Category Archives: News

New music – Dot Allison – Subconsciousology (Sonic Cathedral)

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from the press release, edited by Ben Hogwood

Dot Allison releases a new album, Subconsciousology, via Sonic Cathedral on 25 July. It’s a full reworking of 2023’s Consciousology, by electronic producer and machine-maker Lomond Campbell, who, as the title suggests, has made it deeper, darker and dancier.

The first single,Weeping Roses, has been twisted from its original incarnation as a Tim Hardin-style folk lament into the most unlikely acid house banger.

“It began on a guitar with the two verse chords and grew from there,” says Dot of the song’s germination. “I wanted it to have a deep heartbreak and rawness, and now I love the surreal and beautiful, light and dark clash of worlds and sounds that Lomond has created from the roots and stems of the original.”

“It was the last one I remixed, possibly because it was the only track I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with,” explains Lomond. “At the risk of sounding obvious, I decided the best thing was to work on it somewhat subconsciously. I like that some of the bonny twists and turns of the original song haven’t been entirely corroded away by acid.”

Watch the stunning visualiser by Studio Sparks – using the artwork of Maria Mochnacz and Marc Jones – below:

While the original Consciousology was all ornate avant-garde folk and psychedelic explorations, this new take is as hard-hitting as it is heavenly, as beat-driven as it is beautiful.

Crucially, it finds Dot re-embracing the electronic music with which she first made her name in One Dove.

“I think electronic music will always be a key part of my music-making DNA,” she explains. “I see all instruments as possibilities with which to voice ideas, so I’d never want to cloister myself in a genre or feel I couldn’t return to any genre. Whether the sound source is from vibrations or a voltage, I don’t really see any limitations or rules.”

It was this open-minded approach that led to Dot and Lomond working together in the first place. After being introduced to his music by Hannah Peel, Dot asked him to remix Ghost Orchid, a track from her previous album, Heart-Shaped Scars. In the meantime, he’d already been listening to the album and had noticed the similarities between it and some of his own music.

There was an element of synchronicity, which extended to them both having mutual friends where they hang out in the Highlands and islands in the west of Scotland. The remix was also so good that it inspired Dot to ask Lomond to rework a whole album.

“I knew Dot would be encouraging of experimentation as I strayed pretty far off the mark with the remix of Ghost Orchid and she loved it, so I felt I could be playful,” explains Lomond. “However, I’ve never remixed an entire album before and was keen to make it work as a standalone piece with a vibe of its own. Dot’s vocals are so impressive that I felt anything could work around them, even atomising the recordings into abstract micro samples. It also amazes me how much grime, distortion and dense sound you can throw at Dot’s voice, yet it remains so bright and salient. I loved all of Hannah Peel’s string arrangements, too, so I made heavy use of them.”

“I love that he has brought a rich musicality and has created wild universes around the elements he has chosen to retain in the various songs,” adds Dot. “It reminds me of working with Andrew Weatherall in a way, where the mixes were bold and reinventive departures.

“I wanted an album through the looking glass, in a way. In my mind, it was going to be a mirror version of Consciousology. The whole concept of the original record is about interconnectivity and the electromagnetic aspects to consciousness, so the remixed version should be like a diffracted version of the original, like a rainbow diffracted from a beam of light!”

The end result is the pot of gold at the end of that rainbow – everything sounds and feels at once familiar but different – from the chugging electro of Unchanged and Bleached By The Sun, to the almost absurd, Aphex Twin-like shock of 220Hz.

“It’s landed exactly where I hoped it would,” says Lomond. “I like that each track has its own identity yet there’s a clear thread running through it all. Dot has a real knack for creating striking melodies that hit quickly and stay with you. I tried to build different chord structures around these vocal lines, re-harmonising to take it to darker places.”

The good news is that they are planning on working together again in the future, and have already collaborated on Lomond’s new album.

“I think it would be remiss of us not to build on everything that we’ve done so far,” concludes Lomond. “Stay tuned!”

You can explore ordering options from the Sonic Cathedral Bandcamp page.

