The best new singles this week
The singles club that always gives 100% satisfaction
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
DJ Nobu – Hiiro (Kvalia Records)
Without chasing down hype or making creative compromise, DJ Nobu continues to stand proud as one of the most important figures in global techno. His sound remains committed to experimentation and rigour, exploring sound palettes more readily associated with industrial music and applying them to refined, hypnotic frameworks which stand in stark contrast to the usual trend for overdriven noise strapped to a 4/4 kick. On his Non Series release last year, Nobu was folding seemingly endless threads of tone and texture together with the finest of stitching – microscopic slithers of drum binding the foreground patterns of synth and noise.
Now Nobu arrives on emergent Stockholm label Kvalia, offering up another idiosyncratic techno trip. It’s the balancing of conformity and irregularity that makes Nobu such a compelling artist, and that comes through in abundance on this record. ‘Maria Feliz’ centres on a veritable whirlpool of polyrhythmic loops, which makes it quite tricky to discern the one – DJs beware. At different times different parts of this contraption edge to the front of the mix, shifting the emphasis of the track in subtle ways, but really it’s a piece to pull you under as it cycles through. It’s telling that one of the strongest sonic motifs is a heavily filtered, grungy riff boiled down to a murmur, which nags away over the top of the track.
‘Tobara’ leads in far more conventional, with a bloated kick drum as an anchor and some warm, analogue synth gurgles for decoration. It’s a chance for Nobu to demonstrate a more traditional techno approach, with pronounced leads and something closer to a track structure. Cast in noirish shades, it’s not exactly a crowdpleaser, but rather sources its strangeness from compositional choices rather than sound design and sequencing. It gives plenty for Dutch duo Artefakt to get busy with on a remix, and they steer Nobu’s simple ingredients towards a broader strain of modern deep techno for those who like their big room experiences more introspective than explosive. It’s charged with energy, but positively hypnotic with it, casting a different light on the EP as a good remix should do.
OW
Two beautiful new cuts in on this 7” by Fontan, limited to just 300 copies. This normally cosmo-electronic prog outfit from Sweden have lent their talents to Hoga Nord several times before, but this is their first foray into chug and jungle – two styles with which the band have no qualms over fusing quickly and courageously. What’s more, we suspect this single – paired with another 7”, ‘Svett / Bekci’ – intentionally teases a new LP, as it follows the same release pattern as the run-up to 2017’s ‘Fontan’.
According to the band, ‘Iriz’ is “dedicated to nomads, space travelers, cosmic kings and queens, (and) free spirits” who make their way on “tram wagons, walls and in our minds before moving on into the unknown.” The sonic expression of this appears as chiming, synthetic and ever-resonating tinkles and rides, set to an atmospheric bed of dub, which scoops out the entire lower register like great, dirty hits of emotion. Arps twinkle in the foreground, and great guitarry air raid sirens follow. The jungle middle 8, of course, functions as the ensuing blitz, strangling the formerly lower-mid dreamscape into something much freakier and naughtier.
The B-side, ‘Mast’, is dubbier and nearly trappy, but 808s are replaced by what might be described as a thoroughly satisfying ‘flick’ or ‘pop’, in key with the surrounding atmosphere. All breaks down towards its midway point, where effed-up gamelans and hangrums seem to slosh about in an entropically reversed pool of water, signaling the piece’s final wisp out into nothingness.
If everyone on Earth is, in the abstract sense, a cosmic traveller, then Fontan clearly have direct access to our best mode of transport – that is, the musical equivalent of a gilded flying carpet, which stretches over our ears in one great sweep of awe.
JIJ
Butu Yard & Sativa Club – Good Ova Evil (XCPT Music)
Hailing from the Southern Italian town of Matera, XCPT Music have been fostering a distinct community of local beat-manglers taking inspiration from jungle and electronica and running with it. There have been a few artists from further afield, and bigger names like Ilian Tape regular Andrea, but most of the regulars are emergent producers creating unusual twists on breakbeat-powered club music. As well as releasing solo on their label, XCPT founders Nothus and Delikwe also debuted last year as Sativa Club with a head-turning 12” of diced up devastators, and now they’re back facing off with Butu Yard.
