For one reason or another (mainly fatherhood) I didn't listen to as much new music as last year. And much of what I did listen to was played either as an accompaniment to WFH, or during quiet moments sat with a very young baby between 5 and 7am. Neither of which are conducive to really … Continue reading Best Albums of 2022
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (1997) – Album Review
Ambitious and at times overblown, Dig Your Own Hole is the Chemical Brothers’ sophomore album and their magnum opus. The title is supposedly a reference to ketamine, and the deep dark trips one can take on the psychedelic dissociative. To continue this analogy, if Dig Your Own Hole is ketamine, then the drug experience celebrated … Continue reading The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (1997) – Album Review
Charlotte Adigéry – Topical Dancer (2022) – Album Review
I'd been listening to this album on repeat for over a week, all the while being under the impression it was titled Tropical Dancer. While that label goes some way to evoking the funky fruity rhythms and party atmosphere of Charlotte Adigéry and Bolis Pupul’s first full-length collaboration, it also didn't strike me as the … Continue reading Charlotte Adigéry – Topical Dancer (2022) – Album Review
Eels – Extreme Witchcraft (2022) – Album Review
When a band is first starting out, there can often be a lot of pressure surrounding the notoriously ‘difficult second album’. And the fact they’ve already poured a lifetime’s worth (up to that point) of heartbreak, adversity and triumph into the first album - leaving nothing interesting to write about for the follow-up. Unfortunately (or … Continue reading Eels – Extreme Witchcraft (2022) – Album Review
This week I have been mostly listening to…
Dry Cleaning - Boundary Road Snacks & Drinks EP Dry Cleaning - Sweet Princess EP More than anything, the pair of EPs Dry Cleaning released before their debut album became something of an instant classic last year are testament to the production skills of John Parish. His presence at the mixing desk is the only … Continue reading This week I have been mostly listening to…
Bonobo – Fragments (2022) – Album Review
The British producer Simon Green, better known by his longstanding Bonobo alias, is one of those few artists who successfully executed the transition from bedroom beatsmith to big-ticket draw. For two decades, he’s made his home on the iconic Ninja Tune label, joining as part of the ‘second wave’ of artists, as the label moved … Continue reading Bonobo – Fragments (2022) – Album Review
21/01/2022 This week I have been mostly listening to…
A few more late finds from 2021, the year that keeps on giving, in the shape of cosmic synthology from the technician in da corner, aka Pye Corner Audio, and unashamedly hedonistic party beats from Eris Drew. Plus unsettling ambience from Kansas City producer, Brian Leeds' Pendant alias, and finally some classic 90s shoegaze psyche-rock … Continue reading 21/01/2022 This week I have been mostly listening to…
15/01/2022 This week I have been mostly listening to…
A few more late finds from 2021, including robust breakbeat techno from Ryan James Ford, syrupy synth pop from Men I Trust, and snaking beats winding their way through the streets of Lagos from Emeka Ogboh. And given how much I loved Mrs Jynx's collaboration with µ-Ziq, on Secret Garden last year - it seemed … Continue reading 15/01/2022 This week I have been mostly listening to…
Best Albums of 2021
Well, what a year. We started off in the depths of a lockdown, and as the year draws to a close it looks like we could be headed that way again, as the pandemic maintains its strangle-hold on day to day life. But throughout all the ups and downs of 2021, there's always been music. … Continue reading Best Albums of 2021
Nation of Language – A Way Forward (2021) – Album Review
Nation of Language are a Brooklyn-based trio, led by songwriter Ian Devaney, along with his wife Aidan Noell on synths and bassist Michael Sue-Poi. Their 2020 debut album, ‘Introduction, Presence’ was a lovingly crafted, pitch-perfect tribute to 80s synth pop, in all its shiny, euphoric, swooning glory. So precise was their re-creation of an iconic sound that even on first listening … Continue reading Nation of Language – A Way Forward (2021) – Album Review
George's Music Blog 