Published post no.2,560 – Tuesday 10 June 2025

In appreciation – Per Nørgård

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by Ben Hogwood Photo (c) Wise Music Classical

Last week we learned of the sad loss of influential Danish composer Per Nørgård, at the age of 92. Nørgård was regarded as one of the finest living composers, and you can read why in a tribute from his publishers Wise Music Classical.

Having written in a wide variety of forms, and imposed his direct and fiercely individual style on each, here is a playlist to reflect some of Nørgård’s musical achievements:

https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/39f9b38f-9f16-4491-9afb-b8c404078c4b

Published post no.2,554 – Wednesday 4 June 2025

New music – M / Robin Scott – AI? (BMG)

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from the press release, edited by Ben Hogwood

M / Robin Scott has announced details of a new album, the FAQs of life, the first to be released using Scott’s ‘M’ moniker alongside his own name, and the first new album of music under the former guise in over 40 years, he explains, “I just thought, why don’t we amalgamate the two? A marriage of me and my alter ego.”

the FAQs of life, set for release on 11 July 2025 on BMG, launches with AI’, a gentle yet hypnotic, melodically sweet, piece of art-pop that finds Scott pondering the implications of new reality including Artificial Intelligence.

There are few artists who have had a career as diverse as Robin Scott. As ‘M’ he crafted the iconic multi-million selling song Pop Muzik (which was recently rediscovered, and devoured by a new generation of fans after becoming a viral TikTok sensation complete with its own dance craze. “It’s probably bigger now than it was the first time around!” he exclaims), played folk clubs with Ralph McTell and John Martyn, shared time with David Bowie, produced and collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto, released records by the likes of Adam Ant, recorded The Slits with Julien Temple and worked extensively making music in Africa, collaborating with celebrated trio ‘Jive Shikisha’.

Scott’s fondness for biodiversity and eclecticism is apparent all over his new album; a record of meticulously crafted songs that glide across multiple genres from pop to rock via new wave, disco and even a touch of country. “Music for me has always been a voyage of discovery,” Scott explains. “I’m constantly looking for something which surprises me and for this record I wanted to be outside of my comfort zone – to discover something different, something new.”

While the record features longstanding collaborators Ali Gavan and Phil Gould, it is a true solo album in many senses. The initial sketches emerged during lockdown with Scott having to create a new studio set-up from scratch, giving him the opportunity to approach things from a fresh perspective. For many of us, it was a period of intense reflection; for Scott it was intensified as he contemplated losses in his own life. “It’s an homage to people I’ve loved and lost – a dedication to all those I trust and believe in. It’s also about the foreverness of the things we do, the impressions we make and the things we leave behind. The legacies we create on this planet.”

As the playful title suggests, the FAQs of life is a probing album exploring the state of things, both internally and externally. “We all have questions,” says Scott. “And there are a certain amount of answers readily available, but do they cover everything? Who knows? I’m playing with words to some extent but it’s a term or an expression which sums up the way we’re all floating in this vast sea of information, trying to figure things out. There’s just no manual for this!”

The end result of this journey is a record that is a landmark moment for Scott. It represents him coming to terms with his past, integrating it into his future, and the resulting album contains some of the most crystallised visions and ideas he’s ever had. “I want this to be a showcase of where I’m at,” he says. “Because I’m truer to myself in these recordings than I’ve ever been. It’s the spectrum of my personal experience, from both ends of the telescope!”

Published post no.2,551 – Sunday 1 June 2025

New music – Brad Mehldau – Tomorrow Tomorrow (Nonesuch Records)

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from the press release, edited by Ben Hogwood

Nonesuch Records releases pianist and composer Brad Mehldau’s Ride into the Sun – a songbook record of music by the late singer, songwriter, and guitarist Elliott Smith – on 29 August.

Featured musicians include singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear); singer/mandolinist Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickel Creek); bassists Felix Moseholm (Brad Mehldau Trio, Samara Joy) and John Davis (who also engineered and mixed the album); drummer Matt Chamberlain (Fiona Apple, Tori Amos, Randy Newman); and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman, who also conducted on Mehldau’s 2010 album Highway Rider.

