Published on
March 14, 2025
Category
Features
Essential weekend listening.
This week’s rundown is by VF contributors Annabelle Van Dort, Emily Hill and James Hammond.
Whatever The Weather
Whatever The Weather II
(Ghostly)
Loraine James aka Whatever The Weather returns to Ghostly International with her hotly anticipated second album. James created the moniker to give herself more space to explore a slightly more inward gaze and these tracks piece together as a sonic diary, blending field recordings and delicate ambience with more gritty electronic textures. The result is a warm embrace for the listener as you step into James’ world, feeling her rhythms interact with a collage of sound. – EH
Various Artists
Disques Debs International Vol. 1
(Strut Records)
Strut Records makes a fruitful return to the Disque Debs archives, unearthing a wealth of ’80s gems from the French-Caribbean’s most prolific label. Compiled by Caribbean and tropical music specialists Hugo Menez and Emile Oma, the third instalment in Strut’s series traces the synthesis of traditional Gwoka and Biguine sounds with contemporary boogie sonics—sparking the zouk-mania that took over European dancefloors. Perpetually groovy and rich with sensual horn arrangements, sparky midi keys and rumbling synth lines, Disque Debs International is a must-have capsule of the golden age of Francophone-Caribbean music. – AVD
Hank Mobley
Third Season
(Blue Note Tone Poet)
An understated triumph of the Hank Mobley back catalogue, Third Season was recorded in 1967 but oddly left on the shelf until finally seeing a release in 1980. Joined by fellow Blue Note luminaries such as Lee Morgan and Billy Higgins for a seven-piece band, this hard bop session features five originals from Mobley and one from Morgan. Rich interplay with some choice solos throughout – all sounding top-notch on this Tone Poet edition. – JH
upsammy
Open Catalyst
(Dekmantel)
The ethereal and introspective soundscapes that upsammy weaves make the producer an exciting spectacle to behold. Every element in her productions has a place in enriching the texture of the music sand Open Catalyst is no different. A truly buoyant return to more dancefloor-centred music, this playful 12″ comes in hot via Dekmantel. The EP, a four track IDM leaning drum ‘n’ bass mash-up, is concocted with a delicate palette that incites an uplifting and meditative feeling – inviting you to move and restore. – EH
Gavin Bryars and John White
Machine Music
(Dialogo)
An apt, if non-obvious place to start with the series of ten records released on Brian Eno’s Obscure imprint between 1975-78, Machine Music presents similarly adventurous sides from John and Gavin Bryars. White’s compositions take in vocal permutations of a jaw harp, the sonority of glass bottles, and pairs of bass melody instruments falling off the conventional grid as deliberate adjustments are made to a bell metronome. Bolstering this far-reaching set Bryars traverses the performer /composer line on the reverse and brings in Eno, Derek Bailey and Fred Frith for a woozy unravelling of jazz tropes, with each playing a pair of guitars simultaneously in a tabletop, hammer-on style. – JH
R. Man Prince & The Soul Foundation
Funny Dream 7”
(Shella Records)
For over ten years, Toronto-based reggae specialist label, Shella Records has flown the flag for Canada’s oft-overlooked influence on the history of the genre, reissuing underground obscurities by the likes of Jerry Brown and Melody Beecher. This week, Shella has gifted vinyl aficionados with the release of two 7” singles from R. Man Prince & The Soul Foundation: the conscious roots vibrations of “Everyone Has Got To Go” and the moody stepper ‘Funny Dream’. Originally self-released on Prince’s Snowball Records, both singles are rare-as-hens-teeth, so don’t miss it! – AVD
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