Any artist is welcome to send us a track via freshonthenet.co.uk anytime between Monday lunchtime and Wednesday evening (or when we receive 200 submissions, whichever is sooner) - and all our moderators, including Tom Robinson, will listen to every track. This is our full inbox from the week beginning Mon 27th March 2023: from Friday afternoon you'll be able to hear our shortlist and pick your favourites on this week's Listening Post which will appear at freshonthenet.co.uk/batch483

If a track you submitted does not appear in this list, it’s probably because another of your tracks appeared in our Fresh Faves or on the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape during the last three months — we ask that artists featured on either wait three months before resubmitting to give others a chance. 

We also don’t accept short previews or SoundCloud Go tracks that can only be heard as 30 second previews, and tracks made private after submission, which cannot be included in playlists. You will be able to resubmit the track in future. Tracks (and remixes of tracks) that have been previously submitted, and tracks from banned artists will also be removed.

ENTIRE INBOX: Batch 483

Thanks to everyone who came by Fresh On The Net at the weekend to check out  Listening Post 483 and tell us which tracks they liked best. Here, in alphabetical order, are our readers' top favourites. Our reviews are written by Fresh On The Net's Del Osei-Owusu - and you can read them at http://freshonthenet.co.uk/faves483

Fresh Faves: Batch 483

'Shake It' Mastered

Released by:
amilost

Release date:
24 March 2023

P-line:
℗ 2023 Circumnavigate Ltd.
C-line:
© 2023 Circumnavigate Ltd. 

Lyrics:
Good morning
Good morning, friend
Put lights in the corners
I’ve been hiding thoughts in them
Wake slowly
Slowly today
The night was loud It woke me up again
Good morning
Good morning, friend 
Silence the night let it end 
Fill the air ultraviolet 
Good morning
Friend
Old morning
Bring rays with you 
Your silence 
Glows gratitude
Like you’re glad I’m still here 
Like your silence could speak 
Slowly shifting
Breathing life into me
Good morning
Good morning, friend 
Silence the night let it end 
Fill the air ultraviolet 
Good morning

Tread lightly my porous mind has not yet bounced back from the night 
Soon I’ll tuck my heart into my sleeve but right now I'll light up in peace
Good morning 
Good morning

Good Morning

** Embargoed until Thursday, March 23rd **

JAMES OR releases new single, ‘Wild’: a tribute to the lockdown moments that kept us going.

For fans of: Bear’s Den, Elbow, Frightened Rabbit, Blur & Counting Crows


Written during that time, JAMES OR’s latest single is one of endearing optimism: a celebration of the quietly beautiful moments that live on amidst headline-consuming chaos. 

Recalling the songwriting process, James says “We were a bit shell-shocked coming out of the first lockdown - but then our niece was born and things started to make sense again. It felt like taking in a big gulp of fresh air for the first time in months. She became a lifeline for us all”.

Opening with an uplifting guitar hook and Elbow-esque strings, Wild is a song of real heart that succinctly captures the mood of an unprecedented time (evident in lyrics like 'a crowd of strangers making up the rules as they go; odd jobs and favours', written about the frontline staff working tirelessly against unthinkable odds.) 

Wild’s infectious and instantly hummable chorus melody stays with the listener; as does its underlying message: that good things can still happen in shit times.

As the song builds, so does the reassurance and imagery of James’ lyrics (“gave us something to be hopeful for; a summer on the coast, somewhere on the coast”). 

“I wrote Wild for everyone that wasn’t there with us; for the people who had to witness special moments from afar. I know everyone was craving connection at that time, and I think our niece’s arrival gave us that.”

James plays Sofar Sounds, Bristol on Thursday, April 6th and a headline show at The Harrison, London on Wednesday, April 19th. For a full list of upcoming tour dates, see https://jamesormusic.com/epk

Wild

Epsom duo Broken Bear return with the release of the title track from their new Follow My Leader EP. Due for release on Friday 7th April 2023, the single announces the EP with a firm slap to the face. The bears really let it all out on this track, drawing on the 90s Seattle sound and having it with filthy chugging, noisy guitars, thumping smashy drums and the juxtaposition of delicate vocals over the top with huge singalong ear worm chorus melodies calling out that “now is the time of monsters”.

LYRICS:
Mistake a mirror for a window
The world is dying before our eyes 
The new dawn struggles to be born 
Now is the time of monsters

History teaches but has no pupils 
Hands are tied and led blind 
Disillusioned and disquiet
Now is the time of monsters

Of monsters 
Of monsters 
Amongst us

Here in the dark mirrors have no reflections 
So sleep without dreams let fear teach you

Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader

All our futures torn asunder 
Cast aside for fools’ pride 
Divide and rule
Hypnotised
Now is the time of monsters

Of monsters 
Of monsters 
Amongst us

Here in the dark mirrors have no reflections 
So sleep without dreams let fear teach you

Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader 
Follow my leader follow my leader

Follow My Leader

"Immediacy" by Echo Machine, released March 29th 2023. 

From the band's ALMOST finished 2nd album. 

A song about overstimulation and the effects it has on our wee monkey brains.

Immediacy

BEST BEHAVIOUR CLEAN

Whatever it is that we try to control, also controls us. This mystery is at the heart of "Monolithic", an atmospheric cyberpunk track that blends together elements of synthwave, industrial, and EDM.

Written, produced, and mixed by Jonny Fallout
Mastered by XENNON at XENNON Studios

Bandcamp: https://jonnyfallout.bandcamp.com/track/monolithic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/7zfxfRiB9UF2H88u7dW1LO?si=fd71467f7e71435e

Monolithic

The best riff I've come up with so far in my musical career!

The Heat

Jonny Fallout is an electronic artist / producer of synthwave, retrowave and synthpop with cyberpunk flavor. When he's not abusing the upper limits of his machine's RAM, he's obsessively sampling cool noises, constructing new sounds, or remixing tracks.