Life Elsewhere

Coral Grief - Wow Signal

“Rich guitars, glowing synths, driving bass, and ethereal vocals swirl around skeletal drum beats to create a textured, intricate sound that is experimental, playful, and catchy”, the self-description from Coral Grief. Although, I probably wouldn’t have come up anything better. Lena Farr-Morrissey, Sam Fason and Cam Hancock know what they are doing - and they do it well. On their LP, Daydrops the Seattle-based trio display wisely-crafted songwriting with smart, but not too affected instrumentation. Listen carefully to Wow Signal, from the soft unassuming opening to Lena’s distant cries at around 3.44, this is a superb production. Top marks for the accompanying video, too.

⁠Judith Parts - Meadowsweet⁠⁠

She is a composer, music producer, sound designer, violin player and a singer, from Estonia, currently based in Copenhagen. Growing up in Estonia Judith was exposed to a lot of wild nature. She has a particular interest in the connection, and dissonance, we humans have with nature and a lot of her work is inspired by that relationship. With Meadowsweet from the album of the same name, Judith Parts has created a haunting, somewhat eerie song with file manipulation, computer chicanery and found sounds(?). Engaging and interesting sleeve artwork.

⁠Maija Sofia - Four Winters⁠⁠

“I gave him four winters, the man is gone, but he took something of me with him”. sings Maija Sofia, then, a few lines later she says, “I’m going out tonight, I’ll wear the dress that I was raped in”. Later in the song, she tells us, “I’m not scared of anything”. The words to Four Winters are challenging, yet Maija’s striking voice, while both plaintive and determined, urges you to listen even more closely.That’s not surprising as the Galway singer-songwriter says her True Love LP, “Is about enchantment, exorcisms, bewilderment and loving wildly". This is a first-class album with anaccompanying  evocative video for Four Winters.

⁠Nameless Ghost - Slow Down⁠⁠

Now here’s a cut from the album, Under The Surface that I’ve just got around to including in a LEM volume. No excuses, it’s simply that sometimes I need the right moment to slot in a song so tender and moving as Slow Down. Dave Colman out of Toronto performs and produces under the moniker of Nameless Ghost. He says his songs are about loss, grief, and mental illness. Do take the time to explore all of Dave’s songs here - so good. And a big thumbs up for the sleeve artwork by Steve Coleman (brother?). 

⁠Novelty Island - Turn To Me⁠

It says here, “Novelty Island is the surreal-pop project of Liverpool-based songwriter/producer, Tom McConnell”. What it doesn’t say of course, is every music-writer and his brother will make references to Wings era McCartney, a slight nod to Ray Davies and a dash of Sid Barrett. But push all the Trainspotting to one-side and you’ve got a jolly well conceived LP with, Wallsend Weekend Television and a decidedly catchy pop song in, Turn To Me, complete with a Liverpudlian nasal twang. 

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David Neiwert The Age of Insurrection: The Radical Right's Assault On American Democracy

From a smattering of ominous right-wing compounds in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, to the shocking January 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, America has seen the culmination of a long-building war on democracy being waged by a fundamentally violent and antidemocratic far-right movement that unironically calls itself the “Patriot” movement. 
So how did we get here? Award-winning journalist David Neiwert — who been following the rise of these extremist groups since the late 1970s, when he was a young reporter in Idaho — explores how the movement was built over decades, how it was set aflame by Donald Trump and his cohorts, and how it will continue to attack American democracy for the foreseeable future. Neiwert especially studies how the Pacific Northwest has long been a breeding ground of extremist violence, from the time when neo-nazis migrated to the area from southern California in the 1970s, through the great battles in Portland and Seattle and neighboring towns over the last decade. 
Laying out how these groups organize their terroristic violence and attacks on democratic institutions at every level—including local, state, and federal targets—Neiwert details what their strategies and plans look like for the foreseeable future.

David Neiwert is an award-winning investigative journalist and the author of several books, including Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories that are Killing Us (Prometheus 2020), Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump. David also writes about and publishes photos of Orca whales, his book, Of Orcas and Men: What Killer Whales Can Teach Us is an essential read.

