See the New Music section for full selection of tracks and albums featured this week.
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist:
1.
Mitski
The Only Heartbreaker
“If you would make one mistake / what a relief that would be.”
A great opening line about being the bad guy in a relationship sets Mitski’s new track into gear, and its propulsive light 80s synth pop style keeps it going easily.
The song is about “the person always messing up in the relationship, the designated Bad Guy who gets the blame It could simply be about that, but I also wanted to depict something sadder beneath the surface, that maybe the reason you’re always the one making mistakes is because you’re the only one trying.”
Ouch.
Mitski’s new album Laurel Hell is out February 4th 2022 on Dead Oceans.
It follows on from ‘Working for the Knife’ and Dublin date announcement.
2
Lucy Dacus
Thumbs Again
A devastating song from Lucy Dacus’ recent album Home Video, redone with a full band. The lyrics are concerned with a friend of the singer who met up with an estranged parent with Dacus’ support. It is really some vignette.
I would kill him
If you let me
I would kill him
Quick and easy
Your nails are digging
Into my knee
I don’t know
How you keep smiling
3.
Blawan
Bilka
Blawan returns with a new Woke Up Right Handed EP on XL that is more sound design than club focused, and that makes for some interesting textured tracks like this EP’s opening ‘Blika’, a discombobulating distorted and restrained piece of music.
4.
AUA, Anika
Islands Song
‘Islands Song’ is from German duo AUA’s The Damaged Organ album due in January and there’s no denying the horror score eeriness to it, not least with the voice of Anika intoning like an otherworldly Nico.
5.
Fred Again..
Faisal (Envelope Me)
Fred Again.. played Dublin last night and also announced his second album Actual Life 2 (February 2 – October 15 2021) is out this Friday.
It again, takes his collage, diary and sample-based production style as heard on the euphoric new song ‘Faisal (Envelope Me)’, based on a sample from singer / poet FACESOUL.
The time period of the album is concerned with grief the artist experienced “exploring how confiding in close friends and family have helped him heal wounds and ultimately realise the genuine sense of joy that can be found as the record draws to a close.”
6.
Samuel Powell
Fold
Kildare producer Samuel Powell featured here last year with his first tracks, and is now released the Owls EP on Shall Not Fade in December. The release’s taster track is ‘Fold’ a composition that isn’t in your face, it rolls into itself with synths, and a growing presence of beats and percussion across its 6 minutes running time.
7.
Bonobo, O’Flynn
Otomo
Bonobo’s forthcoming album Fragments drops on January 14th on Ninja Tune, and features turns from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Jamilia Woods, Jordan Rakei, Kadhja Bonet, Joji and this co-production with O’Flynn.
Much like Bicep’s ‘Apricots’ , the song is based on a Bulgarian choir and bridges Bonobo’s global sounds with O’Flynn’s tougher dancefloor characteristics.
Simon Green aka Bonobo.
“‘Otomo’ began with a sample of a Bulgarian choir. Melodically it was working well but needed a dynamic shift. I asked my friend O’Flynn for input. He sent it back with a dance floor ready drum section. It’s one of my favorites from the album. I’ve been playing it all year in my dj sets, there’s already a huge response and a feeling of immediate familiarity”
O’Flynn
“Simon messaged me last year with a track he was working on and asked for some feedback. I took a punt and asked for the stems to try some ideas on. The tune had this big choir sample and chords in – I went to work trying to contrast that choir with something much harder to try and change the context, using the choir and chords as this kind of relief to this big percussive 808 drop. Luckily Simon liked what I did and we developed the tune from there.
Previously featured: ‘Rosewood’ from the album.
8.
Abbacaxi
The Pageant
Thomas Garnett’s music as Abbacaxi has moved much more into the dancefloor territory lately, and ‘The Pageant’ has a kind of funk bassline that is familiar fans of classic NYC disco and funk.
Abbacaxi plays a debut live Dublin show at The Workman’s Club, Cellar Friday 10th December.
Check out his last track ‘More Than I Need’.
9.
ROSALÍA, The Weeknd
LA FAMA
Rosalía and The Weeknd featured on a remix of ‘Blinding Lights’ a while back, and ‘La Fama’ is the low-key first taster from the Catalan artist’s album Motomami. Danny Trejo also features in the video about fame, like the song.
“I wanted to write, in my own way, a bachata with a little story around ambition. Taking as a reference the lyrics of Ruben Blades or Patti Smith and the songs of Aventura, I ended up writing a story of romance with fame.”
Rosalía
10.
Fort Romeau
Spotlights
Longtime Nialler9 favourite Fort Romeau has announced a new album Beings of Light on 11th February 2022 via Ghostly International.
‘Spotlights’ is the first track from the album, an ode to “romanticised New York City that lives in our hearts, nocturnal and carefree.”
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist:
