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Music

Sun Kil Moon – Snowbound

<> at Marina Green Park on September 29, 2018 in Long Beach, California.

Since releasing one of the greatest albums of the last decade with Benji, Sun Kil Moon’s output has been patchy at best. Much of his music has been defined by meandering narratives about topics ranging from the mundane to the controversial, which in recent years seems to have drifted into tiresome self-indulgence or downright fury at whoever the latest person, place or thing he feels slighted by. At his best though, there are few other artists that can conjure such a visceral, immediate sense of time and space, and Snowbound is an example of just how beautiful and evocative his music can be when he gets it right.

http://www.sunkilmoon.com

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Music

58918012 – Street Spirit

Given that this is a cover of one of my very favourite songs from one of my very favourite bands, I’m surprised I enjoy 58918012’s version of Street Spirit as much as I do. But then, I would challenge anyone to identify the source material for this without prior knowledge, as aside from a very (very) mangled, occasional cry of “and fade out again” that sounds like it’s coming from beyond the grave, there is pretty much nothing that links the two. It’s amazing, though, and makes Radiohead’s original sound like a jaunty pop banger by comparison, so deep is the despair it evokes.

https://58918012.bandcamp.com/releases

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Interviews Music

One Track Mind: Quinton Barnes

The singular R&B artist gets jazzy with Nina Simone and John Coltrane

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!

Kicking off the series in 2021 is the incredible Quinton Barnes: easily one of my favourite musical discoveries of last year and a truly extraordinary artist. I’ve had his album Aarupa on hard rotation since it came out, and I genuinely believe his is destined for greatness. His music is highly personal, unpredictable, urgent, sensual and impactful, and I just can’t get enough of it. Thankfully I don’t have to wait too long, as he has new music landing in the next few weeks, which is one of the few things making the start of this hideous month vaguely bearable.

For his selection he’s broken basically the only rule of One Track Mind and picked two tracks: but all is instantly forgiven, as they’re both stone-cold classics, spoken about with an irresistible passion, and I’m incredibly grateful to him for taking part.

Continue reading “One Track Mind: Quinton Barnes”
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Music

Pigeon Breeders and Ghost Cars – July 19 2020, Part 2

Pigeon Breeders and Ghost Cars two experimental groups from Edmonton, Canada, and this is the second part of a session recorded on a muggy night in the summer of 2020, with guitar, bass, percussion, and electronics played live and improvised in a single take. Over the course of 12 minutes or so it ebbs and flows, building and receding with heavily reverbed guitars and eerie atmospherics taking centre stage, and while it doesn’t end up with anywhere near the same level of demented ferocity as something like Swans, it’s definitely in the same ballpark.

https://soundcloud.com/mangledtapes

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Music

T H R O N E – Family Reunion

An artistic couple, T H R O N E is the union of Hayatheus and YVHIKV, who together craft distinctive, alternative hip-hop from their home in the Sandia Mountains of New Mexico. Clocking in at a little over a minute, Family Reunion packs a hell of a lot into such a short running time, with crackling beats and a hazily looped sample providing the bed for confidently delivered, insightful lyrics about the complexity and frustrations associated with family relationships.

https://www.instagram.com/waytoothrone

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Music

Salvatore Mercatante – Foundation Three: Loss of Identity

Foundation Three: Loss of Identity is the third track from New York based electronic musician Salvatore Mercantante’s album The Foundations Of Eternal Sin, which I have not heard in its entirety, but on the strength of this it’s something that’s worth seeking out. Meditative and highly atmospheric, Foundation Three had me hooked from the opening few bars, pairing rich, warm pads alongside crisply skittering percussion. I wish it were twice as long, as it’s a highly enjoyable place to lose yourself for a few minutes.

https://salvatoremercatante.bandcamp.com

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Music

Perfume Genius – Without You (Jim-E Stack Remix)

Two of my favourite artists of the year coming together means I was pretty sold on this before I even listened to it. Jim-E Stack brings the melancholy vibes to the fore with his remix, further teasing out the already lovelorn qualities of the original and adding warm chords and a skittering breakbeat to create something that sits right in the happy/sad sweetspot. A beautiful, dejected banger.

http://jimestack.com/

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Music

Emily A. Sprague – Horizon

I’m back! Did you miss me? Sorry for the complete lack of posting for the last week or so, but it felt real good not to open a computer or do anything except interact with people IRL and consume endless amounts of everything that’s bad for me.

Anyway…

This is the time of year that I start looking at everyone else’s Best Of lists and realise that despite listening to really quite a lot of music, I’ve missed some absolutely incredible stuff. So apologies if the next month or so includes things you’ve been on for months. Case in point: Emily. A Sprague’s mesmerising Hill, Flower, Fog from which Horizon is taken; a blissful six-track ambient album comprised of little more than gently modulating synths and lush, undulating pads.

https://mlesprg.bandcamp.com/album/hill-flower-fog-2

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Music

ThomTide – simmerDown

There’s a little chord change about halfway through simmerDown that absolutely destroys me: crushingly melancholic but simultaneously optimistic and hopeful, it’s everything I love about this kind of lo-fi, heartfelt r&b, and as it only happens once and the track’s less than two minutes long, I’ve probably clocked up 20 listens on this already today. Man, it’s great, and hopefully after a string of singles this year we might see an album in 2021. That would be lovely.

https://www.instagram.com/thomtide

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Music

TROVA – Discussions

The latest single from Puerto Rican ambient composer TROVA, Discussions is highly reminiscent of a very specific Burial track that I can’t quite put my finger on, but with all the sharp edges smoothed until it becomes this glassy, slow-building, quietly overwhelming track. It’s lush – in both the west country and general sense of the word – and I wish it were at least twice as long, as its effect is transportive and deeply relaxing, which is something we could all probably do with.

https://www.facebook.com/TROVA.Ambient