Entering
This playlist contains 189 songs. As of September 7th, I recorded the things that caught my attention during the week, in no particular order, and when I looked through them, one fact caught my eye first. Many of them came out on the same day. Friday, September 4, 2026. Saxophonist Linda Shikakane from Durban, King Isoba from northern Ghana, Corto.Alto from Glasgow, Children of Zeus from Manchester, Sylvan Strauss from Hamburg, Emma Dayhuff from LA and YAO from Okinawa. People who most likely did not know each other released albums in their respective cities on the same day.
So this time, I grouped them by region rather than genre or mood. In what city, who made it, with whom, and what kind of song it was made. The word scene ultimately means the line between people, so I wrote down where that line leads for each song. It starts in Kingston, travels through the Caribbean and Africa, passes through London and continental Europe, Tokyo, Seoul, Melbourne, São Paulo and Mexico City, and ends in North America. There are 25 songs.
Caribbean and Africa
Kingston — D’yani, 「Joy Come A Morning」
D’yani is a Kingston-based singer-songwriter and poet. Around 2022, their name began to become known, and they took a leap forward with “Feelings (Remix)” in which Jada Kingdom participated. They performed at the Reggae Sumfest and St. Lucia Jazz Festival. The debut album [Live Life & Prosper] was released on the British label Lizzy Records on August 21, 2026, and contains 11 songs.
The producer list includes Runkus and Kareem “Remus” Burrell, the latter of whom is the son of Xterminator founder Philip “Patis” Burrell. The birthplace of the roots revival of the 90s has reached the new album through the son’s generation. The release commemorative performance was held at 105 Water Lane in Downtown Kingston. 「Joy Come A Morning」 is track 9. The title reminds us of the phrase from Psalm 30, ‘Joy comes in the morning.’ A singer who held a concert to release her debut album on a downtown street placed a song with this title at number 9.
New York ↔ East London (South Africa) — Louie Vega & Msaki, 「Mercy Of Time」
It is a meeting between Louie Vega from the Bronx and Msaki from East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Vega is one half of Masters at Work and runs his own label, Vega Records. Msaki’s real name is Asanda Lusaseni Mvana. “Fetch Your Life” with Prince Kaybee went 6x platinum in South Africa, and he has worked with musicians Black Coffee, TRESOR, and Sun-L. She won Female Artist of the Year at the 2022 South African Music Awards.
「Mercy Of Time」 was officially released in early September as part of Vega Records catalog number 245. Msaki co-produced the lyrics and vocals, Vega produced the song, Cuban pianist Axel Tosca played the keyboard, and French Afro-house producer Manoo co-produced the drums. There are several versions, including dub, instrumental, and chiappella with only Msaki’s voice, and the short version included in the playlist. A Bronx producer, an Eastern Cape singer, a Cuban pianist and a French drummer are on one song’s credits.
Durban, Umlazi — Linda Sikhakhane, “Ubizo”
![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937116109.jpeg|800x800]] Linda Sikhakhane is a saxophonist from Umlazi, KwaZulu-Natal. He studied with Dr. Brian Tussey at the Siyakula Music Center, studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and studied with Billy Harper and Reggie Workman at the New School in New York through a SAMRO Overseas Scholarship in 2016. 2022 Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year (Jazz Category). He is currently affiliated with Blue Note.
The fifth album [LINDA] was released on Blue Note on September 4, 2026, and the producer is his teacher, Nduduzo Makhathini. The trio of Cameron Campbell (piano), Conway Campbell Jr. (bass), and Cabelo Mokatla (drums) is joined by guests such as Omagugu, Zuluboy, and Pilar Deulzi, and the trumpet is played by his younger brother, Thabo Sikakane. “Ubizo” means ‘calling’ in Zulu. UK Vibe wrote that Coltrane’s energy is evident, saying that the piano forms the framework of the song and the tenor leads the song. This is an album in which the lineage of South African spiritual jazz, from Makatini to Chikakane, has its own name under the American label Blue Note. 「Indlela」 is also on the same album.
