World music – 7th Level Music

Review: Goat (self-titled)

It’s always good news when Goat decides to release a new album, and their self-titled album from October 2024 is full of their characteristic voodoo-psych sound with complex guitars, hand percussion, dual female vocals, and themes of death, rebirth, and how our spirits are never-ending.

The opening track is even called “One More Death.” It’s a song about reincarnation and how death isn’t anything we haven’t already experienced. The drums and percussion on it grab you straight away and you’re encouraged to cast away fear and step forward on the new journey…and, good heavens, when the guitar solo kicks in it almost shoves you into the astral plane.

It wouldn’t be a Goat album without a song with “goat” in the title, and this time it’s “Goatbrain” – a song about, among other things, “vibrations made by love, moments on Earth.” It has this cool rhythm to it that only Goat see able to create. The flute of the instrumental “Fool’s Journey” seems to come to you from the other side of a valley you’ve only seen in meditations.

“Dollar Bill” is a gritty, great takedown of upper crust rich and the illusion of wealth (“Everyone is going mad. Dollar bills inside your head.”). “Zombie” brings in hip hop beats and loops and is an absolute jaw-dropper. You’ll want this booming out of your car windows. If this doesn’t get you dancing, then “Frisco Beaver” certainly will with its themes of giving up worry (“Do what you like.”) and fear (“Don’t be afraid.”). The guitar riffs sizzle across the whole track. “Look and you will find light of the fire,” they say, and you believe them.

“The All Is One” is another guitar-rich meditative track that weaves back and forth from psychedelia to desert rock. The addition of birdsong in it gives you a contented smile when you hear it. The album ends (Or does it?) with “Ouroboros” – a song named after the symbolic snake eating its tail. Dance beats mix with echoing vocals that remind you that “God lives in every part of you.” The bass kicks in and you’re dancing all over the place, happy to know that all is endless and death and rebirth is not to be feared (and don’t miss the epic saxophone solo!).

It’s one of Goat’s best albums, and that’s saying something since they’ve yet to make a bad record. They’re somehow still one of the best kept secrets out there.

Keep your mind open.

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Marlon Williams releases first single from his Māori language album out April 04, 2025.

New Zealand singer-songwriter Marlon Williams announces his first Māori language album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka, out April 4th, and releases the lead single, “Aua Atu Rā,” alongside a self-directed video. Additionally, he announces special release shows will take place in Los Angeles, New York City and London in April.

“Ko te reo Māori, he matapihi ki te ao Māori” goes the Māori whakatauki (proverb) that has guided Te Whare Tīwekaweka. Translated to “The Māori language is a window to the Māori world,” it expresses Marlon’s motivation behind this album. He comments, “Through the process of constructing these songs, I’ve found a means of expressing my joys, sorrows and humour in a way that feels both distinctly new, yet also connects me to my tīpuna (ancestors) and my whenua (land, home).”

Throughout the five years Marlon spent creating the album, he reconnected to family, friends and his home town of Lyttelton after a globe-trotting decade establishing his career. His journey developing his ancestral tongue unlocked both a newfound lyrical honesty and a grand sonic vision. Supported by long-time touring band The Yarra Benders, co-producer Mark Perkins, the He Waka Kōtuia singers and featuring a collaboration with Lorde, the album is a collection at once contemporary and timeless, traversing Marlon’s familiar folk-country-bluegrass territory, while continuing his exploration of poppier waters and the inherent rhythms of Māori music.

Inspired by 60s Māori showbands, the album’s lead single, “Aua Atu Rā,” is a mournful lament on isolation featuring lyrics co-written by Marlon and Lyttelton-based rapper Kommi. Responding to a famous Māori proverb expressing communal solidarity “he waka eke noa,” meaning “we’re all in this boat together,” Marlon sings “I am alone / in this boat / on the ocean / There is not a trace of wind / No, none at all.”

In Williams’ words, “‘Aua Atu Rā’ has existed as a song since May 2019. My stumbling around in flawed, simple Māori in my Lyttelton bedroom studio, spurned on by the thought of writing a depressively isolationist rebuttal to the above whakatauki, was the moment that kickstarted the record. It speaks to something universal, but especially pertinent to Te Ao Māori’s collectivist culture, that I’ve always found difficult to square. We ARE all in the same boat, and as the British literary pundit GK Chesterton added to the picture, ‘we owe each other a terrible loyalty,’ and yet are at once utterly alone.

