The best new singles this week
Our writers’ top recommends from the singles pile
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Mount Liberation Unlimited ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ (Soundway)
Space travelling Swedish mountain-dwellers Mount Liberation Unlimited make a welcome return to release action after a two-year hiatus, arriving on the ever wonderful Soundway with the ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ EP. The slightly reclusive production pairing of Tom and Janzon have previously released nuanced and roundly enjoyable music on labels including Studio Barnhus, Permanent Vacation, and Beats In Space, as well as their recent MLU Private Press “vanity label.” Their gently idiosyncratic sound fluently drifts through genres, and, true to form, their latest work is gorgeously enigmatic when it comes to the brass tacks of pigeon-holing.
Though the generously endowed six-track EP shares its name with Guns N’ Roses stadium-rocking anthem, little if anything can be garnered in the way of comparable music between the two seemingly disparate titles. That being said, the hard rock titular theme continues with EP opener, ‘Heavy Metal Emoji’, though, to reiterate, screaming guitar solos and screeching vocals are in short supply here. Rather, the hyper-atmospheric opener broods along through shades of Italo, Balearic and post-punk as the hypnotic lead vocal simmers over live drums and indie bass strums.
Upping the energy quite considerably, the stirring Afro infusion of ‘Svensson High Life’ proves instantly anthemic and is perhaps the most immediate of the collection, with its dextrous guitar solos, infectious percussion, and, above all, rousing chorus hook unquestionably primed for dancefloor eruption. Closing the A-side, the mesmeric melodies of ‘LUSH (A Trip In Three Parts’) magnificently undulate over energetic toms, loose-limbed percussion and trance-inducing bass. On the reverse, the gorgeous ‘Swedish Eksotika’ meanders through landscapes, invoking, at various intervals industrial cityscapes, misty woodland glades, and moonlit pine mountains.
As if to wake the listener from the lucid dream under which the previous track has just rendered them, ‘Lord Of The Floor’ arrives like a carefully positioned firecracker. Pounding drums, throbbing bass, and all manner of weirdo effects occupy the sonic space as the music powers through ethereal pads and chopped up vocals. Finally, the mysterious Norse lullaby ‘Skogen’ returns us to our slumber, as haunting chants echo over sparse drums and otherworldly effects. Refined, compelling and delightfully original, this is splendid work from the MLU boys.
PC
Mars 89 – Night Call (Sneaker Social Club)
If you view the world according to the sound of Mars 89, the outlook is pretty bleak. Since first cropping up on Bokeh Versions in 2017, the Shibuya-based producer has been building an artistic impression steeped in icy dread, paranoid sample impulses and ominous bass frequencies. At times his approach is avant garde, with obvious rhythmic signifiers removed in favour of atmospheric pressure and artful sound design. For those who like their soundsystem music as moody as possible, Mars 89 is the stuff of anxiety dreams.
What’s most impressive is that he achieves this feeling without any cheap, gimmicky tactics. It’s the particular way he slices and processes a slither of speech to make it sound like a poltergeist causing havoc in the next room, or the way his grime-y string stabs sound tipped towards horror soundtrack purposes. On this new record for Sneaker Social Club, he leans in on these tropes while carrying some more forthright drum pressure. ‘Night Call’ is brutally sparse, with the mix mostly filled up with the knock of an off-beat kick and those doom-laden string chops. It comes on like weightless grime for goths, with an audacious meltdown in the middle in which a strafing siren and eerie pads paint an evocative, perilous city scene.
The beats are more intricate on ‘North Shibuya Local Service’ – all mid-range click and clack patterns and mean-tempered bass which could surely do some damage in the dance. ‘Aeropolis’ is the fiercest of the lot though, riding a 4/4 thump which feels obstinately direct after so much angular experimentation. Still though, pervading eeriness remains the defining factor. Negative space becomes a deadly weapon in Mars 89’s hands, tracking back to the true essence of dub and all soundsystem music which came after it.
OW
Azu Tiwaline & Al Wootton – Alandazu (Livity Sound)
It’s all but pointless pinning Livity Sound down to a specific style these days. Pev’s label is the embodiment of club music’s multifarious nature in the 2020s, made up of individual creative nodes toying with tempo and texture in myriad ways. As such, imagining pairings within the label’s roster leads to all sorts of unpredictable possibilities. How would Bruce and Bakongo bounce off each other? Could Toma Kami and Forest Drive West find some common ground?
