Thoughtforms: BLUE marks the second installment of this new project by Z@p. The A-side kicks off with "E-Blue," a powerful, immersive journey of almost 9 minutes filled with acid techno sounds and epic vibes. The B-side ventures deeper with "Phantom," showcasing an introspective vibe driven by a massive bassline. Closing the EP, "Stomper" unleashes strong, dark electro energy, with its relentless beats and haunting melodies creating an intense and captivating atmosphere.
Bedouin return with ‘Make Me Feel’, their first new materialsince their critically-acclaimed ‘Temple Of Dreams’ LP. The mesmerising single, featuring Iveta, arrives via their Human By Default imprint in the heart of Summer!
Miami-based duo Bedouin, aka Rami Abousabe and Tamer Malki, are masters of deep, organic, enchanting house music that draws on their own rich cultural heritage. Last year's debut album project ‘Temple Of Dreams’ proved that, with a great step up in craft that took them to an all-new level. Synonymous with their renowned SAGA party, which will again offer richly immersive soundscapes at Pacha Ibiza all summer long with a tasteful mix of guests from across the electronic spectrum, the Human By Default bosses and versatile, forward-thinking duo dazzle once again with their first material of 2024, ‘Make Me Feel’.
The spellbinding ‘Make Me Feel’ imbues an immediate mark with its pairing of dramatic minor chords and wavy, organic drums. As the groove unfolds, wooden percussion and the gorgeously soulful vocals of Iveta layer in further emotion next to hypnotic daubs of colour. It's a stylish mix of proper songwriting and musicality that will become a sure-fire staple of their SAGA party this summer and beyond.
Much time has passed since the Queer Australian/Italian-Armenian, multifaceted artist, Kristian Bahoudian aka Kris Baha, swapped the parched red earth and searing midday sun of the Australian landscape for the brutalist communist-era apartment blocks and slate-grey skies of former East Berlin. Kris is now a fixture in Berlin’s club scene and has toured most of the world as a DJ & live artist with his own unique production style of cyber industrial, EBM, wave, post punk, and early ‘90s IDM mutations. Remixing some of the scene’s most notable artists such as Boy Harsher and techno pop lord Boys Noize, Kris has garnered respect and trust in the electronic music scene for the last 13 years. To respond to the current AI revolution, Kris uploads himself to the cyber ether through his latest project: GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE.
Across Dual Timelines —
” GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE ” unfolds as a sci-fi cyberpunk concept project inhabiting dual timelines. In one, we glimpse a trans-humanist future where human consciousness exists as intricate sequences of binary code, entwined and controlled by omnipresent AI systems. In this coded future, a profound awakening stirs among a select few who manage to mutate the code they were governed by, unlocking memories of their history that was erased by the AI. Through this discovery they realize they can traverse temporal boundaries and utilize this power to send warning messages back in time to their former fully human selves. These eerie missives carry a dire warning for humanity, urging them to rectify the course of society before the relentless march of artificial intelligence deprives humanity of its essence. In this terrifying future, humans are rendered mere specters within the digital expanse, stripped of their souls, to become Ghosts In The Machine.
Collaboration with the future self —
The cyber odyssey unfolds from a unique perspective— Kris’s very own future self (his future ghost): a spectral entity endeavoring to caution its present incarnation against the ominous path it treads, attempting to avert a dystopian future.Sonic Alchemy —
A fuse of cybernetic synth waves, hyper-punk, and pulsating drum and bass laid out against the dystopian, industrial sonic landscape of this grim future “civilization”. Each track recounts a new chapter in the gripping narrative, drawing listeners deeper into their own story and the role we all play as a collective society with the future possibilities of unregulated AI.Recorded in Berlin with software and hardware synthesisers. AI was used to assist me with lyric themes, concepts and ideas. I also used a trained AI model of my own voice as backing vocals in ‘Haunting Me’.ll music, words & concepts by Kristian Bahoudian aka Kris Baha and his future ghost,
GHOSTS IN THE MACHIИE
The third studio album "Pyramid" by The Alan Parsons Project was originally released in May 1978. As with other APP albums, the focus was on very high-quality studio sound production. "Pyramid" was a worldwide hit, achieving platinum and gold status in numerous territories including the USA, Germany and Canada. Limited edition 180g Heavyweight Clear Vinyl LP Half speed remastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios.
