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Nov122018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (12th November)
| November 12, 2018Manipulated field recordings, flute fuzz and electric riddles from Tokyo.
This week’s new singles feature new music from Portico Quartet’s Keir Vine, hip-house acid electro from Sagats, and reissues on Melodies International and Rocket Recordings.
In the album’s section, there’s a new percussive adventure from Eli Keszler, Yoshinori Hayashi’s eccentric dance floor electronics, Maisha’s spiritual jazz meets afro-beat debut, and another virtuosic effort from Shit & Shine.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Anders Enge
Love Loser
(Borft)
After a couple of years dominating the cassette scene with a clutch of hardware heaters on Dissociated and Funeral Fog, Anders Enge gets back on the black stuff with a second release for cult electronix imprint Borft. In keeping with the Swedish label’s MO of acid laced techno and razor sharp electro, Anders finds the sonic sweet spot between Dopplereffekt and Chris & Cosey. Warped, weird and properly pinging, this is peak time play for basement dwellers.
Keir Vine
Instance
(Trestle)
Springing from suggestions of space and location, this is one of those rare releases that expands the fabric of field recording and personal memory. Heartbeats, East-End ice cream vans, the post-seizure glossolalia of a friend, the acoustics of empty churches; all strike at the edges of their perceptibility and encourage the ear to venture below the surface in pursuit of their continually unraveling threads. Adventurous in composition and processing whilst employing the inherent musicality that Vine is known for in his work with Portico Quartet, this EP is the kind of electro-acoustic ferment that calls out for repeated listens.
Le Stim
‘Tribute To Muhammad Ali (We Crown The King)’
(Melodies International)
Melodies International bring the heat once more, with the first ever reissue of Le Stim’s cult 1980 d-floor stormer ‘Tribute To Muhammad Ali (We Crown The King)’. Originally recorded as an ode to the prize fighter, the track became a disco party anthem courtesy of its anthemic “Muhammad Ali, woo yeah!” exultations. The 12″ follows Melodies’ reissue of Trio Ternura’s ‘A Gira’ – one of our favourite dance records in September, as well Frankie Knuckles’ shimmering Womack & Womack ‘M.P.B.’ edits. In short, a similarly coveted gem that has been lovingly unearthed by the Melodies crew, to round out what has been a stellar year for the reissue imprint.
Goat
‘Let it Burn’
(Rocket)
A song so popular it warrants the rarest of things: a 7″ re-press. Goat return to their earlier, rawer sound for a song which marries flute, fuzz and early Black Sabbath. for the full effect, listen while watching an early ’70s episode of Top of the Pops. After a series of different colour vinyl editions, this one arrives on blue vinyl.
Sagats
Folgaria EP
(Vakum)
Next up on the excellent Vakum label comes this banger from Sagats. ‘Blue Screen Of Death’ is an acid hip-house roller, ‘Venice Marathon’ will have you dusting off that lino while, ‘Therapy’ encourages all shapes of robot. Yes it’s electro. Yes it’s acid. And yes, it’s brilliant.
LPs
Yoshinori Hayashi
Ambivalence
(Smalltown Supersound)
At home in the leftfield ranks of Smalltown Supersound, Japanese producer Yoshinori Hayashi extends his experiments with off-kilter loops, atonal piano and dense sound collage to craft a double vinyl descent into dance floor insanity. Ever changing, utterly unpredictable and entirely unique, Hayashi’s music saunters towards the rest of the dance music world, has an anxiety attack and hastily retreats into its own cryptic sanctuary.
Eli Keszler
Stadium
(Shelter Press)
Renowned for his adventurous and refreshing approach to percussion and rhythm, Eli Keszler’s latest solo effort features some of the finest compositions of his career, and indeed of this whole year in experimental music. Approaching the work in his distinctive “world-building” fashion, where compositional blueprints are mapped out from disciplines like architecture and field recordings, Stadium’s percussion patterns trigger all manner of evolutions and corresponding sounds from woodwind and keys. Inimitable in structure and acoustic finesse, this is a record you’ll come back to for some time.
J Fernandez
Occasional Din
(Joyful Noise)
Some clever and engaging pop here from this Chicago singer songwriter, who blends Stereolab and Broadcast-styled melodies with Brian Eno-inspired art rock. It’s all shot through with that gauzy, home-fi recording technique, adding the sort of warm fuzzy sound you know from records by the likes of Mac De Marco.
Maisha
There Is A Place
(Brownswood)
The latest We Out Here graduates to showcase what they do best on a full-length LP, Maisha’s There Is A Place draws on spiritual jazz tropes for an album that exemplifies just how intense the influence of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane has been. But that’s just the start… Synthesising a potpourri of sounds and grooves, first track ‘Osiris’ is a celebration of musical diversity, as sweeping modal movements erupt into a subtle, afro-beat inflected groove that culminates in a lavish, virtuosic finale. If there’s a place to start your post-We Out Here explorations, it’s here.
Shit & Shine
Bad Vibes
(Rocket)
Craig Clouse is back with his fourth outing for Rocket Recordings. Over the nine cuts on Bad Vibes, you get everything from the feathered double bass of ‘Bottle Brush’ to the straight-up and banging ‘7986’ via the head-nodding ‘Sunrise Sam’. Being warped and wonky has never been so much fun.
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Nov052018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (5th November)
| November 5, 2018With ethereal house immersions, spindly post punk, and spellbinding Indonesian experimentation.
In singles, we’ve got fringe electronics from Canada, metallic percussion via Four Tet’s Text label, and cult 7″s from 1982.
On the albums front, Sublime Frequencies unearths Indonesian experimental field recordings, Kelly Moran takes innovative inspiration from the sounds of a forest, and North Sea Dialect delivers a sonic ode to Scottish seas.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
SNP 500
SNP 500
(Doo)
Canada’s domination of fringe electronics continues this week with the debut release from Montreal’s SNP 500, the fresh collaboration from DJ Spence and Sentena. Unknown aside from a couple of cryptic cassette mixes, the duo appear to possess some sort of alien processing technology which allows them to create a new and unique sound. ‘Earth’ cuts the thrusters in the middle of an asteroid belt, pinging delays off passing space rocks as the dark matter clogs up the engines, before ‘Rock Song’ plunges an off kilter loop into a neon vat of space sludge. Over on the flip, trickling melodies and disorienting textures take us into house tempo for the ethereal immersion of ’44’.
Taraval
Aardvark
(Text Records)
Lo! Taraval’s metallic percussion number that’s been doing the rounds in festival sets all summer long gets an awaited release via Four Tet’s Text Records. Title track ‘Aardvark’ is a techno looper to shimmy people into a late night frenzy, while ‘Pumpkin’ and ‘Basketball Cookie’ sound like various shades of R2D2 motherboard meltdowns. All of which are a testament to the fact that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel to create a dance floor stormer, or three.
Jackson Almond
Take The Time EP
(Curve Records)
New imprint Curve Records kicks off in fine form, with an EP from producer Jackson Almond. ‘Take The Time’ is a solid, garage-hued DJ tool with an RnB hook, followed by a Danvers rework, and house roller ‘Like I Used To’, but it’s the closer that has us hot and bothered. ‘As I Look At You’ strips back production in beautiful fashion, framing an echoing chorus that slowly morphs into the percussive backbone of the track. A shimmering beaut of a tune that’d be as at home kicking the crowd into peak time as it would bringing euphoric culmination to a sunrise set.
The Scientists
The Scientists EP
(Numero Group)
The Scientists’ back catalogue of power pop hooks and swampy explorations has been the subject of some detailed Numero Group reissues in recent years, and here the label turns its focus to the group’s second 7” single from 1982. Essential to any survey of Australian rock and roll, The Scientists’ brash and exhilarated tunes are well represented in this early effort, with the EP marking a final foray of sorts into garage rock bangers, as subsequent efforts ventured into darker and more psychedelic depths.
Indifferent Dance Centre
Flight & Pursuit
(Outer Reaches)
A reissue of a wonderful cult 7″ from 1981. It’s spindly post punk recalls Young Marble Giants and Joy Division yet sounds quite remarkably contemporary at the same time. ‘Chichester’s first homemade single…’ apparently.
