Squid have come a long way since forming in 2016 as an instrumental jazz band for a monthly night in Brighton whilst living in cheap rented accommodation across the Sussex coast as they finished their studies. The band started expressing influences from outsider punk to Fourth World, and became known for their chaotic and increasingly incendiary live shows. The band relocated to London to make the most of their burgeoning reputation, and having heard them at the Brixton institution The Windmill, producer Dan Carey invited them to his studio; releasing a string of fine singles on Speedy Wunderground and the Town Centre EP (2019) which cemented their reputation. An album deal with visionary label Warp followed, and the hype grew further.

Their debut album Bright Green Field (2021) arrived as the world was starting to open up after the pandemic and they broke into the top 5 in the UK chart. In 2023 they released their sophomore album, the brooding O Monolith, which took the band all over the world and broke new ground that hardly seemed possible five years prior. Like the bravest sophomore albums, O Monolith charted a trajectory beyond their breakthrough sound, taking the band towards an experimental career ahead. Fans growing with them, disseminated alternative versions of songs and demos in setlists and NTS sessions.

Now on their third album, Cowards, the English art rock quintet extend and explore textures of folk, kosmische, psychedelia, jazz and electronics – hovering at 30,000 feet above distinct tales of human evil: apophenia-tinged songs punched by vantablack comedy.

Squid are Louis Borlase, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell, Anton Pearson and Ollie Judge.

FearDorian is ready to carve out a lane as a rapper that matches his prolific production resume. The teenage Atlanta artist spent 2024 becoming one of the most in-demand producers of the underground internet rap scene, playing a key role in crafting the sonic worlds of quinn, xaviersobased, NolanBeRollin, Polo Perks, and BabyxSosa, while also proving his mettle as an artist himself. Released in March 2024, FearDorian’s self-titled debut is an album that exhibits a confrontational wail of teenage angst and adolescent existential dread juxtaposed with manifestations of the high-flexing, big baller life he desires, providing a sneak peak at an artist actively finding his voice. His subsequent project, A Dog’s Chance, in collaboration with fellow experimental oddballs Polo Perks and AyooLii, coalesced in a fusion of distinct styles, showcasing FearDorian’s ability to adapt as a producer, making everything from cartoonish Milwaukee sample trap, to Warped Tour inspired, grimy New York drill. Songs such as the dreamy “Boyband” (1M+ Streams), and the sing-along cypher “Ricky Eats Acid”, proved FearDorian could hang with the best on and off the mic. His contributions as a producer match the prolificness of his solo work, with his self-titled debut being lauded by Pitchfork, The FADER, NoBells, FLOOD Mag and Passion of the Weiss. With a year of rapid growth behind him, FearDorian is taking those experiences and channeling it into his new album Leaving Home, a bold, coming-of-age record where Dorian sharpens his writing skills, proving he can build a world for himself just as well as he has for others.

FearDorian moved around the state as a kid, giving him a unique perspective of the different cultures of South Georgia. Finding a kinship with rap music, FearDorian used the internet to spam beats to his favorite artists during the pandemic, notching placements with luminaries in the underground rap scene like NolanBeRollin, ATL Smook and Rodney. Word of mouth spread, turning FearDorian into your favorite rapper’s favorite producer. But while he loved crafting worlds for artists he deemed prolific, he knew he had something to say himself. 2023’s “bankhead freestyle” served as an arrival record, where FearDorian, posted in and out of the southern staple Waffle House, slid on a twinkling beat plucked out of prime Awful Records days. But the flexing would soon dissipate to reveal a budding writer trying to make sense of a cold and disaffected world. That’s where his 2024 self-titled debut shines, a journal of conflicting emotions and wide-eyed manifestations, revealing a bright and introspective teenager grappling with the highs and lows of public adolescence.

His stock rose further when he combined with friends AyooLii and Polo Perks to deliver one of the most daring experimental records of the year in A Dog’s Chance, a manic blend of signature styles from three distinct talents that demands your attention from start to finish. The album allowed the 17 year old to embark on his first tour and experience the triumphs and spirals of notability. And like all great artists, he channeled those conflicting feelings into his work. The result is his most self-reflective, daring and uncompromising music yet. Leaving Home serves as FearDorian’s intense processing of the past year of his life, the jump from IYKYK darling, to world tour artist. It’s a coming of age record equal parts bleak and confused, but triumphant and hopeful. The album unfolds like a collection of vignettes, harkening back to the exact feelings FearDorian experienced during this frenetic year. Songs such as the glitchy “Forecasting” have Dorian melding guitar riffs with pulsating 808s, rapping with disgust and swagger about anyone who doubts him. “Biggest Fan” captures the elation of his first time in Montreal, the icy beats matching his disaffected delivery. The seminal “Over It” sees Dorian at his most vulnerable, whispering his frustration over family strife and self doubt, colored by the squeaking, atmospheric beat.

The record exhibits a monumental level up in production skill, blended with thoughtful songwriting that showcases him as an early most improved candidate. With Leaving Home, FearDorian proves he can build a world for himself just as well as he has for others.