Annnnnd we’re back! Thanks heaps to Giulio for the last two Sunday nights’ selections – fantastic stuff.
I have complained before about how music doesn’t stop being released, right through December and into the very beginning of the new year. So tonight we have music released in December 2024 and also music released in January 2025. All rad.
Elsa Hewitt – Lightflood [Elsa Hewitt Bandcamp]
Elsa Hewitt – Pearly Ending [Elsa Hewitt Bandcamp]
The new album from UK guitarist, singer, DJ & producer Elsa Hewitt, Dominant Heartstrings, has been heralded with a series of singles from which I played a few b-sides in 2024. The album arose from guitar loop jams with some vocals and field recordings, made initially while on tour, playing spontaneously to audiences around England, and the tracks represent that vulnerability as well as the joy of unfolding out of trauma into some kind of peace, I think. That can be felt in these lovely songs, most of which do not feature vocals, rather focusing on nimble guitar patterns glitched and granulated as they loop around themselves. But there are some songs too, and “Lightflood”, sitting at the end of the album along with its coda “Pearly Ending” is a little wonder.
anrimeal – 1. Title – Half Fool Half Empty [Anrimeal Bandcamp]
This beautiful musical mutation is a short sneak peek from an album coming out later this year by anrimeal, the musical project of London-based musician Ana Rita de Melo Alves, whose work bridges sound-art and song. It’s just a handful of phrases and a crescendo of distortion, but that’s enough to presage something awesome on the horizon.
wjerstean – breathing slices [NEN]
Here’s a track from wjerstean, a project by Armenia-based Lisa Viktorova, released on the France-based “Russian label in exile” NEN. On Raspad, she produces smudged, gothic songs, embedded in mysterious found sounds and dungeon echoes – beguiling and creepy.
Saba Alizadeh – Women of fire (feat. Sanam Maroufkhani) [30M Records/Bandcamp]
Saba Alizadeh – Plain of the free [30M Records/Bandcamp]
Iranian musician Saba Alizadeh is a master of the kamancheh, a Persian stringed instrument. But his works on Berlin label Karlrecords (Scattered Memories) and Hamburg-based 30M Records (2021’s I May Never See You Again) bring the music and his instrument into a contemporary setting, with stunning sound design – electronics, drones and at times beats. His new album Temple Of Hope carries an audacious theme in extremely dark times. He takes inspiration from the “Woman Life Freedom” movement, incorporating field recordings of crowds and historical radio broadcasts alongside his beautiful instrument, and these human elements are made both alien and more poignant through electronic processing, even alongside bursts of no-input mixer noise. Among his collaborators is the Amsterdam-based Iranian musician Sanam Maroufkhani, whose multilayered vocals are juxtaposed with stuttering digital percussion. The second track here features a moving kamancheh performance gradually swamped by a looped field recording of a protest about water shortages in the Iranian city of Susangerd, in an area now called “Dasht-e-Azadegan”, roughly translating as “Plain of the free”. Alizadeh has created a stunning album rooted in Persian music and recent history, asking us to find hope in times of horror.
Ash Koosha – Manghal [Ash Koosha Bandcamp]
Ash Koosha – Mirza Attackian [Ash Koosha Bandcamp]
Diaspora Iranian Ashkan Kooshanejad, under the name Ash Koosha, released some early music on Ninja Tune, but in between his work in the AI space he’s been pushing things out directly on Bandcamp for a while. His latest album, F0, just dropped on what we quaintly call Boxing Day, and it’s a gorgeous amalgam of Persian sounds (including probably kamancheh?), other acoustic instrumentation, electronic processing and glitched beats. I can’t find any liner notes or blurbage about it, so the music will have to stand for itself – which is does with ease. Pretty brilliant really.
