Max Cooper – “Forgotten Places” ft. Kathrin deBoer (bc)
Pari Eskandari – “Chador” (bc)
Benson Taylor & James Adrian Brown – “Church Of First” (bc)
I revived an old music blog from the early 2000s?
Maybe it’s been a foolish endeavor, and maybe I’m the only one who misses the blog ol’ days, but I’ve been giving it a shot. I’ve been working on restoring some of the old content, though much of it was lost. I’ve slowly been rebuilding the old remix sunday archives, and even posting the occasional new edition. And I’ve been writing again.
You can find all the label’s releases here, on bandcamp, or most anywhere you listen to music these days. I’ve still got copies of some of the old vinyl releases, and I recently released the first in a set of charitable cassette compilations to raise awareness about the continued [mis]use of broken windows policing methods.
Plus, I put together a playlists section with a handful of spotify lists that hopefully start to capture a [slightly] updated version of the moods we used to peddle. Give those a listen and a ❤ if you would be so kind. If you want to get in touch, just give me a holler.
– Haldan/Boody
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Solbore – Seemingly Magic Things
Solbore – “Seemingly Magic Things” Tectonic plates move because they’re dragged along as the molten mantle flows beneath them. The mantle flows because of convection currents created by the heat of the Earth’s core. The earth’s core is hot because it’s full of radioactive elements in a state of perpetual decay.
If the first half of this song sounds like anything identifiable, it’s probably some part of that process. Maybe the crush of the plates colliding; or the drag as they slip off the mantle; or the hyper-rapid boil of the heavy metals in the core; or maybe the embodiment of decay itself. After three minutes of all that heat, the song gives way to a kobyz solo that feels like water pouring into the tectonic gash, eventually petering off like steam disappearing into the atmosphere.
From Brighton-based Czech/Argentinian producer Solbore, from his yet-released album, Never Alone, Often Lonely (out in Febrary). I’ve also selected another prerelease piece that features one of my favorite artists of the past few years, Varsity Star (I wrote about him last year)–a much sweeter affair, but no less compelling.
Preorder Never Alone, Often Lonely on bandcamp, or stream the singles all over.
Solbore – “Seemingly Magic Things” ft. Inwards, Neil Cosgrove, Lachlan R. Dale, Nurbolat Kadyrbayev (bc)
Solbore – “Back in Time” ft. Varsity Star (bc)
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Mailbox: Ainonow – Exile
Ainonow – “Exile” ***Photosensitivity warning*** Ainonow, real name Kyle Kroeck, is a Boston-based artist seeking to provide catharsis to his listeners. He aims to do this through razor-precise sound design at high tempos. He says he wants his music to allow listeners to embrace their dark sides–recognizing that darkness is part of being human–meanwhile providing a healthy and comforting space to channel those feelings. It’s not so often you hear this kind of emotional ambition from an artist working at the harder fringes of stateside Drum & Bass. And I’ll admit, I’m overall pretty cautious about dipping my toes into the vat of US bass music that includes Neuro, Mainline, and US-breaks. That stuff has just never been my bag. Above 160bpm, I’m just usually far more partial to the UK stuff: the grit and tangle of Jungle, the silkiness of old school Liquid.
But credit where credit is due, Ainonow is using some of the conventions of those US sub-genres to make something truly refined. This is incredibly intricately programmed music, with an impressive amount of patience and a refreshing lack of reliance on the standard build up+drop+breakdown/repeat structure. This is without doubt music for the dancefloor, but for all that the basslines may growl, they never stay in one place for long or quite repeat themselves. And those drums sound less like the lonely loopy staccato of typical D&B drum programming, and more as if someone spiked a marching band’s gatorade with adderall and convinced them the floor was lava. It’s refreshing to hear this level of thoughtful experimentation in this kind of packaging, especially from a producer so clearly concerned about how his music affects people emotionally. Big pad breakdowns, 90s nostalgia, ePiC dRoPs, and massive over-compression aren’t the only ways for an American bass music producer to coax strong feelings from people, and Ainonow is evidence of that.
Ainonow is current with two-tracker Exile. Grab it on bandcamp for free, or steam it on your outlet of choice.
Ainonow – “Exile” (sc)
(Expand)
This review was written in support of the artist’s promotional campaign.
