RIP. A weekly roundup of releases on Bandcamp and Soundcloud selected and delivered by Aidan
Bandcloud 288
Duno about you but I've been dealing with a large feeling anxiety in the middle of my chest this week. I know I'm in a privileged position in terms of my job, the ability to work from home (from today) even having a home in itself. I worry about my children, my father, other relatives and friends, you know. There's always music. I wonder about what the next year or two is going to be like, how much music will come out of this period of isolation, forced or otherwise. I guess even thinking like that is a very naive take on the current situation. Anyway. Take care, look after yourself, support others when you can. In more prosaic news, I've started to make playlists of everything in each mail over at Currents.fm. You can subscribe for more specific playlists, but the weekly ones will be made public for all to use. Link here!
EscaFlowne - Looseys Vol.2
As the title suggests, these are a bunch of tracks from "music dude" slash "Bleep/bloop creator" (his words!) EscaFlowne. It's largely dystopian, heavy acid electro vibes, but there's some colourful hope in there too. There's range! I like this guy.
Hynta - Serac
Hynta is a UK producer who contacted me through Facebook (one of the only times that has ever happened!). This track is simply beautiful, eight minutes of modular bliss.
memotone - Invisible Cities
This album! I first came to it via a SoundCloud preview, which blended snippets of each of the 10 tracks together. It was so perfectly rendered that I was worried that the album might not compare. Even Matt from the label admitted as much to me, saying "wait a minute, that wasn't done on purpose to be so perfect like that"! Thankfully, the album delivers. From the opening track it's a winner. Hazy Rhodes keys, jazzy clarinet, lumpen beats. It's not your standard electronic record. The clarinet is an ever-present fixture on this album and, at least to my ears, gives it an earthy quality that burrows deep under my skin. I'm not going to say this mixture of instruments and styles is entirely original (what is these days) but he really does it so well.
Sensible Seelen Podcast No. 1 - Claire Hex
A mix that just felt right, it's full of spodgy weirdness and percussive oddities. I didn't recognise a thing bar that wonderful Timbaland flip that from Was Is some time back.
DJ Q - Just Q It
DJ Q is a bit like McDonald's. Or Coke. Not in a bad way - by that I mean he's consistent and if you like it, he delivers. This album dropped last month and yet I've not seen anyone talking about it. Only because my good friend Ole shared a track with me was I even on his Bandcamp. I spotted this and noticed a range of tracks from rnb reworks to originals, moving between straight-up garage to more bassline and all in between. Undeniable bangers in here, sure to put a smile on your face.
Sparkletone - Relate 6
This one comes from Chicago's Sparkletone, purveyor of the finest black-and-white DJ shots you'll see on the net. It's a recording from a recent moves up and down at the DJ's whim, taking in The Knife (that's what prompted my Silent Shout tweet during the week), 100 gecs, Lumidee, Swisha, Nathan Micay and even Fugazi.
DISCWOMAN 89 x adab
adab made one of my favourite mixes last year for Neptunian Influence. This mix for Discwoman is similarly mind-expanding. In adab's words, it attempts "to conjure lush, cavernous visions of self, ancestry, and the mystic energies in between both". It's beguiling, powerful, exciting, thumping, just brilliant from start to finish.
Laughing Ears - Blue Dusk
Thanks to chuan for this tip. Really invigorating and exciting music from Shanghai. It's fast and furious but not dark or dour. It's bright and wide-eyed (one of the tracks is even called 'A Tinge of Hope'), it's got eyes out at the world and feet moving on the floor.
QRTR - You Won't Return (Nunca)
This one is super fun and silly but also sounding properly big and weird. It incorporates lyrics from New Young Pony Club's 2007 banger 'Ice Cream'. And there's a bit of the bass line that reminds me of Redman's 'Da Goodness'.
Hidden Valley Logging Company - Atmos
Murky ambient meets beats. Not IDM. Foggy and hazy. Almost trip-hoppy at times. Portishead on uppers. Plain weird at times. Lots of weirdness.
Pokies - Once A Week (DJ Borderforce's Southern Inferno Mix)
Stonking banger of a track. Tough, rattly, hefty. Always building towards something.
Significant Other - Club Aura
This one is super, with abstract vibes meeting properly clubby beats. The title track rumbles into existence, with reverbed saxophone smoking in the distance while a stabby bass line ekes out sounds over scattered, shuffling percussion. Where does this lead, where are we going etc. I'll tell you where. 'Mike's Gone Back To Manchester'. That's where. Screeching tyres, unsettling bleeps, angry squelches. 'Little Blue Pill's is also a peak rumbler, slowly moving towards an uncertain future (like all of us, wha). 'Drum Therapy', finally, takes standard samples and shreds them up over rolling kick drums and nasty bass throbs. Angrier than the rest. This is some piece of work.
Jello Biafra - Message From Our Sponsor
Well, this one seemed appropriate. "National security is more important than individual will. All sports broadcasts will proceed as normal. No more than two people may gather anywhere without permission. Use only the drugs prescribed by your boss or supervisor. Shut up, be happy. Obey all orders without question..."