LPs
Senyawa
Sujud
(Sublime Frequencies)
Senyawa exist at a frontier of experimentation and traditional Indonesian music. Following on from a host of spellbinding live shows and increasingly potent recorded efforts, this latest LP comes as their finest release yet. Pairing Rully Shabara’s incanted vocals and Wukir Suryadi’s homemade instruments, Sujud sees the duo unleash a new branch to their sound and a visceral commune between sound and “tanah”, which translates as soil-ground-land-earth. A rare, single group, studio effort for the field-recording-centric Sublime Frequencies label, this one certainly sits very well amidst the labels host of “extra geographical” treasures.
Kelly Moran
Ultraviolet
(Warp)
Building on the success of last year’s breakout LP Bloodroot, New York composer and electro-acoustic innovator Kelly Moran lands at Warp HQ with her newest creation, Ultraviolet. Taking inspiration from the natural sounds of the forest, Kelly uses prepared pianos, synthesisers and chime bars to paint a neon-hued version of new age in tune with the celestial music of Laraaji. Blissed-out, beautiful but full of emotion, this is a hard light hologram you’ll want to keep hold of.
EP-4
Lingua Franca
(WRWTFWW)
Cult Kyoto group EP-4’s 1983 album Lingua Franca gets its first vinyl reissue courtesy of WRWTFWW. Described as “spellbinding mutant funk grooves, joyful post-punk explorations, synth fantasies, sexy distortions, and fluid cool-no-sweat vocals” the 8-track opus was crafted by Kaoru Sato alongside Yuji “Banana” Kawashima.
North Sea Dialect
Local Guide
(Numbers)
A sonic ode to the sea that’s equal parts serene, terrifying and endlessly hypnotic, Scottish producer North Sea Dialect’s debut LP has made waves through the office as of late. Described by NSD as being filled with “echoes and surrealness of alienated life”, Local Guide has been preceded by a series of three accompanying videos – for ‘Mossy Cyphol’, ‘Subarctic Baltasound’ and ‘Gloup’ – which are also worth checking out.
Orchestra Of Spheres
Mirror
(Fire)
This New Zealand collective are for anyone who thinks Goat have gone soft. Their repeat-a-thons are both inventive and jarring as they mix together psych/afro/funk and whatever else into their melting pot.
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Nov022018
10 new albums to look out for in November
| November 2, 2018This month’s wantlist.
We’ve combed through the pre-orders, promos and release listings so that you don’t have to, showcasing a diverse selection of music from our favourite artists and labels, alongside newcomers we think you need to hear.
This month’s selection features virtuoso ’70s fusion updates from Mansur Brown and Eli Keszler, Japanese no wave from Eiko Ishibashi and the return of Anderson .Paak. Ever the international affair, the list is completed by music from Venezuela, Scotland, Berlin and Tunisia.
North Sea Dialect
Local Guide
(Numbers)
Due: 9th November
Enigmatic Scottish producer North Sea Dialect releases his debut LP Local Guide on Numbers – an atmospheric ode to the “power of the sea.” Filled with the “echoes and surrealness of alienated life” the 10-track album’s release is preceded by three videos of found ocean footage that are well worth checking out, ranging from aquatic Baltasounds to serene sunsets to ‘so terrifying you can’t look away’ storms.
Lia Mice
The Sampler As A Time Machine
(Optimo Music)
Due: 9th November
An intriguing new album from producer and instrument designer Lia Mice, The Sampler As A Time Machine evokes Holly Herndon’s dystopian Platform or Laurie Anderson’s Big Science in exploring the tension between the human and the electronic. Exemplified by the use of her self-made instruments, which include a voice-controlled, one-handed violin and a reel-to-reel hacked into a digital tape loop, The Sampler As A Time Machine strikes a compelling balance between cold wave, industrial and synthetic pop.
Objekt
Cocoon Crush
(PAN)
Due: 9th November
Objekt returns to PAN following his Objekt #4 EP – one of our favourite 12″s of 2017 – with his second full-length Cocoon. Described as a move away from a “typical dance floor format” the album’s percussive explorations remind of a more sinister, less zany, Errorsmith-esque approach. Deep basement musings, well suited for the melancholic truce of seasons as winter takes hold.
Deena Abdelwahed
Khonnar
(Infiné Music)
Due: 16th November
Tunisian producer Deena Abdelwahed fuses acidic electronics with traditional and far-out instrumental experimentations in her debut album, Khonnar. An “untranslatable Tunisian word that evokes the dark, shameful and disturbing side of things” Khonnar paints Arabian visions via the dance floor, and sees Abdelwahed playing everything from Tunisian percussive instrument the bendir (with an ice pick no less) to the trusty 808.
Powell Tillmans
Spoken By The Other
(XL Recordings)
Due: 16th November
Turner Prize-winning artist Wolfgang Tillmans and electronic musician Powell team up for their debut record, Spoken By The Other. Its 6 tracks were recorded in Berlin, London and Turin, and workshopped at festivals before transforming into its current iterations. Complete with a finale tune that includes Tillmans knocking out percussion on cutlery and glasses.
Anderson .Paak
Oxnard
(Aftermath Entertainment)
Due: 16th November
Yes lawd! Anderson .Paak is back with his third solo record, following Malibu and his collaborative 2017 LP with Knxwldge under the name NxWorries. Produced by Dr. Dre, and featuring Kendrick Lamar, Khadja Bonet, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip, amongst others, we’re hoping Oxnard sounds more like blazing, Bollywood sampling ‘Bubbling’ than its second single ‘Tints’.
Eiko Ishibashi
The Dream My Bones Dream
(Drag City)
Due: 16th November
The sixth album by indefatigable Japanese artist Eiko Ishibashi, The Dream My Bones Dream delves into the unknown personal histories of her father, entwined with Japan’s occupation of Manchuria in the 1940s, and delivered with idiosyncratic theatricality. A Lynchian suitcase drama that delivers some of the multi-disciplinary no wave of downtown NYC through a Tokyo haze.
Insólito UniVerso
La Candela del Rio
(Olindo Records)
Due: 16th November
A gorgeous debut from Paris-based Venezuelan outfit Insólito UniVerso, drawing on the country’s psychedelic and spiritual folk traditions – best exemplified by the album’s dream-like opening track ‘Transmutada’, which celebrates the legacy of cult Caracas singer, caricaturist and new age guru Conny Mendez. The full-length follows a 7” on Olindo earlier this year, and is co-produced by The Heliocentric’s Malcolm Catto.
Eli Keszler
Stadium
(Shelter Press)
Due: 16th November
Fresh from collaborations with Oneohtrix Point Never and Laurel Halo, percussionist Eli Keszler delivers the intricately woven album Stadium as a 2xLP black vinyl edition this month. Stepping dextrously between free improvisation and composition, Keszler’s crisp syncopations play like stung-out Tony Williams solos that skit restlessly over sparse electronics. Virtuoso throughout, it’s in distorted ballads ‘Lotus Awnings’ and ‘Which Swarms Around It’ where the most compelling moments of Stadium are to be found.
Mansur Brown
Shiroi
(Black Focus)
Due: 22nd November
Guitarist Mansur Brown’s much-anticipated debut Shiroi on Kamaal Williams’ Black Focus gets its vinyl release this month. Like Keszler, Brown takes the bombastic legacy of ‘70s jazz fusion and twists it into something personal and deeply introverted. Like eavesdropping on a late-night session, Shiroi is an insight into Brown’s undeniable talent as a guitarist, with subtle touches of Vini Reilly’s ‘Otis’, Blaxploitation funk and Brainfeeder-esque robot jazz providing the unexpected turns throughout.
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Oct312018
The best dance records of the month (October)
| October 31, 2018With weirdo occult techno, obscure synth electronics, sweet disco ditties and more.
Just when I thought I’d turned jaded, along came October to demonstrate that I still have no chill – eyes ablaze with 12″-fuelled fervour.
There are but two strict requirements of the music contained within. 1: It is released on vinyl. 2: There is something special about it, something that will make you want to hoof a legit groove – from a subtle Monday morning, finger-tapping, chair boogie to a late night, limbs-flailing-like-you’ve-been-electrocuted warehouse soirée and everything in between.
