Via ADAB (Motherbeat, In Training, NTS):
Via Mx. Silkman ((Seith Communiti, Auton, Funeral Parade Of Roses): "Pure Rave, a collective based in Detroit, Michigan, is an ongoing experiment in "chance dance". Using various prepared turntables, "damaged" records, the occasional drum machine, the effect is an indeterminate arrangement of patterns and rhythmic sonic collage. Real-time experimentation with the goal of hitting your pleasure center for whatever your brain thinks is interesting."
A challenging collage of sputtering locked grooves, skips, scrapes and accidental rhythms, presented here as a new volume in the always-cryptic Nostilevo project of leftfield post-industrial electronics. Track A2 is sublime.
"The sounds on Florian T M Zeisig's 'Coatcheck' are little like the experience of stereotypical clubbing. Likewise, these remixes are meant for the club of the future, or perhaps, the non-club of the present: a place emphasizing organic flows instead of machinic rhythms, a place of distanced, isolated collectivity at a time of transition to something different. Many of these remixes have resulted in entirely new compositions, more like collaborations than reinterpretations."
Slithering reverb and oil-slick ambience, garbled piezo-speaker speech, submerged synth tones deep underneath. Beautiful remix work by Expugnantis, whose collection Old Raptures I had the pleasure of recently reissuing via Seith Communiti. Marcus's work is deeply underappreciated - find more at Bandcamp.
"Elements of Refusal" is Roman's vitriolic meditation of hatred for civilization and the longing for feral visions of our true destiny. The sound speaks for itself, no long explanation necessary - you get what you deserve...half an hour of uncompromising, relentless chaos..."
Relentless and cruel c-30 of scathing harsh noise from a master of the game on this Texas imprint.. Brilliantly reflects the name check of both John Zerzan as well as the glorious DH Lawrence quote, "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats."
"Against this backdrop, Ultra-Black of Music speculates on the manifold ways in which the objective, inhuman soundworlds, which roar underneath humans’ sensological apparatus, pervade and smoothly colonize our humanoid-alien, affective and cognitive capacities – and how to construct ways out of the mess of the Master Rhythms of Sonic Thanaticist Capital and its stratagems of annihilation and pulpification."
SIFIR's sonic contribution to the second volume of the Ultrablack Of Music compilation and journal released by Mille Plateaux. Ties in nicely with SIFIR's (Prof. Zafer Aracagök) writings on Deleuze and Guattari as well as his discussion of pre-Socratic philosophy of rhythm as an intrinsic part of civic order and the formation of the nation state. Zafer's chapbook I WANT TO BE A SUICIDE BOMBER released by Little Black Cart was a significant find in the last year.
"One of West Bay's finest underground rappers meets beats from Toronto's most promising new producer with a little help from the homies near, far and in-between. Yegg War is a little drugged, a little thugged and criminally smooth."
Creepy-crawly flow over doomy angular psych-tinged beats, recently pressed as a quickly-disappearing 2xLP with vinyl-only bonus cuts. Highlight for me is Luke's delivery over the absolutely trudging Planet Caravan flip on Forged Prescriptions.
"Six urgent blasts of punk music that result in a sonic whirlwind that few others have previously concocted. In a genre that has become dominated by embarrassing posturing, this slab is a much welcomed breath of fresh air in an age of suffocating and uncertainty."
Beautiful rawpunks release absolutely hellish new 7" EP. Sold out from the label twice over, buy it from your local punk record seller.
"This became a tribute to the 'dub spirit', but in a very personal way, far beyond any influence or "the obvious". 500-PUSH-UP is two worlds collapsing, merging, also showing some intriguing approach of the Jamaican groove, used as a filigree, like the echo or the ghost of reggae, converging and conversing with a post-industrial and experimental approach."
Beautiful hazy mixing of the titanic rhythm section legends Sly & Robbie. Pummeling grooves frosted with layers of cascading dub miasma.
Via Father Of Two (In Training):
"I feel that in some ways I’ve been less connected to music than ever especially during this dead of winter but I think a lot of people have been in that same place, and maybe that out of stepness can create different types of connections with stuff."
"I’ve been ever so slowly catching up on beat-oriented releases i missed out on in 2020- this album seems like it was specifically designed for my friends and me in a lab! Hits all the buttons."
"Insides and their previous band Earwig were a huge part of this year for me, I was so delighted that they put something else out and it sounds like they haven’t missed a beat since the 90s! Really one of the most underrated bands."
