The best new singles this week

Our writers highlight their favourite 45s out right now

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

Arlo Parks – Super Sad Generation (Lewis)

This music reviewer is usually resistant to the hype around Arlo Parks, preferring to let the reputation of new pop artists such as her gestate for a time before passing judgment. But we felt an exception needed to be made, because this vinyl reissue of her song ‘Super Sad Generation’ may still stand as the freshest and most relevant track we’ve got to properly capture the mind and mood of today’s young people.

As the music video conveys, with Parks sitting alone in a curtained room, mouthing the lyrics wistfully, it often seems like it’s near-curtains for Generation Z. Pandemics, Brexits, extortionate prices and rents, ageist governments, entrenched beliefs about entitlement, untenable benchmarks (“you’re an adult, for god’s sake, [insert unaffordable expectation here]”), the myth of “snowflakes” – these are just a handful of the forces that conspire to keep young people apolitical, powerless, and ‘drugged’ in some form.

If this sounds unconvincing, take it from Parks. She sings in rubato against a lo-fi backing, lyrically diving head-first into the UK’s current ketamine epidemic, and quickly describing a scene in which a group of friends stop to ask themselves what they’re really trying to achieve by “getting wasted at the station.” This lyric perfectly captures the British youth’s anomie. It’s figurative and literal: railway unions strike, leaving train stations barren, due to the same backwards economic policies that leave young people with not just nowhere to go, but also without the means to go anywhere. Such lack of movement causes communities to devolve, loneliness to set in, and internets and drugs to step in to fill the void.

Another line comes in at the bridge: “I heard you say / Everything will sort itself if I get to LA”. We interpret this as an insight into the delusions of opportunity foisted on the young, with propagandistic ideas of plenty projected onto far-away fairytale lands of celebrity and glamour, such as Los Angeles. Evidently, Parks doesn’t need to say much to arouse political ire in her listeners; hopefully enough people listen to plant a seed of unrest.

JIJ

Jazzanova – Saturday Night Special (remixes) (BBE)

Last year’s ‘Strata Records: The Sound Of Detroit Reimagined by Jazzanova’ was both expansive in scope and marvellously executed by the fusionist masters. Revisiting and working their production magic into titles hand-plucked from Kenny Cox’s short-lived but seminal jazz label, the extended Jazzanova troupe respectfully manifested striking new iterations of compositions vastly important to Detroit’s unending musical legacy. Once again presented by BBE, one of many standouts from both the album and the Strata catalogue as a whole, ‘Saturday Night Special’ receives yet more remix treatment, with a quartet of versions appearing together on wax for the very first time. First up, and still sounding spectacular, Jazzanova’s album version stealthily broods over a head-nodding tempo, with hypotonic synth lines intertwined over faithfully orchestrated instrumentation and throbbing rhythms. Discreetly psychedelic and very much in keeping with the feel of the original, their remix magnificently transposes the track into the modern age with the cap firmly tipped towards the roots of the sound. 

Next, Kai Alce demonstrates every ounce of his production prowess, expertly blending key elements of the original and Jazzanova versions over a bumping but unobtrusive house beat, with horn solos and atmospheric strings soaring over undulating bass notes. The executive producer of the album project, DJ Amir joins Re:decay to offer their combined take, pitched along similar lines to Alce’s version, a crisp dose of deep house headiness is added to the mix as the familiar instrumentation elegantly gyrates. Finally, The Lyman Woodard Organization’s spellbinding original makes a most worthy appearance. Mind-expanding orchestration unfurls seductively over growling chords and weightless strings, with limber flute, seductive guitar and liquid e-piano solos cascading over the evolving bed while gentle drums solidify the groove. Considering the ability of the protagonists on show, it’s of no surprise that the results are stunning, with the source material interpreted so lovingly that each new version stands up majestically in its own right.  

PC

Bonecarver – Carnage Funeral (Unique Leader)

Madrid based symphonic technical deathcore outfit, Bonecarver, have levelled up in serious fashion since changing their moniker from the original, admittedly more entertaining but far less serious, Cannibal Grandpa.

Last year’s ferocious debut (under the new name), ‘Evil’, was an astutely titled behemoth of pummelling extremity, which has been sonically doubled down on the obliterating sophomore follow-up, ‘Carnage Funeral’.

Intertwining the chugging heft of slam-inspired hardcore-inflected death metal, with a grandiose symphonic aspect of operatic, gregorian scale; there’s an epic atmosphere to the proceedings not usually akin to this brand of audible horror.

