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NESYA – PUT THE FRIES IN THE BAG.

The intention of an artist like NESYA is not to create pure pop music. The daughter of a Nebraskan preacher and subjected to religious and sexual trauma, her aesthetic is wholeheartedly goth, punk, and a little vampiric–she even has a video that borrows liberally from that famous scene in Blade that I love so much. But even though her vibe is dark, I can’t help but get the same thrill from this song as I would from stuck-in-your-hair bubblegum pop. It’s catchy as fuck and reminds me of the electro pop I posted so much on this blog back in the early aughts, when it was at its peak. It hasn’t gone unnoticed over here that there seems to be a resurgence of that sound lately, and it’s not just (or even primarily) about bloghouse nostalgia. I’m not convinced anyone is really that nostalgic for most of that stuff, but there was an underlying freedom about the crassness of that sound and aesthetic that I think is naturally working its way back into the collective consciousness. It was just fun, and so is this. This is the first single from a forthcoming album; no bandcamp, unfortunately, but you can grab the track below, or find it on all the usual outlets.

NESYA – “PUT THE FRIES IN THE BAG.”

So Durand – Downforce / Corners

It’s been a minute since I covered Ottawan producer So Durand (Simon Robichaud-Durand). Too long, in fact; he’s always got something good up his sleeve, and this is no exception. His latest is a two-tracker on Something Public Records that sees him reworking two of the tracks on his Downforce EP from last year. Where the originals were club-focused 4×4 and breakbeat, these reimaginings take the songs far deeper and darker, exploring the peripheries of dub techno, 2000s garage, cumbia, and a bit of everything in between. Durand’s stuff is always correct, but it turns out he shines brightest when he gets a bit weird with it. These are out now on bandcamp, or available for streaming.

So Durand – “Downforce” (Slow Mix)
So Durand – “Corners” (Closing Mix)

SIDELINES – Just Say Yes

Speaking of getting a bit weird in the club, this track from Dublin’s SIDELINES (Jay Childs) is the result of letting your nose (or ears, as the case may be) lead you to whatever works. Created around a voicemail his kids left him unknowingly while having an argument with each other, Childs hummed in a bassline and programmed the rest of the song around that. The result is something simultaneously unsettling and liberated. I suppose it captures well the experience of parenting young children–awe of their visceral abandon and mild terror at the unpredictability of their motivations. Being a young kid is like slipping in and out of an LSD trip every 15 minutes, so a big part of parent’s role is just to ride that wave with them as best one can. I’ve also included Childs’s previous single, which is a little more straightforward but still shows his knack for letting a good sound or sample lead the song-writing process. No bandcamp for these, unfortunately, but you can grab the most recent one below and find both for streaming all over.

SIDELINES – “Just Say Yes”
SIDELINES – “Broken Harp”

Jacana People & Vraell – Paper Thin

A pristine slice of organic electronica from UK duo Jacana People, with vocals and guitar by Vraell (Alessio Scozzaro). This is sunshine on a cold spring morning, melting the frost, and turning dew to vapor. I’ve also included their previous single–bouncier but still pillowey and soft around the edges–it lands more as a modern take on what might have been a B-side of an off-album Orbital 12″. Both songs are from Jacana People’s upcoming EP, Breaker, out June 26, but you can grab them both on bandcamp now or find them on the streamers.

Jacana People & Vraell – “Paper Thin”
Jacana People – “Nudge”

Gryr – Hymn

I wrote about Gryr (Jonatan Josefsson) just a few weeks ago, sharing the first two songs from his Hymn EP. He just released the title track to that EP. While I described the last two songs he shared as trancelike and perfect for driving across the tundra, this last one lives up to its name, abandoning most of the rhythmic pulse in favor of elemental spiritualism and tranquility. Instead of a cool, long-sighted view across the horizon, this feels more like the ripple of spring water passing through your fingers. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but Josefsson graciously let me share with you the mp3 here; you can also find this for streaming all over.

Gryr – “Hymn”

Symbol World – The Door

Finally tonight is a track from Symbol World (Justin Gohl), a Detroit-area producer I don’t know much about–which may be due to the fact that he seems to have just recently started to release music. This is another one that at first seems like it wouldn’t be out-of-place on a late 90s Orbital or Underworld record. Creamy FM pads, gentle synthetic Karplus-Strong bell strikes, buried snare fill risers–all wonderfully referential. But three quarters of the way through the song, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, there’s a sudden pseudo-drop that takes it into distinctly modern territory. Promising stuff here. You can grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming, but Gohl was also kind enough to let me upload the mp3 for you here.

