The 5 best songs of the week

Brighde Chaimbeul

Bog an Lochan

The Scottish piper Brighde Chaimbuel turns this traditional reel folk dance tune into an otherworldly composition, with the effect of the pipes refracting around the sonic world the recording inhabits. I’ve had this on repeat since Friday and it kicked off the Nialler9 Patreon radio show this month.

It’s from a forthcoming third abum from Chaimbuel called Sunwise (June 27th) which also features guests on uilleann pipes and organ, as well as Canadian composer Colin Stetson (saxophone) and her father Aonghas Phàdraig (spoken word) and brother Eòsaph (vocals).

Chaimbeul says:

“The Gaelic belief recognises no Fairyland or realm different from the earth’s surface on which men live and move. The dwellings are underground, but it is on the natural face of the earth the Fairies find their sustenance and pasture their cattle, and on which they forage and roam.

The first of winter and the last night of the year is a favourite time for encounters with the fairies, as well as on wild stormy nights of mist and driving rain. They are given to leaving their dwellings underground and taking away whomever of the human race they find helpless or unguarded or unwary.”

Kae Tempest

Statue In The Square

To an insistent old-school rap boom bap piano beat, Kae Tempest returns for their first track since 2022’s album The Line Is A Curve (which featured Grian Chatten) .

‘Statue In The Square’ is a big tune from the often more subtle artist with production by Frazer T Smith (Dave, Stormzy).

Greentea Peng

Tardis (Hardest)

London psychedelic R’n’B’ singer Greentea Peng’s new album Tell Dem It’s Sunny soaks up the multicultural genre-stradding street sounds of London from hip-hop to jazz to neo-soul to ragga, dub, rock and drum & bass.

Yet, it’s Bristol’s trip-hop scene, and Portishead in particular that you can hear imprinted loudly on this album and single highlight.

Peng plays the 3Olypmia in Dublin on April.

Hannah Holland

Biker

London DJ and producer Hannah Holland’s latest is a mechanical growler, a throttling combustable production that heralds the release of upcoming album Last Exit on Bethnal via PRAH Recordings on 18th July.

The album will be accompanied by a short film inspired by queer filmmakers like Kenneth Anger.

“We wanted to craft something unapologetically for dykes: a poetic, surreal exploration of dyke power and sexuality set in a fantasy underworld,” says Holland.

The film will be screened at a one-off club night at London’s ICA on 11th April in association with Culture Divided, Somesuch and Bala Project.