The best new singles this week
The top layer of this week’s singles cake
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Claude Young ‘The Knife’ (NDATL Muzik)
Claude Young’s magnificent release schedule has slowed somewhat in recent years – with recent appearances often limited to lighting up shared space on various artist amalgams. News of his latest release on Kai Alce’s real-house haven NDTAL is likely to have lovers of deepness purring with delight, with ‘The Knife’ EP containing four original tracks of sure-fire dopeness from the cultured Detroit master. The result of Young’s first studio excursion in six years, the new record vividly demonstrates that he hasn’t lost even an ounce of his floor-focused audio precision. Finding a regular home on seminal purveyors of the bump, DJAX, Young’s undeniable dancefloor swagger saw him release a stream of hard-hitting club jams throughout the ’90s and ’00s. From organ-strewn deep house shufflers to driving, acidic techno escapism, his staggering output brims with highlights, and skirting back through the archives is a pure delight. There are the stirring rhythms of ‘Dear 1’ and ‘Dear 2’ from 2003’s ‘Pattern Buffer EP’, the heads-down vocal chops of 1993 classic ‘You Give Me’, and the hyper-atmospheric soundscapes of 2005’s ‘Electronic Dissident’ to name just a few from an extended list of jewels. Kai Alce certainly knows plenty when it comes to label curation, so it’s fitting that his NDTAL should offer a home for Young’s production return.
The EP opens with its title track, and its stripped deep house shuffle bursts with bygone delight – jerking chord stabs fizz over an infectiously swung rhythm, while sub-heavy bass propels the groove late into the night. Next, the simmering haze of ‘No Regrets’ rolls seductively as it bubbles and broods through phasing pads, bouncing square waves bass before distant vocals dance through the intoxicating fog. On the reverse, ‘Santa Barbara’ harks back to simpler times, with a discreet NYC house feel emanating from the gorgeously funk-tilted rhythms. Bumping along gloriously over waves of pads, delicate textures and expressive bass, the music explodes into life with the arrival of an achingly funky top-line. Finally, the introspective canter of ‘The Promenade’ ensures the EP resolves without any room for fillers, with compelling percussion, emotive pads and whispered vocals seeing the collection all the way through to sunrise.
PC
Dr. Peacock / Sefa – Frenchcore Worldwide 08 (Frenchcore Worldwide)
Imagine trance, donk, speedcore and hardstyle, all bundled together and thrown in a woodchipper. Frenchcore, a lesser-trodden style of hardcore techno, is the sticky mulch that seeps out from the other end.
Prolific in his output, Dr. Peacock is arguably the ambassador for frenchcore. Depicted as earnest and serious about his craft – posing back-to-back with fellow artist Sefa on the front cover of this EP – he is evidently singular in his vision, releasing frenchcore classic after frenchcore classic on his labels Frenchcore Worldwide and Peacock Recordings since 2011.
Whether you’d like to burrow into the terrifyingly deep frenchcore rabbit hole is up to you. But as an introduction, we suggest you listen to this eighth edition of the ‘Frenchcore Worldwide’ series. Unlike the named EPs on the label, this series shows off Peacock’s collaborative chops while working with fellow artists.
From the off, ‘Adagio’, we’re hurled into a ridiculously overblown frenchcore remix of Samuel Barber’s 1936 classical piece ‘Adagio For Strings’. Besides this track’s glitching hardstyle production – and a bad-trip, neural nightmare of a music video – this one by far blows Tiesto’s 2005 hard trance remix out of the park. The B2, ‘Everything Is A Lie’, is equally euphoric, toeing the territory of nihilist nightcore, with chipmunk anime vocals cutting across the mix, and an urgent pre-drop shout reminding us of the track’s titular, existential theme.
‘Incoming’ is the star of the show, showing off Peacock’s propensity to up the tempo with every new track that plays back. From here, this EP grows oddly folky, with the breakdown on ‘Incoming’ sounding like a football chant, and the closer ‘Illusions’ prefacing its ultimate glitchcore drop with some kind of Italian organetto dirge. A wonderfully weird and uplifting EP, we’re sure Dr. Peacock will take due credit for giving frenchcore the recognition it deserves.
