Palms
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Big Dope P – FDBU

Monster 160 g-tech tune from longtime Palms Out favorite Big Dope P, the prolific French producer based in London. This man is the definition of grind–he seems to produce and release nonstop and runs one of the most stylistically consistent labels of the past two decades (next year is the 20-year anniversary of this classic). I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing him DJ, but I imagine he brings a lot of fun to the floor. This is from his upcoming six-track EP, Life Hits Hard But These Traxx Hit Harder, out July 16, and up for preorder now.

Big Dope P – “FDBU”

Sensu & Eloq – Ur Way

Speaking of Palms Out favorites, here’s a new one from old friend ELOQ (August Fenger), whose very first EP came out on Palms Out way back in 2011. Produced in collaboration with Swiss producer Sensu (Jasmin Peterhans), this track really crystalizes the energy of so many contemporary dancefloors: open [again] to syncopation and genre fusion, obsessed with hitempo 2 step/UKG shuffle, and not averse to some bubblegum synths. The press release references Hed Kandi when describing the synth sound here, and that’s definitely on the money, but I also hear plenty of naughties Dutch house and a bit of “Exceeder” in there. I’m here for it. This is out now for streaming, but Sensu and ELOQ were kind enough to let me share the mp3 with you all here.

Sensu & ELOQ – “Ur Way”

Ekforce – Chiaroscuro

Last but not least tonight, two tracks from French artist Ekorce (Kyrian Nicolay-Kritter), whose name I had not run across before now. When I heard these, it was evident there was some deep technical talent behind them–but I had no idea where to place these musically. Not that categorizing music does anyone much good, but I find it difficult not to do so automatically when I hear something–but I lacked the right references here. It isn’t that any of this sounds particularly unfamiliar–it’s plasticky, rubbery, twangy downtempo electronic music, all really pleasant sonic qualities in my book, but it just doesn’t quite sound like anything I’ve heard before. Ekorces’s bio describes it “oscillating between Psybass, Psydub, and Psychill,” which admittedly are all genres I’ve essentially never heard of (I assume they’re all from the Psytrance family?). The closest reference point I have that gives a little idea is Vapor Twitch, or whatever Cashmere Cat and his friends were making in the mid-2010s (I think it got called “Future Bass” which is among the most reductive and meaningless genre names ever coined), but neither of those quite fit either, because Ekorces’ album is much more varied than those references would imply–and at times quite restrained and deep. Whatever this is, it’s really good. It makes me feel a little like I’m inside one of my daughters’ bouncing balls. Both of these songs are taken from Ekorce’s newest LP, Chiaroscuro, which you can grab on bandcamp; you can also download one of the tracks below, or find it all for streaming.

Ekorce – “Blur”
Ekorce – “Page Blanche”

9ms – M€mo

Wading slightly into the world of experimental dub and Krautrock, first up tonight is this strange and wonderful song by Munich-based drummer-duo 9ms (Simon Popp & Florian König). The second single from their just-released third album Lunch–most of which is almost exclusively percussive–this song is an outlier, and draws its melodies from the drums themselves with really clever use of a drum resonator. The melodic result is elusive, as if the melody were a few milliseconds (9?) ahead of or behind the percussion, creating a sense of a sort of slow-motion chase between them. It’s an almost unnerving feeling to experience the drums and melody in this way, but ultimately becomes soothingly hypnotic. Popp and König are machine enthusiasts and build unique custom rigs to allow them to interact with their gear in atypical ways. They describe having the goal of “becoming one with their mystic machinery”; on Lunch, they used infrared and magnetic field sensors to translate their movement into control voltage, which they used as synth and effects triggers. The whole album is really worth checking–you can grab it on bandcamp or for streaming, but Popp and König were also kind enough to let me share with you the mp3 of this song below.

9ms – “M€mo”

Old Owl & Wings of Time – Wisdom is Drums

I’ve taken a bit of a left turn tonight, stylistically. A leap further, next up is this perfect bit of authentic roots dub from Swiss artist Jah Bast aka Old Owl aka Wings of Time. I don’t cover proper dub very often, but I love it deeply, so it’s nice to have the opportunity. All of Jah Bast’s work is as authentically crafted as it gets–he’s essentially a one man band; playing most everything himself, recording everything to tape, doing all the dubs and fx by hand, and releasing 7″s–the way this kind of music should be made. That dedication to the original form definitely shows; all his records are warm and forgiving, but this instrumental he sent me recently is the standout. Unfortunately the 7″ is sold out, but you can grab the file on bandcamp or find it for streaming.

