#187 – Fear Of Men To Release Limited Edition 7″

The ‘Green Sea’ loosely sketched here by these London/Brighton pop-kids is closer to a man-made lake: cultivated, non-tumultuous and pleasant. The occasional flecks of gentle tape distortion (it could be accidentally generated, but I’d bet against it) suggest hidden depths made unattainable and irretrievable through the misfortunes of recording on the cheap – how cheap exactly would be my question. This lo-fi sleight-of-hand demonstrates that the band believe they have something to hide: the listener is required to believe it’s worth seeking.

#186 – Tiny Ruins

This evening I’d like to talk to you about Tiny Ruins, the performing name of Hollie Fullbrook. She’s originally from Bristol and emigrated when she was little to New Zealand. In a recent 6music interview she said how this probably influenced her songwriting, on account of the stark difference in surroundings and the isolation of Wellington, her new home.

In between the talking, she played one of the most impressive live sessions I’ve heard in a while.

#185 – The Bravest Man In The Universe

Bobby Womack is back! And his new song, ‘The Bravest Man In The Universe’, is a class bit of work. His voice sounds as rich and as emotive as ever, while the production (from Damon Albarn and XL head-honcho Richard Russell) adds a depth and groove that gives a great modern spin on the Bobby Womack of old. It’s funky, edgy and, above all, really, really good.

Music For Horses no. 26

There are times when I listen to a song and immediately know that it belongs in this playlist. But when it’s as good as my first choice today it needs an equally superb companion. It took a while, but I was able to find the perfect ‘part 2’. Anyway, I’ll stop talking about myself and start on the music. We begin this evening with SBTRKT’s ‘Wildfire’, which features the vocals of Little Dragon. The laid back, synthy bass that drives the song gets in your head, while the vocal melody floats above it in a way that I’m struggling to find words to describe.

It’s not a new song, but that doesn’t take away from it’s pure class.

SBTRKT – Wildfire Feat. Little Dragon [Buy]

Our next song is well worth getting excited about.

#184 – Fancy Mike’s New Track

It’s been almost exactly a year since we last posted about Fancy Mike, and seeing as he’s just put up a new song on his Soundcloud it’s about time he got some more airtime. Or pixeltime. Or whatever you want to call this.

Moving on from the semantics, the new track is a two minute treat.

#183 – Welcome To St Lucia

I was sent a copy of the newest Kitsuné mix the other day and I’ve been trying to listen to it but I’m having problems. These problems are due to the first song, by St Lucia, being so damn good that I have more or less put it on repeat and not listened to the rest of the mixtape.

Regular readers will be only too aware of my (and the other writers’) love for all things electronic. Specifically the sunny, slightly camp electronic stylings of Cut Copy and Architecture In Helsinki, so the first song on Kitsuné America fits the bill nicely.

St Lucia is Jean-Philip Grobler

#182 – Leisure Annouce Debut Album

People who know them have been waiting for this for ages now, so I’m happy to be able to say that Leisure have announced a release date for their debut album, which will be called Plastic Soul. It’s due to be released on 18th June digitally.

Review: Belleruche – Rollerchain

Tru Thoughts’ Belleruche are now on to their fourth full-length release and they’ve made a concerted effort to shake things up a bit. We all know that they do the DIY electro-soul thing well, so it seems that they wanted to show us they can make a darker, more complex sound work too.

Luckily, they don’t disappoint.