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Salami Rose Joe Louis – Always on my Mind

Salami Rose Joe Louis is the alias of Lindsay Olsen, who released her fifth album Akousmatikous – which losely transclates to “sound where there is no identifiable source” – earlier this month. As with much of her previous work, Akousmatikousi explores various shades of soul and jazz, but through a highly stylised and at times experimental lens, and includes features from some of her favourites artists, Soccer96, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and Juuwah among them. Always on my Mind is one of the album’s more chill moments, with a lazy, tripping rhythm a suitably supple bed for her understated vocal delivery.

https://salamirosejoelouismusic.bandcamp.com/album/akousmatikous

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Bayonne – Perfect

In a recent interview, Bayonne said of Perfect – one of the stand-out tracks from his gorgeous new synth-pop album Temporary Time – “at the end of the day, it’s really about trying to see the best in yourself and just having one of those good days” . There are probably quite a few tracks you could apply this maxim to, but Perfect is definitely up there as the most buoyant. His last LP Drastic Measures was one of my favourite of 2019, and so far this new one is doing a solid job of following in its footsteps.

https://bayonne.bandcamp.com/album/temporary-time

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Croatian Amor – Any Path To Touch the Stars / Kites (A Part of You In Eveything)

I’ve spent an awful lot of time searching for “artists that sound like DJ Healer”, and the only one that’s really come close in term of delivering the hazy feels I need is Croatian Amor, especially his more recent work, which seems to be leaning ever further into dreamy breaks and nostalgia-heavy meanderings. These two tracks close his latest album A Part of You in Everything – a companion piece to last year’s Remember Rainbow Bridge, and dedicated to the memory of his younger brother who died at birth. Despite the overwhelming sad genesis of the 8-track collection, the overall effect is more reflective than desolate; a hopeful catharsis beautifully expressed.

https://croatianamor-poshisolation.bandcamp.com/album/a-part-of-you-in-everything

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Music

Gia Margaret – City Song

There is A LOT of amazing music out today (see: albums from Shirely Collins, Clark, Bayonne and others) but the one right at the top of my listening list is Gia Margaret’s Romantic Piano. Deeply atmospheric and with a tactility that grounds its otherwise dreamy, almost lullaby-esque qualities, the dozen songs are some of the most delicate and emotive you’re likely to hear all year. City Song is pretty much the only non-instrumental track on the album – save for a few crackly samples and textures found elsewhere – but even before the vocal arrived it had me in pieces. Welcome back Gia, we’ve missed you.

https://giamargaret.bandcamp.com/album/romantic-piano

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Music

Loraine James – 2003

Loraine James released two of the best albums of last year, so news of a new LP is real welcome on this blog. Landing in September on Hyperdub – her third for the label – Gentle Confrontations will feature collabs with George Riley and keiyaA and others, and has been touted as “a teenage Loraine would like to have made” and described as “positively languid”, which is excellent news. Lead single 2003 certainly fits with this description, and has echoes of Tirzah in both the haunting, loopy simplicity of its production and low-key vocal delivery.

https://lorainejames.bandcamp.com/album/gentle-confrontation

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Music

Mandy, Indiana – 2 Stripe

Everywhere I look, Mandy, Indiana’s new album i’ve seen a way is getting glowing reviews. A four-piece experimental noise band formed in Manchester, the group was initially comprised of vocalist Valentine Caulfield and Scott Fair after they sharing a bill with their former projects, and were subsequently joined by Simon Catling (synth) and Alex MacDougall (drums). Their debut LP is noisy, chaotic and at times overwhelming, with a raw urgency throughout, even in its less full-on moments. 2 Stipe is arguably one of the most conventional tracks, even though they’d surely rail against the use of that word.

https://mandyindiana.bandcamp.com/album/ive-seen-a-way

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Spencer Doran – Title Screen

It’s been a crunchy old start to the week after a genuinely blissful weekend, but this is deeply relaxing stuff from Spencer Doran that’s making me feel – if not brilliant – then a bit more chill about everything. Taken from his album SEASON: A letter to the future (OST) – a soundtrack to a video game about preserving the natural world – you don’t need the accompanying visuals to be fully immersed in its gentle, meditative atmosphere.

https://visiblecloaks.bandcamp.com/album/season-a-letter-to-the-future-original-soundtrack

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Music

Natural Wonder Beauty Concept – Sword

Natural Beauty Wonder Concept is the new project from DJ Python and Ana Roxanne, both of whom I love. There’s an album due out in July, primarily recorded during covid days, and this is the first single. It’s great, and not even the press release describing the LP as “two artists learning to be alone, together” (🤮) can dull my enthusiasm.

https://naturalwonderbeautyconcept.bandcamp.com/album/natural-wonder-beauty-concept

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Music

Madison McFerrin – Testify

Madison McFerrin has previously been lauded by a range of the music media Big Dogs, including The New York Times, NPR, The FADER, and Pitchfork, who named her a Rising Artist in 2018. Her debut album I Hope You Can Forgive Me landed last week, coming in at a sparse 26 minutes and including this 10/10 stripped-back r&b gem.

https://madisonmcferrin.bandcamp.com/merch

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Fatoumata Diawara, Angie Stone – Somaw

Fatoumata Diawara shot for the FT by © samuel kirszenbaum +336 15 26 80 21 mail@samuelk.net

Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara releases her new album London Ko today, exploring Malian blues, folk and r&b and blending traditional West African sounds with contemporary production. The album includes a number of collaborations, including Damon Albarn, Roberto Fonseca, Yemi Alade, M.anifest and this gem from US soul legend Angie Stone.

https://www.normanrecords.com/records/197161-fatoumata-diawara-london-ko