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I know it's been a while since I've posted, but life's been a bit... Well, this song is serious vibes, that kinda way. SFFB keeps catching me off guard and I'm coming back to it like a guilty lover. Listen to Father John Misty's Pure Comedy, if you haven't already. Though dismal in viewpoint, the album is charming, and captures a little of the absurdity of life in it. It's some very palatable surrealism! Imma try to maintain posting more but life is life and might once more drag me kicking and screaming from music to my obligations and reactions, but it can never keep me apart forever. A friend recently reminded me of that cheesy old classic Music, by John Miles. I can never help singing along.

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Mind-bendingly psychedelic, jaw-droppingly hard. Moa Pillar will break you down and build you back up again.

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Touché Amoré, Young Widows also featured on Whatever, Nevermind

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Albums of the Year 2014

30) White suns - Totem 29) Behemoth - The Satanist 28) Heinali - Music to Sleep Under Snow 27) Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers 26) Animals as Leaders - The Joy of Motion 25) Swans - To be Kind 24) Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X 23) Francis Harris - Minutes of Sleep 22) Earth - Primitive and Deadly 21) Mogwai - Rave Tapes

20) Lower - Seek Warmer Climates 19) Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise 18) COLTS - Depth Drums Distortions 17) Carla Bozulich - Boy 16) Judd Madden - Everything in Waves 15) The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream 14) Pridjevi - Pridjevi 13) Golden Retriever - Seer 12) Liars - Mess 11) Mungo's Hifi - Serious Time

10) Ulaan Passerine - Byzantium Crow 9) Sparkling Wide Pressure - Manifestation of Magi 8) Machinegirl - Wlfgrl 7) Flying Lotus - You're Dead! 6) Black Santa - Sorry if This is Weird

5) Black Swan - Tone Poetry 4) Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 3) Paul White - Shaker Notes 2) Valentin Stip - Sigh

1) Milo - A Toothpaste Suburb

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This is weird. Not sure if I like it. But it's weird.

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So I’ve been thinking (pretty much since I first heard Consciousness) that I’d love to do a little remix of this track- it just screams out to me for drums. I wanted to do something Tycho-esque, or maybe something jukey, but it ended up… me-ey.

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So I've been thinking (pretty much since I first heard Consciousness) that I'd love to do a little remix of this track- it just screams out to me for drums. I wanted to do something Tycho-esque, or maybe something jukey, but it ended up... me-ey.

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EPs of the Year: 2014

8) Xhin - Claw Eyes

A delightful, dense techno album. Full of intense and cold sounds, excellent for listening to when driving in winter.

7) Bonobo - Flashlight

A great new contribution from my fave Bonobo, gives a great little peek into the future of his sound (no vast changes, but not exactly stagnating). Strangely, Green seems to be straying from his more-and-more-live sound of late to the garagey, synthetic side of his sound, shuffling and full of life- without sounding like a recording. Keen to see where he goes next.

6) Gold and Silver - Azurite and Malachite

Gold and Silver's name promises a shiny, natural sound- imagery of precious metal. They deliver smooth, chilled post-rocky sounds with rhythm like the sharp vertices of a gemstone. A lovely little find with great writing and variety within.

5) Falside - End of an Error

Falside has been producing big, shiny instrumental hip-hop for a few years now, and I solidly hold that End of an Error is his most solid and well-made work yet. Beautiful mountains of bass and synths like great structures of sound leap and crash from these snippet-long beats.Polished and delicious, do listen!