It’s not easy to find much information about Butu Yard online, but the label dub them as a “Jonic coast soundboys collective.” However that manifests in terms of people, their offering ‘Good Ova Evil’ is powerful enough to dismember any fussing about ‘who, what, when, where and how?’ The track is led by the MC who toasts over a deadly dubstep riddim in a rapid-fire Jamaican flow that steps up to the best of them. The production is sparse and patient, tapping into the spirit of meditation preached by DMZ et al, and it’s all the better to carry the acerbic bars from our man on the mic. For a supposed first appearance it’s blindingly good, pumped up and ready for a proper soundsystem to lay waste to (no doubt via a generous serving of pull-ups).
Nothus and Delikwe then get busy on the remix as Sativa Club, offering up a stunning continuation of the dread pressure on the original version by folding snatches of jungle into the mix while holding down plenty of murky restraint. The remix is so consistent with the vibe of the original you’d be forgiven for thinking they were behind that too, and it’s certainly not outside the realm of possibility. But this Sativa Club version also knows when to leap into action, bursting out in flurries of sharply edited drum funk at opportune moments to add a new level of narrative to the track. It’s a lot of heavyweight firepower to pack onto a 7” – the perfect weapon to slay the soundclash with.
OW
Delano Smith / Patrice Scott / Deepset ‘Hed Kandi Volume 1’ (Upstairs Asylum)
The latest instalment from Norm Talley’s impeccable Upstairs Asylum imprint features refined sounds from a trio of profoundly inspired deep house acts. The EP may share a title with the glossy UK handbag house brand, but – unsurprisingly given the players involved – the similarities start and end there. Despite only launching at the tail end of 2020, Upstairs Asylum is already 10 releases deep, and Talley’s decades-long affinity with his hometown Detroit underground has ensured that each title has been full to the brim with tantalisingly cerebral grooves. The bulk of the work has arrived from Talley himself, alongside singles and V/A comps featuring the likes of Omar S, Moodymann, D’Julz, Kyle Hall, Rick Wade, Eddie Fowlkes and Tyree Cooper. ‘Hed Kandi Volume 1’ sees Delano Smith return to the label along with Patrice Scott and Deepset, with each carefully curated track combining to create a wondrously coherent and eminently collectable slab of wax. Motor City figurehead Smith opens proceedings with two versions of ‘The Lost Synth’.
Part 1 unfolds as a loop-driven late-night workout, with precise drums locking in the groove as atmospheric pads hypnotising as they swell and subside. Part 2 retains the essence of its predecessor, adding delicate midrange layers that arrive like a subterranean mist as they hover over the stripped rhythm track. Next up, Sistrum frontman and unparalleled organic mechanic Patrice Scott shows up with a characteristically deft deep house roller. The decidedly optimistic harmonics of ‘Better Days’ bump along blissfully as full-bodied bass, crisp machine drums and loose percussion propel the entirely immersive groove. Finally, the relatively new Deepset outfit – formed of Brian Neal and Avalon Kalin – finish things off in style with the wildly atmospheric ‘Soltek’. Here, the unrelenting call of the lead synth hook is joined by an infectious response motif, as shuffling hats and driving toms power the cut into hyper-infectious dancefloor delirium.
PC
Furor Exotica ‘Macchina Bum Bum’ (Boots & Legs)
Melbourne-based proponents of freaky disco Boots & Legs are back in action with a tightly wound four-track EP from Argentine duo, Furor Exotica. Having made their debut in 2015 via Tom Tom Disco, the pairing of producer Ric Piccolo and Vocalist Vicky O have released a sprinkling of glittering, floor-focused sounds on Bordello A Parigi and Sprechen – as well as making an appearance on Feel The Drive’s 2020 ensemble compilation EP.
