Bandcloud 300

In normal circumstances this would be a milestone to celebrate. I don't know why I went with numbers rather than dates, to be honest. I started and then it stuck! Anyway today Bandcamp is doing its thing again, waiving fees so these go directly to artists instead. Many people are donating their money to Black Lives Matter, various bail funds and causes in their own countries (for example MASI in Ireland and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust in the UK), and this is commendable. At the same time, it's important to remember that for many people music is their livelihood and so this money is a lifeline. Diversify your spending, basically. I always make an effort to include as many voices as possible in these mails, and I don't always succeed. Today, however, I am exclusively featuring black artists. There's been a Google doc circulating on Twitter and elsewhere that features 1000+ black artists and black-run labels and I could never hope to feature that many people! So there is a world of music out there for you to enjoy and support. 

CYGNUS - Neon Flux
Cygnus released Rainy Days in late 2018 but it's already seeing a reissue of sorts from World Building. Not on Bandcamp yet but keep an eye out. This is heavenly.

NSDOS Lazer Connect - CONTAINMENT
Also not a Bandcamp link (we'll get there), I came across this artist this week and he's been firing out chunky, heavy techno sounds that really deserve a listen. He's been around for years so it's really my bad for not coming across him sooner. Apparently he makes music using his own constructions, including "old audio converters (carte son), Gameboy emulators, pieces of metal dismantled and welded together giving form to surreal machines", according to his CTM bio.

Russell Ellington Langston Butler - Emotional Bangers Only
"More songs about depression, PTSD, delivery food, and revolutionary action." I haven't been ok for a long time. Infinite Depression Loop. It's a Flex to Cry in Another Country I GUESS. Why We War Dub. Not really enough to list the (brilliant) track titles is it? Russell is no stranger to these mails but this one is not breaking a trend of putting out excellent music. These tracks are emotional bangers (duh), airy and light while still banging. 

Charlotte Adigéry - Yin Yang Self​-​Meditation
I can't remember who it was that played Charlotte Adigéry's 'Paténipat' in a mix but it was my first introduction to this artist. This release is quite different. In it, Adigéry speaks about her life, her fears, her experiences, her worries, while allowing herself to breathe and relax. It's intense and powerful, allowing us into her inner world. There's an instrumental version as well, but it feels like a cop-out going for that, brilliant as it is musically. There's a video available on YouTube if you want to experience that as well.

Bale Defoe - The NeverEnding Process Of Getting Over Yourself
This came out in March, I don't know how I didn't catch it sooner. It's deep, it's groovy, it's got its tongue in its cheek (one of the tracks is called 'FILSY (Fred, I'll Slap The Shit Out Of You)', but features wholesome gospel samples).

North End Track Authority - I Need
North End Track Authority is a collaboration between Bale Defoe and Huey Mnemonic. These are two wonderfully lush house tracks. The Love Mix is Larry Heard-type deep house, while the Lust Mix takes things up a notch in tempo and energy. 

Huey Mnemonic - Virtuosity EP
Speaking of Huey! I thought this was coming later but here it is. It's the first release on his new Subsonic Ebonics label and features two blistering tracks that blur the lines between techno and electro. It's fast enough to be the latter but those hi-hats are definitely techno. Then we have thundering bass drums and vocal samples, giving the title track perfect night-time energy. Then we have 'Hermitsio' which is a bit slower but still powerful, with big synth sounds ebbing and flowing masterfully. Finally, MoMa Ready takes the latter track and gives it even more rattly power.

Kush Jones - Strictly 4 My CDJZ 9
Kush Jones is nothing if not prolific. This is the ninth in his Strictly 4 My CDJZ series — bear in mind the first came out in June '18! The first few tracks here feature that crisp electronic juke sound you might know well, but the final three are in a different vein, sampling live percussion to brilliant effect. And the artwork is just superb.