Symbol World – “The Door”

Alex Zhang Hungtai – Mother

These two pieces from Alex Zhang Hungtai (of Dirty Beaches, among other projects) are alchemical. From his upcoming double album Orion/Mother, Zhang describes the music as “like something that was dormant is starting to awaken.” True to its title, the second disc’s second track indeed feels as if it is being wrenched from the primordial soup, Zhang’s trumpet sounding sustained, exhausted birth calls over halting percussive clatter, as if marking the last stretch of marathon labor. The albums were formed from a collage of years-old improvised rehearsal sessions recorded with an ad-hoc group of New York musicians and then restitched in the present by Zhang, using his trumpet as thread. Orion/Mother is out June 19, but these two songs are available now on bandcamp.

Alex Zhang Hungtai – “Mother”
Alex Zhang Hungtai – “Sidewinder”

Absorver – “Phantasmagoria”

Lacelike, coffee-stained IDM from Slovakian artist Absorver (Adam Mészáros). These are from his recent EP, Phantasmagoria (a term that originally referred to a 19th-century form of horror theater that used hidden lanterns to project spooky images onto a screen). Both songs speak to that concept: they are full of eerie sound design, ephemeral melody, and worn and rusted percussion–haunting, but comforting in the way horror somehow often manages to be. You can find the EP on bandcamp or for streaming.

Absorver – “Interloper”
Absorver – “Phantasmagoria”

Bodo Bifroest – Fading

More nostalgic downtempo electronica tonight, this time from German artist Bodo Bifroest (Felix Gerlach), whose pseudonym is a reference to Nordic mythology, where Bifröst is the burning tri-color bridge between heaven and earth. Tender and frank, “Fading” is meant to represent identity loss and perseverance. Gerlach spent years away from music amidst a long-term illness; the song communicates both the fragility of that time and his will to return to himself. I relate to that, having set down my musical pen for years to pursue something more concrete, eventually returning to it at the margins of my life. Making art your identity creates such profound vulnerability that can be as rewarding as it can be devastating. “Fading” is available on bandcamp or for streaming, but Gerlach was also generous enough to let me post the mp3 for you here.

Bodo Bifroest – “Fading”

PUR100 – Nobody Can

Ice-cold and club-ready cut from Parisian producer PUR100 (Florian Jozefowicz). This is one of those tracks that could work just as well as a transition tool as it could as a peak time roller. Falling somewhere between midtempo throwback UK hardcore and breakbeat-driven electro, this has all the puzzle pieces in their right place: sharp drums, gritty reese, minor-key synth melodies, and nicely detached vocal sample. Big choon here. PUR100 was kind enough to offer this up here as a free download, but if you’re enjoying this, consider throwing him a few bucks on bandcamp (it’s also available on the streamers).

PUR100 – “Nobody Can”

SLEEPYLYCHEE – Deep Bongo

More music tuned for the club, these are from New York’s SLEEPYLYCHEE (Yuwei Shang), who sent over two dubby bits of left-field techno a few weeks ago. I don’t know much about SLEEPYLYCHEE, but apart from producing and DJing, she curates common.wavs, a collective and party series with a monthly on bedcrumb show. Their next event is May 20th at Mood Ring. If SLEEPYLYCHEE’s own productions are an indication, I expect the music there will be really good, and the party absolutely worth checking out. You can find both of these tracks on bandcamp or for streaming, but SLEEPYLYCHEE was also kind enough to let me share with you one of the mp3s below.

