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 speak with London-based nocturnal animals, Wyldest.

Over the course of only a few short years, Zoe Mead, Mariin Kallikorm and Jack Gooderham have become remarkably deft in combining the woozy amorphousness of shoegaze with the sleek sheen of 80s synth-pop, thereby creating their own glimmering and distinctly nocturnal form of indie.

We’ve been aware of Wyldest for quite some time, covering such early tracks as the brooding ‘Stalking Moon’ and their dream-pop groove ‘Wanders’. But while both fledgling releases presented the North London trio as an immensely interesting prospect, our attention has truly been captured on their more recent releases. Never more so than on their latest EP Hitchhiker, in which crystalline synths bounce off chorus-ridden basslines, and shimmering drums collide with stratospheric guitars, all the while Mead’s lilting vocals cut through the cinematic haze to explore themes of seclusion, escapism and most compellingly, seizing the day.

Now that this rising three-piece have become fully self-sufficient (writing, performing and producing not only their music, but their cover art and videos too), it’s a joy to fantasise about what they’ll get up to next. Thankfully, we at least know they’ll be playing both our showcases with Hand In Hive and CALM in Brighton this month, and that they’ve compiled an exclusive playlist for us in preparation for the shows. So here’s Wyldest’s star-gazing ‘Songs That Change Our Cosmos’ playlist, because as Mead puts it, “we’re all just a tiny piece of the universe”.

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1. Porches - ‘Braid’

Zoe Mead: Groovy as hell. I saw Porches four times at SXSW this year then I saw them again at The Village Underground last month. One of the best live shows I've ever seen -  and this song really stuck out to me. The track has so much space and the beautiful dreamy vocals combined with the badass-ness of the 909 hi-hats and the subby bass create something really unique. Aaron Maine is setting the bar at the moment for indie pop music at the moment I think.



2. Alex G - ‘Kicker’

ZM: Every time I hear this song I get transported back to my anxious emo teen years - when I wore jeans wide enough to fit two legs in one. I grew up listening to a bunch of grungy/indie rock acts like The Smashing Pumpkins, Death Cab For Cutie and Elliott Smith - Alex G is my ticket back to that time (without having to delve back through an old hard drive full of my old music collection).



3. Still Corners - ‘Strange Pleasures’

ZM: This song is a seduction on a roadtrip. Makes me think of roadtrippin' through west Texas - where the highways are so long and empty that you feel complete freedom - a chance to be fully be yourself and escape society perhaps.



4. Air - ‘Cherry Blossom Girl’

ZM: Makes me want to lay in the sun and fall into a dreamy trance. There's something strangely nostalgic about it.  I love to listen to vocal-less music sometimes - there's something pure about just letting the music speak - without any lyrical context.



5. Depeche Mode - ‘Shake The Disease’

ZM: This song has a dystopian, futuristic feel - like Depeche Mode were trying to predict the future. Moving from minors to majors unpredictably makes it so addictive - genius.



6. The Smiths - ‘The Boy With the Thorn in His Side’

Mariin Kallikorm: When I was 16 I used to play a lot of The Smiths on the guitar and this song with its desperate lyrics always stood out for me. I loved drawing the curtains to make my room pitch black, I'd turn the volume up and dance and play my guitar along to the track.



7. Florence + The Machine - ‘Queen of Peace’

MK: Florence Welch is the Queen of Peace. I adore this track so much, it's so uplifting. Listening to it makes me feel like running as fast as possible along the English coastline. I'm sure that the song’s music video has had a big influence on this thought.



8. Angel Olsen - ‘Sister’

MK: "All my life I thought I'd change"... And a wicked guitar solo. I love putting this song on when I feel a bit down and lost in life - listening to Angel's singing makes everything better.



9. Slowdive - ‘Alison’

MK: Slowdive are masters of hazy melodies and dreamy guitar. This was the first track I heard from the group and I was instantly in love. I remember how new the music sounded to my teenage ears - they didn't try to impress anyone, it felt very introspective and personal.



10. Beach House - ‘Sparks’

MK: Or any other Beach House song. I've had an obsession with the band over the last couple of years now and it's just getting worse. I carry a picture of them in my wallet and listen to their music at least every other day. I love this song because the base of the song is just a looping of a vocal phrase - you kind of forget it's there but then you hear it again, creates this weird haunting feeling.



Catch Wyldest both at the free Hand In Hive x TMR Showcase on Friday 18^th May at Brighton’s The Mucky Duck, and at the official Great Escape on Saturday 19^th.

-Karl Jawara