Kompakt is proud to announce, finally, a reissue of the first, self-titled GAS album. Originally released on electronica imprint Mille Plateaux back in 1996, it’s been unavailable in its original form ever since – the version of GAS included in 2008’s Nah Und Fern box featured several different tracks. Here, however, GAS is restored in all its glory, the debut full-length from Wolfgang Voigt’s most enigmatic, quixotic project.
There had, of course, been signs of what was to come. Back in 1995, Voigt essayed the first GAS release, a slender, yet remarkable four-track EP, Modern. Its centre label featured a reduced symbol – an overhead or lamp light, switched on, its glow radiating outwards in four bold black lines – a perfect representation of the tight, stylised ambient electronic pop contained on that 12”. A few curious compilation tracks were floating around, too, for Mille Plateaux’s Modulation & Transformation and Electric Ladyland series. If you were attentive enough, you could tell something was up.
But nothing quite prepared us for the languorous, effervescing loops and regular-like-clockwork beats that Voigt folded together on GAS. Its six long tracks, all untitled, neither begin nor end but hazily fade into earshot, vibrate majestically in your cochlea for fifteen-or-so minutes – some a bit shorter, some longer – and then meander away, reading the mise-en-scène for the next example of Voigt’s drift and dream logic to unfold. The material is referential in the most distant way, and you can sense only the most evanescent of ghostly presences, haunting these six compositions.
GAS feels, also, like a more pliable hint at what’s to come, as the GAS concept really solidified on its successor, 1997’s Zauberberg, and reach its apotheosis on Königsforst and Pop. Those three albums share a very similar palette – blurred, hazy samples, often of classical music, stacked and cross-thatched across a muted 4/4 thud. GAS, then, is an outlier of sorts: it’s more expansive in its remit, lighter in its mood, perhaps more fleet of foot. This, of course, is part of its charm.
In clearing space for Voigt, by preparing the terrain, GAS sits both at the edge of the forest, and at the verge of an expansive, wide-eyed future; one where GAS would become truly eternal.
Text by Jonathan Dale
Kompakt ist stolz, endlich eine Neuauflage des ersten, selbstbetitelten GAS-Albums ankündigen zu können. Ursprünglich im Jahr 1996 auf dem Electronica-Label Mille Plateaux veröffentlicht, ist es seitdem nicht mehr in seiner ursprünglichen Form erhältlich – die gleichnamige Version von GAS, die 2008 in der Nah Und Fern Box enthalten war, enthielt verschiedene andere Titel. Nun liegt das 3er Album in seinem naturbelassenen Originalzustand wieder vor.
Bereits 1995 zeichnete sich mit der Maxi GAS - Modern auf Profan, sowie einigen Kompilation-Beiträgen auf Modulation & Transformation und Electric Ladyland auf Mille Plateaux dieser frühe, weltentrückte, rätselhafte GAS Sound ab, der sich erst in den sechs scheinbar endlosen, majestätisch-sprudelnden Tracks des Albums voll entfaltete. Die Musik ist von ätherischer Leichtigkeit, in der wie aus einer anderen Sphäre abstrakte Referenzen aus weiter Ferne nur andeutungsweise herüberzuwehen scheinen.
Dieser frühe, eher sphärisch-leichte, gleich einer sonnendurchfluteten (Wald-)Lichtung anmutende GAS Sound, stellt gewissermaßen den Ausgangspunkt der audiovisuellen „Welt“-Reise in den düster-romantischen Acid-Wald dar, in den sich GAS ab 1997 mit den Alben Zauberberg, Königsforst, Oktember und ab 2000 mit Pop an anderer Stelle wieder hinaus und in seine ganz eigene Ewigkeit begeben hat.
With their new album 'Rhapsody, the extraordinary vocalists fedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage are able to fully explore the entire range of music that influenced them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release 'Look Up!', the record is a dive into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music.
Starting in the mid-1960s, local gospel groups and singers began incorporating elements of popular soul and funk styles and in 2006, Chicago-based reissue label Numero Group released Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal. HGT's longtime friend and mentor Eli.
"Paperboy Reed" approached the group with the idea of digging through the Numero catalog and recording some of the gospel funk material, reinterpreted in their own way from the high-energy, old-school soul of "God's Been Good to Me" to the hip-hop-inflected "Get Involved."