NB: As with previous instalments, albums are fair game on this list, provided every single track is certified ‘wagging your tush like an excited canine’ material.
Let us know what you’ve been loving at social@thevinylfactory.com or in the comments below.
Joy Orbison
81b
(Hinge Finger)
News of a fresh Joy Orbison release is always met with palpable excitement, but six track EP 81b is particularly special. First landing on Hinge Finger’s site and vamoosing like hot cakes, luckily for us masses the 12″ has since appeared elsewhere. Opening proceedings is zippy techno shaker ‘Seed’ unto hypno dub techno styler ‘Coyp’ and sci-fi synthscape ‘Tennov6teen’. On the flip, ‘Belly’ slithers along in understated fashion before bopping big room chugger ‘Sin Palta’ takes hold, leaving you with syrupy title track ’81b’ to close proceedings. Though each tune is stellar in its own way, ‘Sin Palta’ has very swiftly, and quite easily, become one of my most listened to tracks in recent memory.
Omar S featuring Simon Black
I’ll Do It Again
(FXHE)
Omar S enlists “Detroit’s newest diva on the scene” Simon Black for two dance floor slayers. A-side ‘I’ll Do It Again’ is an anthem to all trifling hos, with a “bitch I fucked your boyfriend, and bitch I’d do it again” vocal that will sashay its way direct to your vogueing diva-house psyche. On the flip, ‘Freaky Type’ delivers ‘Wayne Hill County Cop’s’ levels of synth excellence. Of the five 12″s that Omar S has released since January, this one’s comfortably his finest – and guaranteed to make you sweat. Bitch he did it again.
Roza Terenzi
Mood EP
(Salt Mines)
Australian producer Roza Terenzi continues her streak of killer EPs in 2018 with Mood – a four tracker of zippy electro house that will appeal to a variety of shapes and sizes. Opener ‘Double Reflection’ – a rumbler with echoing vocals that’ll spark your ugliest bass face – will immediately thrill. Given time, the rest of the EP will cause a similar effect. Complete with Jenson Interceptor’s slamming roboto rework of ‘Out Of My Mind’ for a mighty finale on the reverse.
E-Talking, Laksa
Blue 04
(Whities Blue)
Entré Whities with another dose of weirdo techno via its Blue sub-label, on some occult seance shit. Strap yourself in as E-Talking’s ‘Telephone Rose’ whirls through demon throat chanting to summon the freakiest nocturnal overlords. On the flip, Laksa’s ‘It Feels Like I’ve Been Here Before’ is a strung out, percussive space stepper that will take you to a bedouin galaxy for the second half of your trip.
Hologram
‘Solstice’
(Running Back)
Running Back released a bevvy of records this month that are all more than worthy of checking out, particularly its Running Back presents Front two-part compilation (the second instalment is tops). However it’s the label’s reissue of Japanese producer Hologram’s elusive ambient 12″ ‘Solstice’ that made it into this list. Alongside a long awaited return of the celestial title track, comes two incredible gems. Allison With One’s ‘Dread (Diode’s Metafunk Remix)’ is interstellar electro of the highest order, while Prins Thomas Remiks of ‘Solstice’ throws cosmic big house hues on the original.
Takenoko
L’Amour Est Mon Arme
(Emotional Rescue)
Emotional Rescue comes through doing what the label does best: unearthing exquisite, electronic gems from the unknown. In this instance, it’s the quirky and endearing synths of French ’80s crew Takenoko. Slapping drum pads? Check. Bongo conga breakdowns? Check. Funky emotional sax solos? Check check check. L’Amour Est Mon Arme presents all of the group’s releases as a compilation alongside four previously unreleased tracks. File under: zany perfection.
Bruce
Sonder Somatic
(Hessle Audio)
Yeah we’ve still got two months left in 2018, but I’ll say it anyway: Bruce’s debut album on Hessle Audio is a firm favourite. On loop since first listen, Sonder Somatic’s stuttery, electrocuted opener ‘Elo’ begins with a nod to 2009-era choons (like label co-founder Pangaea’s ‘Memories’). Thankfully Bruce slows his freak down on the next four tracks. Before you get too comfortable though, the appropriately named ‘What’ takes a trip to a whacked-out carnival from the best side of hell, and from then on in, it’s party time. Lest you get too glum on post-rave blues, McCarthy culminates the affair with pitch-perfect closer ‘Seratonin Levels Low’.
Pip Williams
Mode #7
(Brokntoys)
Bopping into the technotronic mothership, London Modular Alliance member Pip Williams’ supreme 2013 solo EP Mode #7 gets a welcome reissue. The four tracker serves up everything you could want in electro revelries, and then some. There’s shuttering bass to clatter your teeth out (‘Mode #7’). There’s a direct beam into the mainframe of miscreants (‘ASBO Youth’). There’s serotonin-depleted brain electrocution (‘Pleasure Deficiency Syndrome’). And there’s even euphoric synth to tug on your heart strings (‘Ashburtons’) – before zinging into an unexpected “London ting”.
Cinthie
803 Crystal Grooves
(803 Crystal Grooves)
Proof that no B-side should be left unturned this month comes via Berlin producer Cinthie, with her Crystal Grooves EP. That’s not to say the A-side ditties are throwaway material. They’re solid DJ tool-ready fare – ‘Together’ bringing a solid crescendo of big room synths, while ‘Ada Lovelace’ takes a familiar disco sample and loops it into satisfying realms. But it’s the final track ‘No Need To Worry’ that’s the stunner – a beautifully building, anthemic house roller. Worry not indeed, Cinthie’s got you in very good hands.
Lovehrtz
Lovehrtz 001
(Lovehrtz)
Over the past year, I started to believe that all disco edits sounded the same, and perhaps nothing I listened to could elicit the same unabashedly saccharine joy of yore. Perhaps the problem was me – my aural receptors numbed, following prolonged years of maximum exposure. “I’d rather listen to the original!” I’d harrumph. Then along came Lovehrtz, aka Richy Ahmed and Jansons, to reignite the juices with the first release, Lovehrtz001. ‘Classic Case’ brings d floor strings that are perfect for dubious Saturday Night Fever limbs flinging all over the shop. Turn to the B-side and it only gets better, with the warm embrace of ‘Touch My Soul’ and its endlessly croonable “I spent my whole life with you.” Expect to hear both tunes far and wide all autumn long. In short, a valuable lesson for us all: disco edits never die.
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Oct292018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (29th October)
| October 29, 2018Featuring Mr Fingers remixes, Thom Yorke’s Suspiria rework, and Mica Levi’s latest collaboration outing.
In singles, highlights include Lovehrtz delivering a belter of a debut disco 12″, majestic Larry Heard reworks by Call Super and Rodaidh McDonald, plus Mica Levi teaming up with Eliza McCarthy once more.
On the albums front, Demdike Stare bring adventure to the dance floor, Georgia Anne Muldrow sends an interstellar soul message, and Cosmic Series is back with sunshine smoochers.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Lovehrtz
Lovehrtz 001
(Lovehrtz)
Just when you thought you’d OD’ed on disco edits, along comes this 12″ from new duo Lovehrtz (aka Richy Ahmed and Jansons) to deliver a big hell no to that. ‘Classic Case’ brings the best d floor strings we’ve heard all year, perfect for dubious Saturday Night Fever limbs flinging all over the shop. Turn to the B-side and it only gets better from there, with the warm embrace of ‘Touch My Soul’ and its endlessly croonable “I spent my whole life with you”. Expect to hear both tunes far and wide all autumn long.
E-Talking, Laksa
Blue 04
(Whities Blue)
Whities serves up another killer release of freaky techno on its Blue sublabel. E-Talking’s A-side ‘Telephone Rose’ features occult-channeling demon throat chanting to summon the nocturnal underlords. On the flip, Laksa’s ‘It Feels Like I’ve Been Here Before’ is a loopy space house roller to calm the jitters after the trip.