The wonderfully titled ‘Macchina Bum Bum’ sees them joined by remixers Donald’s House and Kayroy & Greetings for a delightful romp into the retro/futurist world of Euro disco-inspired dance abandon. Maniacally flitting around between the neon-lit realms of new beat, Italo and house, the energetic EP kicks off with the fist-pumping throb of the title track. Here, vogueish vocal chops stutter over glassy synths, snappy drums and pulsing synth bass as the sultry lead vocal adds more than a little sex to the already steamy groove. Next up, the midtempo palpitations of ‘Fractal’ bump along through jagged bass arpeggios, celestial synth leads and vampish vocals. On the reverse, Australian bros Peter and James Isaacs adopt their familiar Donald’s House moniker for a rousing ‘Maccina Bum Bum’ revision. The talented siblings have previously caused club havoc with 2018 anthem ‘Dan’s Dancing’, and more recently delivered a no-less effective EP on Permanent Vacation. True to form, their effort here shimmers with floor-focused swagger as glistening synths and dramatic drum fills add bite to the already lively original. Finally, following a successful joint outing on Hell Yeah! Recordings last year, high-flying Australian producer Kayroy once again teams with Greetings to revisit ‘Fractal’. Supplying the most introspective moment of the release, the duo morph the track into a mesmerising backroom jam, unfolding gradually over a stripped panorama to allow the dazzling lead melody maximum impact when eventually unleashed.
PC
Mystic Jungle ‘Deviant Disco’ (Periodica)
We’ve had to wait just a little longer than we’d have liked to hear new music from Dario di Pace’s always scintillating Mystic Jungle project, but the arrival of ‘Deviant Disco’ has more than made up for the impatient wait between releases. Following on from 2019’s marvellous ‘Jarakan’ EP, the Napoli-based future-funk maestro swoops in with some of his most sumptuous work to date. Calling in the full complement of West Hill Studio wingmen to help embellish the fusionist collection, di Pace serves five tracks of forward-facing boogie that echo with pop-centric shades of cosmic-funk expression. Opener ‘Don’t Stop Your Love’ is a triumphantly positive journey into sing-along disco luminosity, with irresistible instrumentation and heartfelt vocals combining blissfully over the compelling arrangement.
Next, the rolling bass and stirring guitar strums of ‘Get Down On It’ join space-age synths and sensual vocal licks for a propulsive nocturnal dance voyage. The prog-fuelled ‘Hold On To Your Dreams’ marks perhaps the most personal moment of the record, with sultry vocals shimmering through waves of psychedelic solos and tripped out refrains. Next, the freaky jazz-funk of ‘Money Wonder’ fuses AOR intention with tropical heat as the knowing vocal rides over thick bass, funk guitar and echoing timpani fills. Finally, the post-punk flex of ‘Keep Alive This Fire’ soars above arpeggio bass, saucer-eyed synths and freewheeling guitars as the idiosyncratic vocal provides an indelible gravity to the track. Retrospective but futuristic, accessible but aberrant, this is spectacular work from the Mystic Jungle massive.
PC
Anushka – Bad Weather (Tru Thoughts)
Tru Thoughts present an inspired single release of Anushka’s ‘Bad Weather’, serving the original track alongside a pair of remixes from Brit-funk-inspired double act, STR4TA. Previously released on the sprawling ‘Tru Thoughts 2021’ compilation, the original version of ‘Bad Weather’ sees Brighton-based duo Max Wheeler and Victoria Port deliver an organically-charmed hybrid jam, with Port’s honeyed vocal simmering over jazz-flecked keys and hard-hitting broken drums. It’s the immaculately-formed pairing of Gilles Peterson and Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick who effectively steal the show here, though, enhancing the stripped topography of the original with magnificently constructed jazz-funk instrumentation to catapult the track deep into anthem territory.
