New music review with singles from Martial Arts 'Too Much Fun' and Y 'Duplicate'
- Richard Blowes
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Our weekly fix of the best new music as Julia Mason (aka The Decibel Decoder) brings us her new music review with singles from Martial Arts Too Much Fun and Y Duplicate
Artist: Martial Arts
Track: Too Much Fun
Manchester based Martial Arts release new single Too Much Fun. Built around driving guitars and wiry rhythms the track arrives with a video directed by Martyn Thomas and serves as the perfect introduction to Martial Arts.
Brimming with the tangible energy of their live shows, it is a track that revels in contradiction. It invites a room full of people to celebrate excess while simultaneously questioning the systems that make it possible, as frontman and guitarist Jim Marson explains: “We have a tendency to overindulge in western spaces on products & luxuries we do not need; this is often at the detriment of the global south who are exploited for profit. I want people shouting "I’m having too much fun" at shows and recognising the uncomfortable truth of why we get to live in that bubble. It’s hilarious, hideous and hopefully a wake up call.”
What originally began as a loose network of different projects gradually evolved into something more focused, with the five members committing fully to the band over the past three years. Since then they’ve built their reputation the old fashioned way: relentless rehearsals, constant gigging and self releasing music wherever they could afford to. That dedication has shaped both the band’s identity and their sound. Martial Arts are first and foremost a live band, one whose songs are written with the energy of a packed room in mind. But new single Too Much Fun and the forthcoming EP From The Burnoff mark a step forward sonically, capturing the immediacy of their performances while expanding the scale of the recordings.
Across the EP, Martial Arts balance personal reflection with broader political ideas, often turning the lens back on themselves as much as the world around them. The result is a band that combines the urgency of the UK’s current guitar underground with a self-awareness and critical thought that feels increasingly rare. Intelligent, political and acutely aware of what it means to be in a band in 2026.
Martial Arts Live Dates
May
1 The Primrose, LEEDS
7 Castle Hotel, MANCHESTER
8 Third Man Records, LONDON
14-16 The Great Escape, BRIGHTON
20 Antipode, RENNES w/ Lime Garden
21 L’Aéronef, LILLE
22 Pretty Pissed Festival, AMSTERDAM
23 V11, ROTTERDAM
* * *
Artist: Y
Track: Duplicate
London outfit Y release gripping new single Duplicate marking the third reveal from their upcoming ENTER EP set for release 8 May via SO Recordings (Enter Shikari, Deadletter, Big Special) & Hideous Mink Records (Alien Chicks, Opus Kink).
Emerging from the capital’s underground scene without much interest in fitting in, Y are a collective built on friction. Formed by Adam Brennan and Sophie Coppin during a period of isolation, a way of making sense of boredom, frustration and noise, the group have quickly grown into something louder, sharper and harder to ignore, showcased throughout EP lead singles Skipper and May.
Forged through relentless shows at The Windmill (a rite of passage for South London’s most adventurous acts) and beyond, Y have built their reputation on live performances that feel closer to a collective purge than a gig. Having ticked off countless supports with the likes of Fat Dog, KEG and Warmduscher, as well as several sold-out London headliners of their own, the band are in the midst of a mammoth 2026 on the live front with festival dates galore (incl. The Great Escape) and a debut UK headline tour taking place in May to coincide with their EP’s arrival.
Speaking ahead of their brand new track’s arrival, Y added: “Duplicate is a song about narcissists. Control freaks wanting to create a world full of carbon copies of themselves. To echo their beliefs. Just don’t dare fly too high or have an original thought. It’s a cult mentality. It’s a con. A mirage of strength in numbers.”
Y Live Dates
April
10 - Skatecafe Festival, Amsterdam (NL)
17 - Adelphi, Hull (UK)
18 - Cowgate Block Party, Edinburgh (UK)
May
3 - Les Aralunaires Festival, Arlon (BE)
8 - Exchange Basement, Bristol (UK)
15 - The Great Escape, Brighton (UK)
20 - Heartbreakers, Southampton (UK)
21 - The Deco, Portsmouth (UK)
22 - The Lexington, London (UK)
23 - Foul Weather Festival, Le Havre (FR)
27 - Purple Turtle, Reading (UK)
30 - Big Hands, Manchester (UK)
June
20 - The Piper, St Leonards-on-Sea (UK)
July
26 - Deer Shed Festival (UK)
August
28 - Shambala Festival (UK)
September
5 - Zero For Three Festival, Maastricht (HOL)
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