Old Owl & Wings of Time – “Wisdom is Drums”

aeoni – Blossom

Last but not least tonight is a new album from Greek artist-physicist aeoni (Ioanna Theofilakou), whose last record Lifetime I reviewed back in January. That record aimed to map each stage of life in music. This new one, Blossom, appears similarly concept-driven, with each song named for a species of flower–but also for each flower’s corresponding figure in Greek mythology. The album as a whole is hard to characterize. Theofilakou doesn’t seem to see the flower as something delicate, but rather treats it as something robust and weighty–most songs are heavy in their melancholy, grounded in plodding rhythms. That weight, however, may be meant to convey tragedy, which in itself may be somewhat of an acknowledgment of the fragility–or at least the duality–of a blossom (and us). The album’s other concept-layer makes this more explicit. As an example, my favorite song from the album, “Hyacinth,” is inspired by Hyacinthus, Apollo’s beautiful young lover. In Ovid’s version of the myth, Apollo mistakenly kills and desperately tries to save Hyacinthus, to no avail; Apollo then creates a flower from the boy’s blood in remembrance and inscribes alas on its petals. Theofilakou’s music is serious, but not overwrought. She clearly uses her mind first to make her music, but she doesn’t seem to overthink it; it ends up direct and personal in form and layered in intent. You can grab Blossom on bandcamp, or find it for streaming all over.

Leaches – Turbulence

Beautifully carved metallic left-field techno three-tracker from London’s Leaches (real name Jack Reardon). This EP is an example of where a hardware rig can really take techno into more captivating territory. It’s a cliché to say that getting out-of-the-box makes music more “organic”–plenty of artists are capable of gorgeous, vibrant texture in a DAW–but there’s something to be said for the way machines (or instruments) invite both expression and experimentation. Maybe it’s the limitations they present versus the choice paralysis of working on the computer, or maybe it’s just simply that they force you to use a different part of your brain while working. In any event, Reardon seems to be benefiting from the machine spell. For as rigid as this is at first blush, it’s also delightfully liberated; it doesn’t give me that gauzy, sinus-plugging sensation that so much modern dark techno does. It doesn’t feel like navel-gazing techno, it feels free. No streaming here (for a change), but the EP is available on bandcamp on Power Station (a great label). I’m also including a track from Reardon’s previous self titled EP that I love; perfectly glitchy broken-beat techno.

Leaches – “Turbulence”
Leaches – “Mammoth”

1oftheothers – come and get it

In what’s shaping up to be a gritty edition of this feature, here’s a really fun bit of hi-NRG dark breakbeat from 1oftheothers, the new passion project from Danish electrohouse producer Mike Hawkins, who’s put out a ton of big records, but is probably best known for his collaborations with David Guetta (one of which earned him a Grammy nomination). But this project is totally different from his past work–it feels more like police getaway music, or what the soundtrack of a new Midnight Club game might sound like, or music that would fit the bloodstorm club scene in Blade (I think I reference that scene at least a few times a year on this blog). Whatever it is, it’s vital and rejuvenating. No bandcamp, but Hawkins was kind enough to let me post the mp3 here–you can find it for streaming wherever you do that.

1oftheothers – “come and get it”

Forbes Barclay Jr – Let’s Pop

More buzzy breakbeat up next, this time from Forbes Barclay Jr., a West London producer whose pseudonym is either an ironic wink at the growing corporate dominance in dance music over the past two decades or a bare exercise in manifesting success–maybe both? Probably more the former, but no shame either way, we all gotta make a living. His name aside, the track insists on the listener’s attention, with a near-constant buzz that sounds like the harmonics of the 50/60 Hz hum that generate when you touch the end of a TRS cable over a PA. The tone is so insistent it manages to become almost meditative at times, especially under dub sirens and ear candy that litter the track’s turnarounds. It took me a few listens, but I really came to like this one. No bandcamp for this either, so you’ll have to suffice with streaming, or this 192kbps mp3.

Forbes Barclay Jr – “Let’s Pop”

NESYA – PUT THE FRIES IN THE BAG.

