RIP. A weekly roundup of releases on Bandcamp and Soundcloud selected and delivered by Aidan
Good morning. If you’re new here, welcome to Bandcloud. Thanks to Todd L. Burns for inviting me to be interviewed for his Music Journalism Insider newsletter. It’s a great resource so you should sign up to that if you haven’t already! We’ve had signs of spring here in Dublin, I’ve even had to wear my sunglasses in the car. It’s still raining a lot.
Aria Rostami and Daniel Blomquist - Still
There weren’t many Bandcloud guest mixes last year but one of them came from Aria Rostami. He’s a prolific artist and his latest work combines in collaboration with Daniel Blomquist, his long-time musical companion. They’ve previously released on Geographic North, Dark Entries, Jacktone and Glacial Movements, the label that’s releasing this work. There are tracks entitled ‘-2 °C’ and ‘-3 °C’, fitting for such a label. Also fitting are the slow movements within each track, ideas building gradually from nothing to big swells of sound and emotion.
KEYIMAGAZINE:ANDI HARRIMAN (full vinyl mix)
I’m not familiar with EBM and such sounds at all so this mix was a bit of an eye (ear?) opener. I did recognise a whole one song though. Warm. Leatherette.
VA - Rites of Kindling (Liquid Library)
Rites of Kindling is a diverse compilation of sounds brought together by Liquid Library (lo-fi till we die) to raise money for Bristol's emergency COVID winter fund. It’s underground, possibly even no-audience underground, with sounds ranging from crunchy noise built on the bones of field recordings to searing cello sounds mixed with electronics, the occasional ditty and some dank non-ambient numbers.
Mutualism W/ Iceboy Violet - MF DOOM Tribute on NTS Radio - 13th Feb 2021
A super special from Iceboy Violet taking in an hour of special moments from MF DOOM, with freestyles and remixes alongside album favourites.
GENG PTP - MF DOOM Tribute (via Channel PTP On Montez Press Radio)
Here’s another DOOM special, from PTP boss GENG. This one takes a different approach, using material he would later sample as well as the voice of the man speaking about his process among other things.
Tucked-in Sound - For the Laugh , Mastered by Warren Lucy
A nice weird techno-y track from Tucked-in Sound, a producer “Live here now, Ireland”. It’s broken and choppy and features lots of bird sounds. I love it.
Olamide feat. Omah Lay - Infinity (DJ Kwamzy Amapiano Remix)
I came across this one after seeing it reposted on SoundCloud. Amapiano is a South African style of music characterised by airy, breezy synths over house beats. It’s kind of lush and warm and jazzy and soulful. This remix is sumptuous.
Jarreau Vandal - Slow It Down Ft Kiah Victoria (DJ Kwamzy Remix)
On the above artist’s page I also found this remix of Dutch artist Jarreau Vandal. Similarly vibesy (yes that’s a word and secondly it’s most appropriate here), it’s heavy on the hi-hats and shakers. It’s got an air of melancholy though, more dark sunset than afternoon party.
SMTH SNDS - Lose Control (AMAPIANO Mash Up)
I let the algo play (I’M SORRY) and ended up on this one and boy it’s fun. Missy is always fun, and this track is just super. Even if you miss the Cybotron sample she sounds great over this shuffling and jazzy beat, a virtuoso keyboard solo snaking over and around her iconic vocals. That base track is called ‘Travelling’ and it’s by someone called Master Jay.
Wonderful sounds here from Adam Badí Donoval on radio.syg.ma. This new show kicks off with 40 minutes of “voices and sounds from Eastern Europe”. It’s all intriguing and otherworldly, haunting yet intimate.
Skullless Head - Furtive Glands
Everything about this makes me feel uneasy, from the chosen artist name to the image to the music itself. It’s squalchy horrible noise. Fine in small doses but a lot to take across nearly 30 minutes. Maybe you’ll like it. One comment from a fan on Bandcamp reads as follows:
FUCK! YES! FINALLY! YESS! GOOD NOISE! JUST GOOD NOISE! NONE OF THIS "ATMOSPHERE" AND "CONCEPT" ETC. YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES
You said it, Eirdlyarm.
On a completely different tip, Northern Irish producer and would-be gym instructor Hammer recently released a collection of 10-minute workout tracks. For 10 days he held live workout sessions on his Instagram in an assortment of 80s-inspired outfits, inviting users to blast these tunes for 10 minutes a day. A nice idea. The music is name your price on Bandcamp, and proceeds are going to Mind In The City, based in Hackney in London. The tracks are airy and breezy, floaty and fun, with tough beats and sentimental bleeps and synth lines floating up above the clouds. If you’re interested in the workouts, they’re archived here.
‘Cassie’, the first track on this release from Seattle artist Xminus1, features a strange moment. It’s almost as if the track has been cut out by the DJ playing it, yet it’s part of the original track. A lovely touch.
Trjj, Hipolito - Circuli & Timer
“2 Songs that include Singing, a Programmable Percussion Synthesizer and FM Synthesis.” That’s what it says on the cover. Weird songs featuring delicate and unnerving electronics, murky, muted vocals adding an air of disquiet.
Music is storytelling. There’s a truism for you. Senyawa’s latest album, the group’s 12th I believe, has the title Alkisah, which translates as “Once upon a time” in Indonesian (or so Google Translate tells me). What’s perhaps most interesting about this album is the manner of its release. It’s decentralised, which means that labels around the world have been given the opportunity to release it in any way they see fit. That means different artwork, additional remixes and more depending on who’s behind each release. There’s an interview with them in The New York Times about it here. The link I’m sharing is from German label Dekorder, simply because that’s the label that reached out to me about it. There’s a lot to be said about forging your own path as an artist and going the DIY route, and some people have certainly seen success with that approach. However, this is a brilliant way of sharing music down a variety of avenues, benefiting artist and label alike. Of course this is all moot if the music isn’t any good. It’s great. Searing crunch, wailing guitars, screams, thunderous punch. ‘Alkisah II’ is a particular highlight for me.
BAE BAE - Gyal Dem Love Alté (Lovers Mix)
Alté is an alternative form of rnb dance music from Nigeria and this is “a mix of alté, dancehall, and afrobeats for you to get sexy with a lover or by your own self <3” according to its creator. Between this and her mix for Kush Jones’s show on Rinse last month BAE BAE has been showing her skills lately. Big mood.
This is a delightfully scuzzy take on techno, one that’s eminently listenable in any context. I was sitting playing Candy Crush with this playing, nodding my head as I swiped and swoped. Obviously it bangs and rocks and all that so in a club environment (ha! sob!) it would definitely work too. Label name Primordial Void deserves a shout too.