Published on
October 16, 2020
Category
Features
Utrecht broken beat, Chicago boogie, Tokyo punk and more.
This week’s rundown is by VF’s Gabriela Helfet, alongside Jesse Bernard, Lucie Stepankova, James Hammond and Emily Hill.
Singles
Monsta
Give Me Something Good
(Paste Due Records)
With Bill Withers on production duties and Carlton Poward’s group delivering an infectiously upbeat 7-minute funk and disco banger, it’s peculiar that Monsta’s discography started and ended with ‘Give Me Something Good’. Still, in terms of a lone statement this single sided 12” is certainly a strong one, and with the original 1978 test pressing release being a rare affair, its reissue makes for a deserved second outing on vinyl. – JH
An Gleann Dubh
Ossian’s Cave
(Full Dose)
The glorious return of the fairly mysterious An Gleann Dubh to the Glaswegian Full Dose label is cheerful news for those in favour of convoluted music lacking genre boundaries. Like an unidentifiable organism in a constant state of disintegration and resurrection, this hybrid triptych lives life on its own terms. Ossian’s Cave picks-n-mixes influences from bass music, IDM, glitch, dub, ambient and even a touch of kosmische musik to create a sonic picture of futurism rooted in ritual. – LS
Colored Music
Heart Beat
(Rush Hour)
Sought-after Chee Shimizu edits of Colored Music tracks make a return courtesy of Rush Hour. The music comes from Coloured Music’s seminal 1981 self-titled album on Better Days – a project led by Ichiko Hasimoto and Atsuo Fujimoto, whose meditative post-punk grooves are retained on Chimzu’s renditions. ‘Heart Beat’ and ‘Colored Music’ have been in circulation for some time now. Essential edits for diggers and dance floor aficionados alike, the industrial tinged synth lines with drum machine loops create club friendly tracks that still retain the band’s edgy touch. Both edits are masterful secret weapons that always seemed to be played at the perfect time, providing a lovely nostalgia trip in the process. – EH
Web Web
Remixes #1 EP
(Compost Records)
Web Web’s Remixes #1 EP is a terribly rude offering at this time, since there’s nowhere for us to go and dance… However, it’s also a stellar collection of disco, house and broken beat from the German collective. The opening track ‘What You Give,’ features production from Mousse T and sets the tone instantly. Elsewhere, L One’s remix of ‘The Ring Of’ has a soft dubby tone to it that feels mesmeric. For now, we have our living rooms, where the EP can offer a semblance of joy and vibrancy as we head into the darker, colder months of the year. – JB
LPs
Various Artists
Modern Intimacy Volume 1
(United Identities)
“Shining a light on rising talent from the Netherlands,” producer, DJ and curator Carista delivers her first compilation on her own United Identities imprint. Modern Intimacy Volume 1 is more than a collection of tracks, there is a considered build to its rise in bpms and moods. Much like Carista’s effervescent DJ sets, the album begins with slow shooping r’n’b via broken beat bubblers before proceeding to dub-shakers and acid-laced techno seamlessly. Though each track stands alone, taken as a whole, it’s as close as you’ll come to stepping onto a dance floor helmed by Carista this year – a record that should be played loud the whole way through, for maximum gleeful effect. – GH
Tomoko Sauvage
Fischgeist
(Bohemian Drips)
Using hydrophones to amplify a set of porcelain and glass bowls filled with differing amounts of water, Tomoko Sauvage’s ensemble is a striking one. Described by Sauvage as a natural synthesizer, it’s the interplay and rubbing of the bowls that animates all manner of sounds within- be it feedback loops or frequencies that resemble those produced by marine mammals. Recorded within the characteristic 20-second reverb of Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg water tower, Fischgeist effectively swims within these sounds, presenting a “phantasmagoric journey” that reaches out to the history of the water tower and the spirits of marine fauna. – JH
Autechre
Sign
(Warp)
Autechre unleash their electronic enigma, SIGN. Across its 11-tracks Rob Brown and Sean Booth weave industrial and cerebral techno with a heavy touch of euphoria. Thrilling to fanatics as well as accessible to the less initiated, SIGN’s most beautiful moments are in the juxtaposition of chaotic crescendos and somber refrains alike – as heard in the whirling synth cacophony of ‘F7’ compared with the heartrending of slow drawl of ‘r cazt’ for example. – GH
Josh Johnson
Freedom Exercise
(Northern Spy Records)
Hailing from Los Angeles, Josh Johnson is an exceptional session musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist with a forte in saxophone and keyboards. Following his compositional work and performances with Chicago Underground Quartet, Holophonor and Jeff Parker & The New Breed, his solo Freedom Exercise, hosted on the Brooklyn-based Northern Spy label, is an intricate fusion of all his musical interests. The album is a richly colored exploration of contemporary jazz powered by Johnson’s sensual saxophone skills in combination with labyrinthine percussions and bold bass. The occasional hint to American contemporary classical particularly heard in ‘856’, ‘Punk’ and the closing ‘Return Recoil’ is a nice finishing touch to this charming listening piece. – LS
Open Mike Eagle
Anime, Trauma and Divorce
(Auto Reverse Records)
The term ‘alternative hip-hop’ is so derivative these days, given the many sub-strands, genres and pockets artists can now find a home for themselves in. Open Mike Eagle’s testimony on this album is about speaking truth to power, facing demons and coming to terms with the myriad of obstacles life throws us at us. It’s his first solo album since 2017’s Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, but as the title suggests, the album’s overall mood doesn’t offer upliftment, rather a space for listeners to take stock and cherish what they do have.– JB
Organizatsiya
À l’ombre des roches
(Knekelhuis)
Lyon-based duo Organizatisya, aka Leo and Zoe, join the ever growing eclectic roster of Dutch label Knekelhuis with their debut album – A L’ombre des Roches. The LP peels back through classical genres of music, such as folk and acoustic, whilst simultaneously wedging itself within the contemporary spectrum of digital IDM and drone. Featuring a selection of vocal collaborations with artists such as Jules Rouxel and Nikita von Tiraspol, they tred the line of spoken word and introspective dance music perfectly. ‘Une comptine pour jeanne’ holds the listener in this atmospheric dreamlike state, whilst other tracks more experimentally charm you into their clasp. – EH
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