The best new singles this week

by Juno Daily on 12.07.2023 at 18:17pm.
Last edited: 12.07.2023 at 18:18pm.

The 45s revolving on the turntables of the Juno Daily crew this week

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

While his enduring influence on wonky, gnarly techno remains an unshakeable association, Neil Landstrumm’s more than demonstrated his flexibility to turn his machines to other outlets. Since laying waste to Planet Mu with some outstanding hybridised dubstep LPs in the late 00s it’s been a thrill to see him stretch out into Italo, electro and more. What the brutalist end of his techno output sometimes shrouded was the dope flamboyance in his approach, and it was totally applicable to other sounds. His live sets help prove this point as he deftly jockeys his gear from jackhammer 4/4 to slippery bassweight gear and back again without missing a beat.

Hearing Landstrumm arrive on Swamp81 speaks to the clout he carries within the field formerly known as dubstep, and you can hear snatches of Minimoo tipped towards explicit soundsystem tropes. ‘Spiral’ rides a daggering square wave bass and swung beat which calls to mind early days of DMZ and in particular Loefah’s approach, while the extended run time and relatively looped up, linear submission of the track is more heads down than Landstrumm typically gets.

Elsewhere though, Landstrumm is just doing his own thing, laying down low-slung Miami bass flavours on ‘Loveya’ and looping Nina Simone into infinity on the spicier sister track ‘Luvya’. ‘Aintgotnojob’ takes a sideways slant on footwork and pulls it off brilliantly, not least with the wobbly chord drop around the mid-section.

But it’s ‘Minimoo’ which takes the cake as a demonstration of Landstrumm teasing his ability to craft a hit when he feels like it. There’s no confirmation on this, but it sounds like he’s running vocals from Atlanta-based MC Tina P, who also appeared on his 2021 track ‘Spice’ on Sneaker Social Club. It’s catchy as hell and gnarly with it, bringing the slickest moves out of Landstrumm’s arsenal without diluting his wayward spirit.

Stekke / Max Underson – Universal Law (Sketches Germany)

A realisation: some styles are much harder to pull off than others. he level of skill involved in making the average prog-jazz album, compared to that of an ambient drone album, is not the same. Somewhere in between these lands minimal techno; that tricky subgenre populated largely by production geeks, who prefer a certain headroom in their music, intended to allow the listener to pick up on every synaptic peak and blip in the mix. These artists refuse to give in to mere vibe.

Releases like ‘Universal Law’ seem to prove that the unfair shade often thrown on minimal are nothing more than the result of a vast mass of its artists not doing the genre proper justice. Max Underson and Stekke (Ale Reis, Idee) are contemporaries from Germany, having found a routine home in the roster of Paris-based Sketches Records for a good while now. This collaborative new one for the imprint – a rare double vinyl EP – proves that their approach is one that sees the construction of techno as systematic, efficient.

This is how minimal is meant to sound in its platonic abstract. Not janky, not blase, just right. Three originals (‘The Messenger’, ‘The Overriding’, ‘Guidance’) make up the source material for the overall five tracks, with Melchior Productions Ltd. and XDB helming up a remix each. Melancholic pad swoons underlie every mix, like chanced-upon meditation rooms in cyberspace, while an overall well-roundedness comes with every drum hit. That said, the artists are unafraid of the wackier side of things, with screamy, uncategorizably slippery noises cropping up frequently, as on Melchior’s version, or the reversed cackles of what sounds like an old soul sample. The main curiosity, though, is this: the collective motto at the heart of Sketches’ sonic artisanship is that every drum hit should sound like a well-sanded joint.

JIJ

Cousin – Fifth Wall EP (Well Street)

Jackson Fester’s Hudson 12” as Cousin caught a wave after it landed on Nummer Music last year, and he promptly followed it up with a drop for NAFF which confirmed his position in that crooked hinterland between techno, electro and 140. It’s a field which seems to strengthen over time even as the styles of individual artists splinter in myriad directions. There are variations and separate constellations, of course, but Fester’s sound fits right in on Well Street and it would also be just as comfortable on Blank Mind or Cong Burn, perhaps even Livity Sound.

‘Otta’ in particular plies a more delicate, dubby trade in aqueous atmospherics, cooling pads and intricately sculpted beats. It’s quite a contrast from lead track ’88’, which uses space more explicitly and makes the drums snap harder for a trip into proper 140 territory, complete with some snarling bass drops pulled straight from the hardcore continuum. What’s interesting about Fester’s approach is how he wilfully exerts restraint on the track, tempering that grinding bass tone and using it sparingly before pivoting away into a mellower section in a potent teasing of split energies.

There’s a punchy clarity to the low end of the rhythm section on ‘Ante’ which contrasts nicely with the fluid decoration on top, while ‘Fifth Wall’ makes good on the meditative promise of the Cousin sound overall by setting adrift in more explicitly backroom waters, albeit never at the expense of a sturdy rhythmic drive. There’s nuance in the melodic dimension of the arrangement and the dusty string sample in particular cuts through the washy ambience, creating a perfect B2 track with its own peculiar qualities but more than enough intention to stand up to the rest of the EP. It’s another fine step on for Fester and further confirmation Well Street is acutely keyed into the freshest developments in the trifecta where many modern club styles meet.