JIJ
Surprise Chef ‘Masters At Work & Harvey Sutherland remixes’ (Mr Bongo)
It’s hard to know exactly what exists in the Melbourne water supply that endows the city’s musical community with the formidable chops with which many of them appear to be so amply blessed. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll call it meta-disco juju, and for whatever reason, Melbourne is brimming with the stuff. One of the latest in a very long and glittering line of acts to surface from the city’s sonic furnace in recent years is the cinematic jazz-funk fusionist four-piece, Surprise Chef. Having released a pair of exceptional albums via their very own College of Knowledge label – named after their home/studio – iconic UK label Mr Bongo saw fit to license a duo of their tracks for some remix treatment. And it’s not just any old remixes we’re talking about here. First up, house pioneers Masters At Work fly in with a pair of nicely varied interpretations of ‘Crayfish Cayper’, borrowed from Surprise Chef’s first album ‘All News Is Good News.’ Here, exhibiting all of their sublime Latin funk, Louie Vega and Kenny Dope adopt their roundly adored Nuyorican Soul moniker to kick things off with their ‘Broken Remix’.
Flowing rhythms, pulsing guitars and dramatic horns blend majestically over this blissful arrangement, with the trademark Nuyorican flair adding an indefinable quality to the already wondrous music. Next, as MAW, they go straight for the dance jugular with a mighty house revision. Retaining just enough of the original instrumentation while carving out room for Kenny Dope’s driving drum track, this version’s trajectory is aimed squarely at the main room. If that wasn’t enough, fellow Melbourne resident Harvey Sutherland appears with an intoxicating rework of ‘New Ferrari, from the band’s second album ‘Daylight Savings’. In a match seemingly made in disco heaven, Sutherland displays his supreme musical intellect with his cosmically-centred synth powerhouse. Sonic alchemy is created as aquatic chords, weighted bass and crisp drums provide the bed for an exalted top-line to rise majestically, very nearly stealing the show as it soars high into the stratosphere.
PC
Seofon / Atoi Seattle / Antihouse – The Future Was Visible (RAND Muzik)
Many of today’s producers are either clueless or fearful of West Coast breaks. All throughout the ‘90s, this genre took major cities like Florida and San Francisco by storm, giving rise to many psychedelic figurehead producers, such as Rabbit In The Moon, Dubtribe Sound System and Alienage.
As far as we’re concerned, Germany’s R.A.N.D. Music cannot be included in that fearful bracket. Since 2018, they’ve fulfilled every hallmark characteristic of a churner-outer label, functioning as a modern, European equivalent to older West Coast labels like ZoeMagik or Hardkiss. Starting big and continuing big, R.A.N.D.’s repertoire began with releasees like Kassem Mosse and Tim Schlockermann, and their curiosity for swirling acid and bouncing, flukey psychedelia has not since stopped.
This 4-tracker charts only the best of what a revivalist label has to offer, spanning a mixture of both modern and weathered artists not from Europe’s diaspora. Petaluma mainstay Jeff Kihn takes centre stage, debuting a new piece under his longstanding Seofon alias on the A1, before returning to his collaborative project with Richard Sun – the Ambient Temple Of Imagination – on the A2. It’s been four years since the project was last revived. The first track ‘Ylem’ is just the kind of electro opener we’d expect, stirring aquatic synths and mystery tremolos together to create an underwater grotto of sound. Meanwhile, ‘Integratron’ hears said grotto expand outwards into a deeper atoll, with scratchy breaks canopying a repeated mer-siren refrain.
On the B, Seofon returns for ‘Protamx’, demonstrating a masterful diffusion of arp-trance and breaks, which drone onwards, as though we’re witnessing the opening of some dreaded, trippy aperture. On the B2 comes a rare appearance from Jimmy Tamborello aka. Dntel, whose track ‘16 (Easy-To-SwallowGelcap)’ appears under his mega-rare Antihouse alias, stripping the mood back to barer Balearic bones.
JIJ
Azzurro 80 ‘Agip’ (Four Flies)
Roman producer Gaetano ‘Gaeimago’ Ciciriello pops on his fetching (blue) Azzurro 80 cap to present his latest creation, the three-track special ‘Agip’ EP. Having released a pair of albums via cassette tape in the last few years, he now makes his vinyl debut on fellow Rome-based cinematic specialist label Four Flies, with what can only be described as a rather striking set of tunes. Inspired by the Italian library music scene of the ’80s, Ciciriello dives deep into nostalgic territory to conjure bygone silver screen aesthetics, cleverly manifesting fully authentic soundscapes with the help of full-bodied synths and grainy production techniques. Named after Italy’s first (and now defunct) national oil company, title-track ‘Agip’ showcases a fantastic lead synth shining brightly over tight machine drums, held-down bass, and rhythmic counterpoints.