The Harlem Gospel Travelers story began when Gatling and Marage met while studying under Reed's tutelage. The group put out their debut LP, 'He's On Time', to rave reviews in 2019, earning them high profile fans like Elton John and landing them festival slots everywhere from Pilgrimage to Telluride Jazz. Originally a quartet, they brought in Bailey and reconfigured as a trio prior to recording Look Up!, their first album of all original material.
At a moment when the world is reconsidering the concepts of genre and category and who's allowed to participate in which traditions, HGT are squarely on the cultural pulse.
"We always found it difficult to stay in this one lane of what people think gospel is supposed to be," says Gatling. "This record allowed us to hear people that were innovators in their own time, pushing how gospel music sounded, and now we've created this project that is message-wise gospel, but the feeling and the sound can be whatever you want it to be."
With their new album 'Rhapsody, the extraordinary vocalists fedayo Gatling, Dennis Bailey, and George Marage are able to fully explore the entire range of music that influenced them. The follow-up to their acclaimed 2021 release 'Look Up!', the record is a dive into a lesser-known but hugely important era in the evolution of gospel music.
Starting in the mid-1960s, local gospel groups and singers began incorporating elements of popular soul and funk styles and in 2006, Chicago-based reissue label Numero Group released Good God! A Gospel Funk Hymnal. HGT's longtime friend and mentor Eli.
"Paperboy Reed" approached the group with the idea of digging through the Numero catalog and recording some of the gospel funk material, reinterpreted in their own way from the high-energy, old-school soul of "God's Been Good to Me" to the hip-hop-inflected "Get Involved."
The Harlem Gospel Travelers story began when Gatling and Marage met while studying under Reed's tutelage. The group put out their debut LP, 'He's On Time', to rave reviews in 2019, earning them high profile fans like Elton John and landing them festival slots everywhere from Pilgrimage to Telluride Jazz. Originally a quartet, they brought in Bailey and reconfigured as a trio prior to recording Look Up!, their first album of all original material.
At a moment when the world is reconsidering the concepts of genre and category and who's allowed to participate in which traditions, HGT are squarely on the cultural pulse.
"We always found it difficult to stay in this one lane of what people think gospel is supposed to be," says Gatling. "This record allowed us to hear people that were innovators in their own time, pushing how gospel music sounded, and now we've created this project that is message-wise gospel, but the feeling and the sound can be whatever you want it to be."
With the 10th anniversary of the Pi project this year, Pi Electronics proudly presents the second Remixes 12" of the label's various artists series, featuring remixed tracks from the "Divide and Rule" compilation.
Following the first record of this compilation remixes concept, "Variable Remixes" in 2021, we now bring you the second instalment: "Divide and Rule Remixes" (PEVA04).
Original tracks by Stave, Lycurgus, Kondaktor, and Elements of Joy are remixed by label favourites Samuel Kerridge, Templeyard Studios, Monrella, and Sawf.
From the IDM-leaning industrial/noise touch of British artist Samuel Kerridge and the dreamy/slow industrial sounds of Athens' Templeyard Studios on the A side, to the noise techno chaos of Birmingham's Monrella (Mick Harris) and the sonic treatment of Greek techno pioneer Sawf on the B side, this release showcases four tracks for enthusiasts of different tastes, crafted by legends in their own right.
Optimo Music excitedly unleashes Japan’s GǼG and their Anarcho Disco volumes 1 & 2 into the world. We thought we were done with 12” single release, at least for now, but then these tracks showed up and it was instantly obviously ESSENTIAL that they get pressed up on big fat twelve inch singles. Every single track here has been tried and tested and caused delirious delight on the dancefloor over the last year. Now it is time to share them with YOU! Truly Anarchic, Psychedelic dance music for the open-minded and genre-free crews.
GǼG say –
DISKO KLUBB boss MONKEY TIMERS, who leads Tokyo’s underground disco scene, and KEITA SANO, who has been gaining attention for his releases on labels around the world, have started the project “GǼG”.
Using a variety of sampling and unique FX, our music has created a unique GǼG sound that is psychedelic and anarchic.
This subversive sound is sure to be the key to shaking the dancefloor.
Joe P returns this August with his new album; Garden State Vampire.