Celebrated broadcaster and Brownswood label head Peterson has proven time and again that his ear for a compelling groove is beyond reproach, and his recent joining of forces with composer, producer and Incognito guitarist, Bluey, was always destined to yield magnetic musical results. Their vocal version of ‘Bad Weather’ eloquently extends the original, skilfully adding focus to the lead vocal while simultaneously caressing it in endless skies of lavish orchestration. Funk guitars swirl over richly immersive bass, jazz-infused chord progressions glide through dynamic rhythms, and deviant synths burst across the optimistic horizon. Despite the irrepressible power of the vocal, the instrumental version manages to be equally affecting, such are the potent energy and emotion of the gorgeously crafted musicianship.
PC
Diogo Strausz ‘Emancipacao Extended’ (Razor-N-Tape)
Brooklyn-based Razor-N-Tape set sail into virgin compositional territory once again, this time welcoming Diogo Strausz alongside spiritually-infused deep house master, Ron Trent. Though the label garnered its distinguished reputation as a platform for high quality, edit-driven cuts, the recent addition of their Reserve offshoot has seen them divert into uncharted realms, presenting entirely original material from a selection of inspired production minds. The latest expedition sees Rio-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Diogo Strausz revisit last year’s exceptional 7” release for RNT with extended versions of the featured tracks, but not before Chicago house pioneer swoops in with a breathtaking revision of the title track.
Trent utilises key elements from the delightfully distinctive original instrumentation, weaving the memorable refrains over a typically driving percussive house groove for an epic voyage into dancefloor abandon. On the flip, Strausz’s extended version of ‘Emancipacao’ stretches out the infectious, bass-heavy groove through passages of dextrous keyboard solos, before he turns his hand to expanding the immaculate fusion of ’50 Anos Em 5′. Here, snarling acid powers under Latin jazz-flecked keys and rolling percussion through an undulating arrangement that mesmerises as it purposefully ebbs and flows.
PC
This wonderful three-track EP of feel-good bootlegs might best be describable as ‘acid soul’, and comes courtesy of Aussie wizard Nathan Nisbet, known better by his alter ego, Captn K. We didn’t know isolated Marvin Gaye acapellas would work with modular, melodic acid arps and electro beats, but that’s exactly the kind of charm a good remix should have. By our reckoning, good remixes should take the listener by surprise, piquing our interest not due to obvious merits, but as a result of its unlikelier ones.
We’ve got our fingers tightly crossed, hoping Marvin Gaye’s estate don’t catch wind of Mr. K’s samplage here (of course, we know how awfully the copyright lawsuit over ‘Blurred Lines’ turned out for Robin Thicke, and he didn’t even directly sample ‘Got To Give It Up’!). The EP centres on the A-side, where deep detuned soul chords and snapping electro fills blend effortlessly with Gaye’s original vocal. It seems to cast the original recording in an almost unusually ideal light, with the sheer humanity of Gaye’s runs framed in stark contrast to a pure, unsympathetic machine music from the Afrofuture.
The B-side contains two longer tracks. The eight-minute ‘It Will Take An Eternity To Break Us’ recalls Liem’s modern lo-fi classic ‘If Only’, but instead of Fusion Groove Orchestra being the sample source of soulful choice, this one pinches snippets of Whitney Houston’s ‘My Love Is Your Love’ and The Temptations’ ‘I Wish It Would Rain’. It’s a forward-propulsion of dubious downtroddenness, with vestiges of chord progressions and piano plinks peaking out from its deep house fog. ‘I Need Some Loving’ breaks from the former track’s Moodymann-ish slow burn, reminding of Thomas Bangalter’s French house classic ‘So Much Love’, as a repeated snippet lifted from Liberty City’s ‘Some Lovin’ riffs on in Cezanne-esque detail.
There are only 300 copies out there – don’t miss this cheeky act of musical pillaging before the IP police come knocking at its door!
JIJ
This week’s reviewers: Jude Iago James., Oli Warwick, Patrizio Cavaliere.