Salute

Hailing from Manchester, producer salute specializes in electronic music that radiates both exuberance and raw vulnerability, fusing euphoric peaks with introspective lows. The project handles sampling and live vocals with equal ease while pulling from multiple strands of bass-driven sound. Initial releases, among them the 2015 Gold Rush EP and the 2016 mini-album My Heart, merged R&B and hip-hop textures with studio techniques recalling Hudson Mohawke and Rustie. Once the artist left Vienna for England, later projects such as the Condition trilogy and 2023’s Shield grew brighter and more dancefloor-oriented, drawing clearer influence from U.K. garage and future house. The guest-laden album True Magic surfaced in 2024 and was followed by the Jessie Ware collaboration “Heaven in Your Arms.”

Felix Nyajo entered the world in Vienna in 1996 to Nigerian parents who had settled in Europe during the early ’80s. Electronic music first reached Nyajo through video games, prompting the start of music-making at age 13. A few years afterward, as the post-dubstep movement flourished, Nyajo began performing as a club DJ; the debut salute EP, 2013’s Lionheart, reflected the styles of Cid Rim and Dorian Concept. In 2014 Nyajo relocated to Brighton to study at university, yet soon abandoned coursework to concentrate on production. Signed to 37 Adventures, the artist issued several singles plus the 2015 EP Gold Rush, which included Abra on the track “Colourblind.” My Heart (2016) incorporated soul, grime, jungle, and gospel elements alongside vocal contributions from DRAM, KAMAU, and Krrum.

After settling in Manchester, Nyajo immersed more deeply in the local club community. The 2017 singles “Light Up,” featuring Liv Dawson, and “That Girl,” featuring Gabrielle Aplin, appeared during this period. In the wake of losing both grandparents, Nyajo began crafting dance tracks as a means of processing grief. Condition I arrived in 2018, followed by II and III in 2019; the three EPs were later gathered together under the title Condition. Continued exploration of garage-inflected dance music led to attention-grabbing 2021 singles “Jennifer” and “Joy.” Steel City Dance Discs released the EP Ultra Pool in 2022. Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint put out the 2023 Shield EP, which included No Rome and Sammy Virji. True Magic, salute’s 2024 full-length on Ninja Tune, featured appearances by Disclosure, Rina Sawayama, Sam Gellaitry, Empress Of, and additional guests. The subsequent standalone single “Heaven in Your Arms” paired salute with Jessie Ware.