South Africa — Outdoor DJz, 「SWENKA (feat. Benzoo & Danger De Talented)」
It’s an amapiano. Outdoor DJz is a South African DJ/producer team that released [An Ideal Friendship (S1Ep1)] in 2023, followed by ‘Most Wanted’ and ‘Jolla’ in 2025, and ‘Skepe’ in 2026. 「SWENKA」 is included in the 2026 edition of [An Ideal Friendship], and Spotify credits include 015 MusiQ & Van City MusiQ, Official RSA, and Royal Tee, as well as Benzoo and Danger De Talented.
The same names are also gathered in “Strata” in 2025. The credits clearly show that Amapiano is crew music with many names attached to it rather than one star. ‘Swenka’ comes from the culture where Zulu migrant workers dressed up in suits and competed for style.
Bolgatanga (Ghana) — King Ayisoba, 「Memsoh」
King Ayisoba was born in Bolgatanga, northern Ghana, in 1974. He plays a two-stringed gourd lute called a kologo and says he sings with “three voices,” including his grandfather’s voice. In 2006, his debut album [Modern Ghanaians]’ “I Want To See You My Father” won three categories at the Ghana Music Awards the following year, and he also worked with Lee “Scratch” Perry. The seventh album [Pure Confusion] was released on September 4, 2026 at Mais Um in London.
The producer is Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound. Doug Wimbish was on bass, Alex White was on saxophone, and Ayuune Sule, also from Prafra, was on percussion and vocals. 「Memsoh」 is track number 4. Bolgatanga’s Cologo and London’s Dub are in one album, and sitting in between them is Sherwood. The bonus track “No Tradition, No Africa” was produced by Panji Anoff of Pidgin Music and featured Rocky Dawuni.
Nairobi — Octopizzo, 「IMF」
Octopizzo is Henry Ohanga, a rapper who grew up in Kibera, Nairobi. [Chocolate City], [LDPC], Next Year, Jungle Fever, and Lamu Nights, and is also known for the [Refugeenius] project created with refugees from Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps. 「IMF」 is a single released on September 2, 2026, and he announced that it is the first song of his next regular album. The music video was created using AI visual production. It’s up to you to hear the song’s content in person, but the story begins simply because the Nairobi rapper chose these three letters as the title.
Beirut — Stephanie Stephanou, 「You Turn Me On (Habibi Funk 035)」
![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937192628.jpeg|700x700]] This isn’t the only new song. Habibi Funk is an Arab music reissue label run by Jannis Stürtz in Berlin, and number 035 is a compilation called [Beirut City Pop]. It is scheduled for release on October 16, 2026 and is currently available for pre-order. A collection of ten synth pop and city pop songs that were recorded during the Lebanese Civil War but were not properly distributed due to the war.
Many of the musicians included were people from Ziad Rahbani’s Bypass Studio, and Stephanie Stephanou was also a singer in Beirut’s private cassette scene at the time. 「You Turn Me On」 is the first song in the compilation. Names like Force, Andromeda, Games, Walid Itaim & Sami Shabu follow. It is a record that even while the city was collapsing, someone was making city pop.
UK
London — Ezra Collective, 「Jubilee Feeling」
Ezra Collective is a team that needs no introduction, but this album is a bit different. Femi Koleoso (drums), TJ Koleoso (bass), Joe Amon-Jones (keyboard), Ife Ogunjobi (trumpet), James Mollison (saxophone). They met in the Tomorrow Warriors, and in 2023, they received the Mercury Prize, the first jazz band to do so with [Where I’m Meant to Be], and in 2025, they became the first jazz band to receive the Brit Award for Group of the Year. ![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937253935.jpeg|800x800]] The fourth album, [Here Because of Hope], will be released on September 11th through Partizan. It consists of three movements: Africa, Caribbean, and London, and the narration is read by actress Letitia Wright. Pa Saliu, Lila Ike, Leona Luis and Libianca participated. 「Jubilee Feeling」 is the third single released on August 25th and track 15 out of 17 songs, and is an instrumental song without a feature. Femi said that in this song, UK jazz meets funky house and “the classics of British electronic music,” and that ‘Jubilee’ is “the name of the church where I grew up.” The significance is that this song is in the last movement of the album, which starts from Africa, travels through the Caribbean, and arrives in London.
