Here are the best new songs we’ve heard in the past week, tried, tested and ready for your ears.
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1.
Chai
CHOOSE GO!
‘CHOOSE GO!’ is the opening track from all-female Japanese punk group Chai’s new LP Punk. The band and the album champion a progressive message throughout the LP with lyrics focused around female autonomy and more. ‘CHOOSE GO!’ is sugary sweet and ultra hyper, played just below the speed of light. It’s carried on a distorted bass line, staccato against the snare hits. Lead vocalist Mana’s performance is relentless, spilling over from one phrase to the next. Obviously, there’s a bit of a language barrier but there’s more than enough latent energy and fire on ‘CHOOSE GO!’ to win over any listener.
Niall and Andrea covered Punk extensively on the latest Nialler9 Podcast, check it out here.
2.
Flume ft. JPEGMAFIA
How To Build A Relationship
Australian producer Flume surprised dropped his new mixtape Hi This Is Flume yesterday. It’s his first full-length project since 2016 and his best since his self-titled debut in 2012. The bombastic ‘How To Build A Relationship’ features a couple of golden verses from Baltimore MC JPEGMAFIA. It’s hard to tell exactly where the producer is at sonically on this track and the mixtape in general. The standard of arrangement and production remains immaculately high, but any obvious influences have been warped and deconstructed beyond exact labels. It’s a gem tho, Peggy absolutely comes through too.
3.
Weyes Blood
Movies
Portland native Weyes Blood’s Movies EP is brimming with moody indie electronica. We’re highlighting the title track from it here, ‘Movies’ is slow burning and emotive. A blend of cinematic vocal storytelling and synth-heavy instrumentation, the arrangement on ‘Movies’ is dreamy enough to verge on ambient. It’s only when the flurry of drums crash into the mix that the haze is shattered. In its place is left the almost brutal loneliness of the artist’s world.
4.
Tequila Mockingbird
Heinz
Taken from the 15 minute long self-titled LP, Tequila Mockingbird’s ‘Heinz’ is a mellowed out hip-hop jam. It’s short and sweet, at just 1 minute and 50 seconds long, but the woozy synths and thin snare patterns do more than enough to make a lasting impression.
5.
Art School Girlfriend
Come Back To Me
Welsh native Art School Girlfriend continues to release superb dream pop with new single ‘Come Back To Me’. This new track builds up from subdued moments, finding its genesis in muddy synth chords and half-whispered vocals before culminating in something far more defiant and striking. It’s interesting to hear Polly blend the more downbeat elements of shoegaze with brighter aspects of electronica, the perfect foil and something which keeps the track from becoming too dreary.
6.
Space Dimension Controller
Beyond Pulso IV
Belfast native Space Dimension Controller has long been releasing material worthy of the R&S label’s prestige. ‘Beyond Pulso IV’ doesn’t buck the trend either. This is nine minutes of cosmic disco, packed with analogue basslines and tight grooves. Take the trip.
7.
Conor Walsh
Fanthesia
Taken from the posthumous LP The Lucid, ‘Fanthesia’ is among the best of the material on the late Conor Walsh’s final release. The track and the album highlight so much of the Mayo native’s extraordinary talent. ‘Fanthesia’ takes you with it, transporting the listener into a world of sound and motion. Minimalist composition is extremely difficult to do right, this is how it’s done.
8.
Shura
BKLYNLDN
London native Shura is pushing toward a very contemporary R&B sound on new single ‘BKLYNLDN’. The very sharp synth production and drum programming took our fancy on this one straight away. “I can pretend that I’m Jesus” is a fantastic opening line too. This is a love track, sung out of anguish. The very tasteful autotuned supporting vocals on the chorus seal the deal.
9.
Matmos
Breaking Bread
You won’t hear anything else like this today. Leftfield San Fran duo Matmos decided to make an entire LP using just sounds gathered from plastic objects. ‘Breaking Bread’ is the LP’s opening track. There’s definitely a novelty factor but undoubtedly some strong compositional and production work here too. It’s beyond strange to be so literally able to feel the texture of a sound on a record. Music you can almost touch. They play National Concert Hall in June.
10.
Cate Le Bon
Daylight Matters
Oh we are finishing this list off with a smile. Welsh artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Cate Le Bon’s ‘Daylight Matters’ is a dreamy indie track. There’s so much personality on this one. The swung bassline, the fuzzy guitar melodies and Le Bon’s antique drawing room vocals – sung high and clear. The track is taken from the artist’s forthcoming LP Reward.