That said, when you’re presented with the idea of Azu Tiwaline and Al Wootton working together, it feels like an inevitably great record is going to come out of it. Both artists have an infallible hit rate with their productions anyway, but more to the point they both display an affinity for dynamic, intricately sculpted percussion with a dubwise sensibility in the space around the drums. As individuals their sounds are quite distinct, but there’s a logic to their collaboration which, to no ones surprise, has resulted in four frankly incredible drum workouts.
Perhaps that tag, ‘drum workouts’, is a bit of a misnomer in club terms because these are much more than tools. There’s a minimalism both producers adhere to which places all emphasis on beats, but there are energetic peaks and troughs and narrative arcs expressed through the palette of hits, not least with Tiwaline’s expansive sound set folded into the mix. ‘Blue Dub’ is perhaps the finest demonstration of the pairing in action, with a full-blown breakdown-drop sequence in the middle which swerves cliché to become a thrilling moment crying out for the collective gasp of a locked-in dancefloor.
Across the EP, Tiwaline and Wootton are able to plumb more restrained, moody depths, toy with cinematic world-building and tease energy with a masterful touch. The sound is refined and crisp, but still pockmarked with character and intrigue, exploring experimental realms but landing with an immediacy which makes it so very easy to love. If Livity Sound is often driven by artful drum play, this is surely the embodiment of the label as it stands right now.
OW
Peter Matson ‘The Right Way’ (Bastard Jazz)
Peter Matson returns to Bastard Jazz with an effervescent four-track EP, joining forces with Ibibio Sound Machine and Faze Action to work collaborative magic on ‘The Right Way’. The Brooklyn-based musician, producer and DJ is perhaps best known as the bandleader for Afro-inspired post-punk outfit, Underground System, alongside whom he’s notched up impressive releases for the likes of Soul Clap Records, Hell Yeah! Recordings, and Planet E. Despite having exciting releases lined up for the band on Heavenly Sweetness and Razor N Tape, Matson has found time to compose some charming solo outings in the last couple of years, making his Bastard Jazz debut in 2019 followed by an appearance on Heist Recordings (alongside fellow Brooklyner JKRIV) late last year. His latest effort launches with the sparkling ‘Call & Answer’, featuring the sonic stamp of London’s Ibibio Soundsystem whose lead singer, Eno Williams, generously laces the track with her unmistakable vocal performance.
Masterfully fusing Afrobeat, disco and house, the gorgeously optimistic groove is utterly infectious as Williams’ lead soars over jerking rhythms, bubbling bass, and simmering horns. Next up, Faze Action’s Simon and Robin Lee step up to offer a signature interpretation, expertly funnelling their distinct disco flair into a respectful rework. Staying true to the intention of the original, the brothers’ floor-friendly version sees atmospheric overdubs gently caress the vocal, tightening up the drums as the added harmonics endow the track with an irresistible proto-house feel. Turning to the B-side, the retro-futurist flex of ‘The Right Way’ unfolds over crisp electro-funk drums, as intricately woven synths forge luminous tapestry before seductive vocoder sweeps supply texture to the groove. Finally, the low-slung swagger of ‘PB (Ca Va) chugs purposefully into the night, with thick bass propelling hypnotic vocal chops and meandering synths over a heads-down rhythm. Unmissable work across the EP (which should come as little surprise considering the abundant talent on display).
PC
Soundway Records make a second appearance in this week’s choice cuts with a wonderful ode to improvisation. Miles Cleret’s wonderful label has managed to strike an elegant balance between unearthing long lost gems from across the continents and offering a platform for intriguing contemporary productions. ‘Yagana’ is the result of a troupe of eminently talented creators forming a band following an impromptu jam session in a Margate pub, reconvening in the studio in the cold light of day to form the all-new band, Pigeon. Featuring Guinean lead singer Falle Nioke alongside experienced players Graham Godfrey (drums), Steve Pringle (keys), Tom Dream (guitar) and Josh Ludlow (bass), between them the group have accumulated a dazzling list of production and instrumental credits. Godfrey and Pringle are key members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band – with Godfrey also performing alongside affiliated acts SAULT, Little Simz, and Cleo Sol – while Dream and Ludlow record together as Soma World.
