Bandcloud 296

Last week was big! Did you pick up anything? I got a lot. I made a mix with stuff from all the different releases I bought; naturally it's quite a mixed bag. You can listen here. 

Arvo Party - Devotions
I'll be honest. First time I saw this artist name I rolled my eyes. But hey. What's in a name? This album is quietly gorgeous, with muted ambient tones, tape-stretched mournfulness and a general air of wistful pondering. 

Wayward in Limbo #9 – Cruel Diagonals
Friend of the cloud Cruel Diagonals just put together this half hour of stupendous sounds for Wayward in Limbo. Originally a live performance series, Wayward has gone online in the middle of the pandemic. This is exclusive music, ne'er before heard anywhere else. It opens with CD's voice, and moves from there through abstract tones, rattling percussion, found sound, strange dark squelches and more. It's at once familiar and new, signature and unsettlingly unusual. 

Hanging Lichen / Peak Descent - Hanging Lichen / Peak Descent
This is the kind of thing where I knew I'd be into it from the artist names and the opening seconds of the music. The first track is a 15-minute piece from Hanging Lichen and it's very weird, single notes that waver and drone, ominous bells, detuned voices. Peak Descent then provides three tracks, the first a track built of similar stuff yet offering more hope than disquiet. The next sounds like a single moment shorn from an 80s cassette played ad infinitum, while the last one is muted, plodding and beautiful. 

Tollcrane - I Just Woke Up
This is from a mixtape/comp of artists based in Karachi. It's a varied bunch and a lot of the tracks aren't to my taste but this one is nice and dreamy, housey stuff. 

Polypores - Universe B
"Cosmic sleep music" from Preston, Lancs. There are some great acts and labels from that area and it's hard to believe I spent one of the worst periods of my life there! Seriously though, this is a lovely release reflecting on the strange new normal we're in. 'Empty Parks In The Blazing Sun' says it all. 

Aryu Jassika - You still gunna be cute after this ;)
The opening track here is hypnotic and rolling, with scattered percussion and heavy bass. You almost might miss the repeated lyrics "Miss Madam Flesh Eater". It's ominous. The whole EP is similarly deceptive. Dark, pumping, low-slung bangers. 'Amapicant' is ... I have no words. BIG. This is just masterful. 

OMMA - DOMA
This is a new spontaneous release from OMMA on Antinote. It's super. Nice and new agey. Flutes and bells and synths and vox. 

Lighght - Dip It Low
A manic rework of Christina Milian's 2004 hit from the boy with the best titles in the game. IT'S SO GOOD! POP! POP! POP! THAT! THANG!

Moor Mother - CLEPSYDRA
Moor Mother offered this one up as writing music, particularly for those experiencing any kind of creative block. It's an abstract cut-up release, with samples chosen from a variety of musical spheres, spoken word recordings and political speech, densely layered at times to dizzying effect. I believe it's only available for a month so get on it!

Ineffekt - Solaris
This one starts out like a fairly standard breaks-laden techno stomper then this gorgeous arpeggiated syth melody kicks in overly impossibly mournful chords and wow. I love it. Apparently there's an even more euphoric version minus kicks on the full release.

VA - The Limit Xperience: Xtended Release & Friends For Street Watch LA
The limit does not exist. This is raising money for Street Watch LA, which is "Fighting to empower + protect the rights of poor/unhoused tenants across LA". It bangs too. Well, the two tracks available right now (it's due for release today but as I type it's 2am in LA so give them a break). Maral and C Powers always deliver, and I can't wait to hear the rest. Big up séverine for putting this together.

SL Comms - 1503
When that OMMA release above popped into my inbox I was already playing this track and to be honest they went very well together. The description reads: "Audio screensaver. Please play very quietly." It's drawn-out ambient sounds, in that background music kind of way, but it's heartbreakingly lovely. 

VA - Psychic Gardening: Extrasensory Plant Perception (Sparkwood Records)
Another gorgeous collection of melodic synth music. It's a selection of music previously released on Sparkwood and it's got a wonderful theme. Each artist featured is given a botanical title — Maintainence & Conservation, Moss & Lichen Cultivation, Soil & Air Quality Consultant etc — and all proceeds will go to Botanic Gardens Conservation International. That's cool. The music is wonderful too! I particularly like The Elephant Frame's 'Commelina' and nil.co's 'Spring Tides'.

aidnq - Slow Notes For Enright
In a first, I'm sharing my own music here. Not a mix or a comp, but actual stuff I've made. It's a selection of tracks made from slowed-down trance breakdowns and sounds from kids' TV shows. It's part of Broken20's Slow Notes series (full disclosure! I've featured releases from that label here before, and Production Unit contributed a Bandcloud mix last year) and it's dedicated to my favourite author, Anne Enright. I've yet to read her latest novel but a signed copy is sitting in this very room with me. Anyway. Thanks to TVO and Production Unit for this opportunity. I hope you find something you like in here. It's name your price but all proceeds will go to Inner City Helping Homeless, a Dublin operation that has a nightly outreach programme for rough sleepers.

I hope you're keeping well and are safe. Did you know that the Skylax back catalogue is on Bandcamp now? Minus the Sprinkles stuff of course, but the rest is just top notch house perfection. HERE.