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Music

Precipitation – Sundown in Orgi

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” etc, but in my experience definitely do judge an album by its cover. Or at least give it a listen. There is literally nothing about the cover of Precipitation’s new album Glass Horizon (or the artist name, or the title for that matter) that suggests I won’t completely love it. And I do! Kinda house, kinda ambient, 100% lush. Sundown in Orgi comes in like Laurent Garnier’s Last Tribute to the 21st Century – all sad pads and longing – before skipping happily off on lo-fi broken beats over a squidgy bassline. Aaaaand… melt.

https://100percentsilk.bandcamp.com

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Music

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith – Then the Wind Came

“Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is dancing in an eye-scorching tumble of neon bricks and video game aesthetics” is the opening line to the Quietus’s review of her new album Let’s Turn It Into Sound, and while it actually describes a recent music video, it could just as easily be a neat single-sentence summation of the entire LP. Hauntingly introspective one minute, exuberantly unhinged the next, it’s an intriguing listen from start to finish, with the circling synth patterns and warped vocals of Then The Wind Came a personal favourite.

https://ghostly.com/products/let-s-turn-it-into-sound

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Music

Factor Eight – A Voice (II)

Composed entirely using his voice, Canadian-based artist Andrew Bennett aka Factor Eight explores mental health and creates a platform to relay his experience with bipolar disorder, with all proceeds being donated to Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatoon. “I hope that through this project, my music might help to inspire a feeling of connection in those who struggle, and sense of compassion in those who struggle to relate.”

https://soundcloud.com/factoreight

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Music

Rafael Anton Irisarri – Limbering Slumber (feat. Hannah Elizabeth Cox)

The latest release from the phenomenally talented Rafael Anton Irisarri, Sacred Variations, includes some new remixes of tracks from his Sacred Hatred LP, along with some previously unreleased locked-penned pieces. Limbering Slumber features layered, ghostly vocal contributions from Hannah Elizabeth Cox, and is both stunningly beautiful and utterly absorbing.

https://irisarri.bandcamp.com/album/sacred-variations

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Music

Tomu DJ – Spring of Life

A very sad banger from Tomu DJ’s beautiful new album Half Moon Bay. That’s all I’ve got to say about this one: it’s a busy day over at TPW HQ.

https://tomu.bandcamp.com/album/half-moon-bay-3

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Music

Mall Grab – Hand In Hand Through Wonderland

The opening track on Mall Grab’s new album What I Breathe, Hand In Hand Through Wonderland is exactly the kind of broken beat, melodic, melancholy stuff I want from him, and while arguably the album doesn’t quite hit these heights again, it’s still an enjoyable listen, despite what Pitchfork’s remarkably sniffy review might say. On the other hand, I still don’t think he’s done anything that competes with the sublime gloom of 2015’s Guap. So maybe I’m not to be trusted either.

https://bleep.com/release/307334-mall-grab-what-i-breathe

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Music

Sam Prekop, John McEntire – Ascending By Night

Ascending By Night is taken from the debut collaborative album from Sam Prekop (The Sea and Cake) and John McEntire (Tortoise), but given how excellent is it I think they should probably commit to at least half a dozen more. With four sprawling electronic compositions clocking in at just under an hour, Sons Of gives allows of its tracks the time to develop; to morph from one thing to another, with tonal shifts from dark to light and back again a common theme. Beautiful, patiently handled and exquisitely crafted.

https://thrilljockey.com/products/sons-of

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Music

Pye Corner Audio – Does It Go Dark?

Yes. Yes it does.

https://www.instagram.com/steve.lacy

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Music

Tewksbury – COP26 (Excerpt)

Taken from the Canadian ambient musician’s new album Hush Hush, COP26 is one of four pieces that comprise the LP, all of which were created by combining several 16th century choral arrangements that were then altered and spliced together using reel-to-reel machines, before being played live via an array of eight guitar amps. For fans of William Basinski, Stars of the Lid and generally being awestruck while thinking Big Thoughts.

https://hushhushrecords.bandcamp.com/album/brutes

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Music

Levon Vincent – Sunrise

The new album from Levon Vincent, SILENT CITIES, is unlike anything he’s produced before, and is more concerned with mood and atmosphere than deadly dancefloor “weapons”, which is just fine by me. The entire album is great but Sunrise is a definite stand out, with its glistening, meandering synth line and washed out pads evoking both peak Mr Fingers house and 80s-aping synthwave.

https://levonvincent.bandcamp.com