The best new singles this week

Top picks from our writers’ vinyl piles

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

Bonobo – Brighton Tapes (Vinyl Digital)

It’s always fascinating to absorb the early work of highly regarded producers, especially when hearing it for the first time and already well acquainted with their pinnacle compositions. At times, these newly discovered formative works can offer encouragement to aspiring artists: there may be a rawness in the production or a lack of flair in the music that sees the archives pale in comparison to the creator’s fully-formed artistic triumphs, proving that there is, indeed, ample room to grow if only one stays the course. At other times, a backward glance such as this can have a humbling effect, with the artist’s brilliance shining through from the very beginning.

This is most certainly the case here. Bonobo’s ‘The Brighton Tapes’ is comprised of rediscovered tape recordings that were captured in (his then home town) Brighton around the time he released his debut album ‘Animal Magic’ (2000). Released for the first time on vinyl by German label, Vinyl Digital, the two untitled tracks are nothing short of stunning – even set against the impossible standards Si Green has gone on to set himself. The Bonobo project has, of course, flourished into something stratospheric, with each album displaying subtle new shades and gloriously growing in scope. Despite this, the music contained heroin contains more than enough substance to render it eminently worthy of retrospective release.

Rich in evocative harmonics and introspective depth, ‘Track 1’ unfurls over jagged drums and pulsing percussion, with atmospheric synth swells, out-of-focus samples and captivating vocals elegantly combining for a spellbinding and stylistically agile musical meditation. ‘Track 2’ is no less engaging, constructed over a dusty trip-hop beat and brimming with a smoke-filled ambience. The bewitching female vocal interplays with an infectious flute solo, with glitchy chords and mischievous e-piano licks swirling across the head-nodding rhythm and sturdy bass line. Put simply, quality is etched throughout Bonobo’s back catalogue like the proverbial stick of Brighton rock.

PC

Cahl Sel – Every Moment EP (Reflective)

Jonah Sharp’s Reflective label was a true totem of the early 90s deep techno explosion. Sharp, best known as Spacetime Continuum and one half of rEAGENZ with Move D, was entrenched in the emergent London scene B12, Stasis, Mark Broom and Baby Ford hailed from. However, it was upon moving to San Francisco he started to develop himself as an artist, creating Reflective to carry his own work and that of similarly spirited artists such as Velocette and MLO.

Following a peak run up to 1996, the label has been quiet bar a 2003 drop from Blaktroniks, but now it revives in a meaningful way by looking to the next generation. It’s easy for a classic label to fire up and dig through the archives for some reissue material or a gathering of old, familiar heads, but Sharp has instead looked to Cahl Sel, a young artist from SF making his first appearance on this 12”. Apparently Sehl has been playing live in California with a minimal live rig for a few years, which speaks to Sharp’s sensibilities as an improv gear head taking part in projects like The Mulholland Free Clinic.

Sonically, this means the Every Moment EP makes total sense in the context of Reflective. Admittedly, that also means Sehl is exploring a sound which was being pioneered 30 years ago, but in the end intention is more important than innovation, and Sehl’s music justifies its position through sheer quality. It’s not an exercise in throwback culture either, with the likes of ‘Routine’ brimming with a quirky dancefloor energy somewhere between techno and house, but too roughly hewn to be tech house in the general sense of the word. There are limitations in where hardware-driven 4/4 techno can go, but like a form of hi-tech jazz, the art lies in understanding the roots of the sound and expressing it in your own way.

Melodically, Sel has more than enough to say and it comes through in glorious, fluid synth tones, while his use of dusty, treated one-shot samples breaks up the steady tick of the drum machines. It’s beautiful, expressive electronic music which more than lives up to Reflective’s legacy while speaking to the current moment in an honest, unpretentious way.

OW

Froid Dub – An Iceberg Cruising The Jamaican Coastline (Delodia)

The Delodio label has been quietly building up its own sound world over the past five years. Hailing from Paris and committed to a post-punk attitude across various styles, the label follows its own niche interests whether releasing obscure industrial rhythm tracks from the early 80s, bedroom synthwave from the transition to the 90s or two-track 12”s of 808-powered house music.

Froid Dub finds label founders Stephane Bodin and François Marché working together on a specific tract which is pretty neatly explained by the name. The idea posed is, what happens when coldwave synth music collides with dub? The answer is An Iceberg Cruising The Jamaican Coastline, a six-track cruise of fusionist sonics which sound like they could hail from the embryonic era of 80s lo-fi experimentation. Explicit fusion projects such as this one can have mixed results, but in the case of Froid Dub, the sensitivity of Bodin and Marché is plain to hear as they tease their respective interests out in the mixing desk.

It’s interesting to note how the opposing forces of synth and dub are balanced, and for the vast majority of the record the split seems incredibly even. The synth aspect defines the song structures, especially on stand-out track ‘First Floor’, but the dub processing is applied in tasteful ways. It’s still very much legitimate dubbing, full of outboard graininess and with plenty of errant decays and tails bleeding out into the mix, but it’s never overcooked.

