Departure – Around Me
As I lie here continuing to recover from abdominal surgery, it’s no mystery why music like this would be especially appealing to me. This piece of buoyant electronica from Columbia’s Departure (Camilo Toston) is as invigorating as it is therapeutic. It’s a dip in a cool stream on a hot day, which sounds better than just about anything else right now. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but you can find this for streaming or on soundcloud.
Departure – “Around Me”
Skies Up – Small Gifts
Next up is a rich, poignant piece from Edinburgh’s Skies Up (Helen Bayett), featuring spoken-word reflections by Isolde Lachlan. The song explores survival while mourning: how challenging it is to meet one’s practical obligations and maintain one’s relationships while navigating grief’s tangle. It’s a touching reminder that none of us are spared this challenge but that we all deserve some grace during that process. We all deserve the chance to fuck up while feeling fucked up; if we’re lucky, the people and structures around us will be flexible enough to support us while we waver. No bandcamp for this one either, but Bayett was generous enough to let me share with you the mp3 below; you can also find this for streaming all over.
Skies Up – “Small Gifts”
Junior Simba & Wayward – Don’t Say You Love Me
To close out today is another slice of soulful dance music, this one from Leeds’ Junior Simba and London duo Wayward. This is high-quality stuff that fits neatly in that now-large niche of inspirational and hopeful club music that dominates many big rooms (ala Fred Again.., etc.). It makes sense that many young people need their club music to be uplifting right now, given how grim generational prospects are. This was essentially also true when I was coming of age in the late 90s and early 2000s, but then, the euphoria of trance and liquid dnb seemed to have more of a sexual bliss angle than analogous stuff does now. This cohort seems more intent on promoting collective optimism and emotional reassurance. Whatever the kids need though, dance music can and should deliver; this does. Grab this on bandcamp or for streaming; the label was also kind enough to let me share with you the mp3 below.
Junior Simba – “Don’t Say You Love Me”