The best new singles this week
All the best singles, all in one place

SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Ploy’s latest EP, ‘Rayhana’, comes at arguably one of the most prescient times in the leftfield post-bass artist’s career. Several years into his label night Deaf Test (affectionately named after the artist’s own loss of hearing in his left ear), and its recent residency at London’s MOT Unit 18, this simple yet hard-hitting EP feels like the sonic expression of everything falling into place for the artist.
For a producer/DJ who seems to dot about the country playing set after set, it also makes sense for Ploy’s musical palette to move just as quickly. In its own words, ‘Rayhana’ departs from the headsy, industrial clamour of his debut LP ‘Unlit Signals’, and instead opts for a relatively new sound drawing on Baile funk, dancehall and broken beat.
The lead track, ‘Rayhana’, seems to have an offset rhythm, with its stretched-out vocal samples and pressurised bursts of white noise seeming to carefully weave around the beat, causing a sense of rhythmic off-kilterness rather than dead-on unison. But, as Ploy said in a recent interview with us: “it’s not actually the beat that’s off grid, that’s all tight… It’s everything else around it that’s a bit swung; the synth whomps, the vocal sample, the big reverb crashes, the sub stabs, percussion hits.”
This sense of illusion continues to permeate the EP, but unlike the first track, it isn’t always rhythmic. In the case of ‘Dark Lavis’, it’s simple vibe: snake-charmer synth riffs dot about as quick-delayed kicks undulate beneath the mix in this hoodie-slanging slow builder, as we’re reminded of Sepehr’s recent work. ‘5G Bats’, meanwhile, lowers the pace to a more basic dancehall rhythm, with its subtextural basslines and rattlesnake shivers conveying a teeth-gnashing anxiety. To the sound of dub sirens and lost, glitching vox samples, we’re left tongue-tied and drooling at the “rayhana” (meaning “fragrance” or “good scent”) of Ploy’s latest movements.
JIJ

Sugar Minott ‘I Remember Mama (Feat NAD remix) (Emotional Rescue)
Sugar Minott’s highly-prized 12” release of ‘I Remember Mama’ receives a much-needed re-issue from the venerable curators at Emotional Rescue, coming complete with a rather wonderful remix from none other than Idjut Boys’ Dan Tyler. Born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1956, Minott released a prolific body of work throughout his 30-plus year career – pioneering both the dancehall and lovers rock sounds with releases on the likes of Studio One, Trojan, and his own Black Roots label. He spent much of the ’80s living in London, and it was here – at Steve Parr’s Sound Design Studios – that ‘I Remember Mama’ was recorded. Parr himself played the majority of the instruments on the cut, ably assisted by Andy MacDonald – who provided the memorable tenor sax. The production team crafted a boogie-fuelled bed from where Minott’s heartfelt vocal proudly soars – recounting a deeply personal tale of hardship and maternal gratitude. Sitting somewhere between lovers rock, soul and disco, the vocal version is perfectly charming, but it’s the instrumental ‘Sound Design’ version that has had diggers purring all these years.
Stripping back the vocal lead – only occasionally enlivened by distant backing vocals – the sax adopts the lead role, echoing over thick synth bass, shimmering synths, and crisp machine drums for a balmy Balearic roller. By simply re-issuing this hard to find material, the label could have happily rested on their laurels, content in the knowledge that they’d brought a measure of joy to any number of dusty fingered collectors (who could live without shouldering the expense of shelling out for the original pressing). But that’s not how Emotional Rescue roll. Adding honey to an already alluring package, Dan from the Idjut Boys adopts his NAD moniker to furnish us with an unmissable extended ‘Discomix’. True to cosmic form, he goes heavy on the dub with foggy delays, expertly extending the undulating arrangement before teasing in Minott’s impassioned vocal for the euphoric closing stages
PC

