Bandcloud 236

This week's reading included Jenny Hval's Paradise Rot and Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Both fascinating books, both excellent. There was something I couldn't put my finger on about Rest and Relaxation, I never quite got a handle on it, but it was not by any means a waste of my time. I started One Hundred Years of Solitude yesterday but my train was delayed, I got flustered and I couldn't concentrate. I switched to Jo Nesbø's The Snowman this morning. I'll come back to Márquez soon...

Patterns of Perception 46 - Konduku
This one kept me sane last week. It's a weirdly chunky mix of ... techno? I'm not sure. It really takes me back to Jimmy Van M's Bedrock mix, all chunky beats and strange vocal yips. The artist has a few releases on Nous'klaer and a new one due next month, featuring "ripped out drum-heavy minimalism", which is what this mix is all about. 

Jessica Ekomane - Common Fate
Jessica Ekomane, whose Bandcloud mix from 2015 still gets regular attention to this day, released this track to mark the end of her residency on Berlin Community Radio (as the station is sadly shutting down). It's a pulsy track that builds from soft taps through heaving bass and undulating tones, its tension growing as the notes travel higher. There's a remix from Jesse-Osborne Lanthier that seems completely divorced from the original. It bursts forth with jagged edges, desperate to escape through cracks in each bar.

Anna Peaker - Helicidae (ALT50)
You may have seen the news of a new compilation on Helm's Alter label, featuring stellar artists such as Teresa Winter, Helena Celle, Mumdance (I swear he's been playing 'Path Of The Seer' for years on his shows) and Space Afrika among others. This is a delectable taste of what's coming. Whispering ambient riven with emotion. 

VA - Compilado Feminoise México (Sisters Triangla Records)
A pretty big compilation of music from Mexico, ranging from ambient to throat singing, clubby sounds to brash sound art. There's some folky stuff and punky stuff, loads really. Each track page has info on the artist behind it. I particularly liked tracks from Bárbara Lázara, Alina Maldonado, Hot Ramen, Sandunga and Alina Sánchez, to name just a few, 

FLORIAN - scape (2014) free DL
Free download of a wonky and loopy house banger. 

The Leaf Library - Monument One
Monument Two: Scale - Volume One
Monument Three: Floral Calyx Phase
Okay so this is a lot. The Leaf Library put out three CD-Rs last week, solo projects from different members under the Leaf Library umbrella. Each one focusing on a kind of droning ambient aspect. Makes great flying music. Monument One is guitar driven, not quite ambient and definitely not ~easy~ listening but definitely something to put on in the midst of emotional turmoil ('Continuous City'!). Monument Two features seven tracks of equal length, each based around a different note of the Ionian scale (A-G). Dank and rumbly. Three is the most melodic of the lot, with plenty of themes and synth play. The title track, 'Floral Calyx Phase' is particularly beautiful.

Rui Da Silva - Touch Me Ambient version (the long mix)
Rui Da Silva's 'Touch Me' time-stretched to 46 minutes. I've been meaning to share this for some time but kept forgetting about it. I think it was six hours long at one point? Either way. Zone out. "I made this version so you can meditate for 6 hours without having to switch tunes... it is also great to soundtrack a otherwise silent room in a house like a hallway, garage, basement, bathroom or even a terrace.. it should be played at low volume and you will need a spare mp3 player with a cradle (speaker)... ENJOY"

DJ Robbie Tronco @ the Strand. (Side A)
DJ Robbie Tronco @ the Strand. (Side B)
Archival stuff from Robbie Tronco here, c.1988 to be (im)precise. Two sides of wonderful party music, from electro and proto-techno to hip-house and house proper, with dashes of synth pop. Lots of 'Think' breaks, lots of scratching and DJ tricks — wait and see what he does to 'It Takes Two' and 'Big Fun' — it's heaps of entertainment. There's a lot of discourse at the moment about DJs vs artists; if only all DJs were this good.

Leonce - The TMA Leonce Remixes
A couple of rejected Kelela remixes, shared by Leonce. The delicate and emotive 'Turn To Dust' is given a gloriously heavy refresh for the club, catharsis on the dance floor. 'Truth Or Dare' goes to NOLA for a proper bounce workout, and finally 'Bluff' goes up against Ashanti's 'Foolish' (by way of The Notorious BIG and Debarge). Timeless.

SCRAAATCH - TEARDROPS
Speaking of club catharsis, SCRAAATCH dropped this smash this week. 'Don't Talk To Me' is an anthem, rattling and thumping percussion inviting the listener to dance with abandon while the vocal assuredly states "Don't talk to me; I'm here to dance". Straight up. 'Articles' is a fascinating piece of chopped up sound art, while 'Teardrops' repeats a plaintive Mariah vocal from last year over a restrained yet persistent beat. 

Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels (Sketches From An Island Sunrise Meditation)
I don't usually care to pay any attention to R-cord St-re D-y, but this is soo goooood. I came across this last night, a lengthy rework of this classic 80s jam. I've been listening to INXS's Never Tear Us Apart a lot lately, as well as the Lush remix of Tall Paul's awful 'Precious Heart', and thinking of Donnie Darko made me listen to 'Head Over Heels'. Anyway. I found this as I was looking for it online and holy wow. International Feel boss Mark Barrott stretches the bare elements to some nine minutes, using that essential theme and a few vocals from the chorus, pumping the track full of Balearic colour for maximum gorgeousness. I think it was vinyl only but it's available to stream so that at least. (Incidentally, have you heard Eli Escobar's 'Heavenly Break'???)