Sofie Lindevall

A solid staple in any independent music fan’s diary, Visions Festival has become well known for year after year bringing the most interesting new acts to an action-packed one-dayer in East London’s Hackney. Back to its original, full-blown, version for the first time since pre-pandemic, Saturday 23 July saw Visions take over five venues and fill them with performances from 35 acts across all musical genres.

It had been 1,855 days and it turns out that we weren’t alone in counting. “I’ve been going through something / 1,855 days / I’ve been going through something / Be afraid” are the lines marking the return of one of the most influential rappers of our time. Half a decade in the making, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers sees Kendrick Lamar take us through the rollercoaster ride that has been the last five years.

New York-based singer, songwriter and producer Amber Mark first caught the attention of tastemakers and music fans alike back in 2016 when she made her first single ‘S P A C E’ available on Soundcloud. Followed by a steady stream of single and EP releases, such as 2017’s 3:33am and 2018’s Conexão, Amber Mark established herself as a household name on the contemporary R&B scene. Landing almost six years after her debut single is Three Dimensions Deep, a debut album well worth the wait.