Tag Archives: Ninja Tune

Switched On – Ben Böhmer: Bloom (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Ben Böhmer’s first album in three years came after an intense period of touring, playing more than 200 shows in 2022. The title, Bloom, reflects the time he spent reconnecting with making music, as he put it in a social media post, “a journey through change, self-discovery, and finding the right moment to ‘bloom’.”

His experiences are reflected in the lyrics, with the lead single Best Life finding a reflection from guest vocalist JONAH that ‘life is short and fast’. The guest roster also includes Lykke Li, Oh Wonder, Enfant Sauvage (of French duo The Blaze), Malou, Erin LeCount and Max Milner.

What’s the music like?

Slick, melodic and very listenable. Böhmer brings studio polish and class to his productions, which have elements of pop, trance and house but crucially make an emotional connection to the listener.

He is a flexible writer, too, capable of writing a floor filling anthem and following it with a down tempo treasure, as he does here. Martin is a great way to start, a piano-led beauty taking its inspiration from the piano of Martin Kohlstedt, whose intimate but bright loop powers the track.

The vocalists acquit themselves well – Lykke Li on the smoky Hiding, Malou on Beautiful, with its rolling bass, and on the slower side of things Erin LeCount’s Faithless is excellent, as is the closing instrumental Blossoms. Rust is coolly delivered, while arguably the biggest rush comes from Evermore, a brilliant song taken to the next level by Enfant Sauvage. Böhmer creates a heat-soaked atmosphere, encapsulated by Oh Wonder’s dreamy contribution The Sun.

Does it all work?

Yes. Böhmer writes fluently and the album is well structured, responding well to repeated listening.

Is it recommended?

It is. Bloom is a real pick-me-up, a force for good in the face of tough times.

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,329 – Saturday 12 October 2024

Switched On – Floating Points – Cascade (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This is the fifth Floating Points album, and the first since Sam Shepherd’s alias teamed up with Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra for the memorable Promises, one of the very best albums released around lockdown.

That period provided the indirect inspiration for Cascade, for Shepherd had grown frustrated at the lack of opportunities to promote his preceding solo album, Crush, to heaving dancefloors where its potential clearly lay. Seizing the opportunity to write for the club crowds, he delivered an album of speed and complexity.

What’s the music like?

There is some dazzling music on Cascade. A lot happens in the hour in which it unfolds, and while some of the tracks are quite complicated in their arrangements, Shepherd’s trump card lies in his ability to make intricate music that rewards close inspection while making some eminently danceable grooves.

That applies very much to Birth4000, which traverses a number of styles while ensuring there are plenty of hooks for the listener to latch on to. Afflecks Place – named after the Manchester market – bubbles up from the ground, in the power of an elemental force, while Key103 has primal urges taking us right into the middle of the dancefloor.

The larger structures work really well, the album only nine tracks but featuring a couple of bigger constructions such as Ocotillo and Vocoder that develop instinctively and dramatically.

Does it all work?

It does. On occasion Shepherd’s music almost has too much going on, but he seems to pull it back it just the right moment, and adding the closing track Ablaze as a comedown works a treat.

Is it recommended?

Yes, enthusiastically. A dizzying high that delivers on several levels.

For fans of… Squarepusher, Throwing Snow, Mount Kimbie, Jamie xx

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,302 – Monday 16 September 2024

Switched On – Tycho – Infinite Health (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

San Franciscan producer Scott Hansen returns to his Tycho alias for a first long player since 2020’s Simulcast.

The aim this time around was, in his words, “about creating a space for healing and reflection, a mantra for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing. At the end of the day, all we really have is our health – both physical and mental – and we wish infinite health to our family and friends. So in those ways, infinite health is a salutation and an imperative.”

The synths and samplers still form the basis for the Tycho sound, but Hansen has looked to use acoustic topping in creating an individual sound, helped by regular collaborators Zac Brown (guitar), Rory O’Connor (drums) and producer Chris Taylor.

What’s the music like?

Tycho have always made beautiful sounds that somehow capture the wide expanse and warmth of their Californian home – and Infinite Health is no different.

This is an upbeat album, full of energizing, positive grooves and laden with hooks. Hansen’s breezy textures, helped by Grizzly Bear’s Taylor, are a treat, especially on their own favourite, the single Phantom:

The punchy groove they achieve here is used to good effect elsewhere, with breaks successfully employed alongside springy, four to the floor rhythm tracks. Restraint is a dreamy reverie, as is the lovely Green, dressed with earthy drums, while Devices and DX Odyssey are more of the electro-disco school.

For this author the best track is Totem, a really catchy acoustic-led number that is fertile in its invention and packs a good groove.

Does it all work?

It does, comfortably – with Infinite Health having all the positive energy and breezy textures of previous releases, while facing firmly forward in its musical outlook.

Is it recommended?

It is – Tycho bring a burst of late summer sunshine to the party, dressed in production you want to dive into. First class chillout music.

For fans of… Ulrich Schnauss, Explosions In The Sky, Rival Consoles, Minotaur Shock

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,293 – Friday 6 September 2024

New music – Bonobo: Expander (Ninja Tune)

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published by Ben Hogwood, with text appropriated from the press release

Released on Ninja Tune, Expander cuts a slice of unmistakable Bonobo, deftly weaving organic vocals and instrumentation with peak-time dance-floor sensibilities that set it up to become one of the songs of the summer. Following his recent roadblock set on Glastonbury’s LEVELS stage, numerous clips of the unreleased track begin circulating online, with fans clamouring for an ID.

The track is already a staple at his legendary OUTLIER sets, an event series curated by Bonobo which shows his continued influence as a DJ and also the reverence a new generation of artists hold for his own releases. Joining him on DJ line ups over the last year have included Barry Can’t Swim, DJ Koze, Sofia Kourtesis, salute, Kelly Lee Owens, Mall Grab, DJ Tennis, Dixon, TSHA, SG Lewis, Young Marco, Kerri Chandler, Carlita, Elkka, HAAi, John Talabot, Paula Tape amongst others. The 15,000 capacity event at Drumsheds in London was the fastest selling event of the season. Bonobo also recently played “Expander’ when going b2b with Disclosure at their Friends & Family pop-up in LA.

Expander sees Bonobo continue his stellar run of heavier, club-inspired tracks released in between albums. Following, as it does, his 2022 singles Defender and ATK, the subsequent single Fold — a collaboration with Jacques Green — and 2020’s anthemic NYC disco-inspired Heartbreak 12” with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.

Published post no.2,271 – Thursday 15 August 2024

New music – Floating Points: Del Oro (Ninja Tune)

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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