SLEEPYLYCHEE – “Deep Bongo”
SLEEPYLYCHEE – “Hard Miracle”

cupsy – code_ex

Finally is a new one from cupsy (Reese Rose), a Colorado Springs-based artist whom I’ve written about a couple of times before, the last time in 2023. In the time since, she’s really refined her production–edging away from manic breakcore and online jungle into a realm of precision-programmed micro drum and bass. This track still has the pleasant freneticism of breakcore, but it’s been buffed into something hyperclean, with only whispers remaining of the source breakbeats amidst a barrage of darting sequenced drums. The melodic content, though definitely enjoyable, is almost superflous; the song means to draw all attention to the drums’ serpentine paths. No bandcamp here, but you can find this on streamers, or grab the mp3 below.

cupsy – “code_ex”

Valfi – elsi.Hasht

More micro-tonal perfection from Berlin’s Valfi, who describes his music as crafted for three settings: on the metro, in the club, or while ignoring texts. Built around darbuka drums, Arabic maqamat, and samples from pre-revolutionary Iranian commercials, my impression of this brilliant new one is that it might well work in any of the three aforementioned settings. As crisp as the drums are here, though, it would probably take a special club night to lend itself well to the intricacy of Valfi’s programming on this, so I’d probably lean toward enjoying this in headphones. But that’s just me; I get the sense that Valfi’s label out of Istanbul, Bounce, puts on some really fun nights there that might be perfect settings to dance to this properly. “elsi.Hasht” is out now on bandcamp or for streaming.

Valfi – “elsi.Hasht”

Chase.:R – Be Here Now

Next up is a succinct bit of IDM from Seattle’s Chase.:R (Chase Richman). “Be Here Now” is playful, personal, and full of ear candy (including the intermittent and fun use of a camera flash charge sample); this is just the kind of thing that I enjoy listening to these days. It comes from Richman’s latest long player, Crushed Orchid, which is out on Leipzig’s 110100100.global label. The whole album is full of concise ideas that nicely balance healthy doses of stuttering glitch with simple and accessible melody; I’ve included a couple of other good examples below as well. Grab the album on bandcamp, or find it for streaming at all the usual outlets.

Chase.:R – “Be Here Now”
Chase.:R – “Terra Firma”
Chase.:R – “Dreamscape”

Diverse – Haunted

Soothing in its overloaded qualities, this is a lovely cut of emotive, bassy 2-step from Swiss producer Diverse (Gabriel Barta); probably the most club-focused track today. Though still a teenager, Barta has been prolific in recent years, already releasing dozens of songs since he started putting his stuff out in 2022. This is the latest release on androids dungeon radio, which released that fabulous Starkey record a couple of months ago, and has become a real hidden gem worthy of more attention. Grab “Haunted” on bandcamp or for streaming.

Diverse – “Haunted”

Casha Mour – Toluca

I wrote about London’s Casha Mour (real name Daniel Alan Smith) a couple of years ago. The song I featured then had this wonderful, drunken, meandering quality to it; I remarked at the time that under that comforting tilt seemed to be lurking something sorrowful. In the time since, getting to know Casha Mour’s music, that sorrow rises to the surface. The first of these two new singles he sent over a few weeks ago, “Toluca” reminds less of the pleasant warmth of the first brown shot descending through your esophagus than it does the long, unfocused stare of someone considering a transformation into a barley-mood. (I always assume the mean drunks are actually the ones with deep-seated repressed sadness.) It’s no worse for it; the song is sparse and strict, but nonetheless deeply hypnotizing in a shoegazing kind of way. The second single, “thirteen” is a warmer, yearning, tune; this time it’s taking home the charming and handsome sad drunk, but finding he really just wants a bosom on which to rest his head. Both of these are available on bandcamp and on the streamers, but Smith was also kind enough to let me post the mp3s here.

Casha Mour – “Toluca”
Casha Mour – “thirteen”

Ocean Hope – Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει

Sublime modern pop from Ocean Hope, Greek brother-sister duo Angeliki Tsotsoni and Serafim Tsotsonis. “Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει” (translated to “Now I Don’t Care”) is a view over the Corinthian coast at dusk–the last group of kids running around; relaxed in their joy, eager to get in as much play as possible before being called home for dinner. Where much of Ocean Hope’s previous work resides somewhere in the periphery of synthpop (and what they refer to as “chamber pop”), this song integrates Angeliki’s near-naive and leisurely vocal style into deeper electronic territory. Serafim also sent over a recent solo piece, a magnificently ambitious 14min+ ambient voyage; a score to a film that lives only in his occipital lobe. Both songs are exquisite. Grab the Ocean Hope single below or on bandcamp, and Serafim’s solo piece below, or on bandcamp as well.

