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Music

Olivier Deriviere – The Storm Boat

Like a lot of teenagers who discovered video games in the late 80s/early 90s, I played A LOT of Streets of Rage. The occasional out of control tantrum and smashed controller aside, I have very fond memories of that time, and especially of the soundtrack, so the newly released Streets of Rage 4 had a lot to live up to in that department. Happily they’ve delivered not only a fantastic game, but a brilliant OST which ropes in some of the original producers alongside newcomers like Olivier Deriviere who manage to preserve the frantic 8-bit rush of the 90s series while bringing the production bang up to date.

http://olivierderiviere.com

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Music

Kota the Friend – Long Beach feat. Hello O’shay & Alex Banin

“I wanted to make a project that was about manifesting the things that you want as an individual, and only speaking good things.” So says Kota The Friend about latest album EVERYTHING, which is a genial breath of fresh air reminiscent of similarly sun-soaked releases by Anderson .Paak, and Long Beach is a breezy, infectious delight.

https://www.instagram.com/kotathefriend

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Music

Rafael Anton Irisarri – Fright and Control

Brooding ambient drone from one of the very best in the business. Like a lot of Rafael Anton Irisarri’s work, this is pretty bleak, but compellingly – and often overwhelmingly – so, with enough tiny rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds to keep you coming back for more. This is on his new album Peripeteia which came out this week on Dais Records, and includes a continuous mix of all the album tracks if you really want to burrow into the gloom.

https://www.irisarri.org

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Music

Miraa May – Anger

Miraa May has been putting out a steady stream of reliably good r&b for the last five years or so, and has a new single, Woman Like Me, out this month. Anger is from her debut EP N15, and one I wanted to highlight as I really don’t think it received the attention it deserves. It’s so good: superb, stripped-down, moody production and her voice has never sounded better. If you’re not familiar with her, this is the place to start.

https://www.instagram.com/miraa_may

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Music

Denai Moore – Motherless Child

I absolutely love Denai Moore. Her last two albums We Used To Bloom and Elsewhere have been on heavy rotation for the last few years, and I’m very exited about her next LP, Modern Dread, which lands in July. The production on Motherless Child is a lot more electronic and stripped-down than some of her previous music, but her voice is as heartfelt and soulful as ever. She’s a true original, and if her new album is anything like as good as the last two, we’re in for a treat.

http://www.denaimoore.com

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Music

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down – Temple

I’m not sure if I’m just paying more attention than usual at the moment, but the amount of amazing music cropping up in the last couple of months by artists I’ve never heard of before is really quite incredible. Another case in point: Temple by the wonderfully named Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, which – with its shifting rhythms and infectious, wandering bassline – is making me keener than ever to go and see some live music, like right now please.

https://www.thaoandthegetdownstaydown.com/

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Music

Nick Hakim – QADIR

Qadir reminds me of shitloads of different songs and artists, but is also undeniably original. In this one song alone I can hear Zero 7, BADBADNOTGOOD, Thundercat, even a touch of Marvin Gaye, as well as various others, but somehow it still sounds fresh and unique. The rest of the album, WILL THIS MAKE ME GOOD – which came out last week – is a similar vibe, and combined with the sun blasting in from outside is making me feel exceptionally chilled and happy.

https://nickhakim.com

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Music

Charli XCX – 7 Years

I’m surprised how long it’s taken me to post a Charli XCX track, given how much I like her and how rapidly she bangs out new material. 7 Years is taken from her new album how i’m feeling now which was entirely produced over the last two months or so of lockdown. Produced as a collaborative project, with Charli holding regular Zoom chats with up to 1000 fans to get feedback and ideas, it’s not a huge departure from previous albums and mixtapes, except there aren’t any features. Basically, if like me you’re into her, you’ll probably really like this too, and 7 Years is a definite highlight.

https://www.instagram.com/charli_xcx

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Music

DJ Python – ADMSDP (feat. LA Warman)

It’s a little unfair to post just a single track from DJ Python’s impeccable album Mas Amable, as it really needs to be listened to in its entirety to do it justice. Mas Amable plays out at a single tempo with seamless (and lengthy) transitions between the individual tracks, employing broken rhythms and hushed tones to create an atmosphere that’s both hypnotic and otherworldly. It’s really special, and reminds me of that incredible Voices From The Lake album from a few years back. ADSMSDP is an 11-minute epic that probably best represents the album as a whole, but I’d definitely recommend committing to the entire thing.

https://djpythonnyc.bandcamp.com

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Interviews Music

Interview: Harkin

“The desktop of my mind has been cleared. Now it’s time to clutter it up again.”

A founding member of the band Sky Larkin, Katie Harkin has just released her debut self-titled solo album. In the intervening years she’s toured and recorded with some of the most successful and acclaimed indie rock acts in the business, including Kurt Vile, Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee and Wild Beasts, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that Harkin is an absolute gem of an album: urgent, expressive, affecting.

I’m incredibly grateful to Katie for taking the time to answer some questions for The Predatory Wasp… and if you haven’t yet listened to the album, I highly recommend you do so.

Congratulations on the release of your debut album – it’s brilliant. When did you start recording it, and was the process generally positive, stressful, invigorating, a combination of all of these… or something else entirely?

Well thanks! I felt a huge amount of growth through the process. I recorded it without a label (we founded our own to release it- Hand Mirror), and though organising everything and clinging onto hard drives as I moved between studios in different time zones was stressful, it was thrilling to do it all on my own terms.

Continue reading “Interview: Harkin”