It’s hard finding the right words to write about new music now. The formulaic process of tease, pre-save, release is monotonous, yet understandably necessary. However, once in a while, there’s a rare case where I stumble across an artist breaking the formula.
Australian artist, xmunashe, is doing exactly that. His videos on TikTok have a simple mysticism to them. Usually in an industrial warehouse setting, in front of a piano, or with collaborators in a circle, riffing and improvising. While that might not seem out of the ordinary for friends making music and posting online, what’s different about xmunashe is the crowd.
There’s a crowd is locked in on the performance in every single video and it’s difficult not to be. I hang on to every word and I’m watching through a screen. The melodies are catchy, his vocals have a strain similar to the likes of Dijon, and while him and his friends improvise, it sounds cohesive.
With nothing on Spotify yet, and recordings of these shows on Soundcloud alone, xmunashe is an artist who already has a community of fans as well as wide open ears across Australia and now the US eager to hear more.