Once again, Bandcamp is waiving its fee today, so that's 15% for digital, and 10% for merch that will be staying with artists. Of course that's not including payment processing fees (ie PayPal and credit card companies) but it's not nothing. This puts me in a strange position — obviously I want to include as much music as I want but there's only so much room. It's not a competition! And yet the financial implications of this rush to buy/sell are very real. Don't get me wrong, this is A Good Thing, but wow there's a lot going on. I don't shy away from this because it's not important, but because if I think about it too much I get bogged down in confusion and end up doing nothing. So here's some music.
HOW - Dream Sequence
Just some nasty noise for you. Started my Monday morning with this, great stuff.
Josefine Hellström and Ena Cosovic - Saturn Retrograde EP
Three tracks of spacey, trancey electro on Eluize's Night Tide label.
PHANTAZN - SPIRAL WITHIN
"Embrace the inner spiral." Dance music at its finest. Fast, free, fun. Influences from all eras and styles come together here. Vocals cut up at will, classic drum machines, breaks, stabs, it's loud and brash and will make you want to party.
ADP Podcast #0313043 By Detroit's Filthiest
At first this mix was like caffeine, it really pumped me up first thing in the morning. Halfway through and I was glued to the spot, unable to do anything or think about anything other than the music in my ears. It's a thrilling and racy run through invigorating electro, all spacey technotic blips and shakes. Then around 28 minutes in there's this fucking massive curveball in a track that utterly weeps with rnb chords. So unexpected. Jaw-dropping.
Tomu DJ - Sink
I was going to share a fun and chirpy dance track by Tomu but then she dropped this two-part longform sound art piece. Much more fun, I'm sure you'll agree!
MVMNTS: Hiro Kone x Roxy Farman
Speaking of sound art. During a residency last year, Hiro Kone and Roxy Farman, working with Kyle Keays, created a large instrument made out of sheet metal and springs. They then set about fashioning fascinating noises from this instrument in tandem with video, voice, violin and modular. All proceeds from this release go to COVID Bailout NYC, which is helping medically vulnerable people in the city's jails.
VA - BLTRSX - Connections (Compilation) (Huntleys + Palmers)
The latest Belters compilation from H+P largely features artists I don't know but it belts nonetheless. It belts at all tempos, thumping in different ways, with personal highlights coming from SLVN, XXX Bump Patrol and Lipelis. It comes in mixed format too.
Morwell - Play / Love
'Love' is a solid, straightforward banger, at least by Morwell's jagged standards. Play, however, is a monster. Utterly unhinged, it's a freaky slab of chunky noise that works at 100 or 200bpm. Head. Nod. Shit.
Field Works - Ultrasonic
This album was inspired by the echolocations of bats. Field Works invited a host of artists to contribute, including Mary Lattimore, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Kelly Moran, Christina Vantzou, Sarah Davachi, and Chihei Hatakeyama, and they've each created something fascinating for this release. If you buy the album you get an official printed booklet of The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (US).
Jenifa Mayanja - Faithful Crossing
A lush and balmy deep house cut that didn't fit no Mayanja's last album.
The Revenant Sea - Nothing Treads, Eidolon H#004
Utterly terrifying music from The Revenant Sea, that also comes with a short story involving a man wandering into a giant Russian forest in search of strange stone statues.
VA - *Completely Sold Out Rarity (First Second Label)
First Second friends and family from home and abroad come together on this super release. We've got OGs like Lumigraph and Bobofunk as well as ELLLL and Lee Kelly, not to mention an unexpected appearance from New York's Alien D.
Arrowounds - Oncotype Sketchbook
I was listening to some early 90s house music yesterday and it made me feel really wistful, longing for warm summer nights. Then I put this on and really wanted to melt into a puddle of sadness.
Quentin Leonetti - the king's room
Similarly mournful is this one from Quentin Leonetti, with three tracks of dank droning noises, falling into chasms at the end of the world.
VA - Waking The Doldrums (Fault Radio)
San Francisco radio station Fault Radio has brought together 11 tracks by artists from the area for this release. Dubby strange noises, acid breaks, rattling warehouse rave, freaky techno and more, it's a wonderful reflection of different sides of electronic music.
Dreamcycles - Future Lights and Archetypes
Dreamcycles has featured in several guises here over the years and this is her latest work, a mini album on Dutch label Queeste. It's a reflection on modern Ireland, austerity and commercial development, with samples from news reports and videos alongside the artist's own voice and music. Stellar. Half of all sales today go to Women's Aid Ireland.
valyakan - Aftersix / Moodyfresh EP
I've only heard the second track here but it's great, a spiral of echoes and delicate, scattered percussion. Like the opening beats of a horrifying night out.
bergsonist - #565900
I could have picked out any of bergsonist's releases from this week but this in particular stood out. The rattling percussion and strange (possibly) bird sounds on 'Origin', as well as the turgid stomp of 'Fragment' really stood out on this one, showing off her brilliance.
Black Robert - Antalya
While the music might not suggest it, this release is in honour of an eastern restaurant that existed in Paderborn, Germany, in the mid-90s. The tracks are soft and gentle, unobtrusive, nice. Sometimes we need nice. Let yourself breathe.
secondnature & friends
Thirteen tracks from the Pacific North West. Killer stuff, with highlights from tondiue, Flora FM, Aos and Gag Reflex. Bangers,
fennec - Finding Rest in a Weary World
Ahhh lovely dubby stuff with a brilliant ambient flip that featured in my radio show last week. That show descended (ascended?) into a blog house trip. Yeah. Fun.
Mor Air - Nine Movements For Water
Nine gorgeous ambient tracks, all twanged guitar, heavy reverb, flowing waters (obviously) and echoey piano. That actually sounds really terrible when I write it down but it's not terrible at all. I think I'm losing it.
VA - FLEX001 (early reflex)
This comp is the debut release from early reflex, established by Alec Pace. It's a blockbuster cast, featuring the likes of Loraine James and Hence Therefore. It's all thrilling, electrifying dancefloor stuff. We will dance again.