Following the release of their latest single 'The Light', Flex caught up with ACCHORDIO to discover what influences their signature New Age sound with the soul of R&B . If you enjoy ACCHORDIO's picks, be sure to check out 'The Light' at the end of the article. Michael Jackson - Remember the Time That’s my favorite song EVER! The way the background vocals develop through the song. The energetic new jack swing and the power of Michael’s lead vocal by the final portion of it! It

Following the release of their latest single 'Christmas Ambulance', Flex caught up with Brighton's alt-indie trio Saltend Recovery to discover what influences their eclectic sound. If you enjoy Saltend Recovery's picks, be sure to check out 'Christmas Ambulance' at the end of the article. 1. Elliott Smith - Independence Day Elliott’s guitar finger picking is sublime on this track and he was at the peak of his powers here. It sounds like he could be describing his own butterfl

Following the release of her latest EP '11.11', Flex caught up with London-based pop artist Elfi to discover what influences her glittery pop sound. If you enjoy Elfi's picks, be sure to check out '11.11' at the end of the article. Let Alone The One You Love - Olivia Dean One of those songs that I wish I had written. Olivia captures the fragility of a relationship in which someone tries to keep you small. And how important it is to run away from people that make you feel that

Following the release of their latest single 'Laugh about it', Flex caught up with London dreampop band Just Like Honey to discover what influences their lush, expansive sound. If you enjoy Just Like Honey's picks, be sure to check out 'Laught about it' at the end of the article. 1. Orbital - Halcyon On and On Ah this song is like a dream and it scratches my brain. Best after party tune to put on, Orbital are also great live i saw them at a festival and it was a spiritual exp

Following the release of his latest single 'Legendary', Flex caught up with Peruvian DJ/producer Diego Barrera to find out what influences his eclectic sound. If you enjoy Diego's picks, be sure to check out 'Legendary' at the end of the article. 1. Eddie Amador – House Music (Robosonic Remix) This is one of my all-time favorite house tracks. Its joyful energy and those unforgettable chords were what really made me connect with this musical direction—and with Yoshitoshi at th

After more than ten years of writing, touring, and carving quiet spaces for reflection, Alina Ly is finally ready to open the box. Her debut album Shoebox is a decade of memory and release, held together by intimate confessionals and the slow, cinematic bloom of emotional transformation. Shoebox radically reconstructs everything Alina has lived through. Across the record’s hushed production and soul-stricken melodies, she builds a world of soft revelation - a place where gr

Some bands begin with grand declarations. The Ingrid began with a feeling - the kind you can’t quite name, but can’t ignore either. In a modest Chichester rehearsal room, three musicians found themselves orbiting the same intangible spark. There was no blueprint, no fixed sound in mind. Just Jess Charleslyn turning over a small, persistent idea, trying to work out why it wouldn’t leave her alone. That idea became “Limerence,” the band’s debut single, a track that seems to g

Photo credit: Lulu Shing With his rework of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise,” Ben Hazlewood dissolves nostalgia into a raw and cinematic dream tableau. The New Zealand-born, New York based artist approaches the 1989 classic as a quiet confrontation: bridging empathy and nostalgia into a timeless modern twist. Recorded in his apartment with a longtime collaborator, Hazlewood’s version feels both intimate and expansive, a world where tenderness hums beneath the noise.

Following the release of his latest album three stone fireside, vol. 1 , Flex caught up with Der Oscar Effekt to discover what influences his unique sound, blending Afrofusion, Makossa, Bikutsi, African folk, and hip-hop . If you enjoy Der Oscar Effekt's picks, be sure to check out three stone fireside, vol. 1 at the end of the article. Jovi – “Mboko God (Reality) feat Reniss” Jovi is, to me, one of the most influential and complete hip hop artists—not just in Cameroon, but a

On the back of their stunning and country rock-infused Americana single 'The Other Side', rising UK outfit Kay Iris are getting better with each release, and building a solid following whilst doing so. We sat down with them to learn the 5 songs they love right now, here at FLEX! -- 1. Laycee Kay Booth - Daddy's Mugshot Kay: I love the grittiness and honesty of this song. Laycee is so good at creating and  immersive, 3D world that pulls you into her songs. I've recently discov