Taking cues from acts of the scene’s early days such as Winds Of Plague and Abigail Williams, there may be those who hear slight similarities to recent genre highlighters, Lorna Shore, but while those groups remain well within the confines of the pig-squealing, breakdown-focused motifs, Bonecarver opt for a more traditional death metal approach for the most part. That isn’t to say there aren’t earth-shattering breakdowns galore, but they’re delivered as momentous transitions as opposed to the essential vitality many peers in the scene bestow onto the culminative segues. 

From the slow, modern classical build of the opening title-track, there’s an unsettling tranquillity hidden beneath the swells of strings, while the ensuing bombast is as claustrophobic as it is expansive. Where cuts such as the hardcore brute force of, ‘The Reckoning’, lean heavy on their punk influences, there’s still enough nuanced blast-beating and tech-death sweeping, virtuosic guitar leads to keep the chaos firmly rooted within the realms of metal.

While the symphonic elements mightn’t be as integral to the pieces as several of their past and present peers, the sparing use only elevates the cuts, juxtaposing the lilting arrangements with violent sonic desolation, with no finer example than on the haunting anguish of, ‘The Red Wake’.

Toeing a fine line within a subgenre of a subgenre, can hinder a group with less focus, but on, ‘Carnage Funeral’, Bonecarver deliver a project so naturally fluid and devastatingly heavy, it feels as if they’re pioneers of the scene, as opposed to relative latecomers.

ZB

Benedikt Frey – Recall (Malka Tuti)

It’s been the case for a long time, but it arguably applies more than ever in 2023: dance music’s darlings are faced with the unique challenge of finding a way to make their music engaging and stylistically fresh, without alienating their listeners. 

Benedikt Frey has already proven himself a musical mind to be treasured, with his debut album ‘Artificial’ and his follow-up ‘1987’ arguably being his most complete artistic statements, covering several distinct styles. As is often the way, though, his EPs and singles tend to focus more on danceability – and to get to the point of having this many short-play releases under your belt, you’d expect to find it increasingly challenging to tread new ground. 

Our expectations are proven wrong with ‘Recall’, though. Frey’s debut for Malka Tuti, this four-track EP sounds best on vinyl, owing to its high-scraping sonics and divine sound. This is not dance music for functional floors, but for more spiritually ‘in-touch’ spaces. Its drums and breaks are largely centred, making way for deeply evocative low-end movements that intentionally occupy the stereo field, which in turn pass by like sonic movements to accompany hazy, overlaid desert montages. As is alluded to in the name of the second track ‘Wonky System’, the drums throughout the EP tend to be laboured and wonky, as if they had been played in by a cloistered drumming troupe who owe their souls to a local icon – not a lone, expert producer.

By far the standout track, ‘Troll’ confounds the listener with a throbbing riff, sounding like a magical bubble rising to the surface of a body of soothsaying water. These, of course, are in turn befriended by clangorous metal drums and an alarmist arpeggiation. Once more, we are struck by the unusual textural character of this EP; ‘gluing everything together’ might be a popular fad, but Frey proves its applicability here, miring every part together into a singular, undisturbed trance.

JIJ

Tonino Balsamo – Sta Guagliona Mo Dda (Futuribile)

I suspected my Periodica Records love cup was already full to the brim, which indeed it was, but, thanks to the re-issue exploits they exhibit on their latest release, it’s now perilously close to spilling over. Having charmed the disco universe with a flurry of vintage-leaning productions forged by an ensemble cast of players in their West Hill Studio nerve centre, the Neapolitan maestros now turn their attention to resurrecting a quasi-mythical gem from their hometown vaults. Originally recorded in 1983 at the Rico Sound Studios, Tonino Balsamo’s ‘Sta Guagliona Mo Dda’ is the stuff of digging legend, thanks in no small part to a fairly flagrant misuse of production budget by the artists and crew. 

While the recording process appeared successful enough, a large portion of the budget was variously spunked during a hedonistic whirlwind of lavish dinners, nightclub abandon, and general amorousness, meaning, when the time came to actually press the record, the coffers had run all but dry. A paltry number of cassettes were manufactured in lieu of a full vinyl release, and, through the odd mysterious promo copy occasionally surfaces in local flea markets and second-hand stores, neither the label nor artist have any recollection of authorising such pressings. One could surmise that the aforementioned spell of good living contributed to this lapse in memory, but the ambiguity only adds two the intrigue. 

