Our top 10 releases in April cover a range of different-sounding cuts and artists, spanning from warmly textured house, to dark late-night jack, to psychedelically obscured afro-beat, to sensually enthused desert rock. Just in time for spring, these are the records that invite us to look further into the upcoming year, but to reflect on the past.
Eluize | Talk in Technicolor | Night Tide
Acting as the Night Tide imprint founder, Eluize’s EP features three original tracks that showcase her unique sound. A limited batch of thirty records come with a special cassette tape. The tape features a remix of ‘Up All Night’ by Seth NK, in which his version reconstructs the track into a murky vision directed by cascades of trash-canned percussion. Flip the tape over and you’ll discover a bizarre recording of a young woman describing her LSD-induced psychedelic experience.
Man Power | Planet Cock EP | Correspondant
Man Power aka Geoff Kirkwood‘s Planet Cock EP drew inspiration from willfully smart-arsed influences that range from early 20th century modernism to late 20th century New Wave. Acting as a Correspondant label mainstay – Man Power’s EP represents some of his most dance-floor directed work to date, veering from the arpeggiated big room techno-funk of “Stunt Cock“, to the stuttering analogue stomping of “The Temple“, and rounded off by some broken-up neo-electro with a Mid-East derived influence on “Pig Baron.”
Thylacine | Train (Single) | Intuitive Records
This release is originally based off a track taken from the Transsiberian album composed by Thylacine, all created whilst engaged on an expedition through the famous Trans-Siberian railway. What resulted was a conjunction between delicate mechanistic movements and bodily-derived dance floor rhythms, creating a warm, lush and transient sound.
Blond:ish | Welcome to the Present Remixed | Kompakt
Blond:ish certainly caused a fair amount of raised eyebrows and turning heads when they dropped their debut album Welcome to the Present via Kompakt last year – and decided to circumvent their club comfort zone by unleashing the full extent of their psychedelic and spiritual influences on unsuspecting crowds. The follow up was a recent remix compilation which revitalized the vision into a new light, greatly reminiscent of the intoxicating sonic boldness through a melding of new age, world music, ambient field recordings and club beats. One such track coming from Amsterdam agent provocateur San Proper, creating a hypnotic desert rock version complete with throaty spoken words, rattlesnake percussion and bottleneck bass.
Hyenah | The Idea | Freerange Records
The enigmatic Hyenah stepped into the spotlight for his third Freerange release, with a remix by Frankey & Sandrino. Featured on the track is Lazarusman who lays down his distinctive spoken-word vocals over powerful blasts of afro percussion-heavy beats on the very special remix from the German duo Frankey & Sandrino.
Art Crime | Still Life EP | Pinkman
Following EPs for Crème Organization and W.T. Records, Art Crime delivers a four tracker via Rotterdam-based label – Pinkman. Derived from a series of ill-starred life events and experiences, Art Crime delivers no “90’s rave euphoria” or “bittersweet edge”. The EP begins with a tone of optimism with the warming wonder of “Still Life,” a near still-frame depiction of a foreshadowing tragedy. Now, completely set in motion, “Dead Carnation” is the point of realization of the forthcoming tragedy – drifting the story into an area with a touch of weight. “Distant” is the crestfallen trudge of the dance floor – the descent into a night with an intoxicating encounter. Finally, the smoke clears and lush pads soar with calming current in the track aptly titled “Hectic”, perhaps the only word to describe the experience without looking back too far. It’s an EP of true quality and artistic merit, with a clearly defined theme to personify it.
Ron & Neil | Pedre Son Éclat | Futureboogie Recordings
Futureboogie roll into spring with a heavyweight release from dastardly duo, Ron & Neil, AKA Ron Basejam, and Neil Diablo, who between them bring years of musical chops and (most importantly) ‘the funk ‘to the table, and don’t disappoint here.
Stimming | Alpe Lusia | Diynamic
Coming as his fourth release on Diynamic music, Hamburg-based musician Stimming’s “Alpe Lusia” is . It was named after a remote little alpine hut in northern Italy, in which he had secluded himself to work on his LP for a full month, all by himself.
Kurt Baggeley | Winterland EP | Chapter 24 Records
An artist who lives and breathes electronic music culture, Kurt Baggaley has evolved his productions into a unique and personal sound since his early days as the electro artist Scape One. Taking in influences from early 80’s Chicago House, Detroit Techno and New York Club, with a fusion of Italo Disco, Euro Synth and Electro, his huge Former Self EP on SoHaSo in Spring 2015 was met with widespread acclaim on both digital and physical formats. Winterland does everything to continue this momentum.
Floorplan | Tell You No Lie | M-Plant
Hitting the music press headlines was the new second Floorplan aka Robert Hood album. M-Plant delivered the first taste of this highly anticipated release with two tracks from the album, ‘Music’ and ‘Tell You No Lie’. Floorplan is already well known as Robert Hood’s house, disco, funk and gospel outlet, in which this year evolves into a family affair with co-production alongside his daughter, Lyric. Both tracks are exceptionally infectious, with tough beats, glorious vocal reprises and sure not to disappoint.
