The best new singles this week
This week’s must have singles
SINGLE OF THE WEEK
Jabu – Us Alone (Time Cow / Ossia Remixes) (Do you have peace)
Jabu’s Sweet Company was an undoubted highlight of 2020 – a heart-rending lullaby steeped in melancholic romance that took the Young Echo-rooted trio into a more rounded dimension of expression after their downcast earlier works. Still, Amos Childs’ production erred on the fragile side as a backdrop to Alex Rendall and Guest’s delicate singing and Daniela Dyson’s poetry, and their attendant collection of Sweet Company Versions did nothing to shift that. Instead, it’s been the job of this perfectly formed 12” to give you an impression of the Jabu sound taken in a different direction.
The A side version was aired for the first time in public at a Young Echo gathering in Bristol mid 2021, given a ceremonial intro by Ossia for very good reason. It’s a remix of ‘Us Alone’ by Time Cow, one of the core producers from Jamaica’s Equiknoxx stable. Best known for their mutant dancehall works gathered on albums for DDS, a recent collab album with Gavsborg reminded everyone how versatile these cats are. If further proof were needed, listen to this spellbinding version of ‘Us Alone’, which channels all that crystalline beauty of the original and straps it to a crisp, unfussy beat and loops a blue-hued chord phrase to create something magical. It’s true to the ethereal, poppy qualities of the original, but takes it somewhere else entirely with the lightest of touches.
Ossia is a different beast altogether – someone whose MO seeks out the dirt around the edges of the signal chain and feeds it back into the mixing desk for good measure. You’d never expect him to keep things gentle, whatever the source material, but he also has depth and sensitivity in his arsenal and he conjures up a slithering, clanking dub with plenty of melodious intent to match the brittle industrialisation. Daniela Dyson’s Spanish and English lyrical threads become individual sprites gliding in and out of the dub, and as Rendall’s singing appears off-key for a fleeting moment, one gets the sensation of a post-punk B side inversion in the Sherwood-Bovell tradition. The difference here is the thrilling, chilling swerves at the two-third marker, which push this slow-creeping version into unforgettable territory.
When so many remixes can be throwaway fodder, this record reminds that the right artist with the right source material can deliver something as precious and profound as any original production.
OW
Gigi Testa – Esoteric Paradise (Rush Hour)
Another week, another unmissable offering from the Rush Hour Records camp. Though the Amsterdam-based label’s reputation for curating imaginative and genre-hopping titles is, of course, long-established, it does appear currently as though label bosses Antal and Rogier are being powered by proverbial rockets up their respective rear-ends, such is both the quality and prolificacy of their recent output. Following on from a dazzling selection of titles in the last few months, the latest inspired title to hit the shelves is the brilliantly balmy ‘Esoteric Paradise’ EP from Gigi Testa. The Neapolitan producer has been cooking up various forms of delectable sonic soup for various labels since emerging in around 2016.
Recording as Gigi Testa as well as Nibiru Humans, he’s released tantalising edits and cosmically-centred originals on Cut My Recs, Freedom Dance, and World Peace Music, and his arrival on the mighty Rush Hour Store Jams must certainly be something to savour for the Italian artist. Commencing proceedings, the fusionist title track sees searing guitar solos soar over a tropically-spun bed of sumptuous global boogie, with funk-flecked synths, dancing marimbas and squelching synth bass combining over a fizzing drum track. Next, the Balearic waves of ‘Blue Ocean’ gently lap at the shoreline as the heartfelt synth solo glides through sumptuous pads and delicate percussion hits. We return to the tropics on the flip via the agile synthetic steel drums of ‘Guayaba’, with the buoyant lead melody sauntering over growling synth bass and energetic rhythms, leading us seductively to the warm embrace of evocative closing track ‘Moments In Time’. Here, captivating bass soothes the soul as emotion-heavy synths and acoustic guitar plucks gorgeously intertwine. This is outstanding work from Testa, pitched perfectly for long, hot summer evenings and blue sky mornings spent gazing across endless Mediterranean horizons.
