dvsn: A Muse

New from Canadian duo dvsn (aka singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen85), “A Muse” is a slinky, sublime song. Beginning with the pared-back keys of Lonnie Liston’s “A Garden of Peace” (also sampled by Jay-Z on “Dead Presidents” and Mary J Blige on “Take Me As I Am”), the bass soon kicks in, along with plenty of ’90s R&B influences. A diversion from their somewhat-trademark …

Ultraísta: Tin King

Upbeat and infectious, “Tin King” by experimental rock band Ultraísta leans into house and electro influences. The band—comprising of Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, and Laura Bettinson—based the entirety of their forthcoming album, Sister, on improv sessions, recording bits and pieces and then addressing them in depth later. “Tin King” certainly feels like a product of improvisation, but the result is a calculated chaos that has …

Preserving the Scents of Everyday Life

Researchers at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage are working double-time to identify and catalog scents that exist all around us—from the smell of an old book, to a pub at a particular time of night, and worn-in leather. Many of these are disappearing right under our noses. For example, as we collectively move deeper into a digital age, books are being read on phones …