Author: The Predatory Wasp

Categories
Music

Mary Lattimore, Roy Montgomery – Blender in a Blender

On the strength of its final 30 seconds alone, Blender in a Blender would be one of my favourite pieces of music this year. A collaboration with guitarist Roy Montgomery, the track was first drafted by Lattimore during an artist residency program in UCross Wyoming, and later evolved over the duo’s pen pal correspondence. Montgomery’s chords emerge from the harp-induced haze in the outro, and are completely and utterly mesmerising. It’s taken from Lattimore’s new LP Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, an album so obsessed with nostalgia it could have been tailor-made for me.

https://marylattimoreharpist.bandcamp.com/album/goodbye-hotel-arkada

Categories
Music

Pangaea – If

I haven’t posted an “absolute banger” on here for quite some time, but this from Hessle Audio co-founder Pangaea is really excellent. Chopped vocals and chunky beats! But it’s the pads that come in halfway through that make it, transforming decent club fare into a poignant anthem. Taken from his new LP Changing Channels which is out now.

https://pangaeauk.bandcamp.com/album/changing-channels

Categories
Music

Shine Grooves – Music For Sakura Blossom

“Triangulating liquid acid, deprivation chamber house, and the outer reaches of dub techno” Yes, please!

https://shinegrooves.bandcamp.com/album/watching-the-breeze

Categories
Music

Cleo Sol – Things Will Get Better

Each year there are a few albums released I put on pretty much every week, indefinitely, even though there are others I actually prefer. They tend to be relatively calm, accessible and unlikely to upset anyone too much, see: recent LPs by Thee Sacred Souls, Lady Wray, etc. I was hoping Cleo Sol’s latest would be added to this list, however overall it’s just a little too smooth and syrupy for me. In small doses though it’s great, and Things Will Get Better is a very enjoyable vibe.

https://cleosol.bandcamp.com/album/gold

Categories
Music

The Orb & David Gilmour – Metallic Spheres In Colour: Movement 2

The 2010 collaboration between The Orb and Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour has been “reimagined and remixed” as Metallic Spheres In Colour, and although my pretentiousness radar is on high alert with this one, I’m also intrigued. As Pitchfork sagely noted in their original review, “it’s an album designed to be listened to”, and I’m not entirely sure I can add much to that statement, other than to say this particular ‘movement’ sounds like a direct mash up of Sueno Latino and Leftfield’s Original. Is it good? I’m not sure! But listen below while enigmatically gazing off into the middle distance and decide for yourself.

https://burningshed.com/the-orb-featuring-david-gilmour_metallic-spheres-in-colour_cd

Categories
Music

Sufjan Stevens – A Running Start

In a first (and probably last) for the blog, I’m posting this without listening to it. I’m so very hyped for the release on Javelin on Friday that I don’t want any further spoilers ahead of enjoying it in its entirety. But as a Sufjan obsessive, I couldn’t let today’s release go past unblogged. I expect it’s great: either way, I don’t want to know.

http://asthmatickitty.com

Categories
Music

Lord of the Isles, Ella Renton – Last Day

Released today My Noise is Nothing is a collaborative album between Lord of The Isles and Scottish poet Ellen Renton, pairing the former’s sparse, atmospheric production with the latter’s pandemic-penned words; verses that deal with her coming to terms with an influx of raw, unfiltered emotions.

https://lordoftheisles.bandcamp.com

Categories
Music

Devendra Banhart – Feeling

Devendra Banhart’s 11th studio album Flying Wig is a collaboration and “actualisation of a precious friendship” with acclaimed solo artist and Mexican Summer label-mate Cate Le Bon; a project somewhat prophesied by the mirror-image titles of their early solo albums (Banhart’s 2002 Oh Me Oh My and Le Bon’s 2009 Me Oh My. For fans of dreamy atmospheres, self-reflective lyrics and fully immersing yourself in deep melancholy.

https://devendrabanhart.bandcamp.com/album/flying-wig

Categories
Music

Ki Oni – An Infinite Drive

Inspired by childhood memories of his grandmother and summers spent swimming and eating from her garden, Chuck Soo-Hoo’s new album as Ki Oni A Leisurely Swim To Everlasting Life explores the idea of a spirit floating into the afterlife, and is probably my favourite album title of the year so far, so perfectly does it encapsulate the gently meandering ambient it embodies.

https://kioni.bandcamp.com/album/a-leisurely-swim-to-everlasting-life

Categories
Music

Nation Of Language – A New Goodbye

I genuinely think Nation Of Language are one of the most exiting new bands of the last few years, and are without doubt one of my personal favourites, so my expectations for their new album Strange Disciple were arguably a little too high. On the first few listens, I’m not sure it quite holds up when compared to its brilliant two predecessors, starting strongly before losing its way a little halfway through. However, A New Goodbye is an absolute monster; comfortably sitting alongside tracks like Friend Machine and A Word & A Wave as one of the very best in their catalogue.

https://www.nationoflanguage.com