Jori Lewis - Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop That Changed History⁠

Who knew the humble peanut could provide a fascinating backdrop for an expedition into history, geography, culture, economics, and West Africa. Award-winning independent writer, Jori Lewisweaves a complex story in Slaves For Peanuts with a deft hand at including the tiniest of details without ever boring her reader. Few of us know the peanut’s tumultuous history or its intimate connection to slavery and freedom. Jori Lewisexplains the natural and human history of a crop that transformed the lives of millions. She reveals how demand for peanut oil in Europe ensured that slavery in Africa would persist well into the twentieth century, long after the European powers had officially banned it in the territories they controlled. Delving deep into West African and European archives, Lewis recreates a world on the coast of Africa that is breathtakingly real and unlike anything modern readers have experienced. Slaves For Peanuts is told through the eyes of a set of richly detailed characters—from an African-born French missionary harboring runaway slaves, to the leader of a Wolof state navigating the politics of French imperialism—who challenge our most basic assumptions of the motives and people who supported human bondage. At a time when Americans are grappling with the enduring consequences of slavery, here is a new and revealing chapter in its global history.

For those of you taking notes you’ll know in the last volume 325, the whole show was dedicated to various genres of electronic music, and there are so many. In this volume we are going to focus in on another genre that gets broken up into numerous sub-genres, singer-songwriter, acoustic, indie-folk, pop-folk, alt-folk, yes, I could go on - yet there is another sub-genre that consistently gets included that list, this is what at one time we used to call the blues, now we have labels such as sad, emotive, melancholy, heartbreak, emo, I even saw miserable attributed to a collection of songs recently. OK, not exactly uplifting, yet there is an unusual wealth of impressive songs in these sub-genres - so for the next 60 minutes have a box of tissues ready as we explore music to cry along to.

⁠Computerwife - Lexapro⁠⁠

Born and raised in Atlanta, now based in New York, Adeline Warncke started Computerwife at 18-years-old as a Soundcloud experiment. From her self-titled LP, Lexapro qualifies as maudlin not least of all because of her contorted vocals that sound as if they were recorded in another room down the hall. Do use this cut as an intro to delve into her other songs. The sleeve art is bit scary, too.

⁠Flowerguts - Para⁠⁠

“I wrote this album during the biggest transitional period of my life” says Tomcat of Flowerguts, adding, “I make music sometimes!Halcyon is an album about growing up”. Based in Portland, Oregon they have a surprisingly large back catalogue, almost every track includes that DIY signature hum of lo-fi equipment.  

⁠Winten - Anything You Like

Written over a two year period in the confines of Winten’s bedroom, the album,Waving To My Girl offers a tender and triumphant collection of songs that reflect on romantic and familial heartbreak, growing pains, insecurity and acceptance, all the while acknowledging and loving an ever-present inner child. Sparkling, guitar-led opener Anything You Likecontemplates the difficulty of saying goodbye to a love that cannot survive despite the intimacy that engulfs it. Bridgette Winten is an accomplished singer-songwriter from Melbourne, I’m so pleased to include in this show. I do love how so many Australian artists pay respects to the original owners of the land they live, for examplem Bridgette writes, “All songs, written, performed and recorded on land that is rightfully owned by the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land”.

⁠Sulka - Weekend⁠⁠

This Glasgow band is fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist Lukas Clasen who looks like a much more handsome Tom Cruise says my producer, who reckons she is connoisseur on these matters. Lukas is accompanied by Fionn Crossan, Jimi Maffei, and Niamh Baker with additional backing vocals from Kim Grant and Chris McCrory and a fine effort they have all made on the LP, Distractions.

⁠Babe Martin - Knocked For Six BHX⁠⁠

Babe Martin is the musical project of singer-songwriter Zoë Larsen Cumming from Auckland, New Zealand. Knocked For Six BHX is about the emotional upheaval involved in visiting family in another country. “At its core it’s about living apart from people that you love and the inevitable goodbye after a catch up,” she explains. “It’s about family, airports, and old feelings you’ve not felt in a while sneaking up on you when you least expect".   Knocked For Six BHX is on Babe Martin’s excellent The Versoix EP. In case you were wondering, BHX is Birmingham airport, UK.