London × Chicago — Joy Crookes & Ravyn Lenae, 「Feet Don’t Fail Me Now – Part 2」
Joy Crookes is South London and Ravyn Lenae is Chicago. 「Feet Don’t Fail Me Now」 is a song originally featured on Crooks’ 2021 debut album [Skin], and this ‘Part 2’ is a new version released on Insanity Records on September 1, 2026. Crooks said he wrote the song “from the perspective of someone who feels it’s easier to remain a co-conspirator for fear of being canceled.”
This is the kind of song whose lyrics from 2021 will sound more accurate in 2026. After rocking the US R&B charts with “Love Me Not,” Renee recently released her third album, [Blue Island]. This is also Crux’s next move since his second album, [Juniper], released in 2025. London soul and Chicago R&B meet in a song from five years ago.
Glasgow — corto.alto, 「YURA」
corto.alto is the name of Glasgow trombonist and producer Liam Shortall. Nominated for the Scottish Jazz Award for Best Album in 2020 for [Live From 435], New Music Scotland’s Mark McCargo Jazz Innovation Award in 2021, and Mercury Prize nominee for his debut album [Bad With Names] in 2024.
The second album [SOME SMALL FORTUNE] was released by Ninja Tune on September 4, 2026. This album was recorded in my home studio in Glasgow and started from family photos that I found by chance. The band consists of Graham Costello (drums, STRATA), Fergus McCready (piano), and Mateusz Sobieski (saxophone). These three are now the center of Glasgow jazz. The lead single “GO” featured Nigerian rapper Vector, and other songs featured Jacob Alon, Anais, Oscar Jerome, and Mick Jenkins. 「YURA」 is a performance song without features. Trombone, bass, effects, and all three things Shortol lists in the credits are included. The title song “SOME SMALL FORTUNE” is also on the playlist.
Manchester — Children of Zeus, 「Star」
![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937278277.jpeg|800x800]] The duo of Tyler Daley and Konny Kon. Originating from Manchester Pirate Radio, they sing street soul, alternative R&B and boom bap under one word, ‘hip-hop soul’. The third album [As The World Burns…] was released on First Word Records on September 4, 2026. It’s been 5 years since [Balance] in 2021, and it has 16 songs and about 50 minutes.
Most of it was produced by himself, and some parts were handled by Grammy winners Beat Butcha, Teo, and Broken Beat’s K15. Knucks, Young Old Soul, Anieszka, and [ K S R ] from Manchester also participated. “Star” is track 13. There are four songs in the playlist, including the title song “As The World Burns,” “Good Light,” and “Do You Wanna Get High” with [ K S R ], so this is the most played album this week. The tour’s home town performance will be at Band on the Wall.
Continental Europe
Hamburg — Silvan Strauss, 「BACK (SOUL)」
Silvan Strauss is a drummer and producer from Hamburg. This is a person who plays the pattern of Chicago footwork with an acoustic drum. After Madlib’s beat album [FACING] and collaborative album [FLUKIN’], [SPRINTING] was released on Kabul Fire Records on September 4, 2026.
Kabul Fire is the label of producer FARHOT. Reuben James, Petter Eldh, Anna-Lena Schnabel, and Farhat himself participated. 「BACK (SOUL)」 is track 5, and the 4th song immediately preceding it is 「BACK (REVENGE)」. The label introduces that this album originated from Chicago Footwork and Traxman. A home town performance will be held at the Ernst Deutsche Theater in Hamburg on October 18th.
France — Léon Phal & Jungle Jack, “Pleine Forêt”
Léon Phal is a saxophonist, composer and producer. France’s Inter has called it “the vanguard of the new jazz/groove scene.” After the album [Stress Killer] and the collaborative EP with Folamour, the new album [Bodies & Ideas] will be released on September 25, 2026 by Heavenly Sweetness and Sony Masterworks.
