Novelist is a 17-year-old MC and producer from London who has had a fantastic year. We shone a light on him in May with this Daily Discovery feature, not long after the release of his gritty, futuristic collaboration with Mumdance, “Take Time.” Now, the fearsome pairing have teamed up again for an EP on XL Recordings, which features two new songs, “1 Sec” and “Shook,” and their respective instrumentals.
It’s nice to see XL Recordings supporting a new generation of grime artists (they released Dizzee Rascal and Wiley’s debut albums), and “Shook” is a massive tune—the beat is simple but devastatingly effective and Novelist comes with his usual exuberant energy. The 1 Sec EP is out January 21, and we wouldn’t be mad if it preceded a whole album from these two. Check “Shook” out below.