‘Iguana Style’ tips a little more towards Jamaica as the monosynth b-line plods out a groove which feels like an explicit nod to dancehall, but it’s still rooted in a gloomy post-industrial malaise. On ‘Minamatos’ you can hear lead licks which feel like the shadow-self of Compass Point boogie, as though conjuring that other great crossover of synth music and dub. The care with which these iconic touchstones are folded into the brew are critical, and it ensures Froid Dub successfully delivers on its premise, making a unique sound in the process.

OW

Paradox – Desolator (Paradox Music)

One of the greatest things about drum & bass is the way that music from its true innovators – think Photek. Dillinja or Digital – is instantly recognisable the moment its shockwaves hit the dancefloor. ‘Desolator’ is very much the same. It could only the work of Dev Paradox, once a young pretender who would grace labels like 4 Hero’s Reinforced, Certificate 18 and Renegade Hardware and now, some 25 years later, a veteran of the scene if also under appreciated and somewhat of an outsider.

First emerging at a time when drum & bass was starting to cast off its madderr junglist flourishes and ease into a more regular and accessible – ie boring – rhythmic template, Paradox has always been a standard bearer for the polyrhythmic un-predictability of breakbeats rather than one hit beats and yet ‘Desolator’ is sleek and futuristic, not nostalgic. There are echoey reggae voices, FX and wobbling bass and always, always, those sculpted, shiny drums, and shimmering ride cymbals. All those and a sense of funkiness and momentum that’s hard to describe but you know the minute it grabs you, this is about as good as it gets,.

BW

Ruf Dug / Private Joy – Don’t Give In’ (International Feel)

Ruf Dug has produced plenty of highlights in the ten-plus years he’s been releasing under the moniker. The Mancunian producer, DJ and digger has seen his work land on benchmark labels like Music For Dreams, Futureboogie, Shall Not Fade and Sud Electronics as well as his own Ruf Kutz imprint, with each new release adding new hues to his kaleidoscopic catalogue.

His latest outing marks a return to the loving embrace of Mark Barrot’s International Feel, where he serves a faithful ode to a pair of in-vogue, UK-rooted sounds. ‘Don’t Give In’ successfully manifests the essence of both street soul and lovers rock, with two distinct mixes presented in both vocal and instrumental versions. Joining him to supply the most sensual of vocals is Manchester-based soulstress Poppy Roberts, who – performing as Private Joy – dazzles with her soul-searing delivery. On the A-side, we find the enchanting ‘Street Soul’ incarnations, where swinging LinDrum rhythms softly drive shimmering chords, synthesised sax motifs and scattered bass notes as the instrumentation caresses Roberts’ yearning vocal. Interestingly considering the power of the vocal lead, the instrumental mix stands up proudly, with the lovingly-crafted orchestration given room to flourish in the newly-found sonic space.

On the reverse, we dive into a contemporary ‘Reggae’ mix, with syncopated stabs adding purpose to the groove as the tropically-themed gloriously compliments the irresistible vocal. Once again, the instrumental works magnificently, with the engrossing chord syncopation doing more than enough to conjure indefinable sunset spirit. The quality of this release should come as no surprise to Ruf Dug aficionados, as once again he delivers a set of breathtaking compositions that overflow with sensuality. ‘Don’t Give In’ may very well prove to be among the most timeless of his ever-expanding archives. Highly recommended.

PC

Boo Williams – Fruits Of The Spirit (Noble Square)

Willie ‘Boo Williams’ Griffin has composed some of the best underground house music ever written, and ‘Fruits Of The Spirit’ is one of his very finest moments. Originally released in 1999 on Three to Five Records, the deep house classic is given a worthy re-issue here by Ricardo Miranda’s Noble Square imprint – which is incredibly good news if you either don’t own a copy, or your original has been played to within an inch of its life. Chicago-based Griffin has enjoyed a prolific career since emerging as a production force in the early ’90s.

He’s squirted out four/four fire with mind-boggling frequency, with music arriving on labels including Strictly Jaz Unit, Guidance, Nite Life Collective, Ovum, Rush Hour and more. Whether fiercely banging or delicately hypnotic, he’s blessed with a unique gift to weave harmonically-rich melodic threads that brilliantly vibrate along the mystical axis of funk and emotion. All tracks featured here are superb, from the trance-inducing shuffle of ‘Hiding Secrets’ to the heads-down throb of ‘Crying Black Man’. It’s the title track that stands out though, with its bewitching top line cascading over bouncing bass as euphoric pads and intricate synth motifs gloriously combine. If house music is your game, you really should own this record.

PC

DJ Trax – Polar Opposite EP (Over/Shadow)

Following in the wake of his three-pronged drop for Over/Shadow last year, DJ Trax is back on the label with another devastating trio of advanced breakbeat science. David Davies has never been short of inspiration in the field of D&B and jungle, but the music he’s making right now is fizzing with urgency. A great deal of the power in his sound comes from the split between rugged old-skool and the sheen of the modern age, crystalised in style on ‘Polar Opposite’.