Mr. Fingers
‘Praise To The Vibes’ / ‘Crying Over You’ Remixes
(Alleviated)
Since we can’t feature all three of the majestic Larry Heard remix discs this week, this favourite has been chosen as spokesperson for the whole tribe. A moment of silence please for the awe-inspiring alternate mix of ‘Praise To The Vibes’ – a perfect fusion of 21st century pop and vintage Fingers sounds, which should remind any decent dance floor that we’re all the same in the dark. Chuck in Larry’s perfectly respectable extension, Call Super’s tropical rework and a deep and soulful variation from Duplex and you’ve got yourself a classic kids.
Eliza McCarthy and Mica Levi
Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall
(Slip)
With a single collaborative track on last year’s Drinking Harpo Dime 7” single Mica Levi and Eliza McCarthy definitely lit the way for further explorations, and thankfully this new EP expands on their collaboration and gives it some proper time to breath. At once fragmented and conversational, yet with a binding atmosphere in a distinctive and indeed peculiar sense of melody and tempo, these are 6 piano pieces worth acquainting yourself with.
Public Practice
Distance Is A MirrorEP
(Wharf Cat Records)
A debut four tracker New Yorkers Private Practise, who take the older guitar sounds of their city and re-assemble them into new shapes. The Talking Heads influence is strong, and this isn’t too far away from the jerky post-punk of Hairband’s album, which was released last week.
LPs
Thom Yorke
Suspiria
(XL Recordings)
Following a slew of reissues of the original score for Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic, including the VF and Aries edition of Goblin’s theme, in creeps Thom Yorke to deliver new sounds for Luca Guardagnino’s 2019 remake. Mixing modular synths, vocal numbers, and instrumental compositions, Yorke’s new haunting opus was worth the wait.
Common Series
CS07 – Las Canchas
(Common Series)
Marco Erroi extends his Common Series remit into the land of the long player this week, wowing us with the bold and expressionistic ‘Las Canchas’. Inspired by his father’s trips to the countryside in the ’70s, Marco offers up a day side and a night side, filling the former with mind warping synth jams, gentle Balearic rollers and sax led slow jams, each infused with loose lysergic fx. Turning to the evening and we’re treated to sophisticated house, a sunset smoocher, bedsit pop and an entheogenic reprise. Packaged with the utmost love and care, complete with holiday photos and bilingual liner notes, this is something truly special.
Demdike Stare
Passion
(Modern Love)
Amidst a current deluge of projects setting out to reimagine entrenched musical stylings, Demdike Stare have long had the tools to recast the familiar as something wholly other, and Passion comes as an “asymmetrical” approach to UK club music. Drinking from many musical streams and smashing genre and texture together in their musical blender, this particular reimagining is another firm reminder of the group’s continuing vitality to adventurous sounds and an imaginative approach to the dancefloor.
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Overload
(Brainfeeder)
A vocalist and songwriter who’s been a touchstone behind the scenes for many in the jazz, soul and beats continuum, Georgia Anne Muldrow releases her first album on Flyng Lotus’ Brainfeeder. Unlike her 2003 album Seeds, which was produced entirely by Madlib, Overload sees Muldrow work with multiple producers and artists including Mike & Keys, Khalil, Shana Jenson, and Dudley Perkins, with whom she released the 2013 LP Lighthouse. The result is this cosmic soul messenger’s most complete statement yet.
Ty Segall
Fudge Sandwich
(In The Red)
Mr Segall sure knows how to rock a cover version and here’s eleven more reasons why this man is the best at it. Fudge Sandwich has got Ty being John Lennon, Ty being War, Ty being Rudimentary Peni and Ty being Funkadelic to name but a few. Each one he takes and jams through the Segall machine as only he can, giving each track quite a different slant indeed.
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Oct222018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (22nd October)
| October 22, 2018Synth trailblazers, melancholic piano, and ghoulish reworks.
In singles, we’ve got Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross reinterpreting a horror classic, Omar S with Detroit’s newest diva on the scene in tow, and Lights On Moscow’s slowly unfurling dream pop.
On the albums front, Bruce serves up a mighty debut on Hessle Audio, Eliane Radigue’s forays into the depths of synthesisers gets a quality reissue, and Sebastian Gandera’s evocative soundscapes and piano returns.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Halloween
(Sacred Bones)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ 2017 interpretation of John Carpenter’s Halloween theme gets a release on vinyl in time for this year’s festivities and with Carpenter’s latest rendition of the theme included on the B-side. As Reznor himself “blames” Carpenter’s films and sounds for sparking some of his own work, this wasn’t a piece that he and Atticus Ross approached lightly and the result is something that horror and soundtrack aficionados will certainly want to check out.
DJ Nature
Conflicted Interests
(Forward Ever)
Legendary Bristolian bass fiend DJ Nature launches his brand new FWD EVR imprint this week with a quartet of typically tough but suitably sensual club cuts. Soulful, deep and dank, ‘Bobbi’ and ‘Violet & Me’ continue to bump uglies with the sensual style introduced on ‘Return Of The Savage’ and ‘Groovotica’, while ‘Oyasumi’ and the ‘Native Healing Reprise’ give us new grooves via Afrobeat and tar-pit techno. If you’re after house energy with hip-hop attitude, then Milo’s your man.
Claude
Future EP
(La Freund Recordings)
Claude aka Fulgeance has been around for time now, constantly turning out original and imaginative electronic music. ‘Future’ in its original form is a french house classic while Duke Hugh brings the funk on his remix. The real killer here is The Maghreban’s remix of ‘ Allright’ on the flip, with its rolling break and clipped keys. Don’t miss.
Omar S featuring Simon Black
I’ll Do It Again
(FXHE)
Omar S enlists “Detroit’s newest diva on the scene” Simon Black for two dance floor slayers. A-side ‘I’ll Do It Again’ is an anthem to all trifling hos, with a “bitch I fucked your boyfriend, and bitch I’d do it again” loop that will sashay into your vogueing house psyche. On the flip, ‘Freaky Type’ delivers ‘Wayne Hill County Cop’s’ levels of synth excellence. Guaranteed to make you sweat.
Lights on Moscow
‘Aorta Songs- Part 1’
(Physical Education Recordings)
A 12″ introduction to the seductive world of these Lanterns on the Lake/ Editors people. It’s slowly unfurling dream-pop brings to mind the likes of Mazzy Star and Portishead with a cinematic Lynchian quality to the hushed tones. Promising indeed.
LPs
Bruce
Sonder Somatic
(Hessle Audio)
Techno lovers, and those who dabble in such sonic pursuits, take note: Bruce aka Larry McCarthy’s debut LP on Hessle Audio won’t disappoint, whatever your dance floor preferences. Sonder Somatic’s stuttery, electrocuted opener ‘Elo’ begins with a nod to 2009-era big choons (like label co-founder Pangaea’s ‘Memories’) before slowing its freak down on the next four tracks. Before you get too comfortable, the appropriately named ‘What’ takes a trip to a whacked-out carnival from the best side of hell, and from then on in, it’s party time. Lest you get too down on your post-rave blues, McCarthy culminates the affair with pitch-perfect closer ‘Seratonin Levels Low’. Tip top techno time.
Sebastian Gandera
Le Raccourci
(Efficient Space)
Sydney’s premier archival imprint return this week with a wonderful introduction to the works of French musician Sebastian Gandera. Compiled by Julien Dechery, one of the fearless selectors behind the sublime ‘Sky Girl’ compilation, Le Raccourci treats us to 15 tape worn vignettes, composed and recorded on piano, field recorder, sampler and four track. Operating way outside the confines of the musical mainstream, Gandera fused evocative soundscapes and melancholic piano to translate an introvert’s daydreams into something we can all relate to.
Eliane Radigue
Jouet Electronique/Elemental I
(Alga Marghen)
Eliane Radigue’s forays into the depths of analog sound are amongst the most immersive in recorded music’s history, and whether on the ARP 2500 synthesiser or a set of reel to reels she trailblazed a path of sonic anomaly that left more than a few jewels of deeper listening in its wake. Recorded in the late ’60s, this one works its magic from a set of tape feedback loops and sounds all the better for this reissue which corrects the ills of the surface-noise ridden first edition.
Dinosaur Jr
Ear Bleeding Country
(Cherry Red)
Few ‘best of’ compilations truly deliver – this one does. Whether it’s the classic Dinosaur line up or J Mascis doing it all himself the tune quality never drops below amazing. ‘Freak Scene’, ‘The Wagon’, ‘Out There’, ‘Just like Heaven’… need we go on. Bumper to bumper, wall to wall shredding action.
