Featuring André 3000, Biig Piig, Spooklet, Sloucho, Kneecap, Grian Chatten, Nealo, Niina, Jaakko Eino Kalevi, Faux Real, New Jackson, Tiger & Woods, boygenius, Ye Vagabonds.
Today is New Music Friday, which means there’s loads of new songs in the world.
Here are 10 songs released this week I loved from my listening this week, along with fresh ones in the New Music section.
See the end of the post for the Spotify playlist featuring much more than 10 tracks released this week, updated weekly.
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1.
Andre 3000
I Swear, I Really Wanted To Make A “Rap” Album, But This is Literally The Way The Wind Blew Me This Time
Take away the already-surprising fact that Outkast rapper Andre 3000 has finally made a solo album and it contains no lick of his voice on it, and New Blue Sun is surprising perhaps, in how natural and beautiful this music is, a spiritual and moving ambient jazz album with Andre playing flute surrounded by noted jazz players.
New Blue Sun was co-produced by Benjamin and multi-instrumentalist Carlos Niño, and features Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, Deantoni Parks, Diego Gaeta, Matthewdavid, V.C.R, Diego Gaeta, Jesse Peterson, and Mia Doi Todd.
It’s not a record to judge quickly but this 12 minute sonic solace of opener already is one that feels worth spending time with in the coming weeks.
New Blue Sun is an entirely instrumental album centered around woodwinds; a celebratory piece of work in the form of a living, breathing, aural organism.
2.
Biig Piig
Watch Me
Pounding ASMR electronic club pop from the returning Biig Piig after the release of the artist’s debut mixtape Bubblegum.
‘Watch Me’ takes its crunchy electronics inspirations from the French Touch city of Paris where Jessica Smyth has been spending time when not in London. It was actually produced in London with Zach Nahome and Maverick Sabre (who both worked on ‘Feels Right’).
“Watch Me’ is a track about empowerment. I found confidence in pushing new limits with it. It’s a song to feel yourself unapologetically and to strut to. Telling the world, I am that bitch, watch me.”
The video is also Biig Piig’s directorial debut, co-directing with NWSPK.
3.
Kneecap, Grian Chatten
A Better Way To Live
Belfast Irish-language provocateurs Kneecap have released the first single from their Toddla T-produced debut single for Heavenly Recordings.
‘Better Way To Live’ features Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C with Tom Coll of the band playing drums on the track by Mo Chara, DJ Provaí and Moglaí Bap.
The video was directed by Peadar Gill, and was filmed in Madden’s Bar in Belfast (where Grian and Kneecap first met)
“‘A Better Way To Live’ is all about finding that little spark of joy in the monotony, in the day-to-day things that you barely bat an eye at. In between the moments of that repetitive lift of the pint, or spark of a cigarette, there is an opportunity for bliss. underneath that constant noise, there is a silence that can breathe new life and inspiration breaking through the mundane.”
4.
Sloucho, Spooklet
Casse-Toi
Dublin-based electronic music producer Hannah Worrall provides the French/English language vocals on the Sloucho-produced wavey bass track ‘Casse-Toi’ (which means “get lost”.)
I loved the last Spooklet song ‘Oh Shit’ and Sloucho’s tunes have been full of texture and imagination.
See also: Spooklet’s Car Boot Sale for Lips 2 Ears, a recently kickstarted video performance series for Irish artists.
5.
Nealo
Spirit Totem
November Medicine is Dublin rapper Nealo’s second album, a release in which he ruminates on fatherhood, community and national trauma, a dissolution of a long-term relationship and matters of the heart.
‘Spirit Totem’ is the Clonsilla rapper at his finest with confessional life-embracing lyrics set to a stirring production by Willhouse and Adam Shanahan.
6.
niina
Gimme Gimme
UK electronic producer and songwriter Niina featured here with ‘Miss U’, and dopped a new EP today called apple juice.
All produced and released by the artist, the EP features ‘gimme gimme’, a hyperpop-leaning experimental fizzy banger.
7.
Jaakko Eino Kalevi & Faux Real
Hell & Heaven
The Athens Finnish synth pop artist Jaakko Eino Kalevi dropped a new album called Chaos Magic today, and among the “cosmic jazz, dub reggae…tender ballads and space-rock music: on the release is this baroque synth-pop tune.
8.
New Jackson
Acid Jackson
‘Acid Jackson’ is a one-off track from David Kitt’s New Jackson’s electronic project on Sven Vath’s Cocoon label, which came after ‘The Night Mail’ was featured on a compilation a couple of years ago.
This one kicks off the Cocoon Compilation U, the label’s 21st comp, that also features DJ Tennis, Ian Pooley, Space Dimension Controller, Benjamin Damage and more.
9.
Tiger & Woods
License To Vibe feat. ‘Em
This is what you want from the return of Italian disc-dancefloor duo Tiger & Woods, spatial crunchy bass and synth disco movements with Em on vocals.
It’s from the DJs On Film EP out December 8th.
10.
boygenius, Ye Vagabonds
The Parting Glass
After recently supporting boygenius on their Irish gig in Dublin Ye Vagabonds have recorded a version of ‘The Parting Glass’ with the trio.
Irish folk brothers Ye Vagabonds and Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers band boygenius have recorded a charity single of the traditional gathering song often heard at the end of nights out in Ireland.
A version of the song was recorded by Sinéad O’Connor in 2002, and the artwork for the song features Sinead, who passed away this past July.
All proceeds from the Interscope-released record will go towards the Aisling Project, an after-school project working with children and young people growing up in a disadvantaged area in Dublin, Ireland, chosen by the Sinéad O’Connor Estate.
Nialler9 Weekly Playlist
Nialler9 New Music Playlist
For more extensive Irish and new music coverage, hit up the Irish section for individual track features
For this and more Irish songs, follow the Nialler9 New Irish Spotify playlist.