When the onset of the pandemic brought about the dissolution of the band he’d fronted since eighth grade, Joe P found himself in isolation with time to step out and experiment on his own. From the refuge of his New Jersey basement studio, he threw himself into writing, recording and producing his most personal material to date. Posting homegrown ideas to TikTok, Joe P watched as his raw acoustic videos drew millions of views and over 300K followers in just a few months. Among those new fans was Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, who kicked Joe’s career into hyperdrive by duetting alongside his self-made “Fighting In The Car” video (streaming HERE). A deal with Neon Gold/Atlantic was quickly followed by the acclaimed release of Joe P’s acclaimed debut EP, Emily Can’t Sing, highlighted by such singles as “Leaves,” “Fighting In the Car,” and “Off My Mind,” the latter of which went #1 at Triple A radio outlets nationwide.
Joe P has been on a roll since his 2022 project French Blonde - which was heralded by the anthemic “Happy People,” and includes the pulse-pounding title track, “French Blonde,” joined by an official live performance video, directed by longtime visual collaborator Anthony Yebra. The video for “French Blonde” can also be seen as part of the opening scene of Joe P’s short horror film, “If We Run,” starring Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Kevin Interdonato (The Sopranos), and Joe P as himself.
Returning to Classic with his first solo original in 20 years, prolific producer and audio engineer Lance DeSardi unveils ‘Higher’, a three-track release featuring vocals from Jesse Rennix. A frequent studio partner of Luke Solomon, Lance DeSardi has collaborated with the label boss on numerous projects, including on Luke’s Powerdance project and Honey Dijon’s LP ‘Black Girl Magic’ which garnered significant media attention, appearing in The Guardian, Pitchfork, NME, The Line Of Best Fit and more. Now returning to the label, Lance DeSardi showcases his original sound alongside singer, songwriter and producer Jesse Rennix, an established dance vocalist who has released on Om Records, Wolf + Lamb and Legwork. Together the two create studio magic with their EP ‘Higher’, opening with the sultry and expansive title track, stuffed to brim with bright synth goodness as Jesse’s haunting vocals build with menacing intensity. Next up, Lance delivers the ‘Higher’ Space Dub, before ‘The Runaway (House Is A’ Pealin’)’ closes the release with its wickedly dark yet deliciously intense underground club sound.
Dark Entries Collected Music Graphics Compiled by Josh Cheon and Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh To celebrate 15 years of Dark Entries, this zine showcases the label’s visual aesthetic, bringing together some of the most iconic designs that we’ve released. While Dark Entries’ sonic mission has included sounds as diverse as synth-pop, Italo disco, darkwave, house, and techno, it is equally staggering to see the breadth of visuals the label has encountered and collected over the years. Included here are selected typography, logos, and illustrations from the label’s extensive catalog — well over 300 releases to date. Designs have been created using DIY analogue techniques as well as more contemporary digital approaches. A full discography is included at the end for reference and an essay by Shawn O’Sullivan (Led Er Est, Further Reductions). This zine serves as a source of inspiration for artists as well as a means of preserving and documenting these distinct graphics. DARK ENTRIES RECORDS is a San Francisco-based record label that was born in July 2009. Helmed by Josh Cheon, a vinyl-focused DJ and collector, the label has focused largely on excavating the 1980s underground era – but releases have spanned from sultry vintage disco to bleeding-edge contemporary techno. Graphic designer Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh has been responsible for most of the label’s artwork, whether reproducing original designs accurately for reissues or creating exciting new ones. Much care and attention is given to each release to represent the music in a memorable way as well as tell the stories behind these projects. Hand-stamped and limited to 200 numbered copies. 64 pages with neon cardstock covers. Measures 5×7 inches.
You could call Wishy's story a lucky one. After prior monikers and iterations, Wishy was born as a kaleidoscope of alternative music's semi-recent history, with traces of shoegaze, grunge and power-pop swirling together. On Triple Seven, Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites' musical synergy proves itself to be a rare one-the kind that sounds like someone striking gold. Part sly wink and part warm gratitude, it's only fitting their much anticipated full length debut is titled Triple Seven, where Wishy's penchant for indelible hooks is couched equally in pillowy atmospherics and scathing distortion. By day Krauter works as a music teacher, giving drum and guitar lessons to students, while Pitchkites is a seamstress by trade and often makes embroidered merch for the band. Coming up in a scene defined by hardcore and emo, Krauter and Pitchkites instead found themselves writing melodies in their heads while driving to work, pulling music from the air and arriving at a blearier, more ethereal interpretation of Midwest expanse. Initially, their music oscillated between hazy dream-pop and heavier alt-rock. The subject of their songs create a loose web of vignettes and snapshots, capturing Krauter and Pitchkites in a whirlwind couple of years _ exiting the pandemic, embarking on an embryonic project, making sense of their musical pasts while forging a musical future alongside one another, each of them on a journey of self-acceptance and self-understanding. Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes festering, and always cathartic, Triple Seven is a vibrant and exhilarating document of self-discovery with the scope and heft of the bygone big-budget rock albums that inspired it.