Ocean Hope – “Τώρα Δε Με Νοιάζει” (Now I Don’t Care)
Serafim Tsotsonis – “Waves Unseen”

Drifting in Silence – Moving Forward Into

Finally, tonight is a dulcet piece of ambient by Drifting in Silence, the longstanding ambient project from composer Derrick Stembridge, out of Raleigh, NC. This captures the moment of serenity when you slip into a warm bath; it would be a perfectly fine replacement for Epsom salts and magnesium to calm one’s nerves. Everything in this song is round–even the rimshot–there’s not a sharp edge in sight, just curves and waves and temperatures just a touch below body temp. Not much more needs to be said about this; just have a dip. Grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over.

Drifting in Silence – “Moving Forward Into”

Zach from sales – Party next door

After a long day at the office synergizing and level-setting, I need to leverage some low-hanging fruit: house music. Per my last post about him, Zach from sales and I are always on the same page. He’s motivated; he always gets the ball rolling, never forgets to circle back, and his music always moves the needle. I don’t have the bandwidth for a bigger brain dump on this, so I’ll put a pin in it there. You can grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming. You can also grab the mp3 directly below.

Zach from sales – “Party next door”

Just Geo – INTO/THE/VOID

Next up is a new one from London’s Just Geo (George Thomas). I’ve followed him for a minute, but have yet to write about him. He’s a say no more type guy, so I won’t belabor this with too many explanations. He’s a family man who makes lovely, balanced dance music in a fusion of styles, as is often the case with his countrymen. His stuff is straightforward but tends to have plenty of shuffle and crack– and also has enough tenderness to evince that he’s probably a pretty well-adjusted and emotive guy. He sent over this new one that I like a lot, and I’m also sharing an older one from his last long player that I found quite nice but neglected to post at the time. Grab his stuff on bandcamp or for streaming. He was also kind enough to let me post for you the mp3 of his latest track; if you like it, go support him on bandcamp.

Just Geo – “INTO/THE/VOID”
Just Geo – “IN/ESSENCE”

Rony Rex & Mayela – Switch Off

Last up tonight is a pair of high-energy collaborations from Rony Rex (Rony Vartio), a fixture of Helsinki’s dance music scene for the past decade. Vartio is known in Finland for his radio show on national radio–but also for lighthearted antics like taking a cold plunge in the middle of a DJ set (the only thing that could make that any more patriotic would be if he finished the set from the Sauna), and setting up a b2b with a reindeer (don’t ask me to explain). He recently sent over his newest single, a collaboration with Venzuelan vocalist Mayela, which is a sharp marching romp that falls somewhere in the realm between Latincore and midtempo 4×4 rave. I’m also including a single he released last year with Australian artist LÂLKA, a technicolor, breaksy heater that I also really like. Vartio was kind enough to let me share with you the mp3s of both below, but show him some love on bandcamp, or find his catalog for streaming all over.

Rony Rex & Mayela – “Switch Off”
Rony Rex & LÂLKA – “Dopamine”

Tone Ranger – Confluence

Tone Ranger (Alex Simon) is an artist from Santa Fe, NM who’s current with a new album, Confluence. My sister lived for years in Taos, and this record does really crystalize many of my experiences out there. As Simon’s pseudonym reflects, it’s absolutely still the Wild West. And it’s not just the landscape; it’s impressively thin in terms of population density, and the stark divide between wealth and poverty reminds me of old Westerns where everyone in town is suffering except the evil Mayor/local oil baron. But northern New Mexico is also a place that inspires psychedelia in an almost primordial way. That is partly the landscape itself, and the people the high desert has attracted for generations. Simon’s music no doubt reflects this. Confluence is quintessential modern desert music; it’s mostly ambient and produced mostly electronically–but also feels authentic in its reverence of the region’s musical history. There’s a certain clear-eyed quality about most of the album that makes it feel thoughtful and personal, but with enough tongue-in-cheek self-referentialism so it avoids becoming pretentious or excessively serious. Really refreshing. Grab the album on bandcamp or find it for streaming.