The intention of an artist like NESYA is not to create pure pop music. The daughter of a Nebraskan preacher and subjected to religious and sexual trauma, her aesthetic is wholeheartedly goth, punk, and a little vampiric–she even has a video that borrows liberally from that famous scene in Blade that I love so much. But even though her vibe is dark, I can’t help but get the same thrill from this song as I would from stuck-in-your-hair bubblegum pop. It’s catchy as fuck and reminds me of the electro pop I posted so much on this blog back in the early aughts, when it was at its peak. It hasn’t gone unnoticed over here that there seems to be a resurgence of that sound lately, and it’s not just (or even primarily) about bloghouse nostalgia. I’m not convinced anyone is really that nostalgic for most of that stuff, but there was an underlying freedom about the crassness of that sound and aesthetic that I think is naturally working its way back into the collective consciousness. It was just fun, and so is this. This is the first single from a forthcoming album; no bandcamp, unfortunately, but you can grab the track below, or find it on all the usual outlets.

NESYA – “PUT THE FRIES IN THE BAG.”

So Durand – Downforce / Corners

It’s been a minute since I covered Ottawan producer So Durand (Simon Robichaud-Durand). Too long, in fact; he’s always got something good up his sleeve, and this is no exception. His latest is a two-tracker on Something Public Records that sees him reworking two of the tracks on his Downforce EP from last year. Where the originals were club-focused 4×4 and breakbeat, these reimaginings take the songs far deeper and darker, exploring the peripheries of dub techno, 2000s garage, cumbia, and a bit of everything in between. Durand’s stuff is always correct, but it turns out he shines brightest when he gets a bit weird with it. These are out now on bandcamp, or available for streaming.

So Durand – “Downforce” (Slow Mix)
So Durand – “Corners” (Closing Mix)

SIDELINES – Just Say Yes

Speaking of getting a bit weird in the club, this track from Dublin’s SIDELINES (Jay Childs) is the result of letting your nose (or ears, as the case may be) lead you to whatever works. Created around a voicemail his kids left him unknowingly while having an argument with each other, Childs hummed in a bassline and programmed the rest of the song around that. The result is something simultaneously unsettling and liberated. I suppose it captures well the experience of parenting young children–awe of their visceral abandon and mild terror at the unpredictability of their motivations. Being a young kid is like slipping in and out of an LSD trip every 15 minutes, so a big part of parent’s role is just to ride that wave with them as best one can. I’ve also included Childs’s previous single, which is a little more straightforward but still shows his knack for letting a good sound or sample lead the song-writing process. No bandcamp for these, unfortunately, but you can grab the most recent one below and find both for streaming all over.

SIDELINES – “Just Say Yes”
SIDELINES – “Broken Harp”

Jacana People & Vraell – Paper Thin

A pristine slice of organic electronica from UK duo Jacana People, with vocals and guitar by Vraell (Alessio Scozzaro). This is sunshine on a cold spring morning, melting the frost, and turning dew to vapor. I’ve also included their previous single–bouncier but still pillowey and soft around the edges–it lands more as a modern take on what might have been a B-side of an off-album Orbital 12″. Both songs are from Jacana People’s upcoming EP, Breaker, out June 26, but you can grab them both on bandcamp now or find them on the streamers.

Jacana People & Vraell – “Paper Thin”
Jacana People – “Nudge”

Gryr – Hymn

I wrote about Gryr (Jonatan Josefsson) just a few weeks ago, sharing the first two songs from his Hymn EP. He just released the title track to that EP. While I described the last two songs he shared as trancelike and perfect for driving across the tundra, this last one lives up to its name, abandoning most of the rhythmic pulse in favor of elemental spiritualism and tranquility. Instead of a cool, long-sighted view across the horizon, this feels more like the ripple of spring water passing through your fingers. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but Josefsson graciously let me share with you the mp3 here; you can also find this for streaming all over.

Gryr – “Hymn”

Symbol World – The Door

Finally tonight is a track from Symbol World (Justin Gohl), a Detroit-area producer I don’t know much about–which may be due to the fact that he seems to have just recently started to release music. This is another one that at first seems like it wouldn’t be out-of-place on a late 90s Orbital or Underworld record. Creamy FM pads, gentle synthetic Karplus-Strong bell strikes, buried snare fill risers–all wonderfully referential. But three quarters of the way through the song, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, there’s a sudden pseudo-drop that takes it into distinctly modern territory. Promising stuff here. You can grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming, but Gohl was also kind enough to let me upload the mp3 for you here.