Holy Fuck – Airport Dream (Polytechnic Youth)
It’s high time we said ‘Holy Fuck’ again. The last time the band released anything was in 2020, with the 9-tracker ‘Deleter’ nailing mastermindy, space-heated rock glory, and leaving us wondering what would come next.
‘Airport Dreams’ is the answer; unlike the grandiose scope of that album, this split 7” opts for a cute and danceable pop barrage, represented best by their eschewing of Brian Borcherdt’s vocals for none other than Kero Kero superstar, Sarah Bonito. It’s fitting for the latter band’s move towards grungey indie music in recent years. The charm of this one knows few bounds, as Bonito muses on the uplift of love, with aeronautical lyrical themes resting on a glitzing bed of videogame funk.
Bonito and Holy Fuck confirm that the lyrics relate to the lost joy of travel during lockdown in recent years, and how that squares awkwardly with long-distance love. As Sarah explains, “During lockdown, I was having recurring dreams about being at the airport catching a flight every night. I feel like my mind was trying to break free from the physical constraints by travelling the universe whilst I slept. We are all free in our dreams!”
The single was composed remotely, which, according to the band, meant “building up track and song ideas separately in our own rehearsal spaces” and even recording Mac MacQuaid’s bass parts over a WiFi connection. As much is equally spelt out on the B-side ‘Lost Cool’, which this time draws on guest contributions from synthpop artist Lucia Tacchetti, and is equal parts misty glitcher and funky 909 groover. Tacchetti’s vocals, perhaps ironically, sound somewhat phoned-in and casual, as if to suggest a wanton love for isolated music-making – and that’s not to mention the lo-fi look of its circuit bent music video, blending pastel hues and overlaid chain-link fences into one glitched-out cacophony.
JIJ

Quantic ‘Heaven Or Hell’ (Aus Music)
Musical polyglot Quantic appears to be in stylistically adventurous disposition of late, and the NYC-based maestro’s arrival on Aus Music offers yet more sonic surprises. Composer, producer, and bandleader Will Holland has deservingly attained an untouchable reputation for his far-reaching creative exploits. With a sound more commonly associated with a contemporary fusion of Latin, jazz, soul and funk, the Selva Music man recently turned heads thanks to a dalliance into UKG territory – sampling his own ‘Pushin’ On’ track on the club-focused ‘I Won’t Fade Away’. Seemingly in no mood for the rave to end just yet, Holland makes an impressive debut on Will Saul’s revered house and techno-leaning imprint with the ‘Heaven Or Hell’ EP, delivering sumptuous shades of deep house heat spread over five varied tracks.
The retro feel of the title track kicks things off, with its hooky vocal riding over snappy beats and vintage string stabs for a no-nonsense slice of cheerful house fun. Next, we find the deeper but no less driving ‘Night Jaguars’, steeped in hazy atmospherics with its intricate synth layers woven over energetic drums and sub-heavy bass. Seeing out the A-side, the heads-down throb of ‘OM617’ again brims with atmosphere, with heavenly synth melodies weighted by a thick house bump for a supremely seductive backroom voyage. On the flip, Quantic maintains the hypnotic ambience with ‘Shake Your Demons’, with discreetly melancholic melodies swirling through metallic pads and growling bass as the shuffling beats power the groove before momentarily morphing into lively breaks. Finally, the sublime introspection of ‘Let The Sparks Fly’ caps off an exceptional EP in stunning style, with mutated choral chops playing out a celestial melody, gliding over rolling drums and thick, analogue bass. Quantic’s compositional chops have long been beyond reproach, and his latest outing expertly demonstrates his ever-growing versatility.
PC