Tone Ranger – “Elk”
Tone Ranger – “Channel” ft. Elena Shelton
Tone Ranger – “Wonder”

alcnoir – another picture

There was a period (maybe still) where people–myself included–were using the term “post-dubstep” largely to describe music inspired by Burial. Now I think the operative popular term I see is “future garage.” Neither of these really gets at the point. I’ve written about this before, but a more accurate term would simply be “post-Burial,” as macabre as that sounds out-of-context. Why not say it like it is: the guy synthesized (hah) the feelings of a generation of young urbanites, inviting them to romanticize the dystopian qualities of their undermaintained post-industrial cities. A lot of these kinds of tributes miss the aesthetic point, but some come from artists with their own clarity of vision, just borrowing a style or two for exercise’s sake. The latter is the case for alcnoir (Alessandro Pio Caruso), an Italian artist who quite literally describes his music as “for polluted cities.” He sent this pair of tracks recently; the first is a heartrending, knives-clattering take on the post-Burial sound; the second is just as dystopian but rhythmically somewhere closer to the kind of dubby downtempo you might hear on a Lorn record. Both of these are available on bandcamp, along with so much more work–alcnoir is prolific. You can also find his catalog on streaming services.

alcnoir – “another picture”
alcnoir – “i felt seen”

Half-Ass Astronaut – I Like Pretty Things

Speaking of music written in homage: I’ve frequently written about music written in direct admiration of late 90s and early aughts-era Warp artists. With the likely imminent return of Boards of Canada, we’re sure to see a new wave of that soon. I’m not mad at it–we all pay tribute to what we love in one way or another, and those tributes only really represent our own feelings, ultimately divorced in all real terms from the subject they may honor. Neil Burkdoll, an American living in Germany, who makes music under the name Half-Ass Astronaut is paying that sort of tribute. After not recording music since the late nineties, he’s current with a charming album that doesn’t shy away from its influences. It’s his alone, but there’s no mistaking who he reveres; nothing wrong with that. I Like Pretty Things is out on bandcamp or for streaming, and Burkdoll was kind enough to let me share with you a couple of the songs below.

Half-Ass Astronaut – “Aye Eye”
Half-Ass Astronaut – “Loom”

Gryr – Drift

Cloudy electronica from Gothenburg-based Gryr (Jonatan Josefsson). The A-side, “Drift,” is music perfect for driving through foggy tundric expanses—it evolves deliberately, its rhythm and chords cruising steadily in a trance. The B-side, “Sand,” is slightly more propulsive but no less aerial– its lilting melodies tumbling through many of the same lofty spaces as the first one, but with a touch of low-end tug. These are the first set of singles from Gryr’s upcoming Hymn EP. No bandcamp for these, unfortunately, but you can grab them below or find them for streaming all over.

Gryr – “Drift”
Gryr – “Sand”

Brecon – Angular

Following a similar thread is a new song from Brecon (Will Brown), the Welsh artist whose excellent collaboration with Verity Standen I covered last month–and which has been a real favorite of mine in the time since. As was the case with that one, this new one marries a gentle, reflective introductory melody with an eruptive peak: cascading, theatrical melodies set against a wall of synth and drums. Gorgeous stuff. No bandcamp for this yet, but Brown was kind enough to let me share with you the mp3 below. You can also find this for streaming.

Brecon – “Angular”

ERRx – golden hour

Finally today is a new one from ERRx, the nameless artist whose work I’ve covered a couple of times before–including in the first post in which I coined the lazy term online jungle to describe the breakcore-adjacent microgenre of frenetic, melancholy, short-form songs, all heavy with breakbeats and drenched in big pads. This new song from ERRx takes that same formula and notches up the optimism for sunny day walks and thinking about your crush. The beautiful Windows critical error sound is there too. I’ve also included a song I’ve posted in the past, with a new housier remix by ERRx themselves (together with an artist I can’t find any information about, WALKDONTRUN). I know I describe this stuff as within a microgenre, but as is often the case with online subcultures, they have a way of infiltrating the mainstream. The original of this has generated over 100m views and plays and has been included in ad campaigns by the likes of Fanta. You can grab all these on bandcamp, or find them for streaming. ERRx was also kind enough to let me post the mp3s of a couple of these below.