Symbol World – “The Door”

Alex Zhang Hungtai – Mother

These two pieces from Alex Zhang Hungtai (of Dirty Beaches, among other projects) are alchemical. From his upcoming double album Orion/Mother, Zhang describes the music as “like something that was dormant is starting to awaken.” True to its title, the second disc’s second track indeed feels as if it is being wrenched from the primordial soup, Zhang’s trumpet sounding sustained, exhausted birth calls over halting percussive clatter, as if marking the last stretch of marathon labor. The albums were formed from a collage of years-old improvised rehearsal sessions recorded with an ad-hoc group of New York musicians and then restitched in the present by Zhang, using his trumpet as thread. Orion/Mother is out June 19, but these two songs are available now on bandcamp.

Alex Zhang Hungtai – “Mother”
Alex Zhang Hungtai – “Sidewinder”

Absorver – “Phantasmagoria”

Lacelike, coffee-stained IDM from Slovakian artist Absorver (Adam Mészáros). These are from his recent EP, Phantasmagoria (a term that originally referred to a 19th-century form of horror theater that used hidden lanterns to project spooky images onto a screen). Both songs speak to that concept: they are full of eerie sound design, ephemeral melody, and worn and rusted percussion–haunting, but comforting in the way horror somehow often manages to be. You can find the EP on bandcamp or for streaming.

Absorver – “Interloper”
Absorver – “Phantasmagoria”

Bodo Bifroest – Fading

More nostalgic downtempo electronica tonight, this time from German artist Bodo Bifroest (Felix Gerlach), whose pseudonym is a reference to Nordic mythology, where Bifröst is the burning tri-color bridge between heaven and earth. Tender and frank, “Fading” is meant to represent identity loss and perseverance. Gerlach spent years away from music amidst a long-term illness; the song communicates both the fragility of that time and his will to return to himself. I relate to that, having set down my musical pen for years to pursue something more concrete, eventually returning to it at the margins of my life. Making art your identity creates such profound vulnerability that can be as rewarding as it can be devastating. “Fading” is available on bandcamp or for streaming, but Gerlach was also generous enough to let me post the mp3 for you here.

Bodo Bifroest – “Fading”

PUR100 – Nobody Can

Ice-cold and club-ready cut from Parisian producer PUR100 (Florian Jozefowicz). This is one of those tracks that could work just as well as a transition tool as it could as a peak time roller. Falling somewhere between midtempo throwback UK hardcore and breakbeat-driven electro, this has all the puzzle pieces in their right place: sharp drums, gritty reese, minor-key synth melodies, and nicely detached vocal sample. Big choon here. PUR100 was kind enough to offer this up here as a free download, but if you’re enjoying this, consider throwing him a few bucks on bandcamp (it’s also available on the streamers).

PUR100 – “Nobody Can”

SLEEPYLYCHEE – Deep Bongo

More music tuned for the club, these are from New York’s SLEEPYLYCHEE (Yuwei Shang), who sent over two dubby bits of left-field techno a few weeks ago. I don’t know much about SLEEPYLYCHEE, but apart from producing and DJing, she curates common.wavs, a collective and party series with a monthly on bedcrumb show. Their next event is May 20th at Mood Ring. If SLEEPYLYCHEE’s own productions are an indication, I expect the music there will be really good, and the party absolutely worth checking out. You can find both of these tracks on bandcamp or for streaming, but SLEEPYLYCHEE was also kind enough to let me share with you one of the mp3s below.

SLEEPYLYCHEE – “Deep Bongo”
SLEEPYLYCHEE – “Hard Miracle”

cupsy – code_ex

Finally is a new one from cupsy (Reese Rose), a Colorado Springs-based artist whom I’ve written about a couple of times before, the last time in 2023. In the time since, she’s really refined her production–edging away from manic breakcore and online jungle into a realm of precision-programmed micro drum and bass. This track still has the pleasant freneticism of breakcore, but it’s been buffed into something hyperclean, with only whispers remaining of the source breakbeats amidst a barrage of darting sequenced drums. The melodic content, though definitely enjoyable, is almost superflous; the song means to draw all attention to the drums’ serpentine paths. No bandcamp here, but you can find this on streamers, or grab the mp3 below.