PC
Unless you wade through particular waters of the European minimal scene, you might well have not come across the work of Wendelin Weissbach. As Metaboman, or as one half of Das Krause Duo alongside Stefan Carl, he’s been deep in the pocket of the micro scene orbiting Jena in East Germany. Coming through on the Musik Krause label, this quirk in the German minimal landscape leans towards a certain jazziness which goes beyond goofy (sometimes offensive) sampling to reach the essence of jazz music. It swings, it surprises and it crackles with a human electricity which can’t simply be programmed in.
After a few years since his last release, Weissbach returns with his own label to carry some new Metaboman productions, and they sound as distinctive as ever. Part of the cult nature of his work is no doubt because it doesn’t adhere to what’s going on in any wider scene at any one time, and so it continues. That’s exactly why it’s so fresh. The A-side on Wende001 is given over to two varied but consistently tracky cuts with scuffed drum hits coming in at odd angles and chunky kicks that sound like they came off a live kit rather than an 808. Around the drums, threads of playing draw you in close, whether it’s some expressive Rhodes keys (quite possibly played by collaborator Large M?) or a processed swell of detuned sax. The tension between electronic and organic is gleefully aggravated throughout, the lines blurred but also distinct in some way. It’s still stubbornly minimal, suited to one end of the party or the other rather than peak time, but equally it might be better for toe-tapping with a fine whisky and something nice to smoke.
Things get spicier on the flip though. Weissbach has worked with dOP’s vocalist JAW before, but it’s been a while since we heard the latter sounding so urgent in the mix, and subjected to such wild, energetic sonic treatment. ‘H T Beast’ is instantly tougher in the rhythm section, and the sound design gets freakier from the outset, telling you the sophisticated lounge tones of the A side have been done away with. It’s still a stark arrangement, but it’s gnarly like some of the best Das Krause Duo bangers. JAW gets layered up and distorted, but his performance sounds loose and free, catching a raw vibe which, by the time it gets looped and jacked out, becomes pure firepower. It’s bold, daring, and doesn’t sound like anything else being churned out elsewhere in house and techno right now.
OW
Brian Piñeyro is so widely appreciated as DJ Python these days, it’s easy to forget he started out with a few different aliases that all seemed equally pegged as areas of focus for his introspective electronics. There was Deejay Xanax on Exotic Dance and DJ Wey on Lovers Rock, plus a sole 12” on 1080p as Luis. The Python project gathered steam the quickest, yielding two standout albums and a small clutch of EPs which brought Piñeyro to the forefront in a haze of sleepy reggaeton beats, now manifesting in group projects like Sangre Nueva (alongside Florentino and Kelman Duran).
Luis makes a surprise comeback for this 12” on AD93, and the project sounds like it’s moved on a bit in six years. The last outing was roundly defined by cut up jungle breaks shot through with ambient electronica, and admittedly that does manifest on closing track ‘Jack Anderson’, but even when there is crunchy drum editing going on, it sounds maturer (as one might reasonably expect for an artist over such a time span).
Primarily though, 057 (Schwyn) is more akin to the downtempo electronica you might have heard around the turn of the millennium, crunchy and electroid in nature, shot through with a dystopian spookiness geared towards blunted headphone reveries. That’s especially true on ‘Timmy Chalamet’, the opening track produced alongside Lis Dalton. It’s an engrossing piece, ostensibly simple in its construction but executed with an accomplished touch. Piñeyro sounds like he knows exactly what he wants to achieve this time around, not least in teasing between dark and light in the melodic elements of his tracks. There’s a sweeter quality to ‘Or Anyone Said It’, while ‘Yoonito’ does away with the drums and strikes a tape-warped tone not a million miles away from Boards of Canada.
‘We Still Or Nah’ is the sprightliest track on the record, riding a low slung 2-step groove and peppering it with globules of monosynths pulsing through delays, but the dominant theme remains chill, as it does across all of Piñeyro’s output. What’s important though is that the sound is clear in its intentions, and it winds up as one of the finest electronica excursions we’ve heard in recent times.
