Looking Back Through 2020 | 27/12/20

Feels like this year is really trying to go out with a bang at the moment, everything in the UK is just sinking deeper into chaos and it's hard to see things getting better anytime soon. I still think there's benefit in the sentiment of 2021 brining a bright new dawn, even if it's just something to keep us going. Reading through lots of 'Best of' lists makes me realise the sheer magnitude of talent and art that's come through in the last 12 months, and I feel saddened I've not experienced it to its full potential - so that's what I hope I can do more of next year more than anything. I'd like to share some of my favourite sonic moments myself - as ever just a personal list and am in no way qualified to be making statements about what is best. That said, I'll back that it's all great music, so listen along if you can (here's playlist link).

Can't Fight (TSHA Remix) - Lianne Le Havas

Melding the sun-soaked sweetness of Le Havas' mellow tones with the eager optimism painted in TSHA's sound design makes for one feel-good chill out. This came out at the start of summer, when we were just starting to be allowed outside a bit, and brings me back to whole days spent in Burgess Park. The suspended chords in the chorus using a loop of her voice is the most technically eye-catching, but all the details are splendid; little bursts of synth melodies here and there, the various tinkling percussion. A heavy sidechain and modest increase in tempo allow for a change of mood from the original track whilst maintaining the basis of its beauty. The whole album from Lianne Le Havas is thoroughly enjoyable, and while this is my favourite thing from TSHA this year, I'd also mention the Griff garage mix which I had on repeat for ages.

Alone, Omen 3 - King Krule

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this track and Anquetil's accompanying video numerous times this year, but here it is again. It's short and sweet, and the instrumentation feels natural, bringing you into an idle haze with the playful swing of the hihat pattern. Guitar holds steady, as bulges of synth chords are interspersed throughout. Archy stays on the softer side of his vocals other then a few delay echoes as you're taken from A to B on this through-composed journey.

Heartbreak - Bonobo, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Right back to the 80's and 90's instantly with this one. 'Heartbreak' marked the first release to appear on Bonobo's new OUTLIER records, a signpost for more club-focused sound to come (exciting!!). As such, the strength is in the drums, which feel utterly UK, despite both producers being based in LA. Looping melodies focus on capturing that classic rave euphoria, and a huge buildup from 2:08 gives space for focus on the Class Action sample. Drops are simple but effective, and I love the little breakdown outro - think that will sound huge in a mix.

Lifetime - Romy

From one throwback vibe to another. This time we see a full-on embrace of cheesy Eurodance 90's vibe in an anthem that feels hyperpop and indie simultaneously. It's endlessly fun, a love song that's charmingly naive during every moment the bass bounces through. The cluster of synths are all catchy, but the high-octave motif, ever so slightly off beat that you can hear best from 2:30 is my favourite. It's a bittersweet one; as exciting and wonderful this solo debut from Romy is, it's just screaming to be heard on a dancefloor with your closest friends. In this way, 'Lifetime' is the most representative of how music has felt during 2020.

Everything U Need - Overmono

Definitely wins best artwork 2020. Something dark and gritty to ground this list so far, 'Everything U Need' coats a core detuned motif with a plethora of sharp and snappy percussive lines, like darts shooting in all directions. This is then enveloped again by sustained bass and pad notes, encapsulating the mix with a wall of sound. Setting the bar high for what is a strong EP overall, this title track's spiky exterior would allow it to bring its emotive and introspective interior to an industrial basement setting.

We Once Knew - Jagā

I weirdly had the most profound response to this track while queueing for the gym a few months ago. The emotions in the track and compelling and inspiration, yet at the same time forlorn; as if with nostalgia for something long gone and never coming back. A real tear jerker, the steady march of the break punctuates the soundscape of cloudy pads. We set the scene in order to drop the drums at 1:28. The vocal sample is pitched up and heavily processed, but still feels desperately human in it's tone. As the drums drop back in, we glide through to the end of the track in a state of inward reflection. Potentially my favourite thing I've heard this year, shout out to my friend Rich Rose for showing me this one!

My Gemini - Kllo

One of the standout tracks from a stellar album, 'Maybe We Could'. Combining dance music sonics with emotive pop songwriting, Kllo produce a distinctive and memorable sound with each track that comes out. This one feels steeped in Burial influence; at surface level in the vinyl crackle form start to finish, and looking deeper in how the bassline will enter to transform the tonality of the chords over top. A blending of full lyric line vocals with looping cuts and the voice again sampled for the chords creates unified euphonics with a signature sound.

