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Interviews Music

One Track Mind: Corrina Repp

The Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter delves back into a song that soundtracked a memorable roadtrip

The premise of One Track Mind is pretty simple: I ask artists to pick one track that means a lot to them – either something they’ve discovered recently, something that’s been with them for years, or one that reminds them of a specific time in their life or career – and tell me what makes it so special to them. I get to talk to the artists I love, and they get to talk about the artists they love. Love all round!

Currently based in Los Angeles, Corrina Repp originally emerged in the Portland scene and has, across six albums and two decades, carefully and patiently developed her sound. Fragile, delicately crafted, and often stripped down to the very barest of bones, Corrina’s music explores universal themes through intimate and often personal narratives that gives it real emotional heft. I first became aware of Corrina via her 2006 album The Absent and The Distant and still go back to it on an almost weekly basis, especially the track Afloat, which is, without doubt, one of the saddest and most beautiful songs ever written. Her brilliant new album, Island, is out now, and if you’re a newcomer to her work it’s a great place to start.

For her One Track Mind selection, Corrina talks about the transportive experience of hearing a song from a titan of US jazz and pop music for the very first time.

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Music

Volta Sunset – Trip

There’s a lot of brilliant music out today, most of which will at least get a little coverage on various blogs, big or small. But I’d like to draw your attention to Volta Sunset’s new single Trip, a stripped-down, shuffling, soulful cut that you won’t find anywhere outside of Soundcloud, and is a really incredible piece of work. Dreamy, atmospheric, understated and hypnotic, it’s reminiscent of Frank Ocean’s quieter moments and deserves to be heard by as many people as possible.

https://twitter.com/voltasunset

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Music

Damiana – Sunken Lupine

After an exhaustive (10 minute) search online there’s nothing I can tell you about Damiana I’m afraid, other than their latest release Vines was released on a clear vinyl limited to 100 copies which has now sold out. Too late suckers! This came out back in May but – 100 clear vinyl fanatics aside – seems to have flown largely under the radar, which is a shame as it’s really beautiful. Think Enya minus the hooks, with a little shake of Engima(!), combined with a dollop of mid 90s ambient trance – Chicane, or someone similar. Sounds fucking hideous right!? Well it’s not, I promise.

https://hausumountain.bandcamp.com/track/sunken-lupine

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Music

Ike – Inter

Well isn’t this a jaunty little slice of future junglism?

https://dieorakel.bandcamp.com/album/stone-diviner

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Music

Wildhart – I’ve Been Waiting

After a strong run of singles over the past few month, Wildhart’s latest album His Arrows Won’t Hit Us Now arrived last week, and although I haven’t had a chance to spend a decent amount of time with it yet on the first couple of listens it’s hit me very nicely in the feels indeed. I’ve written here before about how much I love their 2016 LP Shine, and after a period of worrying silence and a line-up change, it’s brilliant to have them back in all their hushed, synthy glory. Like a lot of their music, I’ve Been Waiting goes in hard on nostalgic yearning, a patient, bubbling lead synth line joined by beautifully echoing trumpets as it moves its understated but powerful final third. I have a feeling this will fly a little under the radar, but it really shouldn’t.

https://twitter.com/wildhartmusic

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Music

George T and Johnny Aux – Amsterdam

Shout out to Joe Muggs’ always enlightening Bandcamp Daily column for the recommendation on this one. Johnny Aux – aka Quinn Whalley, one half of always interesting acid house group Paranoid London – teams up with George T for a three-track EP that includes this dubby slice of post-punk-techno-industrial-electronica-etc, featuring a dour vocal and even dourer muddy bass thumps. Uplifting it ain’t, mesmeric it most certainly is.

https://optimomusic.bandcamp.com/album/making-excuses-for-you-ep

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Music

Ehiorobo – Pool

It’s a tough thing in 2021 to make music that comes even vaguely close to being unique. Rob Brydon made this point more than a decade ago in The Trip: “Everything has been done before. All you can do is do something someone’s done before, but do it better, or differently”. True dat. But at least there are people trying to break the mould, one of whom is Ehiorobo, who, while treading a similar path to better known artists like Frank Ocean, is doing so with such commitment and freewheeling creativity that his music absolutely stands out. Pool is gorgeous, subdued, dreamy r&b that’s so chill it pretty much dissolves into itself by the end. And if you like this there’s an album landing in December, so watch out for that.

https://soundcloud.com/ehiorobo

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Music

Lady Wray – Through It All

Atlanta R&B queen Lady Wray drops her brilliant new single Through It All, a dusty, soulful gem to power us all through a dreary Monday, and the latest stepping stone on the path to her new album Piece Of Me which lands in January. If you haven’t yet heard the title track, it’s absolutely incredible, so expectations are high for this one.

https://twitter.com/Ladynicolewray

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Music

xphresh – xephon

It’s been so long that I’ve been to anything even remotely resembling a rave I can’t speak with anything like authority about them any more. But also, imagine: the overwhelming, Biblical euphoria of hearing this drop towards the end of an absolutely banging, take-no-prisoners techno set – Rødhåd, or whoever the kids are listening to these days – during which you stomped so hard you thought your knees might snap like dry little twigs.

Jesus christ I miss pingers.

https://bblisss.bandcamp.com/album/xephon

Categories
Interviews Music

One Track Mind: Ora The Molecule

Nora Schjelderup delves back into her childhood via a track from the Spanish pop act Mecano.

The premise of One Track Mind is pretty simple: I ask artists to pick one track that means a lot to them – either something they’ve discovered recently, something that’s been with them for years, or one that reminds them of a specific time in their life or career – and tell me what makes it so special to them. I get to talk to the artists I love, and they get to talk about the artists they love. Love all round!

Ora The Molecule is the musical moniker of Norwegian-born artist Nora Schjelderup. Released earlier this year, her debut album Human Safari is a pretty much perfect electro pop record, combining buoyant melodies with robust, 80s-inflected production: bascially tailored-made for me to completely love. Tracks like Helicopter and Creator are among the most exuberantly wonderful tracks you’ll hear this year, and she’s also recently released an EP of remixes of Beat Beat Beat from Gillian Gilbert – the founding member of New Order – Moon Boots and OTON which are all well worth checking out.

For her One Track Mind selection she’s chosen a track from a childhood favourite band, with a message she’s felt a deep connection with for many years.