Here’s a rundown of new releases on DSPs and physical releases in record shops this week.
New Albums
André 3000 – New Blue Sun
A surprise album from Andre Benjamin! Anyone who has following Andre’s movements in the last ten years will know that Andre has been obsessed with playing his flute and the album features no rapping, and instead has a free jazz vibe.
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.
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.
Danny Brown – Quaranta
The Detroit rapper and now, podcast host Danny Brown releases his seventh studio album Quaranta is on Warp Records. The Alchemist-produced ‘Tantor’ is among his finest work, a weird psychedelic rock-infused blast.
Nealo – November Medicine
November Medicine is Dublin rapper Nealo’s second album. We’ve heard songs ‘Tears You Cry‘ and ‘Forest’ featuring Morgana, and Rebel Phoenix, Jehnova, Shiv and Rach & Uly also feature, along with song ‘Only Human’ which features the voice of Susan O’Neill (SON). Nealo says it is unique because “it’s the first song I have written that sounds distinctly Irish.”
Jaakko Eino Kalevi – Chaos Magic
Largely written and recorded in his new home of Athens, Chaos Magic plots a thrilling course through the Jaakko universe, drawing on cosmic jazz, dub reggae, neon synthpop, tender ballads and space-rock nirvana. It features musical contributions from Jimi Tenor, Alma Jodorowsky and John Moods. ‘Hell & Heaven’
Offica – Hokage In Lagos
After part one of the album a few weeks ago, the Nigerian/Irish A92 collective rapper, Hokage in Lagos features a new direction of Afrobeats-infused drill, based on tunes sampling the likes of Wizkid, D’banj and Psquare.
“Growing up in Ireland my parents always spoke Yoruba to us, so we understand the language and culture, but obviously living in Ireland all my life I’ve adapted to the Irish way of life. I feel like Nigeria is a huge part of me and so is being Irish so I wanted to reflect both sides in my first full project.”
Guestlist: Offica’s 10 favourite Irish drill tracks
Kurt Vile – Back To Moon Beach
‘Back To Moon Beach’ is an hour-long EP that features new songs, reworked versions of older tracks, and covers – including Kurt’s take on Charli XCX song ‘Constant Repeat’. ‘Another good year for the roses’ features Stella Mozgawa and Cate Le Bon, who’s also credited as a co-producer.
Water From Your Eyes – Crushed By Everyone
A a full-album rework of their 2023 album, Everyone’s Crushed on Matador. It features contributions from Nourished by Time, the Dare, the Cradle, Mandy Indiana and more.
Gifted & Blessed – Heard and Unheard
Gabriel Reyes-Whittaker has dabbled with instrumental electronica on the Brainfeeder, Low End Theory scene in LA, and released a wide range of music under names like Frankie Reyes, The Abstract Eye, The Reflektor, GB and Julian Abelar. Heard and Unheard leans more in the ambient / spiritual side of things, and is his first album as Gifted & Blessed since 2016. ‘The Waiting Breath’
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition)
2023 marks the 10th anniversary of Daft Punk last record. Without listening to this, I can’t really understand why this exists but give it a shot? Includes including 35 minutes of unreleased music in the form of demos and out-takes.
James Blake – Playing Robots Into Heaven (Chillout Soundscape edition)
Ambient chillax with James Blake’s new alternative album version. Blake is now a founding member of the sound wellness company Endel’s AI in Music Board.
“Blake will work closely with the company to shape its groundbreaking AI-powered technology in ethical ways that will benefit artists and listeners alike. He will curate artist collaborations, and will advise Endel on its mission to create the future of artist-driven functional music.”
Jules Reidy- Trances
Jules Reidy follows last year’s ‘World in World’ for Black Truffle with two turbid sides of just intoned dream folk, using a custom-made hexaphonic electric guitar to guide meditations that crumple our perceptions of pop music. Indescribably singular, we’d say it’s essential gear if you’re into anything from John Fahey to Arnold Dreyblatt, Popol Vuh to Slowdive. Boomkat recommended.
Ethereal Skies – Aerga Vol. 01
Ethereal Skies is a Dublin based-party and now, label dedicated to avant-garde electronic music run by Mark Davis aka darkmavis and Sean Murray.
The label wing of Ethereal Skies‘ Aerga Vol 01 is their first release on the label. Aerga means “the air or the ether” in Irish and this various artist compilation features the label’s Darkmavis, Rory Sweeney, Asa Nisa Misa, Jack Ward, Doubt, Julia Louise Knifefist, Pesci Tooth, Sweet Philly and more.
Ali Sethi & Nicolas Jaar – Intiha
Singer, songwriter and author Ali Sethi collaborative album with the experimental producer artist builds on Jaar’s 2020 album Telas.
Sethi is best known globally for his attempts to revive the ghazal, an ancient poetic form that was taken by Sufi mystics from the Arab world to Persia and throughout the Indian subcontinent, where it captivated the royal court. It’s been unfashionable in the last few decades, a mannered style associated with decadence, and Sethi offers it a new lease of life through his playfully revisionist covers and renditions. (His most popular single ‘Pasoori’ is one of the most Googled songs of 2022, with hundreds of millions of listeners tuning into its timeless message of forbidden love.) Sethi updates the ghazal form by using his years of training in raga music, lifting metaphors that reflect his journey as an out-of- place queer kid in Pakistan who became a US citizen and now lives in New York City.
H31R – Headspace
Wavey alt-hip-hop with a similar vibe to Shabazz Palaces from H31R (pronounced heir / air), who are the duo of New Jersey producer JWords and rapper maassai. I marked their card with ‘Down Down BB’ recently. This is their new album on Big Dada.
The Daisy Chain – Take a Look at all the Houses
Belfast songwriter Rhys Mayes’ debut album is “a cacophony of lo-fi psychedelia and cosmic country music,” with inspirations from The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Beach Boys, Norma Tanega, and bargain-bin Bluegrass and Country records.
Blockhead – The Aux
Backwoodz Studioz (Billy Woods) releases Blockhead’s new album featuring Danny Brown, Armand Hammer, Woods, Navy Blue, Open Mike Eagle, Koreatown Oddity and more.
Zachary Crawford – The Future Was Disappointing
Cork Yacht-rock leaning AOR throwback songwriter recorded his second album with Dutch session musicians over a week, and references include cosmic, disco groove funk, bossa, ballads and seventies soft rock.
Albums also released today:
- Matt Berry – Simplicity
- Vince Clark – Songs Of Silence
- Danny Daze ::Blue::
- Iron & Wine – Who Can See Forever
- Kelly Moran – Vesela EP
- The Polyphonic Spree – Salvage Enterprise
- Smoke Fairies – Lost In Sound
- Various Artists – The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Music From & Inspired By)
EPs also released today
Julie Byrne & Laugh Cry Laugh – EP
New EP Ghostly International, was made in collaboration with Taryn Blake Miller and Emily Fontana, a portrait of the trio coming together in the winter of 2022, writing and recording in Miller’s apartment. Laugh Cry Laugh is an intimate nod towards the singular type of romance that can find you in New York City at night — the sense that time is slowed, fluid, and simultaneous — to be with everybody and to be alone all at once. ‘These Days’
Russ Brooker – 97-98 EP
The 13th release on Galway drum ‘n’ bass/jungle label Rua Sound.
Mahalia – ILY
Six-track EP features Stormzy and Terrace Martin.
Other EPs also released today:
- Aitch – Lost Files
- Drake – Scary Hours 3 EP
- Niina – Apple Juice
- United Freedom Collective – Vast Oceans, Empty Skies
