#10/ 2023 Out: Review Round-Up, News
A collection of music I've written about this year (that you probably won't have read) alongside some radio mixes.
Hello Reach-ers! It’s been a little while since I last posted a newsletter, which is mostly thanks to the annual slide into “?????” that is December/November.
In this newsletter I give a form of 2023 wrap-up in music, where I share the releases I’ve been covering in electronic Sound over 2023. Neither a ‘best of’ chart or a ‘personal favourites’, but definitely there’s some overlap.
Frankly, 2023 wasn’t the year I’d intended it to be with Reach. I began the year with great intentions and expectations to turn this into a reliable and decent platform, but the learning curve of the year had me between the hammer and nail of life often enough to keep me pinned down in all the wrong ways, and I’ve felt my writing go from something immediately at-hand to something I’ve got to really activate in order to be really proud of the results. That obviously doesn’t make me happy, and I’m going to be making amends here in the new year.
Still, I’m happy that Reach has gained some traction. There’s just over 200 people on this list so far, and that’s without me dedicating serious energy to growing the subscriber list beyond making posts on Instagram. I’m going to try to keep the flow going in 2024 and maybe we’ll see about a premium zone for Reach in Springtime (the real New Year).
Radio & News
Nūr x Ankali Transmission for Palestine
As forewarned in the previous edition, my contributions for the Nūr x Ankali Transmission for Palestine have been uploaded. I have a mix, which is more of a hybrid set on turntable and modular, where I ran audio from various reels and other videos from Palestinian news sources in Gaza through an effects rack. It was all one take, unrehearsed and unplanned, so I’m pretty happy the result came out pretty well. It’s a little on the quiet side, with some jump-scare moments that are quite loud, so be aware, and also be warned that it directly samples some potentially triggering events.
Tracklist:
Waveform Transmission - V 3.0-3.9 [Astral Industries]
Mutamassik - Rhythms Rattle on Deaf Pawns [Discrepant]
Spiritflesh - Ever-Impending Doom [NoCorner]
1991 - No More Dreams VI [1991]
Ossia - Ice & Blood Version [Blackest Ever Black]
Jay Glass Dubs & Andriy Kostyukov - Sandy Dub [Extramuros]
FIS - Duckdive [Samurai Horo]
Acre - Better Strangers [Tectonic]
Saint Abdullah - As Gently As The Steps Of Death (ft. Moor Mother) [Psychic Liberation]
Normil Hawaiians - Yellow Rain [Upset The Rhythm]
Interview w/Youssef Morsi, & Kamer Omari
I also did a two-hour long interview with two names from Prague’s Palestinian solidarity network. Both Youssef & Kamer offered very insightful commentary on the dire situation from their respective positions. It was billed as a discussion about why it is important — particularly for white people — to continue talking about Palestine, and while we didn’t stick entirely for that brief, there was plenty of enlightening perspectives from Youssef & Kamer on the point of interracial solidarity. You can listen back to this above.
Before I step off the topic of Prague x Palestine to-do’s, there’s an event happening here next Saturday (13/01) at Ankali / Planeta Za, with talks, as well as a listening event for the upcoming Amphibian Records Palestine Support compilation, which features a piece of my own music alongside a big and talented bunch of people. Later, live music comes from Arash Ghasemi (of the excellent Czech-based duo Gnäw) and Abdullah Miniawy, who had to delay his last scheduled performance here. Later, there are DJ’s (including myself) playing till late.
You can check the event on Facebook here.
Live @ Big Tesco, Brno w/ Ulla & AVA Kolektiv
At the end of last year I took a bus to Brno for an event with AVA Kolektiv, with a lot of great local names playing alongside Ulla, of 3XL / Experiences Ltd / Motion Ward acclaim. Since knowing the AVA people, it’d been a big to-do on my list of Czech events to see this year, so I was especially happy to get an invitation to play alongside one of my favourite artists.
The tracklist was sadly corrupted, perhaps by the ancient CDJs I played on (that apparently nearly annihilated my entire USB collection), but the mix meanders around a handful of older ambient music that I really love and hadn’t had a chance to play in a while, and a cast of recent purchases and promos. Maybe my favourite part is around 23 minutes in, where the piercing crescendo of the composition by alien kin (reviewed last month) crescendo-drops into a gloomy piece by Beqa Ungiadze from Phantom Limb at the start of the year.