Visual Velcro 19
L E M F R E C K – “U Gd? (GOD/GOOD)”
El Búho – “Cenizas de Agua” ft. Nita
FVLCRVM & Annet X – “Do It All Again” Visual Velcro 18
Ike – “Fight Day” (sc)
Oroboro – “SPIKYMEMORY” (sc)
Clouds in a Headlock – “Phantasia” (sc)
Visual Velcro 17
Maraschino – “Smoke & Mirrors” (bc)
ASA 808 – “Love No Matter What” ft. DAEDE (bc)
Graffiti Welfare – “Volume” (sc)
Uncanny Alliance – I Got My Education (Big Dope P & Feadz Remix)
Previous-era Palms Out stalwarts Big Dope P and Feadz from Paris team up to remix this classic NYC house track by Uncanny Alliance, the duo composed of Brinsley Evans and E.V. Mystique. The original was a hit in the clubs of early-90s New York, but probably is better remembered for its bootleg by Louie Vega and Kenny Dope. This new 2022 version strays pretty far from the original and the early boots, with a shimmery touch of the French and a bunch of jukey fake-outs, but it definitely maintains some of that OG sass.
It’s out now as part of Moveltraxx’s excellent comp Street Bangers Factory 20. Grab it on bandcamp, or stream it wherever.
Uncanny Alliance – “I Got My Education” (Big Dope P & Feadz Remix) (sc)
Visual Velcro 16
TIBASKO – “Traces” (sc)
Juno Francis – “Labyrinth” (sc)
The China Blue – “tonightfeelsdifferent” (sc)
Visual Velcro 15
Brent Faiyaz – “PRICE OF FAME”
Jacopo Vana – “Hold It” Thodén – “This Codified Drift” Visual Velcro 14
Shygirl – “Firefly” (sc)
Sebastian Müller – “Manor Farm / Finding Life” Sagans – “Coherence” Visual Velcro 13
Sudan Archives – “Home Maker” (Edit) (bc)
Hector John Guerra – “Quantum Success Coaching Academy” (sc)
Free The Robots – “Kaduwa” ft. Teebs (sc)
Visual Velcro 12
Precursor – “Opulent” (sc)
Space Ghost & Teddy Bryant – “Heaven Sent” (sc)
Metavari – “Páirc Sequence” (sc)
Visual Velcro 11
Watch The Ride & Nia Archives – “Mash up the Dance” Haleek Maul – “Verified” ft. Chief Diin Occult A/V – “Reaching Across the Void” ft. Gloria de Oliveira (sc)
Visual Velcro 10
Conflict at Serenity Pools – “faraway” (sc)
monski – “CODE 0002” (sc)
Jaz Valentino – “Life Waters” Visual Velcro 9
DVRST – “Close Eyes” (sc)
LDN Monos – “First Exit” (sc)
ALL HARD FEELINGS – “Skibidi” Visual Velcro 8
Ivohé – “Termínelo” (sc)
Otis Wongsam – “Genjutsu” (sc)
Metavari – “Kings Die Like Other Men (Rediscovery)” (sc)
Catnapp – time on me
Catnapp – “time on me” Three years after her debut LP, a new single from Berlin-based Argentinian artist Catnapp ahead of her Trust album release, out on Monkeytown on May 20. The press release for this seems to acknowledge that connections will inevitably be drawn to artists like 100gecs, etc., but attempts to cut through that noise a bit:
Trust does border on overload, but again, that’s by design. The LP arrives at a time when attention spans are short, interruptions are constant, multi-tasking has become routine and practically the entire history of music is now accessible at the push of the button.[…] Call it hyperpop if you must, but pop concentrate might be a more accurate term.
I agree with the sentiment; it’s hard to keep a listener’s attention these days, and especially hard to draw them in to a new full length for long enough to appreciate a narrative. But Trust makes a valiant attempt to achieve this kind of focus. Anchored by the pleasant contrasts inherent in Catnapp’s delicate voice and energetic delivery, the album strikes a balance between the sound of the new guard of hyphenate hyperpop-gabber-trance producers like Aamourocean and established progenitors of what might now fairly (though reductively) be called proto-hyperpop, Modeselektor (who feature on two songs on the album).
In a vacuum, I’d call this album (and its lead single) a great addition to the never-named Berlin electro-hop genre for which Modeselektor have been such emphatic and sincere torchbearers. But outside that vacuum, it’s certainly also fair to say this will appeal to a new generation of listeners who, perhaps without knowing the context, would lump this in with hyperpop, a genre that itself lacks any truly defined borders (and really that’s not a bad thing). Ultimately, what counts is not how distorted the 909 is, whether there are enough supersaws, or if a head is adorned with blue dyes versus fitted caps–rather it’s whether the music gets its listeners to respond. I’d say this definitely ought to.
Trust is available for preorder directly from Monkeytown. The lead single is streaming now, and is downloadable with preorders via bandcamp.