Hairband
Hairband
(Monorail Music)
A wonderful short album from these Glasgow scenesters who take the post punk/funk of their forbearers like Orange Juice, match it to the feminist aesthetic of the Raincoats or the Slits.
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Oct152018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (15th October)
| October 15, 2018Intricate Ugandan rhythms, zippy techno shakers, soothing sonic meditations and more.
In singles, we’ve got Joy Orbison’s six track zinger, ’80s Glaswegian pop of Talking Drums and high neon floor fillers from Ruf Kutz.
On the albums front, highlights include Shida Shahabi’s ethereal lo-fi piano musings, Kawuku Sound’s intricate Ugandan percussion, and Silicon Teens’ synth versions of rock classics.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Joy Orbison
81b
(Hinge Finger)
Joy Orbison aka Peter O’Grady is back with new six track affair 81b on his Hinge Finger imprint. Kicking off proceedings is zippy techno shaker ‘Seed’, before the syrupy hypnotic dub of ‘Copy’ takes hold through to the synth ascensions of ‘Tennov6teen’. As per, much delight lies on the B-Side, with slow-burning slither of ‘Belly’ kicking off the proceedings, followed by big room roller ‘Sin Palta’, and the oh so soothing sonic aqua bath of title track ’81b’ to round things off. No pre-orders, with vinyl dropping in-store only this week.
Glowing Palms
RK#14
(Ruf Kutz)
This week’s hand stamped heat comes live and direct from the Ruf Kutz camp as regular collaborator Glowing Palms hacks into the mainframe and turns out a trio of high neon floor fillers. ‘I Don’t Need This Man’ explodes off the A-side in a technicolour fusion of rave vocals, italo sequences and the skipping rhythms of UK Funky, offering a peak time power-up for the post-genre crowd. Flip the pancake for a taste of trance-inducing synthesis via the cosmic house of ‘Getting There’ and the tropical electro-funk of ‘Beejaye’.
Danyb
Volume 4
(Busted)
If you haven’t been following Danyb’s output recently then it’s time to jump in, and here’s a great spot to do just that. ‘Touching’ is a funky as hell disco rubdown fully jacked to 11 while ‘Don’t Stop’ on the flip blends Janis Joplin and the Tom Tom Club into a slo-mo burner.
Talking Drums
Courage
(Dark Entries)
Neighbours of the same Glaswegian pub, Talking Drums formed back in 1981, and this needed repress of their first EP shines a light on yet another overlooked group from the period. A product of the local scene, and the cottage industries that supported it, Courage touches on all manners of pop sounds, and comes with a bonus cut from their cassette-only debut album.
Comet Gain
‘If Not Tomorrow’
(Tapete Records)
Comet Gain have been going for as long as time itself but still manage to sound like wet behind the ears indie-pop dreamers. This latest nugget jangles and spins like the best of Beat Happening or the Pastels, and is the perfect excuse to kick at autumn leaves on your way back from the record store.
LPs
Shida Shahabi
Homes
(FatCat Records)
Swedish-Iranian pianist weaves beautifully ethereal, home recordings into eight tracks for her fourth LP. All of the compositions on Homes were performed on Shahabi’s J.H. Malmsjö piano – “a very heavy and good quality Swedish upright from the turn of the 1900s, that had spent the majority of its life stationed in a church in central Stockholm.” Shahabi also experimented with using tapes and felts to create percussive sounds from it. The delicate result is perfect for ushering in autumn’s embrace.
Kawuku Sound
Kawuku Sound
(Banana Hill)
Banana Hill make their first foray into the world of the long player this week with a bold and brilliant release from the newly formed Kawuku Sound. A collaborative project involving Mancunian producers Contours and Cervo and Ugandan percussion ensemble Fonkodelis Arkestra, Kawuku Sound was created over the course of a month in the Nyege Nyege-affiliated Boutiq Studio in Kampala. Driven-forward by the intricate and organic rhythms of Uganda, the eight tracks glide from the market place to the club, as Contours’ jazzy keys and Cervo’s weighty production take hold.
Silicon Teens
Music For Parties
(Mute)
Listen / Buy
Re-released to celebrate Mute’s 40th anniversary – Mute 4.0 – comes this total classic from Silicon Teens aka head honcho Daniel Miller. While its sleeve may lead you to believe this was actually a band, Music For Parties is all the work of one man and his own early synth versions of rock’n’roll classics. Pretty out there and totally amazing.
William Basinski & Lawrence English
Selva Oscura
(Temporary Residence)
Long known for their mutual abilities to create superlative textures in sound, here William Basinski and Lawrence English join forces to collectively tap into the music of the spheres. With no rough edges in sight, the levels of immersion are what you’d expect from these two luminaries of meditative sound, and with a highly detailed and delicately shifting mix this one sets out to encourage temporal slips.
Kurt Vile
Bottle It In
(Matador)
Bottle It In isn’t an album to listen to for lyrical dexterity – more often than not Kurt Vile just tells you about his day in terrible rhyming couplets – but if you can get past that then there are some lovely, unfurling tracks here which take his gently rolling folk rock leanings and spread them out into Sun Kil Moon-length pieces.
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Oct082018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (8th October)
| October 8, 2018Bittersweet Balearic, experimental soundtracks and Japanese psychedelia.
We’re yearning for summer in this week’s singles section, as Balearic nostalgia from newcomer Bel and Chilean Marcelo Antonio lead the way. Elsewhere Squid take the inky route to the indie dance floor, and the soundtrack to cult documentary Sähkö – The Movie gets its first vinyl release.
On the album’s front, Kikagaku Moyo head from Tokyo to Lisbon on a deft Krautrock-inspired LP, Yves Tumor packs in the surprises on Warp debut Safe in the Hands of Love and Cat Power returns for a new album on Domino.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Bel
‘Ready To Die’
(Claremont 56)
A compelling debut from Liverpool’s Charlie Bell, given an extended rework by label boss Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy, ‘Ready To Die’ is an indulgent piece of late summer balearic pop, laced with imaginary nostalgia for a life not lived. Like the B-side of some obscure folk-funk 12″, there’s a timeless quality to Bel’s voice that belies his years.
Ø & Panasonic
Sähkö – The Movie Soundtrack EP
(Sähkö Recordings)
Lovers of techno, noise and movie soundtracks can all delight as the previously lost soundtrack to Sähkö: The Movie gets a proper outing on 12” vinyl. Essential viewing for anyone interested in electronic music, Jimi Tenor’s 16mm film on Mika Vainio and Sähkö label’s work was unearthed and premiered by Boiler Room last year, and in turn this soundtrack was discovered in a box of demo tapes at the Warp records offices in London. Absorbed independently of the film these sounds lose nothing of their visceral impact and fit in well with a record collection that values truly distinctive electronica.
Marcelo Antonio
‘JKRNDA’
(Futurible)
After a quartet of killer releases from the deep ranks of Italian talent, Periodica offshoot Futurible make Naples’ most important South American signing since Diego Armando Maradona. Hailing from Chile, Marcelo Antonio trades in the kind of soothing Balearic boogie we’ve come to expect from Manchester’s Menage A Trois. Working with a variety of vintage drum machines, faux pan pipes and coastal guitar, Marcelo brings us a pair of gorgeous synth serenades perfect for sunsets and Sundays.
Squid
‘The Dial’
(Speedy Wunderground)
There’s finally something exciting going on with UK guitar music at the moment (see Shame, Black Midi, Lice, Hotel Lux, etc) and here’s another name to add to that list. Brighton’s Squid step up with their ‘The Dial’ single, produced by Dan Carey and boasting a persistent groove built for the dance floor.
Soccer Mommy
Henry / I’m On Fire
(Fat Possum)
A sweet little 7″ that contains an alternative version of Soccer Mommy’s much-loved but unavailable early track ‘Henry’ plus a gentle home-recorded take on Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’ – the latter’s simplicity adds a gorgeous directness and emotional yearning to the track. This music is short, sweet and utterly essential.