ERRx – “golden hour”
ERRx – “breaking down”
ERRx – “breaking down” (Remix)

sander777 – life reprise

First up today, a pair of tracks from LA’s sander777 (Sander Bryce), both from his recent LP the Real, named for the Lacanian concept of a state of unknowable objective existence, outside the limits of representation and symbolism, separate and distinct from any ontological state of being. It’s hard to imagine more difficult subject matter for a creative work, given “the real”‘s definitional quality as beyond depiction or portrayal, but Bryce addresses this nicely himself, saying that because the music on the record came together serendipitously, its process itself became representative of the unrepresentable, allowing the music to serve as a way to call attention to the “magical space that exists between the emotional intent and what ends up [as] the final product.” At risk of being reductive, it’s worth also noting that Bryce primarily plays in the general realms of ambient and footwork on the album, the latter of which is often underappreciated as a vehicle for true flow-state experimentation. Fitting for an attempt to capture something so illusive. Grab the album on bandcamp or for streaming all over.

sander777 – “life reprise”
sander777 – “poolrooms (no ladders)”

Zach from sales – All gettin out

Next up, a pair of nice curvy house tracks from Dutch producer Zach from sales, half of production duo not yes, whom I featured in this column a couple of years ago. Zach from sales is a sales professional delivering tailored solutions that drive business growth, so you know he’s not fuckin’ around when it comes to house music. The first song here is from his upcoming Resume EP; the second from last year’s Off the books EP. You can grab both from on bandcamp, or find them for streaming wherever. Like the good teamplayer he is, Zach was also nice enough to let me post both for you here.

Zach from sales – “All gettin out”
Zach from sales – “Talk to me”

Savnko – imdone

Last but not least is this brief cut of twitchy electronica from Milanese producer Savnko (Davide Gilli). This is from Savnko’s recent EP DONE; it’s an original, but it makes liberal use of the acappella from the Wale and LaTocha track “Complicated.” It’s one of those tracks that rides a constant crescendo without ever quite resolving–but it’s kind of better for it. Life often feels like a lot of preparation without enough finality, so why shouldn’t music reflect that sometimes? And while the song never quite resolves its instability musically, lyrically it ties a nice clean knot at the end, declaring in the last refrain, “I’m done.” No bandcamp for this, I’m afraid, but Gilli has generously let me post the mp3 below. You can also find it for streaming at your preferred outlet

Savnko – “imdone”

Dro Carey & Pinz – Hellish Plasma

Sharp-as-nails breakbeat-meets-punk from Sydney’s Dro Carey (Eugene Ward), in collaboration with fellow Sydneysider Pinz (producer and vocalist Andy Lowe). I first became aware of Dro Carey’s work a little over a decade ago via his collaborations with the late genius Napolian (Ian Evans), whose unfairly limited catalog I hold incredibly dear. This track is the first single from Ward’s latest album, Denim Iron, which is blistering, kinetic stuff–and which actually features a lost collaboration with Evans from 2013, lovingly completed in 2025 by Ward alone, in Evans’ absence. The whole album is absolutely worth your time, but this first single is without doubt among its high points. Grab Denim Iron on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over. I was also kindly permitted to share with you the mp3 of the single below.

Dro Carey & Pinz – “Hellish Plasma”

Feadz – Mecanic

It was really fun to see a song from French legend Feadz (Fabien Pianta) in my mailbox last week. For those who may not remember (or whose consciousness had yet to emerge 20 years ago), Pianta was a central member of the Ed Banger crew in the early 2000s, notably producing almost all of Uffie’s early work. Before that, he released a series of great records on Ellen Alien’s BPitch Control imprint. Always one to defy genre boundaries, this latest three-tracker–the Mizuno EP, released on the ever-consistent Moveltraxx–finds Pianta stuffing everything from acid, footwork, 80s hiphop, rave, and turntablism into a single petite parcel. As he was always adept at doing, Pianta manages here to subvert expectations and deliver something supremely fun and unpretentious. Grab this on bandcamp or for streaming via the usual outlets.

Feadz – “Mecanic”

Nectax – Cool Runnings

Last up today is an excellent new two-tracker from Newcastle-born, Naarm-based Nectax (Oliver Underhill). The A-side here is a refreshingly controlled mid-90s-style jungle workout, orbiting the Goldilocks zone between throwback and innovation. The B-side finds the modern-day legend Fracture (whose Astrophonica imprint consistently ranks among my favorites of the past decade) delivering a remix that does what he is wont to do: push the envelope, morphing the track into a restrained four-to-the-floor/jungle hybrid. Grab the record on bandcamp from Milan’s Beat Machine Records, or find it for streaming.

