Radar 001: Five Artists That Should Be On Your Radar

Five Artists That Should Be On Your Radar

SELKT Radar is a space for the sounds we keep coming back to.

Not a ranking. Not a playlist. Not a "best of" list.

Just a signal on artists who feel interesting right now. Artists sitting somewhere between sound, mood, craft and discovery. Some are moving through rap. Some are working from the producer's room. Some are bending genres in ways that do not always fit neatly into one lane.

For the first Radar, we are looking at five artists whose music carries its own texture. The thread between them is not one specific genre. It is more about feeling, approach and the kind of sound that makes you want to listen a little closer.

PUMAS + ROSES

The Love I Have To Give

Pumas + Roses

Pumas + Roses sits in an alternative rap space, but there is a softness in the production that keeps the music from feeling too rigid. The flows are loose, the mood is mellow, and the sound carries a soulful underground feel without forcing itself into a clean genre box.

His recent release Uthando Olunje keeps that pocket intact. It leans into a softer side of rap, where the feeling is just as important as the delivery. There is a calmness to it, but it still has presence.

What stands out is how natural the music feels. It does not sound like it is trying to chase a moment. It feels personal, stripped back and easy to return to.

DOX THE MAVERICK

Kompany

Dox The Maverick

Dox The Maverick moves through alternative trap, neo soul, R&B and hip hop without sitting fully inside one of them. His sound has atmosphere, but it is still grounded in rap. The production often feels spacious, giving the writing room to breathe.

On At What Co$t?, Dox stretches his sound into a fuller body of work. It feels like an artist testing the edges of his world, moving between sharper rap moments and more reflective, melodic spaces.

What we like is the balance. The music carries introspection, but it does not become too heavy handed. It feels like rap for people who sit with things, overthink things, and still want the music to move.

KAEB

Dimakatso

KaeB ft. Flex The Ninja

KaeB brings a producer's ear into the Radar. His music works through R&B, hip hop and electronic textures, but the focus is always on feel. The sound is warm, layered and groove driven, with details that reveal themselves slowly.

His project 1993 carries that approach clearly. It feels carefully built without sounding overworked. The textures are smooth, but there is still enough rhythm and movement to keep the music alive.

What makes KaeB interesting is the way the production leads. It is not just background for vocals or verses. The sound itself becomes part of the identity. There is mood, structure and intention in how everything is placed.

TOBY FROM 59TH

In Loving Memory

Toby From 59th ft. The Rabbi Himself

Toby From 59th sits in an alternative rap lane, pulling from R&B, pop rock and hip hop without losing the rap foundation. His music has a relaxed quality to it, but it still feels direct enough to hold attention.

I'm Dealing with… leans into that reflective side. The sound feels open and easy to sit with, but there is still a clear sense of voice. It does not feel overly polished or distant. It feels close enough to understand.

What stands out is the softness around the edges. Toby's music has enough melody and texture to move outside straight rap, but enough presence to still feel rooted in hip hop.

MELO KAKAZA

Bible and a Star

Melo Kakaza

MELO Kakaza feels like an artist building from his own corner. His sound moves through experimental hip hop, jazz rap, R&B, offbeat production and Xhosa expression, with a Xhosadelic punk edge that makes the music harder to place.

The interesting thing about MELO is that the music does not feel designed to fit neatly into a playlist mood. It feels restless. The ideas shift, the textures move, and the sound carries a strange energy that makes it stand apart.

What we like is the refusal to smooth everything out. There is personality in the rougher edges. The music feels experimental, but still human. Different, but not distant.

Keep Your Radar On

This is the first signal.

SELKT Radar is about paying attention to the sounds sitting just outside the obvious frame. The artists here are not connected by one genre, but by a shared sense of curiosity, texture and approach.

More artists, sounds and finds will be added as the platform grows.

If there is someone we should have on our radar next, send us a signal.

SELKT.SOUNDSYSTEM - Curating sound, selectors and culture.