LPs
Kikagaku Moyo
Masana Temples
(Guruguru Brain)
From the streets of Tokyo to the shores of Lisbon, Japanese psychedelic ensemble Kikagaku Moyo recorded their fourth studio album with Portuguese jazz musician Bruno Pernadas, adding a soft-touch acoustic improvisation to their driving sound. Able to be both gentle and persistent, Masana Temples showcases just how lithe the band can be – exploring new wave, and motorik krautrock on tracks like ‘Nana’ one moment, and meditative, spiritual folk on ‘Amayadori’ the next. For fans of Khruangbin’s dusty modern psych – with an agile twist, and beautiful cover art to boot.
Yves Tumor
Safe in the Hands of Love
(Warp)
Yves Tumor’s first LP for Warp is a stunner, and one that sees this project from Sean Bowie reach out to a much wider audience whilst retaining an appetite for adventurous sounds and ideas at its core. At once welcoming multiple genres whilst actively resisting their specifics or dwelling in a single atmosphere, it’s this promiscuous approach to sound and song structure that casts Safe In the Hands of Love with a hue that’s all of its own.
DJ Spun & Dhyan Moller
Acid Experience
(Still Music)
Back in ’95, before he’d made his name on San Fran’s deep house scene, and way before his disco house exploits at the helm of Rong, DJ Spun was hanging with Dhyan Moller on the West Coast, drinking in the warehouse euphoria of America’s rave scene. Armed with a cassette deck, a couple of synths, a single drum machine, and no sequencer, the duo recorded a bunch of live acid tracks, then promptly forgot all about them. Recently rediscovering the tapes, Spun sent them to Jerome Derradji, who transferred the tapes, restored the audio and collected the hottest jams onto this spangled triple pack. As vital and vicious as acid gets, this is essential basement tackle.
Phosphorescent
C’est La Vie
(Dead Oceans)
It’s been five years since we last heard from Matthew Houck. Recorded in his own studio in Nashville, C’est La Vie is a stunning piece of work with its blend of country, classic AOR and electronics. Think War On Drugs meets Air in places and you are definitely on the right track.
Cat Power
Wanderer
(Domino)
A tight tie between this and the Adrienne Lecker record for the most lovely stripped back folk album of the week. Here Cat Power’s astonishing voice perhaps gives her the edge, especially now that the extraneous beats and electronics of her previous Sun LP have been removed in favour of gentle guitar and piano, providing space and time for that unique floating voice.
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Oct012018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (1st October)
| October 1, 2018With Domenique Dumont’s debut full length, a Nick Cave live EP, fresh Detroit house from Omar S and more.
In singles, Omar S floods your pleasure centres with euphoric synths, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds deliver a live EP, and Bikini Kill’s The Singles 7″ compilation gets a long overdue vinyl release.
On the albums front, we’ve got the sublime electronics of Domenique Dumont’s debut LP courtesy of Antinote, electrified Ugandan percussion on Nyege Nyege, and Marie Davidson stepping out for her fifth solo record on Ninja Tune.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Omar S
One Of A Kind
(FXHE Records)
Detroit legend, hardware assassin and muscle car fanatic Alex Omar Smith keeps it all gee with his latest release on FXHE, delivering a trio of sweet system ticklers complete with the usual Motor City grit. ‘Less Pain’ serves up percussive house shuffle alongside church organs and chipmunk vocals, ‘Untitled’ trips out into techier realms thanks to generous helpings of dub and fuzz, while the title track takes hold on the B-side, flooding our pleasure centres with warming chords, euphoric synthlines and a gorgeous bassline.
Niwa Tatsui, Uchitoshi
NIWATOSHI
(YYK No Label)
In the interest of realness: if something looks or sounds vaguely mysterious and Japanese we’ll probably give it a listen. Such is the way we discovered Uchitoshi, whose Saibansho was one of our favourite dance records of March, released on the vinyl-only YYK No Label. The enigmatic imprint’s latest EP, a collaborative four tracker from Uchitoshi alongside Niwa Tatusi under the name NIWATOSHI similarly bubbles techno and house juices in all the right places. Don’t sleep.
Liars / Tropical Fuck Storm
‘Total 3 Part Saga’ / ‘The Happiest Guy Around’
(Famous Class)
A split 7″ between never knowingly normal post punkers Liars and a band of their choosing. Tropical Fuck Storm. The latter are members of the Drones, which adds to the fact
that this is a most intriguing release. Limited red vinyl too.
Bikini Kill
The Singles
(Bikini Kill Records)
This is the first time this compilation has ever been released on vinyl, and they kept it at 45 too! Originally released in 1998 as a CD-only compilation of their 7″ singles, it shows just how utterly amazing and essential Kathleen Hanna’s crew were, and still are.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
(Live in Copenhagen)
(Bad Seed Ltd)
Recorded live in Copenhagen last year, Distant Sky sees Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds nailing four staples of their back catalogue, with an epic 9-minute version of the title track of their 1984 album From Her to Eternity particularly noteworthy. A fine way to tide yourself over until the next full length, and a fitting way to represent the bands remarkable and long-running streak of spellbinding records and performances.
LPs
Domenique Dumont
Miniatures de Auto Rhythm
(Antinote)
So what if Domenique Dumont didn’t turn out to be a whimsical French synth-pop producer, but instead the work of Latvian ventriloquists Artūrs Liepiņš and Anete Stuce? Following the sun-kissed success of Comme Ça, we’re just as excited to buy into Miniatures De Auto Rhythm, with its naïve melodies and flair for the unexpected. A faux amis it might be, but a highly enjoyable one nonetheless.
Marie Davidson
Working Class Woman
(Ninja Tune)
Described by Ninja Tune as, “a document of Davidson’s state of mind, of operating within the spheres of dance music and club culture,” Working Class Woman is Davidson finding her own voice on the dance floor, following the brilliant New Path with Essaie Pas earlier this year. Full of the kind of swagger that allows Davidson to nod at both NYC voguing culture and EBM-tinged synth pop in the same controlled breath, Working Class Woman works to be a winner, and we couldn’t agree more.
Kadodi
Kadodi
(Nyege Nyege Tapes)
Rhythm lovers are rightfully flipping out over this new release from the ever-reliable Ugandan label Nyege Nyege, which sees the ceremonial percussion work of the Domadana Kadodi performers paired with a couple of electrified reinterpretations from local producers Bamba Pana and Sun C. Taking a traditional rite of passage ritual and bridging its polyrhythms with East African club music, this is a vivid and intensely hypnotic document of ritual music and its modern progeny.
MB Jones
Rock Spy
(Drama)
It seems a packed international DJ schedule and the day-to-day business of running Paris’ coolest label wasn’t keeping Zaltan busy enough, so the Antinote man has teamed up with Pam to launch new label Drama. The inaugural release comes from JEE JEE Band’s MB Jones, a Massachusetts-born musician who channels his experiences as a Westerner in South Korea into the finest outsider pop imaginable. As the warped synth sounds, tacky bass and spiky guitar sit behind surreal Arthur Russell style vocals, these wavy wonders call to mind the grooviest moments of Whitey’s ‘..Light At The End Of The Tunnel…’, but with extra gochugaru flavour.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
King of Cowards
(Rocket Recordings)
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs is an exciting new name to add to the annals of obscurist riff rockers such as Melvins to whom these pig people pass a slight resemblance. The Newcastle-based lot make intriguing productions and find new forms for Sabbath-referencing stoner rock. Ask for it by full name in your local record store.
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Oct012018
10 new albums to look out for in October
| October 1, 2018Next month’s wantlist.
Having combed through the pre-orders, promos and release listings so that you don’t have to, October’s most anticipated new records include a mixture of newcomers and seasoned hands, as Neneh Cherry and Thom Yorke rub shoulders with the likes of Makaya McCraven and Georgia Anne Muldrow.
There are also strange, synthetic sounds from Berlin-via-Scandinavia in the form of new music by Farao and Jaakko Eino Kalevi, and two ambient masters William Basinski and Lawrence English join forces for the first time.
Domenique Dumont
Miniatures de Auto Rhythm
(Antinote)
Due: 5th Oct
Since releasing their sublime debut EP Comme Ça, the enigmatic Domenique Dumont has been revealed as a mysterious French alias for the Latvian production duo Artūrs Liepiņš and Anete Stuce. Regardless of the location or true identity of its creators, expect similarly zippy, delightfully quirky, aquatic electronics from their first full length album Miniatures de Auto Rhythm.