Arriving like the theme from an ’80s cop show, the subtly melancholic melody is instantly memorable – which is a good thing, since the track fades into the sunset before reaching the three-minute mark. The soundtrack theme continues into the powerfully affecting ‘Astrotensione’ with dramatic melodies interplaying over an eerie, nocturnal landscape. Finally, glassy synth harmonics elegantly lap at celestial shores on the equally anthemic ‘Telefono Giallo’, completing a coherent collection of concept rich tracks that sound as though they were plucked from the esoteric reels of cult classic Italo celluloid.
PC
RDL Shellah – Showcase EP (Duppy Gun / Bokeh Versions)
If there was to be one release which could tip Duppy Gun into the wider consciousness, it might just be this one. Duppy Gun is a leftfield dancehall experiment that turned into a fully-fledged micro-scene centered in Spanish Town, Jamaica. Its roots lie in a chance meeting when West Coast experimentalists Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras were collaborating with The Congos for an intergenerational release on Rvng Intl. The Californian mavericks had riddims to spare after the album project was locked, and they captured the yard culture by recording MCs jumping on in the heat of the moment, sparking a loose and off-kilter pairing of experimental producers with JA MCs and vocalists. At some point I Jahbar became the key facet in the Jamaican side of the crossover, with the gravelly-voiced MC toasting on some of the fiercest cuts to drop from the Duppy Gun canon.
Over time Bristol label Bokeh Versions got involved, helping crowdfund a studio build in Spanish Town and in turn aiding the pronounced uptick in releases from the Duppy Gun stable, with I Jah drawing talented MCs into the mix from Jamaica. The latest result from this proudly DIY venture is the meeting of RDL Shellah with Canada’s Seekersinternational, one of the most inventive crews orbiting modern, experimental dub. Given the wild style of their instrumental productions, Showcase EP is a chance to get a different side to this shadowy crew, as they rein their surreal instincts in to nail down some chart-ready, pop-oriented structures without losing their necessary verve.
Of course, it’s all about the voice though, and RDL Shellah brings an insanely infectious swerve to these tracks, they deserve to be massive. Take the sing-along hook of ‘Party Nice’, which makes you want to sing it out the car window cruising town as Friday evening just starts getting heated. ‘Rich Mi Road’ sees Seekers flexing a little more of their wayward nature on the riddim, and RDL naturally glides into this oddly shaped beatdown where dancehall and grime collide, and he stays musical and agile as though it were the straightest of beats to ride.
The standout hit though is ‘Bad Wine’, pushed as the lead single and riding a slow, soul-stewed beat which sounds like it’s got 90s RnB in mind as much as anything from Jamaica’s mighty musical legacy. RDL stays on point throughout, offering a melodic flow that by rights should be sickly but instead comes on smooth and sweet. With the pump of the horns behind it, it’s a proudly individual cut with everything required for mass appeal. All that’s needed is for a little of that unpredictable hype to catch on and RDL Shellah could be intoning his good vibes message on drive time radio worldwide.
OW
Desmond Chambers ‘Haly Gully’ (Kalita)
You’ve got to tip your cap to the hard-working diggers at London-based Kalita Records. Each carefully considered release represents an opportunity to own an otherwise barely obtainable – and altogether wonderful – piece of archival music. Their latest resurrection selection arrives from Jamaican-born artist Desmond Chambers, with a set of sought-after tunes that have never previously been afforded the re-issue treatment. Lifted from Chambers’ impossibly rare 1987 album ‘Tiger Bom’, the politically themed ‘Haly Gully (Version) is a mesmerising dub boogie exploration, with hypnotic vocals riding over snarling bass, rousing horns and deft percussion.
The exquisite track also appears in the form of a previously unreleased mix, while sonic explorer Toby Tobias supplies a wonderfully adventurous extended version – crafted from the original master tapes – with no shortage of imaginative late-night overdubs and wigged-out flourishes. Any self-respecting collector would likely be sold on the above, but Kalita further sweeten the deal with the inclusion of ‘The Morning Show’, lifted from the B-side of ‘I Have Seen Love In Your Eyes’. Featured in the original and never before released instrumental version, the latter is arguably the more desirable of the pair, with the stirring instrumentation proving abundantly engaging minus the original song’s cautionary yet whimsical vocals.
