Aquaserge’s new album out now; watch the video for new single ‘Nuit Altérée (To György Ligeti)’

16 October 2021

The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge, the much anticipated new album from Aquaserge has finally landed yesterday. Coinciding with its release, the Toulouse supergroup have shared a video to accompany one of the album’s heavenly tracks, ‘Nuit altérée (À György Ligeti)’. The track marks their second tribute to Ligeti, following ‘Nuit Terrestre’. As Aquaserge describe, ‘Nuit Altérée’ “is a vertical, ‘spectral’ approach to Nuit Terrestre, as if we were making cuts or freeze-frames on this body of water and unfolding them”. Featuring footage from their rehearsals at Le Lieu Unique in Nantes, the video was filmed by French filmmaker Marie Losier and was edited by Benjamin Glibert. Watch it below.

The Possibility of a New Work for Aquaserge is out now though Crammed Discs, as part of their celebrated composers’ series Made To Measure.

Luo share closing track ‘Coda’ from incoming Convoluted Mess Machine EP

10 October 2021

We’re excitingly close to the release of Convoluted Mess Machine, the new 4-track EP from Luo. Ahead of its release on October 15th through Art As Catharsis, the Brighton duo of Josh Trinnaman and Barney Sage have let loose the gorgeous closing track ‘Coda’. Speaking about it, they comment:

“It’s the nice pretty melodic one for those of you that aren’t as keen on our other noisy rubbish and wish for a return to that glorious era when we didn’t use distorted guitars
At the time we were listening to a lot of Steve Reich and the riff came out of trying to write something like one of his cool interlocking melodies (think Electric Counterpoint) and then blending that with a heavy dose of influence from Richard Spaven & Telefon Tel Aviv.”

Listen to ‘Coda’ below.

Jerusalem In My Heart’s new album Qalaq out tomorrow, listen to opener ‘Abyad Barraq’

07 October 2021

Photo: Isabelle Stachtchenko

Qalaq, the new album from Jerusalem In My Heart, will see the light of day tomorrow through Constellation. The performative audio-visual project founded by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, now comprising new member Erin Weisgerber, had already shared a compelling and entrancing taste from the album with ‘Qalaq 3 (w​/​Moor Mother)’, ‘Qalaq 4 (w​/​Rabih Beaini)’ and ‘Qalaq 5 (w​/​Oiseaux​-​Tempête)’. Ahead of Qalaq‘s release, Jerusalem In My Heart have shared the opening track, ‘Abyad Barraq’, featuring drummer Greg Fox (Liturgy, Ex Eye, Zs, GDFX), who comments:

“Ever since first hearing JIMH, I’ve wanted to collaborate. I’ve always resonated deeply with Radwan’s creative approach to music making, and on a deeper level, I feel we connect regarding what I would describe as a deep urge for justice and liberation on a global scale. I feel close to this work even though I am only drumming on the opening track. It is an honour to be part of this record.”

‘Abyad Barraq’ comes with an accompanying film made by Weisgerber who used the pictures of Beirut-based photographer Tony Elieh taken in the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion. Watch it below.

Mario Batkovic set to release new album, Introspectio, in December

04 October 2021

There’s exciting news from Bosnian-born and Swiss-based musician and composer Mario Batkovic, who is set to release a new album, following his eponymous album which was one of our Album Picks of 2017. Entitled Introspectio, the album arrives on December 3rd through Invada Records and features a stellar cast of collaborators, including electronic maverick James Holden, former BEAK> member Matthew Williams aka MXLX, sax super hero Colin Stetson, drummer Clive Deamer (Radiohead/Portishead/Robert Plant/Roni Size) and concert choir Cantus Domus.

A virtuoso accordion player, Batkovic continues to explore the sonic possibilities of his instrument in an adventurous and unconventional way. The album “is a self-questioning, self-examination of society and the meaning of sound”, describes the press release. “Batkovic questions the place of sound, clichés and prejudices, taking the listener on a journey through infinite universes of sound.”

Ahead of the album release, Batkovic has shared the first spellbinding single, ‘Chorea Duplex’, featuring James Holden. It comes with a video by Lukas Meier. Here it is.

Tanya Tagaq set to release new album, Tongues, in March, shares title track

30 September 2021

With the last stretch of the year upon us, we’re already eagerly looking forward to 2022 with the recent announcement of a new album from Tanya Tagaq. She released an EP, Toothsayer, in 2019, but the new album is her first full-length since 2016’s Retribution, which was one of our 15 Picks of the 2016 and remains an active favourite. Entitled Tongues, Tagaq’s new album arrives on March 11th through Six Shooter Records and was produced by Saul Williams and mixed by Gonjasufi. As with previous efforts, the immensely talented Inuit throat singer and composer taps on environmental and human rights issues, specificialy the struggle for Aboriginal rights in Canada. Featuring excerpts from her book Split Tooth, the album “speaks not to horrors and crisis”, as the label describes, “but directly of these things.” It adds that Tongues “is the soundtrack of righteous taking-back of personhood and power. It is a triumph of strength and intelligence that invites the listener to join her in a personal victory over colonization, over those who take without consent.”

The powerful and poignant title track serves as a phenomenal taste of what Tagaq has in store for us. The track is offered with a video directed by Caitlin Veitch and with 3D Animation by Omar Rivero (Driftnote).

Naytronix announces new album, Other Possibilities, and shares first single ‘Somebody’

28 September 2021

Here’s the thing: we love Naytronix so news of a new record from the phenomenal multi-instrumentalist and producer is something we’re always itching for. He has a new album on the way, Other Possibilities, releasing on October 29th through Overseas Artists Recordings. In the works for four years, Other Possibilities encapsulates and reflects a number of changes and adaptations that occurrred over this period, including a shoulder injury.

“The album started off as a pursuance: a search for the perfect version of whatever it is we’re supposed to be creating”, explains the press release. “But what he found over the course of the four years writing the album, through changes both intentional and circumstantial, was that his strongest work happened when the boundaries came down, the pressure was gone and the process became more enjoyable.”

Along with the album announcement, Naytronix has also revelead the first single, ‘Somebody’, a catchy and feel good song that radiates a breathe of optimism. It comes with an accompanying video directed by Hank + Tank. Watch it below.