Published on
May 3, 2024
Category
Features
Essential weekend listening.
This week’s rundown is by VF’s Kelly Doherty, and contributors Annabelle Van Dort, Emily Hill and James Hammond.
Joy Orbison
Flight FM / Shiloh’s Revenge
(XL Recordings)
Joy Orbison has released a large quantity of heaters on vinyl since 2009 when he gave the world “Hyph Mngo” via Hotflush. Over the last decade, his approach to production and DJing has been dynamically flexible, moving from club-focused to more experimental downtempo cuts on records such as 2021’s Still Slipping V1 LP via the XL imprint. Returning to the eponymous label with two cuts previously released digitally released, “Flight FM” and “Shilohs Revenge” are two future bass garage-esque rhythms, now presented on a special 10″.–EH
Mdou Moctar
Funeral For Justice
(Matador)
On their electrifying third album, Nigerien quartet Mdou Moctar bristle with revolutionary urgency, crafting blistering desert blues helmed by their eponymous guitarist’s virtuosic playing. Recorded at the end of two years of touring that followed the release of their 2019 breakthrough, Afrique Victime, Funeral For Justice takes unflinching aim at the colonialist and imperialist powers responsible for political instability in Mali—a brave call to resistance intensified by the use of their native Tamasheq. A maelstrom of feverish guitar solos and groundshaking 6/8 rhythms, Funeral for Justice sees Mdou Moctar reach new heights, crowning the group as some of the hardest rockers around today.–AVD
Matmos
Return to Archive
(Smithsonian Folkways)
As part of the 75th anniversary of Folkways records, Matmos has honed in on the “non-musical sounds” of the legendary archival imprint for a set of purely sample-based reanimations. Drawing samples from LPs such as Speech After the Removal of the Larynx or Sounds of the Junkyard, Matmos’ singular lens for concept and sampling is put to good use here as the duo intertwines, reconfigures, and extrapolates an expansive collection of curious sounds. A vinyl version for this plunderphonic oddity after last year’s digital release.–JH
Broadcast
Spell Blanket – Collected Demos 2006 – 2009
(Warp)
Following the 2022 reissues of Broadcast’s back catalogue via Warp, the label again pays tribute to the cult British band. Spell Blanket, pieced together from a personal archive of “4-track tapes and MiniDiscs” belonging to the late singer Trish Keenan, showcases Broadcast’s 2006-2009 period and grants insight into what another Broadcast album could have offered. Across 36 tracks, these demos and sketches are an intimate and varied collection, many of which sound so close to completion. Where demos compilations are often the reserve of diehard fans and completists, Spell Blanket is an intriguing standalone listen with its rawness making it all the more personal. An emotional and insightful listen.–KD
Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Frank Rosaly
Mestizx
(International Anthem)
Looking to their respective roots in Bolivia, Brazil and Puerto Rico, MESTIZX finds the duo of Ibelisse Guardia Ferragutti and Frank Rosaly working up a ferment of genre and expansive song form. As a musical reconciliation of identity that strikes out at colonialism, this debut release from the duo works in earworm melodies and rhythmic patterns that take in cumbia and Latin styles as readily as they do jazz and pop.–JH
Legowelt
Like A Song From Your Dream
(L.I.E.S.)
Legowelt is a Dutch legend, producing inspired hardware-based anthems. This return to Ron Morellis’ LIES imprint is a welcome one, with a greater emphasis on dancefloor flavours than some of their recent releases. Spanning eight tracks encased in an acid-dream inspired full colour sleeve, Like A Song From Your Dream has a straight up electro vibe with a special Legowelt twist. Acidic basslines, industrial jacking percussion and a sense of dreamy club euphoria is present throughout.–EH
The Cats Miaow
The Skipping Stones: The Cassette Years ‘92-’93
(World Of Echo)
The Cat’s Miaow return with another collection of sweet and sensitive underground Australian pop on their second compilation for World of Echo, Skipping Stones: The Cassette Years ‘92-’93. Comprised of tracks selected from four rare cassettes released on cult Melbourne label Toytown (Little Baby Sour Puss, Pet Sounds, From My Window and How Did Everything Get So Fucked Up), Skipping Stones is an understated masterwork of softly sung melodies and luscious shoegazey guitars from Australia’s best.–AVD
Ibibio Sound Machine
Pull the Rope
(Merge)
UK-based eight-piece Ibibio Sound Machine return with the follow-up to 2022’s Electricity. Moving in a more club-oriented direction than its predecessor, Pull The Rope embraces partying in a spiritual sense. Imbued with joy, euphoria and defiance, the record is sunny and optimistic–a heartening callback to the nostalgic peaks of electroclash, albeit with cleaner productions and a more profound pop hookiness. A perfect soundtrack for summer revelry.–KD
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