Two album tracks, Tomorrow Tomorrow and Better Be Quiet Now, are available and can be watched below, together with an in-the-studio video of the musicians recording, directed by Matthew Edginton:

Published post no.2,549 – Friday 30 May 2025

New music – HAAi feat. Jon Hopkins, Obi Franky, ILĀ and TRANS VOICES – Satellite (Mute)

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from the press release, edited by Ben Hogwood

London-based, Australian-born producer, songwriter and DJ, HAAi (aka Teneil Throssell) has announced details of her highly-anticipated new studio album – HUMANiSE – out on 10 October 2025 via Mute on limited edition clear double gatefold vinyl and limited edition CD in eco card packaging.

You can watch the video for Satellite featuring Jon Hopkins, lead vocals by Obi Franky, plus ILĀ and TRANS VOICES, a crescendo of celestial glitch-pop that references early Kompakt records, 90s rave and 2-step, below. The accompanying visualiser is by Dobermann Ltd, who Teneil has been working closely with on the artwork.

Teneil goes on to say, “Satellite encapsulates everything HUMANiSE stands for: the importance of your people and the unique humaneness we offer one another in a rapidly changing world. I feel so lucky to have shared this track with Jon and Obi, ILĀ and TRANS VOICES.

This album is for my trans and queer family and our allies, to say thank you for lighting up every space you’re in. I will always be in your army.”

Talking about the track, Obi Franky explains, “Inspired by my father’s passing, I decided to write a message that I believe we share for each other. And this can apply to various situations for so many people including those that live far away from each other. Sometimes being reminded someone’s energy is there is enough to keep you going. We are all satellites and have the power to create a sense of unity, the power to receive and give what ultimately a human wants – love.’

HUMANiSE stands as an immense evolution from the debut, Baby, We’re Ascending, and arrives at a prolific time for the artist. Her BBC Radio 6 Music A-listed track, ‘Can’t Stand To Lose’ was reworked by HAAi and Tom VR and soundtracked a groundbreaking visual which premiered on the Outernet’s digital exhibition space for Women’s History Month. That was followed soon after by a collaboration with KAM-BU, Shapeshift, and recent (and forthcoming) DJ appearances that include Coachella, Movement, Glastonbury and helming her community-focussed night in London, UNiSON.

In all of her work, Teneil has always sought to conquer new frontiers in electronic music, and on the new album, she’s drilling deeper into the grid. HUMANiSE reckons with what it is to be human in an increasingly digital world, as AI threatens to eclipse everything and our screens separate us from each other. The result is an ambitious and thrilling epic: embodying a sonic step up, exploring the sweet spot between machine-led dystopia and emotion-filled utopia.

“Throughout the album, I kept thinking about a machine with a human heart,” she says. Where previously she’s been hidden by a laptop, or obscured behind the decks, more recently she was, “inspired to return to my songwriting roots and use my voice more in my own music.” “Throughout the album, I kept thinking about a machine with a human heart,” she says. Vocals are front and centre, stunningly delicate and giving a newfound dimension to her kinetic productions. “It took a long time to get there, it’s such a vulnerable thing to do,” she continues, “but for this album, it was important for me to allow this ‘human heart’ to be front and centre.”

The human heart has another focus on the album: unity and community. HAAi explains, “Even though HUMANiSE is about how the world is starting to change beyond our control, it’s important to keep a sense of togetherness and hope.” These ideas of community and a sense of belonging is of utmost importance, and she has returned to work with friends including Jon Hopkins, Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip, singer Obi Franky and rapper KAM-BU, artist Kaiden Ford, as well as poet James Massiah, who guests on All That Falls Apart, and two choirs: TRANS VOICES with choir leader ILĀ and a gospel choir led by Wendi Rose. But this is no clique, the community she surrounds herself with is inclusive, with ample space for the listener on a journey where you are suspended in dreamlike euphoria, drawing the most human part of you to the surface – the part where nothing matters more than family, friends, and togetherness.

HUMANiSE is out on 10 October 2025 via Mute on limited edition clear double gatefold vinyl and limited edition CD in eco card packaging. You can pre-order here

Published post no.2,548 – Thursday 29 May 2025