The Mind-Reading Space Lasers - Xmas in Space

The Mind-Reading Space Lasers - Xmas in Space

Self-released

Any DJs or party organisers out there will know the bittersweet prospect of the busiest time of year, replete with part-time party-goers and their horrendous opinions, low alcohol tolerance and slowly manifesting childhood traumas. Lots of people out and about, lots of people having fun, and lots more having a little too much fun.

Well, neutralise those pesky requesters by giving them just what they... they asked for Christmas music, right? And what's more Christmassy than Band Aid and The Snowman?

Exactly. You can thank me later.

Everyone needs to see the ridiculous videos too

CMFCP October Podcast

Curious Music for Curious People
October Podcast

New new and new old music from around the globe - it's the resurrected CMFCP podcast series! Featuring new new and new old music from the likes of Jazzman Records, Psychemagik, Tramp Records, Monsaldo Y los Figuridos, Actual Doctor, Tundra and more.

1. Michael Embellon - Gravity (Psychemagik Edit)
2. Junior Byron - Trying to Hold On
3. Initial Talk & Deena O - I'm in Love
4. Coco Bill - Evita (Don Dayglow Edit)
5. Sandy Lee - Song For Stormy
6. Charlie Chisholm Bosstet - Wade In the Air
7. Gene Faith - When My Ship Comes In
8. Arian - Nisam Taj
9. A Pila el Arroz - Ghetto Kumba (Afro Rework)
10. Monsalvo Y Los Fotrajidos - Abeja
11. Monogram Caribbean Orchestra - Calypso Cha Cha for Spooks
12. Actual Doctor - Revolution Type
13. Aeon Musk - Time
14. Tundra - Got U
15. Africaine 808 - Everybody Wants You
16. The General - Tough De Things

Murlo - Wind Me Up

Murlo - Haze
Butterz

Following the Akira repress feature by pure chance comes Mancunian melody-smith Murlo's Haze, taken from his new EP Wind Me Up. Fans of Machinedrum and Flume will adore the futuristic, sparse yet detailed productions, while anime fans will fall over themselves for the sumptuous artworks and videos created by the poly-mathematical protagonist himself.

The video to Haze is a simple still from the Wind Me Up artwork pallette. Musically, swooning, cascading synths, ambient touches and expressive keyboards meet staccato percussion amid deft arrangement and simple, prominent basslines. 

This piece wouldn't be complete without giving shine to Murlo's animation skills alongside the music. Below you'll find a selection of Merlot's Murlo's finest vintages (wine joke - sorry)

Trap-style in delivery and very much club-friendly, Tired of You retains a characteristic depth and sense of melancholy that lift the insistent, Grime bass and lead lines to heights a lesser producer wouldn't manage. The video that accompanies is nothing short of jaw-dropping, reminiscent of the best Japanese animé, a little Robert Crumb flavour adding menace to the slow-moving, captivating pictures. 

Glassy, chromatic and entrancing visuals galore - You & Me is somewhere between Audio-Visual installation and narrative music video, with the romance of the vocal and soft/hard juxtapositions within the music adding to the bittersweet aesthetic.

Finally, Into Mist blends hand drawn animation with computer manipulated imagery, set to a sprightly, percussive instrumental with Murlo's signature minimalist soulfulness in abundance.

See/hear more Murlo magic on his Youtube channel, and be sure to cop his brilliant Wind Me Up EP here 

Ata Kak - Time Bomb (Documentary)

Ata Kak - Time Bomb
RBMA

The truly remarkable, heartwarming tale of Ata Kak, brought to life in this RBMA documentary. The story of Ata Kak has some parallels with Sugarman, the South African folk musician whose music became a massive hit among young Americans 30 years after its recording and completey unbeknownst to the artist.

Ata Kak is a Ghanian villager who happened to make one album, at home in the early 90s. Some years later it was discovered by pure chance by African music collector Brian Shimkovitz, who was struck by how infectious, giddy and idiosyncratic the sounds were. He had never heard anything like it, and thus began a decade long search to find the artist responsible.

This is the story of how that all unfolded, and it will make you feel very, very happy.

Do not mug yourself by watching the doc and not then listening to the album in all its glory!

You can buy the album in a range of formats here (USA) or here (UK)

Hober Mallow - Change

Hober Mallow - Change

Self-released

Hober Mallow came to my attention on Soundcloud, sporting some extremely tasty Disco edits. His selections were indicative of a fellow with impeccable taste, so I was intrigued to know more. Turns out he makes some slinky, lo-fi electro-soul, reminiscent of perhaps Andrew Weatherall or the kind of 80s oddity that Andy Votel would dig up from 1980's Romania.

I don't often associate Australian music with subtlety, despite the welcome and high-quality resurgence of Disco from Down Under, so it's great to hear someone keeping the avant-garde spirit of unheralded Australian 70's sci-fi pop group Cybotron alive and well!

If anyone can correct my ignorance of Australian avant-garde music, please feel encouraged to drop a comment.

Bjork - The Gate (Video)

Bjork - The Gate

Video

There aren't really the right superlatives in human dialects to describe Bjork, which is fitting since she is the type of artist that makes everyone wonder if they're really human at all. Similarly to the much-missed Bowie and Prince, Bjork is a creative force so fierce and unstoppable, so relentlessly progressive she appears to be a visitor from another, infinitely more beautiful, realm.

She's back with a new video The Gate, created in collaboration with

Gucci’s Alessandro Michele and artist Andrew Thomas Huang. 

It's predictably brilliant and brilliantly unpredictable.

Bjork has told Dazed magazine it's about "rediscovering love, but in a spiritual way - for lack of a better word". Perhaps the love of a mother for their child? I can't be sure, but the ball of energy that enters and leaves her abdomen at regular intervals throughout the video and the plaintive call of 'I will care for you' certainly give that impression. It's deeply touching, and technically, artistically mesmerising. She is a true auteur, her art light years beyond most of our comprehension. Her collaborators, aforementioned and also the ridiculously talented producer Arca, deserve great credit too. The sound design, the imagery, the sparsity, the songwriting: Majestic. Without compare. Scintillating. Stultifying. See? I really need some new superlatives.

Bjork's new album, procuced by Arca, is out soon on One Little Indian.

V/A - Zoo Keeping 2 (Particle Zoo Recordings)

V/A - Zoo Keeping 2 Particle Zoo Recordings

Indie Electronic label Particle Zoo Recordings have curated a brand new Free Compilation featuring some of the hottest rising talent and established artists in the electronic music world. 

Weighing in at a hefty nineteen exclusive tracks, ranging in tone from soulful Electronica, quirky Synth-Pop, and Deep House with actual depth, to varying shades of DnB and party-starting Midtempo, Big Room House and Ambient Downtempo, Zoo Keeping 2 is an accomplished label sampler that should have something for everyone interested in unusual Electronic Music.

Get your copy exclusively at Bandcamp on a Pay What You Want basis.