amid driving coldwave beats.
Miss America by Jennifer Walton
From one of the year’s standout debuts, a crushed synth hymnal about Walton learning of her father’s death in an hotel near an airport, mapping the strange setting in tender incantations: “Retail area, shady transaction, nervous fits.”