cupsy – “code_ex”

Valfi – elsi.Hasht

More micro-tonal perfection from Berlin’s Valfi, who describes his music as crafted for three settings: on the metro, in the club, or while ignoring texts. Built around darbuka drums, Arabic maqamat, and samples from pre-revolutionary Iranian commercials, my impression of this brilliant new one is that it might well work in any of the three aforementioned settings. As crisp as the drums are here, though, it would probably take a special club night to lend itself well to the intricacy of Valfi’s programming on this, so I’d probably lean toward enjoying this in headphones. But that’s just me; I get the sense that Valfi’s label out of Istanbul, Bounce, puts on some really fun nights there that might be perfect settings to dance to this properly. “elsi.Hasht” is out now on bandcamp or for streaming.

Valfi – “elsi.Hasht”

Chase.:R – Be Here Now

Next up is a succinct bit of IDM from Seattle’s Chase.:R (Chase Richman). “Be Here Now” is playful, personal, and full of ear candy (including the intermittent and fun use of a camera flash charge sample); this is just the kind of thing that I enjoy listening to these days. It comes from Richman’s latest long player, Crushed Orchid, which is out on Leipzig’s 110100100.global label. The whole album is full of concise ideas that nicely balance healthy doses of stuttering glitch with simple and accessible melody; I’ve included a couple of other good examples below as well. Grab the album on bandcamp, or find it for streaming at all the usual outlets.

Chase.:R – “Be Here Now”
Chase.:R – “Terra Firma”
Chase.:R – “Dreamscape”

Diverse – Haunted

Soothing in its overloaded qualities, this is a lovely cut of emotive, bassy 2-step from Swiss producer Diverse (Gabriel Barta); probably the most club-focused track today. Though still a teenager, Barta has been prolific in recent years, already releasing dozens of songs since he started putting his stuff out in 2022. This is the latest release on androids dungeon radio, which released that fabulous Starkey record a couple of months ago, and has become a real hidden gem worthy of more attention. Grab “Haunted” on bandcamp or for streaming.

Diverse – “Haunted”

Casha Mour – Toluca

I wrote about London’s Casha Mour (real name Daniel Alan Smith) a couple of years ago. The song I featured then had this wonderful, drunken, meandering quality to it; I remarked at the time that under that comforting tilt seemed to be lurking something sorrowful. In the time since, getting to know Casha Mour’s music, that sorrow rises to the surface. The first of these two new singles he sent over a few weeks ago, “Toluca” reminds less of the pleasant warmth of the first brown shot descending through your esophagus than it does the long, unfocused stare of someone considering a transformation into a barley-mood. (I always assume the mean drunks are actually the ones with deep-seated repressed sadness.) It’s no worse for it; the song is sparse and strict, but nonetheless deeply hypnotizing in a shoegazing kind of way. The second single, “thirteen” is a warmer, yearning, tune; this time it’s taking home the charming and handsome sad drunk, but finding he really just wants a bosom on which to rest his head. Both of these are available on bandcamp and on the streamers, but Smith was also kind enough to let me post the mp3s here.

Casha Mour – “Toluca”
Casha Mour – “thirteen”

Ocean Hope – Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει

Sublime modern pop from Ocean Hope, Greek brother-sister duo Angeliki Tsotsoni and Serafim Tsotsonis. “Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει” (translated to “Now I Don’t Care”) is a view over the Corinthian coast at dusk–the last group of kids running around; relaxed in their joy, eager to get in as much play as possible before being called home for dinner. Where much of Ocean Hope’s previous work resides somewhere in the periphery of synthpop (and what they refer to as “chamber pop”), this song integrates Angeliki’s near-naive and leisurely vocal style into deeper electronic territory. Serafim also sent over a recent solo piece, a magnificently ambitious 14min+ ambient voyage; a score to a film that lives only in his occipital lobe. Both songs are exquisite. Grab the Ocean Hope single below or on bandcamp, and Serafim’s solo piece below, or on bandcamp as well.

