ListenUp
Petit Fantome’s interactive music video, Superhumanoids’ i-D mix, our Valentine’s theme song and more in the music we tweeted this week
Woman’s Hour: Her Ghost
The British quartet Woman’s Hour isn’t easy to sum up, but any band whose website contains a manifesto-like literary component and whose album art and videos are created by the politically-minded, provocative photographers Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin, would likely move to a different beat. The foursome—which consists of brother and sister Fiona Jane and Will Burgess, bassist Nick Graves and drummer Josh Hunnisett—pander to a harmonic duality. Their music, as evidenced in the new track “Her Ghost,” is at once comforting and stirring, and mature yet youthful. And all around, beautiful.
Petit Fantome: L
Those French singers sure know how to woo—but when they get Rosanna Webster, Charlie Sheppard and HOAV Studio on their side, one hell of an interactive music video gets made. Accompanying the track “L” by Bordeaux-based musician Petit Fantôme (Pierre Loustaunau’s solo project when he’s not playing in his band François and The Atlas Mountains) is a creative manipulation of found film footage that illustrates the complex tale of love he croons about. Petit Fantôme adds his own twist to the genre of dreamy psychedelic rock by adding solid acoustic percussion, gritty electric guitars and synthetic flourishes; “L” is sure to get replay over and over in your head.
William Onyeabor: Atomic Bomb
Luaka Bop label manager Eric Welles is behind this week’s #PrivateJam, and he shares his love for the elusive Nigerian singer William Onyeabor. Welles not only worked relentlessly on bringing Onyeabor’s sound to the US, but was lucky enough to receive a personal performance for “Atomic Bomb.” He explains, “Just like the man himself, this is one of those songs that even after you’ve played it a gazillion times, you still don’t know what the hell it’s about. Is it really about the bomb? Or maybe a woman? Or something else? I think about this each time I hear it, and I kinda love how I never (will?) know. It’s one of those songs that’s so damn long, that whenever it’s over you’ve totally forgotten where you are and what you’re doing—but then you realize you’re listening to this amazing song and you wish it could go on just a little bit longer. A friend of mine once said it was the catchiest song ever. The long spaced-out solos, the synthesizers that are like from another world, and a piano that just kills me every time. I don’t know much more about William Onyeabor then when I started [in 2012]. I’ve visited him in Nigeria three times and every time I go there, it feels like I get a little bit closer. During my last visit, he sang this song for me in his surreal 1970 palace—in the special room called the VIP Room—and it was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.”
Superhumanoids for i-D Magazine: Music To… Freak To
LA’s Superhumanoids have been collectively releasing a steady stream of original music for the past four years (which we’ve fanatically documented with each release), but as talented multi-instrumentalists, the trio work beyond their own sound and regularly release covers, remixes and mixes in support of their peers and as an exercise in creativity. Their efforts have piqued the interest of i-D magazine, for which this week they created the “Music To… Freak To” mix. The melodic pack of tunes includes Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, Vangelis, Nine Inch Nails and more.
Spectral Display: It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love
On what many might argue is a manufactured holiday, it’s still love we’re celebrating, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But among all of the sappy Valentine’s Day sentiments, it’s important to take a cue from Spectral Display’s Michel Mulders and remember that—like all great things—love takes work. The Dutch composer’s 1982 hit, “It Takes A Muscle To Fall In Love,” mostly relies on a simple beat and enticing synths, with a few lyrical twists and turns thrown in—much like love itself.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that takes a deeper look at the music we tweeted throughout the week. Often we’ll include a musician or notable fan’s personal favorite in a song or album dubbed #PrivateJam.