“As a songwriter, I cherish simplicity, but as a speaker of Māori, I had a bucketload of whakamā (self-doubt) to push through before I could even approach my friend Kommi about helping me write songs in Māori. We took this song out on the road with us five years ago and it just felt so damn good to play. I’m proud of it for reasons deeper than I’ve felt as a songwriter before. This song acted as a guiding light for the rest of the album to follow.”

Watch the Video for “Aua Atu Rā”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Top 25 albums of 2024: #’s 5 – 1

We’ve reached the top of the peak. Who’s the grand champion? Read on to learn more.

#5: Fake Youth Cult – White Light / Black Noise

This stunning industrial / darkwave album is loud and heavy enough to cause the damage seen on this cover. This album came out of nowhere for me and about knocked me out of my chair.

#4: Maquina – Prata

Speaking of heavy damage, the cover to Maquina’s Prata album appears to feature a piece of steel that’s been shot, pried, scratched, and gouged. It’s a fitting image for a record full of wild noise punk, assaulting post-punk guitars, and grindhouse vocals.

#3: LAIR – Ngélar

This Indonesian funk / psych band was one of my top discoveries of 2024. They blend traditional Indonesian music with psych-rock, South Pacific juke, and other stuff you can’t quite define.

#2: GUM / Kenny Ambrose-Smith – Ill Times

Possibly the best collaboration of the year, this album combines the powers of two excellent Australians to create synth-psych that covers a lot of heavy topics with uplifting beats (i.e., the death of a parent – Kenny-Smith’s father, fear of the future and your place in it). I hope this isn’t just a one-time thing for them.

#1: A Place to Bury Strangers – Synthesizer

I mean, come on. One of my favorite bands creates an album that has a record sleeve that’s also a circuit board that you can turn into a real synthesizer that they also used to make the album. Only APTBS could pull off something like this and make an excellent record to go with it. It’s like a Moebius strip of post-punk psychedelic power that wallops you from the first note.

Onto 2025! Which albums are you anticipating the most?

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Austin 2024 – Day One

It’s time to enjoy my favorite weekend of the year with another return to Levitation Austin. The weather on Day One was perfect for both the festival and Halloween. Downtown was packed to the gills with people in and out of costume, but the majority of the crowds were in the spooky spirit (For the record, my girlfriend and I were dressed as Shaggy and Velma.).

Up first was a stop at Stubb’s to catch Mdou Moctar and The Black Angels. We missed The Strange Lot‘s set, and caught part of Boogarins‘, but managed to get about halfway to the stage for Mr. Moctar and his band (who came out wearing wigs and fake beards).

The sound mix was a bit off during Moctar’s set at first, making his vocals a bit tough to hear, but they eventually smoothed out and the band had a great time. The crowd was roaring by the end of their set, and Moctar’s drummer was on fire.

The Black Angels are a new favorite band of my girlfriend, so we moved up closer to get her the best experience possible. They were performing the entire Phosphene Dream album as the first set, which is a favorite of mine since they were touring that album when I first saw them live in 2011.

They played a full second set, including many songs I’d never heard live until then (and I’ve seen them at least a dozen times by now). Lead guitarist Christian Bland did a lot of wild pedal effects during both sets, and their new bass player and keyboardist is sharp.

We snagged some mediocre falafel at a food truck after that and then heading over to Empire to see A Place to Bury Strangers. They were playing the inside stage, and it had been so long since I’d been at a show there that I’d forgotten how small the inside space is. “It’s going to be so loud in here,” I told my girlfriend, who was also seeing them for the first time.

After a great catch-up conversation with frontman / guitar and pedal whiz Oliver Ackermann, the band (all dressed as vampires) came out and, as predicted, flattened the place. Ackermann smashed one guitar and broke two strings on it by the second song (“We’ve Come So Far”). The stage was flooded with fake fog during “Ocean,” and Ackermann and Sandra and John Fedowitz emerged from it like, well, vampires, as their bulldozer of sound rolled over us.

A mosh pit broke out at one point, making my short girlfriend uneasy. I got her away from it while APTBS brought out their rolling synth-drum machine-cacophony maker into the crowd and Sandra and John Fedowitz played their respective drum and bass around it while Ackermann melted brains with weird sounds and weirder vocals. They returned to the stage where Ackermann decapitated a piñata with a guitar and they ended the night with enough feedback to make my girlfriend say, “I need a neck adjustment after that.”

It was a good start to the festival. Up next, several post-punk and rock bands at a place that has no parking and a late-night mini-rave.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Temporal Waves – self-titled

Classical Indian music mixed with synth-wave? I’m there all day.

Shawn Mativesky, otherwise known as Temporal Waves, has released his debut self-titled album and it’s a wild mix of those two genres. I don’t know how he does it, but he blends tabla so well with analog synths and drum machines that you’re often not sure where one ends and the other begins.

