Give You The Ghost – Poliça

Moody. Unsettling. Spooky. Bewitching. Enchanting. A Rolling Stone review of this 2012 album, the band’s first, described it as “the sound of heartbreak and celebration happening simultaneously.” I love that. Basically, Poliça are a 5-piece outfit from Minneapolis making synth-pop music fit for a Hallowe’en party. Get to know.

Also, they are on tour. I have 2 tickets for sale at face value at London’s ICA on Saturday 3rd November. Let me know if you want them.

Oh, and one last thing – chill, I’ve got you covered.

Wayne Snow

Every Sunday I bring you something a little more downtempo to ease you back into the world.

Today, the smooth tones of Wayne Snow. Wayne (real name Kesiena Ukochovbara) was born in Nigeria and moved to Berlin to launch his music career. He picked up the name ‘Snow’ as a play on his blackness. He released his first EP Red Runner in 2014 on Tartelet Records, produced by Max Graef. In his music you hear the confluence of German and Afro sounds. It’s good.

One from his new(ish) album, Freedom TV.

Wayne featured on Max Graef’s Running.

And my favourite, Rosie.

Andorra – Caribou

This is one from the archives. One of Caribou’s lesser-known early albums, Andorra. It is a lot more vocal-heavy and low-fi than what he is famous for now, with influences from 60s psychedelia. Even so, you can hear hints of the more housey direction he went in later.

It takes you on a journey through a few genres – its variety and subtlety means its the kind of album you can session again and again. It always brings me back to where I was when I first discovered it. My pick from the album is the final track Niobe. Listen to it last!

The Cure – Jadu Heart

Masked duo Jadu Heart are back releasing music with a new EP, The Gloom That Looms. It’s their first release since they entered the scene with their awesome EP Wanderflower on Mura Masa’s Anchor Point records. In The Cure they capture their original catchy screwed-up electro-poppy style – if a little less raw than their previous outing. I’m a bit disappointed by the other track on the release tbh, but hey, can’t win ’em all.

Watching them live last year, the gig had that exciting kind of energy you get when you are watching a band ‘before they’re big’. They are playing another date in London at OMEARA on 21st November. Tickets on sale now. (By they way, they make you feel real old)

9 Beet Stretch – Leif Inge

 Every Sunday I am going to bring you something a little more downtempo to ease you back into the world.

Okay, so, today, something extremely different.

This is less song, more sound-art. To a lot of people, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is pretty instantly recognisable. Artist Leif Inge took the composition (which normally lasts 70 minutes) and stretched it to last a full 24 hours without any distortion of pitch. What results is in an incredibly cinematic piece, with unimaginably deep texture and nuance. If you want to switch off, or go to another mental plane, this should be your soundtrack.

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-EGtq6vVHY

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQfa-I6Gczc

Part 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0-OC8yo0f0

Part 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfBZeAQ-Vt0

Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat

This one is a bit massive. Its only Bronski Beat perfecting the 80s dance track.

Smalltown Boy became a huge gay anthem back in the day – it’s about the rejection of a homosexual kid by his family and society. Since then it found new life in Supermode’s massively popular Tell Me Why.

This track sent the crowd flying at Giant Steps at Houghton this year – expect it to do that to most dancefloors.

Disclosure

A shout out to Disclosure. They went from being pretty cool and on trend with Settle in 2013 (think You & Me, Help Me Lose my Mind, etc.) to being pretty lame and samey with Caracal in 2015 (think Omen) to being cool again in 2018. They’ve released 6 new tracks, each of which draws from different genres and all of which are pretty impressive pieces of production. 3 of them, really worth a listen. Fair play. Fair play.

First-up an 80s style banger.

Some lively electronica.

And finally, a cool afro-inspired tune featuring everyone’s favourite Malian/Ivorian Fatoumata Diawara.