Cromby – Loving (Phantasy Sound)
Irish-raised, Berlin-based producer Cromby has been in ascendency for years. Despite staring down the barrel of a 2022 that’s looking typically bleak in terms of the way the word is, he’s clearly feeling pretty positive about things if the vibe permeating from his second outing on Erol Alkan’s ever-reliable Phantasy is much to go by.
Returning to the label after debuting in 2021, ‘Loving’ has been something of a secret weapon in the high-energy DJ’s sets for a few months already, and it’s lost none of the overall impact in that time. Kicking off at a pace that’s certainly edging towards the tougher, or at least faster, end of the imprint’s output, the percussion is sharp and purposeful, readying the scene for a bouncing, stabbed synth hook that brings in a welcome dose of tech-y funk to the decidedly meaty recipe. Cue chopped and cut vocal details and a growling low end, ensuring that if anyone was wondering if this track was made for clubs or headphones they definitely won’t still be asking that question after a minute or two.
Flip it to find a deliciously broken counterpoint coming in the form of a remix by Shed, or at least Shed in his Head High guise. Taking the pace down ever so slightly, and introducing a warbling undercurrent with waves of high hats, organs emerging from below to create a kind of poised cacophony that’s just crying out for something heavy to be dropped on top, or beneath. Finally, ‘Acid Trifle’ completes what can only be described as an unmissable package, paring things down to the essentials with a heavy emphasis on drums, percussive accents, and a wasp-in-jar arpeggiated line that’s almost guaranteed to stay in the mind long after the party finishes.
MH

Hippi & The Graffic’s ‘Special Editions Vol 6’ (Magic Wand)
Magic Wand return with the sixth volume of their ‘Special Editions’ series, this time welcoming the Ibicenco dream pairing of Willie Graff and DJ Pippi to supply the edit-focused curios. Operating under the Is It Balearic? banner, Magic Wand have previously welcomed the likes of Rune Lindbaek, Andi Hanley, Coyote, and Mushrooms Project to their impeccably curated roster. Here, Ibiza-born New Yorker Graff and Italian-in-Ibiza Pippi resume their combined studio adventuring – albeit under an unfamiliar moniker – serving four supremely crafted and well-chosen edits.
Kicking things off, ‘WCH’ sees the duo re-imagine Marianne Faithfull’s 1979 cover of John Lennon’s ‘Working Class Hero’, lacing the brooding track with a seductive rhythm while allowing the proggy instrumentation and sultry vocal ample room to breathe. Next, Jana Koubkova’s delicious ‘Nijana’ is enlivened with a similarly soft-handed approach, with immaculately-placed overdubs delicately nudging the track into tripped-out dancefloor territory. On the reverse, the psychedelic swirls of Achab’s ‘White Summer Lights’ provide the inspiration on the irresistible ‘Noche De Blanco’, lovingly repurposing the original into a sun-kissed Balearic burner. Finally, completing a must-have collection is the out and out floor-filler, ‘Danza Del Sol’, where the propulsive percussion of Curt Cress’ ‘Sundance’ is gifted a throbbing bassline, adding a dose of bottom-heavy vitality to an already sensational track.
PC

Lokier – Back To Life: (Lenske)
Lokier’s fourth physical EP might just be her defining statement. This time debuting for Lenske, the three-tracker sees the Berlin-via-Mexico powerhouse relinquish her formerly drier techno sound for a schranzy, dark trancerave angle. And for an artist who’s suffered for her sound – having been kicked off stage in her home country by a gaggle of clueless guys, who claimed “she didn’t know what she was doing” – ‘Back To Life’ feels like a defiant laser-blast of sound from Lokier’s very own gunstick, taking revenge and Dalek-exterminating said gaggle to smithereens.
This kind of sound always feels maximized – squeezed of every droplet of energetic juice it has to offer – and here Lokier doesn’t fail to live up to any single aspect of the stereotype. The lead track, ‘Back To Life’, has those deep-tailed, womping kicks – the ones many hard techno producers pine after, but can’t achieve – which isn’t to mention its riveting pulsebass line. A breakneck sonic statement of intent, the follower ‘Dimension’ is any hard dance DJ’s go-to rollage track, not best functioning as an opener, but rather one to keep the headbanging going, mid-rave. As pace-upping open hihats release a nosedripping burst of fresh speed, a sidechained trance chord teases its reveal, while a gated synth hook bursts outwards from the gleaming mix.
From its opening, one might think ‘Call Me’ would develop into a straight, serial burst of euphoria like the other two tracks. But on this final track, Lokier instead opts for a more gothic angle, with a bright mix of minor-key acid, leads and chromatic chords making the rave feel doubly horrific. This one’s for the ones who seek after the k-hole, not actively avoid it; if you’re a fan of anything JASSS, Airwave, The Mover or even Blawan have had to offer over the years, this one’s for you.
JIJ