Reflecting Light - The Avalanches

After a campaign that steadily made its way through the entirety of 2020, accompanied by visuals from Johnathan Zawada, December brought us the release of The Avalanches' 'We Will Always Love You', a stunning sonic journey with a handful of creative collabs. The production aspect of the album is strengthened by the patchwork-style weaving of samples, here seen with Vashti Bunyan's 'Glow Worms' in the mix. It's hard to separate the track from the rest fo the album, but something in the strings and Maitreya's captivating vocals feels incredibly cinematic. This melting-pot of different sounds forms a product that feels futuristic, innovative and yet firmly familiar.

It's Gonna Be Perfect - Kev Sheridan

Kev Sheridan's classical music background is evident in subtle refinements of 'It's Gonna Be Perfect', notably in the 8-bar long melody that loops across the track. Its relationship with the tonality and harmony of the track makes it addictive, and with gradual shifting in its processing remains fresh to the ears after countless replays. Beat-wise, the Berlin-based Irish producer works this break to its limit. The pair of loops, drum and synth, you would imagine to quickly get boring, and yet the space and depth explored so stylishly in the track's mix and arrangement creates a powerful sense of narrative. The rhythm and melody are like two wheels of a bike, in the same constant motion, while taking you on a journey of transforming landscapes.

Black Dog - Arlo Parks

It's been an exciting year for the poetic singer-songwriter from South London, and I've been pleased to see her music stay consistently interesting despite expanding pop success. 2020's highlight for me is this touching plea with a loved one in pain. The lyrics are tender and vulnerable, matching perfectly with Arlo's soft, hushedly rasping voice. There's an ASMR quality in the guitar recording, with focus on the organic sounds of the instrument outside of the musical tones - the friction of the stringers against the fingers, the occasional tapping against the body. The ascending piano notes give a moment of ascension out of the grey melancholy, before letting us glide gently back in.

Alien Mode - Pearson Sound

Here's a fresh serving of intergalactic energy. Pearson Sound's first EP with Hessle Audio since 2015 is consistently effervescent, but this track evokes the call to the dancefloor strongest. Percussive elements, both synthetic and sounds from across the globe, merge into a rapid rhythmic underbelly underneath the variety of synth motifs, all mutating and other-worldly, befitting the track's title. The main sample of 'you're not losing your mind' is stretched and stretched, bringing out the metallic artefacts and is reminiscent of classic UK garage (think 'Ripgroove'). 

Both of Us - Jayda G

I'll admit that I didn't expect this one to impact me as much when I first heard it, but across the months the looping piano chords have cemented themselves in my brain and now any time someone puts this on it gets instant reaction. Jayda G captures the genuine essence of house without attempting imitation. Vocals are dreamy and give a real sense of atmosphere. The huge slowdown from 3:24 right up to 4:30 is quite frankly iconic and I can imagine being a lasting festival memory with ease if dropped at the right moment. Very deserving of its Grammy nomination.

That just about does it, but I feel like I've left out loads still. In terms of albums, there's a few not included within the realms of the above that I think need a mention too. The open of the year saw great stuff from Against All Logic and Grimes. I think Dua Lipa released a pop classic with 'Future Nostalgia', and both SAULT Untitled albums (1 & 2 here) feel incredibly important and stunning listens at the same time. Other highlights for me included Shinichi Atobe's 'Yes' and K-Lone's 'Yelli'. Not to mention, Four Tet's double drop on Christmas Day. I haven't included in the above as they only just came out, but 'Parallel' feels like a refined masterpiece and '871' gives us the full array of his creative experimentation. Anyway, here's to 2021! I hope I'm on a dance floor with you before we know it. xx

Top Ten Songs of 2019 | 24/12/19

Christmas is the time for GIVING and in that spirit, sweet lord, do I have some gifts to give you! I decided that I couldn't stop at one, but instead have two great posts to share with you to round off the year. That's right, in similar fashion to everyone else who has something else to say about music, I have made lists for both the year and the decade! So original, so unique, so scintillatingly riveting that I bet you're all on the edges of your seats as you read this. Below are my top ten songs of the year and my reasons why, and then click here for the 'decade' issue. Of course, please see this as my take and an insight into my experience of what this year has to offer; music is completely subjective, and everyone's experiences of it contribute heavily to the impact it has. This makes it pointless to criticise annuals as being accurate or inaccurate, and instead they should be taken as an opportunity for everybody to share their review of the last twelve months of their life through sonic material.