Marie Davidson
Working Class Woman
(Ninja Tune)
Due: 5th Oct
Montreal artist Marie Davidson follows her collaborative Essai Pas record New Path – one of our favourite records of 2018 so far – with a solo outing for her Ninja Tune debut. Described by the label as, “a document of her state of mind, of operating within the spheres of dance music and club culture,” with its first two singles featuring reworks by John Talabot and Nina Kraviz, expect to hear this on and off the dance floor all autumn long.
William Basinski & Lawrence English
Selva Oscura
(Temporary Residence)
Due: 12th October
Two heavyweights of contemporary minimalism and ambient music converge on Selva Oscura – a tribute to late filmmaker Paul Clipson, who was a friend to both Basinski and English, and played a pivotal role in the experimental and drone scenes, working with artists such as Grouper, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and Sarah Davachi. Taking its title from Dante’s Inferno, and concerned with “the nature of losing one’s way in space and time”, Selva Oscura is a moving elegy to transience – both haunting and reassuring in equal measure.
Jaakko Eino Kalevi
Out Of Touch
(Weird World)
Due: 12th October
We’re always partial to a bit of Scandinavian surrealism and in Jaakko Eino Kalevi’s new album for Weird World, it arrives in bucket loads. A meditation on the blissed-out disconnection from information overload in the modern world, Kalevi celebrates being Out Of Touch, channelling the curious miniatures of daily life into psychedelic missives. Recording every instrument himself between Helsinki and Berlin, Out Of Touch follows collaborations with Aksak Maboul and David Byrne, placing Kalevi firmly in the lineage of left field pop’s eccentric innovators.
Neneh Cherry
Broken Politics
(Smalltown Supersound)
Due: 19th Oct
Neneh Cherry returns with her fifth studio album, the Four Tet-produced affair Broken Politics. Featuring cover artwork by Wolfgang Tillmans, the LP “asks the question: how do we conduct ourselves in extraordinary times?” The recent single ‘Shot Gun Shack’ tackles gun violence and follows her stripped back protest song ‘Kong’, which was released in August.
Farao
Pure-O
(Western Vinyl)
Due: 19th October
Another Scandinavian transplant finding her feet in Berlin, Norway’s Farao delivers her sophomore album, and first for Western Vinyl in Pure-O – a complex exploration of love and pain, that draws on synth pop, Soviet disco, ‘90s RnB to craft songs that are both powerful and intricately detailed. Tracks like ‘The Ghost Ship’ shimmer with wry observations and ecstatic hooks, emblematic of a record that manages to stay rooted to earth while facing squarely into the cosmos.
Thom Yorke
Suspiria
(XL Recordings)
Due: 26th Oct
Following a slew of reissues of the original score for Dario Argento’s 1977 horror classic, including the VF and Aries edition of Goblin’s theme, in creeps Thom Yorke to deliver new sounds for Luca Guardagnino’s 2019 remake. Mixing modular synths, vocal numbers, and instrumental compositions, we’re expectantly waiting Yorke’s new haunting opus.
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Overload
(Brainfeeder)
Due: 26th October
A vocalist and songwriter whose been a touchstone behind the scenes for many in the jazz, soul and beats continuum, Georgia Anne Muldrow releases her first album on Flyng Lotus’ Brainfeeder this month. Unlike her 2003 album Seeds, which was produced entirely by Madlib, Overload sees Muldrow work with multiple producers and artists including Mike & Keys, Khalil, Shana Jenson, and Dudley Perkins, with whom she released the 2013 LP Lighthouse. From what we’ve heard so far, Overload is shaping up as the cosmic soul messenger’s most complete statement yet.
Bruce
Sonder Somatic
(Hessle Audio)
Due: 26th Oct
Techno lovers – and those who dabble – take note: Bruce aka Larry McCarthy’s debut LP on Hessle Audio won’t disappoint, whatever your dance floor preferences. Sonder Somatic’s stuttery house opener ‘Elo’ begins with a nod to 2009-era big choons (like label co-founder Pangaea’s ‘Memories’) before slowing its freak down on the next four tracks. Before you get too comfortable, the appropriately named ‘What’ takes a trip to a whacked-out carnival from the best side of hell, and from then on it’s party time. Lest you get too down on your post-rave blues, McCarthy culminates the affair with pitch-perfect closer ‘Seratonin Levels Low’.
Makaya McCraven
Universal Beings
(International Anthem)
Due: 26th Oct
Drummer and producer Makaya McCraven has been holding it down at the core of Chicago jazz institution International Anthem since 2015, releasing a string of increasingly acclaimed albums and mixtapes. Honing a hybrid improvised and sampled production style, Universal Beings sees McCraven take four live performances in London, Chicago, NYC and LA and craft them into new forms in the studio. Joined by musicians like Nubya Garcia, Shabaka Hutchings, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and others, expect Universal Beings to see McCraven bend the jazz vernacular in a new direction once more.
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Sep292018
The best dance records of the month (September)
| September 29, 2018Coveted Brazilian boogie, cyborg demon techno, synth-filled soul salve and more.
Here in the Northern hemisphere summer is finito, which means it’s time to steer away from floor filling fondant house pumpers and tropical flute toot techno… for now. In their place comes heavier shades to fuel you through autumn. NB: As with previous instalments, albums are fair game on this list, provided every single track is certified ‘wagging your tush like an excited canine’ material.
There are but two strict requirements of the music contained within. 1: It is released on vinyl. 2: There is something special about it, something that will make you want to hoof a legit groove – from a subtle Monday morning, finger-tapping, chair boogie to a late night, limbs-flailing-like-you’ve-been-electrocuted warehouse soirée and everything in between.
Let us know what you’ve been loving at social@thevinylfactory.com or in the comments below.
Carmel
Georgia
(Lobster Theremin)
A percussive tick-tack, vocals sampled from a film, sepia-hued echoing synth ascensions with a catchy hook: it’s a seemingly simple formula, oft used for creating a decent track. Crafting greatness from these elements is another matter entirely. Carmel’s Lobster Theremin debut Georgia manages to do this twice in one record. On any other 7″ ’12 Hours’ would be a highlight. But here, the stunner of a title track ‘Georgia’ steals the show, complete with Fifth Element musings to boot. Perfect for late night, early morning, and everything in between, if this doesn’t tug on your heart strings, best to check you even have a pulse.
Various Artists
DOYOURECORDS001
(Do!! You!!!)
Sonic sherpa Charlie Bones has been singlehandedly lifting morning spirits for over five years thanks to his Do!! You!!! breakfast show on NTS, where you’re as likely to hear Sade as you are Arthur Russell, Theo Parrish or Prince. Everything is fair game to be played, at varying pitches and formations. This includes regular shows featuring submissions from listeners, or what Bones called “Readers WAVS”. For his first Do You Records release, he collects three of these Readers WAVS – a duo of boogie-tinged disco stompers, alongside the wonderfully mysterious, sublime electronics of its standout tune – Dog and Fox’s ‘Who Gets The Cows?’ – a Do!! You!!! wake-up staple.
Specter
Built To Last
(Sound Signature)
Specter aka Andres Ordones has been producing shimmering, Detroit-style productions for over 20 years, but Built To Last marks his first full length proper, and boy oh boy does it deliver. Released on Theo Parrish’s Sound Signature, Ordones serves up a mighty helping of what can best described as booty house. Best prepare thy asses and mins for the bass machinations that lie in wait, this one will be powering dance floors for many moons to come.
Galcher Lustwerk
200% Galcher (Selection)
(Lustwerk Music)
Halleloo! Ohio producer Galcher Lustwerk’s 200% Galcher LP, released digitally earlier this year, finally gets a vinyl offering, of sorts. Eight tunes feature on the appropriately titled ‘200% Galcher (Selection)’. The all killer no filler assortment includes album highlights ‘This N That’ – a serious contender for best cowbell house track of the year – and the Larry Heard-esque slow roller ‘Niggas (Instrumental)’.
