Unsung, but not forgotten: a Soundcloud Shortlist

Emily Ingram
Aug 7, 2018
2 min read

Everyone's done it. 5 minutes checking out a mate's solo project turns into a 2-hour binge of lost gems, leading you deeper into a black hole of experimental drum & bass mixes and 5-year-old ambient projects. But while some may see this as a waste of an afternoon, we think quite the opposite - to prove it, here's 5 of Manchester's finest 'forgotten' tracks (P.S: if you're one of the featured artists, you're welcome/we're sorry).

Deaf to Van Gogh's Ear - Assume Deviousness

Fraught with a wealth of bleeps and bloops, the math-synth stylings of Death To Van Gogh's Ear are perfectly encapsulated in this 2010 track. The vocals are also strikingly similar to the soft-spoken tones of Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian) - but, unfortunately, this quintet have pretty much dropped off the MCR radar. We hope they come back soon.

Dan Sykes - Go

This mix of ambient trip-hop and vapourwave is the perfect example of Soundcloud's one-man artistry. Dsyx (or Dan Sykes - we're still unsure) may only have a few tracks available from 2016 and earlier, but hopefully that wont stop you from plugging in and zoning out.

Fox as Rabbit - Da in Dada

Fox as Rabbit, otherwise known as singer-songwriter Matthew Naylor, has his finger-picking digits in a lot of pies. From acoustic punk bangers like this one, to his breathtakingly emotive instrumental EP Mountain Walker (2016) it's clear that this guy isn't new to the game, and he's only getting better.

Shaun Daniel Bradley - od

There's not much to be said for this guy - but if spacey post-rock is your thing, be sure to hit this tune up for 5 minutes of transcendent loveliness.

Nattie - Dreamer's Line

Ambient, electronic and DIY aside, Soundcloud is also home to some incredibly talented session musicians, jazz singers and instrumentalists. This is no exception - in Dreamer's Line, Natalie (or 'Nattie') really hits the mark with her silky-smooth jazz vocals, a perfect accompaniment to the funky instrumental backing.