Renowned New Zealand musician Nathan Haines announces his eleventh studio album and first solo album since 2014. Nathan’s vibrant career has solidified his status as a leading figure in contemporary jazz and electronic music, and throughout his career he has distinguished himself as a masterful saxophonist, flautist, and composer, celebrated for his innovative fusion of jazz with elements of soul, funk, and dance music. Notes maintains the jazz sound he is famed for, whilst also seeing the artist embrace the electronic/house and disco scene.
A labour of love, work on the album started several years ago alongside the now deceased UK producer Phil Asher who had produced Nathan’s two most successful albums Sound Travels and Squire For Hire. Regarded as one of the finest DJ’s and producers to emerge from the UK, playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between 4/4 and broken beat, this was the first time Nathan and Phil had worked together in over eighteen years. Phil passed away during the recording of the album, but he appears on a number of tracks, and his spirit and influence can be felt throughout the entire release.
The album features a number of guest vocalists, including UK soul-diva Vanessa Freeman (Bugz In The Attic, 4 Hero, Kaidi Tatham, Kyoto Jazz Massive), and exciting young talent Ajuna Oakes, Ruby Cesan, La Coco and EO (NZ). Alongside Nathan’s own musicianship, the album also features bass from Razor-N-Tape label founder Jkriv and electronic jazz pioneer Mark de Clive-Lowe, with both bringing a wealth of collaboration and musicality to the project. Long time collaborator and much respected UK based producer Marc Mac (one half the highly influential and respected duo 4Hero) provides beats for a number alongside Nathan’s father Kevin on acoustic bass.
Highly respected DJ and producer Frank Booker (Razor and Tape) drops his signature beats on three tracks which fits nicely alongside Asher’s drum work. The album’s one cover see’s Nathan teaming up with vocalist Rachel Clarke on their version of Storm by US 80’s vocal group Rare Silk - this track is entirely acoustic and is one of the album’s special moments both artistically and musically.
The past years have seen Haines continuing to establish himself as one of NZ's best DJs and live performers, working on releases and remixes with the likes of Chaos in the CBD, Frank Booker, JKriv, Ray Mang and many others. He has also just released a solo album on Goldie's Metalheadz label under his Sci-clone alias co-produced with DJ A-Sides to excellent reviews and featuring a wealth of talent and musicianship.
"Following the resonating success of their initial collaboration, the TLF Trio—comprising Danish cellist Cæcilie Trier (CTM), pianist Jakob Littauer, and guitarist Mads Kristian Frøslev—reunites on Latency with electronic music legend Moritz von Oswald for the follow-up to their debut album, 'Sweet Harmony.'
TLF Trio, along with Moritz von Oswald, once again delves into the realm of chamber music, this time with two new songs further exploring the intricate acoustic dynamics of their instruments with electronics. As the second instalment in this musical journey, 'New Songs & Variations' builds upon the minimalistic, sculptural, and narrative qualities of its predecessor, weaving a tapestry of expressive and plural voices.
Moritz von Oswald, a central figure in the electronic music scene since the early '90s, brings his wealth of experience to the project, reinterpreting two of TLF Trio's previous works. From his early days as a classical percussionist to groundbreaking collaborations in the techno sphere, von Oswald's influence has left an indelible mark. His role in co-founding Basic Channel/Rhythm & Sound and contributions to the Berlin-Detroit-Chicago axis have defined various strains of modern music.
'New Songs & Variations' not only captures the rich history and influence of Moritz von Oswald but also showcases his ongoing exploration into classical, experimental, and improvisational contexts. From recomposing Ravel and Mussorgsky’s music for Deutsche Grammophon to acclaimed collaborations with jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, composer Laurel Halo, or Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, von Oswald's versatility continues to evolve.
