Published on
May 12, 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.
Overmono
Good Lies
(XL Recordings)
Welsh brothers Overmono transcend expectations on their long-awaited debut Good Lies. Treading the line between big room anthems and more grounded rave intimacy, Good Lies opts into the current preference for emotive dancefloor numbers without sacrificing its local spirit. The duo’s dual appreciation for UK rave and pop melodies shines through hooky, radio-ready numbers like “Is U” and “Bby”, yet Good Lies never succumbs to its influences, always sounding distinctly contemporary. Ecstatic, moody and catchy as hell; prepare to hear Good Lies everywhere this summer.–KD
Alva Noto
Kinder Der Sonne
(Noton)
The soundtrack to Simon Stone’s “Komplizen” theatre piece, Carsten Nicolai’s Kinder Der Sonne abounds in the textural intrigue and ear piquing ambience that he is known for under the Alva Noto moniker. Connecting with the glitched and reprocessed palette of his heralded Xerrox series but moving on its own course of dramatic narratives, Kinder Der Sonne’s intricate sound design brings forth all manner of cold undercurrents and atmospheric overspills.–JH
RP Boo
Legacy Vol 2
(Planet Mu)
RP Boo is a once in a lifetime kind of producer, so it is an absolute joy that Planet Mu solidifies this legacy in the tangible format of vinyl. Legacy Vol 2 brings together seminal sounds by arguably the originator of footwork, all the way from his 2013 debut to the present day. Selecting the most exciting compositions in his career, Legacy Vol 2 is an anthology for those who like it fast and sweet, with music for your mind and for your feet.–EH
Lisene
Square One
(Craigie Knowes)
Craigie Knowes has been releasing some of the most exciting dance music in recent times, unbound by genre or expectation. They welcome into the fold the highly esteemed Lisene, who has been making waves in the UK scene for some time now. Marlon Morris aka Lisene, also one half of Space Cadets, serves every time he is behind the booth and in the studio. Square One brings out his classy production style whilst adding new flavours to the pot–delivering high-end sound design and club textures.–EH
Brown Spirits
Solitary Transmissions
(Soul Jazz Records)
From Soul Jazz Records comes a blast of psyched-out krautrock, straight out of Melbourne, Australia. Brown Spirits, the trio formed by Tim Wold, Agostino Soldati and Ash Buscombe, are seasoned veterans of the garage and punk touring scene, all united by a DIY approach that runs throughout Solitary Transmissions. Full of propulsive motorik rhythms, driving basslines and warbling moog synths, Solitary Transmissions is a lysergic trip from beginning to end.–AVD
Dorothy Ashby
The Rubáiyát of Dorothy Ashby
(Verve)
Having already pioneered the harp in bebop settings from the late ‘50s onwards, 1970’s The Rubáiyát of Dorothy Ashby found Ashby venturing even further into a sound world of her own making. Taking inspiration from the four-line ruba’i poems of Persian polymath Omar Khayamm, Ashby merges numerous influences and spiritually questing sounds throughout this LP with an upbeat approach and Richard Evan’s arrangements never letting the momentum cease. A fine place to jump into the Ashby discography and a welcome reissue from the recently resurrected Verve By Request series.–JH
BC Camplight
The Last Rotation Of Earth
(Bella Union)
BC Camplight’s The Last Rotation of Earth was “created in the shadow of incredible darkness”, following Brian Christinzio’s separation from his fiancé of nine years amid struggles with addiction and mental health. Heightened cinematics loom through the darkness, while relentless witty remarks are packaged with piano-led grandeur and electronic overhauls, leaving space to breathe. Despite being written as an act of despair, The Last Rotation of Earth is a triumphant addition to Christinzio’s discography.–BR
Eluvium
(Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality
(Temporary Residence Ltd)
Matthew Robert Cooper’s thirteenth album under the Eluvium moniker, (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality is his first working with an orchestra, marking a full departure from the electronic ambient of his early releases. The work of the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME), Golden Retriever, and the Budapest Scoring Orchestra allows Eluvium a more rounded out, tonally diverse sound yet his trademark quiet restraint remains. Shying away from crowd-pleasing crescendos, the album holds its listener tightly, economically dolling out threads of both beauty and anxiety. (Whirring Marvels In) Consensus Reality demonstrates that the slightest shifts can have the greatest significance.–KD
Alison Goldfrapp
The Love Invention
(Skint Records)
After releasing seven albums as part of synth-duo Goldfrapp, Alison Goldfrapp turns her sights to disco-fuelled dance goodness with her debut solo album, The Love Invention. Over 11 tracks, The Love Invention never holds back while bouncing around glistening acid house, dance-pop breakdowns and dancefloor-filling rhetorics. It’s an immersion into the mind of Alison Goldfrapp, who even 25 years into her career, reaps excitement with every release.–BR
Al Fajer Group
Al Fajer (The Dawn)
(Majazz Project)
For their second release, London-based archive label Majazz Project presents the enchanting Arabic folk of the Al-Fajer Group. Formed in Kuwait in 1987, the Al-Fajer group made their start performing Palestinian Liberation songs, before turning to their own compositions. Al Fajer (The Dawn) features unreleased original music from the group, available on vinyl for the first time. Anchored by Sima Kanaan’s rich vocal melodies and the group’s tasteful acoustic guitar and oud arrangements, Al Fajer (The Dawn) is a timeless collection of evocative folk songs that warrants contemporary recognition.–AVD
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