Expand your taste in music. Based in Beijing, China.
As I need a rest day (Beijing has been lovely to return to, but a challenge to adapt to), I leave for you a well-done video on the history of Industrial music and how it mutated into something very different from its original form.
There’s little I can add to my dear friend, the Last American Poet, Shane Beck, and heir to the Berlin-School throne, Michael Brückner, so I will let the gentlemen speak for themselves. You can read further at this release’s Bandcamp site:
In what turned out to be a spontaneous burst of inspiration, poet / lyricist / spoken word artist Shane Beck and electronica composer Michael Brückner created this circle of five pieces together that are based as much around the mystical splendor of nature as on the vast inner landscape of human longing for eternal love, spiritual transcendence and integration of experiences of loss and pain into a transformative and ultimately healing process.
Do take the time to look at the Bandcamp link, as you will be able to read Shane’s poetry there.
My friends, mark your calendars for June 30, 2023. This is the date that Italian DJ/bandleader/impresario and all-around man of good taste Nicola Conte releases his latest album under the banner of Far Out Recordings, who have never let me down on a single release all these years.
As Nicola’s music spreads to all corners of the globe, rather than having me describe it to you, let us start with who’s on this platter:
Zara Mcfarlane – Lead Vocals On Arise/life Forces/freedom & Progress
Bridgette Amofah – Lead Vocals On Dance Of Love & Peace/soul Of The People/flying Circles
Myles Sanko – Lead Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
Timo Lassy – Tenor Saxophone
Teppo Makynen – Drums
Pietro Lussu – Fender Rhodes , Wurlizter, Acoustic Piano
Alberto Parmegiani – Guitar
Abdissa Assefa – Congas & Percussions
Ameen Salim – Fender Bass & Double Bass On Freedom & Progress/Flying Circles/Umoja Unity
Marco Bardoscia – Electric Bass On Dance Of Love & Peace/Arise/Life Forces
Luca Alemanno – Fender Bass & Double Bass On Soul Of The People/Heritage/Into The Light Of Love
Simon Moullier – Vibraphone On Arise/Heritage
Dario Bassolino – Fender Rhodes Piano & Moog On Soul Of The People/Into The Light Of Love
Magnus Lindgren – Flute On Into The Light Of Love
Fernando Damon – Drums On Heritage
Milena Jancuric – Flute On Heritage
Pasquale Calo’ – Tenor Saxophone On Flying Circles
Hermon Mehari – Trumpet On Freedom & Progress
Paola Gladys – Vocals On Flying Circles/Freedom & Progress
Chantal Lewis – Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
Jaelee Small – Vocals On Into The Light Of Love
You have some of the freshest musicians and vocalists working featured on this album. From Nicola’s promo sheet, via his release Bandcamp site:
“Proudly revivalist, Umoja was recorded direct to analog tape, with just two takes for each track. “Searching for an unadulterated, spontaneous, almost improvised feeling”, Nicola made sure that the few overdubs were also transferred to tape in order to retain the colour and warmth of the analog sound. “Very little post production or editing has been added, so what you hear is largely what happened in those magical live sessions”.”
Lounès Matoub was the controversial voice of a generation of Algerian Kabyle people. He was brutally assassinated on June 25, 1998, but his work lives on. From Elmir Records’ Bandcamp site:
“In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his assassination, Elmir offers the very first vinyl edition of the reference album Lettre ouverte aux…; enriched with a 28-page booklet including biographical elements, the transcription of the poems and their analysis, as well as archival photos and facsimiles that suggest to the listener a complete immersion in one of the poet’s masterpieces. An emblematic album that testifies to the immense talent of Matoub Lounès, his sensitivity and his commitment to the Berber cause. An essential document that invites you to (re)discover the work of one of the greatest figures of Kabyle music.”
Pseudonym Records of of London, UK, publish hard and aggressive drum & bass, giving a nostalgic vibe for the genre’s heydey of the 1990s. Jurango and Glances offer up two utterly menacing tracks each.
This release from our friends at Antonovka Records features three players of the jouhikko, a local stringed instrument: Santeri (Alexander) Dobrynin and Olga Plekhanova from Karelia and Russian Egor Masaltsev, who moved to the region. There are 22 tracks of charming interplay between the three and individually. All the tunes are traditional Karelian, except: 7 – traditional Swedish, 10 and 11 — by Olga herself, 18 — two tunes of traditional Russian songs from Karelia, 19 — by Karelian musician Leo Sevets, 20 — a tune from the play “Sampo: The Magic Mill” based on the Kalevala (author Maxim Gutkin), 22 — by Finnish musician Lassi Logrén.
VIRUS2020 are a wonderfully freakish project out of Tunisia which manages to bring together soundtrack music, post-Industrial references and post-rock into a thoroughly weird and engaging stew. This is a fun headphone listen.
The ever-fantastic Wewantsounds is giving the gold-star treatment to Akiko Yano, wife of the recently departed Ryuichi Sakamoto and fine musician in her own right, collaborating with Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi, David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Charlie Haden, Bill Frisell, Thomas Dolby, and a host of others. From the label’s Bandcamp site:
“Wewantsounds continues its Akiko Yano reissue programme with the release of “Iroha Ni Konpeitou,” another superb Akiko Yano album and one of her funkiest, highlighting her unmissable singing and songwriting talents. Recorded in Tokyo and New York City, the album features a superb line up of the best musicians from both cities including Haruomi Hosono, Shigeru Suzuki, Tatsuo Hayashi, Rick Marotta and Will Lee. It sees Yano mixing Japanese pop with funk and a touch of electronics, playing a wide array of keyboards programmed by YMO synth wizard Hideki Matsutake. This is the first time the album is released outside of Japan and this deluxe LP edition includes an OBI card, remastered sound plus the original 4-page insert with poster, lyrics and full line-up.”
Kuzman Markoski has produced a rather fine EP’s worth of soundtrack-style music. The composer, thereminist and sound designer offers a groove-filled, damn-near danceable disc. From his Bandcamp site:
“Kuzman is a versatile musician and audio-visual artist based in Skopje, Macedonia. With a background in classical training, he has honed his skills as a composer, thereminist and sound designer. This highly anticipated release comes two years after his debut solo album “Collective Zero” that marked Kuzman’s first foray into the world of studio albums as a solo artist, after his successful tenure with the Berlin-based band The Protagonist and the collaboration with the renowned producer Gareth Jones on the “OLAL” project. With an unwavering passion for music and dedication to his craft, he continues to explore new sonic landscapes and experiment with innovative musical approaches.”
This is a curious release. Abandoned Toys manages to balance ethereal ambient music with symphonic progressive rock. A rather brilliant balance, indeed.