The pioneering British-Japanese artist Miso Extra has today announced the release of her debut full length project with Earcandy – written and recorded over the summer of 2024 with Ricky Damian (the Grammy-winning engineer known for his work with Ezra Collective, Jorja Smith and Sampha) at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13. Set for release on 16th May via Transgressive, Earcandy cements Miso Extra’s status as an irrepressible and confident new talent, capable of transforming the exciting, spontaneous moment of creation into delight for the ears.

To accompany the announcement, Miso Extra has unveiled a preview of her anticipated debut album with the release of new single, ‘Certified’. This synth-house-inspired pop track offers a glimpse into the spellbinding world she has created and heralded the “Misoverse”, and sets the tone for Earcandy. She says “Certified centres around the attempt to be seductive and the stubborn determination that comes with it”.

‘Certified’ closely follows the release of her track ‘Good Kisses’ featuring Metronomy, which saw Joseph Mount declare her “the future” and earlier euphoric, UKG-infused drop ‘Slow Down’, a song co-written and produced with DJ Boring. The album, co-produced by Miso, showcases a rich tapestry of collaborations, including contributions from A.K. Paul, MICHELLE, and Tyson. Adding to the creative vision, Miso worked closely with Chinese-Indonesian filmmaker and photographer Claryn Chong to craft the album’s visual identity.

Having been championed by Fabiana Palladino and Thundercat, as well as being hailed “One To Watch’ by titles including THE FACE, The FADER, NME, Vogue, Dazed and The Guardian, Miso Extra is well on her way to becoming the diverse musical role model she so desperately lacked when she was growing up. If anything, Earcandy is just a tantalising taste of what’s to come – the delicious evolution of Miso Extra’s instinctual sound that is poised to keep us coming back for more.

Throughout Earcandy, Miso Extra takes us on a journey of lovelorn vulnerability, growth and self-empowerment, melding genres such as K-Pop, UK Garage, 80s sonics and R&B, to create a sophisticated and self-aware pop record. She says, “It’s about growing through your mistakes and not being afraid to get things wrong. There are some deep messages in there but it’s surrounded by sweet earcandy – that spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down.”

Speaking about working with Ricky Damian, she expands “he was my Mr Miyagi, I learned so much from him during the whole process. Plus working in Studio 13 was so inspiring since I’m such a Gorillaz fan and you can channel their energy there, as well as feel the influence of other people who have used the space from Erykah Badu to Paul McCartney.”

Following tours across the UK & Europe at the end of last year as support to both Rejjie Snow and Yannis & The Yaw, as well as a performance alongside Tierra Whack for Pitchfork London, Miso Extra has announced her debut headline tour across the continent, which includes a show at the iconic Village Underground in London. Full date listings as follows:

04 June – Hasard Ludique, Paris
05 June – Kantine am Berghain, Berlin
18 June – Paradiso Bovenzaal, Amsterdam
19 June – Village Underground, London

Tickets here.