ListenUp
New music from Sampha, Australia’s Tkay Maidza, Bon Iver and more in our musical round-up
Bat for Lashes: Joe’s Dream
For anyone who has yet to give Bat for Lashes’ recently released wedding-themed album The Bride a listen, the official video for “Joe’s Dream” offers lovely, haunting insight. In the video, Natasha Khan sings and slowly strums upon her guitar amidst a gossamer backdrop. The album (intended to be the soundtrack for a film Khan hopes to make about a woman whose fiancé dies en route to their wedding) contains unparalleled levels of emotion. “Joe’s Dream” visits this narrative on a micro-level, expounding upon the moments composing it and their ultimate impact.
Tkay Maidza feat. Killer Mike: Carry On
Ever since releasing the infectious “U-Huh” back in 2014, Tkay Maidza has frequently popped up on our office speakers. Now the Australian singer/rapper has announced that her long-awaited debut album will be released 28 October, and offered up the lead track from it. “Carry On” features Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike (who said Maidza is Australia’s “biggest rising star” last year) and it’s just as catchy as fans would expect. Maidza’s singsong flow and a schoolyard-type hook make it playful but not juvenile. And Killer Mike’s distinctive Southern drawl adds an extra layer of charm and personality to the already strong track.
Mike & Rich: Expert Knob Twiddlers
Expert Knob Twiddlers, released 20 years ago, gets a reissue worthy of our strapped, constantly streaming attention. This instrumental album by Mike & Rich (aka µ–Ziq’s Mike Paradinas and Aphex Twin’s Richard D. James) tells a tale of the available tech and “primitive” gear at the time, but is also a rare look at two IDM pioneers having fun—and not taking themselves too seriously (with track titles like “Mr Frosty” and “Giant Deflating Football”). This reissued version has been re-edited and remastered—from the original tapes—with seven new bonus tracks (including the sadboi-befitting “Organ Plodder”) and two alternative mixes. Check out the just-released album on Bandcamp or Planet Mu.
Sampha: Blood On Me
Having recently contributed to Frank Ocean’s visual album Endless, British singer/songwriter/producer Sampha has now released a new track of his own. “Blood On Me” is from his upcoming debut LP Process and just as his 2013 EP Duel pleased listeners, this full-length album is highly anticipated. The song’s soft drum track and minimal piano blend to create an enticing tune, while the singer’s vocals—with lyrics including “I swear they smell the blood on me / I hear them coming for me”—add a sense of urgency, fear and despondence.
Chromatics: Dear Tommy
The title track from the new Chromatics album (the long-awaited follow-up to 2012’s Kill for Love) Dear Tommy is—like most of their music—super-dark and haunting. The song, which boasts plenty of vocoder, is ominously slow and the video matches perfectly. Directed by the band themselves, it’s full of shattered glass, roses, blood and smoke—making it part horror movie, part creepy fairytale.
Bon Iver: 33 GOD
Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) has just released a track from his upcoming third album 22, A Million, and it’s a dazzling track that transforms almost constantly. With Vernon’s distinct falsetto, “33 GOD” traces through different moods and pitches, but is never disjointed or jarring. Instead it’s an ethereal, lush song that feels a little spiritual and mystical. 22, A Million is out 30 September.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