doseone & Steel Tipped Dove – Breakneck (Featuring Mykah 9) [Backwoodz Studioz/Bandcamp]
doseone & Steel Tipped Dove – Restaurant Not [Backwoodz Studioz/Bandcamp]
It’s been so lovely reading the background of this album. Adam Drucker aka doseone was one of the founding forces behind alt. hip-hop or whatever you want to call it in the last 1990s and early ’00s, founding with various other hip-hop outliers the Anticon collective and label (it took me ages to realise that the name referenced their “ant icon” logo). He’s played a part in a lot of the music that was this here radio show’s bread & butter for many years, including collabs with indietronic/postrock bods like Hood and The Notwist – and the album Circle that he made with Boom Bip way back in 2000 was massively influential. In 2018, beloved fellow Anticon founder Alias passed away from a sudden heart attack, and Anticon slowly fizzled out. So yeah, years later dose started hearing the output of billy woods’ Backwoodz Studioz – specifically I believe a ShrapKnel album – and felt the creative spark that he’d been missing in grief and isolation. He hooked up with frequent Backwoodz producer Steel Tipped Dove, and they quickly created a whole body of new work. Some of the anything-goes abandon of Jel & Odd Nosdam’s early Anticon productions can really be heard here (and, I’d suggest, across the Backwoodz catalogue), and Dose spits out his poetic, circumspect lyrics with all the energy of the best of Themselves, Subtle and the rest. It’s nice to see Andrew Broder aka Fog – a frequent Anticon collaborator and lately a brilliant producer – adding turntable to all tracks, and there are notable features across the album from hip-hop legends like Mykah 9 and Antipop Consortium’s M.Sayyid, Open Mike Eagle, and Backwoodz’ own billy woods.
The second track here, “Restaurant Not” has a deconstructed Anticon-style beat that upturns dose’s vocals perfectly – and it also has a fun, colourful video.
Kenny Segal & K-the-I??? – A Little Bit [Backwoodz Studioz/Bandcamp]
Kenny Segal & K-the-I??? – Season Of The Sickness (feat. Fatboi Sharif) [Backwoodz Studioz/Bandcamp]
Speaking of Backwoodz, at the start of December last year – just too late to make it into a 2024 playlist – they released a collab between the great Kenny Segal and K-the-I???, aka Kiki Ceac. K-the-I??? may not be that prolific, but he was right in the thick of it in the early ’00s alternate hip-hop scene, and his Genuine Dexterity is found throughout. Segal’s production is equal to that found on his two iconic billy woods collabs, the guests are wisely chosen (Fatboi Sharif soaks up the uneasy atmosphere as always). K-the-I??? and doseone are very different kinds of rappers, but both find a lot of commonality with the Backwoodz style.
Mike Meegan – Aftermath [Blorpus Editions]
Best known as RXM Reality, Mike Meegan released an album under that alias last year on Hausu Mountain – but earlier in the year he dropped a brilliant piece of glitch-collage as When 2, released on Blorpus Editions, the excellent (even-more-)boutique label run by Hausu’s Dave Kaplan. If that wasn’t enough, just in before the year expired came Works, another Blorpus album from Meegan, this time under his own name. RXM is Meegan in full-on genre-mashing mode, extroverted ADHD music. When 2 is just as energetic, but keeps a kind of focus, almost homogeneity to its constructions. And Works is Meegan at his least manic – rumbling drones and yes, thundering bass drops.
Slikback – Sea [Tempa/Bandcamp]
What an excellent surprise on opening the latest Bandcamp release email from Nigerian club deconstructor Slikback to find that it’s a three-track EP on legendary dubstep label Tempa. Slikback certainly doesn’t slacken off on the subs here, and it’s done with his characteristic swagger.
Sectra – Horrid & Dejected ft. Dis Fig [Tectonic Recordings/Bandcamp]
And another foundational dubstep label here, Pinch’s Tectonic Recordings, invites experimental musician & singer Dis Fig aka Felicia Chen into the fold courtesy of US producer Sectra, with a single off the latter’s forthcoming LP Through The Static. The narco-dancehall of Chen’s album with The Bug, In Blue, might be what comes to mind initially, but the static and heaviness here equally point to her masterpiece last year with the body, Orchards of a Futile Heaven. It’s a shame the rest of Sectra’s album won’t have Dis Fig on it, but I’m keen to hear more.
Ghost Dubs – Wired Version [Pressure/Bandcamp]
Speaking of The Bug, Kevin Martin released an album on his Pressure label last year from Ghost Dubs aka German producer Michael Fiedler, called Damaged. It combines the industrial dub weight of The Bug’s own productions with something more like fellow Germans Basic Channel’s minimalist dub techno. Now Fiedler has increased the dubwise elements, the drop-outs and the delays, with 6 Extended Damaged Versions. In fact none of the tracks is that long – they’re all less than 6 minutes – but it’s still a welcome extension of the original tracks.
@c + Jérôme Noetinger – Expansão 3 [Crónica/Bandcamp]
This isn’t dub or dance music of any kind really, but the clattering metallic sounds and electronic interactions somehow feel of a piece. Portuguese duo @c aka Pedro Tudela and Miguel Carvalhais are the founders of the Porto-based Crónica label and embody its ethos of computer experimentation. Whether it’s electro-acoustic composition, sound-art & music for installations, or glitch & noise, the label consistently releases interesting & inspiring music from Portugal and the world over. Here the duo are working with French electro-acoustic composer & tape manipulator Jérôme Noetinger. The tracks on Expansão are adapted & edited from live performances & workshops between the three musicians. It’s never clear what the sound sources are, but for computer & tape music it’s very physical. Worth putting on your headphones and freaking out to.