Composuresquad - XXXI 
This is not easy to describe. It's electronic but it's too punchy to be anywhere near IDM. It's 4/4 but it's too intricate to be "dance music". Actually there is no "dance music", as DeForrest Brown, Jr. said recently. Is it techno? Does it matter? It's good.

K15 - currently.
This shows London's K15 dealing with how he is, currently. Laidback beats music, almost psychedelic and folksy at times, it's gorgeous.

Aho Ssan - Simulacrum
Aho Ssan is Désiré Niamké, a Paris-based artist with a background in graphic design and cinema, who has won awards for his soundtracks. On this release he creates a narrative inspired partly by Baudrillard (check the title), as well as exposing "facades of inclusivity and equality" and how they play into racism in France. "Wanting to collaborate with a jazz musician but unable to find one, he turned to building patches in Max/MSP to create simulations of them." Furthermore, he speculates on his musical heritage, specifically regarding his grandfather, who was a musician in Ivory Coast in the 1950s. All these words can't prepare you for the music, however. Given the label it's on, it's no surprise that the music is often loud, daunting and overpowering, emotive and overwhelming. 

Cadence Weapon - Remixes 2009​-​2013
I used to be a huge Cadence Weapon fan in the late 00s, taking it personally when he said "I try to set the songs To the future, you're still playing 'Deceptacon'" on 'Unsuccessful Club Nights'. I'm not sure what happened but he fell off my radar since then. Sorry Rollie. He's just shared this collection of remixes he put together over a five-year period. He says he was DJing a lot at the time and used to mess around with songs to make them playable, doing the track and playing it that night. It's a sound that doesn't really appear on his solo work so it's a nice snapshot of his sonic abilities. It's also really reflective of that time, kind of post blog house but still bloggy. I particularly like the remixes of Silly Kissers and DVAS. 

vee.0nline - Body
Just a single track here, harking back to the early days of house music. Jackin'.

Nicole Mitchell and Moor Mother - Offering - Live at Le Guess Who
"Move the mysticism in!" This live performance is stunning, mesmerising, magical. I don't have the words, but I think this goes beyond language.

Forest Management - Rooftop By Dusk
In a completely different lane, Forest Management presents a couple of tracks from his earliest works, remastered and reassembled. The sold out physical option included a CDr, reel tape, an insert and other random items, which is very nice. 

Cedric Elisabeth - Facing Reality EP
Deep house meets confusing ambient on this excellent release. It all flows together beautifully too, sequenced like a journey rather than a simple collection of tracks.

The Living Room [Orlando Voorn] - Room Service + 3
A classic album relaunched, Mental Groove Records / Musique Pour La Danse brings forth a new version of Orlando Voorn's 1994 album as The Living Room. It also features three bonus tracks (hence +3). The album could sit alongside works from Aphex Twin and John Beltran, but it features an additional sense of unease, disquiet. It's slightly detached so it stands aside from your classic ~IDM~ or 90s ambient techno. 

KMRU - Saal
Nairobi-based KMRU is another truly prolific artist, and this latest release features his contributions for Drone Day, an international collaboration. "Every year we make a noise together that stretches around the world." 

Nailah Hunter - Spells
When Nailah Hunter released the opening track from this album some months back (although it feels like years) I was blown away by how gorgeous it was. Now the full thing is here and the only criticism I have is a selfish one: I just wish it was longer. The beautiful ambient sounds accompanied by her lovely harp playing makes it absolutely perfect. In the blurb the label calls it an opening statement so I can only hope there will be more to come. 

Olive T - m​.​o​.​i
Long-time pal Olive T has been slowly but surely releasing really great tracks into the world. This latest one is an "melodic techno banger" as she calls it. Tears on the floor. 

Josey Rebelle - Josey In Space
Finally! This came out a few weeks and it's a fantastic mix, heady and exuberant, with Josey seamlessly weaving together sounds from across the decades. It's fun and loud and exciting; I listened on a big walk so I can't say if it's a representation of a club set but given her long-running show on Rinse it represents her perfectly. Weird time to be alive.