ListenUp
Le Le’s 15-second songs, the Chemical Brothers team up with Q-Tip and a horror music video by Summer Camp in this week’s picks
Le Le: Le Mikro Collection
The zany Amsterdam-based artist Parra, known for his bold blue-and-red works, also siphons some of his overflowing humor and energy as a member of the electronic music trio Le Le. The “new new wave” group finds inspiration in cheesy Italian disco and gritty club beats, churning out dance tracks that are as fresh as they are lewd. Their latest surprise drop is Le Mikro Collection, an album that exists only on their Instagram account. Each of the nine tracks (with titles like “Digital Oolong Tea” and “Sexpomp”) is 15 seconds long and accompanied by a Parra animation.
The Chemical Brothers feat. Q-Tip: Go
British electronic music act The Chemical Brothers’ eighth studio album, Born in the Echoes, is due out this July and will feature contributions from St. Vincent, Beck and more. Drumming up anticipation is their music video for “Go”—a darker dance track with old school vibes featuring verses from Q-Tip. The video is directed by mise-en-scène master Michel Gondry (who previously collaborated with the duo for “Let Forever Be” and “Star Guitar”). Once again, Gondry keeps viewers’ eyes stuck to the screen using the bare minimum: seven ladies dancing in unison.
PC Music Volume 1
Hovering somewhere between the imagination and reality, “London-based” (but more likely existing in the deep web) collective PC Music has been electroshocking the world of pop with their hyper-manufactured hits. PC Music has just released the compilation PC Music Volume 1, featuring singles from Hannah Diamond, A.G. Cook (also behind the oh-so-catchy “Hey QT”), Danny L Harle and more, and bringing their tracks to Spotify and iTunes for the first time. On 8 May 2015, as a part of this month’s Red Bull Music Academy Festival New York, PC Music and SOPHIE will be hosting an experimental show like no other; the sold-out event “Pop Cube” will see the live launch of their PC Music TV Network.
Odessa: Hummed Low
A few deep breaths are recommended before sinking into Odessa’s quiet song “Hummed Low.” Through a bare yet polished arrangement, LA-based classical violinist-turned-singer-songwriter (who toured as a back-up violinist for bands like Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes) sings of expansive blue skies, miles of open road and a drive to a meaningful final destination—letting you escape the hectic pace of the city—if only for a fleeting moment. Odessa’s self-titled debut album is now available.
Summer Camp: Bad Love
Summer Camp is set to release their third album Bad Love on 25 May; this week they’ve released a playful video for the title track. “Bad Love” features the husband and wife duo (Jeremy Warmsley and Elizabeth Sankey) as stars of a make-believe, ’90s-vibe slasher film—complete with fake blood, letterman jackets and adolescent angst—fitting for the band who made the soundtrack for teen movie documentary “Beyond Clueless.” The track itself is a thumping pop song that balances distorted synths with Sankey’s saccharine vocals.
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.
