The best new albums this week

The perfection-shaped long players from the past seven days

Various Artists – Back To Mine – Horse Meat Disco (Back To Mine)

Picture the scene. It’s February 2019. Covid, what Covid? The venue is London’s SSE Arena, which old people call Wembley Arena. It’s an absolute air hanger of a place. Full up, it’ll take 12,500. You need binoculars to see the stage from the far end. Headlining is Fatboy Slim, his audience call the place Wembley Arena. They’re also here with their kids.

The atmosphere is exuberant, the vibe is eau de hetro, think football crowd. Support comes from Horse Meat Disco, the trailblazing south London disco dream team who absolutely tear the place to shreds before Norm even gets a look-in.

Setting up shop in the early 00s, HMD were the antidote to the bloated back end of the clubbing explosion that had swept everything aside a decade previously. Super clubs and super promoters filling their boots soundtracked by super commercial soulless bangers – it was depressing. The gay scene was just as flabby, with the legendary Turnmills night Trade spawning pale hard house copycat nights galore.

A change of guard was required. A bit of fun was needed. Enter Jim Stanton and James Hillard who arrived at The Eagle in Stockwell proclaiming that “being queer doesn’t have to be a sexual thing”. Along with residents Luke Howard and Severino Panzetta they hit a rich vein of retro disco with their Sunday night “queer party for all”.

Inclusive, eclectic but always with great tunes, and always, always with a party vibe, over two decades they’ve spread the HMD message far and wide, transcending the gay scene, becoming floor-filling festival staples, and through production work and re-edits, purveyors of the good stuff in their own right.

And so to the matter in hand. Boiling the essence of all that down into an hour-long set. Mix albums can be a little dull, but the ‘Back To Mine’ series has always felt different thanks to there being an actual idea behind it – forget the Saturday night fever crowd-pleasers, what would the featured artist serve up after-hours?

You won’t be surprised to discover that HMD’s after-hours isn’t a chill-out zone, it’s always party o’clock somewhere in their world. The joy here (and in general with HMD) is that they get off the beaten track – they’ve spoken about how they’d like to include more “classics” on their compilations, but the cost is prohibitive. The attitude is, sure, you can have some Gloria Gaynor, but let’s swerve the huge licensing fees and open some doors instead. As a result a set like this requires a little more thought and a little more digging, but the results, oh the results.

Proceedings kick off in style with the Danny Krivit edit of R&B powerhouse Gwen McCrae’s 1974 single ‘Move Me Baby’. Such a euphoric, uplifting tune, it really sets the tone for what we are about to receive. Three tracks in and here comes 1980s New York in the shape of Escape From New York’s epic snake-charmer ‘Fire In My Heart’.

Róisín Murphy, a proper 21st century diva if ever there was, arrives with the glorious ‘Ancora Ancora Ancora (Severino & Nico de Ceglia Remix)’. Her original version is from an EP of Italian pop song covers. I mean, that’s irresistible, right? This remix burns the place down. Better still, Róisín melts into Marianne Faithfull’s ‘Sex With Strangers (Feat. Beck)’ from 2002 (do check out the Sly & Robbie remix elsewhere if you’ve a minute).

I could go on, but your know, this is one you need to stick on for yourself and let the party commence. Probably best that you get the windows open and share it with the street. The whole shebang finishes with such a flourish. Two HMD tracks, reworks of tracks from thier ‘Love And Dancing’ album, followed by the grand finale… ‘Messages From The Stars’, The RAH Band’s timelessly squidgy electro romp from 1983.

The Horse Meat Disco agenda has always been all about the vibe and the selections here only reinforce that. Spot on, eclectic, not in the slightest trainspottery and always with a good time in mind. With nearly 20 years of crowd-pleasing experience under their belt, this set was always going to be a winner. And so it proves.

