This week: industrial sludge-rock, political punk and acid-jazz trips

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Essential weekend listening.

This week’s rundown is by VF’s Kelly Doherty and Becky Rogers, alongside contributors Annabelle Van Dort, Emily Hill and James Hammond.


M(h)aol

Attachment Styles

(TULLE Collective)

Buy

The debut album from Irish feminist punk band M(h)aol is a caustic pleasure. Whilst their 2021 EP Gender Studies offered glimpses of greatness, Attachment Styles unfurls like a breathtaking live performance that continually surprises and engages its audience. M(h)aol never shy away from hefty subjects such as sexual violence and prejudice, however, their conversational and often dryly witty delivery imbues Attachment Styles with a sense of catharsis and fun. It’s vulnerable and righteous, furious and empathetic. An extremely promising debut from a band breathing genuine life into political punk.–KD


Young Fathers

Heavy Heavy

(Ninja Tune)

Buy

Young Fathers’ fourth album is a glorious return for the Edinburgh trio. Their first release in four years, Heavy Heavy is an exploration into the tolls of living, all backed by a tight mix of soul, hip-hop and rock. Their back-to-basics approach leaves ample space to breathe, but Heavy Heavy still holds an overwhelming air of passion and heart. With each track strong enough to hold itself, Young Fathers have crafted a masterpiece.–BR


Omodaka

​​ZENTSUU: Collected Works 2001-2019

(WRWTFWW)

Buy

Resting somewhere between video game sound design, J-pop and traditional Japanese music, it’s fair to say that Soichi Terada’s work as Omodaka operates on a logic of its own making. Picking up on the unabashedly fun approach that goes with Terada’s music, along with the diversity of his discography, WRWTFWW records present a ‘best of’ that traverses 2001-2019. With Akiko Kanazawa’s permutating voice as a constant, these works land on the dancefloor as frequently as they do within the surreal.–JH


Tony Conrad, Arnold Dreyblatt & Jim O’Rourke

Tonic 19-01-2001

(Black Truffle)

Buy

Black Truffle celebrate their 100th vinyl release in style with this archival live performance from Tony Conrad, Arnold Dreyblatt & Jim O’Rourke. Given the trio’s’ respective takes on minimalism, alternate tunings and drone music, this set readily strikes on shared ground within a convergence of bowed strings and overtones. Led by Conrad’s distinct pitch changes, this one is ear-piquing, readily enveloping, and an essential listen for lovers of drone music and sounds that set out to unravel musical conventions.–JH


Dawl

Hypercharged EP

(Craigie Knowes)

Buy

Craigie Knowes continue their dancefloor dominance with Tone Dropout head honcho and all-around acid breaks legend Dawl, whose second outing on the label is ‘hypercharged’ with dance floor brilliance. The four-tracker is somewhat of an ode to the classic compositions of the early ‘90s, bringing together high-impact bleep, electro and hardcore sensibilities. The titular track is a stomper, brimming with wobbly bass and bleeps, keeping things classy and primed for dancefloors worldwide.–EH


The Psychotic Monks

Pink Colour Surgery

(FatCat Records)

Buy

The French post-punk group return with their third album Pink Colour Surgery. Dripping with industrial sludge-rock, the record spits at compliance and comfortability. Throbbing techno dubs face up against noise-mongering guitar stabs (“Crash”) as goth-rock gets unsettled by staggering drum jitters (“Décors”). Pink Colour Surgery isn’t a calming experience but is a record that’s ready to get thrown around dancefloors and mosh pits alike.–BR


Toumba

Petals

(Hessle Audio)

Buy

The announcement that Toumba would be joining the ranks of the many esteemed producers of the Hessle Audio alumni resulted in a hotly tipped highly anticipated 12 inch. Petals is a three-track EP that does not disappoint. Toumba, who hails from Jordan, has been making some serious waves in the music scene as a triple-threat curator, producer and sensational DJ, with a discography that includes releases on All Centre and Hypnic Jerks. Petals brings together musical elements from his homeland, constructed into sprawling landscapes of forward-thinking bass music.–EH


Forest

Forest

(BBE)

Buy

A spellbinding fusion of psychedelic grooves and AOR haziness, BBE present the first ever reissue of Forest—a private press obscurity from the Western Massachusetts band of the same name. An exhilarating, genre-crossing trip through blues, acid jazz and rock that carries undeniable idiosyncratic flair.–AVD


Tropical Fuck Storm

Submersive Behaviour

(Joyful Noise Recordings)

Buy

Submersive Behaviour is a wonderfully bizarre release from the Aussie art-punkers Tropical Fuck Storm. An intense listen, the mini-album freewheels straight into a twisted yet trippy 18-minute-long cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)”. If giving the middle finger to Zayn Malik’s “karaoke-style tribute” of Hendrix’s “Angels” wasn’t enough, “The Golden Ratio” takes math-rock literally with discordant harmonies and off-kilter hooks, while acoustic griever “Aspirin (Slight Return)” offers a break from their drone-heavy apocalyptic outlook. It’s unpredictable and unforgiving, but Subversive Behaviour is a well-crafted chaos.–BR


Barry Boom

The Wicked Shall Fall

(Fashion)

Buy

Often heard reverberating through Jah Shaka’s mighty soundsystem in the 1980’s, Barry Boom’s The Wicked Shall Fall receives its first official release on Fashion. Originally released as a limited dub plate in the late ‘80s, this heavyweight roots doubleheader also features another Shaka favourite, Crack of the Whip Dub, alongside two alternative cuts.–AVD