"I dont think anyone has made me ache for the club this year quite like these DC peeps. they have such a special thing going!"
"Legendary gents. They literally never miss. So blown out and perfect, I’ve been leaning on their music a lot lately."
"This band will always help me retreat to a safer, warmer place. Been caning this and low level owl vol. 1 & 2 pretty consistently for the last 15 years and especially now."
"This mix started making the rounds again lately and it’s thrilling and perfect like anything Carlos does. I love him so much as a dj and person. listening to this mix on repeat makes me think of all the laughs and crazy times that hopefully are still to come."
"DJ Voices has been my rock during this past year! She’s kept up such incredible work behind the decks. She will be star of the internet radio waves this year- i can feel it. No one molds tempo and structure into crazy shapes quite like her."
Via Kiernan Laveaux (In Training / Motherbeat): Amazing electronic punk psychedelic soul uncategorizable goodness from one of my musical heroes. Documents of self love amidst a scorched earth.
Midwest drum n bass styles for the overcast skies, mastered by lovely NYC based friend Russell E.L. Butler. The kind of music that makes you want to take a long walk and inhale a breath of life. Last track in particular is transcendental for me.
One of my favorite people I've gotten to know through music, such a force for good on this Earth. Intimate poetry set to a disharmonious soundtrack, emanating love from it's molten core. Play it loud!
My fav record to come out in 2020, tapdancing into the apocalypse. Big up to my friend Jo Rad Silver out of Detroit!
Dream team of Via App + Bookworms, more apocalypse jams... but this time, the end is glimpsing into new beginnings.
Wouldn't be a complete list without some goodness from me and Miah's roommate, ALI BERGER! He put out a ton of amazing stuff last year, also including his STEW EP but I'm gonna shout this one out on the album side of things - Sidways Light and TT Track are some new frontiers of experience with music, plus so many heaters to fill up the dancefloor in your mind throughout this album and the whole TRACKLAND bandcamp.
Psychedelic malaise from one of the most beautiful minds, forging a path forward amidst the nothingness and decay.
Truly beautiful funky weirdness from Ohio's Jacoti Sommes, feels like ballet on the moon.
One of the most inspiring artists I've gotten to listen to in recent years, from a musical / thematic / personal universe level. The way you are able to listen to her music and feel like you are listening to someone's own personal universe, yet also fully being inside a timeless continuum of thought and process... truly entrancing. Please listen to Rekkez and my personal favorite That Which Death Cannot Destroy as well. The way she is using turntable scratching throughout all this has been a subtle influence on ways in which I want to progress my own DJing / technique, and her being from Pittsburgh originally is the cherry on top of amazingness here.
Perfect combo here for me! Model Home sound like the force that pushes a large object off a ledge, Pure Rave sound like the scraps that come to life after that object collides with the Earth. Shit that makes you feel one with the machines but start wiggling the hips inside your cerebral cortex. Most imporantly, it sounds like they are all having so much fun making this music, and what's better than harmless, cacophonous fun?
DG goes halftime stepping in some of my favorite music I've ever heard from them! 3 slabs to tumble down the chasm to, pick yourself back up again, metamorphize, dance and do your thing. Atmospheres organically decompose and reshape themselves into enveloping psychedelia, set atop beautifully erratic drums and melodic bits that flourish in a singular Davis way. The sounds of a lava lamp on 45rpm.
Club Chai evolve and see themselves off into new ways of being with this amazing compilation of theirs they just put out. The way they have bolstered the lives of so many people is beautiful to see even from afar, and this compilation is an amazing collection of the breadth of sounds that orbit them. Nothing better to help lead one into new horizons then a collection of loved ones and friends forging sounds from their hearts - quest?onmarc, Authentically Plastic, & Piano Rain tracks on here are big favs.
Luckiest 13! Haven't even heard this whole thing yet but I already know it will be amazing. One of the number one humans in this world who fully changed my life through their rhythmic imprint they continue to excavate for us all - and even better, we can wish them a happy birthday with grabbing this release. Literally everything on the AF bandcamp is life affirming beauty in this world, can't recommend enough just clicking on a release that looks good to you and diving in. Thankful for the worlds he helps create and all of us who inhabit them.
Via Matt McDermoott:
PLO Man & C3D-E - public static v. via Acting Press
Via J.Tripp:
