MO SOUNDS: New music from India.Arie, Tasha LaRae + more

India.Arie — “Worthy”

One of the most (hell, perhaps THE most) prolific and influential artists to rise from the Atlanta soul scene, India.Arie returns to the world’s collective earholes in February with her eighth studio album, “Worthy.” And, taking a listen to the 10-track project’s first two singles — “That Magic” and “What If” — it’s apparent that “Worthy” is a return to the straightforward and soulful sound she made famous on early albums like “Acoustic Soul” and “Voyage to India.” That said, she could release a country-rap album, and we’d be down to snag a copy. In other words: Go buy it.

More info: soulbird.com.

DJ Larmarrous — “Death of a Valentine”

Slo*Mo’s own DJ Larmarrous takes a break from his design and record-spinning duties to drop a single of his own: “Death of a Valentine.” Folks in the know are aware that Larmarrous has been producing tracks on the low for years, but finally he’s making his rarely heard music available to wider audiences — starting with this somber-yet-soulful instrumental. Be on the lookout for a full album in 2019, featuring a bevy of more unreleased and brand-new material.

More info: djlarmarrous.bandcamp.com.

Nicki Monty — “Ether”

Another DJ who’s been spreading her wings into more production in recent years is Nicki Monty. The house-centric music maker dropped the EP “Blended Souls” in 2017 — and for 2019 she’s back with a brand-new EP titled “Ether.” Her latest project, available in late February, is a deep
dive into deep house, featuring a divergent pair of sparse, atmospheric and danceable tracks. This collection follows the release of the melodic single “Baby Girl” (with vocals by South African-based singer/songwriter Shota) that dropped in December 2018. And if you’ve never snagged any cuts by Monty, you’ve got a nice body of work — new and not-so-new — to catch up on.

More info: nickimonty.bandcamp.com.

Tasha LaRae — “Ready”

Vocalist/songwriter (and all-around entrepreneur) Tasha LaRae — fresh from the release of her 2018 solo EP “Light” — revisits the house music genre on her latest single, “Ready.” Written by LaRae and Jay Kutz and produced by Kutz and DJ Spen, “Ready” is presented by the Quantize Recordings and is both soul-filled and beat-heavy at the same damn time. And when you purchase the tune on Traxsource, you’ll get the chance to grab a gaggle of remixes on top of the dope original version.

More info: www.traxsource.com.