Listen Up
Boom-bap, jazz-funk, psych-rock, dance remixes and more new music
Lido Pimienta: Coming Thru
A standout track from Lido Pimienta’s Miss Colombia, “Coming Thru” reappears with an all-new music video made in collaboration with visual artist Orly Anan. Colorful fruits and fairytale figures crowd the set while choir vocals, woodwind instruments and rising synths form the minimal, but textured song. “The creatures next to me are acting as my conscience but most importantly, my sense of power, surrounded by the abundance of colorful fruits and foods that are to be shared ONLY by the ones who want to protect us,” Pimienta writes in a statement.
Kiefer: Superhero
Pianist and producer Kiefer (aka Kiefer Shackelford) is poised to release Between Days this spring, and from it comes the breezy, jazzy instrumental “Superhero.” The laidback tune—accompanied by an animated video from Mason London—incorporates plenty of boom-bap and tinkling keys that lend an almost improv element. The LA-based artist (who has collaborated with Mndsgn and Anderson .Paak) says, “This came from an idea I recorded in 2018, but fleshed out in 2020. This song makes me feel like a fuckin’ superhero. The piano tone is my cape and you can hear it flapping in the wind.”
Neil Frances: Mr Blue
Indie-dance music duo Neil Frances (aka Jordan Feller and Marc Gilfry) delivered their Stay Strong Play Long EP last week, a compilation of previously released singles and all-new tracks. “Mr Blue” (one of the new songs) proves cheerful and upbeat. It was born from a haiku that Gilfry wrote on his iPhone, about a friend dressed in head-to-toe blue tie-dye. The duo then enlisted collaborators—The Wombat, Undercover Dream Lovers and more—to add finishing touches and polish the underlying groove.
La Femme: Le Sang de Mon Prochain
In advance of acclaimed French psych-rock act La Femme’s third LP, Paradigmes (out 2 April), the dazzling experimental rockers have released one more single, “Le Sang de Mon Prochain.” Directed by Ilan Zerrouki, the mind-bending official music video pairs over-the-top costuming with theatrical performances. The retro-futuristic soundscape itself defies genre classification.
Hiatus Kaiyote feat. Arthur Verocai: Get Sun
Melbourne-based band Hiatus Kaiyote just signed to Flying Lotus-helmed label Brainfeeder, announced the new album Mood Valiant (set for release early this summer) and released their first new music since 2018, “Get Sun.” Featuring Brazilian composer/arranger Arthur Verocai, the song ebbs and flows with vibrancy; its last couple of minutes sprinkled with improv-sounding keys, ab-libs from front-woman Nai Palm, bird calls, fuzzy effects, glinting synths and more.
Scott Matthews: New Skin
With the single “New Skin,” English songwriter and recording artist Scott Matthews delivers a haunting return. The song is drawn from Matthews’ poetic seventh studio album, New Skin (out 14 May), composed of a dauntless swirl of ambient sounds, acoustic instruments, warped synths and electronic samples, all bound by evocative vocals. In the Damien Hyde-directed music video, Matthews embarks upon a moody night drive that matches the track’s tone.
Sofie: Happen 2 B There (Lauer Dance Mix)
From Stones Throw recording artist Sofie’s 2020 album Cult Survivor, “Happen 2 B There,” is transformed into a thumping dance tune by Frankfurt-based producer Lauer. The song’s underlying structure remains but Lauer’s emphasis on the instrumentation—digital drums, deep bass and robotic accents—amplifies the original.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel. Hero image by Andrés Navarro Aguilera, courtesy of Lido Pimienta