#10 - Bromley - Joy Overmono

To start things off, we've got a tune that has been played in set after set through the second half of this year, and finally got released in November. The combination of Joy Orbison and Overmono was something we never knew how badly we needed until this. I first heard it in Ben UFO's Dekmantel Boiler Room set where it stood its ground amongst impressive peers in an eclectic mix of tracks. That vocal sample going 'say it yeah-eh-eh-eh-eh, say it' dropping back into the beat satisfies your ear drums every time you hear it. Aside from this dramatic break in the music, the alternating notes of the tuned percussion give off such a wonderfully acoustic timbre that grounds the electronic beeps and whirling you hear, balancing the two ends of the production .

#9 - Deaf Ears, Blind Years - Saint Jude

Saint Jude's EP was going to have to make an appearance somewhere on this list considering how much I've listened to it consistently since it came out, and narrowing down my favourite was tricky. Ultimately, the raw vulnerability of the lyrics, mellow synth tones and a drum beat with one fantastic snare come together to create a pool of reflection in music form. With its release signifying a move into a more acoustic sound, genre-blending and use of his own vocals, 'Deaf Ears, Blind Years' allows Jude to share something more personal. I like to think of the UFO-sighting theme of the music video as symbolistic of the search for something that we were sure was once there, but there seems to be no trace of it left. 

#8 - Linked - Bonobo

Grammy-nominated Bonobo, no less. 'Linked' followed up his 'fabric presents' compilation with a continuation of his masterful ability to create a sound appropriate to both solitary chillouts and the dance floor. Seeing it performed live at Printworks definitely drove home the latter, particularly as the the countermelody builds up to a glorious, but not over-indulgent, final drop. An amalgamation of soothing vocal snippets, polyrhythmic percussion over a four-to-the-floor beat, and an acid line soaring through the middle. It's gentle, celestial, euphoric and ethereal, and gives you a feeling like you're walking off a cliff-edge and onto the air, suspended above the crashing waves below.

#7 - Midnight Hour - Skrillex, Boys Noize, Ty Dolla $ign

Never thought I'd see Skrillex on this list, but here we are and I'm not sorry about it whatsoever. This track soundtracked my summer before it was even released, and has played at most major events I've been to at some point or another. The individual elements seem absurd to combine, but in this weird, hard-to-put-your-finger-on way it works faultlessly. The honey-dipped R&B vocals and piano accompaniment are blasted out by a classic house beat, flurries of chopped up samples and the highlight of a gritty 3-note motif. It's not too serious, and this humour is what sells it; when you're knee deep in a crowd and acting stupid anyway, what else would you want to hear?

#6 - Bias - Floating Points

Floating Points' release on Ninja Tune, 'Crush', has gone down with huge critical success and has featured on numerous album of the year lists. It's been exciting to see both a return to his dark and gritty club roots and have such a complexly crafted set of visuals to accompany the release, building up hype to his live shows. With 'Crush' being quite the electronic-classical masterpiece, the three-note motif that opens this track (as well as the higher octave response) is an unmistakeable reference to Rachmaninoff's 'Prelude in C# Minor', depicting 'Bias' as the raver younger brother of one of the most brilliant pieces of piano music of all time. The rapid breakbeat builds up to a split second silence in the middle of the song, as if the world ceases to exist for just a moment. it's ominous, cavernous, and a brilliant five minutes of brass, beats and synths.

#5 - He - Jai Paul

After a hiatus of several years from one of the most influential artists of recent years, Jai Paul's release of the EP 'Do You Love Her Now / He' certainly had people talking. When your music is leaked before it's been finished, that's a hell of a lot of pressure on what a finished product will be, and yet of course he delivered. 'He' has that same nuance to it that makes his synthesis of styles fuse perfectly into what really can be called unique. Paul's falsetto vocals are heavenly, blending well into the shapeshifting instrumental. Despite some of the darker sounds he uses, it's great to hear something so optimistic with this release, especially after such a long time. Also, shout out for the open statement he put out with the EP; it's an incredible insight into what he went through -  you can read it here. 

