Missing Music
Apologies for no newsletter last week as I moved house. But now I’m settled, and I can begin the task of moving thousands of records out of storage and into my new home.
In preparation for the move I put all my records into a self-storage unit nearby, partly because I needed some space temporarily, partly because everyone who’s ever helped me move from flat to flat has complained at how much of a pain in the arse moving records is. If you’ve got more than a Kallax worth you’ll know the familiar sting of the handles on a bag for life digging into your hands as you carry them from car to house.
As a result of this - for the first time in my entire life - my house had no music in it. We still had an Alexa in the kitchen, but once we’d got to the new house there was no broadband for five days so even that didn’t work. In short, I was living in silence.
My music taste doesn’t always extend to stuff that’s particularly upbeat, but still the silence was deafening. I needed that noise, either as something I was actively listening to, or something on in the background. To make things worse, my old house backed on to a noisy train line, where the familiar whoosh of 125mph trains every few minutes was strangely soothing, in the new house - more silence.
It’s funny how much you notice something when it’s gone. I found myself itching to play something, I’d taken a few days off work so couldn’t even put my headphones in on my commute. I played some stuff off my phone whilst assembling furniture but it’s not really the same.
Over the weekend I put my stereo together, before I’d even plugged the telly in, and finally the house was filled with music again. I’m not a vinyl fetishist, and don’t really care much for the sound quality over a CD or good digital file, but it was relieving to hear music again with depth and volume.
Now it’s just the mammoth task left of driving back and forth to the storage unit and filling those shelves back up. Anyone want to help me?
News & Bits
I’m hosting a Sampling & Production workshop at ADE this year. It’s on the Friday afternoon, full details are online. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not much of a producer so luckily I’m going to be assisted by my talented colleague Rupert Ellis for all the technical stuff. I’ll be on hand mostly to impart over a decades worth of cynicism with the music industry on the eager attendees. I jest, I’m looking forward to it.
One thing that went under the radar a month or two ago was the return of New York’s East Village Radio. Back in the blog house era I used to fairly regularly tune in to Mark Ronson’s show on the station and it was always pretty enjoyable with a good mix of tunes & edits and that. EVR closed down for a decade or so, but it’s back now with a strong line up of presenters. Check it out if you’re so inclined.
Sad news from last week that Force Inc & Mille Plateaux founder Achim Szepanski passed away. Force Inc & Force Tracks put out some incredible tunes over it’s lifetime, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Mille Plateaux is one of the most influential record labels of all time. It’s up there with Warp for me. GAS, SND, Oval and of course the seminal Clicks n Cuts compilations inspired so much of what we hear today, whether you realise it or not. Best place to start with the Force Tracks stuff? This mix by none other than the Guv’nor.
After scathing reviews for the Jamie XX album from RA and the Caribou album from the Guardian are we finally beginning to see a comeback for proper music criticism? Let’s hope so, and let’s hope it inspires talented musicians to stop phoning in albums full of obvious 90’s UKG samples and lazily using AI to be creative.
TikTok has shut down it’s music service. It was only something it was trialling in a few territories. Just goes to show how hard it is to make money from music at all levels these days. The TikTok music library remains though, so there’s still the chance for one of your tracks to go viral over a silly dance…
London Night Czar Amy Lame is stepping down after 8 years of… whatever it is she was meant to do. Those guys who used to sell hotdogs from the carts outside Fabric did more to promote London nightlife than Lame so it’s no great loss for anyone.
New Music Time
The Wolfgang Press - A 2nd Shape [Downwards]
The first new album from 4AD veterans The Wolfgang Press in 20-some years, on Karl O’Connors Downwards. It just makes sense. Potential AOTY contender this.
Eros & Rosa Anschutz - Schlag, spiel mir in die Hande [Downwards]
Staying with Downwards, O’Connor’s Eros side project tease a new album with this new single. A Southern Code is one of my favourite Downwards releases so I’m excited for this one.
Parsley Sound - Parsley Sounds [Be With]
A bit of a curveball this, but a timely reissue for Parsley Sounds self-titled album. Originally on Mo’Wax, this should have come out on Warp but never did for some reason. They released one single Twilight Mushrooms as Slum - a perfect little slab of downtempo pop - on Warp, but then changed name and label before the album came out. Twilight Mushrooms you can pick up for a few quid on 7”, but the album has always cost a pretty penny, so now’s your chance to get the album for a reasonable cost.
Low End Activist - TWOC [Sneaker Social Club]
Following an In Strict Tempo-approved album on Peak Oil this year already Low End Activist returns to Sneaker for this new album. Single TWOC comes out first, sampling the sounds of the exhaust of a stolen Subaru Impreza, the council estate rally car of choice in the late 90’s/early 00’s.
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II [Warp]
Not much to say about this that hasn’t already been said. An expanded vinyl edition of SAW II - an essential purchase for every household.
Central Cee, Raye - Moi [Columbia]
This came as a surprise tbh, everything i’ve heard from Central Cee so far has sounded shite, but Moi is actually pretty decent, if you can excuse the odd cringey bar.
Jay Glass Dubs - Resurgance [Sundial]
Another producer who can do little wrong, JGD drops six hypnotic new tracks on Kosovo’s Sundial label.
Geordie Greep - The New Sound [Rough Trade]
I don’t know why he’s singing the first song in a bad Irish accent, but I’ve really enjoyed this from the former Black Midi frontman. A mix of lounge/jazz/salsa and good old British indie, I still maintain that Holy, Holy is one of the songs of the year. A Jackie for the 21st Century.
Mars89 - No Control [Sneaker Social Club]
A new one from Japans Mars89. I’ve always rated the bass heavy, dread heavy tunes since his first output on Bokeh Versions back in the late ‘10s.
That’s it for this week. Thanks as always for reading, subscribing, debating, arguing or agreeing with what I’ve written. I really appreciate the feedback.