Siraba – Komo Folly (inc St Germain remix) (Secret Teachings)

East Africa certainly is the place to be this month. Last week, we revelled in the delights of our album of the week from African Head Charge, inspired by an lockdown-caused extended stay in Ghana for one half of the duo.

This week, we find ourselves enjoying the not dissimilar vibes of Siraba, another duo, this time hailing from nearby Mali and France respectably. ‘Komo Folly’ finds them employing a similar modus operandi of ‘ancient and modern’ combining to make something special, as vocoder-style vocals meet a loosely played string instrument of some indistinguishable style and the snapping, head nodding rhythms are tickled by a gently arpeggiated synth line so starbound you’re surprised it’s not The Orb.

It’s a sublime, laid back listen that transports you to dusty heat of East Africa straight away. But there’s something even more exciting going on this release – check the name of the remixer on the B-side and realise… Yes, it’s that St Germain, the man who gave the French house scene its jazzy edge, making what is these days a rare appearance.

His version – wisely – doesn’t do much to mess with the original’s bewitching combination of instrumentation, just replants it in what you’d have to say is a trademark low slung, lazy Latin house groove, subtly swaddling it in soft keyboards and propelling it into the kind of classic people will be lifting a cocktail to on the White Isle at sunset for the rest of the summer. Good to have you back, just don’t leave it so long next time.

Katatonic Silentio – Mantis 11 (Delsin Mantis)

Although she might have been operating in a relatively underground sphere thus far, Mariachiara Troianiello has cultivated a presence as Katatonic Silentio which raises expectations with each release. Her early output was informed in some way by the intensity of breakcore and other free party styles, but even then she was displaying a predisposition for highly developed sound design and experimental approaches. With her alignment with Ilian Tape, Troianiello’s sound has sunk into a deeper well, guided by dub and techno but never beholden to them. Instead she sculpts vivid forms using precise sound design, creating a three-dimensional effect in the process.

Now Troianiello is applying this idea to Delsin’s Mantis series, which has already established itself as being primarily focused on deepest techno with a contemporary twist and a fractured rhythmic instinct. Across four tracks she varies her position on the dial between a measured, hypnotic style and more visceral production. ‘Themes’ patiently builds from a faint murmur to a snaking beat doused in delay and reverb, feeling wholly soundsystem minded but still highly compatible with the likes of previous Mantis entrant Konduku. ‘To’ follows suit with an excursion into humid climes, as pointed chatter from jungle creatures accompanies the spectral shimmer of pads and tones around the steady stalk of the beat.

It’s ‘Hide’ where Troianiello shifts gears in a subtle fashion, drawing on a rougher, denser palette of percussion from unknown sources to punch out the tangible forms she’s established her artistry on. The mood is still immersive and patient, but the track leaps out with a greater immediacy than its counterparts on the A side. In a wholly different way, ‘From’ continues the diversion into sound design territory as Troianiello drops the tempo and spreads out the arrangement to afford ample room for wider, sweeping scrapes and squiggles to dart across the stereo field. In this much space, it’s possible to marvel at every microscopic detail in her sound, which proves to be adaptable to a different kind of musical space without diminishing the firm identity of her approach.

Batu – For Spirits (A Long Strange Dream)

Given his well-established commitment to subverting club music conventions since first busting out as Batu circa 2013, it’s intriguing that Omar McCutcheon feels the need to establish a new label to stretch his legs. Even if there is a vague over-arching style which makes Timedance a cohesive platform, it’s pretty broad and more roundly defined by a lack of predictability than anything else.

A Long Strange Dream is billed as a more personal outlet, and there is a sense of subtle shifting in McCutcheon’s approach across these five tracks, but it still feels very in-keeping with the Batu sound overall. ‘For Spirits’ might have a slightly more earthly, less alien, atmosphere than some of his other work, but it’s still bristling with interference, micro-edits and cerebellum-massaging sweeps of noise and texture. ‘In Tongues’ slaps like a focused techno stomper, but it’s still prone to high-def deconstruction which comes straight from the Batu playbook of virtuoso sound design for the club.

‘Foraged In The Margins’ and ‘Through The Glass’ leave the rhythm section behind for more tonal, spatial explorations, with the latter doing beautiful work with fluttering, plucked string tones, but this isn’t the first time McCutcheon has jettisoned drums. Without the expectation of something completely different, it’s more comfortable to savour as en EP which simply demonstrates the continued, considered evolution of one of the most gifted producers probing at the edges of contemporary club music.

Lorenzo Morresi – Isla (Rollover Milano)

The clever, unlaboured style of Milan-based artist and producer Lorenzo Morresi comes flying across the pond on his latest for Rollover, ‘Isla’. Reflecting the eclectic party that shares the Rollover namesake – centring on dark disco, deep house, and Italo space funk – the producer and DJ has long committed himself to ever-expanding his musical horizons, a commitment which more than shows itself on this difficult-to-categorize new EP.