⁠Niika - Sever Ties⁠⁠

Nika Nemirovsky originally from Uzbekistan now resides in Chicago and uses Niika as her stage name. Her captivating EP, Still A Soft One venture into a jazzy vein which works so well with her warm, slightly delicate voice. She’s not whispering, but Niika does sound as if she is in nibbling distance of your ear. Alluring is a description that captures some of the essence of Sever Ties, yet you know the title tells another story.

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Naoise Mac Sweeney -  The West: A New History In Fourteen Lives

Prize-winning historian Naoíse Mac Sweeney delivers a captivating exploration of how Western Civilization the concept of a single cultural inheritance extending from ancient Greece to modern times - is a powerful figment of our collective imagination. An urgently needed emergent voice in big history, she offers a bold new account of Western history, real and imagined, through the lives of fourteen remarkable individuals. From Herodotus, a mixed-race migrant, to Phylis Wheatley, an enslaved African American who became a literary sensation; and from Gladstone, with a private passion for epic poetry, to the medieval Arab scholar Al-Kindi - the subjects are a mind-expanding blend of unsung heroes and familiar faces viewed afresh. Naoíse Mac Sweeney’s enthusiasm for history is refreshingly engaging and a delight to listen to.

⁠Carolyn Hays - A Girlhood: Letter To My Transgender Daughter⁠

One ordinary day, a caseworker from the Department of Children and Families knocked on the Hays family's door to investigate an anonymous complaint about the upbringing of their transgender child. It was this knock, this threat, that began the family's journey out of the Bible Belt but never far from the hate and fear resting at the nation's core. Self-aware and intimate, A Girlhood asks us all to love better, not just for the sake of Hays' child but for children everywhere enduring injustice and prejudice just as they begin to understand themselves. A Girlhood is a call to action, an ode to the community, a plea for empathy, and hope for a better future. A Girlhood is a love letter to a child who has always known exactly who she is--and who is waiting for the rest of the world to catch up. Carolyn Hays is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, bestselling author, who has chosen to publish to A Girlhood: Letter to My Transgender Daughter under a pen name to protect the privacy of her family.

The incidental music in this edition is Hecate from the LP, Månens Hav by Swedish artist, Sofia Nystrand who uses the moniker Vargkvint. Growing up in the Swedish archipelago of Roslagen, she lived close by the harbour where ferries arrive from Finland, and her bedroom window offered a clear view out over the ocean. ‘Hav’ took its name from the Swedish for ‘the sea’, and though she lives in Stockholm now, its power and mythology remain a constant companion. “When I’m not close,” she confesses, “I feel a bit disoriented.” Månens Hav, you see, means ‘Oceans of the Moon’. 

Something a little different for this volume…electronica, electro, trip-hop, chill out, downtempo, techno, garage, dub, drum & bass, dubstep, grime…I could go on…all these genres seem to overlap and in turn cause confusion, so for Vol 325 we disregard the genres and sub-genres for a nonstop mix of music that is often overlooked by Indie and Alternative programmers. 

⁠Qeight - Losing You Again⁠⁠

From Cosmicleaf Records out of Greece a new chillout single by Qeight. The inspiration came from the following thoughts: "In the eerie stillness of the moment, as life slips away, all that is left is a single glance, a solitary breath. It is then, and only then, that one gazes upon the sum of their existence. It feels as though the soul is imprisoned in a frigid dungeon, awaiting an unknown voice to proclaim, ‘Release him from his bonds, for I shall take him with me’.” Well, that’s all a lot heavier than I expected from this very cool cut.

⁠Mystic State - The Last Lotus⁠⁠

Courtesy of the Deep Dark & Dangerous imprint out of New Zealand. This duo from Bristol in the UK prove their worth with exemplary studio skills. Found sounds, samples and digital effects used to full effect. Gorgeous.

