See the New Music section for full selection of tracks and albums featured this week.
1.
Caroline Polachek
Billions
Caroline Polachek’s star has rissen slowly over the course of the pandemic, with ‘Bunny Is A Rider’ a song that chimed with more than it first appeared.
‘Billions’ is the first song since that single and capitalising on 2019’s ‘Pang’ is a floaty electronic jam anchored by Polachek’s unique register. Modern Enya vibes, especially when the Trinity Boys & Girls Choir come in to sing the “I never felt so close to you” line.
It comes out on a 7″ vinyl with B-side of ‘Long Road Home’ – a vocal rework of her 2020 collaboration with Oneohtrix Point Never.
“The overabundance of this world overwhelms me. Sometimes it seems like ultimate tragedy, the earth being pillaged and destroyed for it. Sometimes it seems pre-human, beyond morality, sublime. I don’t pick sides, I just live here, with you. How does it feel, being so rich?”
Polachek
2
Pusha T
Diet Coke
Welcome back, King Push. This beat was made in 2004 and the track features on the upcoming It’s Not Dry Yet album.
3.
Gaptoof, Illiterate
Door Wide Open
Producer Gaptoof and rapper illiterate have a collaborative EP coming out on February 25th called Journal 01 after meeting to work together in 2021 in North London.
‘Door Wide Open’ is a dark late-night track with insecure premises on the mind.
4.
Fred Again, India Jordan
Admit It (U Don’t Want To)
Here’s Fred Again being prolific with fellow producer India Jordan on a track that recalls the post-dubstep garage house of the Four Tet / Burial Moth/Nova EP that got a digital release today.
This track is part of a series of monthly club collaborations. Last month it was a collab with HAAi and Romy called ‘Lights Out’.
5.
Julia Jacklin
Just To Be A Part
One of our favs, Julia Jacklin is next to be asked from the Dead Oceans label, to cover a track from the ’70s English singer-songwriter Bill Fay, which the label released last month called Still Some Light, which I recommended on the pod.
6.
Real Lies, Zoee
An Oral History Of My First Kiss
As Real Lies said on Insta this week, “you’d get more for murder,” referencing the six and a half long years it’s taking for the followup to their debut album to arrive.
But it’s happening. Lad Ash arrives on April 22nd.
‘An Oral History Of My First Kiss’ enlists Zoee on backing vocals for a sweet reminisce about an important first.
7.
Mix & Fairbanks, Hugo Revolon
Messenger
The Kildare duo Mix & Fairbanks are finally back with a new song? This means we can party again right? The vocals on from Hugo Revolon give this electro-disco track a darker new wave edge.
8.
Jordan Rakei
Bruises
After making some club bangers as Dan Kye, Jordan Rakei returns to his original R&B sound for a four-track EP on Ninja Tune called Bruises on March 4th.
The title track is an organically-arranged warm-hearted soulful reggae number with strings (by Amika Quartet) and sax punctuating the atmosphere delightfully.
9.
Absentee, Qbanaa
New Day
Dubliner Absentee has released an EP late last year called Absent Hives which featured collaborations include D12 co-creators Mickzart, CameronTYP (Cameron Steele), Gaptoof (see track three above), Achilles and Johnny Welfare of The Rog Poets.
The collab run continues with new Dublin singer Qbanaa who makes a great impression alongside Absentee on ‘New Day’.
10.
Alt-J
The Actor
I’m intrigued to hear Alt-J’s new fourth album The Dream properly now (it’s out today) I’ve heard the song on the album with the main hook of chorus simply being the word “cocaine”. It’s about an actor who maybe has a problem, and hangs around “All American jawlines” too much.
Nialler9 New Music Playlist