「Pleine Forêt」 is the album’s pre-released song, featuring new French rapper Jungle Jack. The title means ‘in the middle of the forest’. As seen in his work with Polamour, jazz bands continue to move toward thinking more like producers. The album includes “Murmulea” and “UK Rain,” both featuring Fabiana Martone as vocalist. A tour of France is scheduled starting in the fall.
East Asia
Tokyo — Shun Ishiwaka, 高橋佑成, マーティ・ホロベック, Tomoaki Baba, 「Mabui Ni」
![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937300343.jpeg|500x500]] Shun Ishiwaka (石若駿) is a drummer born in Hokkaido in 1992. He graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, and actually played the drums for the main character, Tamada, in the 2023 animated film [Blue Giant]. [Answer to Remember II] won the 2025 CD Shop Grand Prize in the jazz category. The trio’s second album, [Mabui], was released on Universal Music Japan on September 2, 2026. ‘Mabui’ means ‘soul’ in Okinawa, and ‘Mabui Ni’ is ‘Mabui 弐’ paired with ‘Mabui 壱’.
Yusei Takahashi (高橋佑成) played piano, Marty Holoubek (bassist), who came to Tokyo from Adelaide in 2018, and saxophonist Tomoaki Baba (馬場智章) participated in all songs. Baba has been friends with Ishiwaka since childhood in Sapporo, and played the saxophone for the main character Dai in the same [Blue Giant]. All four are connected through trumpet player Terumasa Hino’s band or stage. The credits tell us that a generation of Tokyo jazz grew up around that one man. The hall tour runs from September to January next year.
Okinawa — YAO, 「FOR OKINAWA (feat. Awich, CHICO CARLITO, ONE OK ROCK & Paledusk)」
YAO is a Japanese genre-crossing project formed in 2026. Awich and CHICO CARLITO from Okinawa, ONE OK ROCK led by Taka, and Fukuoka metalcore band Paledusk. The name comes from ‘Yaoyorozu (八百万)’, which means that God resides in all things. The first single “777” was released on July 7th, and “FOR OKINAWA” is the second single released on September 4th. It started from a conversation about Okinawa’s history and trauma, and Taka said he wrote a type of melody he had never done in his career. Hip hop, stadium rock, and metalcore all in one song for one place: Okinawa.
Osaka × Seoul — ISSEI TERADA & Choi Yudam, 「RAMUNE (feat. CHOIYUDAM)」
ISSEI TERADA is an Osaka rapper, beatmaker, producer, and video director. He has been the live DJ for rapper BASI for a long time, and has worked with names in the Osaka hip-hop scene such as Rude Alpha, Fushim, and Infumiaikumiai. The EPs [Bounce] and [DDD] were released in 2025.
Yudam Choi is a Korean artist who released [EVE] in 2025. 「RAMUNE」 came out on August 31, 2026. The title is Japanese Bead Cider Ramune. I chose it because it is an example of a direct connection between the underground in Osaka and Seoul without a large label. A person who had been DJing behind someone else’s stage for a long time called an artist from Seoul under his own name.
Seoul — Nokeum, “Nevertheless, Ever”
He is a musician who does all the recording, composition, arrangement, engineering, and artwork on his own. Jazz, Korean R&B, lo-fi, and hip-hop mix under a low, calm voice. It started with the EP [misbelief] in 2024, followed by [How Many Seconds In Eternity?], [nononoanyway] in 2025, and [Iamsittinginaroomwithmylaptop] in 2026, and is distributed through Pokhranos. The 3rd full-length album [Goneway] was released on September 2, 2026.
It is an album with 13 songs and less than 32 minutes, and “Nevertheless” is track 5. The title is already a sentence. It reads as if ‘ever’ was added to ‘nevertheless’. He is a person who considers microphone selection, mixing, and spatial arrangement important. Although he is an artist who has released his third full-length album, he held his first performance at the Mangwon-dong Cafe Dropper at the end of August. There will be a music review event at TW Records on September 10th.