#4 - Claustro - Burial

Burial once again reinvents the nostalgic lens through which he beams the sound of rave with this banger. A classic garage two-step is muddied in with distorted, detuned vocals, little trumpet motifs and hearty synth chords, all of course encompassed by that trademark vinyl crackle. He manages to make a club track creepy, while still capable of being the highlight moment of a set, and the degree to which it's upbeat is unusual and exciting. In particular, the final little breakdown at the end with the words 'I've got my eyes on you, tonight, I've got my eyes on you' gives us this little hyped up send off before the track ends. 'Claustro' stands out as certain aspects are so new, different, and unexpected from Bevan, yet it remains utterly and unmistakably Burial.

#3 - TLSL (Stiches) - Lava La Rue

I love this song (shoutout to my trip to New York). As ever, London is teeming with exciting new sounds, and La Rue's NiNE8 Collective is a noteworthy one that's been doing bits this year. In particular, 'TLSL' encapsulates youth, joy, summers, friends, just good vibes all round. The chorus makes you smile every time it comes in, but for such a sunny track it still packs plenty of attitude in her flow. The 4-note syncopated bassline keeps the feel-good tone marching along, cause 'we've gotta keep it positive'; it's optimism in sonic form, and I'm here for it.

#2 - Sunspear - O'Flynn

As mentioned a couple times before in this blog, Aletheia is potentially my favourite album from this year. The variety of sound within the same overarching concepts are very pleasing to the ear, and it placed an anthem like 'Desmond's Empire' in good company. If I look back to which track really stayed consistent in its effect throughout the year, 'Sunspear' takes the cake. It's celebratory, excessive, electrifying and had the best reaction from the Printworks crowd I've ever seen. (EDIT: Saw him the other day at Jazz Café - even better within his own set.) There's nothing like a lull down to silence to be punctuated with a blast like that descending melody, preceded effectively with a filtered loop just beforehand. One is never enough though, and O'Flynn uses the exact same technique a second and third time round. The party never ends with this one, and you can just imagine those South American rhythms fading off into the sunset to their next destination.

#1 - Only Human - KH

I started this blog about a year and a half ago when I saw Four Tet's set at Lost Village and felt the need to record my feelings about it. That was the first time I ever heard 'Only Human', many months before it was officially out under his alias 'KH'. After listening to a rip of it from one of Ben UFO's radio shows, by the time it dropped I was well acquainted, but that in no way stopped it from being the most memorable song of the year. On its own, it's one of Kieran's best takes on a full-force dance floor anthem. Each drop is distinct from the last, and the dirty, pulsating kick that comes in just at the end is a naughty last goodbye. What he's done with the track this year, however, takes it to another level. The clunky march of the beat can be heard practically throughout his entire sets sometimes, always in the background, tantalisingly teasing the track's approach. He usually follows it by mixing in 'Lush' as well, an unbelievable combination that almost creates an entirely new sound. 'Only Human' is everything great about Four Tet in 2019.

So, that's all for this year, again, click here if you'd like to check out some picks from the last ten instead. Playlist link for the above is also here. There's obviously been an unbelievable amount of fantastic music this year, and it was hard to know what really had a sense of the best of the best for me. Special shoutout also to Fixate's remix of 'Ripgroove' also and for the waves it made appearing on Sherelle's Boiler Room set (around 23:53), definitely a moment to remember. Here's to another year of sick tunes. xx

Outlier Printworks | Wild | Dawn Chorus | Crush | 22/10/19

Hey everyone, how've you been? It's been a while since I've posted on here, I've felt like I've been neglecting this blog but I have been writing other things. I just did an interview with my friend Jude for Pretend Online which you can read here; never really done one before and really enjoyed it, so hopefully it's something I can do on here in the future! This blog is much more somewhere I can just say what I want without fitting any criteria or catering to a certain audience, so I do value the creative freedom. I tried to post last week, but was up in the Scottish Highlands for work; I'll use some images from that trip here as it was scenic and wholesome. I brought the frost and mist back down with me by the looks of things this morning, but I'm not complaining really, I'm kind of ready for winter. Anyway, let's talk about the last couple of weeks as a few things have happened that I have a lot to say about!

