Bandcloud 220

Shout out if you're melting. That Jordan Peele sweating gif all day long.

PJS - Sweet La Vie
I got an email about this and then found out it was already in my wishlist. I can't remember why or what or how but anyway. It's out on Leaving, I actually tweeted about a Leaving release last week because I'd put a different one in a mail before that but this is so gorgeous they're in here again. Gorgeous glistening floating unending new-age dreamy beuaty. 

STONEBRIDGE - PUT EM HIGH RMX (IKONIKA UNOFFICIAL REMIX)
AGGGGHHHHH. Stonebridge's 'Put Em High' is an undisputed cheesy house banger. Ikonika just posted this remix on her SoundCloud for download. She's turned it from summery bouncy sweetness and light to a dark and sinister minor-key growler, 808 cowbells rattling in the distance while snares thunder and roll. The vocals are treated so much they sound like they're sung in a rainy back alley while street lights flicker overhead. Spellbinding. 

Mark Hand - Cobwebs EP
Glorious sunshine house music. 'All Caught Up' is nice and bouncey, and — bear with me — has the same chord progression as Röyksopp's 'In Space' (I've been listening to Melody AM a lot lately). In a completely different style of course. 'Cobwebs' rumbles along nicely with a delightful bass line and gripping bongos, only for gorgeous keys to take it home. There's a Patrice Scott remix too, which takes the track to the skies.

bergsonist - shocking loss of empathy
Trippy and wonky banger from Bergsonist, from whom you may expect more... industrial sounds, perhaps. This is still riven with exciting percussion and brimming with ideas. Rattling drums and percussion at a variety of pitches give excitement and edge to what could otherwise be quite repetitive. Repetition is good, don't get me wrong, but this is nice.

Meyers - Struggle Artist
Meyers recently tweeted "Review my record you cowards". I'm no coward, but I don't like being told what to do. It's good though. You win this time, Meyers. This album is really interesting, it's made of a series of short pieces that start and stop with no regard for your senses. Plenty of organ sounds, both left to play out and gated with abandon. Playful weirdness built from alien sounds. Balloons being rubbed mercilessly. 'Limit Break' is the sound of a train arriving at the station and all life ending. I love the artwork, which screams of the realities of life being stamped upon by the dreams and nightmares in your head. The title track feels like a descent into heartbroken madness. I'm probably doing it a disservice tbh. REALLY GOOD YEAH GO BUY.

LOFT - filton [ dissociative edit ]
Gribs put this early on in her excellent Bandcloud Mix last month. The original was a shakey drum track laden with spiralling rave sounds, released on Wisdom Teeth. This edit takes those spirals, mutes them and bathes them in fog. "sometimes u come in from the club at 7am and need all the music to be MORE AMBIENT so u have to make your own"

{arsonist} - Live at ALTARED
This artist shared their work on the new 555-5555 forum and it really spoke to me. Two pieces of work performed live at Palisade's Playhouse in Pittsburgh in March just gone. Beautiful driving synth work, unexpected sax, floating vocals. One of those play so much you have to buy on Bandcamp releases. Not that I'm mad about that.

Bastet - Live Hardware Set 06.22.18
Another live set, this one thrown down by Baltimore artist Bastet in Queens last week. It's gnarly. There's a slow pulse of simple melodies over squeegee sounds and muffled kicks. There's searing, ominous techno coupled with grinding, buzzsaw noise. There's hypnotic loopy synth work. Just what you want from a live set.

HNYPOT 274: Darwin's The Message Mix
What a blinder of a mix. Darwin, who runs the SPE:C label and Reef clubnight, is known for her no-nonsense approach, all thrilling electro and blinding techno. This mix is just that, relentless in its pacing and exhilarating from start to finish. Broken beats, sweltering half-tempo grooves, deep aquatic dives. Possibly not the best thing for your heart rate in this heat but yolo. She calls it "risky bassness", hence the pic. Who says there's no humour in techno? 

I've been thinking about Love Island far too much lately. Something struck me this morning — do they listen to music? So far I've heard none on the show. That, as well as the heat, the awkwardness, the competition and the entire experience, would drive me insane. Great TV though.