The August 25 rollout of Tree of Tranquility marks a solid return for Éric Mouquet‘s Deep Forest project and santoor ace Rahul Sharma, their second team-up since Deep India dropped back in 2013. Mouquet, a key architect of the French Touch wave, built Deep Forest‘s rep on sampling distant vocal traditions into house-tinged electronica, culminating in that breakthrough 1996 Grammy win for Boheme—a feat that put French electronic on the map as the inaugural non-Anglo victor in world music.
The catalog racked up 10 million physical sales plus consistent 20 million digital spins yearly, underscoring Mouquet’s grip on the genre’s evolution via solo ventures like Deep Forest Live Machine. Sharma, carrying forward his father Pandit Shivkumar Sharma‘s legacy on the 100-string santoor, has flipped the folk staple into worldly experiments—think his runs with pianist Richard Clayderman or that prior Deep Forest splice, all while holding tight to Hindustani improv’s soul. This latest pairs the album with a packed 2025 tour slate, giving audiences a front-row shot at the blend.
Across its eight outings, Tree of Tranquility carves out quieter, more personal ground in electronica, zeroing in on nature’s quiet pulse. Sharma’s playing shines with refined touch—santoor notes blooming in varied, almost meditative loops—bolstered by Mouquet’s textural overlays that hum and swell like ambient fog.
Rooted in the Old French root of ‘tranquilite’ for straightforward calm and joy, the title’s tree imagery serves as a low-key call to shake off stress and lean into mental stillness. Tree of Tranquility delivers on that promise, serving up a listen that’s equal parts unwind and uplift—timeless yet fresh enough to loop on repeat. With the tour kicking off soon, Sharma and Mouquet are set to amplify this chemistry live, turning studio subtlety into shared-space energy that world music heads won’t want to miss.
Be part of the experience and get your ticketsHERE
On October 10, 2025, Q052 released his fourth studio album, Thunder Child, via Musique Nomade, a set that cements his status as a Mi’gmaq hip-hop force tackling systemic inequities head-on. Quentin Condo, the man behind the name—drawing from his first initial and the 052 code for his Gesgapegiag, Gaspésie roots—now operates out of Sherbrooke, Canada, where he amplifies calls for Indigenous youth empowerment and safeguards for women and girls. With streams topping 140K on Spotify, he’s claimed Best Male Hip-Hop Artist at the 2023 International Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards, alongside noms for Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2021 ADISQ Gala, Expressive Music Artist/Group and Blues/Rock Artist/Group at the 2022 Teweikan Gala, and Hip-Hop Album at the 2022 GAMIQ. His commanding live shows have drawn coverage from CLASH Magazine, spins on Radio Canada, and support for ‘Loud Sunday‘ from BBC Radio 6‘s Don Letts on Culture Clash Radio. Q052 has rocked major lineups with Cypress Hill at events like FEQ, La Noce, OFF Québec, Innu Nikamu, Festival Kwe!, FME, Festival Bleu Bleu, and Festival en chanson de Petite-Vallée.
The album’s tracks demand close listens, stacking Q052‘s sharp wordplay against instrumentals that nod to classic hip-hop roughness, infused with grunge and alt-rock elements from influences like Ty Segall, Immortal Technique, Cypress Hill, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, Public Enemy, Run DMC, and King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard. Leading the charge is ‘Look It Up‘, the focus single that dials back the layers to spotlight his aggressive verses dismantling authority, in the vein of Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Danny Brown, and KRS-One. It embodies the project’s push for awareness and resistance, blending spoken-word intensity with hip-hop’s backbone and rock’s snarl for a sound that’s grounded in urgency.
Q052 had this to say: “Hip Hop artists are considered to be street journalists who share stories from their environment. In this album, I’m taking listeners on a tour in my mind and expressing how I view the world right now. It’s gone to hell!! From world leaders to the environment, from television shows to the news, from law enforcement agencies invading homes to assassinations, from social media platform addictions to a cold beer!! I’m reporting on it…is this mic on?”
Thunder Child Album Tracklist 1. Whap Bam-Boo 2. Wickedness 3. Look it Up 4. Thunder Bows 5. Piece of Man 6. Loud Sunday 7. Post Like Addict 8. Space Invaders 9. Restricted Radio 10. Sláinte
From the gritty streets of Detroit to the sun-soaked vibes of Cannes, Jairic has carved out a fierce spot in hip-hop as a self-made musician, producer, and storyteller, blending raw lyrical punch with genre-bending production that draws from icons like Nas and Wu-Tang Clan, alongside Detroit underground edges, classic funk, 60s rock, and film scores. With nearly 2 million streams across platforms from his fully self-written, self-produced, and self-performed tracks—paired with visuals that mix luxury and grit—he’s a rising star at the crossroads of music, film, and fashion, having delivered standout performances at elite spots like Château Les Alouettes in Cannes, Villa Balbiano on Lake Como, and the Paris premiere of the short film Azur, while his work spans France, Italy, Prague, and the U.S.