Aylon
Rehtom EP
(Nous)
Listening to Aylon’s Rehtom you’d be forgiven in thinking the supposed Greek producer is actually a possessed cyborg sent to conquer planet earth. But hey, if the robot takeover sounds like this we’d be pretty OK with it. The EP mixes slithering percussion, stuttering machine vocals and looping weirdo synth in delightfully freaky measures.
Trio Ternura
‘A Gira’/’Last Tango In Paris’
(Melodies International)
Following the seminal re-release of Frankie Knuckles’ Womack & Womack ‘M.P.B.’ edits – one of our favourite dance records in May – Melodies International returns with another essential. This time it’s a Brazilian boogie affair – Trio Ternura’s stone cold jam ‘A Gira’. Reissued for the first time, the 7″ also includes Trio Ternura’s version of Gato Barbieri’s ‘Last Tango in Paris’ on the reverse, accompanied by the first bilingual issue of Melodies’ Melozine.
Jovonn
Goldtone Edits
(Royal Oak)
House aficionados Mike Huckaby, DJ Deep and Ian Pooley rework three Jovonn tracks for a trio of fresh spins on beloved classics, via Clone’s Royal Oak imprint. Pooley’s edit of ‘Pianos Of Gold’ is of particular note, bringing glimmering, endlessly satisfying loops of the track – guaranteed to send the masses into euphoric, fist-pumping frenzies.
D Man
Workshop 25
(Workshop)
As with so many of Workshop’s excellent releases, the label’s latest EP, from producer D Man, might not be an immediate attention grabber. Rather, months later you’ll realise you know these tracks inside and out, having played them virtually every day since you first heard them. All six tunes on Workshop 25 are understated, beautifully slow-burning techno numbers that will merge into your psyche, especially acid-hued ‘A3’ and chugger ‘B1’.
KWC 92
Dream Of The Walled City
(L.I.E.S.)
An imaginary soundtrack to a fantasy film set in Kowloon City in Hong Kong, Dream Of The Walled City gets a very welcome reissue courtesy of L.I.E.S. Created by KWC 92 aka Samo DJ Max Stenerudh, its six tracks mix sci-fi techno sonicscapes with tripped-out synths and emerald-hued back-alley samples. Of particular note for nocturnal basement denizens is ‘Macau Ferry Terminal’, a swirling track suitable for sending even the most hardened of club goers into loopy revelries.
Gloria Ann Taylor
‘Deep Inside You’
(Expansion)
RnB singer Gloria Ann Taylor’s stirring soul serenade ‘Deep Inside You’ was originally released on 1973, and has since been heavily sampled in house and techno tracks along the way. Though the tune was reissued as part of a compilation back in 2015, it gets a welcome first ever reissue of the single version. Backed with the lesser known, but equally moving, ‘World That’s Not Real’, the record is a long-coveted and duly revered classic.
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Sep242018
The 10 best new vinyl releases this week (24th September)
| September 24, 2018Turkish psych-funk, Japanese-inspired electronics and mercurial Argentine synth pop.
This week’s best new singles traverse Anatolian psychedelia, Yorkshire Talking Heads and a certified rough-and-ready slice of gospel house.
In the album’s section, VF favourite Lonnie Holley returns with another transmission for America, ambient hero Tim Hecker releases a Japanese-inspired album on Kranky and Sobrenadar releases wonderful Argentine synth-pop on Sonic Cathedral.
Scroll down for our definitive across-the-board rundown of the week’s new vinyl releases as selected by The Vinyl Factory’s Chris Summers, Patrick Ryder and James Hammond with help from Norman Records. 5 singles and 5 LPs every 7 days that are unmissable additions to any collection.
Singles
Altin Gün
‘Cemalin’
(Bongo Joe)
This third 7” single from Altin Gün comes as another assured blast of funked-up Turkish stylings at the crossroads of folk and psychedelia. Channelling the music of legendary Turkish acts such as Erkin Koray and Selda out onto contemporary dance floors, this single and their recent debut LP are worthy investigations.
Adelphi Music Factory
‘Javelin’
(White Label)
In these rarified days of the internet seekers and reissue obsessives, new releases have taken a backseat to those wildly obscure unclassics played by whats-his-face and spun in every set on every stage at festivals all summer. So today I make a stand for the purpose built club killer – trax not tracks, perhaps lacking a little sophistication, but more than making up for it with maximum bang for minimum buck. Though the mysterious Adelphi Music Factory fall a little short of reinventing the wheel with this filter-friendly gospel house heater, slap it on any big room system and watch the place erupt.
Mush
‘Gig Economy’
(Dipped In Gold)
These much-loved racketeers are on an upward trajectory and this strummy, squawky single should help them gain the trust of all Marc Riley listeners. Like Talking Heads wandering lost down dark side streets in Leeds.
Maoupa Mazzocchetti
Gag Flag
(Editions Gravats)
A psycho-tropic missive from Low Jack’s Editions Gravats, Maoupa Mazzocchetti’s Gag Flag is a surrealist’s dreamscape of warped EBM, mangled electro-pop and playful distortions, that shares as much with classic avant-punk disruptors like The Residents or (at a stretch) the subversions of Captain Beefheart, as the acid-laced electronics of Diagonal and Eric Copeland. Febrile stuff.
Johnny Moped
‘Motorhead’ / ‘City Kids’
(Damaged Goods)
Here’s the third release to commemorate Damaged Goods 30th anniversary (the first two coming from Giuda and Hard Skin) and this time you get the legendary Johnny Moped rewiring the Motorhead classic. All packed onto a killer ‘Mopedhead’ limited 7″ picture disc.
LPs
Lonnie Holley
MITH
(Jagjaguwar)
The artists behind The Vinyl Factory’s first ever album of the year back in 2013, we were captured by Lonnie Holley’s unshackled sonic invention, using synths and the power of his voice to weave fantastic narratives rooted in his experience of the world, as someone who has felt its trauma more than most. Five years later and, like the rest of us, Holley has witnessed an American turned inside out. As a result, MITH is more focussed and explicit in its themes than Just Before Music or Keeping A Record Of It, Holley’s guttural invocations confronting prejudice and institutionalised racism head on – his serpentine, improvised compositions bridging the black subconscious, from plantation spirituals, to the afro-futurism of Sun Ra. Holley is a timeless orator for this fucked-up age.
Tim Hecker
Konoyo
(Kranky)
Ever happy to confound the gauzy, musical wall-paper definitions of the ambient genre to which he is often pigeonholed, here Tim Hecker returns with another densely textured record which fills any given space with it presence and refuses to be reduced to mere background listening. Taking inspiration from the classical music of the Japanese imperial court and recorded in the outskirts of Tokyo with members of the Tokyo Gakuso ensemble, Konoyo is another thrilling excavation and reconfiguration of sound from Hecker that stands amongst his finest work.
Whodamanny
T.C.P.
(Origin Peoples)
L.A.’s excellent Origin Peoples offer us another journey into the sonic stratosphere this week, enlisting the hardware talents of Mystic Jungle Tribesman and Italian funk wizard Whodamanny for his first full length release. Shaking resort sophistication, coastal cool, cosmic funk and library synthesis over ice, Manny serves us a crisp sonic cocktail which sums up the current Neapolitan scene perfectly. Though the proto-techno pulse of ‘Centum-Satem’ threatens to steal the show, it’s the transcendent electronics of ‘The Light Of TCP’ which comes out first among equals.
Sobrenadar
Y
(Sonic Cathedral)
Paula Garcia aka Sobrenadar makes some of the most stunning pop music we’ve heard in a long time. Hailing from Buenos Aires, Y is her debut UK release thanks to the excellent Sonic Cathedral and it’s simply beautiful. Electronics flicker against dreamy beats while her voice glides in and out of these excellent songs.
The Declining Winter
Belmont Slope
(Home Assembly Music)
This shadowy West Yorkshire collective who emerged from the ashes of the much missed Hood release their boldest and most eclectic record to date. A love affair to the north, it veers between the brittle shimmer of acoustic pop to twilit techno soundtracking a late night drive over their beloved Yorkshire moors.
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16-18 Marshall Street
London W1F 7BE
Registered in England and Wales under no. 04184222.
Contact