Reach @ Radio Punctum | 11/23
Last one for the radio catch-up this episode, here is the second round of Reach with Radio Punctum. As with a lot of stuff I did at the end of last year, things were a bit hastily prepped, and you can hear my voice wavering as I go off-script (I was testing the USB’s for the first time after the Ulla Incident mentioned above, and was desperately underslept), and I do apologise for talking over some of the best bits, but that’s what you get with radio.
There are a few things from this worth pulling out to talk through, namely the new label from GiGi FM, Sea~rène, which opens with the second of GiGi’s Kiwi Synthesis Diaries. I picked out two from Yuku’s first Czech-based musician release, Mistni Fauna, Rlung’s brilliant Shimmer, and another track from Andriy K (formerly Andriy Kostyukov), but frankly there’s a lot to sink your teeth into on the EP. I really recommend checking out AXT’s spongy dubstep-bass piece Hunty, but listen to the whole thing for some great halftime DnB stepper bits.
Finally, I slipped all over the ID-ing of two compilations, Maloca Records’ Vol 2, and Dreaming Vinyl’s great compilation 01, so there are the links for those.
Tracklist:
Strategy - Freshmosphere [Community Library]
Strategy - Irresistible Gravity of Rhythm [Loon Moon Records]
Ross Alexander - Piece 4 [enmossed]
Panghalina - Whale Dance [Forthcoming Room 40]
Varuna - (A Trip To) Masdar (Hems Remix) [A Walking Contradiction]
HUUUM - Banzol [Accidental Meetings]
Rlung - Shimmer [YUKU]
Wild Terrier Orchestra - A Confident Leap [Extended Techniques]
HUUUM - Bahre Tavil [Accidental Meetings]
GiGi FM - Tevora [Sea~rène]
Will Hofbauer - Giraffes [Control Freak Recordings]
Andriy K. - Getaway [YUKU]
Cel - Folktale (DOOM Version) [XCPT]
Kombé - Batian [Somatic Rituals]
Tristan Arp - Beamed In [Maloca Records]
Ikävä Pii - Major Renovations [Dreaming Vinyl]
Varuna - Jewel Changi (Jan Loup Remix) [A Walking Contradiction]
Julek Ploski - Poisoned [Dyspensa Records]
Reviews 2023 (For Electronic Sound)
I’ve got a particular distaste for the annual charts thing. Every year it feels more and more like a relic from the blog days, with the exception of a few places keeping it personal (Boomkat’s outsourced annual charts,
, and International Orange get kudos for their picks, and how they are done).Regardless of not liking the idea of charts, I found myself sorting through releases from the year in some snatched moments. The idea then hit me of sharing my year through listening and writing by recounting the writing I’ve been most consistent with over 2023, which was for Electronic Sound magazine. I pitch a lot of stuff for this magazine each month, and a pick of my selections is made, and sometimes I’ll get one or two extras from the editor. Since the reviews section of the mag is print-only, I’ll share here the music I wrote about throughout the year.
I’ll intersperse this with some anecdotes from live shows, plus a studding of other stuff. Typically I don’t write about dance music for ES, and only write for albums, not singles or EPs (although there’s a few here that might fit some people’s definition of an EP), so I’m going to compose a Buy Music Club list (eventually) wrapping up some of my favourite club music releases and tracks not listed here.
Various Artists '...it wasn't really me' (Knekelhuis)
Kali Malone, Stephen O’Malley, Lucy Railton 'Does Spring Hide Its Joy?' (Ideologic Organ)
awoo 'lost' (BCAA System)
Really killer release / self re-imagining by awoo through Prague’s BCAA System. Produced with Prague’s constant pie-fingerer Oliver Torr, Lost is captured best in spirit in the full videos, animated with Unreal Engine, on YouTube.