OW
Reliably bringing the slow and freaky vibe that has made their label a go-to for those who want to chug, Neubau present the work of Yaniv De Ridder. Based in California and with a background in video work, there’s plenty of cinematic poise in the sound of YNV which lends itself to his brooding creations. His music first manifested last year with the Golden Hour Ritual album on Lurid Music, and you might well start to place his sound when you see that he was previously remixed by Anatolian Weapons.
On this drop for Neubau, YNV spends the A side mining a spread of throbbing low end, lurid analogue waveforms and rhythmic pots and pans. The mood is noirish, capturing a foreboding sundown energy which should do wonders for a dancefloor ready to get sexy at a snails pace. There’s a subtle touch of proto trance in the bold synth tones, but it’s handled with care. On the B side, ‘Chasing The Oracle’ shifts into a higher gear without losing the atmosphere, winding up as a sinewy workout for later in the night, but in truth it sounds like it could pitch down nicely to sit alongside those creepers that open the EP in such evocative style.
OW
PC
Mark Barrott – Travelling Music’ (International Feel)
Mark Barrott returns to his wonderful International Feel label with his first solo release since 2019, presenting four varied synth-led explorations on the exquisite ‘Travelling Music’ EP. After spending some time producing work for other artists, Barrott felt the time was right to focus his energy on “rediscovering his own musical compass,” channelling his creative energy into various exciting new projects. A compilation album and documentary soundtrack are set to arrive imminently, but in the meantime, there’s plenty to savour on this gorgeously meditative EP.
The tracks included on ‘Travelling Music’ were all recorded in Ibiza during the summer of 2020, and, as is generally the case with Barrott’s work, each imagery-rich composition weaves a vivid narrative via carefully woven synth soundscapes and engrossing musical motifs. Launching with discreetly Eastern melodies, the title track sees loosely spun synth lines intertwine before a throbbing kick drum and crisp snare solidify the groove. The hypnotic refrains undulate throughout, with sonic waves arriving and dissipating across the enigmatic arrangement, while the introduction of a glistening bass arpeggio powers the cut into a trance-inducing fervour. Next, we find the blissful introspection of ‘Chillin’ 4 Work’, where shimmering strings and staccato synth lines elegantly glide across an evocative sunset horizon, breaking for a wobbly mid-point interval before resuming their golden-lit strides. ‘Arcade Scene’ picks up the pace once more, as tight machine drums power mesmerising arpeggios through shades of new wave and deep into Italo cosmic territory, as glassy chords and otherworldly sweeps effortlessly lift the altered mood. Finally, ‘Travelling Music’ appears in ‘Version Reprise’ form, with stripped rhythms allowing the synth refrains full licence to roam, taking on a distinctly cinematic form as the morphing textures soar higher and higher towards the infinite. Powerful work here from Barrott, and a most welcome return to the racks from the sunset maestro.
PC
Ron Basejam – Music People (Phonica White)
Jim Baron never fails to conjure disco delight with his immaculately constructed Ron Basejam releases. Few can rival the Crazy P co-founder when it comes to carving funk-infused and gently deviant modern disco, and so it proves to be the case on his latest offering. ‘Music People’ arrives on London’s Phonica White after a string of self-released RBJ reworks that helped keep the party fires burning over the last couple of years.
The EP begins with the emotion-heavy space boogie of ‘The Hurt Inside’, where freaky solos and leviathan analogue stabs echo over captivating rhythm guitar and evocative Rhodes chords. Adding several large doses of dancefloor stock to the pot, Baron serves an intoxicating rhythmic blend via the bass-heavy flex of ‘Don’t Bus My Aux’, with its vocal chants adding an exotic sense of mysticism as they cascade over irresistibly propulsive percussion. Finally, the EP title track steers us into the strobe-lit fog, with striking spoken word vocals bursting into focus through the flickering haze. Tough drums drive the groove as undulating arpeggios growl across the panorama, with brooding synths and atmospheric chants combining to forge a powerfully atmospheric air to the startling groove. Rich in imagery and wildly imaginative, this is yet more brilliant work from Mr Basejam.
