PremRock and Willie Green are now artists that have become mainstays of the indie rap scene over the past decade, but back in 2011, they were still establishing their names. Fresh off of a European tour that pushed them to take things to the next level, Green started sending PremRock beat packs to write to, which eventually became their self-titled album. However, due to some label snafus, the album never got promoted and made available widely in the way that the release deserved.

London neo-soul artist Tawiah had been making a name for herself over the last decade, with a couple of EPs and mixtapes, along with some killer live shows all adding to the buzz. All of this was leading up to the release of her debut album, Starts Again, which came out in fall of last year. As it turns out, the launch show for that album at The Albany in Deptford, South London, was being recorded, and it was so good, they just had to release this live EP, Starts Again [Live EP].

Elaquent is a producer from Toronto who emerged as one of the best instrumental artists of the 2010s, with albums out on labels like URBNET, Mello Music Group, HW&W, and Still Muzik. Just this past February, even though it feels like years ago, he released the vocal-collab album, Forever is a Pretty Long Time. Now he’s back with an EP produced during quarantine, Bedtime Stories. Like many during this time period, Elaquent has suffered from periods of insomnia, stress, and bouts of depression.

Thoel Simérville is the collaboration between Australian emcee Thorts and Swedish producer Joel Siméus. Both have been making music for some time, with Siméus working as part of the Empty Space Collective, and Thorts having collaborated with the likes of Eligh and Ceschi, among others. They now present their first album together, Singer-Songwriter Demos Vol. 1. While this project might have a bit of a tongue-in-cheek kind of title in Singer-Songwriter Demos Vol.

Lisa Vazquez is an artist originally from Portland but now based in Los Angeles. While she’s been making music for years, she is probably best known for her live performances and beat battles, along with her YouTube series, “Flip It Friday,” as opposed to her album releases. That said, she did release an excellent solo EP back in 2017, Gravity, which found a balance between her producer side and her vocalist side.

Ten years ago, a Philly emcee who had been juggling two names, Random and Mega Ran, teamed up with D.C. producer and former Panacea member K-Murdock to create a hip hop ode to Nintendo, Forever Famicom. Now, to celebrate that anniversary, they’ve gone back to make a special edition of the album, Forever Famicom: Diamond Edition. We don’t revisit to many re-releases at Scratched Vinyl, but Mega Ran and K-Murdock put some extra special care into this re-release that made it worth revisiting.

Swarvy is a producer originally from Philly but now residing in Los Angeles. Over the years, he’s worked with artists such as lojii, Pink Siifu, and Suzi Analogue, as well as maintaining a solo career. Most recently, we got the last in a series of four EPs called Blend Special. Now he’s come back, but with a project that is different than just about anything in his catalog, an EP called Sunny Days Blue.

Marlowe is the North Carolina duo pairing producer L’Orange with emcee Solemn Brigham. They made their debut just a little over two years ago, when they dropped their self-titled album. Fortunately, it wasn’t a one-off project, because we’ve got Marlowe 2 to sink our teeth into. If you spent time with the first album, you know that Marlowe brought out some of the most banging beats from L’Orange’s catalogue. The second time around, and it’s more of the same.

Natalie Duncan is a singer/songwriter/pianist from Nottingham. She’s actually been at her music career for a while, releasing her first EP back in 2009. Her first big break came when she was asked to be part of Goldie’s Band By Royal Appointment, a concert series at Buckingham Palace put on by drum and bass producer Goldie, designed to elevate younger artists. Following this, she signed with Verve Records and released the album Devil in Me in 2012.

Chairman Maf is a producer from Sheffield that has been releasing music since the early 2010s. His most recent release came about a year ago when he released the EP Muff. Now he’s back with an EP called PAWN, a tribute to Ben Chijoke, aka Ty, who passed away this May due to COVID-19. While this EP is serving as a tribute to Ty, you don’t need to expect any major departure in style from Chairman Maf.