His latest drop, ‘Don’t Let Me Put A Track On You’, hit on September 5, 2025, via Rich Air Music, premiering on CLASH Magazine and earning props from EARMILK, packing quick-witted bars, chaotic sound design, a Caribbean pulse, and a bridge with warm female vocals that echo his unfiltered energy.
We sat down with Jairic to dive deeper into his journey, influences, and this bold new track.
What’s it like growing up in a musical family in Detroit, and how did that shape your early days in hip-hop?
I’m incredibly grateful I had music around me from such a young age. In Detroit, rhythm was everywhere — every get-together had live music, and I grew up playing drums and piano. That foundation shaped everything I do in hip-hop.
How did you transition from producing beats for local Detroit artists to creating your own independent sound?
I loved producing for others, but I love writing too much to stay quiet. It’s therapeutic and engaging — I had to find my own voice.
Can you talk about the influences from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and classic funk that show up in your music?
Part of me is always chasing that standard — a beat as timeless as ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ or lyrics as poetic and hard-hitting as Nas. Classic funk adds the groove that ties it all together.
What’s been the biggest adjustment living and working in Cannes after coming from Detroit?
The toughest adjustment has been being away from family. I was performing and working on a project in the South of France, and ended up missing part of my daughter’s soccer season — that was hard.
How do you blend elements from film scores and 60s rock into your hip-hop production style?
When I produce, I see it like a film scene — every track feels like part of a soundtrack. That’s where the cinematic elements slip into the hip-hop foundation.
Tell us about performing at places like Château Les Alouettes and the Azur premiere—what stands out from those experiences?
I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with incredible people — but at the end of the day, it’s the relationships, the audience connection, and the places themselves that stand out most.
What inspired the lyrics in ‘Don’t Let Me Put A Track On You’, especially that “don’t run up on me” vibe?
Someone in my family was going through a really tough time — they got attacked for doing the right thing, and I had their back. As it started to spill onto me, I thought, ‘Oh no, you don’t want any of this.’ That energy sparked the track, and from there it took on a life of its own.
How did writing this track in the south of France bring in that Caribbean pulse and contrast between smooth and chaotic elements?
I was staring out at the Mediterranean, layering these wild percussion. It felt peaceful and soothing, but underneath it was a fight song — I was missing my family. That ‘manic, full of nonsense and grammatical’ section is where it really explodes. The bridge had been written for another track, but against that ocean sunset, it finally clicked and came together.
Can you walk us through the sound design choices in ‘Don’t Let Me Put A Track On You’, like the stirring intro and the bridge with female vocals?
The intro is actually a king cobra — a subtle nod to danger. I love layering percussion; sometimes I overdo it, but that’s where the beat takes me. The bassline has a reggae rhythm that locks in with the drums, then halfway through the verse it explodes into chaos — my favorite part. For the bridge, I originally sang it myself, but I wanted a female voice to bring contrast. Her harmonies and background vocals really added to the tension and build of the track.
If you could collaborate with anyone from your influences on a future track, who would it be and why?
Nas would be dope. I saw his Illmatic anniversary show in Germany with my son last year — legendary and effortless.
The 20th of August marked the arrival of Doller’s new Traphall cut ‘WHO HYPE? WHO BRUK?’, on Beyond Dis World. Hailing from North London as Dorante Johnson, Doller got his start influenced by family members. His father, Kush Tafari,has roots in reggae, and his uncle Flash has roots in dancehall and was dropping mixtapes and battling locally while forming Cold Blooded.
He rose through The Movement, delivering a standout Westwood freestyle that got DJs buzzing. Doller expanded with features from Sir Spyro and Tion Wayne, launched Go Getters label, and branched into a cooking YouTube series. He’s grabbed nods from NOTION, Wordplay Magazine, GRM Daily, featured in MTV Base spots, and placed ‘Skadoosh’ in the flick Sket. Touring wise, he’s rocked Dortmund beside reggae singer Cblock, topped bills at Hackney Social’s Wynters Wonder List, and shared stages on the Sing for Me Tour with Ghetts. Regular plays on BBC Radio 1Xtra come from DJ Target, Sian Anderson, and Seani B, plus ‘This Year’ snagged BBC Track of the Week status in 2021, solidifying his pull in UK dancehall, trap, and grime. Pulling inspo from Vybz Kartel, 50 Cent, Jay Z, Nas, Biggie, Durtty Doogz, and Jodeci, he mixes in rap and R&B edges, like on ‘Money Song’, proving his range.
‘WHO HYPE? WHO BRUK?’ rides a heavy, shadowed production with staggered drums propping up Doller’s aggressive, confident spits. The flow glides clean, spiked by responsive chorus exchanges that make it a tough, lasting rally cry.
Doller revealed: “I wanted everybody in the world to feel comfortable with their financial status and have an anthem to celebrate that.”
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