Deva Mahal – Future Classic Vol II: Future (13th Floor EP Review)
Aoetearoa’s soul singing globe trotter Deva Mahal has built her reputation on vocal power and emotional depth, and her new EP, Future Classic Vol II: Future, shows an artist expanding her creative universe with confidence.
Released today, the second chapter of her two-part project reveals Deva in a forward-leaning sonic space, pairing her unmistakable voice with textures that feel both intimate and boldly current. The EP arrives just as Deva prepares for an extended run of shows across Aotearoa, inviting listeners not just to hear the music, but to experience it live.
Having formative roots in Wellington’s early-2000s cultural melting pot of jazz, soul, dub, funk and hip-hop Deva Mahal’s unique journey now spans some of the world’s most iconic stages and cultural touchpoints. She has performed at premier venues and major festivals, collaborated with influential contemporary artists, and contributed her voice to both film and television projects. Her work has earned industry recognition through award nominations, high-profile appearances, and features in notable documentary soundtracks. Throughout this global trajectory, she continues to honour her familial and musical heritage while asserting a distinctly personal and powerful artistic identity.
The latest instalment finds Deva exploring a realm she describes as an intersection of natural resonance and digital experimentation — a kind of Afro-infused futurism that holds heritage and innovation in the same breath. While the first EP leaned into the warmth of classic soul, Vol II add a fresh lo-fi lens. Synthesizers, digital percussion, and sample sound beds give these songs a shimmering, modern pulse, yet the emotional centre remains unmistakably hers.
The creation process was as both adventurous and raw. Written and recorded at speed across makeshift and borrowed studios in New York and London, the EP bears the fingerprints of that mobility and spontaneity. Deva and co-producer Chris Wethey have embraced the unpredictability of their surroundings, often tracking vocals in unconventional spaces — a reminder that art does not rely on pristine conditions. The result provides a sound that feels unsettled and urban.
Across these six tracks, Mahal returns again and again to the idea of connection: to others, to the land, to one’s own inner compass.
The opener South Coast starts with a scene setting monologue before settling into a slow groove as Deva plays homage to her Afro-Caribbean heritage with a vocal delivery that is equally reflective and upbeat.
Need sits nestled within a smooth jazz soundscape as Deva explores themes of need and vulnerability through a deeply soulful and moving delivery that manages to both expose and embrace the deep humanity of intimacy.
With its flow through soft introspective moments to catchy chorus and closing soaring notes Sometimes Good lives somewhere between RnB and Neo Soul as Deva creates a picture of the journey through love, heartbreak and resilience when someone gradually realises, they no longer need to settle for too little but are in truth worthy of much more.
Providing a shift in tone, Til the Morning Comes is a lighter slow burn ballad with touches of torch song over a hypnotic beat and explores a relatable presentation of relationships Deva’s vocals both blend with and shine above the instrumental backdrop as she captures the essence of that moment when casual poises on the edge of moving to a deeper connection.
The lead single Slow Down acts as a quiet hymn and a plea to strip life back to what nourishes us. Deva frames it as a return to community, the natural world, and the bonds that give shape to who we are with a vocal that reflects her mastery of classic soul.
The EP closes out with harder emotional territory. Someone’s Daughter inspired by the killing of Breonna Taylor, stands as one of the project’s most affecting pieces. Mahal approaches it as a tribute to the countless Black women whose lives have been met with violence and disregard. A universal reminder of humanity and identity -every woman is someone’s child, deserving dignity and visibility.
Musically, Future Classic Vol II frames Deva Mahal in a new light. The production draws on electronic elements and sculpted percussive layers to underpin the emotional weight of her performance. Natural field recordings, repurposed into rhythmic and tonal fragments, add an organic undercurrent beneath the polished digital sheen.
Contributors such as Ashton Sellars, Estère, and the Flor de Toloache add depth and global character to the EP. Yet the gravitational pull remains Deva’s voice — resilient, elegant, and capable of moving with ease from whispered vulnerability to full-throated force as she yet again showcases her captivating talent.
John Hastings
Future Classic Vol II: Future is out now
Deva Mahal tour dates:
Friday April 3 – Waiheke Jazz Festival, Waiheke
Thursday April 9 – The Crown, Dunedin
Friday April 10 – Kinross Winery Gibbston, Queenstown
Saturday April 11 – Loons, Christchurch
Thursday April 16 – Totara St, Mount Maunganui
Friday April 17 – Paisley Stage, Napier
Saturday April 18 – Meow Nui, Wellington
Saturday May 2 – Double Whammy, Auckland
