We almost went full circle with my recommendation series. In this instalment, I’ll present a few albums that I’ve discovered over the last few months, but which I decided to keep under the covers until the seasonal vibe would suit them better, so to say.
Today we’ll listen to Polish generative IDM; a short dark ambient EP from one of Sweden’s most prolific producers; a debut album from a Polish rap duo with an amazing taste for beats; a fresh batch of immersive soundscapes from none other than the legendary Burial himself, and last but not least, a quick taste of warm r&b.
signal_black – Unnecessary Knowledge
It’s always interesting to hear the way a producer from your homeland approaches well established musical styles. It should be no secret that signal_black’s work is heavily inspired by the later output of the legendary Autechre.
Contrary to the usual approach of people trying to emulate Manchester’s famous duo, he doesn’t go the easy way (i.e. trying to make music sound complex for the sake of complexity itself), but rather ventures on his own journey of sonic explorations. He also chose to produce his music on hardware synthesisers, rather than with the infamously difficult-to-use Max/MSP software (preferred by Autechre themselves), while still maintaining their creative approach of making music “generate” itself as a result of programming, rather than “composing” it in a traditional way.
The result of those explorations is a well thought-out, beautifully sequenced and produced work, that reveals new layers every time you put it on. I highly recommend you give this one a headphone listen.
Varg2TM – HOLLOW POINT
Sweden’s Jonas Rönnberg comes back with yet another 2022 release. In contrast to his last few works, this one seems to reach back to the eerie Scandinavian vibes that put him on the map in the first place. Don’t get into HOLLOW POINT expecting to hear the beats that were the basis for his monumental Nordic Flora series.
HOLLOW POINT begins with heavily modulated folkish sounding guitar melody, which sets the mood for the rest of the tracks. The spoken-word part of the second track is Varg at his best – immersive, lyrical, while still remaining appealingly cryptic. A highly recommended listen for autumn nights and evenings.
mosa.tech – REFLEKTOREM
mosa.tech is yet another project to emerge from Warsaw’s impressive underground scene. It’s rare to hear a style this developed on a young band’s first release. The lyrics are difficult to understand, and most likely full of personal references, so even if you don’t speak Polish, don’t feel like you’re missing out – it’s best to treat them as another layer of the amazingly produced beats.
The beats themselves are what draws your attention in the first place. It’s difficult to pinpoint the inspiration, or even let alone find the right words to describe them. They’re modern, complementing the rapping style well, and they are very forward-thinking while still maintaining a high replay value.
Burial – Streetlands EP
Famously quiet and private south London producer William Bevan dropped a 30minutes’ worth of ambient soundscapes with no warning whatsoever. Streetlands seems to be a continuation of his third long-play Antidawn released earlier this year.
The sounds are sparse, soft, and need listener’s full attention to reveal a story that seems to be hidden behind the album. The obvious connotations with dark, industrial spaces are still here – it wouldn’t be a Burial album without them, but the EP is anything but repetitive. 15 years after the release of Untrue Burial still finds a way to surprise you with his way of sonically portraying south London boroughs.
Blood Orange – Four Songs
Dev Hynes comes back with a painfully honest and to-the-point title. It literally is just four songs. Although “just” may seem like a contempt, it’s absolutely not. I really enjoy the fact that Hynes delivered four well produced songs and decided to put it out right away, instead of letting them gain dust before coming up with a whole album.
The songs are a little less cheerful than Negro Swan LP I mentioned a few instalments ago, but they still remain hopeful and are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, if you’re looking for a soundtrack to a sunny autumn walk. Blood Orange’s usual drum-machine backbone, delicate but focused guitars and soulful vocals are still there!