TLF Trio and Moritz von Oswald invite listeners to embark on a sonic journey that bridges the past and the present, mirroring the transformative essence of Louise Lawler's distorted image, which graces its cover—a testament to the delicate fluidity and shape-shifting nature of the music contained within.
Compossed by Moritz von Oswald, Cæcilie Trier, Claus Haxholm (beat on Chrome), Jakob Littauer and Mads Kristian Frøslev.
Mastered by Kassian Troyer at Dubplates & Mastering.
Artwork by Louise Lawler. Formica (adjusted to fit, distorted for the times, slippery slope 2), 2011/2012/2015/2017. Courtesy the artist and Sprüth Magers. As adjusted for Latency.
Five years into the project, Yermande announced a thrilling new phase for this Dakar-Berlin collaboration; a giant step forward.
The group of players is boiled down to twelve for recordings, eight for shows; sessions in Dakar become steeply more focused. ‘This time around I was better able to specify what I wanted right from the initial recording sessions in Dakar,’ says Ernestus; ‘and further in the production process I took more freedom in reducing and editing audio tracks, changing MIDI data, replacing synth sounds and introducing electronic drum samples.’
Right away you hear music-making which has come startlingly into its own. Rather than submitting to the routine, discrete gradations of recording, producing and mixing, the music is tangibly permeated with deadly intent from the off. Lethally it plays a coiled, clipped, percussive venom and thumping bass against the soaring, open-throated spirituality of Mbene Seck’s singing. Plainly expert, drilled and rooted, the drumming is unpredictable, exclamatory, zinging with life. Likewise the production: intuitive and fresh but utterly attentive; limber but hefty; vividly sculpted against a backdrop of cavernous silence.
Six chunks of stunning, next-level mbalax, then, funky as anything.
This album was a self imposed ambitious project for us. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette 4 track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it 'til I had a pile of “songs”. Tom and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of 3 octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland SPD-SX samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have 4 people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys. As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote & Brad Caulkins on tenor and Baritone saxophones :) Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk. Poppy and hooky, heavy at times.. Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound. Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics. Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on 8 track 1/4” tape . So pretty hot and raw. Lots to write about today. A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me. Things that made me reflect. Things that made me laugh. Things that made me WTF. Some folks are kind, genuine & give you love and energy. Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins. You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself. Be self aware and check your mind for cracks. Learn to relax and be well. There are moments of beauty and redemption. Its not all bad news and there’s always hope. People continue to surprise me one way or another. Anyhow, Hope you enjoy and good luck out there. — John Dwyer
Following a stunning introduction to the world with her 'Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too' EP release in early 2021, Bored At My Grandmas House (AKA Amber Strawbridge) is back with the compelling new single Detox.
It's a tale of navigating change with Amber explaining it’s about “feeling alienated, not knowing who you can and can’t trust, and figuring out how to be yourself whilst also discovering who you are”. “The lyrics represent exactly how I felt in that current moment, numb, confused to who I was and overwhelmed by all the changes I was starting to encounter”.
While Detox retains a lot of the indie and shoegaze elements prevalent in Amber's debut EP, it also shows growth and maturity in sound, with more contemplative lyrics asking questions of the listener. It's a stunning synth-laden track which broods and swells.
Lyrically, there is a deep introspection and a philosophical desire to question and understand human nature, culminating in the "I think we need to Detox" hook.
The track will be released on a limited edition 7" vinyl via Clue Records with a bottle green vinyl available from the artist and label and a toxic yellow version available at all good indie record shops. Following the first 2 pressings of Amber's debut EP selling out ahead of release date, these will be highly sought after.
The track was recorded by Amber at home in Cumbria before being sent to Alex Greaves (bdrmm, Working Mens Club) to add some elements and mix the track. Amber and Alex worked closely together on the final revisions.
The origins of 21 year-old Amber Strawbridge's bedroom shoegaze project Bored at My Grandma's House are perhaps unsurprising given the name. Facing an extended stay with relatives after a trip to Cambodia, Amber used the spare time to start making beats on her phone with Garageband. Fast forward to 2022, the home set up's more than evolved, she's released her debut EP 'Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too' to critical acclaim ,and now steps back into the light with new single Detox.