4) Milo - Things that Happen at Day/Night

Milo has leapt from strength to strength this year, and one of his first great moves was to release the EPs "Things that Happen at Day" and "Things that Happen at Night". A name was made forever with strange samples, philosophical lyrics and boundary-pushing ideas; metaphors that push the imagination to the limit and rhetoric for dayyyyys. For me, Things that Happen was better than his full-length (which nearly made it to my Album of the Year spot (in fact, from this point on, we're rivalling the top spots there. Good EPs here)). He's worked with Hellfyre Club, of which he is a member, a lot this year, and just a few weeks ago we heard Red Wall for the first time. And even at the end of the year, these EPs are right at home. Folk-Metaphysics will be the track to smoothly lull me into the new year in the wee hours tomorrow, I swear. If we were to ask the Oracle of Delphi who the greatest rapper in the game is, the reply would surely be "Milo".

3) Sucra - Sucra

I have no idea where I heard about Illinoise-based rockers Sucra, but I'm bloody glad I did. Clean production showcases a well-refined act, and some magnificent writing, as the album progresses in a raw, Mogwai-type post-rock fashion, instrumentally marching through feelings and images. I fell in love with this EP almost as soon as I heard it (whenever and wherever the hell that was). It has dynamic range to rival an orchestra, moving from subtle guitar riffs, to great synth-powered whole-band waves.

2) Bambooman - Dulcet

Bambooman has caught my attention a lot recently, and my greatest source of woe this year was discovering I missed my chance to see him live for a while. His latest work has been the subtle and sublime Dulcet EP, the follow up to Hollowed of 2013 (that blew my damn head off). If you're into microsampling, minimal and textured dance, future garage or experimental techno, you should be listening here. Actually, you should still be listening anyway. Bambooman is an artist climbing to the peak of his game- and he isn't slowing down.

1) Helfer - Air Drops

Galloping ahead of anything I've ever heard ever, though, is the magnificent Helfer's EP 'Air Drops'. A sonic masterpiece, this fusion of production, voice, and soul transfixes and amazes. Housey yet abstract from any of electronic music's main zeitgeists, Helfer's work betrays a closeness with music and an understanding of sound. Nothing has surprised and transfixed me as much as this very EP. Noam's delicate vocals make and drive the psychedelic and beautiful storyscape behind the stark, mysterious samples and rippling synths.

From chopped guitars to pitch-shifted vocal samples rippling through the octaves, to layered singing reaching a choir-like beauty, Helfer brings together every colour in his sonic palate to create a delicious and stunning masterpiece. I cannot recommend this enough, and I cannot do it justice with my descriptions. Best release of the year. The decade? Well, we'll have to see what Helfer does next.

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Mungo's Hifi - Serious Time

I'm going to write this review in two parts- one of the album, and one of the live performance.

Sound System Champions, Forward Ever... Serious Time. This album is technically Mungo's Hi Fi's fifth full-length, but as albums go, it's obvious this is the third "album". It's the mood-change, the message, the movement in style that's so concise on this album. The political lyrics, the roots, dub, ska, dancehall, UK dance and anything-else-takes-their-fancy genre influence and references, the modern sounds and the fantastic guest vocalists make Serious Time one I was interested in from the get-go.

Serious Time- a big opener, really sets the pace for the whole album. Lyric- and vocal-focused, with an eye on its heritage, with roots, dancehall and dub influences shining strong, with those brassy skanks, easy-moving bass, and a lighthearded feel, the dancehall influence (well pulled-off, love or hate dancehall) is strong and exciting- while the production hails its dub forefathers, and their political lyrics swinging the old roots powerful message. This is Mungo's music.

Can't Stand it is a strong and powerful track with amazing vocals from guest vocalist Warrior Queen (though I'm unsure about the odd "make me cryyyyyyyyyy" delay rings, chorus after chorus. It gets a little grating, IMHO). The production gives you a feel of moving forward into Mungo's HiFi's more modern leanings, with their unique individualism shining in a little. The kick pops, the drums sound so machine-made at times, yet sometimes the beautiful little samples pop out. The piano now starts to come clean in as a later style, though the trumpets keep it light.