The breaks charge and clatter, contorting through extravagant filter sweeps and jerky stop-start edits, the ragga man chants out “killah” and we can hear MAW’s iconic “ha” tripping into the echo chamber and the pads in the breakdown are oh-so-sweet. So far, so classic, but the magic comes from how Davies juggles all these sounds and gets everything landing with startling clarity, engineering every needlepoint ingredient for a widescreen, three-dimensional finish. 

‘Out Of Love’ speaks more to the gentler side of the DJ Trax sound – it’s perfectly executed, if a little over-familiar in its aqueous pads and impassioned RnB vocal lines. ‘Hands Of Time’ carries on the sentimentality for the B2, but here it’s a more sci-fi kind of romanticism driven by a particularly on-point arp and an overall narrative arc which speaks to the world-building power of D&B as visionary, evocative music. This is the arena in which Davies really shines, his refined production and inherent musicality engaged to the fullest.

OW

Delly Rollies / Friends 82 / Dea Barandana – Licik’ (Jiwa Jiwa)

Dutch label Jc iwa Jiwa re-issue an esoteric gem from the Indonesian archives alongside a sublime tribute mix from Bali resident, Dea Barandana. ‘Licik’ by Delly Rollies & Friends 82 was recorded back in 1981 and released on the pop-centric ‘Jadi Juga’ album a year later – an album currently listed by Discogs speculators for an eye-watering £5000. The band was comprised of Indonesian singer Rollies alongside compatriots Norman Rachman (drums) and Harry Sabar (keys), the latter of whom supplied the track’s iconic vocoder part.

The hard-to-find original is wildly atmospheric, featuring Sabar’s uninhibited vocoder solo soaring across gorgeous e-piano, splashing drums and delicate guitar licks. Sitting somewhere between yacht rock, prog, and pop, it’s unsurprising that the music is so highly-prized among Balearic-minded collectors. Adding a good deal of value to the release is Dea Barandana’s spectacular rework, with the DJ, producer and multi-instrumentalist going far beyond the re-edit realms with his faithful interpretation. Dea is something of a jewel in the Indonesian musical underground, and here he shows exactly why he’s held in such regard by those in the know. His version is utterly mesmerising, with evocative chords caressing intricately woven solos over unfettered bass and hypnotic machine drums.

This is nothing short of incredible, with Barandana’s version poised to become a future classic. With this in mind, it would be highly advisable to grab it before the speculators get their greedy paws on it.

PC

Universal Togetherness Group – I Want You (Soul Direction)
The renewed interest in undiscovered soul has yielded many hidden gems. The prolific work of labels like Numero Group (with their collections of “Eccentric Soul”) has given much needed visibility to many regionally successful acts that deserved much wider reach in their heyday. Among Numero Group’s 2015 releases was a collection of unreleased tracks by the Chicago soul group, Universal Togetherness Band. Between 1979 and 1982, the band recorded the selected tracks as part of a five-semester-long audio engineering program at Columbia College. Bandleader Andre Gibson had been told that he could use a professional recording studio free of charge as long as he paid for the resulting master tapes.

More than 30 years later, these tapes would be dusted down, re-mastered, and condensed into 40 minutes of disco, funk, and soul. Now, Soul Direction has attained permission to re-master and release 7” vinyl for two of the tracks: “I Want You” and “Call for Love”. “I Want You” is a funky, romantic cut, Gibson’s voice gliding over the groovy arrangement. “Call for Love” features similar subject matter only here we have a slightly more urgent tone. Both tracks exude a similarly smooth energy, unified under Gibson’s longing lyrics. The release is another example of the goldmine that existed beneath the soul mainstream.

NS

Pleasure Voyage ‘Time Unlimited’ (Pleasant Systems)

Budapest-based Balearic sailors Pleasure Voyage continue the excellent start they’ve made to their joint production adventure, arriving on German label Pleasant Systems with the ‘Time Unlimited’ EP. The duo of Attila and Szilard have been working together since around 2018, releasing polychromatic radio shows that brilliantly showcase their finely-tuned record collections via the genre-gliding mixes they construct.

The first releases under the Pleasure Voyage banner began appearing around 2020, and their music has already found a home on Prins Thomas’ Internasjonal label, as well as MM Discos and Horisontal among others. Here, they serve three tracks alongside three remixes from label boss, Tilman. ‘Feels So Right’ bursts with dream-house energy, with rubbery bass powering shimmering piano chords and meandering flutes over a crunching 808 beat. ‘Portraits Of Us’ continues the Italo theme with its sumptuous synth swells, exotic wildlife samples and rolling percussion, while ‘Seashell Island completes a thoroughly enjoyable set of originals via tropical marimbas, heartfelt leads and emotive pads. Tilman’s versions inject a dose or two of vigour while staying true to the source material. He nudges the tempo while adding fuel to the groove on ‘Feels So Right’ before his dancefloor focus is applied to his slick ‘Portraits Of Us’ revision. Finally, he steers us into late-night territory on his wide-eyed remake of ‘Seashell Island’, channelling Mediterranean heat through infectious vocal stabs, evocative pads and heads-down bass.

PC

This week’s reviewers: Noah Sparkes, Oli Warwick, Patrizio Cavaliere, Ben Willmott.