Ocean Hope – “Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει” (Now I Don’t Care)
Serafim Tsotsonis – “Waves Unseen”

Drifting in Silence – Moving Forward Into

Finally, tonight is a dulcet piece of ambient by Drifting in Silence, the longstanding ambient project from composer Derrick Stembridge, out of Raleigh, NC. This captures the moment of serenity when you slip into a warm bath; it would be a perfectly fine replacement for Epsom salts and magnesium to calm one’s nerves. Everything in this song is round–even the rimshot–there’s not a sharp edge in sight, just curves and waves and temperatures just a touch below body temp. Not much more needs to be said about this; just have a dip. Grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over.

Drifting in Silence – “Moving Forward Into”

Zach from sales – Party next door

After a long day at the office synergizing and level-setting, I need to leverage some low-hanging fruit: house music. Per my last post about him, Zach from sales and I are always on the same page. He’s motivated; he always gets the ball rolling, never forgets to circle back, and his music always moves the needle. I don’t have the bandwidth for a bigger brain dump on this, so I’ll put a pin in it there. You can grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming. You can also grab the mp3 directly below.

Zach from sales – “Party next door”

Just Geo – INTO/THE/VOID

Next up is a new one from London’s Just Geo (George Thomas). I’ve followed him for a minute, but have yet to write about him. He’s a say no more type guy, so I won’t belabor this with too many explanations. He’s a family man who makes lovely, balanced dance music in a fusion of styles, as is often the case with his countrymen. His stuff is straightforward but tends to have plenty of shuffle and crack– and also has enough tenderness to evince that he’s probably a pretty well-adjusted and emotive guy. He sent over this new one that I like a lot, and I’m also sharing an older one from his last long player that I found quite nice but neglected to post at the time. Grab his stuff on bandcamp or for streaming. He was also kind enough to let me post for you the mp3 of his latest track; if you like it, go support him on bandcamp.

Just Geo – “INTO/THE/VOID”
Just Geo – “IN/ESSENCE”

Rony Rex & Mayela – Switch Off

Last up tonight is a pair of high-energy collaborations from Rony Rex (Rony Vartio), a fixture of Helsinki’s dance music scene for the past decade. Vartio is known in Finland for his radio show on national radio–but also for lighthearted antics like taking a cold plunge in the middle of a DJ set (the only thing that could make that any more patriotic would be if he finished the set from the Sauna), and setting up a b2b with a reindeer (don’t ask me to explain). He recently sent over his newest single, a collaboration with Venzuelan vocalist Mayela, which is a sharp marching romp that falls somewhere in the realm between Latincore and midtempo 4×4 rave. I’m also including a single he released last year with Australian artist LÂLKA, a technicolor, breaksy heater that I also really like. Vartio was kind enough to let me share with you the mp3s of both below, but show him some love on bandcamp, or find his catalog for streaming all over.

Rony Rex & Mayela – “Switch Off”
Rony Rex & LÂLKA – “Dopamine”

Tone Ranger – Confluence

Tone Ranger (Alex Simon) is an artist from Santa Fe, NM who’s current with a new album, Confluence. My sister lived for years in Taos, and this record does really crystalize many of my experiences out there. As Simon’s pseudonym reflects, it’s absolutely still the Wild West. And it’s not just the landscape; it’s impressively thin in terms of population density, and the stark divide between wealth and poverty reminds me of old Westerns where everyone in town is suffering except the evil Mayor/local oil baron. But northern New Mexico is also a place that inspires psychedelia in an almost primordial way. That is partly the landscape itself, and the people the high desert has attracted for generations. Simon’s music no doubt reflects this. Confluence is quintessential modern desert music; it’s mostly ambient and produced mostly electronically–but also feels authentic in its reverence of the region’s musical history. There’s a certain clear-eyed quality about most of the album that makes it feel thoughtful and personal, but with enough tongue-in-cheek self-referentialism so it avoids becoming pretentious or excessively serious. Really refreshing. Grab the album on bandcamp or find it for streaming.