NM 

Thomas Leer / Robert Robert – The Bridge (Mutr)

This long-awaited reissue of this 1979 outing, originally on Throbbing Gristle’s Industrial label, is most welcome. Leer and Rental (who died in 2000) were pals from Port Glasgow. They met as gardening apprentices after leaving school, bonding over John Peel chat in the potting shed. Leaving Scotland for the lure of London’s counterculture, Leer set to work, recording his 1978 debut ‘Private Plane’ in his flat with limited resources – guitar, bass, an organ drum machine and a few effect pedals (not a synth in sight). As soon as he’d finished, he carted the kit round to Rental’s place so he could record his debut single, ‘Paralysis’.

While they worked together in a kind of artist/producer way, this is their only collaborative release. Borrowing equipment from TG, which the pair readily admit not having a clue how to use, and recording in Rental’s high-rise flat in Battersea (overlooking The Albert Bridge, hence the title and LP cover), it’s an album of two halves.

The first side is Leer-esque pop songs, the second side improvised synthy mayhem. It’s hard not to love every last blip and beep here. Tracks like the ‘Fade Away’, with its clanging beats and the repetitive “this radio is broken” refrain is the sort of thing that’d played at volume would have your dad up the stairs and asking what rubbish you’re listening to now. He only had to wait until the following track, the eight-minute sound sculpture ‘Interferon’, for a real blast of the avant-garde.

It’s an album that felt like a revelation at the time – where were these sounds coming from? What made them? How? Why? Turns out it was Electronic Dream Plant’s Wasp synth – so called because of their yellow/black livery rather than the noise they made. But you know, it could buzz too. What a journey this record took you on. It’s a ride I’m still enjoying 40-odd years down the line. Hats off chaps, hats off.

NM

Alex Ho ‘Move Through It‘ (Music From Memory)

Alex Ho channels the sun-kissed essence of his LA hometown on his sumptuous debut LP. ‘Move Through It’. Though a production newcomer, the Pasadena-based artist has become a mainstay of the LA underground in recent years – threading sounds ranging from retro boogie and Cantonese disco to proto-house and balls out techno into his far-reaching sets. He hosts a regular show on NTS radio and has appeared on gig line-ups alongside Giles Peterson, Peggy Gou, Powder, and Yu Su among many others. Arriving under the impeccably curated banner of Amsterdam’s Music From Memory, his first foray into studio craft belies his lack of production experience, admittedly with help from seasoned co-producers including Baba Stiltz, Phil Cho, and Damon Palermo.

Themed as a reflective ode to the atmospheric haze of his LA home, the horizontal soundscapes featured in the album journey through synth-heavy meditations into gently funk-caressed and head-nodding grooves. The blissed-out album is gorgeously coherent throughout, transporting listeners to the deep orange glow of a Pacific Ocean sunset. Highlights include the psychedelic synth solos of ‘Neary’, the evocative waves of the LP’s title track, and the ethereal vocal refrains of ‘Mark’. Impressive work across the board, this is an exquisite first showing from Ho.

PC

Crackazat ‘Evergreen’ (Freerange)

The cat is well and truly out of the bag concerning producer Ben Jacobs’ metamorphosis from bumping house maestro to fully-fledged singer-songwriter. If the ‘Beacon Of Light’ debut single from ‘Evergreen’ offered a dazzling glimpse of what was to come, the long-player’s arrival expels any doubt as to the brilliant new creative ground being traversed by the talented British producer. Previously known and loved for his jazz-flecked and floor-filling house trackers, Jacobs hinted that there was much more to his sonic armoury by posting tantalising IG clips of himself singing and dexterously jamming out keyboard solos during lockdown. Freerange Record’s Jimpster was quick to react, offering a home to Jacobs’ stunning new material, and the release of ‘Evergreen’ catapults Crackazat into stratospheric artistic territory.