Secret Garden – Tree House (Secret Garden)
Lesser-spotted label and producer (we’re not sure which role takes precedent for them) Secret Garden here delivers the third instalment in their self-titled EP series. This is the kind of deep house that grabs you by the ear and clutches at your focus, revitalising internet-addled attention spans via a rhythmic return to funking nature.
WIth push-pull soul kicks and claps, these two variations on the track-sketch ‘Tree House’ rupture every possible timbre with depth-plunging layers (there are many), drunkenly anonymous soul vocals, and half-step claps and congas. The Booty Tribute Mix hears wallflowery musings on “lord ‘a woman”, as detuned sine chords swirl around its breakdown like a tipsy headspin at 6AM. Sudden chord stabs snap us out of it at the drop, releasing our moody spiral for a spate of spirited minimality.
The B-side, the Dub Mix, is surprisingly more energetic than the A, with the track this time teasing a much cleaner and more prominent funk bassline. It occupies a rushing surround sound space, as essential strings of life eek in from the background haze, and one-off hip hop whispers peek out like ghosts of funk past. Like soul food, soul music (in the wider sense) isn’t all just Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye – house music can nail its vibe too!
PC

DJ Python – Club Sentimientos Vol 02 (Incienso)
New York’s DJ Python returns to Incienso with a typically atmospheric journey into rhythm, serving three dream-inducing cuts on ‘Club Sentimientos Vol 02’. Since first appearing on Lovers Rock and Proibito in around 2016, Brian PiNeyro’s entirely unique fusion of subaquatic, Latin-fused electronica has helped his name echo throughout the esoteric dance underground. Merging synth-heavy deep house textures over dembow, reggaeton, and all manner of internationally-inspired drum patterns, he’s masterfully forged an instantly recognisable sound signature all of his own.
Successful flirtations with Dutch tastemakers Dekmantel notwithstanding, he seems to have found a regular home on Anthony Naples’ Incienso label, and here he follows up 2020’s ‘Mas Amable’ album with an exquisitely immersive three-track EP. Opening proceedings in gloriously succulent style, 10-minute epic ‘Angel’ sees liquid synths pour over delicate rhythms, as pitched percussion etches an irresistibly floating melody over the marine landscape. Transposing the tempo with a jagged reggaeton flex, ‘TMMD (IMMMD)’ is simultaneously weighted and airy, with ethereal synths and distant vocals drifting over the hard-hitting rhythm. Finally, the anodyne refrains of the EP’s title track travel deep into enchanted realms, with deviating melodies hovering over low-slung Latin beats to manifest a profoundly affecting harmonic trip.
PC

Wingz / URPH – Notion / Traverse (Trickdisc)
Strangely fascinating split drum n’ bass record from rising European stars Wingz and Urph, spanning the precisely technical and the murkily textural. The parent label housing this release, Trickdisc, has existed since 1998, and is one of those lower-key outfits that always prioritises musical quality over anything else. Sometimes, as in their case, even basic EP sleeves and designs can signal the presence of top-notch music, contrary to popular opinion!
Wingz’ track shows off his time-honoured, natively Austrian minimal techstep style, with the track staying keen to home in on clippy digi-drums and short reeses. Despite its neuro feel, it also sounds carefully constructed to fit in nicely with the surrounding vinyl crackle – which we must endeavour to point out, since this is indeed a vinyl-only EP.
Belgian newcomer Urph’s track, however, is our main point of intrigue. ‘Traverse’ develops out from a misty ringtone into a full-blown, womping pulser, carefully demonstrating how a conceptual drum n’ bass track might unfurl from the mind of – dare we say – a production god. Reverb and space is effortlessly banded about on this track, as though handled by an all-powerful poltergeist; we can’t tell whether the backing hum is an effect of the ‘verb, or added in by the producer. Don’t miss this charming oddity.
JIJ
This week’s reviewers: Patrizio Cavaliere, Jude Iago James, Martin Hewitt.