Today (27 January) sees the release of NEW GEN, the party / radio show / label / music collective curated by former GRM Daily editor Caroline SM and made possible by XL Recordings.

Showcasing a snapshot of the UK’s most exciting young talent – AJ Tracey, Jevon, Stefflon Don, Ray BLK – the compilation is essential listening for anybody hoping to keep a grasp on the UK underground.

The record is out now. After hours spent in a basement studio in Dalston, these 17 tracks from this cast of young, hungry artists is ready. To celebrate, we asked chief A&R Caroline SM and Executive Producer Renz to break down the record, track-by-track.

01

Welcome to the New Gen

Avelino, Bonkaz

Caroline: This song was made randomly at 4AM in Red Bull Studios, Bonkaz and OG Maco had a session that got cancelled so Avelino came and they just started barring. This is kind of like a sequel to a track they have called Shine. It was never gonna make the album but when we listened back to all the tunes recorded in that time period we were like, wow, there’s no better way to start off this album than with 2 of the originators.

Renz: I wasn’t in the session for this one but I’ve been in the studio with both Avelino and Bonkaz more than enough to expect greatness. But when I heard this record I was blown away. It was only fitting that this song kicked off the album.

02

Rather Get Money

TE Dness

Renz: TE is one of the first artists we connected with through New Gen and he was on the first New Gen Live show. When we first made this record it was missing something that a TE record usually brings, everybody wanted to scrap it and start again apart from me and [Producer] Nyge, we reworked the beat and TE rerecorded his verses and voila! One of the biggest bangers on the album.

03

Busy

Ray BLK

Caroline: Ray BLK has a really specific recording process, so we tried to make it as comfortable as possible. I think there was only 3 or 4 of us in the studio (tiny in comparison to the huge amount in every other session). One of our producers, Jevon, who made the track really encouraged Ray to rap, I believe this was the first record she ever rapped on a song. It’s a really special one.

04

My Ways

AJ Tracey, J Warner

Renz: One of my favourite songs on the album, AJ came in, felt the vibes, wrote and recorded his verses and everybody in the studio was loving it but the hook just wasn’t sitting right. We tried at least 4 different hooks with different artists as well, it’s only when the magician that is J Warner came in and heard the song that we had a solution, it only took him about 30 minutes as well, legend!

05

Man of the Hour

Jevon

Caroline: Here’s another one that was never gonna make the album. One day Jevon was working on his own in the studio and he just made this demo using a wicked Nina Simone sample. We knew the sample would be hard to clear so I said just make another track. As time passed I kept going back to this demo and it just felt so London, the story he was telling was captivating. I asked Jevon to finish it, there was no way it couldn’t make the album.