It’s been a lively first quarter from the city with more than a 100 cumulative tracks dropping this quarter, from nearly 84 different artists i’ve been tracking. It’s far from perfect, with massive exclusions from the YVR indie, EDM, and Pop sub cultures in the city, but I had to draw the line somewhere.

Still. 84 artists, and more than 100 tracks is a sight I didn’t think I'd see only a few years ago. 2/3rds of the tracks are some of the best work each individual has ever released, with the rest largely from up and comers in the scene, who still deserve a spot at the table.

My final disclaimer cause this cities full of haters is that these ten tracks I've chosen aren’t ranked.

I don’t believe in ranking art, especially in the context of a city that has historically eaten itself alive.

So, these ten tracks are simply my 10 favorites out of the 100+ released so far this year. If you don’t see yourself on the playlist, let me know, and if you don’t see yourself on the top ten, that’s on you… And, if i’ve covered the track already, it’s excluded. So, sorry to Asal, Cee and Revay, I loved those three tracks.

So let’s get into it, with the only track I knew would have a guaranteed spot on the list.

Taya Mori - Mo’s Life

Whether it’s due to a still fresh trip from the UK, or the role of the sun finally creeping back into our lives, but I've had the track on repeat for weeks.

It’s jubilant, with a staccato beat that carries the length of the track effortlessly, as Taya Mori treads between flower beds and fawns with her vocals. And that chorus! God damn, if it doesn’t have me jumping out of the chair, dancing with mum on a day brighter than the last. Simply sublime.

Micky Weekes - Last Dance

We’ll keep the RnB, and house vibes going with the ever growing infamy of YVR’s very own Micky Weekes. I had the chance to interview the enigmatic songstress at the now defunct Safe and Sound Fest. Had I known I wouldn’t get a chance to see her live again for years to come, I would have shot that shit with the 300mm I had on hand. Yet, 2024 is well underway and with her latest track “Last Dance,” finally available, the streets eating.

It’s a heady mix of Weekes signature sensuality, that's all the more addicting paired up with trap-style beats, and heavy 808’s. The combination effectively drowns out reality, as you wander lost, chasing a moment of wanderlust with one of the city's finest.

Eric Reprid - Suki

Eric’s been a frequent face in the scene for nearly a decade, yet few would have predicted he’d be hitting his stride almost a decade deep. Starting 2024 running, “Suki,” is a thumping moment of bombastic production, alongside Eric’s own characteristic lyrics.

And that’s where this track popped. In a now legendary moment, with a bar, that miraculously skirted the edge between memes, and getting canceled. It’s a fine line few dare to skirt, yet with acts like BBNO$ calling Van home, it's an interesting note, as the sub-genre continues to make waves across North America. And with “Ginger,” dropping only a few weeks ago, it’s looking like a lane, Eric’s doubling down on.

Fionn - Your Type

The dynamic duo continues to push the YVR pop scene to new heights with a bitterly beautiful duet on finding your ex-with an exact carbon copy. It’s a jaded, yet almost jestful look onto a failed future, and likely dodged bullet. Punk-Pop to its core, the track lives by the heavy guitars, and claps that bring a moment of levity. Only broken by a crazy persuasive chorus that has me longing for more. It’s an anthem that you’ll have strumming on a gray day, in a city too small to escape one's past. Oddly fitting for the city it was produced in, wouldn’t you say?

Haleluya Hailu - Useless

I’ve got little to say other than the track is phenomenal, and Hailu’s stage presence is second to none in the city. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform live at some industry mixer, and was blown away by her vocal ability. The sheer quality of the tracks, instrumentals, vocals, and production had me questioning the rest of the scene. And as she raised the bar for the rest, it’s only gone up since.

Useless follows the reality of fake friends, and those too obsessed with themselves to perceive the rest around em. It’s fittingly fanciful, as the simple acoustic melody lulls you into a world of memories, before the chorus rings loud and true, “Oh my god I think I’ve done it again, I’ve found myself another useless friend.”