Tone Ranger – “Elk”
Tone Ranger – “Channel” ft. Elena Shelton
Tone Ranger – “Wonder”

alcnoir – another picture

There was a period (maybe still) where people–myself included–were using the term “post-dubstep” largely to describe music inspired by Burial. Now I think the operative popular term I see is “future garage.” Neither of these really gets at the point. I’ve written about this before, but a more accurate term would simply be “post-Burial,” as macabre as that sounds out-of-context. Why not say it like it is: the guy synthesized (hah) the feelings of a generation of young urbanites, inviting them to romanticize the dystopian qualities of their undermaintained post-industrial cities. A lot of these kinds of tributes miss the aesthetic point, but some come from artists with their own clarity of vision, just borrowing a style or two for exercise’s sake. The latter is the case for alcnoir (Alessandro Pio Caruso), an Italian artist who quite literally describes his music as “for polluted cities.” He sent this pair of tracks recently; the first is a heartrending, knives-clattering take on the post-Burial sound; the second is just as dystopian but rhythmically somewhere closer to the kind of dubby downtempo you might hear on a Lorn record. Both of these are available on bandcamp, along with so much more work–alcnoir is prolific. You can also find his catalog on streaming services.

alcnoir – “another picture”
alcnoir – “i felt seen”

Half-Ass Astronaut – I Like Pretty Things

Speaking of music written in homage: I’ve frequently written about music written in direct admiration of late 90s and early aughts-era Warp artists. With the likely imminent return of Boards of Canada, we’re sure to see a new wave of that soon. I’m not mad at it–we all pay tribute to what we love in one way or another, and those tributes only really represent our own feelings, ultimately divorced in all real terms from the subject they may honor. Neil Burkdoll, an American living in Germany, who makes music under the name Half-Ass Astronaut is paying that sort of tribute. After not recording music since the late nineties, he’s current with a charming album that doesn’t shy away from its influences. It’s his alone, but there’s no mistaking who he reveres; nothing wrong with that. I Like Pretty Things is out on bandcamp or for streaming, and Burkdoll was kind enough to let me share with you a couple of the songs below.

Half-Ass Astronaut – “Aye Eye”
Half-Ass Astronaut – “Loom”

Gryr – Drift

Cloudy electronica from Gothenburg-based Gryr (Jonatan Josefsson). The A-side, “Drift,” is music perfect for driving through foggy tundric expanses—it evolves deliberately, its rhythm and chords cruising steadily in a trance. The B-side, “Sand,” is slightly more propulsive but no less aerial– its lilting melodies tumbling through many of the same lofty spaces as the first one, but with a touch of low-end tug. These are the first set of singles from Gryr’s upcoming Hymn EP. No bandcamp for these, unfortunately, but you can grab them below or find them for streaming all over.

Gryr – “Drift”
Gryr – “Sand”

Brecon – Angular

Following a similar thread is a new song from Brecon (Will Brown), the Welsh artist whose excellent collaboration with Verity Standen I covered last month–and which has been a real favorite of mine in the time since. As was the case with that one, this new one marries a gentle, reflective introductory melody with an eruptive peak: cascading, theatrical melodies set against a wall of synth and drums. Gorgeous stuff. No bandcamp for this yet, but Brown was kind enough to let me share with you the mp3 below. You can also find this for streaming.

Brecon – “Angular”

ERRx – golden hour

Finally today is a new one from ERRx, the nameless artist whose work I’ve covered a couple of times before–including in the first post in which I coined the lazy term online jungle to describe the breakcore-adjacent microgenre of frenetic, melancholy, short-form songs, all heavy with breakbeats and drenched in big pads. This new song from ERRx takes that same formula and notches up the optimism for sunny day walks and thinking about your crush. The beautiful Windows critical error sound is there too. I’ve also included a song I’ve posted in the past, with a new housier remix by ERRx themselves (together with an artist I can’t find any information about, WALKDONTRUN). I know I describe this stuff as within a microgenre, but as is often the case with online subcultures, they have a way of infiltrating the mainstream. The original of this has generated over 100m views and plays and has been included in ad campaigns by the likes of Fanta. You can grab all these on bandcamp, or find them for streaming. ERRx was also kind enough to let me post the mp3s of a couple of these below.

ERRx – “golden hour”
ERRx – “breaking down”
ERRx – “breaking down” (Remix)

sander777 – life reprise

First up today, a pair of tracks from LA’s sander777 (Sander Bryce), both from his recent LP the Real, named for the Lacanian concept of a state of unknowable objective existence, outside the limits of representation and symbolism, separate and distinct from any ontological state of being. It’s hard to imagine more difficult subject matter for a creative work, given “the real”‘s definitional quality as beyond depiction or portrayal, but Bryce addresses this nicely himself, saying that because the music on the record came together serendipitously, its process itself became representative of the unrepresentable, allowing the music to serve as a way to call attention to the “magical space that exists between the emotional intent and what ends up [as] the final product.” At risk of being reductive, it’s worth also noting that Bryce primarily plays in the general realms of ambient and footwork on the album, the latter of which is often underappreciated as a vehicle for true flow-state experimentation. Fitting for an attempt to capture something so illusive. Grab the album on bandcamp or for streaming all over.