PC
Jorg Kuning – BH-005 (Bakk Heia)
Manchester’s Bakk Heia crew continue to develop their slant on contemporary minimal with a flair few can match. From the outset their records sounded different, as Schuttle and Jorg Kuning took it in turns to serve up EPs of playful oddballs guaranteed to spice up a set. The baggage the minimal tag carries is maybe unfair to lump on these inventive releases, but it is instructive in the choice of pin-prick sounds and overall wonkiness. If you ever dug on the weirdo gear pushed by artists like S-Max, Fym and Paradroid, you would definitely be feeling this new one from Kuning.
+The sound is thicker than you would have heard back in the mid 00s laptop jockey days, though. That’s no doubt due to some interesting tools in the mix, and it certainly sounds like Kuning might be having some fun with modular (whether in the box or out of it). ‘Dripgroove’ pings and plops with a tactile quality which calls to mind the lysergic suites Tyler Friedman cooks up. But this is also discernibly tooled for the dancefloor – even as fractured EP closer ‘Bodyscan’ hovers in broken weightlessness for more than half of its runtime, you just know a payoff is coming and sure enough it does, kicking in after a sweet set of chords and synthetic bird chirrups to send you charging into the final stretch. It’s masterful and mindbending, with Kuning sculpting some of the smartest weird gear in circulation right now.
OW
Jason Peters – Lost In Space (Roam)
Jason Peters steps up to man the controls on his latest Roam Records release, casting a cosmic spell on the astrally charged ‘Lost In Space’. The long-running San Francisco-based imprint has brought much delight during its 20-plus years in existence, presenting polychromatic sounds from the likes of 40 Thieves, Rhythm Plate, Tony Senghore, and DJ Rocca, among many many others. Here, label boss Peters drops his familiar JP Soul moniker to serve a delicious slice of Italo-meets-proto-house-inspired dancefloor material backed up by a delightful set of remixes from The Juan MacLean and Prins Thomas. The atmospheric original version sees robotic vocals echo over thick analogue bass as fizzing synth chords and mysterious swells drift across sparse machine drums and meandering percussion. The Juan MacLean strips things back even further, adding weight to the rhythm while stitching in intoxicating synth textures and saucer-eyed sweeps on his ultra-wiggy interpretation.
As is so often the case, Prins Thomas comes dangerously close to stealing the show on his extended Diskomiks. The Norse disco master stretches out the arrangement, adding guitar, live bass, and subtle overdubs to fill in the sonic gaps left by the roomy original. String stabs embellish the lead melodies as peppy percussion and rhythmic plucks help drive the newly invigorated groove. A must-check release for the cosmically-inclined.
PC
fka boursin – Comatose (Few & Far Between)
A known fixture on the Bristol scene, fka boursin makes his first appearance on plastic with an accomplished EP which feels rigorous in its intention and execution. Compared to most people’s first flirtations with recorded output, there’s a mature and considered feel to Comatose. That’s in no small part down to the explicit influence boursin takes from DJ Sprinkles – the EP title alone is a nod to Sprinkles’ Comatonse label, and stylistically the spread between sublime, smoky deep house and attendant ambient inversions is right out of the Sprinkles-Thaemlitz playbook.
This isn’t pastiche business though – boursin weaves his own gossamer threads, particularly on the original lead version of ‘Comatose’. It’s a melancholic ride which balances rainy day piano chords with struck harmonics, interrupted by an unexpected groove which edges towards AOR rock before melting back again, a disembodied female vocal which conjures the spirit of 90s trip hop (think Alison Goldfrapp on Maxinquaye) and other assorted diversions before slinking into a serene novocaine house murmur. It’s exquisitely detailed, taken into a distinct but relevant hinterland of stripped back after hours magic for the ‘Cold Turkey Mix’ and broken down for ambient parts on the ‘Dead Dancefloor Mix’. Every version is exemplary, reaching for a level of creativity and refinement within the deep house stratosphere which is all too often lacking.
OW
This week’s reviewers: Oli Warwick, Patrizio Cavaliere