Reflecting perhaps the Balearier-eyed end of the club music renaissance that seemingly happened in the late 2010s, these tracks are stylistic in-betweens, sure. But just a smidgen of categoriless curiosity from the listener should make that a more endearing draw, not less. Opener ‘Jodo’ is a funk-paced, soft breakbeat number, peppered with the voice of a femme meditation guide: “the eternal history… the unthinkable… the unimaginable…”; just enough to give us a taste of Morresi’s consciousness-expansion.

The quirkiness is then ramped up; ‘Odyssey Vanezia’ was allegedly made from recordings made using Loutar, a Moroccan stringed instrument which we can hear ascending away in the track’s breakdown, against a spiritual backdrop of celebratory whoops and ambient washes. The downtempo dembow-y ‘Isla’ brings up the B, with eighth-note-filtrating trance vocals and descending bass charges making for a forward propulsion. And finally comes ‘Outro’, on which our meditation guide returns for a crossrhythmic prance: moving “deeper and deeper into eternity, I would eventually become the void consciousness.” Clearly, Morresi has something going on, and it’s more than just talent.

JIJ

KMRU / Hibotep – Split (Byrd Out)

The latest release on reliably inquisitive label Byrd Out feels like two separate EPs rolled into one. Perhaps that’s a sensible move in these resource-fraught times, but it also means getting to explore two distinct artists sounds at once. KMRU leads the way on the A side with three pieces which continue his captivating ambient practice. The Berlin-based Kenyan artist has arrived with a staggering prolificacy in the past few years, evolving his sound in rapid succession as he embraces the abundance of possible sound sources in pursuit of his elegant but formidable strain of ambience.

On this release, ‘Lune’ in particular bristles with harmonic overtones and natural distortion which quiver atop the shifting plates of drone and submerged tone. ‘Wind Bags’ is much softer in contrast, but KMRU’s approach is defined by the depth of detail hidden behind` those glacial blooms of melodic tone. Emergent Kenyan artist Nyokabi Kariuki brings her own touch to bear on the track, employing her voice to take it in a distinct direction which feels more like its own work than a remix.

On the flip, Hibotep is instantly more forthright in her approach. Born in Ethiopia with Somali ancestry, Hibotep has found her way to the beating heart of Kampala’s vibrant music community in a flurry of multi-disciplinary craft. There’s a fierceness to her music even in the relatively head-nodding beatdown of ‘Saffron’ – a stunning exercise in dynamic, richly layered hip-hop inversion which features slow-bowed acoustic string tones and gnarled electronics strapped to a neck-snapping groove. ‘Ebwino’ is the star of the show, though, as it unfolds over 11 dramatic minutes starting in icy ambience before blooming into explosive rap voiced by Will’stone.

Olga Korol & Per Hammar – Beshket (Dirty Hands)

Without wanting to sound too glib, they do say the best revenge is living well. Despite the fact they have a marauding superpower committing endless war crimes on their country, Ukranians seem to be doing just that – winning the Eurovision Song Content, running riot in the tennis despite being a wild card and, in the case of Olga Korol, making superlative minimal house with Swedish producer Per Hammar that couldn’t encourage you towards the dancefloor any more if it had a rifle pointed at you.

‘Beshket’ is a forgotten, native Ukrainian translates as ‘brawl’ or ‘rumble’ in English – you’ll have to make your own assumptions about the title and that of track two ‘Darth Vader’ – but the dark-edged, subtly building but compulsively beats of offer across the three tracks are the kind of weapon most DJs will want in their arsenal when going into battle behind the twin technics.

There are plenty of highlights, but it’s ‘Darth Vader’ that gets our vote as a narrow leader in the brilliance stakes, with Korol adding an eerie, hushed vocal using a tube pre amp borrowed from their psy-trance studio neighbours. It’s got tons of personality, while the other two are a little more functional, if much more groovy than anything termed minimal really ought to be. It’s Korol & Hammar time.

Various Positions – Irrational Flashbacks (Gravitational Waves)

We live in a great time for minimal wave. The original genre might have come and gone in the first wave of DIY electronic music in the 1980s, but as we live in a time where home-jamming tools are all the more abundant and varied, it figures there will be more bedroom superstars trying their hand at discordant night-walker anthems. It’s helped no end by the encroachment of dystopia in the wider world – fuel for such gothically-inclined music.

Gravitational Waves is centred around DJ Nephil, an Italian in Berlin clearly seduced by the darkwave and making it his mission to keep minimal synth music undead. Purportedly this excellent collection is not credited to anyone in particular and emerged from a collective vision of five different artists during sessions in 2018, but we can safely assume Nephil is involved in some way.

From the tunnelling synth-pop heights scaled by ‘Romantic V’ to the punky, dubby freakout of ‘Technical Terror’ there’s a lot to enjoy on this EP. However it’s ‘Kottbusser Damm 32’ which takes the prize with its steady application of electro pressure and detuned synth hook which will make any urban vampire raise their neatly plucked eyebrow.

This week’s reviewers: Oli Warwick, Ben Willmott, Jude Iago James.