sander777 – “life reprise”
sander777 – “poolrooms (no ladders)”

Zach from sales – All gettin out

Next up, a pair of nice curvy house tracks from Dutch producer Zach from sales, half of production duo not yes, whom I featured in this column a couple of years ago. Zach from sales is a sales professional delivering tailored solutions that drive business growth, so you know he’s not fuckin’ around when it comes to house music. The first song here is from his upcoming Resume EP; the second from last year’s Off the books EP. You can grab both from on bandcamp, or find them for streaming wherever. Like the good teamplayer he is, Zach was also nice enough to let me post both for you here.

Zach from sales – “All gettin out”
Zach from sales – “Talk to me”

Savnko – imdone

Last but not least is this brief cut of twitchy electronica from Milanese producer Savnko (Davide Gilli). This is from Savnko’s recent EP DONE; it’s an original, but it makes liberal use of the acappella from the Wale and LaTocha track “Complicated.” It’s one of those tracks that rides a constant crescendo without ever quite resolving–but it’s kind of better for it. Life often feels like a lot of preparation without enough finality, so why shouldn’t music reflect that sometimes? And while the song never quite resolves its instability musically, lyrically it ties a nice clean knot at the end, declaring in the last refrain, “I’m done.” No bandcamp for this, I’m afraid, but Gilli has generously let me post the mp3 below. You can also find it for streaming at your preferred outlet

Savnko – “imdone”

Dro Carey & Pinz – Hellish Plasma

Sharp-as-nails breakbeat-meets-punk from Sydney’s Dro Carey (Eugene Ward), in collaboration with fellow Sydneysider Pinz (producer and vocalist Andy Lowe). I first became aware of Dro Carey’s work a little over a decade ago via his collaborations with the late genius Napolian (Ian Evans), whose unfairly limited catalog I hold incredibly dear. This track is the first single from Ward’s latest album, Denim Iron, which is blistering, kinetic stuff–and which actually features a lost collaboration with Evans from 2013, lovingly completed in 2025 by Ward alone, in Evans’ absence. The whole album is absolutely worth your time, but this first single is without doubt among its high points. Grab Denim Iron on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over. I was also kindly permitted to share with you the mp3 of the single below.

Dro Carey & Pinz – “Hellish Plasma”

Feadz – Mecanic

It was really fun to see a song from French legend Feadz (Fabien Pianta) in my mailbox last week. For those who may not remember (or whose consciousness had yet to emerge 20 years ago), Pianta was a central member of the Ed Banger crew in the early 2000s, notably producing almost all of Uffie’s early work. Before that, he released a series of great records on Ellen Alien’s BPitch Control imprint. Always one to defy genre boundaries, this latest three-tracker–the Mizuno EP, released on the ever-consistent Moveltraxx–finds Pianta stuffing everything from acid, footwork, 80s hiphop, rave, and turntablism into a single petite parcel. As he was always adept at doing, Pianta manages here to subvert expectations and deliver something supremely fun and unpretentious. Grab this on bandcamp or for streaming via the usual outlets.

Feadz – “Mecanic”

Nectax – Cool Runnings

Last up today is an excellent new two-tracker from Newcastle-born, Naarm-based Nectax (Oliver Underhill). The A-side here is a refreshingly controlled mid-90s-style jungle workout, orbiting the Goldilocks zone between throwback and innovation. The B-side finds the modern-day legend Fracture (whose Astrophonica imprint consistently ranks among my favorites of the past decade) delivering a remix that does what he is wont to do: push the envelope, morphing the track into a restrained four-to-the-floor/jungle hybrid. Grab the record on bandcamp from Milan’s Beat Machine Records, or find it for streaming.

Nectax – “Cool Runnings”
Nectax – “Cool Runnings” (Fracture Remix)

PS. Apropos of the above song title, did you know that the famous 1988 Jamaican bobsleigh team was financed by disgraced late commodities trader Marc Rich after a decade of making shady oil and alumina deals with the Jamaican government? There’s a good Freakonomics episode about it that I can recommend.