Bandcloud 342
Music from aaj kal, Gaapiiiii, DJ Spiider Ebony/Vjuan Allure, Noise A Noise, Debukas, Unrush. Astasie-abasie, FEYXUAN, Silver Tank, Limbo Tapes, Reel Long Overdub, Poison Zcora and Fears
I thought today was due to be the last “Bandcamp Friday” but now I’m not so sure. If I could draw your attention to a single release it would be For: Covid-19 Relief In India compilation curated by aaj kal. If you haven’t already seen, India is currently in the middle of a huge COVID-related crisis. I’m not fully au fait with the details but a combination of a poorly managed and funded health service and a lack of any kind of lockdown means the numbers of cases are simply staggering. If you could provide any kind of assistance it would be greatly appreciated.
VA - For: Covid-19 Relief In India (aaj kal)
So right in with this one. Writer/editor/critic/general sound dude Dhruva Balram established aaj kal last year to raise funds and awareness for the COVID-19 battle in India. Never has help been more needed on that front than right now. It’s only €4! It’s also full of excellent music. From the skippy electronica of Disco Puppet’s ‘OK’ to the crunchy hip-hop of Tre Ess’s ‘Fakir; Eashwar Subramaniam’s melancholy ‘Flickering Lights’, and Oceantied’s sprightly percussive ‘Fox’. Closer We Left Nothing, from Asfandyar Khan, may be my personal pick, if only because of its beautiful ambience, but that’s just my own particular brand.
Gaapiiiii - Live - (Alti Tune Radio) April 25th 2021
I shared a similar set from this artist late last year. This one is very very good.
QAC presents: Vjuan Allure Tribute Mix by DJ Spiider Ebony
DJ Spiider Ebony celebrates Vjuan Allure with 40 minutes of bangers from the late ballroom icon. Incidentally, there’s a memorial fund for the artist here.
If you’re into Tehrani noise then this is for you. We have harsh digital walls, ever-growing crescendos of sound, abstract sonic experimentation, wild uncanny flourishes. There’s some proper dark ambient stuff there too.
This was actually released for last September’s Bandcamp Friday, but I just came across it this week. It’s a selection of tracks from 2010-2015. There have been criticisms of artists dropping old guff from the archives and while that may be true in many cases, it’s not here. This selection of clubby efforts brings together house energy with pristine production style. On top of the overall quality, Debukas must be commended for the excellent sequencing. I particularly enjoyed the one-two punch of ‘Manual’ and ‘Morning Light (The Rhythm)’.
VA - The Unrush Files 02 - Rush of Communion Vol. 2
This popped up in my feed when I saw a collaboration from Barker and JakoJako, two Berlin-based artists working with all things modular. It’s deeply atmospheric, layers upon layers of fuzzy, foggy sound, with shards of light breaking through from time to time. Then Barker went and dropped a new solo three-tracker late last night. The neck! Unrush describes itself as “an experiment in sound, a crystalline vision of eternal pause”. Lovely. This release also features similarly abstract sheen from Cosmin TRG, and Elin Piel, culminating in the technicolour (un)rush of Zadig’s ‘Legend of the Stellar Broccoli’. What a title eh. Proceeds go to the Detroit Justice Center, which pays bail for those in need.
Bandcloud Orange Hexagon Son #16
In case you forgot! I have a podcast. The latest edition features Escaflowne, Marsha Fisher, Jeritan x Lucy Enigma, residual energy boss, Arushi Jain and Amazinggaijin & Lighght. Since establishing it back in September I’ve featured 96 artists (well, more if you include collaborations). No repeated entries here, fresh and new stuff every time.
Astasie-abasie - Molecular Gamelan
When is cultural appropriation not cultural appropriation? This album is called Molecular Gamelan, yet does not feature the Indonesian instruments at all. The artist uses magnification and amplification of sounds of tiny items such as washers, then modifying the sounds to create a sonic illusion. It sounds like gamelan, but it’s not.
You may have seen me tweet about something “strange and bizarre” that left me feeling quite “unsettled”. This was that release. I genuinely don’t know where to place it. It uses what seem to be MIDI harpsichord sounds in a way that’s quite unnerving. It reminds me of some of the stranger moments of Twin Peaks season two. The work uses the artist’s libretto for The Fairies Sing Each to Each: a musical about the monstrous and the divine a lyricbook / stageplay / poetry collection about Amadeus Vu, a queer, transgender and disabled man who will become Empress of Heaven. The text and music are rich and multifaceted, repetitive and confusing. The release seeks to get across the idea that victims of trauma are more than their experiences, that their existence is complex and less simple than may be expected.
Out to Mads, the artist behind Silver Tank. This is a brilliant selection of their recent works, with restrained ambient inspired by a love of video games. Delicate, powerful.
VA - Shape Shifting Creatures Of Limbo
“Limbo Tapes present a horrifying compilation of gruesome hybrids.” Have you ever read a more enticing introductory piece of text??? Murky, squobbly sounds, folksy flute and horns (extremely Wicker Man procession vibes, appropriate with it being May day this week), gentle yet haunting ambient sounds, ceremonial trance. Just … horrifying.
VA - RLO Friends and Family #003 (Reel Long Overdub)
Back in January I shared NikNak’s wonderful album Bashi. It’s dark and strange, difficult to grab hold of and absorb. NikNak appears at the end of this compilation, which raises money for Leeds Asylum Seekers Support Network, and it’s shockingly different to that release. ‘Timeline’ is driven by samples and beats, almost shrill at one end and thick and enveloping at the other. Other tracks here by Everett, Human Capital and Lucy C are similarly excellent but the whole thing is ace really.
Poison Zcora - The Mainly Incompetent 5
There’s something about this brand of jazzy broken beat that’s just irresistible. It can’t help but put a smile on your face. Well, my face. But I can’t see how it won’t do the same for you. Irishman in London Poison Zcora provides chonky percussion alongside bouncy and almost cheeky melodies, particularly on standout ‘McGroogor Send’. The release is playfully described as “three instrumental diss tracks dedicated to his arch-enemies”. I can only assume who McGroogor is, and PZ, I’m right there with you.
Another Irish artist here, Fears is the work of Constance Keane, who also runs her own label TULLE. This has been long in the making and I’m happy to hear and share it now. Oíche is the Irish for night (pronounced ee-ha), and these songs are suitably nocturnal. A perfect mixture of hushed, blended vocals, emotive guitar and subtle electronics mean this is an album for enjoying and appreciating in darkened rooms. That’s not to say Fears wouldn’t bring houses down; rather that these songs feel intimate, quiet, introspective.