31st Century Song, with that incredible Casio-style keyboard sound driving the off-beats, and Soom T, the guest MC on this track, powers it on with her perpetual-motion rhymes and a rhythm to hypnotise and excite. The lyrics still stir deep and rebellious, really building that excitement level. I honestly can't wait to hear how this comes out in a live situation. The bass mix will be something to behold alone! Once more I shout #HYPE

Bicycle Rider is fucking good. It's hard to put it any other way. The synths have jumped into the modern era of dance music, buzzing and dancing like a good crowd. The lyrics (and other mouth sounds) delivered by Pupajim are unbelievable, and strangely convicting. I'm weighing up starting cycling to work now- if, however, largely for a wanting to listen to this track while cycling. The drums in this track are powerful, light on their feet, and tense. The tight, compressed drum machine and synth splatters give a perfect and strong base for this song. The lyrics and the production make this one mind-fuck of a track.

That fucking beverly hills cop sample... brave. Thousand Style pulls it off, with a smooth transition into a solid verse, providing a stage for guest MC Mr Williamz to dance on. The chorus gets a bit repetative, and by the end I'm stuck with the feeling that he's said "lyrics for days" more than he's actually giving actual unique lyrics. But hidden in there, more and more dominant on repeating listens, are some gorgeous little verses. Now in full swing, the album is developing a strong electronic, modern lean, decisively cementing their musical direction after Forward Ever.

Animal Dance is damn weird. Like, the opening line says it all. I'm left spinning in the rapid chorus delivery, the jumping drum rhythms and another great 90s keyboard sound. The vocals sound almost a little strained at the high notes, but it holds together as a track well.

Thinking Of An Island is a dreamy, summery fantasy, floating in a bassy sea, the keys and drums dance in a mediterranean haze, and Soom T's vocals sway with a middle-eastern influence, with references to all sorts of cultures and concepts. "Is there anybody out there?" as a repeating line really builds this desert-island feeling, and the soft reverb and vocal layers makes this a lovely warm haze.

Slavery brings powerfully modern, almost cyberpunky synths to incredibly strong, political singing from Marina P. Behind this, the dancing synth bass that 90s London dub became renowned for wobbles and saunters. The track is chill, deep, and provocative, and almost hides in the background with its unassuming down-tempo face, behind which an incredible mind works.

We're going to learn about Dancehall today, okay? And with that, Solo Banton and Mungo's Hi Fi set about showing us some dub-infused Dancehall lessons. The lyrics tell you straight up, honest teachings on how to musician 101. And the beats... Sublime post-electro synths and dub-steppy bass saunter about playfully. The drums are a solid 909 (or something, 2baked2musician). 

And then comes Nice It Up. The party tune is in the house. If this doesn't spin tomorrow night, I'll eat my headphones. It rolls, dances, with rapid drums galloping on, under rapid hoppy rhymes, backed by this raging filter-modulated bass, held on a firm leash, and swaggers with subtle little dubbiness. Charlie P shows himself off as a dance-floor god, an MC I'll have to catch live. 

Gunman Posse is a little odd at first glance, but shows a fun and full interior after some more listens. A bit of a geode. "Squiddly" though... am I missing something?

Overcome is a strange, almost blues-influenced saunter, with Blackout JA's rough, deep vocals rasping through. An alright track, but nothing particularly exciting about it. It's catchy, but pales in comparison with the earlier tracks on this album.

And then, boom. Traveller. Traveller sneaks in like that. First you missed it, but then you're whistling it, muttering it under your breath tunefully, getting it stuck in your head, listening again... and again, and again. Personal and fun, it sings of a free lifestyle, of living on the road (and rail and... air, or whatever). The production is light and there are some great little sounds hidden in the mix, and has another selection of delicious keys. The chorus is gorgeous and summer-y, and the verses sway back and forth with wild abandon. Charlie P returns in this track to give a gorgeous, honest vocalisation. It's picturesque, and if Slavery is the title track, this is the cover track. There's your boat on your wild sea.