SØS Gunver Ryberg 'Spine’ (Arterial)
This stellar record was one of the first I reviewed in Reach, but it is worth coming back with fresh eyes at the end of the year. Spine was performed live with visual artist Sybil Montet at Lunchmeat, for one of the crowning performances of the festival. Montet’s visual language, a glossed and shimmering augmented hyper-reality, matches the sonic approach of Ryberg perfectly, and while the concepts of ‘futurism’ are a little cringe to me, there’s definitely some stargazing going on between these two. They’re taking the AV duet ‘Weaving Fields’ on tour, starting with CTM Festival in January.
Ben Frost ‘Broken Spectre’ (The Vinyl Factory)
Kult Koruth 'Kult Koruth' (Bandcamp)
One of the best albums to come out of Czech Republic this year, still tripping over some tracks on here.
Saint Abdullah & Jason Nazary 'Evicted In The Morning' (Disciples)
Easily one of my go-to records this year, this wonder collaboration had me coming back for more all the long year.
Kosaya Gora 'Kosogor' (2MR)
OPLA 'GTI' (Pointless Geometry)
Thomas LaRoche 'Ever more precise accounts of the cave' (Drowned by Locals)
Imaginary Softwoods 'The Notional Pastures Of Imaginary Softwoods' (Field Records)
Various Artists 'Random and Emblematic: the sound of space' (Modern Obscure Music)
Exceptional release of many big ambient names, full of subtlety and light. The binding premise of an architectural analysis in sound works wonders, unifying the music together, and adding depth to each standalone piece.
Tim Hecker 'No Highs' (Kranky)
Various Artists 'Turkey & Syria Earthquake Relief Comp. Vol.1' (Müstesna Records)
ABADIR 'Melting' (Drowned By Locals)
As with anything Drowned By Locals, a brilliant release to whack on to help manifest the end of American/European capitalist hegemony.
DJ Scotch Rolex & Shackleton 'Death by Tickling' (Silver Triplet)
One of my favourite Shackleton collaborative albums so far, and I really enjoy his albums with Wacław Zimpel. Scotch Rolex’s touches, to my mind, steered the Skull Disco veteran towards some of his most danceable released music since those early days.
Matthewdavid 'Mycelium Music' (Leaving)
Susu Laroche - closer to the thing that fled (Accidental Meetings)
I read and re-read Ursula Le Guin’s Tales of Earthsea three times this year, so this album of material inspired by the Gebbeth, or the shadow-being of the first book, was a nice extension of living in that world.
Various Artists 'Tehran Contemporary Sounds' (Tehran Contemporary Sounds)
Various Artists ‘No ComplY - A Gaza Skatepark Fundraiser Compilation’ (Exist)
Just after this fundraiser was released, the skate-friendly area that the Gaza Skatepark team had made into their own was abruptly demolished by Palestinian authorities, which, with sardonic hindsight, could be called wasted effort, when the Israeli Defense Forces seem so determined to level the city on their own. Funds from this are still being channelled into the organiser’s hands, I believe, and could be more important now than ever before. This was also the final release for Exist that was managed by Odai Masri, before his passing.
Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective '*1' (Nhạc Gãy)
Isabassi ‘Speaking Things’ (Super Hexagon)
I’ve already shouted it out here, but Mesclado was one of my tracks of the year; crazy bassline, and with so much potential in the spaciness of the track.
Ylia 'Ame Agaru' (Balmat)
Ludwig Berger 'photosynthetic beats — utricularia vulgaris, marais des pontins' (Forms Of Minutae)
Another one already covered in Reach, but this release ranks very high up on my list for the year. The older sister to this release by Action Pyramid & Jack Greenhalgh on Mappa, which is another tip.
Petteril 'The Leems Boyste' (Puremagnetik)
Shida Shahabi ‘Living Circle’ (130701)
El Kontessa 'Nos Habet Caramel' (Bilna’es)
Gooooose 'Rudiments' (SVBKVLT)
Still one of my favourite dancefloor-related releases this year, Gooooose struck playful notes with Rudiments that I’ll be enjoying for a long time.
Lilac Pavilion 'A Shifting Presence' (Katharsis)
Lucie Vítková 'Cave Acoustics' (mappa / Skupina)
Laurel Halo 'Atlas' (Awe)
The Organizing Committee 'Communication in the Absence of Noise' (No Type)
One of my favourites of the last 12 months, this album balances concept and enjoyability very well, and I found myself humming its slightly-aggravating melodies from time to time.
