Hello Skinny returns with second album Watermelon Sun

08 October 2017

Incredible drummer, producer and composer Tom Skinner keeps himself busy with an impressive list of stellar projects including Sons Of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down, Matthew Herbert, Mulatu Astatke and The Owiny Sigoma Band, amongst many more. Under Hello Skinny, his brainchild project, Skinner released his self-titled album in 2012, which was one of our Picks of the Year. Five years on, Hello Skinny has announced its follow-up, Watermelon Sun. The fruit of free-form, improvised live sessions, Watermelon Sun is inspired by the open-minded attitude of the New York’s club scene of the late 70’s and UK jazz. To bring the record to life, Skinner enlisted the help of celebrated trombone player and composer Peter Zummo.

We’ll have to wait until the end of November to get our hands on Hello Skinny’s new album but we can already hear and dance to the album’s first single, ‘Mr P.Z.’.

Watermelon Sun is out on November 24th via Brownswood

Esmerine share visuals for two new songs from upcoming album Mechanics Of Dominion

06 October 2017

We’ve been eagerly waiting for the release of Esmerine‘s new album Mechanics Of Dominion. The Montreal ensemble had already enticed us with two magnificent and compelling tracks, ‘Piscibus Maris’ and ‘The Space In Between’. Both were offered with a video by multi-disciplinary artist Brad Todd, who has paired every song on the album with a visual accompaniment.
Ahead of the album’s release later this month, Esmerine have shared the visuals for two new sublime and powerful songs, ‘¡Que Se Vayan Todos!’ and the title track. Mechanics Of Dominion is already one of our favourite albums of 2017.


Mechanics Of Dominion is out on October 20th through Constellation.

Off World share new track from upcoming album 2

04 October 2017

Last year, the unstoppable and creative musical force that is Sandro Perri, unleashed a new project, Off World, assembling a collection of his collaborative work with other producers and musicians. Set for release in three volumes, and a year on from the release of 1, which was one of our Album Picks of the Year, 2 is out this Friday through eternal favourite Constellation Records.
Off World, and as the label describes, “is alien electronics played humanly, resulting in genuinely exploratory and peculiarly sui generis electronic music that sounds like it could have issued from any time in the past 40-50 years.”

The spellbinding ‘Scrubdown’ serves as a perfect taste for Off World’s upcoming 2, magically lifting us to an intriguing and charming world. Take a listen now.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2017: Ex-Easter Island Head

03 October 2017

There’s just over a month to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We asked the bands we’re most excited to see for their recommendations.

Ex-Easter Island Head

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November, curated by James Holden

First up is Liverpool based experimental trio Ex-Easter Island Head, who create mesmeric minimalistic and rhythmic compositions using mallets and guitars. When we asked them they told us they are looking forward to seeing Roy Montgomery, John Maus, Gas, the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers, Flohio and “more or less everything on the lineup”. But the three below topped their list:

Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares

Official Website

Performing Thursday 9th November, curated by Perfume Genius

 

James Holden & The Animal Spirits

Official Website

Performing Saturday 11th November

 

Visible Cloaks

Official Website

Performing Sunday 12th November

 

Le Guess Who? will take place 9-12 November. For tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And stay tuned for more artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.

Watch Liars’s new video for ‘Staring at Zero’

29 September 2017

Liars‘ eighth album TFCF came out last month and we’re all over it. ‘Staring At Zero’ is just one of the eleven killer tracks on the album and it’s now being offered with an eerie video directed by Clemens Habicht.

Liars have an ongoing mammoth tour with several dates spilling into the end of the year, and are one of our Le Guess Who? 2017 highlights, with a show on November 9th.

TFCF is out now through Mute.

Tom Rogerson collaborates with Brian Eno on debut album Finding Shore

28 September 2017

Incredibly talented British composer and pianist Tom Rogerson has dazzled us time and again behind the keys and also singing in long time favourite band Three Trapped Tigers, which he founded over a decade ago. A prolific classically trained musician with numerous other projects under his belt, the first album release under his name, Finding Shore, arrives later this year. The album saw Rogerson collaborating with Brian Eno, after the two met outside the toilets after a gig. Both Suffolk natives, they bonded over their shared roots, which plays an influence on the album. “I do totally hear it, I’ll listen and think ‘oh that sounds like the bells at Woodbridge, that’s the birds, the wind rustling in the reeds'”, explained Rogerson. “I think it permeates my music, and Brian’s ambient records. That ‘is it organic or is it electronic thing’ is so interesting”.

Freshly signed to Dead Oceans, his debut album will see the light of day on December 8th. Luckily, we can already hear the utterly beautiful and delicate ‘Motion in Field’, serving as a spellbinding first taste of what’s to come.


In other related news, Tom Rogerson has announced a few live dates, including a show at London’s Mirrors Festival on 28 October and Le Guess Who? 2017 on November 10th.