⁠Kaya Project - Breathe Again⁠⁠

Compilations are always worthwhile investigating, here mixmaster and producer, Seb Taylor curated an essential collection with Breathe Again from Kaya Project being a standout cut. All the right elements are here for an infectious journey graced with those sensual violins. A persuasive foot-tapper you’ll want to hear again, and again…

⁠Barry Can’t Swim - Woman 

Oh, what a gem this is. Harking back to classic disco and then messing with your reference point. Like an evening on mushrooms in just under four minutes. Big thumbs up for the emphatic vocal from Låpsley. “You only get to make your debut album once,” points out Barry, “So I want to showcase all the elements of the things I enjoy and love in music up to this point.” The multi-faceted Scottish artist releases his debut album When Will We Land? on Ninja Tune, out October 20th.

⁠Gum.MP3 - Love You Better (Ft. Netanya)

Just when you think it’s time to step outside for breath of fresh air, Love You Better has you back in the throng of sweating, almost naked bodies grinding away to a 2-Step-Garage-Drum & Bass workout with vocalist, Netanya tempting you to let go - just one more time. Make sure you grab copy of the Riddim Seeker EP from Gum.MP3.

QuiQui - Labyrinth Of Paradoxes⁠⁠

Then, a voice whispers in your ear and you are off on another discovery. Jeroen Wiggers AKA QuiQui is intent on hypnotizing you with Labyrinth Of Paradoxes from the EP of the same name on Manual Music out of Rotterdam. At this point you have abandoned checking off the genre box.

⁠Tubby Isiah - Conscious Calling⁠⁠

With all the requirements for serious kush rhapsodizing, Moonshine Records out of Poland offer up, Dub Meets Techno complete with notable cuts including Conscious Calling from Tubby Isiah. Here the genres deliberately collide to full effect.

⁠Eric Hilton - Farewell To Midnight⁠⁠

Hilton of Thievery Corporation fame with Puma Ptah on vocals continues the joyous trip-hop, a genre he helped birth as a co-founder of the legendary downtempo electronic music act. Eric’s new album, Lost Dialect is a must-have.

Temple Step & Zen Tempest - Tribal Swagger⁠⁠

Based in Melbourne, Temple Step Producer, Dj, Sound Healer and all round Sound Alchemist collaborates with musicians, ceremonialists, neo-shamans and sound healers around the globe. He weaves dance and world music in a unique and original way. Vocalist Zen Tempest delivers a message of hope, a future. Cool sleeve artwork.

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Media Responsibility.

Can the outrage over CNN’s “Town Hall” with Trump be a case of the pot calling the kettle black? After all Trump was good for ratings as the head of CBS said before Trump became President. And over on Morning Joe on MSNBC they had qualms about having Trump call in regularly before he became President. To cover Trump and the unprecedented nonsense he spews, is that the Media’s responsibility?

Debt Ceiling Debacle.

Is this a non-story? From both sides of the aisle, the collective summation is we can solve this without earth-shattering crisis? So why the antics. Political posturing at the expense of the general public?

GOP Presidential Candidate Race.

Trump is in the lead by a long margin as more candidates enter the race. Is this a fool-hardy exercise? Can anyone stand up to Trump and do a better job of being completely absurd while maintaining such a large lead?

Trump And The Justice System.

As the cases rack up and evidence becomes more likely Trump will face serious indictment(s), his base continues to gladly cough -up their hard-earned money.  Along with the junk merchandise and blatant grifting why are Trump’s supporters are even more determined to prove their love by gobbling up the trashy merch and pledging financial support?

Is The UK Beyond Repair.

Rishi Sunak is the latest Prime Minister of a recent merry-go-round of applicants. The Conservative Party just suffered a severe battering in local elections and the government seems fragile at best. With inflation proving the UK’s long-running “Us and Them” structure to be dangerously outdated. Meanwhile and certainly relevant, the Charles 111 Show gave Brits the opportunity to take a day off work and celebrate or seethe with anger at the brazen inequities in modern Britain.

Will Putin Run Out Of Soldiers.

How long can the Russian invasion of Ukraine last? What is Putin’s long-term plan? What is the benefit in continuing the escalting bombardments? And, is the rest of the world looking away all too frequently?

