Playlist Picks October ’25 – FAULT Magazine’s round-up of this month’s best under-the-radar releases.
With so much new music dropping every month, it’s easy to miss some real gems. Luckily for you, we’ve put together this sharp mix of new releases – our Playlist Picks October ’25 – each one distinct, each one built with intention. From genre-blurring collaborations to slow-burn solo work, these tracks offer atmosphere, structure, and emotional weight in spades.
Alright, no more preamble. Let’s get into it:
Matt B, Rocky Dawuni, Wouter Kellerman & Tony Succar – ‘They Know‘
They know?! They know!
“What do they know?” I hear you ask. They know what It sounds like when community leads! Ostensibly, there’s no single thread that ties Matt B, Rocky Dawuni, Wouter Kellerman, Tony Succar together. No shared genre, no common language, no uniform background. What they do share is a way of working: patient, collaborative, and rooted in something larger than themselves.
The track’s shaped by four artists who understand how to carry their own traditions without flattening them into a novelty act. Matt B brings orchestral Afro-R&B shaped by his work across East Africa. Dawuni folds Reggae and Highlife into a grounded Afro-Roots pulse. Kellerman’s flute work is precise and expansive, never ornamental. Succar’s percussion does the driving. The result isn’t genre-defying. It’s genre-aware, cultural-spanning, and structurally sound.
The chorus, sung in West African Pidgin, reflects lived practice: faith, resilience, and work. These aren’t slogans: they’re terms of engagement.
Katzù Oso – La Conexión
Born and raised in Boyle Heights, shaped by East LA, Katzù Oso writes from the inside out. His debut album Tmí started in a bedroom and moved outward. Local shows, festival stages, and a growing crowd which grew organically out of, first, curiosity, then admiration.
Katzù’s sound is a passionate amalgamation of synths, soul, and tempo, influenced by legends like José José, Julieta Venegas, and Tame Impala. The blend isn’t curated. It’s lived in, organically part of the structure that makes Katzú Oso. Anyone who appreciates Latin culture will vibe with his sound in ways they might not get at first – until they begin peeling back the layers to discover that cultural connection.
Sophomore album La Conexión picks up where his Tmí left off. Relationships, mistakes, late nights… Katzù calls it “shooting film. You catch something, and later you see more.” That’s how his current tour in support of the album works, too. Launched this past October 17th, Katzú reckons that the live show interactively reshapes his songs. The audience isn’t just watching. They’re part of the development.
MISHA & COCABONA – JOMO
You’ve heard of FOMO, but Misha and Cocabona aren’t chasing noise, and they’re here to teach you about making space and time for yourself and finding the Joy Of Missing Out with their latest EP drop.
The project glides effortlessly through 6 tracks of lush R&B-laced environments punched up by eye-opening collabs with the likes of Amelia Rose and Tamara Mneney.
Misha and Cocabona shape JOMO like a room you want to stay in. Each track holds space: warm, textured, and built for quiet clarity. Kadeem Tyrell sets the tone. ToriTori and Latrell James trace distance with precision. Joya Mooi and Derrick McKenzie keep the rhythm grounded. Amelia Rose leans into reflection. Tamara Mneney lifts the mood. Relyae and Monma close it gently.
“FOMO is dead. Long live JOMO.“ is their motto.
Dom Jones – ‘Seventh Sense‘
Some senses warn. This one invites.
Dom Jones opens the door with a pulse you feel before you hear. ‘Seventh Sense’ doesn’t explain love. But it settles and attempts to represent it as a force or nature, or better yet: as an universal law that we ignore at our own peril.
The track leans into timeless soul, shaped by icons like Isaac Hayes, Curtis Mayfield, Chaka Khan, and Minnie Riperton. This is the first step into Dom Jones 2.0, his upcoming EP backed by 17 collaborations with Kasey Phillips and a catalog that already runs deep. Ultimately, ‘Seventh Sense’ is about connection: the kind that makes life meaningful and keeps it moving.
Girl As Wave – ‘From the Blue‘
‘From the Blue’ unfolds in soft motion… that’s right, much like a wave! New York artist Marci Elizabeth, recording as Girl As Wave, shapes the track with late-night rhythm and a voice that stays close. The production, built with Jimmy Deer, leans into a steady-and-heady atmosphere, all oneiric, charged, cinematic, and tuned to the kind of encounter that reshapes the day.
The final track from our Playlist Picks October ’25 is not so much a story about searching as it is about sudden impact. A presence that arrives fully formed, without explanation. The track holds that energy—electric, vivid, and suspended in motion. The mood is sombre and slick, like neon-lit pavement fresh off a downpour. If you’re up for a late-night drive in autumn, GAW has got you covered with this track. Pure fire – even if it’s fresh out the water.