Published on
May 20, 2022
Category
Features
Spiritual synth sessions, kosmiche lullabies, and upbeat highlife.
This week’s rundown is by VF’s Lazlo Rugoff, alongside Alice Whittington, Annabelle Van Dort, and James Hammond.
Hélène Vogelsinger
Patch Notes
(The Vinyl Factory)
French composer and sound designer Hélène Vogelsinger’s contribution to Fact’s Patch Notes series, which celebrates the art of making electronic music with hardware, gets a welcome 12″ release this week. Recorded in an abandoned castle in the French countryside, the record’s two tracks capture the sounds of her soothing, spiritual synth sessions. Speaking on the location, she explains: “I love the fact that they have layers of stories and histories, with different occupants, often crossing times, and always full of beautiful and melancholic poetry.” — LR
Shy One
IP Addy
(Eglo Records)
With a technology-themed name like IP Addy, you’d be forgiven for being surprised that this is a vinly-only release. Reinforcing this juxtaposition, the titular track leans heavily on digital instruments and sounds reminiscent of footwork, but at a slightly slower tempo. With heavily distorted snares, snippets of vocals and an acid-drenched arpeggiator, it’s as if a ’90s modem accidentally made its way into the DAW output. On the flip, two fleeting sketches of techno with smooth, low-pass filtered basslines and bouncy percussion whet the appetite for a late-night shimmy. — AW
Various Artists
Ebirac All-Stars
(Numero Group)
In contrast to the spotlight shone upon the All Stars of high-profile salsa labels in cities such as New York or Miami, the All Stars of Chicago’s Ebirac label propagated their propulsive brew of guaguancó and montuno stylings primarily at West Side Puerto Rican community centres, selling or giving out their 45s direct from the stage. Of the 50+ releases that make up the late ’70s Ebirac catalogue, this distillation of the label’s output is the most concise to date, with Numero Group zoning in on key tracks from groups such as Orquesta La Justicia, Orquesta La Solución, and Típica Leal. There’s a dazzling display of instrumental prowess and arrangement on display here that any salsa lover will want to investigate. — JH
Mary Lattimore & Paul Sukeena
West Kensington
(Three Lobed Recordings)
On West Kensington, the latest collaboration between multi-instrumentalists Mary Lattimore and Paul Sukeena, the two musicians sculpt oneiric soundscapes; kosmiche lullabies of swirling synths and reverb-drenched guitar that lulls you into a trance. With every pluck of her harp, Lattimore conjures a sense of calmness that invites the listener to relax: lay back and close your eyes, and let the music wash over you like a warm bath. — AVD
Lucrecia Dalt
The Seed
(Invada)
Lucrecia Dalt’s debut score, The Seed, gets its vinyl release this week courtesy of Invada Records. A deeply unnerving body of work, Dalt crafted its haunting sonics using pieces of metal, synths, and tape loops. A testament to the power of minimalism, The Seed is designed to linger in the mind long after listening, its ominous sounds leaving any listener with a lingering sense of forthcoming doom. — LR
Saltpond City Band
Boko a Ko
(Meet Me There)
Not content with running charitable projects and festivals in Ghana, the Meet Me There team branches out into releasing music, starting out with none other than the Saltpond City Band. Originally formed by legendary musician Ebo Taylor, it’s now led by his son Henry, infusing classic highlife with modern funk and sprinkles of jazz. While most tracks feature vocals typical of the highlife genre, the band allows the very capable horn section to regularly shine through and take the spotlight. It’s a strong sign that the Ghanaian scene is thriving in the old and new worlds, embracing both heritage and musical progression. — AW
Park Jiha & Roy Claire Potter
To Call Out Into The Night
(Takuroku)
Recorded during a BBC Late Junction performance in 2020, To Call Out Into The Night finds Park Jiha and Roy Claire Potter meeting for the first time, instantly striking up the kind of sonic rapport that can elude even long-term collaborators. For this free-form performance, Jiha uses the string and wind sounds of the piri, yanggeum and saeng, alongside Potter’s vivid spoken-word articulations. It’s the musicality of speech and the duo’s ability to listen to each other that works a curious spell over this set, with the expressive and musical nature of both crafts merging as a whole. — JH
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy & Lee
(Light In The Attic)
Light in the Attic Records continue their exquisite run of Lee Hazelwood releases with the reissue of Nancy and Lee. Their debut album together, Nancy and Lee is an unexpected collaboration with divine results. Billy Strange’s luscious orchestral arrangements contain a cinematic grandeur and a psychedelic sensibility — like a Hammerstein or Morricone composition reimagined by The Byrds. The femme fatale to Hazlewood’s crooning cowboy, Nancy’s vocals are sultry and unaffected, appearing like stolen glances across a smokey room. — AVD
Marina Herlop
Pripyat
(PAN)
Ever at the forefront of experimentalism, this week sees PAN release Catalan singer and pianist’s Marina Herlop’s new album Pripyat. Taking an alchemic approach to the voice, Herlop contorts her own vocals through various forms. Combining this with experimental electronics, melancholic piano, and avant-garde pop, Pripyat emerges as a wholly engaging record, and one that — even after multiple listens — remains hard to categorise. — LR
Zola Jesus
Arkhon
(Sacred Bones)
A true experimentalist, Zola Jesus’ new album is designed to unearth “buried tools for bearing grief, loss, and disappointment.” Breaking away from her previous solo outings, Arkhon sees Jesus collaborating with producer Randall Dunn and drummer and percussionist Matt Chamberlain to craft the album’s 10 tracks. — LR
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