fakemink comes out swinging on Fidelio

There’s loads of music out there, and sometimes it’s hard to keep up.

Rather than letting the algorithm dictate your music taste, you can listen to Rated by THE FACE – a playlist that’s lovingly curated and updated by our (human) editorial team every week.

fakemink – Fidelio

If you’re reading this, you’re probably familiar with the dark and futuristic sound of Wraith9. The shadowy producer is responsible for the sensual and smoked-out beat on LV Sandals, he produced all of EsDeeKid’s razor-sharp mixtape Rebel and he’s brought out the best in outsider rappers such as Jawnino and Blackhaine. For the ferocious single Fidelio, which seems to be from fakemink’s forthcoming album Terrified, Wraith9 partnered up with the FACE cover star to construct a beat with speaker-bursting kicks and corroded horror strings partially concealing the sound of faraway shrieks. With all the mainstream cosigns flooding in, the expectations seem almost unrealistic for fakemink, who just last year was self-releasing lo-fi tracks he’s made in his bedroom. But as he comes out swinging on Fidelio, it’s clear he’s managed to add a cinematic feel to his crunchy sound palette. DR

Ledbyher – Remember, Remember

Although Ledbyher is often labelled as being part of the UK underground – an increasingly wide umbrella term that’s also used to describe indie sleaze nostalgics and plugg-inspired debauchees – her sound has drifted towards neo soul and sunkissed boom-bap. On Remember, Remember, however, the Norfolk-raised artist embraces the scuzz. ​“I need some chump change, need to smoke through this,” she admits, sing-rapping against smudged bass and pixelated video game synths which recall early 2020s rage rap. DR

Sassy 009 – Tell Me ft. Blood Orange

I once went to a spa in Berlin that had a large saltwater pool at its centre and if you dipped your ears beneath the warm surface, you’d be able to hear music from underwater speakers played by a DJ behind a tinted window. I thought of that spa when I listened to Tell Me by Norwegian artist Sassy 009. With its reverb-drenched guitars and Dev Hynes’s distant guest vocals, it feels a lot like floating in a dimmed body of water as you close your eyes and try not to bump into high/​hungover Berliners. TL

1010benja – Lightrope

If you’re making a playlist for driving into the sunset while contemplating your major life decisions, then you need to comb through the catalogue of 1010benja. On Lightrope, taken from the criminally underrated Kansas City eccentric’s forthcoming EP 3X10, he sings about the real and surreal feel of going home as a profoundly sad guitar riff explodes into a colossal classic rock solo. Sometimes life warrants an epic soundtrack. DR

Headache – Wholesale Anthem

The second album from Vegyn’s elusive side project, Headache, has landed. Thank You For Almost Everything (with all lyrics co-written by one ​“Francis Hornsby Clark”, whose existence is hotly disputed) features a disembodied voice that kind of sounds like a sat nav dishing out various truisms and witty quips about the mundane beauty of life. Set to a soothing beat, the lyrics on standout track Wholesale Anthem are both ridiculous (​“I see two anchovies running towards me/​Two anchovies could never hurt me/They’re too delicious”) and deeply poignant: ​“I used to enjoy hearing what I had to say to myself/​It used to make me laugh/​Now it just makes me stare at myself in the mirror.” It’s all about balance, right? JW