’16 for 2016: Ones To Watch’ – Snakehips

The British music scene has been driving some of the brightest (and most innovative) exports over the past few years, and Snakehips are firmly up there when it comes to delivering future-led beats – particularly against a scene that has become markedly saturated with house and bass at its core.

The duo (James Carter and Oliver Lee) have been pushing boundaries for a while now; no-less hooking up with the likes of Sinead Harnett and George Maple (amongst others), the Snakehips’ ode to 90’s silky R&B has earned them a fairly strong following, and 2016 could well be the year that they break cover into the charts.

There’s of course the comparisons to Disclosure (namely because they’re a) a duo, and b) like Disclosure, Snakehips break the mould in terms of crossover music), but that’s no bad thing. The aforementioned made their name by making the music they love at the heart, and subsequently let the rest of the world catch up. With the 90s being such a strong time for [mainly US] R&B, Carter and Lee doth their caps into smooth electronica in such a unique way that even J Dilla would’ve likely been a fan.

In fact, their early-2015 jam Forever Pt.II paid homage to Pete Rock’s It’s A Love Thing, and whilst sampling has indeed been one of Snakehips’ vast strengths, it’s their latest single that’s been turning heads across the globe.

Teaming up with Chance The Rapper and Tinashe, All My Friends may have nothing to do with LCD Soundsystem’s joint of the same name, however it’s equally as endearing. What’s more, it’s rare to get such a smooth song that bases itself around the ethos that, well, some mates really can be dicks.

Here’s to 2016 where hopefully we’ll get that much-anticipated debut album – if Snakehips carry on the same music focus that’s been leading them up to this point, we’d be the first to back an incredible career.

Snakehips play London’s Steelyard in March (tickets available from Ticketmaster UK, here); in the meantime, catch All My Friends, below: