THE BEST MUSIC: NEW & OLD
Right, it’s fair to say I’m a big fan of this one. It’s Manchester’s Anz with some tasty synth-led house.
I came across this track in RA’s Best Tracks of 2021 feature, worth checking out if you want to have your horizon’s broadened!
It has been a beat since I’ve posted about Bonobo. The guy is my most listened to artist of the year, again, again, so it only feels right. Top 1% of listeners baby.
Anyway he has 4 new tracks out ahead of the release his upcoming album Fragments, including collaborations with O’Flynn, Jamila Woods and Jordan Rakei. My pick of the bunch is Rosewood. Bonobo delivering a trademark Bonobo track. Doing what he does best. Touch.
Bonus: all 4 tracks are on this playlist if you want to check out the others. And let’s face it, why wouldn’t you?
There are tickets on sale to 4 dates he has at the Royal Albert Hall. Definitely worth a look.
If you’d asked me back in 2012 who my favourite artist was, there’s a good chance I would have said Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Trouble was released that year – to date it remains TEED’s only full length album, and it would be tempting to say that Orlando’s production output hasn’t lived up to its promise. There have been some sparks, not least collaborations with Bonobo, Tinashé and Amtrac, but I’ve been thirsting for some new solo work that hits the heights of that album.
And, here we have it.
It’s a high quality EP. My pick is Into the Light.
Bonus album: Trouble. Where it all began. I’ve don’t know why I’ve never written a gushing post about it before. Here it is in all it’s glory.
Sub Focus & Wilkinson. Wilkinson & Sub Focus. Two of the bigger names going in UK drum & bass over past decade.
Just Hold On represents a bit of a departure from their template with some original melodies, and some live strings for extra depth (it was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in Bath). But really this isn’t one to think about too hard. Just turn it loud and rock out.
If you are fan, they released an album together, Portals, in 2020. For me, none of the tracks are quite as interesting as Just Hold On. But if it is 50 minutes of energy you are after, then check it out.
It is so hard to do spoken word over music without it sounding forced. For me, producers who dabble in the genre tend to turn out tunes that disappoint (recent examples include Wayward and Tom Demac). So it is always a bit of surprise when I come across one that I love.
Maybe it is because I am a sucker for an accent, but I can’t get enough of this all-Scottish partnership: producer Lord of the Isles, and poet Ellen Renton.
The highlight is Inheritance, but the EP delivers a beautiful ambient soundscape throughout.
Ross From Friends is back with his second album. As you would expect it is slickly produced, and in his trademark dusty lo-fi style; a style that gives the impression that you are over-hearing the music, as opposed to listening to it. Or that is is from a a different era somehow.
Anyway, as an album it bubbles away nicely without ever really taking off. Each track has an interesting idea at its core, but never enough to grab you by the collar and give you a good shake. The closest are Love Divide and Life In A Mind that both threaten to go big, with some strong 90s club influences – but even they turn out to be a bit of a tease.
I don’t want to sound too neggy, because overall it is a decent listen (almost reminiscent of Aphex Twin at points), but I am finding it hard to get too excited about it. What do you think?
KVRVBO is the project of Karabo Moloi, a South African producer from a township in Johannesburg. He released his debut album Euphoria in July. In it he brings in no fewer than 8 collaborators, most of whom are also South African.
If you are being critical, you might say that for a deep house album, it is slightly lacking in outright bangers. However, what it lacks there, it more than makes up for with real depth and variety. Each of the featuring artists bring their own flavour, putting together a really nice 80 minute listen.
My top tracks to listen out for: Billow Made Me Do It, In the Jungle (featuring Bongani Mehlomakhulu) and Celestial Dreams.
This one caught me off guard. Wairunga is a sumptuous 1 hour live album that has come out of nowhere. Better yet, it is accompanied by a film of the recording, which takes you right there to their secret little concert.
The album is named after the location that the tracks were recorded. It is a little town on the New Zealand’s East coast that appears to have one road, but is a regular retreat for the band. For this recording they set up shop on a grass tennis court, and got to work. As they play, the weather starts to come in around them – they plough on and it feels like the elements of Wairunga leave their mark on the recording. It feels right that they credit it in the name.
This is utter alchemy from everyone’s favourite Kiwi seven-piece.
After a little Summer break I’m coming back at you with a few new stellar releases over the next few days.
First up it is the wonderfully-named DJ Seinfeld with his debut full length album, Mirrors.
Mirrors is a set of tuneful electronic jams, and it comes with a sweet story attached. When DJ Seinfeld shot into the limelight out of nowhere in 2017 with his now-trademark dusty lo-fi house sounds, you might have noticed that the track names and general vibe were a tad depressing. At the time our man Armand Jakobsson was going through a break-up. Fast forward 4 years and he has found love. Out with the I Hope I Sleep Tonight and the I saw Her Kiss Him in Front of Me and I Was Like Wtf? and in with the She Loves Me, the Walking with Ur Smile and The Right Place. Ain’t that nice. Live your best life Armand.
DJ Seinfeld’s other project is also worth getting to know, under alias Rimbaudian.
Finally, he is playing live at EartH in Hackney in October – see you there.
I have to admit, this new snorter from Justin Martin really caught me off guard.
The build up is a relentless industrial hum which didn’t fill me with confidence. But wait until 2 minutes in (by which point you’ll feel fucking on edge) and there is a massive hi-hat-led drum fill which fires into colossal synths and plucked melodies that just shine. Real ‘shivers down your spine’ territory this one. Turn it loud.
My only criticism, and this is a serious one, is that the track is so short. At 3 mins 33 secs it only has time for 1 minute of the good stuff, and then it exits as quickly as it came. I’ll be keeping my eyes out for an extended edit.
Bonus tracks: Justin doesn’t play about does he? I’ve posted another solid gold Justin Martin number for your delectation below. Or you can also read my thoughts on his remix of Marshall Jefferson’s Mushrooms here.
HARRY'S MUSICAL EMPORIUM 