He also gives any of the tracks on the album ample time to breathe. The opener, “I Remember,” is over six minutes long. It’s a beautiful track that puts you in a different headspace. The whole album does, really. It puts you into a trance one moment, and then sends you rushing to the dance floor the next.

There are four subtle “Interludes” on the album, each one setting the table for the next track, such as “Interlude I – Skyline” being a hazy lead-in to near-creepy “Sprawl Twilight.” “Interlude II – Scorched” is a perfect opening for the next track, “Eclipse of an Urban Dystopia,” just from the titles alone, but the dark, John Carpenter-like tones of both are a good pair.

You could put “Interlude III – Tomorrow Machine” on a horror / sci-fi film soundtrack and “Cortical Network Oscillations” could be the sound of an alien transmission. The build-up of “Cyclotron” is a cool opening to what sounds like a forgotten 1970s TV show theme. “Water Temple” drifts along for the first half and then drops deep synth-bass on you in the second. “Luminous Objects” might be the loveliest song on the album. It seems to make you float.

Mativesky’s hands and fingers are moving so fast on this tabla on “Data Cassette Sunrise” that you’re often taken out of whatever you’re doing while listening to it to think, “Holy cow…Does he have three hands?” I love how he adds apparent vintage video game sounds on “Awakening.” They blend in perfect with the raga-like hypnotic effects of his playing.

“Warmth of the Winter Sun” is loaded with heavy bass, bright synths, and wicked beats that are positively uplifting before the wind-down of “Postlude” to send us away with new energy.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Nick at Riparian Media!]

Tomo Katsurada takes us to a “Zen Bungalow” with his first single from his upcoming solo project – “Dream of the Egg.”

Tomo Katsurada is a Japanese artist currently based in Amsterdam, best known as the founder and lead singer of the acclaimed psychedelic band Kikagaku Moyo. Having recently launched Future Days concept store and workshop in Amsterdam, today he announces the first Future Days release and first chapter in his journey as a solo artist.

‘Dream of The Egg’ is set for release on November 15th and sees Katsurada collaborate with Japanese visual artist Shoko Otake, marking the beginning of an ambitious project—a long-held dream of creating soundtracks for picture books. This record is the first in a series of five, each dedicated to a unique picture book, where Tomo aims to push the boundaries of physical media by merging music with visual storytelling.

Inspired by the Japanese 1920s children’s book “Yume No Tamago (Dream of the Egg)”, it reveals a deeply personal journey, reflecting Tomo’s dreams and the numerous rebirths experienced in 2024—a year marked by profound new beginnings in every facet of his life.

The creation of this EP was driven by a passion for raw and immediate expression. Every song was crafted and recorded with only the materials available to him at the time, embracing an organic and handmade atmosphere. By eschewing rhythm clicks and standard instrumental tunings, a spontaneous sound emerged, capturing the essence of both uncertainty and immediacy. Adding to this distinctive sonic landscape, guest musician Jonny Nash (UK) contributed ethereal guitar sounds on the first and final tracks, enriching the record’s dream-like quality.

Today he shares a first track from the release, “Zen Bungalow” a cover of Gabriel Yared‘s “Bungalow Zen” from the soundtrack  of the film “Betty Blue 37°2 Le Matin”. This particular track is his partner’s favourite song to listen to every morning and left a profound impression on him. One day, he heard a song in his dream that  combined both of these tracks and loved how they blended together. This experience inspired him to  create a new arrangement, “Zen Bungalow,” which has become a central piece of the ‘Dream of the Egg’ release.

Listen to “Zen Bungalow” here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrnEKgw23Kw

Throughout the record’s 20 minute narrative a variety of instruments come into play, drifting between notes and embracing  the beauty of imperfection. By incorporating free-form sounds in a highly technological age, the record aims to reconnect listeners with the tangible, human-made quality of sound.

Future Days Shop:
‘Dream of the Egg’ is the first musical release from Future Days Shop, a concept store and workshop  space founded in 2024 by textile artist Eloïse Ptito and musician Tomo Katsurada. Located in  Amsterdam, Future Days Shop is dedicated to clothing, art, and music, with a mission to unite people  through the power of color, craft, and sound. The store curates unique items that embody a sense of  future-forward creativity.

The Picture Book:
Complementing the music is a beautifully-designed picture book illustrated by the acclaimed Japanese artist Shoko Otake. Printed by Amsterdam’s esteemed bookstore Terry Bleu, this 20-page book will  feature captivating visual artwork and storytelling that enhances the musical experience.