Ghostwoods – Dreamless (Shugorei Remix) [4000 Records/Bandcamp]
Meanjin musician James Lees formed Ghostwoods to make jazz-tinged noirish soundtracks to bleak midnight streets, and with a band that includes sax/clarinet/flute as well as guitar, bass, drums and various keyboards, released the album My Neon at the start of 2023. Now 4000 Records have released Neon Remixed, in which 6 Meanjin artists reinterpret tracks from Ghostwoods’ debut album. There’s epic drone/noise from Timothy Fairless and YEARNS, sensitive deconstruction from gartr0n and Deceased Estates, lovely Yann Tiersenish muted piano & electronics from Noir et Blanc, and then there’s Shugorei, lulling us into a false sense of security with slow-fade drones over the first minute, before crashing into chopped drum breaks scattered over pulsing, flanging excerpts from the original track and added vibraphone, essentially rising and falling, out of phase, up and down the pentatonic scale. It’s strange & exhilarating.
Roel Funcken – Gob [EC Underground/Bandcamp]
With his brother Don, Roel Funcken held the flag for IDM for many years as Funckarma, but many years ago now, Don decided to retire from making music. Roel has continued in very much their style, with tricky rhythms and high-tech production, and much of the dubstep influence that they took on from about 2008 onwards along with a strong ambient streak. For the last few years Roel has hosted a subscription service on his Bandcamp, with new music coming almost every week, most of it exclusive, and a couple of years back some of the best was collected by EC Underground on the Data Curation comp. Now there’s a sequel, Data Curation 2, which shows how much strong material there still is. There’s a bunch of jungle-ish tracks with amen breaks chopped & screwed throughout, hence “Gob” tonight.
IFS MA – Hanpuku (Fetus Remix) [guides (outlines)/Bandcamp]
The combination of Polish experimental electronic duo IFS and Japanese experimental rapper MA on the album REIFSMA was a surprising highlight of 2023. MA is an experimental rapper whose delivery conveys a lot even for those of us who don’t speak Japanese – from last year, see his collaboration with DJ DIE SOON, DIEMAJIN. And the footwork tempo of most tracks seemed to suit his flow. Now the same Polish label outlines (as part of their “guides” series) have released a set of remixes (one for each track), predominantly from Polish and Japanese artists stretching the limits of footwork and bass music. Some remixers move the material to a straighter dancefloor approach, but it’s still pleasingly disorienting. I wanted to fit something into the UFog Best of 2024 mix, but ran out of time, so here’s a brilliant piece of skittery footwork-junglish beats from Japanese bass music producer Fetus.
Laxenanchaos – I wanna walk with You and Music [ anybody universe ]
Staying in Japan, Laxenanchaos has been at the forefront of Japanese IDM/breakcore/drill’n’bass since he introduced himself in 2015 with I’m Laxenanchaos. That album was released on Christmas Day, 2015, and via his anybody universe label he has a tradition of releasing something on December 25th each year. The title track of 2024’s I wanna walk with You and Music is a delightful piece of melodic IDM/drum’n’bass.
Tim Reaper – Monsoon Season [STEREO 45]
Again catching up with the end of 2024, here’s the Portal Tech EP released by Newcastle-upon-Tyne label STEREO 45 – four tracks from the forefront of modern jungle, also featuring Dwarde, DJ Sofa, and Nectax with Sketchy Rida. But the massively influential and widely loved Tim Reaper opens the EP with a massive CHOON with interlocking synth-marimba parts holding down the intro before introducing an incredibly catchy vocal sample along with the drop – oh except then there’s the REAL drop, yiiiiiikes. Jungle never died, but jungle has never been more alive than right now.
s8jfou – Keep Coming Back [s8jfou Bandcamp]
I discovered French IDM producer s8jfou a few years ago and then immediately lost track (sorry!), but the preview tracks from his new album Dognip have been very my thing. His name’s a pun – 8 in French is “huit”, so the name sounds like “suis-je fou?”, meaning “am I crazy?” Probably not, as I’m guessing you need some presence of mind to craft these kinds of beats (also, “crazy” is one of those mental health-related terms that we try not to use these days, but we’ll let that pass). The first track was nicely glitchy drill’n’bass, but this one is at a slower tempo, dubby glitch-hop with little double-time details throughout. Top stuff.