Nectax – “Cool Runnings”
Nectax – “Cool Runnings” (Fracture Remix)

PS. Apropos of the above song title, did you know that the famous 1988 Jamaican bobsleigh team was financed by disgraced late commodities trader Marc Rich after a decade of making shady oil and alumina deals with the Jamaican government? There’s a good Freakonomics episode about it that I can recommend.

Departure – Around Me

As I lie here continuing to recover from abdominal surgery, it’s no mystery why music like this would be especially appealing to me. This piece of buoyant electronica from Columbia’s Departure (Camilo Toston) is as invigorating as it is therapeutic. It’s a dip in a cool stream on a hot day, which sounds better than just about anything else right now. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but you can find this for streaming or on soundcloud.

Departure – “Around Me”

Skies Up – Small Gifts

Next up is a rich, poignant piece from Edinburgh’s Skies Up (Helen Bayett), featuring spoken-word reflections by Isolde Lachlan. The song explores survival while mourning: how challenging it is to meet one’s practical obligations and maintain one’s relationships while navigating grief’s tangle. It’s a touching reminder that none of us are spared this challenge but that we all deserve some grace during that process. We all deserve the chance to fuck up while feeling fucked up; if we’re lucky, the people and structures around us will be flexible enough to support us while we waver. Grab this on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over. Bayett was also generous enough to let me share with you the mp3 below.

Skies Up – “Small Gifts”

Junior Simba & Wayward – Don’t Say You Love Me

To close out today is another slice of soulful dance music, this one from Leeds’ Junior Simba and London duo Wayward. This is high-quality stuff that fits neatly in that now-large niche of inspirational and hopeful club music that dominates many big rooms (ala Fred Again.., etc.). It makes sense that many young people need their club music to be uplifting right now, given how grim generational prospects are. This was essentially also true when I was coming of age in the late 90s and early 2000s, but then, the euphoria of trance and liquid dnb seemed to have more of a sexual bliss angle than analogous stuff does now. This cohort seems more intent on promoting collective optimism and emotional reassurance. Whatever the kids need though, dance music can and should deliver; this does. Grab this on bandcamp or for streaming; the label was also kind enough to let me share with you the mp3 below.

Junior Simba & Wayward – “Don’t Say You Love Me”

Taroug – Najet

Spellbinding and hypnotic new work from German-Tunisian composer Taroug. I’m currently recovering after minor abdominal surgery, and this is exactly the kind of thing I need right now: music that feels soulful and intelligent, presenting just enough of a challenge for the listener to keep me alert from under the veil of opiates, but nonetheless soothing enough to salve the persistent pain I’m in. Both of these songs are from Taroug’s new album Chott, named after the Chott El Djerid, a vast salt lake in southern Tunisia. These work best in the context of the album as a whole, so give it try on bandcamp, or find it for streaming. Also, don’t miss the absolutely gorgeous video treatment I posted the other day for Taroug’s track “Cicada.”

Taroug – “Najet”
Taroug – “Mides”

Yuri Ginzburg – In the Field

Next up, another track perfect for the state I’m currently in. This one is from Serbian artist Yuri Ginzburg, whose work I was unfamiliar with until he sent this to me a few weeks ago. I could listen to this all day, and I have been. It’s two-and-a-half minutes of clouds overhead, lilting windmills, and swaying grass. I can smell the fresh air from my bedroom. No bandcamp for this, unfortunately, but Yuri was kind enough to let me post the mp3 below, and you can find this on all the usual streaming outlets.

Yuri Ginzburg – “In the Field”

Pavel Doronin – Dill 35

Last up today is an intimate set of ambient pieces from UK-based Pavel Doronin. Written following a moment of olfactory nostalgia in which the smell of freshly-chopped dill pulled him back into his mother’s kitchen, Doronin patched this record together using fragments of found-sound, tactile texture, and vintage synths. There’s no doubt that because smell bypasses the thalamus and travels directly to the amygdala and hippocampus, it has a unique ability to conjure memories–especially emotional ones–but seeking to do the same with music is a noble quest nonetheless. When done well, records like this can be transportive. Grab Dill on bandcamp, or finding it for streaming.