Taking his cue from jazz-informed cross-over acts including Terry Callier, Jordan Rakei, and Thundercat, Crackazat expertly infuses his trademark house grooves with modal jazz sensibilities, complex arrangements, and spellbinding musicianship. Arguably the biggest surprise, however, is the soul-drenched expression that Jacobs’ heartfelt vocals add to the music as he steps out of the dimly lit studio onto lead singing centre stage. There isn’t a dull moment across the collection, with Jacobs pouring every fibre of his being into the manifestation of this breathtaking album. The music, artwork, logo and concept and everything in between is the brainchild of this ever-evolving artist. Here, he sends out a life-affirming, reflective, and deeply personal message out into the world, in the process raising his already glowing reputation as one of the most accomplished artists to emerge from the dance underground in recent years.

PC

Shoko Igarashi ‘Simple Sentences’ (Tigersushi)

Musician, composer, and arranger Shoko Igarashi goes it alone on her polychromatic debut album, ‘Simple Sentences’. Though the Maniac Mansion band member is best known for her tenor sax virtuosity, she’s supremely adept at performing as a flautist and can make both alto and soprano sax sing beautifully. Raised in the picturesque countryside of Japan’s Tsuruoka, Igarashi studied at the Berklee College of Music before relocating to Brussels via a stint in Brooklyn, NYC. These disparate habitats provide much of the inspiration on the electronically-fuelled album.

Blending Japanese Anime and city pop with jazz-flecked instrumentation, psych-kitsch and Euro disco, the vibrant album discreetly echoes with the experimental shades of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s formative work on ‘Thousand Knives’, at least to my ears. ‘Simple Sentences’ sees whimsical melodies combine with cerebral arrangements and rousing synthetic textures. From the jazz fusion solos of ‘Cash OK’ to the dreamy motifs of ‘Comfy Place’, the hyperactive synths of ‘Anime Song’ to the idiosyncratic charm of ‘Sand Dungeon’, this is bold, unabated, and entirely enjoyable work from this effervescent artist. Arriving via French label Tigersushi – who’ve previously released music from Principles Of Geometry, Joakim, and Poni Hoax, among others, this glistening debut suggests there’s plenty more to come from Igarashi.

PC

DORIS – Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby (Mr Bongo)

Another fascinating release from Mr Bongo Records, Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby dates back to 1970, and is the best-known work from Swedish pop singer, Doris Svensson, who recorded the album at EMI studios in Stockholm. Song lyrics were provided by Scottish writer, Francis Cowan, with the compositions themselves credited to Berndt Egerbladh, who also arranged the featured horn sections. Egerbladh is a notable name in the Swedish music world, having worked extensively in radio and run his own record companies.

Svensson’s husband, Lukas Lindholm, contributes bass, while the distinctive drumming is supplied by James Carlsson, of the wonderful progressive rock duo Hansson & Karlsson, who rank among the pioneers of jazz-rock fusion, with collaborative credits including Jimi Hendrix, who also covered one of their tracks. Previous reviews have labelled this set, ‘cult psyche pop jazz’ and, if you can imagine such a thing, that really isn’t far from the mark, although throw in ‘funk/soul’ and you’ll be getting closer.

Doris sings throughout in English with a fine, charismatic voice, high-pitched and full of quavering strength and no little grit. This album alternately swings, rocks, pops and vamps. “I Wish I Knew” is a particular standout – a instantly catchy, kitschy, jazz-pop classic, with stabbing brass and a walking bass-line. “Wouldn’t That Be Groovy” sounds as if it spontaneously formed from the minds of stoned out hippies in the Summer of Love. “Flowers In The Morning” lilts and sparkles, a psychedelic pop gem of a tune.

There’s a definite Burt Bacharach / Zombies vibe throughout, but Did You Give The World Some Love Today Baby has its own peculiar thing going on, and everything it serves up is garnished with verve and style.

CW

Nico Gomez & His Afro Percussion Inc – Ritual (Mr Bongo)

Some labels remain just small enough and focused enough to be forever reliable, in terms of both the sound and the quality of the music they release. UK outfit, Mr Bongo Records, sits firmly in that category. Starting out as tiny independent record store in Berwick Street, London, Mr Bongo led the way in both US hip-hop and hard-to-find Latin music. Now based in Brighton, it is with the latter category that the label is primarily interested.