Forest Casual – Crockerne Pill [Scorpio Red/Bandcamp]
The allusively-titled Drum, Botany & The Brash comes from the new project Forest Casual, made up of experimental musician Thomas Morley and Harry Murdoch aka hmurd, one third of the great Cherche Encore label. The label copy suggests it’s aggressively anti-dancefloor music, but I’d stick some of this in the middle of a DJ set, just try me. It’s definitely got a kind of biopunk, electro-organic ting going, although not really folktronica, and not quite the same as, for instance, gi‘s approach. Anyway, biggup the funglist massive, setup the soundsystem for a forest rave.
a new line (related) – it’s 5 o’clock somewhere in my heart (there’s a star that shines for you) [sound in silence/Bandcamp]
Andrew Johnson has been dear to my heart for many years, as a member of Hood in their middle period, and as half of the duo The Remote Viewer with Craig Tattersall (also ex-Hood), which extended out of their drunken indietronic incarnation as The Famous Boyfriend. Their debut album from 1999 (available digitally here) is an underrated gem of minimalist electronica. Craig is very busy with many aliases and projects as you can see from his Discogs page, but Andrew meanwhile pushes out mournful minimal techno every so often as a new line (related). It’s intentionally primitive stuff, but Johnson ekes out emotiveness from the artfully employed basics, as ever. Here’s his latest, with a typically dour Remote Viewer-styled title: a quarterly update on the sadness.
Tim Hecker – Morning (Piano Version) [kranky/Bandcamp]
News of a new Tim Hecker always brings anticipation, and even though this one collects Shards of music originally made for film & TV projects, it’s got all the hallmarks of Tim Hecker’s musical talent. There are two preview tracks so far, and “Morning (Piano Version)” just marched right up to my face and said “PLAY ME ON SUNDAY!” so of course I did, and you will thank me for it. I’m not aware of a non-piano version of “Morning”, but that’s just fine. The piano is lovely, the other sounds and disturbances perturb it just so. Vintage Tim Hecker, what’s not to like.
Fadi Tabbal – You were right [forthcoming on Ruptured Records]
This track was adapted into a stunning song with Mayssa Jallad called “Ad-Douar” that I played a few times last year. Jallad’s lyric is movingly based on the real-life experiences in 1948 of Hamda Jum’a, a blind Palestinian woman who, like so many, was forced to flee from her village to a refugee camp in Lebanon. But the original piece is captivating in itself, with clattering metal, plucked strings and field recordings, all drawn out into an evocation of a mysterious space. I recognize you from my sketches, an instrumental album about mental health, was released digitally last year on Tabbal’s Bandcamp, but is now seeing a proper release on Ruptured, the label he co-runs from Beirut with the now-Montréal-based Ziad Nawfal, with a vinyl edition up for pre-order soon. Highly recommended!
Phillip Golub – Loop 7 (excerpt) [greyfade/Bandcamp]
Finally, here’s an excerpt from a new work by New York pianist & composer Phillip Golub, extending his interesting “loops”, repetitive pieces for piano which don’t engage technology but rather ask the listener to hear the inconsistencies that come from a performer’s interpretation. On Filters you can hear how these pieces are informed by Eric Satie’s Vexations as much as John Cage’s musical theory, and Philip Sherburne is right (in his review-comment) that Federico Mompou’s Música Callada feels present in the work too. Well, Loop 7, released soon by Joseph Branciforte’s greyfade label, is an extended take on this in the sense that it’s 28 minutes long, but also in that it explodes this idea into a group format, the piano augmented with subtle electric guitar, vibraphone, and electronics. But it’s also… extended inwards, so to speak – and this is where it gains both its uneasiness and its otherworldly beauty, because the “piano” here is a pair of Yamaha Disklaviers – physical pianos that can be electronically controlled – that are tuned in a 22-note per octave system. This lends the cycling chords a deeply weird out-of-tuneness, and allows the harmonies to shift downwards in ways that our ears – attuned to Western equal temperament – can perceive but can’t quite pin down. Helpfully there’s a gorgeously shimmery octave-like gesture at the beginning of the loop, allowing us to feel like we’ve arrived back home each time the harmonies descent far enough to shift back in place (it’s constructed a bit like a Shepard Tone so that the lower notes slowly disappear and higher notes are added back, giving the listener the impression that it’s in a never-ending descent while strangely remaining static). The ideas behind this might be fascinating, but the music works because Golub’s sense of how to harmonise in this tuning scheme is so sensitive, and the additional instruments add an almost imperceptible timbral tingle to the sound. It’s a real trip.