Clearly, then, the five-piece had a head start on the studio simpatico front, and this combined musical understanding majestically bursts from the grooves of the debut recording. Traversing Afro-disco, jazz and no wave, every track is a belter. From the shimmering title track to the energetic closing track ‘War (Jam)’, Nioke’s unthinkably textured vocal powers over the mesmerising musicianship of the assembled players. Each vibrantly composed track is entirely compelling, with the lively numbers already mentioned neatly bookending a pair of more experimentally inclined jams – namely the haunting Afro-jazz of ‘Nothing Grows’ and the brooding grunge of ‘It’s You’. The music is simply breathtaking. Long live Soundway Records, long live the pigeon.
PC
Chaos In The CBD ‘Brainstorm EP’ (In Dust We Trust)
Chaos In The CBD follow-up on last year’s excellent ‘Te Puke Thunder’ with another outing on their own In Dust We Trust label, showing up with the typically alluring ‘Brainstorm’ EP. The Peckham-dwelling kiwis have been among the most in-demand actors on the deep house circuit since emerging around a decade ago. With releases on benchmark labels including Mule Musiq, Church, Needwant and Neroli, the Helliker-Hales brothers have managed to maintain a remarkably reliable quality threshold across the board and are thoroughly deserving of their celebrated status.
Opening track ‘Echolocation’ lays down a heads-down statement of dancefloor intent, with its pounding kick sailing through an ocean of dubbed-out motifs and atmospheric pads. Chords undulate as they rise while the sparse rhythm steadily builds, breaking down and re-emerging over ragga vocal chops and UKG-inspired sirens.
Sharing the dubby aesthetic but a few degrees more dream-inducing, the distant melodies of ‘Liquid Experience’ overflow with mystical twilight energy, as shimmering pads float over precise drumming and sub-rooted bass to gently rock wigged-out floors.
On the flip, the EP’s title track sees the brothers join forces with Mongo Skato for another dub-heavy dalliance. Here, weighted rhythms drive the track through infectious motifs and far-away swirls, once again evoking the strobe-flecked haze of late-night club bewilderment. Finally, completing the eminently coherent EP is the dusty backroom bump of ‘Mind Massage’, where mysterious textures echo over stripped Chicago drums and gently brooding bass notes.
PC
J Plant Texture pres. A662 – What Is This Bwoy? (Kaos)
It’s high time we saw DJ Plant Texture (Donato Basile) and Hector Oaks link up. Two of the most eminent stalwarts of Italian breakbeat, it’s no wonder the former has joined on for an EP on the latter’s label Kaos.
We’re by and large bowled over by Dona’s style and have been since day dot, when he put out his first EPs on Points Records in 2014. Through the latter half of the 2010s, a well-developed yet controversially lo-fi exploration of breakbeat emerged, with many of his releases, like his Ilian Tape EP, igniting just as much incredulity as they did excitement. We’re all for polarizing music at Juno, so there’s absolutely no reason to pass up on this hot-plated slice of wax, equally weird as it is full of bangers.
Let’s not forget this is A662, Dona’s acid house alias, so we’re more than stoked at the subjugation of one style into the other. Said fusion occurs just as structurally as it does stylistically; the rhythmic stops and starts of the aptly-named ‘You May Not Get This At First’ are more jarring than a faulty conveyor belt, yet still stay as charming as the sweet treats it’s transporting across the factory floor. Like the titular B-side, both tracks are baile-funky, sports-whistly, 303-squelchy monstrosities.
We’re not sure where the original ‘Brainstorm’ mix is or if it even exists, but this ‘Rave Mix’ has a beautiful Italostyle trance line cutting across it. That’s if you can make it out through all the 909 scrapes and acid reflux-ions. Hereafter is where the b-boy breaks influence shines through most: like DJ Rupture’s lesser-known experiments, hip-hop acapellas make stark and prodding appearances over broken electrical basslines. ‘Il Viaggio Della Vlora’, meanwhile, is the ultimate breaks-trance detour. It’s a floral journey indeed, with its numerous layered breakbeats crunching and unfurling like knife-edge leaves and petals – both go-to tools for breaks-chopping, of course.
JIJ
With his excellent Planet µ label, Mike Paradinas has quietly gone about his business with not nearly enough fuss or attention since its inception in 1995. The reality is we should be shouting from the rooftops about this treasure of a label and there should a bank holiday – in electronic music world at least – when he pops up wearing his µ-Ziq hat.
Anyway, we’ve ordered some fresh sunshine and a new arse blower because here comes Paradinas with the first release in a year-long celebration centred around the 25th anniversary of his classic ‘Lunatic Harness’ album, set for reissue later this year. For the fourth µ-Ziq album, he brought his melody A game to drill ‘n’ bass, stripping out the abrasiveness so prevalent at the time in the work of peers like Squarepusher and Aphex and served up a record that was as close to pop as Paradinas has come. We use the word”pop” as a loose term obviously, but just listen to it will you? Peak Paradinas.
