Pōneke-based soul and R&B artist Deva Mahal returns with the second installment of a two-part EP series, backing up on ‘Future Classic Vol. I’, released in 2023. With the first EP laying the frame, this second part pushes deeper – blending styles of electro and pop, with notable roots in contemporary R&B and soul.

Threaded with the emerging philosophy of Afro-Nature Futurism, field recordings and sonic samples are intertwined through the production, creating something that feels timeless but ultimately of the future.

‘Future Classic Vol. II’ folds four previously released songs around two new tracks – focus single Slow Down and closer Someone’s Daughter – with these two tracks doing the heavy lifting for the EP. Slow Down is centered around exactly what the title suggests, slowing down. A slow kick drum beat anchors the track, with the digital percussion laying low in the mix of Mahal’s smooth and unhurried vocals.

The production leans into space rather than filling it with a choice reflecting the core message of the track, stillness, and self-discovery through connection. Mahal draws out the last syllables of many lines in the track with this technique, leaving a sense for longing but without urgency. Creating the feel of someone gently insisting, rather than demanding.

The blend of digital percussion with hints of traditional soul used gives Slow Down a familiar warmth, but the production keeps it firmly modern. Despite its contemporary texture, the song never pushes. It waits.

Whilst Slow Down turns inward, Someone’s Daughter turns outward. Vividly inspired by the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, the track opens with the EP’s most direct and unflinching moment. Mahal’s voice is completely unaccompanied, just the title vocals hanging in silence until a sparse piano key appears, threading a quiet tension beneath the whole song. Unlike the rest of the EP, which balances vocals and production, here her emotive vocals are the centerpiece.

The arrangement remains deliberately restrained, with a traditional soft soul beat, kept lower in volume, so nothing competes with the message being delivered. Mahal’s tone remains clear and controlled, making the emotional weight of the song hit harder. This track is not subtle; it is direct.

‘Future Classic Vol. II’ is an exceptionally crafted body of work. Mahal leans into the silence and space in her production, elements that can easily feel awkward and trusts them completely. Recorded mostly in London and New York, production credits principally include Deva Mahal and Chris Wethey, along with fellow Kiwis Ashton Sellars, Estère, Nick Dow and others. The result is six soulful tracks that feel timeless, but are very much made for now.