With so much good music coming through thick and fast, it’s easy for albums to drop online and go overlooked. To help prevent this, we’ve picked five releases you need to hear — stream music from Floating Points, Hieroglyphic Being, El Khat, Los Pirañas and Los Siquicos Litoraleños. If you like what you hear, hit the links and support the artists.
Floating Points – Crush
The always brilliant Floating Points returned last month with this transportive album of electronic experimentalism. Whereas his debut album Elaenia was a five-year process, Crush was made during an intense five-week period, inspired by the invigorating improvisation of his shows supporting The xx in 2017. The album feels of the moment and unplanned in the most finely executed sort of way. Opening with the string-laden sounds of Falaise before moving into the ambient 2-step of Anasickmodular which like the bass-heavy energetic vibe of LesAlpx leads the listener towards the dancefloor. On ‘Environments’ he fills the track with bleeps, blips and a skittering beat from his trusty Buchla. Our highlight is the moody, minimal, UK garage workout that is Bias. On Crush, he delivers an immersive range of sounds from fragile and beautiful, to noisy, propulsive and spontaneous that perfectly bridges the forward-gazing jazz of his 2015 debut LP and the club music of his earlier work.
Hieroglyphic Being – Synth Expressionism / Rhythmic Cubism
Chicago producer Jamal Moss a.k.a Hieroglyphic Being has shared one of the most intriguing EPs of the year. The five-track LP dropped late last month via On The Corner Records. The label describes it as “a collection of idioms that have no past and no future, his jarring use of polyrhythmic polyphony imbues a sense of timelessness.” Tune in below and hear Hieroglyphic Being doing what he does best taking the listener through an exploratory expedition through the sonic spectrum. Unsurprisingly it’s another essential release from Moss. This will undoubtedly be amongst the best electronic releases of the year. Brilliant stuff!
El Khat – Saadia Jefferson
El Khat just dropped their debut album called ‘Saadia Jefferson’, via Batov Records. The band led by inventor, carpenter and music producer Eyal El Wahab dismantle Yemeni folk-funk to create their own unique and forward-thinking sound, and we love it. The 12-track project was recorded in Eyal’s backstreet studio in Tel Aviv filled with mics, speakers and a lot of junk, much of which has been repurposed and turned into instruments of every persuasion. Across the album, you’ll hear songs sung in Yemeni Arabic, and instruments including the self-named ‘Kearat’, a large steel bowl with a piece of wood, some nails and screws and six strings sounding like a Banjo-Bass as well as a fuel plastic container and olive oil containers. Delving into new territories and sonic directions, this album is a must-listen.
Los Pirañas – Historia Natural
Los Pirañas returned with their new album ‘Historia Natural’, last month via Glitterbeat Records. It’s the third album from the Colombian trio comprised of Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers), Mario Galeano (Frente Cumbiero, Ondatropica) and Pedro Ojeda (Romperayo, Frente Cumbiero). It follows La Diversión Que Hacía Falta En Mi País released in 2015. ‘Historia Natural’ was recorded live in the studio, just like Los Pirañas’ previous releases, and recaptures the spirit that moved the trio when they started to play music together during high school in Bogotá. Experimental and super engaging.
Los Siquicos Litoraleños – Medianos Éxitos Subtropicales Vol. 2: El Relincho Del Tiempo
Argentine psychedelic gauchos, Los Siquicos Litoraleños, return with a new album called Medianos Éxitos Subtropicales Vol. 2: El Relincho Del Tiempo, via Hive Mind Records. Los Siquicos Litoraleños is made up of Raul Kukumente (guitar, backing vocals), Germán Gérmen (drums, bass, keyboards, vocals), Dr. Nicola Multiversal (voice, guitar, synth) and Capitan Pixel (guitar, keyboards, electronics, violin, voice). It’s safe to say that Los Siquicos Litoraleños is one of the most bonkers and unique bands around. With their dizzying and disorienting blend of Argentine folkloric music, Latin American chicha, tropicalia and vibrant energy, this album is one you simply can’t miss. Nice feel good music this is not – this is for those who like it very left of centre.