Babylon A Come is a surprisingly forgettable track, considering its exciting vocal performance, and gorgeous bouncing bass. The drums are subtle and well-produced, and the song is interestingly structured. Yet nothing caught my memory (other than maybe the SOAD-style shouts mid-verse), and this remains a track I'll listen to on the album only, for now. Maybe it'll click with me more later?

Jah Say Love hails right back to Serious Time, with a roots/dub style, coming full circle, and giving Mungo's Hi Fi's stylistic range a last flair. The track isn't particularly catchy, but the soft dub-delay and the soft roots vocals with their powerful and sagely lyrics are smooth and old-school. An alright closer.

With that, Mungo's Hi Fi bring to a close a very strong album. Though a few tracks and the album as a whole felt a little like they went on a teeny little bit too long, it held strong themes, fun styles, but they certainly gave us a Serious Time.

-------- LIVE -----------

Going to open with the fact that that was one of the best gigs of my life. Mungo's know how to ride the sub-bass into an audiences souls, and the live MCing was spot on. Riding on to four and a refused fifth encore, the Reading Rooms (Dundee) were packed to capacity. Mungo's Hi Fi are evidently now firm favourites in Dundee. 

Their performance really gave me an idea of Mungo's present sound. Entrenched in UK Bass sound, they ride roots and dancehall sounds into a solid dance dub style, using any sound they like, almost pushing into experimentalism at times, and yet still rocking the old dub core of delay, sounds below 80hz, and those cliche-to-the-point-of-not-cliche sound fx. 

The crowd was fantastic, and the ethic of "We don't take cocaine, we don't drink alcohol, we don't take MDMA, we don't take heroin, we don't take ketamine, we smoke the ganja" was obviously heartfelt. Despite what seemed like a decent effort (without searching guests) of the host venue, you couldn't walk 5 metres outside without smelling a new strain.

I could have done with hearing some more of Mungo's greatest tracks off Serious Time, the tracks spun were fantastic. The instrumental from Dancehall School turned up a couple of times, and we even heard some entirely new dub plates spun. 

The crowd interaction was delectable, with Solo Banton providing live vocals from early on in the Mungo's set to the very end of the night, almost chatting with the whole crowd, but still unrestrained from laying verses out fast and furiously. A moment of memory is the shout-out he gave some young women who elected to dance on the bar at the back of the dancefloor (who had obviously attracted some attention). The performance really brought the whole crowd together, and the atmosphere was a rare treat.

Mungo's are one to catch live at any cost, even if it be it the rather larger ticket prices in Glasgow. Dundee is a home from home for the lads, however, and I swear to God, any dub-lover will have no regrets going out of their way to see them.

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Paul White - Shaker Notes (2014)

Paul White caught my ear on the band camp weekly a short time ago. Having heard of him in passing before, the tracks and interview on there had me intrigued- and I'm always a sucker for a good album cover.

I was well-rewarded for my interest. Shaker Notes is an incredible psychedelic wonderland, stumbling in as a haphazard wobbling jenga tower of sound after and on sound, it assembles itself from bits and parts, a little collage sound creature, in All We Know. It grows and matures in here, flourishing its stylistic range and inventiveness, stretching out its experimental muscles. From this, a Downtempo, softest Bonobo-style rhythm builds, and we end up in a dancing mood- which we certainly get in droves after the smooth, mind-awakening outro, with playful Tycho-ish synths, like Tycho wishes he could play.

Then we're in. Techno is happening to us. Where You Gonna Go? Is an honest question, at this point- what could come next? Vocals stutter and croak into life, hanging fragile and beautiful, on this wooden bed of marimba and percussive sounds. At this point, I've lost sight of any idea of musicians, producers, and material things, and I'm lost in the story of this album. It eats you in with an intricately woven tapestry of sound. It soft steps around, before it starts to get antsy, harder, and you feel it move on.

With that, the sultry bassline that has haunted me since I first heard it enters. 