Julian Assange Update.⁠

Dr. Kampmark has close insights on the plight of the Wikileaks founder, His knowledge of Assange and his current situation is unparraleled. 

Dr Binoy Kampmark is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, teaching within the Bachelor of Social Science (Legal and Dispute Studies) program at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Read Binoy's essay at CounterPunch

⁠New Music From Issei Herr⁠

Distant Intervals is full-length debut from Brooklyn cellist and composer Issei Herr. “This is an exploration of memory, dreams, and the infinite possibilities within imagined worlds”. Says Issei, “Centered around themes of becoming and transformation, the music encompasses the liminal spaces between our past, present, and future selves - our ever-changing relation to personal memories, the ideals and dreams we have for our futures, and the distance and idealism of these infinite versions of self”. Classically trained as a cellist at Juilliard, Isseicomposed the album during a period of musical and personal transformation - as she moved away from a traditional classical performance path and notated music, while also beginning a long-awaited process of gender transition. 

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Glazyhaze - A Glimpse Of Light

Glazyhaze formed in northern Italy in 2021 by Irene Moretuzzo and Lorenzo Dall’Armellina. A Glimpse Of Light is from their Just Fade Away LP, they say there are dream pop/shoegaze band based in Venice. Competent work here and terrific sleeve artwork, too. 

Para Lia - Sunchild⁠⁠

Para Lia is René Methner (all instruments and vocals) and Cindy Methner (backing vocals), who were raised in the eastern part of a divided Germany. Their band name was born of their love for Greece, with para lia (παραλία) meaning “coast” or “beach" in Greek - a name full of mystery but optimism, which both has history and evokes a balance of the masculine and feminine. Now they are based in Cottbus (near Berlin) with the band expanding from two members to six with an eye towards upcoming live performances. Sunchild is from their third album, In Clash With The Zeitgeist.

⁠Loraine James - 2003

Ms. James caught our attention a couple of years back with her first release. Since then we have eagerly enjoyed each subsequent release. Gentle Confrontation is Loraine's third album for Hyperdub, the artist says, “This is the record a teenage Loraine would like to have made, with musical tendencies that reflect that time, too”. As you listen to 2003 you know Loraine reached deep inside to share her emotions. Exceptional.

Surya - Come Alive

We get get lots of unsolicited sound files in our inbox and as I have mentioned many times before, I listen to everything that comes in, it may take a little while to review your material but I can assure you I do listen. Here is one that came with this message, “My name is Surya, I’m an Alternative Hip-Hop artist from London. Come Alive explores the importance of taking control of the present.” I would appreciate your feedback on this one. Should we have included Surya in this volume?

Madmadam - Love Whore⁠⁠

She is an artist, musician, author, and singer, hailing from Italy and Poland, she lived in several countries before choosing to settle in Paris, France. She began her career as a classical musician, then moved into jazz, pop, rock and finally electronic music. She is Natalia Giro AKA Madmadam. Her LP is Fenice which means Phoenix in English. You can hear that classically trained voice throughout this album. 

⁠Ясный-Svetly - Talk⁠⁠

Yasny-Svetly, a duo from Moscow have a number of previous albums, Project 0 is their latest. This excellent cut came via Meticulous Midgets a brilliant magazine with a CD supplement created by Nata Boundariver since 2020. This is a creative enterprise of incredible ideas, to better understand what Meticulous Midgets is all about go this link. You are in for big bundle of surprises. The paper version of Meticulous Midgets is is published in Russian and English annually. There is so much to indulge in her, exquisite music selections and so much more. Nata is an also an artist, you must spend time at her site, it’s so worthwhile. I love compilations, but Meticulous Midgets is so much more. A wonderful treat for lovers of unique and different music, plus a gorgeous magazine too. 

Buffalo Daughter - Robot Sings (As If He Were Frank Sinatra With A Half-boiled Egg And The Salt Shaker On A Breakfast Table)⁠⁠

Yes, I admit, I would include this cut for the title alone, but as it happens, this is also a fine piece of music. Out of Tokyo, Buffalo Daughter formed in 1993, suGar Yoshinaga is on guitar, Yumiko Ohno takes care of the bass and vintage Mini Moog, and moOog Yamamoto is on the wheels of steel. Brilliantly peculiar and tremendously fascinating listening.