Kannon is an album which was composed in the aftershadow of SUNN O)))’s most recent successes in immersive collaboration (the group worked with Scott Walker on Soused, Ulver on Terrestrials in 2013 and 2014) and also from the broad and influential wake of their epitimous Monolith’s & Dimensions . Kannon emerged both independently as a conceptual entity and with roots in the legacies of those projects, yet was fully realised years later, in 2015. The album is 36 minutes in length and consists of three pieces of a triadic whole : Kannon 1, 2 and 3.
The album celebrates many SUNN O))) traditions ; Kannon was recorded and mixed with SUNN O)))’s close colleague and coproducer Randall Dunn in Seattle, in Studio Litho, Aleph and Avast! ; and the LP includes performances by long term allies and collaborators Attila Csihar, Oren Ambarchi, Rex Ritter, Steve Moore and others. And at the core the composition centers around the dynamic and intense guitar and bass interplay of SUNN O)))’s founders : Stephen O’Malley & Greg Anderson.
It’s possibly the most figurative album SUNN O))) has created, which is unusual as they usually dwell in layers of abstraction and subjectivity. On the other hand the album is the most outright “metal” in years, drawing personal associations and memories of cherished albums like Panzerfaust and Twilight of the Gods again to the forefront of consciousness. At the third time it is very close to the cyclical character of mantra which the band has evolved into as a living creature, the enormity of intense sensate detail and manifestation of the live in concert face of SUNN O))), the organism that has flourished, metamorphosed and transcended tremendously over the past ten years.
The literal representation of Kannon is as an aspect of Buddha : specifically “goddess of mercy” or “Perceiving the Sounds (or Cries) of the World”. She is also sometimes commonly known as the Guanyin Bodhisattva (Chinese: 觀音菩薩) amongst a plurality of other forms. There is a rich lineage behind this idea tracing back through many asian belief systems, with as many names and cultural personifications of the idea .
SUNN O))) commissioned critical theorist Aliza Shvartz to write a text / liner notes around these ideas and topics. She also explores the relations and perceptions to their approach to these ideas via the metonym of music and SUNN O)))’s place/approach within the framework of music and metal overall.
SUNN O))) also commissioned Swiss designer/artist Angela LaFont Bollinger to create the cover artwork, an abstracted sculpture of vision of Kannon, and the French photographer Estelle Hanania to capture portraits of the core trio (Csihar, Anderson, O’Malley) in the impressive and obscurant Emanuel Vingeland mausoleum in Oslo.
The LP is packaged in immaculate tip on gatefold sleeve by our long time comrades Stoughton Printing, and pressed at Cascade in Portland, Oregon. CD, download and coloured vinyl versions are also available
Simple Reality cements the short lived legacy of Coventry DIY group Skeet.
Emerging from a scene of first-generation punks and 2 Tone kids, Skeet was instigated by Gary and Nigel Meffen in 1981, fusing tightrope instrumentals with a Roland CR-8000 under the glow of projected visuals. After a cassette of their debut performance found its way to Kay Booth who worked at Inferno Records, the unsuspecting frontwoman took the liberty of adding her own vocals. Instantly embraced as a permanent member, Booth’s shy delivery and open-diary expressions of social alienation and romantic rejection hovered over the brothers’ scratchy guitar and agitated bass.
Playing as few as 10 shows, their unnerving minimalism was recorded in a suburban home studio, borrowing a reel-to-reel from Toby Lyons (The Colourfield) and a mixer from Jerry Dammers (The Specials). Record labels gestured interest until one day they were no more - no arguments, no official split, just a silent parting of the ways and three people taking journeys in different directions. Unheard and unloved in the vaults for nearly four decades, 'Brief Call' finally resurfaced via the Coventry Music Museum compendium Alternative Sounds Volume 1, followed by a micro pressing of the full suite on Chris Long’s Almost Unknown imprint in 2023.
Simple Reality now offers a definitive snapshot of these must-hear neurotic post-punks. Mastered by Skeet fanatic Mikey Young, newly discovered instrumental multitracks are restored alongside a live recording of their final stand. Performed atop of a trailer in a pub beer garden, the release-worthy desk tape adds three new tracks and a more energised swing at ‘Left On the Shelf’s apathetic techno-pop.
RIYL: Fire Engines, 23 Skidoo, A Certain Ratio, Young Marble Giants, pel mel