Having hunted high and low to discover the whereabouts of Tonino (named after his uncle Antonio, an esteemed master flautist), and 40 years after its creation, the Periodica gang proudly present the official release of this enigmatic would-be classic. The freshly mastered music is nothing short of sensational and certain to fly into the collections of fans of the West Hill sound. Sexy, wildly atmospheric and dripping in electro-funk swagger, Balsamo’s languid semi-rap flow meets a honeyed female chorus as live bass, ornamented synths and crisp machine drums seductively intertwine. 

The music appears in a useful ‘Strumentale’ version, allowing the alluring instrumentation a moment to bask in the spotlight, though it’s probably fair to say that Tonino’s sultry vocal is a key component of the track’s enduring appeal. Finally, completing an essential release that is unlikely to linger in the racks for too long, keyboardist Enzo Anoldo’s previously unpublished ‘Voglie ‘E Mare’ presents an interesting variation on the theme, with novel overdubs and garnishes reframing the music through an early 90s lens.

PC

Commodo – Deft 1s (Black Acre)

If you heard some sneaking grunge influences in recent Commodo bomb drops like ‘Stakeout’ and ‘Loan Shark’ then hold tight because he just turned the heat up good and proper. At this point we shouldn’t need to explain Dom Tarasek is one of the best operating in the field formerly known as dubstep – his level of expression and sophistication is unparalleled, creating the gnarliest hooks with understated poise and eking an ASMR level of satisfaction out of his sonic configurations without ever over-cooking the stew. With this latest release for Black Acre though, he’s just taken things one step further.

The titles should be a clarion call for anyone who engaged with alternative rock and metal in the 90s and 00s – after all, who doesn’t love Deftones? On paper, the idea of a dubstep-ish EP referencing such an imperious band sounds like one of the worst ideas you could think of, but of course it’s all down to the artist and how they approach the idea. Tarasek wears his influences out front, but it’s certainly no attempt to ape Stephen Carpenter’s sheet-metal guitar tone with added beats. Instead, he taps into a little of the Deftones emotionally-charged mood, draws open-heartedly on all manner of other sonic touchpoint from the era and does his own thing with it.

Sure, the live bass on ‘Living Bones’ is processed as though it’s come from an Around The Fur session, but there’s also a little cowpunk twang here, a Nirvana-esque muted riff there, crisp drums hanging back off the pocket like a wallet chain and some deadly one-shot bass snarls. It’s a rich tapestry with lots of detail to savour, but zoom out and simplify. If you love that era of guitar bands and inventive progressions within modern bassweight club music, this is very special stuff indeed. 

OW

Apiento – Escape Reality’ (Love International Recordings)

Love International and Test Pressing resume their gloriously symbiotic label collaboration with the latest material from TP’s very own Paul ‘Apiento’ Byrne, serving six astrally-charged machine funk meditations on the ‘Escape Reality’ EP. Though he appears to favour a slow but sure studio approach, Byrne’s exploits under the Test Pressing banner have helped cement his esteemed status in the deepest corners of the esoteric underground. While his back catalogue isn’t too densely packed, it doesn’t lack in terms of quality, with inspired releases for the likes of Music For Dreams and World Building vividly demonstrating his refined production chops.

’Escape Reality’ is every bit as transportive as the title suggests, with delicately woven melodies evoking profound stereo seduction throughout. The dream-inducing opener ‘Beau6’ strikes a celestial tone, with sub-rooted bass supporting airy synth lines and floating pads as they glide over broken drums, before the future breaks of ‘Axis’ effortlessly segue into transcendent sunrise territory. The tempo rises via the fizzing swells and darting motifs of ‘Those Busy Circuits’, while the proto-rave flex of ‘Everything Move’ provide an unabated dose of dance-ready thrust. The off-kilter melodics and hazy pads of ‘Escape Light’ dive deeper into the shadows as sparse drums power through the hallucinatory fog, with closing track ‘The Us Frequency’ blending analogue refrains with jagged drums and murky bass to continue the starry-eyed escapism.  

PC

Andrzej Korzynski – The Devil Tapes (Finders Keepers)

The Devil (aka. Diabeł) is the third-most popular film directed by acclaimed Polish horror auteur Andrzej Żuławski. Arguably his most controversial movie, it was banned by authoritarian rule in Żuławski’s home country, owing to its depictions of incest and rape, not to mention its vivid taboo-breaking and Bacchanalia. 