Just listen to the track. There ain’t much else to say…lol

Paris. - 4th Quarter

With apparently new found energy and an AAPI audience currently exploding, we’ve got a year max before Paris. is LA, or TO bound. Yet, in the meantime, he’s pumping out track after track, and his latest might be his finest. 4th Quarter, best displays Paris' career-long ability to craft straight bangers that hit like the anthems of a long defunct empire. Alongside his recent collaboration with one of the hottest names on the west coast, MBNEL, the future's bright. And with the sheer energy Paris is bringing to “4th Quarter,” his dreams and goals feel closer than ever.

Shally Rehal - INTOXICATED

Gotta put a disclaimer before this track, but I don’t understand a lick of Punjabi. It’s half the reason I’ve never really done coverage on Punjabi acts, but damn if Shally hasn’t forced my hand. INTOXICATED, is the mavericks latest attempt to storm the South Asian and Canadian punjabi music charts alongside collaborators MONEYONYOURMIND, and KULTARGOTBOUNCE. They’re a dastardly trio on the rise, mixing genres on a whim, yet seemingly perfecting each in their own right.

And INTOXICATED is the latest example. Shally’s vocals take center stage on the track as he almost lazes over the beat, alongside Money’s whose efforts ground the track back into the hiphop-esque soundscape. It’s late night drifting music, whether alone, or with the gang. The track espouses a moment of wind blowing through your hair, as you find yourself moving faster, and faster, through your times, and life.

Luis Saint Rose - Type Shit

Even as I type this, all that’s running through my mind is “type shit, type shit, type shit,” and at a minute thirty, in total it's addicting. Yet, after a brief convo with the maestro himself it’s looking like it was a concentrated effort. The track runs free, entwining a heady mix of fun, and grace, as Luis bounces over the beat. I’ve had it on repeat since its drop, and remains an interesting dive in 5Gawd’s and Luis’s evolving soundscape. It’s less ferocious than ANTICIPATE, or LUIS Back, yet feels fitting for an artist I've only ever caught with a grin on his face.

Strikes - Snow Breath

This’ll be my first foray into doing coverage on the EDM scene in the city. It’s multi-faceted with more hyphenated genres than any other. And as such has been a behemoth I've been wanting to cover. And with Marah’s article in the works, Strikes gets the first EDM mention on the blog. It hits in all the ways it should as you hit play, and the wall of sounds begins to build. It’s a cacophony tempered by masterful arrangement, pushed on by nearly phonk levels of bass. Alongside Gut Feeling’s recent drop, 2024’s looking like an exciting year for MG’s main man.

And now we’re onto the final track of the ten, and the most difficult to place. PEAK, Trey Denzel, and Bains were briefly nudged off by a newcomer to the blog, and page.

Shamlo - to the grave

Shamlo’s been on a blitz this year, with more singles dropping in the span of four months, than any other artist on the list. ‘Vancouver rain, i still miss u bitch, u&i and stuck. Each track exemplifies a startling venn genre overlapping with notes of hip hop, pop, alternative, and quasi-edm that mixes into a hazy tonic, unfamiliar and unique. Hell, when the track came on, it felt like finding a shiny pokemon out in the wilds. It’s mastered to such a degree that I thought I had come across LA’s next breakout talent. I’m crazy excited to see where stvrk, and Sham take these cascading sonics in 2024.

And with that final paragraph out of the way, wow. Putting these tracks in a playlist feels like finally bringing together what I had always seen in the scene. A smorgasbord of different genres, and styles all coexisting in it’s own little slice of Canada. No two tracks alike. No two musicians with the same vision in mind.

Yet, if there’s any trait I can distinguish as synonymous between the tracks, it’s the sheer quality apparent across the board. And I think it comes from a long winter cooped up, mastering, and doubling down on skills that can uphold dreams as weighty as the sun.

From the mixes and masters, to the artwork, and bios, these artists, and these tracks are my new barometer for the city. Gone are the days between b’s, and 1’s clotting the city's veins. This new era of acts are honing in, and doubling down, and I can’t wait to see their growth.

Long live independent music, and the underground.

Thank you for reading as always.

From H with Love.

Bonus***

Shit… There were too many good tracks for me not to add a few notable names. Special shoutout Mikihella’s who released some of the best music of his career this 2024. Asal… whose track, I can’t stop hitting play on. Revay whose live vocals are to die for. And lastly Kellend who never stops dropping bangers.

Top ten tracks from yvr 24’ q1