Osaka producer Mountain has been releasing more and more material via international labels as of late, and now comes an EP released from Dutch company Celsius Recordings. The Teleportation EP features three numbers from the young producer, each zeroing in on their drum ‘n’ bass backbone. Yet the high points come from the moments of silence that make the rush that follows all the more exhilarating. A beatless stretch in “Underground” offers a bit of sanctuary that makes the inevitable rev up all the better, while the title track gets even quieter in building up the thrills. “Belief” itself is sparse from start to finish, showing Mountain can get the same excitement from less. Listen above.
Category Archives: Music
New Cairophenomenons: “Water”
It’s all a summer stroll until things get blurry. Tokyo’s Cairophenomenons start off crafting a warm-weather indie-pop jaunt on latest song “Water,” with interlocking guitar melodies and a pleasant bounce that evokes a band like Deerhunter (or compatriots Hotel Mexico, at least on more straightforward numbers). It’s pleasant and downright cheery from the right angle. But rather than ride that wave for a full four minutes, Cairophenomenons let the edges start to blur just before the two minute mark, the singing becoming more stretched out and the music warping too. And then “Water” just turns into a bleary instrumental, revealing the group’s psych-leaning qualities in all their glory. Listen above.
New MPEG-7: “Nama-Mono”
Producer MPEG-7 has previously caught our attention for more emotionally wrenching electronic numbers. Typically built around synthesizer swirls and samples, it’s a formula that can result in emotionally rich music…but also sometimes drift a bit too much towards lifeless beat making. “Nama-Mono” buzzsaws away from both sides to show off a different side of MPEG-7. It’s a slightly distorted thumper more intent on pummeling than touching the heartstrings. Nifty details sneak in — big fan of the steel-drum-like touches that offer a little bit of warmth to an otherwise heavy number — but the commitment to just pounding away makes this a fun listen. Get it here, or listen below.
New Sauceman: Tori
The proliferation of crackly, loop-centric beat tapes seemingly designed to soundtrack anime girl homework sessions has made me hesitant of anything merging sample-centric repetition with drum-machine-generated boom bap. Leave it to an artist closer to Japan’s footwork scene to upend those expectations. Sauceman’s Tori gathers 10 tracks that often rely on a scant amount of sounds — a few samples, a beat — to create something that frequently coils about into unexpected shapes. The opening number features horns, pianos and more, all guided by some thumping — yet that beat morphs and mutates over the next few minutes, turning everything around it into a new form and adding a sense of uneasy movement to the songs. This isn’t an album for math work, basically. Sauceman’s footwork background goes a long way to helping Tori click, as the skittery beats of that style already disrupt whatever you throw against it. So whether Sauceman brings in woodwinds, sampled yelps or organ, they find a way to make it come off unexpected. Get it here, or listen below
New Foodman: Pokopoko
If all weeks could start with a springy new album courtesy of Foodman, life would probably be easier all around. Well, until that glorious future arrives, savor Mondays like this. The ever-wonky producer put out a new collection with London-based label Plastic Bags titled Pokopoko, which features six songs sporting that same title. Tracks here range from surprisingly laid back even as they skitter all over themselves (“Pokopoko1” and all its crystal detail) to typically darty for Foodman (“Pokopoko4,” above, begging for use in some sort of left-field cartoon chase sequence). It’s a jaunty way to start the day, and a great reminder of Foodman’s ability to create pleasure out of pieces that shouldn’t fit together. Get it here, or listen below.