Pavel Doronin – “Dill 35”
Pavel Doronin – “Dill 53”
Pavel Doronin – “Dill 8”

Mikos Da Gawd – Rock the Hot Hot

Some chic, uptempo, summertime house music to warm up a stubbornly chilly spring evening here. This is from Bay Area-bred and Soulection-associated Mikos Da Gawd (Miles Douglas), who’s better known for his hiphop production for and with the likes of Anderson .Paak and Mr. Carmack. I usually brace myself when hiphop producers decide they want to pivot to house music (see, e.g., my hero Timbaland’s recent misstep in that direction 😬). But in this case, I actually think Mikos Da Gawd’s house records may outshine his bread-and-butter work, which is already good to begin with. You can find this for streaming wherever you do that sort of thing, or grab it on bandcamp.

Mikos Da Gawd – “Rock the Hot Hot”

Winter Games – Chills

High tempos tonight. A step up now–this time from Winter Games, the Finnish duo I covered a couple of months ago. Where that former track was sharp minimalist 2-step, this one they sent over recently is enormous, maximalist, hi-NRG house. The duo explains that like most of their tracks, this was written in a winter cabin lockdown session, but you’d never really guess it. I suppose the measured Scandinavian refinement still manages to slip through a little bit, but this is really just peak-time rave, hands-in-the-air fun. Out now on Winter Games’ own label, Polar Dance. You can find it for streaming or on bandcamp.

Winter Games – “Chills”

Klo – Hold Back

Last up this evening is a bit of sub-heavy, minimalist, double-time 140 from LA-based Klo (Kaitlyn Clinard). I don’t usually go for OTT, DC-offset type basslines much anymore, but in this case, Klo manages to frame the grinding wobbles in an elegantly restrained way, bathing them in just enough reverb to take them back in the mix a touch. She gives an otherwise very earthly bass a sort of ghostly quality. Solid work here. No bandcamp for this unfortunately, so I don’t know where to point DJs, but anyone else can find this for streaming.

Klo – “Hold Back”

Venture Silk – Control Your Mind

Two razor-cut slices of electro from Venture Silk (Ruslan Shyshniak), a Ukrainian ex-pat based in the Netherlands. I will absolutely never tire of well-executed Detroit-style electro. When done well–as is the case here–it’s the ideal vehicle for Roland/vintage synth fetishism. Some may idolize the 909s of 4×4 techno and 303s of acid house (I love those too), but nothing quite does it for me like 808s and 606s doing the syncopated robot step. Shyshniak hits that mark very well here, keeping the essential historical structural elements intact, but still allowing the tracks the benefit of modern production techniques and aesthetic variation. Both of these are available for streaming or on bandcamp — or you can grab them below. The first is from the artist’s recent Venturing Into the Unknown EP, the second is an older one-off release from 2023.

Venture Silk – “Control Your Mind” (mp3)
Venture Silk – “Sabotage” (mp3)

Akage Design Co – Gatekeeper

Next up this evening are two more lovely tunes from Akage Design Co (Phillip Conley), whom I wrote about last month. Conley is from Pittsburgh, but I keep wanting say he’s from Portland of the early aughts. His style feels like it would have fit perfectly into the scene they had there then, in which artists like Copy and brothers E*Rock and E*Vax (of Audiodregs Recordings) were cultivating seemingly naive and plastic whimsical sounds into blooms of tenderness and depth. Conley is definitely carrying that torch. These two are from Akage Design Co’s recent album, Lightt, which you can grab on bandcamp or find for streaming.

Akage Design Co – “Gatekeeper” (mp3)
Akage Design Co – “Ginger Paw” (mp3)

Jake Back – i looked back and saw nothing

Finally tonight are four submissions from Jake Back, a Los Angeles-based artist–from his recent EP, i looked back and saw nothing. I’m not sure how best to categorize these. Based on the EP’s and songs’ titles, Back is clearly into conceptual work, and all four of these songs speak to that inclination. They’re all subtly unconventional, but still totally accessible. There’s a clear undercurrent of emotionality here, especially in the album’s closer, “i woke up today” which is my favorite of the bunch. But there’s humor and charm here too; the record also sees Back injecting fragments of sunny-day funk and stoned warm-evening riffing. It all makes for something personal and connected–I don’t really know anything else concrete about Back, but I feel like this record helps you get to know him nonetheless. You can grab the record on bandcamp or find it for streaming all over.

Jake Back – “i woke up today” (bc)
Jake Back – “i looked at it but then it started yelling at me” (bc)
Jake Back – “i just came across this” (bc)
Jake Back – “i lost it all but i found myself” (bc)