Published on
November 20, 2020
Category
Features
Low-slung house, experimental ambient, soulful roots reggae, and more.
This week’s rundown is by VF’s Gabriela Helfet, alongside Jesse Bernard, Lucie Stepankova, James Hammond and Emily Hill.
Singles
Sadistics
Aural Paths To Outer Space
(Out From Out There Records)
Intergalactic is the best word to accurately sum up where Sadistics’ Aural Paths To Outer Space takes listeners. The first track ‘The Outside World’ is the real pacesetter with its distorted sound and pulsating synthesizers. Throughout, Glasgow-based producer Sadistic’s latest offering is a cerebral techno lover’s dream; the LP offers an out-of-body experience that many will need as we head into the coldest months of the year. – JB
Carl Bert & The Cimarons
Slipping Into Darkness
(Hornin’ Sounds)
A heartrending dose of soul-fuelled, roots reggae, Carl Bert’s ‘Slipping Into Darkness’ gets the reissue treatment on Hornin’ Sounds. The A-side features its title track, pairing Bert’s high-end croon with bass vocal harmonies, and an endlessly catchy choral riff. On the flip, the track gets the dub treatment – appropriately titled ‘Dubing Into Darkness’ – and sees Bert’s vocals lead into low-end, echoing percussions to incantatory effect. – GH
Shygirl
ALIAS
(Because Music)
Weaving glitched-out pop, video-game hooks, warped rap, and hazy industrial levels – to name only a few of the influences heard within – Shygirl follows a slew of singles with ALIAS. Featuring productions from SOPHIE, Kai Whiston and Sega Bodega, the seven tracks frame her roboto vocal drawls atop various bpms, most excitingly on ‘LENG’, ‘BAWDY’, ‘SLIME’, and ‘SIREN’. – GH
Beau Wanzer
Kitchen Clock
(LA Club Resource)
Kitchen Clock is the latest addition to a stream of singles from Beau Wanzer that take signal noise, grit and saturation as production fundamentals. Kitchen Clock is, in effect, four shades of skewed electronica, each of which keep their parts simple but their textures captivating. With a pulse, and occasional vocals that seem to build on veneers of audio detritus, the result is anything but clean and clinical. – JH
Mutually Feeling / Pascale Project / Overland / Sigsally
Tiny Planet Vol. 3
(Planet Euphorique)
D Tiffany’s brainchild Planet Euphorique returns with the third compilation in its Tiny Planet series. The latest four-tracker features a host of new names with varying degrees of dance-floor ferocity. From the seductive breaks of Canadian duo Mutually Feeling’s opener, the A-side continues with Pascale’s uplifting analogue house number ‘Fly Zone’. On the reverse, Overland explores the depths of rave, before Sigsally takes the reins and plays hardcore in the ecstatic big room dance of your imagination. – EH
LPs
Off The Meds
Off The Meds
(Studio Barnhus)
Off The Meds follows its stellar EP on Studio Barnhus with an awaited, self-titled, long-player on the label. Described by the group as “a club album” as well as a record “to listen to while taking a train down the coast of the French Riviera” Off The Meds indeed delivers in being both hypnotic and hype at the same time. This is largely thanks OTM’s singular low-slung acid that comes wrapped in the woozy embrace of South African musician Kamohelo Khoaripe’s vocals, along with halcyon-hued, synthesizer hooks. For now, you’ll have to make due with home listening, but trust: these tunes will set clubs alight when given the chance. – GH
Various Artists
LA Series 0-11
(All City Dublin)
Bedroom beat science gets unearthed by All City as they showcase a talented series of producers in the LA Series. The 24-track, 2xLP package collects music made by 22 artists across eleven 10″ records back in 2010, with supreme talents such as Ras G, Tokimonsta, Deadulous and many many more. Compiled and released together for the first time, the project sits with its focus on LA but its variety demonstrates the different generations and approaches to beat making through a worldwide lens. An accompanying, 36-page photo booklet from renowned photographer B+ makes this a true collectors item for the initiated and newcomers to the scene alike. – EH
Won00
For The Road
(Stopwatch Recordings)
Freddie Gibbs put Gary, Indiana on the hip-hop map in a major way in recent years, while also opening the door for other MCs from his city to tell their stories. Won00 only started releasing his music on Bandcamp this year, and For The Road is arguably the most complete and well-packaged of his records, with concise, succinct bars wrapped around eery, ambient production. Just imagine Won100 and Gibbs on a collaboration, hopefully one day soon. – JB
E- Saggila
Corporate Cross
(Hospital Productions)
Intuitive electronics that thrive on a sense of convergence, Rita Mikhael’s latest work as E-Saggila, Corporate Cross, forms an immersive narrative that readily spreads out across four sides of vinyl. Describing it as “a framework of placement and displacement of what I recognise as organic and instinctive”, cut up rhythms abound, aligning with synth patterns as readily as they step away. – JH
Charles Webster
Decision Time
(Dimensions Recordings)
Charles Webster rounds up an impressive ensemble of collaborators across geographies and genres to create Decision Time. Some of South Africa’s finest talent features on the record, alongside vocalists from the golden era of deep house. Burial also makes a rare co-production appearance on the closing track ‘The Second Spell’ featuring words by Ingrid Chavez. This epic of a release is a deep house gem with abstract downtempo, ambient flourishes, soulful vocals, and deeply felt spoken word. – LS
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