New tracks from the most musically productive county in the country right now, writes Rob Hakimian

We have added all tracks to the ‘cene #KeepitKent Spotify Playlist HERE

Kayez - Southside

On his debut single, 16-year-old Maidstone rapper and producer Kayez wants to consistently keep you on the back foot with a series of impressive bars.

Employing a beautiful brass sample, he invites you to relax into the atmosphere – then punches you in the lower back as his beats bounce in, then slaps you round the face with his boisterous flow.

As is often the case with a rapper on their introductory offering, Kayez uses Southside to let us know what he’s all about, which is, for the most part, remaining laser focused so he can use his prodigious talents to transport his word beyond the borders of Kent and into the wide world. They better get ready.

Glitter Thief - Beautiful Dreamers

Instagram: @weareglitterthief

Emerging masked posse Glitter Thief have dropped a series of singles since debuting last year, but Beautiful Dreamers might be their most impressive yet. While their flow remains cutting, here they combine it with a dreamy lo-fi texture that emphasises the hope in the words.

Beautiful Dreamers is a rebuttal to all of life’s many stresses: council tax, drug dealing, poverty and more. Instead of merely lamenting these daily drags, Glitter Thief offer a vision of hope to the youngsters growing up amidst these strains, letting them know that they’ll be alright, as long as they stay positive and believe in themselves. It’s a dynamic combination of grit and optimism that they carry off in inimitable style.

Voka Gentle - Horse Latitudes

The Sevenoaks art pop trio is approaching the release of their new album WRITHING!, and with each new single they show another facet of their artistry.

Following on from Necrofauna / The Garden Of Eden (which featured The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne) comes Horse Latitudes, a song named after “latitudes known for stranding sailors at sea without wind... Apparently they would sometimes be stuck there for so long that they’d have to throw their horses overboard to conserve drinking water.” Yep.

Voka Gentle perfectly capture the mania and horror of that isolation in this propulsive art pop track, which one minute finds them chanting “get unburdened!” then a short while later “carcass in the water! Carcass in the water!”, their percolating production getting steadily more unhinged right alongside the words.

KDYN - Weapon

Instagram: @djkdyn

Following on from his previous summer banger Solid Ground, the teenage producer has refueled the tank for another explosion of energy with his latest, Weapon.

The youngster may not even be old enough to attend the parties where this song would absolutely go off – or perhaps he’s been smuggling his way in since he first showed signs of hair on his upper lip.

It’s surely the only way to explain how he has such a preternatural ability to create cartilage crushing productions. Weapon is appropriately titled, as it lands like a police baton right across your skull, but rather than pain, each slam releases pure euphoria. This one will get you jumping in no time.