Eight months into 2018 and this is shaping up to be a very good year for new music. Over the past few months, there has been a number of incredible jazz releases by Kamasi Washington, Sons of Kemet, Kamaal Williams, Nubya Garcia, Joe Armon-Jones, Emma-Jean Thackray, Tenderlonious, Makaya McCraven, and others, as well as some great new music from The Midnight Hour (Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad), Peggy Gou, Leon Vynehall, Khruangbin, and Kadhja Bonet. From cosmic-fusion jazz-funk by bands like The Vels Trio, Mildlife, and the Toshio Matsuura Group to funky tropical jams by artists like The Mauskovic Dance Band, The Scorpios, Kassin, and Hailu Mergia, there has been plenty of exciting and diverse music to dive into.

In no particular order, here are BeatCaffeine’s Top 80 Tracks of 2018 (so far). At the end of this list, enjoy a Spotify playlist featuring all 80 songs on this list and a few more to dive into.

The Midnight Hour – Dans Un Moment D’errance
Khruangbin – Maria También
The Mauskovic Dance Band – Down in the Basement
Joe Armon-Jones – Starting Today
Hailu Mergia – Gum Gum
Kamasi Washington – Vi Lua Vi Sol
Moses Boyd – The Balance
Mildlife – The Magnificent Moon
Peggy Gou – It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)
The Shacks – Texas
Lindstrøm – Didn’t Know Better
Toshio Matsuura Group – L.M. II
Clap! Clap! – Ode to the Pleiades (Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi Remix)
Skinny Pelembe – Spit/Swallow
Tenderlonious – Yussef’s Groove
Sons Of Kemet – My Queen Is Harriet Tubman
Black Flower – Maqam Tizita Saba
Crayon – Post Blue
Vesce – Zender
GoGo Penguin – Strid
Wilma Archer – Scarecrow
Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – Close but No Cigar
Nubya Garcia – When We Are
Strata-Gemma – Tabarin
Yazmin Lacey – 90 Degrees
Sharky – Cause and Effect
Young Fathers – Fee Fi
Calibro 35 – Travelers
Ashley Henry – Moving Forward
Altin Gün – Goca Dünya
Culross Close – Slow Your Stroll
Ebo Taylor – Poverty No Good
Wu-Lu – Sailor
Cleo Sol – Why Don’t You
Beatchild – In My Arms
Portico Quartet – Index
The Maghreban – Revenge
Waaju – Ali’s Mali
William & The Young Five – You Turn Me On (JKriv Rework)
Stimulator Jones – Water Slide
Jessica Lauren – Kofi Nomad
Oscar Jerome – Subdued
Childish Gambino – This Is America
Anderson .Paak – Bubblin
Ezra Collective – Mace Windu Riddim
Emma-Jean Thackray – Ley Lines
Leon Vynehall – Movements (Chapter III)
Vels Trio – The Wad
DJ Khalab – Dense
Kamaal Williams – High Roller
Chip Wickham – Snake Eyes
Nicola Conte – Uhuru Na Umoja
Alabaster Deplume – Who Are You Asking For
Jimi Tenor – Quantum Connection
Kokoroko – Abusey Junction
Kassin – A Paisagem Morta
The Scorpios – Mashena
Matty – Polished
Maribou State – Feel Good (feat. Khruangbin)
Ishmael Ensemble – The Chapel
Carl Craig – The Melody (Ishmael Ensemble Remix)
Malphino – Segunda Molienda
Quantic y Los Míticos del Ritmo – Hotline Bling
Domenico Lancellotti – A Alma Do Vento
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Overload
Kaidi Tatham – It’s About Who You Know
Yussef Dayes & Alfa Mist (feat. Mansur Brown) – Love Is the Message
Tony Allen & Jeff Mills – The Seed
Makaya McCraven, Theo Cross, Nubya Garcia, Joe Arnon-Jones – Halls
Louis Cole – When You’re Ugly
Fatima – Caught in a Lie
Balako – Don’t Give Up
Ratgrave – Icarus
Uniting Of Opposites – Mints
The Internet – La Di Da
Shawn Lee & The Soul Surfers – Jennifer’s Web
KOKOKO! – Azo Toke
Adrian Younge – Chasing Love
Nat Birchall – Tunji
Kadhja Bonet – Mother Maybe

BEATCAFFIENE’S TOP TRACKS OF 2018 PLAYLIST

(Playlist updated Weekly)

• New Releases