He found inspiration for the ‘Goodbye’ EP while trawling the Planet µ archives during the remastering of the new resissue. As a result he has revisited his sound of the 90s and, with the benefit of hindsight and vastly improved software, he’s upgraded what he was up to back then to serve up six new tracks. The title track rattles the shelves with a fierce break while simultaneously bringing a mellow mood with a hypnotic piano riff and bright choral vocal samples, the gorgeous rich strings and rasping bass of ‘Moise’ is film soundtrack good, while ‘Giddy All Over’, with its hectic bassline and infectious vocal sample, does what it says on the tin. The centrepiece though is ‘Rave Whistle’, which comes in three flavours, the best being the ‘Jungle Tekno Mix’, which, if you close your eyes, will have you back in steamy east London basements in the thick of a new sound being born.
Not so much ‘Goodbye’ as oh, hello.
NM
Elsy Wameyo – Nilotic (Music In Exile)
Adelaide rapper Elsy Wameyo lends a clubby and smokey direction to her latest EP ‘Nilotic’, a term she coined to describe the irreplicable musick moods endemic to her birth city of Nairobi and the entire area around the River Nile. In her own words, this EP is “the byproduct of God’s grace in my life”, the divine result of which came as a newfound confidence in her ability to rid the world around her of colonial miscredit, thievery, and evil.
It’s testament to Wameyo’s complete and utter move away from vanilla, lo-fi neo-soul, as heard in her first singles and EPs. On ‘Nilotic’, rather, she’s embraced her birthright as part of a musical warrior class. Lead track ‘River Nile’ is a gargantuan trap bit filled with triplet-flowing taunts; “should have invested the first time” and “River Nile would have flowed” allude to such missed opportunity and righteous vengeance. ‘Promise’, meanwhile, lends lyrical defiance, victory and impatience to a Glasperish feel-good jazz beat, teasing the lighter side of things.
‘The Call’ is a supremely attention-grabbing skit, blending apocalyptic sound design with a call to action – “as dark as the night sky / eyes bloodshot red / melanin richer than gold”. It comes squarely before the EP’s climax, ‘Nilotic’, a scathing attack on everything colonial, neoliberal and purloining of her culture. A burgeoning dancehall tempo, and wallopping hollers, cushion talk of dashed monarchies and “assassinations of the people who aided your existence”. Calling out hypocrisy at every turn, this is one of the most righteously angry and stylistically meandering EPs to hit our shelves of late.
JIJ
HMOT – Jack Studies (Gost Zvuk)
HMOT (Stas Sharifullin) is known for far more than making his own, original music. Responsible for an avalanche of experimental releases made after 2011, he’s garnered a rep as a ‘sound scholar’, embarking on deep research binges before presenting the result of his findings in recorded form. The musical equivalent of lengthy video essays on esoteric subjects deep down the YouTube rabbit hole, if you will.
His latest audio essay looks at the historical context of house music, and how its original iteration – couched in HIV/AIDS activism – has eroded. To do so, HMOT has coined an entire field of study – Jack Studies – of which the only acceptable form is recorded audio. Rather than impassioned calls to rouse “Jack” from his slumber in the fabled house’s boudoir – nor embellishing the music with fruity track titles or banging beats – four out of five tracks here are some variation on the name ‘Instrumentation’. Fittingly, they feature completely deconstructed explorations on tried but true tropes found in house music, from the detuned Rhodes stab (‘I’) to the echoed-out ghetto clap (‘IV (Encore)’). All of these isolated studies are lent a postironic, Mark Fell-style spate of repitching, as if HMOT is exploring each and every possible Platonic part of the house. Every one of its bricks, rafters, and inches of insulatory foam is uprooted and turned inspected, as if to ‘deconstruct’ the house (gettit?).
Closer ‘Instrumentation IV’ seems to nail HMOT’s insistence on term ‘home music’. It’s an airy and strange foray through an endlessly modulated and fucked-with pluck synth. It seems to say, “we’ve made ourselves at home with maddening music”, or, “this is hardly the house I once knew”. We propose a new genre name: haunted house.
JIJ
This week’s reviewers: Patrizio Csavaliere, Oliver Warwick, Neil Mason, Jude Iago James.