On the back of his mesmerising synthwave single 'Schism', Rogue VHS has quintessentially built a sonic world that is entirely is own, blending electronica with synth nostalgia and building a huge audience in the meantime. We sat down with him to learn the 5 songs he loves right now, here at FLEX! -- 1. Love Me In Silence - Gown I review music over at submithub.com , and this was sent to me a week or so ago. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Darkwave/coldwave

Bren.d.o: Southern Illinois’ Neo-Soul Storyteller Readies His Breakout Moment Southern Illinois native Brendan “Bren.d.o” Jennings is closing out 2025 with the momentum of an artist on the verge of a defining breakthrough. His alt-R&B and neo-soul fusion has already drawn national attention, bolstered by two iTunes-charting singles — ‘Electric Love Affair’ featuring Kendra Chanae and the bass-driven ‘Boom Boom’ — positioning him as one of the year’s most promising new voices.

Photo Credit: Daniëlle Weener Following the release of their latest single, 'Seventeen', Flex caught up with Dutch brothers Baby Condor to find out what influences their unique sound, blending pop, country, folk, and indie. If you enjoy Baby Condor's picks, be sure to check out 'Seventeen' at the end of the article. 1. Beach Boys - God Only Knows One of our favourite songwriters, Brian Wilson took pop music to the next level with his 1966 Pet Sounds album. Filled with beautif

Following the release of his latest EP 'A Map of the Human', Flex caught up with Italian producer Moonbrew to discover what influences his unique sound, blending electronica, hip-hop, and jazz. If you enjoy Moonbrew's picks, be sure to check out 'A Map of the Human' at the end of the article. 1. DJ Shadow – Midnight in a Perfect World What has inspired me the most about DJ Shadow is his sonic exploration — the highly creative and unconventional use of samples that pushed inst

A spectral fusion of witch house and dark fairycore, the record captures the eerie allure of unseen worlds through immersive self-production and raw emotion. Out now on all streaming platforms On raven’s inferno, Atlanta-based producer, vocalist, and composer r4vn conjures a world that flickers between dream and decay — a witch house odyssey steeped in dark fairycore ambience and occult symbolism. It’s a record that sounds like it was pulled from another realm: eerie, immersi

Following the release of their latest single 'Friend', Flex caught up with Michael E Goodwin from the Massachusetts-based collective Goodwin to find out what influences their folk, art-rock sound. If you enjoy Goodwin's picks, be sure to check out 'Friend' at the end of the article. 1. “Sucker Row” Mark Knopfler Sitting in the third position on one of my favorite albums of all time, “Sucker Row” is the quintessential Knopfler tune. One of the things I admire most about Mark i

On the back of her stunning single 'Un(familia)rity' which blends between the digital age of pop and how technology should be used within music, August Kamp channels this energy so eloquently, and is an artist that will be on your radar in the coming months. We had the chance to sit down with her to learn all about the 5 songs she loves, exclusively for FLEX! -- 1. Bon Iver – 8 (circle) gotta open with my long-standing favorite song. it just seems perfect to me, idk. it’s suc

Following the release of his latest single 'Love Sings', Flex caught up with NYC Saxophonist and composer Bernell Jones II to discover what influences his fusion of R&B, soul, and alternative jazz sounds. If you enjoy Bernell's picks, be sure to check out 'Love Sings' at the end of the article. 1. Share My Life by Kem  I love this track because it is the definition of a true love song — R&B in its purest form written from the heart, where every part of the song, from the lyri

On the back of his stunning debut single 'Live Without You', we sat down with Brighton's new star Niall O'Connor, to learn all about the 5 songs he loves, exclusively for FLEX! -- 1. Michael Jackson – Human Nature I love  ' Human Nature'   by Michael Jackson because it takes me back to being a kid, playing his songs over and over and dreaming of being like him one day. It’s always hard to pick just one Michael Jackson song, but this one feels timeless. He was an innovator an

Photo Credit: MICA Studios Following the release of their latest single, 'Asking Me Why', Flex caught up with Australian alt-indie band House of Strangers to find out what influences their signature alt-pop, indie rock, and electronica sound. If you enjoy House of Stranger's picks, be sure to check out 'Asking Me Why' at the end of the article. 1. Alex G - Runner When this song came out in 2022, I was inspired by his combination of traditional instruments like acoustic guita