First off, the Saturday before last marked Bonobo's Outlier debut at Printworks, and my last weekend living in Surrey Quays - went out with a bang. I mean, as ever, Printworks was phenomenal, and the line up, particularly Leon Vynehall, Omar S, Auntie Flo and the man himself, banged hard. I don't want to go too much into detail with the supports, but in the press halls there was an even distribution of house and techno and classic club sound that counteracted Bonobo's hopping between ambience and anthem. Vynehall dropped 'Coorabell' by Floating Points getting me very excited, I mean the song itself sounds like Printworks to me to be honest. That being said, the biggest surprise came from Auntie Flo being by far the best support for me, in the (much, much) smaller dark room at the back. The African polyrhythms and chants that echoed around the four walls were undeniably ecstatic, the energy was kept up constantly and even though it was boiling in there I was finding it really difficult to leave. It's certainly nice to hear songs you know a lot in a set, but I knew one track out of what I heard ('Siku' by Nicola Cruz), and was still consistently entertained. Absolutely loved it, need to see him again ASAP, and it would have stolen the show for me if it wasn't for what was to come...

Bonobo was very clearly the main draw of the event by the sheer mass of people that filled the main room before he began. I feel like he gets a lot of slack for being marginally too commercial or safe with his sound, but I would always defend him on that. For me, there's still as much excitement in pleasant and peng sounds as there is in experimentalism, and while he does have a few redundant tracks there's plenty that I've never got tired of. As it was a DJ set, I anticipated a couple of his songs being played, so by opening with 'Bambro Koyo Ganda', 'Linked', 'Flicker' and 'Cirrus' in a row, I was satisfied, the crowd was satisfied, the Lord Above was satisfied. Those stunning chord progressions and pitter-patter drum beats are wonderful live, and 'Linked' in particular, with the extended acid melody transformation over the drop, was a bombshell I'm so glad I didn't miss. 

As the set continued, he's a big fan of classic house bangers with piano chords etc.; maybe in a different setting I'd be more skeptical but the grandeur of Printworks suited it - big and bold bodes well. In fact, nothing had the room more elated than O'Flynn's 'Sunspear' making an appearance. Guys. It was pure joy in that hall. I was going out for air and heard the little intro coming in, dove back into the crowd just in time for the silence to drop before that huge trumpet fanfare blasted out of the speakers. I could tell a lot of people around me didn't know the track but were absolutely loving it, so it was certainly one for everyone. The lighting was unreal also, with the whole rig descending to just above the crowd at points, more colours and beams than you can count, and at one point the entire screen behind the booth was lit up with this deep, powerful red that just sunk into everything it touched. Bonobo made more nods to his Fabric album with 'Jacquot' by Poté, and towards the end there was this surprise appearance by Skrillex for a quick b2b which seemed really random at first. However, 'Midnight Hour' has been one of my favourite recent drops, and so when it came on it was like the whole thing was especially for me (lol). All in all, a great six or so hours of music, and as ever it was over too soon!

Moving on from live to recordings, three big albums dropped last Friday, from Floating Points, Tourist and Jacques Greene. They're all really strong, but to quickly discuss in that order, Floating Points has provided us with forty four minutes of genius. It ranges from classical music with 'Falaise' to heavy drum and bass with 'Bias', because of which I find it impossible to ignore Aphex Twin influences. That being said, it's certainly and completely his own style, and I haven't heard anything like it before. It's fantastic, although perhaps slightly too academic in its complexity for easy listening. Tourist's release takes the other end of the scale, and pretty much every song on it indulges your ear with euphoric melodies and harmonies. The title track 'Wild' harks back to ODESZA, and 'Kin' for me is the standout, with a catchy male vocal sample and numerous silences effectively punctuating the five minutes. Jacques Greene's album takes the cake for eclecticism, with a variety of moods and sounds throughout. There's a lot of interesting sampling, for instance in 'Do It Without You' and 'For Love', and the lyrical style and voice in 'Night Service' gives me references to that classic queer house sound which has been so influential. Oh, and the album art is so lovely. It's got that emotive strength of Rothko's paintings and I would kill for a poster of it! Or the vinyl, whatever.

That's all for this week, just to add, I have decided to do a playlist to upkeep what I've discussed / songs I'm particularly drawn to, and I'll update it with each post to keep it fresh, please follow it here! I think it'll be a nice way to continually keep you involved in what I'm excited about. I have another post coming out for Pretend next week for a really, really exciting gig I went to on Saturday. Keep an eye out on Instagram etc. for it, and have a lovely week. xx

Printworks Beat Horizon | Some New Music | 24/1/19

Gooooooooooooooooooooooood morning everyone! How are the tunes treating you this week? Are you craving more mellow beats or looking to go crazy? I like a balance of both, usually I reckon I'd say I lean more towards the more ambient side but this last week has been h y p e to say the least. On the weekend I went to Printworks for the 'Beat Horizon' day festival and I. Am. Still. Gassed. I haven't been to anything like this in what seems like forever and it was sensationally refreshing. 