PC
Surface – The Water Copy EP (Dope Plates)
Soul Intent has been running Dope Plates as a sublabel of Lossless Music since 2016, focusing on a more 90s-flavoured strain of junglism in contrast to the steely modernism of the bigger imprint. It’s played host to a number of deep cover break slicers n’ dicers in that time, including the likes of Sicknote, Chromatic and Acid_Lab. There’s a certain moody authenticity to the label, not least thanks to the killer label design by Art Jazz from Genaside II, and they’re clearly cultivating a community of artists away from the hype of established names, solely focusing on the quality of the sound.
Next up on Dope Plates is Surface, aka London’s George Coll, making their vinyl debut here following previous spots on Structured and other digital labels. The vibe across The Water Copy EP is dark and restrained, matching minimalism with needlepoint programming and artful atmospherics. It’s cinematic and edgy, which of course there’s plenty of in D&B, but there’s also a crunch to the drums, a tacit understanding of light and shade and a warmth in the low end which makes this record stand out. From ‘Ronin’s sparse tension to the quivering Amen science on the title track, it’s an assured and classy EP. Ackroyd, who seems to be a regular cohort of Surface elsewhere, also fuels this sense of intrigue and accomplishment with a version of ‘The Water Copy’ which leans on a different kind of rolling drum invention.
OW
Chari Chari ‘Tokyo Modernology’ (Seeds & Ground)
Tokyo-based producer Kaoru ‘Chari Chari’ Inoue revisits last year’s ‘We Hear The Last Decades Dreaming’ album with a delightful collection of remixes of some of the LP’s standout tracks. Inoue has been actively producing left-of-centre sounds from far-reaching inspirational sources for more than two decades, with his Seeds & Ground label providing the home for the bulk of his output. The EP opens with Inoue serving up his own re-interpretation of the spellbinding ‘In Exotic Haze’, where jagged broken rhythms cascade through tides of pitched percussion and abstract melodic motifs to create visions of an early morning forest mist.
Next, the Mamazu remix of ‘Fading Away’ is no less mystical, with throbbing bass and sparkling bells building purposefully before exotic wind instruments play out intoxicating eastern melodies. Inoue then turns to subterranean Tokyo figurehead Chida to serve a pair of reworks of ‘Tokyo 4:51’. His first iteration is alive with the vivid luminosity of a futurist metropolis, as thick pads surge over fizzing drums and emotionally-rich harmonic waves, while his ‘Rough Cuts’ version sees the space-age orchestration hover over thumping four/four drums. Finally, bonus track ‘Deep Down The Line’ features abstract field recordings presented over a searing bed of noise for a conceptual sonic reprise.
PC
Various Artists – AWK003 (Awkwardly Social)
Berlin’s Awkwardly Social crew have been putting on parties for a little while, shoring up at ://about blank and OHM amongst other respected dancing locales. Their musical remit rests in the liminal space where techno, broken beat, soundsystem subs and dubby space crossover. No, the sound doesn’t have a name, but yes, it is a thing and everyone knows what you’re referring to. The Awks posse have opted for a sense of community around their releases to date, carrying work from friends and neighbours as they establish their identity, and this third releases consolidates their sound with four worthy candidates in the current vanguard of that un-named techno tributary.
J. Wiltshire has a relatively downcast mood on display on ‘Living In The IDE’, dealing in a kind of sparse, fractured and dub-licked acid for frosty walks alongside icy canals. By way of contrast, Bristol luminary Yushh continues her ascendance with the artful judders and shakes of ‘Periwink’. It’s a lean and angular workout running at a sprightly clip, but it’s also nuanced and elegant, playful and vivid, highlighting her growing confidence as a producer with a clear sonic focus. Melbourne’s Pugilist continues a stellar run this year after drops on Foundation Audio, Trule and more with the minimal bass pressure of ‘Emanate’, opting for a simple but impactful approach with naught but the dance in mind. That leaves it to Lårry to round things off following the Nines 12” for Awkwardly Social earlier this year. His stripped-back approach comes on like Pan Sonic, Sleeparchive and Deforrest Brown Jr having a heated discussion about whose round it is, dealing in an inventive palette of percussion which steps away from the usual drum machine hits and ends up somewhere very interesting indeed.
Across the four tracks there’s plenty of flexibility, but you can sense the shared modernist slant in these emergent artists, giving you a clear indication of where Awkwardly Social is oriented in the muddy waters of thoroughly modern club music.
OW
This week’s reviewers: Jude Iago James, Patrizio Cavaliere, Oli Warwick