Catnapp – “time on me” (bc)
Visual Velcro 7
Samoun – “Chakchouka” (sc)
Shari DeLorian – “Seven Swords” (sc)
Kadhja Bonet – “For You (Many Selves Version)” (sc)
Mailbox: Samaki – hartsfield
Samaki – “hartsfield” Samaki is a New Jersey-born, Atlanta-based producer and vocalist who’s been making deep and romantic hip hop for only the past three years, but you’d be forgiven for thinking he’s a veteran. I don’t know much about him, and he doesn’t have a big online presence yet, but he tells me he’s just trying to make music he would listen to. No soundcloud or bandcamp for him, so he’s given me permission to share two of his songs as mp3s, but you can also stream his stuff on spotify.
Samaki – “hartsfield” (mp3)
Samaki – “Reset” (mp3)
Mailbox: FlexFab & Ziller Bas – Mugogo!
MUGOGO! Rising – The Short Film The above short film documents the writing and recording of MUGOGO!, the recently released 22-song album from Kenyan rapper Ziller Bas and Swiss producer FlexFab, over the course of two weeks the two spent together in Kilifi, Kenya in early 2020. Continentally connected to South African gqom, the album has a distinctly hybrid sound of its own — cosmopolitan in its production style, with supremely refined and energetic vocal performances by Bas in a dialect he describes as Sweng Flow, a combination of Swahili, English, and Giriama. I really encourage you to watch the film; it’s beautifully put together, and provides a lot of personal context for the album, all of which makes the record that much more exciting.
I selected a couple of my favorites from the album, but it’s really solid throughout. It’s streaming now, or it can be purchased in a gorgeous deluxe vinyl package on bandcamp.
FlexFab & Ziller Bas – “Haha! Haha!” ft. Jimmy Pé (sc)
FlexFab & Ziller Bas – “Fullu!” (sc)
FlexFab & Ziller Bas – “Oya Baba!” ft. Gafacci (sc)
Mailbox: Belief – Ulu
Belief is a collaborative project from Boom Bip and Warpaint drummer Stella Mozgawa. Hearing this brought me back to the early 2000s, when I was a teenage intern at El-P’s Def Jux label — Boom Bip’s first two records would frequently play in the office there. While his solo sound has since evolved considerably, Bip’s knack for melody remains intact, and the addition of Mozgawa’s drumming feels like a subtle and welcome throwback to that era’s liberal use of drum breaks.
“Ulu is the Hawaiian word for growth, to rise or sprout” says Bip; the song was improvised and recorded mostly live, as part of a series of sessions for Belief’s upcoming album on Lex Records. I’ve also included a remix of the track by Palms Out favorite, FaltyDL. You can stream both now, or purchase them on bandcamp.
Belief – “Ulu” (sc)
Belief – “Ulu” (FaltyDL Remix) (sc)
You can also watch the video for their previous single after the jump.
Belief – “I Want To Be” Donna Missal – (to me) your face is love
Donna Missal – “(to me) your face is love” Donna Missal, who recently put out the best work of her career – an excellent EP produced by Sega Bodega – was dropped by Harvest/UMG shortly after the EP’s release. Subsequently, she posted to twitter a good encapsulation of how preexisting economic privilege is often the most potent ingredient for music industry success:
Nepotism and oligarchy are real, it’s mythological that there’s no barrier of entry anymore because of social media. Class has an unavoidable impact on your options.
– Donna Missal on twitterThose of us who have worked in this industry for any significant amount of time will easily be able to echo this sentiment. The sheer number of artists, producers, and indie label executives whose fathers or mothers are poisonously rich wall street financiers and pharma execs is staggering. Josh Eustis from Telefon Tel Aviv recently tweeted something along these lines:
You would be truly astonished to know how many “weirdo” artists – who are both our peers and many who are super famous – literally have dads that own gem mines in Indonesia
– Telefon Tel Aviv on twitterDoes any of this mean rich kids shouldn’t get attention for their music? Of course it doesn’t. But we shouldn’t pretend that artists or labels make it purely on the merit of their talent or how much they “hustle”. This kind of thinking is just another version of the bootstraps fallacy. The system is rigged in favor of the rich, so if you find yourself wondering how that producer manages to pay for his million dollar studio in Williamsburg, despite only having been involved in a small handful of notable projects, remind yourself of the dark money that permeates the arts.
Does this mean that an artist like Missal is without privilege? Of course it doesn’t, and I imagine she would readily admit that. But she’s right when she points out that it’s far more emotionally exhausting for some artists than others to continue to “posture like everything’s cool” in the midst of the “optics olympics” of an industry driven by never-ending social media frenzy and armies of oligarch-funded publicity teams.