As I'm sure you know if you've seen any promotion for it, the line-up was insane, and while the bits and bobs of everybody I caught were consistently exciting, I was mainly there for DJ Marky and Calibre. Drum and bass at its finest, I will happily say, with the two representing the two sides of the genre - almost like light and dark. So, Marky came first and the press hall was literally heaving with people jumping up and down, going further and further back like that herd coming down the slope in the Lion King. I know I've said it before, but Printworks just blows my mind as a venue, it's this huge, mechanical maze, like the laboratory you try to escape from in Portal... it was a bit cold, though. 

But not in the crowd. DJ Marky has the ability to make you feel like you're on a beach even as you look around the dark, old warehouse - it's fast-paced, euphonic, the drops are mad, you just want to dance the whole time. Tune after tune was coming through, I really enjoyed hearing 'Roll The Dice' out for the first time - Shy FX brilliant as ever, Stamina MC reminding me of Marky as we'll see later, and Lily Allen's silky-smooth vocals sound so peng over the gritty 172 BPM drums. Sooo buff man, and it wasn't long before we got Marky's remix of Fatboy Slim's 'Praise You' - mate. MATE. I can't tell you how gassed I was for all of this set, but this song really hit hard. The feel-good lyrics still hold their place, but the wobbling bass and DnB beat give it some darker inflections that stops the twenty-year-old track from being just a throwback. He also picked up the decks at one point to do his signature move, scratching the turntable upside down, which is more jokes but does add to the set.

The hype just kept growing as we approach the end of the set though. By this point, we'd made it to the front of the crowd and the speakers were right in my ears. Your whole body is just pulsating with the rhythm, the DJ and MC are right there, you look back on the Lion King herd and you just realise the real power of music. I actually found myself on the Printworks instagram story at the front at this point which was a nice lil' bonus. They stop the music before the last track and MC GQ gives us a little reminder that it's only about 6 o'clock in the evening by this point (lol), and he can go get himself a kebab on the way home - relatable without being cringe. Anyway, this gave them time to build up the excitement for the last track of the set, and what could have been better than 'LK'. Summer VIBES. Everyone forgot the freezing cold outside, what an utterly wholesome moment. Perfect way to end the set, for an hour and a half I hadn't been bored for a second. I've seen Marky once before but this set really showed me what he's capable of.

Calibre provided a totally different experience. This was in the Dark Room which was absolutely pack out, took about five minutes to get into, was sweaty af but as a result held onto real rave atmosphere. It's weird to think how big the whole venue was and hundreds of people were packed in the tiniest area. Calibre's set centred around more sparse tracks, moving away from the crowd pleasers but it provided a continuous atmosphere. The interplay of the percussive rhythms and angular basslines was good-weird, and I did begin to lose awareness of how sardined we were in there from getting distracted by the complexities of his DJing. The mixing was intelligent I guess I'd say, and so it was enjoyable to analyse more than gas over. All in all, Printworks was worth every penny, just wish I had heard 'Yellow Shoes', don't know if I just missed it or it didn't play.

A lot of music stuff happened this week too. James Blake's new album 'Assume Form' came out - thoughts? I like it, it hasn't blown me away but I don't deny it's good. It manages to keep his authentic sound and vocal style up and you of course know it's him, some of the chord progressions are dazzling - 'Lullaby For My Insomniac' comes to mind - but I wasn't crazy about every single song. Highlights were 'Into The Red' and 'Don't Miss It' for me, and I thought 'Tell Them' was unexpected but works for him brilliantly. It's subtly different, the trap beat isn't too much, and the melody of the hook is hypnotising.

However, the real new release that has stolen the show for me is Bonobo's 'Ibrik'. It's part of the upcoming album compilation he's making for Fabric, which is being celebrated with a 4-hour DJ set at the club itself in February. It's got everything you need from a Bonobo track, it's chilled out and upbeat simultaneously, and the main melody that recurs throughout is made up of just four notes but it gets in your head as if it's addictive. 5:50 is a solid length for a track of this style in my opinion, and the drop at 3:57 is beauuuuuutiful. With earphones on I have to listen at least two or three times. Check it out if you haven't already; I also really like the album art and fabric released this little 30-second clip with it that's wavey too.

That's all for this week - I have tickets to an Odesza concert today which I'm VERY hyped for so I will try and write up my thoughts on it in the next week or so. Hope you enjoyed xxx