Seoul, Goseong — noblemen, 「Cheonjin Beach」
The Yangbans were formed in Seoul in 2013, debuted as ‘Jeon Beom-seon and the Yangbans’ in 2014, and took on their current name in 2019. Led by Jeon Beom-seon. Love Songs, Revolution Songs, Vagabond Songs, Hymns from the Dragon Lake, Haebangchon. In 2017, he won the Best Rock Song at the Korean Popular Music Awards for “Revolution from Below.” They make what they call ‘poongryu’ into rock that passes through jazz, funk, hip-hop, and R&B.
“Cheonjin” is a single released on August 31, 2026, and Cheonjin is the name of a beach in Goseong, Gangwon-do. This song continues the live video series filmed in Goseong this year. On September 4th, they performed on the Baybeats stage at Esplanade in Singapore. It was the week when a Seoul band wrote a song in the name of the East Sea beach and sang the song in Singapore.
Oceania
Melbourne — Audrey Powne, “Stay Awake”
Audrey Powne is a Melbourne-born trumpeter, vocalist and producer who now lives in England. He studied music at Monash University and worked with the R&B project Leisure Centre, the duo Au Dré with James Bowers, and the jazz quartet Aura. Belongs to BBE Music since 2023. In 2024, he was nominated for ARIA’s Best Jazz Album and Australian Music Prize for his debut album [From the Fire], and received Music Victoria’s Best Solo Artist award in the same year. ![[20260907_플레이리스트_지도-1788937359535.jpeg|800x800]] The second album [Bodies of Water] will be released on BBE on September 25, 2026, and “Stay Awake” is the second track. Composing, producing, arranging, trumpet, vocals, and keyboards were all done by Faun, with David “DJ” Ginyard on bass, Jonathan Barber on drums, and Randy Runyon on guitar. The label explains that it has jazz, Afrobeat, Dilla-style groove and ambient in one album. It’s one of the names that shows how Melbourne jazz sounds outside of Australia.
Latin America
São Paulo — João Donato & Djavan, 「Falta de Ar」
João Donato was a pianist, composer, and arranger who was born in Acri in 1934 and died in 2023. One of the pioneers of bossa nova and Latin jazz. [Viva Donato] is a tribute album in his honor, and was released in August 2026 on Sesc’s label, Sao Paulo Sesc. It was recorded in five studios in June and July 2025, and was artistically directed by Hezzina Oreiro and Iboni Belem.
Since all the songs are Donato’s works, the credits are given as ‘Joao Donato & Who’. Gilberto Gill, Bebel Gilberto, Zaban, Joice Moreno, Silva, Roberta Sa, Iban Lins, Joao Bosco, Papa de Belem, Margarech Menezes. Dori Kaimi and Markus Valli were involved in the arrangement. I chose “Falta de Ar” sung by Jabang, and “Aquela Delícia Singela” by Silva and “Até Quem Sabe” by Joice Moreno are also on the playlist. A release performance will be held at Cesc Villa Mariana in September. This is an album that shows how Brazil sends off its masters.
Mexico City — Girl Ultra & Chromeo, 「Te Caigo」
Girl Ultra is Mariana de Miguel from Mexico City. He released [blush] in 2024 and is under Big Dada under Ninja Tune. 「Te Caigo」 is the third single released on September 3, 2026, and will be included in the album [RRRomeo], which will be released on October 9. The album was co-produced with Chromeo, who pushed the song towards punk. The music video was directed by himself and filmed on Insurgentes Sur Boulevard, and he said he was inspired by Divine and John Waters. The album features Buscabula, Empress Of, and Jean Tonique. It is the result of Mexico City R&B meeting Montreal electro funk.
Montreal → Lisbon — Gayance & Judith Little D, 「Better For My Heart」
Gayance is a Haitian-Canadian producer, vocalist, and DJ born in Montreal and now living in Lisbon. He is a member of Brighton’s Tru Thoughts. The second album [Roaming] will be released on October 9, 2026, and 「Better For My Heart」 is its pre-released song.