Donna Missal – “(to me) your face is love” (sc)
Donna Missal – “sex is good (but have you tried)” (sc)
Visual Velcro 6
Naeem – “Simulation” (ft. Swamp Dogg & Justin Vernon) (2020) Jesse Boone – “Due Season” (prod. Shy Guy and Roc & Mayne) (2021) Shannon – “Mal À Dit” (2018) DJ Lag & Sinjin Hawke – Raptor
DJ Lag & Sinjin Hawke – Raptor DJ Lag and Sinjin Hawke are bitter koud and hot like braai when their forces combine. Simon says proper super hero music.
DJ Lag & Sinjin Hawke – “Raptor” (sc)
And while I’m at it, another favorite Sinjin collaboration from last year.
La Zowi – “Fulani” ft. Ian Isiah (prod. Sinjin Hawke & Zora Jones) (sc)
CTM & August Rosenbaum – Celeste Song
I first met Cæcilie Trier when she was playing cello in Atoi, a band I blogged about a few times, years ago. She’s since released a handful of records under the name CTM, and is current with a collaborative album under that name with pianist August Rosenbaum on Posh Isolation. She’s a superb songwriter, and the production on all of her work is as inventive as it is immediate. For as delicate as much of her music can seem at first blush, it also feels distinctly physical; sort of body music for air signs.
In addition to the title song from her latest with Rosenbaum, Celeste, I’m including a favorite of mine from her most recent solo effort, 2018’s Red Dragon, as well as the title track from 2013’s Variations.
CTM & August Rosenbaum – “Celeste Song” (sc)
CTM – “Paloma pt. 2” (sc)
CTM – “Variations” (sc)
And just because, here’s the video for another one from Red Dragon.
CTM – “Stages” Soho Rezanejad – Greed Wears a Disarming Face
Soho Rezanejad – “Greed Wears a Disarming Face” Soho is a dear old friend. We used to be in a band together when I lived in Denmark, though that’s not saying much; she’s collaborated with so many others in the time since. She was a regular member of Lust for Youth’s live band, she’s been in bands like the short-lived but excellent Gold Lip, and she’s made records with the likes of Croatian Amor, Kasper Bjørke, and many others. But it’s really her solo work that strikes my nerves most; her voice is beautiful and an obvious blessing, but she’s also a gifted composer and producer.
She’s been prolific in recent years, but since things were dormant here, I didn’t have the chance to post any of her wonderful work. Above, I’ve posted a video of one of my favorites, from her 2018 album Six Archetypes, which included five video treatments, all of which are really worth attention. I’ve also included a selection of other songs from recent years that may inspire you to dive deeper into her catalog.
Soho Rezanejad – “Greed Wears a Disarming Face” (2018) (bc)
Soho Rezanejad – “December Song” (2018) (bc)
Soho Rezanejad – “Two Women Bucolics” (2020) (bc)
Soho Rezanejad – “Memory Shell” (2019) (bc)
Soho Rezanejad – “Everyday’s Another Holiday” (2015) (bc)
And for good measure, another video from 2016, for a song that isn’t available on bandcamp.
Soho Rezanejad – “Shark” DonChristian – Get Me Lit
A few months ago, Palms Out had the pleasure of releasing the second formal album by DonChristian, the self-produced Don, which features appearances from Shanekia McIntosh and TM Davy. Don is a ray of light, a truly generous soul, and an incredible artist. Some of the music on this album was incorporated into Don’s recent piece Volvo Truck performed at The Shed as part of their summer open call series. Don also spent most of the panini building Public Assistants, a mutual aid network for and by BIPOC artists, creatives, and makers, primarily focused in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
One of my personal favorites from the album is streamable below, but I really urge you to have a listen to the album in full wherever you listen to music (or buy it on bandcamp).
DonChristian – “Get Me Lit” (sc)
And if you missed it, check Don’s first album, 2017’s Where There’s Smoke, for which I produced three songs, and which features appearances from bbymutha, Eartheater, and Ms. Boogie.
DonChristian – “Unfolding” ft. Eartheater DonChristian – “Where There’s Smoke” (produced by Boody) DonChristian – “Been Sleep” ft. Ms. Boogie New Hots Hots 7
moktar – “Silk” (sc)
Logic1000 & Big Ever – “Natural” (sc)
Posthuman – “Terror Police” (DMX Krew Remix) (sc)
image/ Margaret Bourke-White
Sola – You Don’t Have To Say
Sola – “You Don’t Have To Say” This song is from Sola‘s recent self-produced record, Feels Like a War, out on Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce imprint, and written in collaboration with Moses Boyd, Ife Ogunjobi, Raven Bush, and Tora-i. Since Sola told us we don’t have to, I won’t say any more, except that this is good music.
Sola – “You Don’t Have To Say” (bc)
