Music Archive: April 2010
Bonobo - Black Sands (Ninja Tune)
One of the all-time Open Ear favourites Bonobo, aka Simon Green, returns with his fourth album, and what an epic record it is. On the back of the universally acclaimed singles 'The Keeper' and 'Eyes Down', Green proves beyond doubt that he has evolved and progressed as an artist and producer.
Mixing jazz, strings, beats and soul with classic and contemporary Brazillian sounds has resulted in one of the most vital, shimmering, intense, glorious and emotional records Ninja Tune have ever released.
Rafter - Animal Feelings (Asthmatic Kitty)
Hedonistic retro-futurism from San Diego. Sounding like a cross between an orchestra of Gameboys, Justin Timberlake and the Tom Tom Club, 'Animal Feelings' is certainly not short of humour. Soulful good fun abounds on this, Rafter Roberts' second full-length album. Expect this to be one of the big albums of the summer, and some UK festival appearances will no doubt be on the cards too.
Ayobaness! - The Sound of South African House (Out Here)
Since the end of apartheid the South Africa youth has been able to look to the west for music- previously only having their native 'kwaito' club music. House music soon kicked off, and the SA youth began to produce their own unique version, with DJ Mujava's Township Funk proving to be one of biggest club hits worldwide in 2009. Blending contemporary house rhythms with traditional African vocals and samples, there was soon a thriving house music club scene in SA. This has resulted in it being unique within the continent in the respect that it's youth now aspire to be DJs, rather than singers. A truely unique take on a classic sound.
Martin Taylor's Spirit of Django - Last Train to Hautville (The Guitar Label)
With a career spanning four decades, it's fair to say that Martin Taylor has earned his place in the guitar player Hall of Fame. Not to mention his MBE... For this latest project, he's reformed his 'Spirit of Django' band after a 15 year hiatus, to celebrate the the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the founding fathers of European jazz guitar, Django Reinhardt. The melancholic beauty of these tracks assure that will be heavily featured in our playlists this month.
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - The Logic of Chance (Sunday Best)
For this, their second LP, rapper Scroobius Pip and producer Dan Le Sac ditch the 'indie' feel that ran through their debut 'Angles' and go for a much more modern sound, incorporating elements of electro, dubstep and drum and bass. This record has already been creating quite a buzz, with the public and in the industry- with good reason. Futustic and unique, without sacrificing Pip's acid-tongued critiques of modern life and human behaviour, Sunday Best have come up with the goods once again.
Alex Smoke- Lux (Hum + Haw)
Lux, the third album of melancholic, experimental electronica from Glasgow's Alex Smoke. Much less of a 'dance' album than his previous works, 'Lux' is a dense, meticulous record that evokes thoughts of Coil at their peak, or even at times the Hyperdub label. A modern masterpiece of electronic music that defies catagorization. It's not often you're able to say that these days.
Nigeria Special Vol 2 (Soundway)
Focusing on the most exciting time in Nigeria's musical history (1970-76), Soundway finally present us with a follow up to 2007's original 'Nigeria Special'. And well worth the wait it is. Nigeria in the early seventies was a melting pot of different styles, based around the various dialects of the time, creating music that compares to nothing before or since, anywhere in the world. The musical evolution on this record is staggering, and it is audible how the various styles began to influence each other. An exciting, vibrant record, that comes thoroughly recommended by the Open Ear team.
Lali Puna - Our Inventions (Morr)
More Morr, and what a delight it is. Lali Puna is the work of German indie-electronic mastermind Markus Acher (The Notwist) and vocalist Valerie Trebeljah. Having never released a less-than-beautiful album, it's always a thrill to hear new material, and their fourth album proper 'Our Inventions' most certainly maintains the standard. Lo-fi electronic pop at it's finest, and in 2010 it has never sounded more relevant.
Funki Porcini - ON (Ninja Tune)
Considered one of the originators (and innovators) of the 'trip-hop' genre back in 1995 with the release of his debut 'Hed Phone Sex', James Bradell (as he's known to his mum) has a lot to live up to. And he does that with this new album, admirably. Filmic and funky, loose yet sophisticated, dense and soulful, this is the perfect soundtrack to the days getting longer and the arrival of summer.