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Another year, another birthday. Norman B looks back at the music that changed his life. He tells of buying his first album at Woolworths, not knowing anything about the music. He was captivated by the brooding Greek-god like visage on the cover. It was the Memphis Flash, Elvis Presley. From there Norman discovered the Blues and  Elmore James which led to the new R & B sounds coming out of the USA, including early Tamla Motown and  Marvin Gaye. It was no coincidence that fledgling London bands were also being inspired by the same music. The Rolling Stones being no exception, fronted at that time by Blues aficionado and masterful musician, Brian Jones. Van Morrison with his R & B and Irish Show-band roots were all but absent when he released his landmark album, Astral Weeks, a momentous life-changing release, says Norman B. Reggae has been another important part of Mr. B's life and he cites  Cornell Campbell and Gregory Isaacs as fine examples. The consistently adventurous music of David Bowie is included in the story as are the The Smiths, The Only Ones are acknowledged for their timeless ode to addiction and  Killing Joke with their formidable melding of rock, dub and even metal in their debut release. A.R. Kane, remain still relatively unknown but their music caused Norman B to reevaluate his thinking in some areas. Finally, Canadian musician and poet Barzin is singled out because his beguiling lyrics and enchanting arrangements signify another change in life and a new way forward.

The second half of The Birthday Special is a non-stop mix of mostly recent music that has been on repeat play at Life Elsewhere Tower. These are cuts with a distinctive poignant tone, probably because birthday's have become a time for reflection. And, as the old adage goes, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to". We begin with the alluring and intriguing music of Samana, the nomadic duo Rebecca and Frankie came to our attention a few years back. Their album, Requiemis certainly worth searching out, for this mix we have selected a bonus cut, The Black Forest. Sorcha Richardson'ssublime Petrol Station recorded a few years back when she was living in Brooklyn, most recently she has moved back home to Dublin and released a superb album, Smiling Like An Idiot with the single Shark Eyes proving why Sorcha's talent should not be overlooked. From Missoula, Montana, Noelle Huser fronts Bluest with her haunting, plaintive voice, on Talk Soon, she shares engaging lines like, “Remember when you tripped me, it was an accident my tooth bite through my cheek, and now I have scar, it’s the favorite part of my smile” There is a lot going on here on the Bluest album, Cold Sweat, available from the very fine Anything Bagel label. Ollie Cook hails from Wolverhampton, a place widely known for its soccer team, Wolverhampton Wanderers. (great name). But we urge you to check out Ollie’s long-player, The Boy With Pearls For Eyes to help put Wolverhampton on the musical map. Listen to Bell Tower Blues and let me have your feedback, I think this is quality work. Ollie Cook says, “This is my second full-length project. My most honest to date. My most cared for.” I love the double-tracking on his voice, the organ, the over-dubbed guitars - the whole production. On the first listen to the album, Problems Of Other Minds by Elizabeth Crompton I knew I had come across a remarkable collection of songs. Each cut here is beautifully realized, the poignant heart-wrenching lyrics take me to places I know only too well. As with every desperate love song I have treasured throughout the years, Elizabeth seared straight into my emotions.

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“It’s incredible the amount of hate I have received from people who haven’t even read my piece” Agustin Fuentes on the extraordinary response to his recent essay for Scientific American titled, “Here’s Why Human Sex Is Not Binary”. The esteemed anthropologist is keen to point out that although his headline might sound provocative to naysayers, if they only took the short amount of time it takes to read his essay they would quickly discover he is articulating reasonable and valid opinions. “Let me be clear,” he writes, “I am not arguing that differences in sex biology do not matter. They do.” Agustinconsiders the outrage over his words are the result of ignorance. Willful ignorance. We live in world now where not just lies make headlines but deliberate misinformation is accepted as truth. Questions about sexuality have always been easy targets for the self-appointed morality police to shake their fists at. In the last few years, their fervent rage has managed to bundle the restrictions on women’s bodily autonomy, and target transgender, transsexuality, drag shows, and queerness into one big splodgie goo of disgust. “Sex is confusing” says Agustin Fuentes who discusses his essay in the first half of the show.