Euglossine 'Bug Planet Is The Current Timeline' (Hausu Mountain)
Wonderful weirdo goodness, extraordinarily glossy in moments.
Hihats In Trees ‘Artefacts’ (Maloca)
Deena Abdelwahed 'Jbal Rrsas' (InFiné)
An excellent album, Abdelwahed’s voice carries strongly
Various Artists 'Intended Consequence' (Apranik)
Really excellent release of music made by Iranian women. Abji Hypersun’s track scores points as one of the most rugged jungle beats I’ve heard in years. Gives me feels like formative de Babalon.
Speaker Music 'Techxodus' (Planet Mu)
A Taut Line 'Never Any Gain' (Diskotopia)
Marina Herlop 'Nekkuja' (PAN)
Marina live at Lunchmeat Festival was one of my favourite performances of the year: Cosset, in particular is very almost as irresistable on-record as it was in-person. With an ‘experimental’ scene shifting ever-more towarsd more abstract interpretations of sound and rhythm in order to pump dulled pulses, it’s so refreshing that some artists are working with older templates of music, and still coming out with fresh and original material. In other words, you still can’t beat a good bit of bass guitar and a beam of sunshine.
Martina Berther & Philipp Schlotter 'Matt' (Hallow Ground)
Petra Hermanova 'In Death's Eyes (Unguarded)
Alongside Marina Herlop, Petra was one of the surefire highlights of Lunchmeat 2023, even if the pathos of the album sits on the other side of the see-saw. I fear that people will align this album with the drone-worlds of Kali Malone, since there’s also an organ. I feel them very different approaches, equally valid, but Petra manages to state bluntly a lot of what is left to euphemism with modern organ music.
Glass Isle 'Vels d'Eter' (Outer Reaches)
A really great album that kind of took me by surprise. A lot of -wave (inspired) music can bore me, poersonally, but this releae somehow makes a marriage of the genre’s nostalgia with some broader elements that keep it interesting. If you’re impatient, skip towards the last few longer tracks, they have stunning weight.
Various Artists 'Synthetic Bird Music' (mappa)
Easily one of the best releases out of East Europe this year, when this album arrived on Mappa it triggered a reaction akin to “oh, well, that makes a lot of sense”, and upon diving in I found a whole host of music that proved me right. Killer cast, and a great binding concept, which I’m a sucker for, especially with larger compilations.
Various Artists 'Ukrainian Field Notes' (система | system)
A hell of a big release that verges on laughably over the top in scope at 86 tracks deep, but in fact that scope carries the main body of the gravity this album, which is probably the most important documentation of any culture’s sonic footprint achieved in the last few years. Comes with a PDF of a book full of interviews with Ukrainian artists as well, and for Pay What You Like, there’s hardly a logical reason not to jump on this and find your favourites within.
Various Artists 'Emergency For Gaza' (Cease 2 Exist)
Not my favourite of the recent compilations appealing for money to direct to the sprawling clusterfuck going on in Gaza (that medal probably goes to Paralaxe Editions), but still great, especially if you’re after clubbier music. Toumba’s track here stole all the gold, a pacier number than the rest of the music we heard from him this year.
Alto Aria 'Limerence' (Rhizome)
A beautiful forthcoming record full of heartbreak and associated emotions, out on Danish label Rhizome in February (Valentine’s Day, when else).
Hassan Abou Alam 'Shalfata' (Yuku)
Yuku released a really solid array of music this year (as usual), from ROOO’s contemporary and stylish pop (& remixes) to stunning experimental club stuff from Lazarus, Whylie, their mammoth 3 year compilation, and personal favourites from Aroma Nice (breakcore heaven) and Fiesta Soundsystem (bewildering club sound design). Hassan’s record came late in the year and high on my rankings, and comes with essential remixes from 3PHAZ and Zuli.
Alien Kin 'The Avian Kin' (First Terrace)
I intended to leave some space for a few new music reviews, but seems like this one is long enough as it stands. Be in touch soon, then!