The world is in utter chaos. Nothing can make sense of it. Here's some music that can hopefully ease the pain, at least for a moment.
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Karl Fousek — Codicil
Nicely unhinged electronic explorations, untitled save for the number of the order in which it comes on the tape. Quietly unsettling, what my wife would most definitely term bleepy bloop. Imagine that oMMM release on Alien Jams, if you tore away the murk and fuzz and just left high-end floating synths. Really cool artwork too.
Joane Skyler - orz
Late pass on this one, but there's no expiry date on good music eh? That might be the worst collection of words I've ever typed since BC01. Skippy tape electronics from London-based Joane Skyler, released last year on Reckno. Tracks ebb and flow, seguing from one movement to the next like passages in a dream.
Nubus - Memory Season
Interesting release from this native of Limerick, Ireland. Slightly pastoral electronics, or perhaps late-night urban explorations.
Vleese - Substance
French electronics on the Twin Springs Tapes label. More untitled business, moving from restless quavers and arpeggios quiet and subdued buzzes and pulses.
Matt Nida - Explorer
Matt had some kind words to say about Bandcloud last week, so it's with a joyous heart that I can share his new release. Explorer is his homage to the space-age sci-fi experiments that got him hooked on electronic music, and it's a wonderful tape that stands in a fine tradition. '1040' is a gorgeous introduction, beautiful yet tinged with fear and trepidation upon entering the unknown. The next few tracks enter faster territory, shades of Aphex Twin standing alongside the cited influences such as Model 500 and Drexciya. 'Dream Sequence', fittingly, is a beautifully ambiguous closer, wonder and confusion standing side by side. By the cassette release before mid-August and you get an actual mix tape with it!
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Vashti Bunyan - Across The Water
It's a new Vashti Bunyan song.
Be Honest - The Joinery - 11:7:14
Be Honest performed live at The Joinery in D7 last week in support of Raising Holy Sparks. This is a recording of that set. Simply wonderful. A single drone that lasts the full half-hour, embellished and reduced at times, randomised guitar pluckings and piano meanderings and the sound of child-like play all happening on, over and around that drone.
Peder Mannerfelt - PM002
I don't quite know what to say about this. It's not drone, it's certainly not drone, but it somehow relates to both - beatless electronic passages of repeated noises and thuds and pads. It's intriguing and engrossing while beind slightly offputting in its very difference from anything else I've heard lately. http://www.junodownload.com/plus/2014/07/15/exclusive-stream-peder-mannerfelts-new-release/ Juno Plus, who premiered this release, called the tracks "humming signal paths of discombobulated synth patterns with emphasis toward sound-sculpture over traditional rhythmic groove", which just about nails it, I think.
The Bug - 'Void' Feat. Liz Harris
Liz Harris of Grouper fame joins The Bug for this one. Fuzzy electronics, dubstep of a kind, imbued with the wistful chill of Harris's wonderful vocals, I could probably listen to this for a week and not notice the time going by.
DEEJAY BLUNTMAN - ESOTERIC COMMUNION (Hashman Deejay DAB-MIX)
Mood Hut love-in here, as Hashman reworks glistening Bluntman's 'Esoteric (Communion)' on All Caps in oddly dated yet still mind-bending trip-hop fashion. Think late-90s UNKLE (ie DJ Shadow) and you get the picture. It's Lavelle-ian in its indulgent run-time too, stretching beyond the 10-minute mark. Hashman also provided this week'sJuno podcast. I haven't had time to listen to it but I'm looking forward to it.
Dark0 - Amethyst
Forthcoming release on Gobstopper Records, this kicks off with a heartbreaking trance-like riff - like a sped-up version of Locked Groove's 'Dream Within A Dream' from last year - before jacking into those classic flue-like grime sounds. Choppy claps meet swollen synths, it's a rush.
Dummy Mix 218 // Babe Rainbow
Babe Rainbow made a mix for Truants in 2011 https://soundcloud.com/truants/truancy-volume-37-babe-rainbow. One of the first tracks in the mix, IFTW's take on Ciara's 'Like A Surgeon', was featured on Truancy Compilation One eight months earlier. He also played HudMo's 'Cbat', DJ Funeral's 'Nitemare' and Dizzee's 'Sittin' Here' among others. All good, in other words. This new mix for Dummy moves between funk and house and neo-classical and 'Da Art of Storytellin' (Part One)' (which features some of my favourite André 3000 lyrics) before moving into 0PN. This is a very roundabout recommendation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Puff Daddy & Faith Evans - I'll Be Missing You (GUNDAM Edit) CLIP
Only a clip sadly, but I love this. Just a tiny bit of that Police sample chopped up over hi-hats and snares, and Puff shouting NOTORIOUS. Crazy.
ngly - Dry Socket
Imre Kiss shared this on Twitter, saying he was addicted to it, and I can see why. Moody house, detuned spoken word, clattering percussion. Top notch. Not sure why it's filed under dentist house, but there you go.
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Thanks to everyone who entered last week's competition. Maybe next time I'll have sponsorship or something and can offer something weighty. If you haven't checked out the Tumblr, by the way, this week it's featured the artwork for Call Super's forthcoming album, Surgeon's ambient set at Freero, Don Harper (as sampled by Danger Doom) and OutKast. Keep it locked. Bits and pieces between longer missives.
All the best,
Aidan