Remember the jubilant celebrations when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples in the United States, have the same legal right to marry as different-sex couples. That was in 2015. Here we are in 2023 and the indignation over same-sex marriage has been overshadowed by transphobia causing hysteria about gender identity and sexuality. In the second half of the show a conversation recorded just after the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling with associate professor of Ancient Roman History, Julie Langford.

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Illustration: Gender sexuality sex symbols - AnonMoos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

44 Ardent - Hold The World In Your Hands

The creative energy that emanates from Mammal Sounds located at  Bondi Beach, just outside of Sydney, Australia is truly astounding. Jez and his crew must work 24/7 in order to  be involved with so many cool releases. To prove that point, 44 Ardent is back with a new single, Hold The World In Your Hands, the Brisbane-based producer never fails to deliver work that is seemingly simple, yet carefully arranged, recorded and in turn satisfying electro-pop.

Yolo Manolo - Duvet Track

Duvet Track is from a double-sided limited edition 7” from Yolo Manolo out of Glasgow. A restrained beginning underplays the depth of this song and the smart instrumentation. About their music, Yolo Manolo say they are “Odd noise collectors observing all things lo-fi to mix their favorite elements of dream-pop and slacker-rock”. Curiously they feature the silhouette of an American football helmet on their cover artwork and on their FB page they say they are, “Lazy sophomore jive/chimp rock slackers, rarely seen in the wild”. Yolo Manolo partly namecheck the maker of the finest pair of shoes I’ve ever owned, but that is just coincidental, I do like what these people from Scotland are doing.

Whitelands - Setting Sun (A.R. Kane Initiation Dub)

Within moments of listening to this version of Setting Sun from Whitelands, you should be able to recognize the deft hand at the production desk of one Rudy Tambala, he of course of A. R. Kane fame. Londoners, Étienne, Jagun, Vanessa and Micheal say they were thrilled to have Mr. Tambala offer his mixing abilities to their music. Whitelands’Remixes EP is available on 10” orange vinyl and a digital edition.

Phoebe Coco - Earth Dream

It’s always good to hear a new releases from Phoebe Coco. Earth Dream is from her forthcoming EP and Phoebe says this one is about her concern for how we are mistreating our planet. As with all of Phoebe Coco’s work, here we have a sparkling production, showcasing her strong songwriting abilities. 

Munan - Taxi Driver

South Korean-Australian artist, Munan says he “stayed out way too late, oh look it’s already 9am, morning coffee brewing, Sunday mass, God damn"…obviously it was quite a Saturday night for Mr. Munan. Anyone who has stayed out way to late and managed to stumble into a taxi as the sun rises will identify with Munan’s song. Yet another glorious releases via Mammal Sounds.

Drinking Boys And Girls Choir - Listen To Me

From Daegu, South Korea, DBAGC have a lot to say and you could spend ages at their site discovering their output and videos. I love what these people are doing, not least of all because of their unbridled enthusiasm. Listen To Me is from their EP Hey, Listen To Me…wonderful!

Defset - Chish And Fips

Found sounds, samples, mixing board trickery are all used to full effect on Chish And Fips. ( A delightful classic English play on words). The London-based producer says, “My studio backs on to where my mum lived the last year of her life. I used to hear her talking to friends on the phone while I was working in there. I found it difficult to go in to the studio for many months after she died, so didn’t have access to all my modular gear. The majority of this EP has therefore been written on my laptop, which has given it a different feel to my other more glitchy, analogue stuff”. And to make sure we don’t overlook Defset’s sardonic humor he writes on his Twitter page, “I’m a producer of fine, organic, gluten free, vegan, artisanal electronic music. Created with fair trade waveforms using ethical supply chains”. 

Halogenix - Lost Friends

Here is a dazzling Dubstep workout from Halogenix’s Lost Friends EP. Categorizing Drum & Bass, Dubstep, and Grime can be perplexing, but when you have a superior set like this, the end result overrides the genres. London producer, Halogenix is on top form with this EP.

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