Evidently, most Polish creatives with any semblance of high stature back then tended to be named Andrzej: another Andrzej (Korzyński) was hired to handle the score. A little known figure in the film scoring world, Korzyński’s work has nevertheless gone down among film music buffs as paramount for quality kino from Poland. Korzyński’s score is chief among them, and arguably proved his historical notability in a single swoop. Asked to make something “totally unique, like something from another planet”, this ten-minute collection of mind-warping psychedelia, terrifying sonic gargles, and trembling curios actually makes up not the original soundtrack, but a collection of base material, outtakes and rejected parts. As a result, we hear something far less suited to a narrative feature, but rather something closer to Korzynski’s initial outpouring of creativity, out from which a proper score was composed later. For that fact, it doesn’t sound like a filmic window into the world of the Devil – rather, this is a rare glimpse into the Devil’s true form, not usually witnessable to human senses. 

JIJ

Los Hermanos – Another Day (Mother Tongue)

Releases with as much gravity as ‘Another Day’ by Los Hermanos don’t come around too often. While an awful lot of functional, well-produced house music appears on a daily basis, there’s an argument to be had that compositions with the power to stop listeners in their tracks don’t surface especially often these days. Partly down to the ease at which any given producer can form and publish their work, and quite probably influenced by an over-reliance on sample packs and software shortcuts, a good many of today’s deep house jams sound rather similar, to say the least. With that in mind, Italian label Mother Tongue’s decision to repress this pearl from Gerald Mitchell seems entirely appropriate. 

Evocative, stirring and steeped in a gloriously soul-soothing atmosphere, the title track has to be considered among the most striking of out-and-out house tracks forged in recent times. The devotional vocal undoubtedly provides the force, ably assisted by honeyed chords, precise drums and the warmest of baselines. The rest of the EP is rather wonderful, too, with the jagged rhythms and agile keys of ‘Binary Funk Infusion’ primed for more deviant floors, while the free-flowing soul and meandering keys of ‘The Billy Love Experience’ provide a contemplative home listening counterpoint. Los Hermanos keeping the bar raised far higher than most, this is essential material. 

PC

Fiction Life – Basic Moves 17 (Basic Moves)

The Basic Moves series continues to be an essential stop off point for those who appreciate some proper character in their club gear. Fiction Life is an alias from cult NYC hero and techno lifer Reade Truth, who by all accounts has been flying the flag for techno relentlessly since the earliest days. Given his Fiction Life project only manifested once before in 1996, it’s hard to ascertain if these pieces are archival grips from back in the day or something newer – they certainly sound a little too sharp to be purely vintage.

It’s opening track ‘Social Overload’ which steals the show from the get-go, leaning on an MPC-flavoured bump, full of bugging, swinging synth lines tangled up in a knot and just impossibly funky, with a Pet Shop Boys-quoting lyrical twist thrown in for good measure. It’s quite simply outstanding, setting the tone for an EP of fresh, personality-laden house and techno with an unmistakable New York crunch. Truth moves between energy levels with elegance which contrasts the gnarliness of his music, at times locking into a sustained groove which might well find a home in a Zip set, or elsewhere toying with a jagged electro-techno approach for the more dystopian dancefloor. Crucially, it’s all completely and utterly legit.

OW

Tour Maubourg – Floating On Silence EP (Noire & Blanche)

Considering the volume of his back catalogue, you’d be forgiven for thinking Tour Maubourg had been active for a lot longer than he actually has. Since emerging in around 2017, his work on labels including Shall Not Fade, Better Listen and Pont Neuf has arrived with both an impressive prolificacy and a fair above average quality threshold, winning plenty of admirers and helping to spread his name and his music far across the electronic underground. From shuffling deep house to jazz-soaked electronica, the French artist’s accomplished productions are routinely engaging, and there’s a sense that his musical journey is very much in the ascendency.

His latest effort. ‘Floating On Silence’, appears via compatriot label, Noire & Blanche, featuring five varied jams that each dwell somewhere under the winder deep house umbrella. The percussive rhythms and delicate keys of ‘Longing For You’ ease us in gently, with organic textures loosely woven over a wide open landscape. ‘I Wanna’ sees splashy jazz drums propel mysterious synth motifs and tension-bulging chords, before ‘Nite People’ dramatically switches the pace with its bubbling acid licks, shuffling Italo-house drums and hyper-infectious top line. The title track pitches hazy jazz samples over dusty house rhythms as alluring vocal chops add abundant texture to the groove, before closing track ‘Mighty Groove’ injects a dose of dancefloor vigour to see out the set. Here, meandering synth saunters over shimmering chords and rhythm guitar licks, the thick orchestration primed for balmy nights on the Mediterranean disco terrace. 

PC

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