The label introduced this song as “a song about emptying your emotions and establishing your own value.” The album spans 10 years between Montreal, Lisbon, and Brazil, and features fellow Haitian Montrealers such as Jarreau Vandal and Nomadic Massive’s Waahli. This is a case where one person’s movement path becomes the map of the album.
North America
Dallas × LA — Erykah Badu & The Alchemist, 「Black Box (feat. Kamasi Washington)」
This is Erykah Badu’s first studio album in 16 years. First time since [New Amerykah Part Two] (2010). [Before The World Blows] was jointly released by Badu’s Control Freaq and Alchemist’s Young on August 28, 2026. 17 songs. The two met at Badu’s Dallas birthday party, and recorded for 18 months traveling between Dallas and LA. It was originally scheduled to be released on August 29, 2025, but was pushed back by a year.
Kamasi Washington participated in 「Black Box」, Steve Lacey participated in 「To The Moon (Plan C)」, and Earl Sweatshirt, Thundercat, and DRAM are also on the album. This is an album where the LA jazz and alternative soul connections around Alchemist meet the prototype of Dallas neo-soul. Starting in September, they will be touring North America with De La Soul and Smino. The two people who met at a birthday party and spent 18 months together is the starting point of this album.
Chicago ↔ LA — Emma Dayhuff, 「The Wind」
Emma Dayhuff is a bassist and songwriter. Born in Massachusetts, raised in Bozeman, Montana, attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and spent seven years in Chicago’s creative music scene. He studied with Ron Carter and Gerald Cannon in New York, and received his doctorate in Madison, Wisconsin. He now teaches at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Following their debut album [Innovations & Lineage: The Chicago Project] in 2025, their second album [Mountains] was released by Division 81 on September 4, 2026.
This album starts from my childhood in Montana, and the band is the map. Trumpet Corey Wilkes and saxophone Isaiah Collier from Chicago, piano Paul Cornish and drums Jonathan Pinson from LA. “The Wind” is track 3, and “Distance,” featuring vocals by Akenya and Andrew Renfro, is also on the playlist. Chicago’s groove-based avant-garde and LA modern jazz meet in one bassist’s career. It was also highlighted at this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival.
Baltimore — Turnstile & Nourished by Time, 「SUNSHOWER: NOURISHED BY TIME VERSION」
Turnstile is a Baltimore hardcore band. [NEVER ENOUGH], released by Roadrunner in June 2025, ranked 9th on the Billboard 200, and received the Grammy for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance for “Birds.” [NEVER ENOUGH: VERSIONS] is a 22-song album released on August 28, 2026. It is not a remix album, but is introduced as ‘versions’ of each song recreated by someone else. It was announced a week before release.
Four Tet, Blood Orange, Faye Webster, Brandon Woody, Elton John, Hayley Williams, A.G. The list of participants is long, including Cook, Panda Bear, Shabaka, and Dan Deacon. This version of “SUNSHOWER” was performed by Marcus Brown, also of Baltimore’s Nourished by Time. There are a lot of people from Baltimore and Maryland throughout the album. Nourished by Time, Angel Dust, Dan Deacon, Brandon Woody, Rod Lee, Panda Bear, Dying Peters. A hardcore band brings together the R&B, jazz, club, and noise of their city into one album. The playlist also includes versions by Four Tet, Blood Orange, Faye Webster, and Brandon Woody.
Going out
After organizing the 25 songs by city, a few lines remain. Makatini to Shikakane, Patis Burrell to Remus Burrell, Hino Terumasa to Ishiwaka and Bavaro. Teacher and student, father and son, friends from the same neighborhood. Even if it’s a new song, there’s already an existing line behind it, and this week’s albums extend that line one step at a time.
It is true that albums released on the same day do not know each other. However, in one person’s playlist, they are placed side by side. After Durban’s saxophone comes Glasgow’s trombone, and after Okinawa comes Goseong Beach. The order is determined by the listener. This article simply transcribes the order on a map.
Another 189 songs will be added next week.