Published on
June 23, 2023
Category
Features
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.
Arthur Russell
Picture of Bunny Rabbit
(Rough Trade Records / Audika Records)
Audika Records returns to the archive for more somnambulant wanderings through Arthur Russell’s world of echoes. Picture of Bunny Rabbit is the latest instalment in Audika’s long-standing Arthur Russell reissue series, and their first in partnership with Rough Trade. It compiles unreleased material recorded between 1985-1986, sourced from two unreleased test pressings and Russell’s expansive tape archive. Picture of Bunny Rabbit is a testament to Russell’s boundless inventiveness; his minimalist compositions are like inchoate sketches of songs, efflorescent in the reverb-drenched haze. Tracks like the gorgeous “Fuzzbuster #09” are welcome additions to the Russell canon, combining his dissonant cello with melancholic Vini Reilly-style layerings of guitar.–AVD
Geese
3D Country
(Partisan)
Brooklyn rockers Geese intended to part ways and go to college after their debut album Projector. But with their follow-up, 3D Country, we can only be glad they didn’t. Once at the forefront of upcoming New York punk, the group have stopped looking into the greats before them and instead embraced their weirdness to become truly themselves. In doing so, 3D Country cruises through blues breakdowns, outlandish jams and art-punk riffs, all with a hearty cowboy outlook. Some influences still seep through, like Black Sabbath guitar duels and yacht rock softness, but 3D Country is only a step forward for Geese and a big one at that.–BR
Graham Lambkin
Aphorisms
(Blank Forms Editions)
Recorded in separate sessions in New York and London, Aphorisms finds Graham Lambkin “sounding out” two rooms and two pianos, collaging and superimposing the results into this fine collection of aural oddities. Interlaced with incidental sounds and vocals that hold onto “the animal purity of voice,” with Aphorisms, Lambkin is as content to bark at the pianos as he is to find a chord or two.–JH
Omar S and Desire
Hard Times
(FXHE)
Omar S and his label FXHE have been on a serious roll, producing some of the most infectious dance music we’ve heard in the last couple of years–including but not limited to collaborations with John FM and albums from Detroit hip-hop dance duo Hi-Tech. Once again Omar S joins forces with Canadian dream-pop duo Desire for an absolutely fantastic 12-inch. Oozing with catchy lyrics and classy synth progressions, it includes the instrumental and a vocal refix by Johnny Jewel. This is one for constant rotation, suitable for dancing around the house and certified for club circulation.–EH
Dream Dolphin
Gaia: Selected Ambient and Downtempo Works (1996-2003)
(Music From Memory)
The work of a Japanese artist known only as Noriko, the Dream Dolphin project released an impressive 20 albums during its existence from 1996-2003. Surveying this vast amount of material, Music from Memory and Eiji Taniguchi narrow down the focus here by cherry-picking from the realms of downtempo and ambient works, bringing forth a set that distils key elements of Noriko’s work. Whilst taming the tempo there’s still a breadth of electronic ideas on display in this collection that manage to hit on idiosyncratic grooves and keep the ambience as a no-sharp-edges affair.–JH
Militarie Gun
Life Under The Gun
(Loma Vista)
Militarie Gun show hardcore can be melodic with their debut album, Life Under The Gun. With the band acting as an outlet of self-expression for vocalist and songwriter Ian Shelton, Life Under The Gun reflects on his difficult upbringing. From “being addicted to rage” (“Big Disappointment”) to the harsh realities of trying to get on your own feet (“Seizure Of Assets”), Militarie Gun test what hardcore can be as they wrap this introspection tightly in punky hooks and sometimes outright rock and roll. An exciting release from a band that are comfortable in ignoring boundaries to create something that’s genuine to them.–BR
V/Z (Valentina Magaletti & Zongamin)
Suono Assente
(AD 93)
Nic Tasker’s AD 93 continue their voyage into the depths of experimental electronic music with London-based artists Valentina Magaletti and Zongamin, who come together under the moniker V/Z. The album spans eight immersive tracks with collaborations from multiple artists including label alumni Coby Sey on the track “Bites”, which emits a haunting dark synth with powerful cinematic energy. The music touches on their roots in the post-punk scene, combining spoken word elements with modern classical compositions and bedroom pop. A superb alternative release on a label which constantly pushes the boundaries of musical construction.–EH
Secret Night Gang
Belongs On A Place Called Earth
(Brownswood)
Manchester duo Secret Night Gang returns with their much-anticipated sophomore effort, Belongs On A Place Called Earth, their first release on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Records. A vibrant, technicolour journey through street-soul and jazz-funk sonics, Belongs On A Place Called Earth soars with gospel-inflected harmonies and irresistible brass-led grooves. Helmed by Kemani Anderson’s deep and honey-toned vocals, that dance effortlessly across octaves ease on standout tracks like “One and Only” and the D’Angelo-influenced “When Will the Sun Rise Again”. An impressive outing for an exciting band who are certainly ones to watch in years to come!–AVD
Lunice
OPEN
(LUCKY ME)
Canadian producer and one-half of duo TNGHT, Lunice returns for his second solo album. OPEN is built on the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from this corner of the experimental electronic world. Wonky synths, ripping bass, and gargantuan production are present every step of the way, making it near impossible to sit still while listening. OPEN is a futuristic-sounding release but also calls to the fore a sense of early ‘10s nostalgia with its brash, blown-out beats approach. The series of Montreal hip-hop collaborators featured throughout add an organic contrast to Lunice’s hyper-synthetic creations, turning OPEN into a rap album ready-made for the rave.–KD
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