Every weekend we post a rundown of the music – old and new – we’ve been enjoying in our UK and US offices that week.
No emphasis on the boxfresh or the under-the-radar: just an honest account of what’s spent most time on the respective office stereos, with (where possible) links to the music.
K. Leimer – A Period of Review
We know it feels like there’s another “unknown” ambient/new-age artist dug up every other week, but ignoring Californian synth twiddler Kerry Leimer would be a massive mistake. RVNG’s painstakingly curated collection of unheard material is incredibly deep and surprisingly genre-bending jumping from pastoral ambience one minute to proto-electro the next.
DJ Elmoe – Elmoe Randoms
Odds and sods collection from the producer behind Bangs & Works highlight ‘Whea Yo Ghost At’, available on the Chicago man’s Bandcamp.
copeland – Because I’m Worth It
Subtly spiky stuff from the ex-Hype Williams lass, with the knackered, murky shuffle of ‘advice to young girls’ being a particular highlight among the eight stoically greyscale cuts.
Valerio Tricoli – Miseri Lares
An hour and a half of tape noise, field recordings and occasional vocal snippets doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs, we know, but Valerio Tricoli’s new PAN full-length is an absolute beast. It’s not going to satisfy every palate, but if you fancy a visit to the darker realm of experimental music, there’s not going to be much that can beat Miseri Lares this year.
Miss Modular – InsertMmix 008
Part of the team behind South London’s Her Records delivers a new mix featuring edits of Drake, Beyonce, Strict Face and more, from MM and others.
Ramona Lisa – Arcadia
The alter-ego of the increasingly brilliant Caroline Polachek of Chairlift (whose songwriting credits also include Beyoncé’s ‘No Angel’), Ramona Lisa is a solo, laptop-based project that sounds 10 times bigger and better than that setup would suggest, splicing the DIY intimacy of minimal wave with the ambitious studio wizardry of Kate Bush. A fantastic voice, too.
Sage The Gemini – Remember Me
Add the debut album from the HBK Gang’s Sage the Gemini to the West Coast’s recent hit-parade. While he may be more compelling as a producer than a rapper, Sage definitely has an ear for viral hooks: ‘Gas Pedal’ and ‘Red Nose’ were hits and the Cassie-nodding ‘College Drop’ can’t be far behind.
The Holy Kit x DJ Sinceer – #LWKYTRNT LOWNT VOL. 1
Chicago’s KIT and Cincy’s DJ Sinceer revel in weirdness on their first mix, designed for getting “lowkey turnt.” 35 minutes of Autotuned sensitive thugs from Chicago to Atlanta and beyond, mining the middle ground between rap, R&B, bop and dance music.
Various Artists – Hyperdub 10.1
The first Hyperdub compilation in celebration of their 10th anniversary, 10.1 is a great summary of what has made the label such a powerhouse in its first decade. Like a collection of fine aged spirits, this is one to draw out the cigars for, sit down and enjoy.
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works Volume II
Words like genius, pioneering and the likes are easily abused, but in the case of Aphex Twin’s second collection of ambient tracks such hyperbole remains appropriate. Twenty years on the double CD continues to provide a timeless listening experience and inspiration.
