by Ben Hogwood
BUNKR, an electronic musician whose first two albums have been greatly appreciated on these pages, is back with a third album.
Antenne is due on Friday 28 June – and if you head on over to Bandcamp on the page below you can hear the first excerpt from it, Ceres Outpost. The signs are good for a quality third opus! Keep coming back here to find out more in the next 10 days…
Published post no.2,215 – Thursday 19 June 2024
by Ben Hogwood
Today brings soothing new music from Danish group Efterklang, in the form of a collaboration with Sønderjysk Pigekor (South Denmark Girls’ Choir), who the band have collaborated with frequently over the last twelve years.
Speaking on the track, Efterklang vocalist Casper Clausen comments: “This piece originated in my little studio in Lisbon. In the early stages of the process, I shared numerous sketches with the others, and this one stood out. As we began to develop it further, we often played it together with the girls’ choir, Sønderjysk Pigekor, from our hometown. Their addition brought a whole gospel vibe to the track, which I found incredibly appealing. I was struck by how their voices seemed to lift the composition into another realm, creating a sense of expansiveness that no instrument or single voice could achieve. I’m singing about being alone, clinging to the stone, kissing oneself to the bone, deep in the heart of the soul.”
The accompanying video was directed by Søren Lynggaard and the band’s Rasmus Stolberg, portraying the members of the choir. Stolberg says: “The video is an homage to the choir who are featured on ‘Animated Heart’ and have given us so many unforgettable musical memories. Inspired by the scenes of ticket lines in Jem Cohen’s Fugazi documentary, we met with the choir to film the video on May 29, 2024. We are honoured to have the choir featured in the song and video, and we are inspired by the hope they bring for the future.”
This is the third single from the band’s forthcoming album Things We Have In Common, which is set for release on September 27, 2024 on City Slang. The band will tour extensively in support of the album throughout the Autumn and Winter, including a show at London’s Barbican on October 5th.
Published post no.2,213 – Tuesday 18 June 2024
by Ben Hogwood
This is a tenth album for Actress – and something of a new departure for Darren Cunningham, the man behind the moniker. For Cunningham has produced a purely ambient album.
Smalltown Supersound describe the new album as being “imbued with a sense of freedom. And of stillness. The kind of stillness within artistic motion that arises via the deepest states of flow. Once ‘inside’ the Statik experience, listeners may well find themselves newly calm and meditative.”
Listen below, and see if that happens to you!
Published post no.2,202 – Friday 7 June 2024
by Ben Hogwood
Floating Points, aka Sam Shepherd, has today shared a new single, Del Oro, which is out now via Ninja Tune.
With a busy summer of live appearances ahead, Shepherd is following up the energetic Birth4000 from last year with a single that has some of the Floating Points hallmarks. Beat driven and busy, Del Oro progresses between minimal beats and shimmering motifs, while never taking its eyes off the dancefloor.
As with Birth4000, ‘Del Oro”s artwork comes from Tokyo based artist Akiko Nakayama. In the words of Shepherd’s press release, “Nakayama brings her painting to life using vibrant, brilliant liquids that combine and wash away, meant to represent the natural growth, change and life cycle of all things on earth. Nakayama worked alongside long-time Floating Points collaborators Hamill Industries to create the “Alive Painting” to accompany the track”…which you can watch here:
Shepherd will be playing a number of dates throughout the summer including We Out Here Festival in Wimborne (16 August), London’s All Points East (23 August), Lost Village Festival in Lincoln (24 August) and Forwards Festival at Bristol (31 August)
Published post no.2,199 – Tuesday 4 June 2024
by Ben Hogwood
Robert and Lyric Hood announce the release of their fourth studio album The Master’s Plan, landing on Luke Solomon’s Classic Music Company imprint on Friday 21 June. Spanning 18 crafted house and techno tracks, Robert and Lyric playfully juxtapose the light and dark of their signature sound, navigating a spectrum of genres and styles on this highly anticipated body of work.
Robert recognises the uplifting qualities of their music, saying, “In these troubled times, we are grateful to be able to share our music with the world. Especially the dance community. We hope this album will uplift and invoke you to dance.” Meanwhile daughter Lyric comments, “I want people to feel inspired and empowered, but most of all to feel the love of God and his connection in every track. This album was made for the fans that love house music as much as we do.”
The album features Detroit trio Dames Brown, Eunice Hood (Earthtone) and Lowell Pye, while Honey Dijon appears on Fake & Unholy. Feel It is the final piece of the pre-release jigsaw, with a deep beat and typically strong riff typical of Floorplan’s best – not to mention the uplifting, gospel qualities that sit at the centre of their music.
Luke Solomon, Classic’s founder, says “The combination of wonderful people and wonderful music is always the absolute top for me. Floorplan are an unstoppable force that stay in their lane and deliver dancefloor music in a way that no one else can, but beyond that they are special human beings and I am beyond grateful to be able to call them Classic family.”
Published post no.2,194 – Thursday 30 May 2024
Arcana.fm 