The magnificent and (dare i say this word) jiving Honey Cats is a jazzy, downtempo, reverb-soaked daydream, with Darkside-style murmered, FX-coated vocals seducing the listener as you indulge its sultry desire to play. This is the moment at which you know this album's a big deal.

It's followed, shockingly, by the very post-techno Wait & See, with popping samples and synths punctuating it, with experimental sampling layered on top as the vocals sigh chorally. It shakes you in in delay-splashes to its psychedelic wonderland, infinite and beautiful imagescapes. The samples build this busy marketplace, or strange story-world around you. If I could paint, I could paint a million pictures of the places in this album.

Running On A Rainy Day brings us another new style with a new track, smoothed through by that vocal similarity, before it's suddenly adjusted, experimented with, and built in a beautiful song that sounds like some of Graceland without the americana. 

From here it waltzes on into a blue-grey haze of dreamy imagery and beautiful sound. Fighting To Dance fuses jazz and tribal sounds with varied and perfect sampling and synth work. Sounds of all kinds merge and collage to make this cinematic graphic novel. This walks you through to the darker, sophisticated, introverted Is It Up To Us? The vocals are more subtle than ever, but somehow more clear due to their more conventional style. The deeper octave soothes and strokes the ear, and the other sounds (FX-drenched vocals, I suspect) lead you into a trip-hoppy soft beat, Paul White's traditional territory. He still keeps it fresh, light, and shows astonishing attention to detail. The transition to the next track is soft and clean, softening and relaxing, shutting its eyes to behold the next spectacle.

Sitting in Circles catapults you into a boat in a hypnotic river, rocking you away into its world. The smooth bass and strings make a post-rocky soundscape. The lead strings are sublime, and the effects on it are masterful. But then it's over.

And now you're in Numbers of Change. The tempo is fast, the percussion equally so, and you're delivered through a sound that is at first Acid-House-y (with the slightly squelchy bass), then Fuck Buttons-y (the mad repetition, and the loooong supersaw chords), then Jean-Michelle-Jarre-y (with those dancing synth leads), and even sounding a little Lopatin-y (with the strange 90s-esque samples echoing about), before resolving entirely Paul White-y. This track too simply builds and builds, before (very clearly deliberately) leaving you high and dry.

Shaker Notes is a perfect title track. It summarises the smooth jazzy beats, the fantastic percussion (including those much-awaited shakers), the light and interesting tuned drumming, bringing wide cultural influences, and incredible psychedelic soundscapes. The synths are smooth but fascinating, and there's always something a little surprising when you least expect it.

Almost ending too soon, I'm in love with this album and am ravenous for more Paul White.

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tUnE-YaRdS new album Nikki Nack is the album that has introduced me to the work of Merill Garbus. It is fresh, poppy, infused with electronic elements and full to the brim with African influence (or as full as western music gets without being derivative or imitative).

The rhythms are strong, jumping, industrial at times, and full of fun. This is music that you have to dance to, that brings movement to your limbs and life to your head.

Every track is exciting and new, with sounds that surprise and excite. Some tracks, like Sink-O, are full of electronic synthesised sounds, whereas others have very real sounds. It's very quantised, though that doesn't feel restrictive to me.

The track Why Do We Dine On The Tots? brings an experimental spoken-word element, with many silly and odd voices, delays, reverbs, and layers, that seems a tad ridiculous and forced to me. It has some amazing harpsichord-style dancing scales in the mix, however, that give it some great feeling, and it lends it an amazing atmosphere. The story, in the form of a debate over why a group would eat the young, is haunting and amusing, though doesn't lend a moral or meaning to me.

[relation to Garbus' other work]

The album is well worth a listen, and is an exciting and strange little LP that is sure to fascinate if you lend it an open mind.

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Sucra, by Sucra, is a post-hardcore, experimentalish, post-rock masterpiece, and a surprise favourite of mine of this year. I'll probably write up a formal review after a few more listens, but first, listen: Sucra by Sucra