In this ‘Listed’ feature, we get to know the most radicalist up-and-coming stars through a themed list of their top musical picks.  

This time we chat with ferocious South London sextet, Phobophobes.

We first heard about Phobophobes on the release of their debut single ‘Advertise Your Life’, which struck us as a remarkably astute track casting a critical eye on the semi-fictional lives we lead online. Since then, the six-piece have gone from strength to strength cultivating a reputation for producing a uniquely unhinged and unsettling brand of psychedelic rock.

To be sure, the band have confronted a number of troubles on the way, mostly significantly the untimely death of guitarist George Russell (R.I.P.), but even in the face of such tragedy the band have tirelessly persisted and, alongside producer-of-the-moment Margo Bloom, have produced a most arresting debut record.

On Miniature World, this resilient sextet have utilised a wealth of sonic material to weave their sleazy tales of filth and the squalor, including dizzying guitars, menacing organs and the sharp-witted observations of frontman Jamie Taylor. Shopfront singles ‘Human Baby’, ‘The Never Never’ and ‘Where Is My Owner?’ by no means paint the whole picture, but certainly give a sense of the album’s orientation - lyrically exploring themes of addiction, survival and excessive commercialism. True, the record can at times sound like a perverse bundle of apocalyptic nursery rhymes, but for all its harrowing intensity, we’d be amiss not to draw attention to the healthy dose of humour throughout. A wry smile amid the horror.

Singular as they are, Phobophobes aren’t wallowing through the filth and scum on their own, in fact there’s a whole community of like-minded urban warriors saying it as they see it. As such, the band have compiled a playlist showcasing the music of their comrades. So sit tight, buckle up and lend your ears to the ‘FRIENDS OF PHOBES’…

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1. Pit Ponies - ‘Chasing Skirt’



2. Meatraffle - ‘Acid in the 1940s’



3. Madonnatron - ‘Headless Children’



4. Sleaze - ‘Rapunzel’



5. Warmduscher - ‘Big Wilma’



6. Dan Lyons - ‘Big Moon’



7. Sweat - ‘Acid Rainbow’



8. Insecure Men - ‘All Women Love Me’



9. Goat Girl - ‘Country Sleaze’



10. Fat White Family - ‘Lend Me Some Cutter’



Miniature World is out now via Ra-Ra Rok Records and catch Phobophobes on tour.

-Karl Jawara