“Triangulating liquid acid, deprivation chamber house, and the outer reaches of dub techno” Yes, please!
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Shine Grooves – Music For Sakura Blossom
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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.
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Pale Jay – Vladimir
A Pale Jay track randomly came up on a Spotify radio playlist I was listening to the other day and now his new album Bewilderment is one of my favourite things I’ve heard this year. A jazz vocalist and pianist, he wrote, recorded, and produced all songs on the album, except for ‘By The Lake’, which is a collaboration with labelmates Okonski. It’s so good. See? Spotify is great and in no way evil.
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Caro♡ – in2u
caro♡’s new album wild at ❤ came out earlier this month on PC Music; a fact that should either have you intruiged or running for the hills depending on your relationship with the label and tolerance for sleek hyperpop and heart emojis. I really liked her last album Heartbeats/Heartbreaks, but this is a very different beast, leaning heavily into the ‘hyper’ of hyperpop where her debut was actually pretty chilled for the most part. Nothing here is going to persuade you of the merits of PC Music if you’ve previously taken against them, but those in the market for a saccharine hit of romantic electronics need look no further.
The Predatory Wasp 