This fine Latin-funk set has its origins in the unlikely location of Belgium. Nico Gomez, a Belgian of Dutch extraction, is a name familiar to aficionados of the genre and with good reason. His distinctive blend of jazz, funk and bossanova is full of delightful moments and compelling beats.

Ritual was originally released in 1971 via Dutch label Omega International, and these eleven cuts are up there with the best the genre has to offer. Gomez is backed by a crack group, able to turn on a dime and brimming with swagger. This is wild, swinging, stomping music as perfectly evidenced on opener “Caballo Negro,” which struts out on stabbing horns, skipping drums and ringing hand-percussion. Throw in swirling organs, call-and-response vocals, razor sharp electric guitar and you have the blueprint for this wonderful album.

That bubbling Latin beat underpins the whole, lending a subtle shifting dynamic which contrasts beautifully with the stomping funk feel. “Naci Para Bailar” floats like the acute rays of the sun playing out across a warm and mysterious ocean. “Lupita” turns things up to eleven, rushing head-first off a psychedelic soul cliff, only to rise up triumphantly on glorious wings.

CW

Jimi Tenor – Multiversum (Bureau B)

Hamburg’s Bureau B seem to have become slightly obsessed with Jimi Tenor. It’s a relatively new relationship, the first fruit of which was 2020’s ‘NY, Hel, Barca’ retrospective, which was swiftly followed by 2021’s rarities set, ‘Deep Sound Learning’.

Predominantly releasing jazz and Afrobeat records over the last 20 years, Tenor’s live shows have been fairly stripped back. Here the label invited him to create an album of new material using just a synthesiser, flute and saxophone. Which, you know, on paper sounds… what’s the word? Like a terrible idea.

Recorded entirely in his home studio in Helsinki, it is in fact rather wonderful. The energetic ‘Life Hugger’, with its Joe Jackson ‘Going Out’ synth riff, gets things off very much on the right foot. The growly repetitive synth hook of ‘Baby Free Spirit’ feels like some flower-power anthem, especially with the louche vocal and dancing free-form flute riffing. In fact, the flute is lovely throughout. It makes you think of 1980’s US cop TV show theme tunes – ‘Monday Blue’ or ‘Jazznouveau’ would work a treat on a seedy police drama, while the hectic runaway drum machine of ‘RajuRaju’ would be a good backdrop for the inevitable car chase. Space jazz at its very best.

NM

Slipknot – Iowa (Roadrunner)

At the turn of the 21st century, Slipknot opted to take the newfound fame and success rewarded by their self-titled debut, and run it into the ground in, what has to be, one of the most intriguing examples of chaos and inner band turmoil lending to an integral work.

Named after their home state, ‘Iowa’, still remains an utterly frightening project, driven by addiction, depression, and encompassing negativity. Refusing to pursue a more accessible route regardless of the ensuing momentum around them, the collective would lash out with an extremely severe batch of material that remains challenging even by today’s standards.

While the now iconic leads singles, ‘My Plague’ and ‘Left Behind’ remain embedded in the metal spectrum, deeper cuts such as the caustic ‘People = Shit’, nihilism rally of ‘The Heretic Anthem’ or the decrepit defeatism of ‘Skin Ticket’ offer the bleakest look into the band’s psyche at their most temperamental of conditions.

The fact that frontman Corey Taylor has confessed that the 14-minute closing title-track was recorded while highly inebriated and cutting himself with a broken liquor bottle, should be all the background one could need when approaching this complex, unforgiving beast of an album.

Reissued after far too long an absence, this beautiful new rendering finally allows for a timeless endeavour to be rediscovered in all of its violent glory; rarely bridging the vast dichotomy between mainstream and extreme metal.

ZB

 This week’s reviewers: Patrizio Cavaliere, Jude Iago James, Oli Warwick, Chris Wheatley, Zach Buggy.