• 500 copies
• A 20-page picture book illustrated by Shoko Otake
• 2 x 7-inch vinyl records
• A manual-play flexidisc

Keep your mind open.

[I dream of you subscribing.]

[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Khana Bierbood release super funky new single – “Fi Ran Sanae-ha.”

Today Thailand’s Khana Bierbood announce details of their second album ‘Monolam’, set for release on October 25th via Guruguru Brain. Along with the announcement, they have shared first single and accompanying video “Fi Rak Sanae-ha” – online now.

The music of Khana Bierbood is equal parts revival and revelation. The six-piece band was formed around 2012 in Thailand’s beach side sub-district Bangsaen by university friends who shared a love for the western psychedelic music of the 60’s-70’s. As they began writing songs they found a likeness in their sound and the Thai Funk, rock’n’roll imbued Luk Thung and traditional Lao Molam-inspired music styles of those eras. These are influences that the band says come from their simplistic reduction of generational stories and cultural experiences which envelope a hidden underlying wit. Their music is laced with a kind of Thai pop sensibility that lays the foundation for a truly kaleidoscopic frenzy of authentic fuzz and far east frequencies.

Following the release of their debut LP ‘Strangers From The Far East’ in 2019, in 2023 Go Kurosawa (of Kikagaku Moyo and the band’s label Guruguru Brain) joined the band at TMM studios in Bangkok and together they recorded this, their second studio album, ‘Monolam’ (meaning unique in sound and style).

While the album maintains the infectious rock’n’roll charm of their previous offering, it shows a departure toward an even more sublime and groovy psychedelic sound – a sound that pays homage to their passion for the past and their longing for a new cultural renaissance. Lyrically, the songs speak of the life experiences of the band, combined sometimes with stories from Thai movies and dramas, telling tales of love, loss and adventure.

Today they share the track “Fi Rak Sanae-ha”, meaning “Fire, Love and Enchanted” which they describe as being “a toxic love song”. The track is a funky take on Thai Lae – a mantric, stripped-back style of music used to covey Buddhist scriptures, usually sung by monks.

“Fi Rak Sanae-ha” official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKsbC6TUmXY

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity!]

Merope announce new album due November 05, 2024 with new single – “Namopi.”

Today Merope announce details of their forthcoming new album ‘Vėjula’, which is set for release on November 5^th via STROOM, and have shared new track “Namopi” featuring Laraaji and Shahzad Imsaily.

There’s a sense of spontaneity and playfulness hanging in the air around Merope’s fifth album that’s palpable from the very beginning. The duo of Lithuanian singer and kanklės player Indrė Jurgelevičiūtė and guitarist/producer Bert Cools, Merope are kissed by the winds of change on ‘Vėjula’, a self-styled musical rebirth that confidently fosters their ongoing narrative. It’s their most experimental and open-minded full-length to date, spreading its arms to embrace collaborations with like-minded artists Shahzad Ismaily, Laraaji and Bill Frisell. And while ‘Vėjula’still roots itself in Lithuanian folk forms, it sprouts out spiritedly from that point into unfamiliar landscapes, muddling ancient themes with contemporary philosophies, concepts and technologies.

Following previously shared tracks “Aglala” and “Koumu Lil”, today they share “Namopi” – a collaboration with legendary American multi-instrumentalist Laraaji and the band’s old friend Shahzad Ismaily, a versatile Pakistani-American player, composer and producer who’s spent the last couple of decades traveling the world and working with artists such as Arooj Aftab, Laurie Anderson, Marc Ribot and Sam Amidon.

Together, Ismaily, Laraaji and Merope find harmony in their fusion of not-so-distant worlds. Ismaily plays moog, bass, drums and adds backing vocals that drape around Laraaji’s unmistakable zither chimes and transcendent synth bleeps, while Jurgelevičiūtė and Cools provide the track’s adhesive, conducting a modest ensemble that breathes with warmth.

Speaking on the track, Merope comment “Searching for a common ground, a place we can call home, music is a place like that.Besides playing with our dearest friend Shahzad Ismaily, we were very happy to meet Laraaji. Namopi was a beautiful first meeting.”

Listen to “Namopi feat. Laraaji & Shahzad Ismaily” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qMdcOI9VXPE?si=mCTstg7hwRMrMp46

Merope emerged over a decade ago in 2012, hitting their stride in 2018 when they released the nocturnal ‘Naktės’.Since then, they’ve developed a considerable reputation for their whimsical fusion of folk and ambient music; their last album, ‘Salos’, released on Belgium’s STROOM imprint and recorded with Vilnius-based chamber choir Juana Muzika and conductor Vaclovas Augustinas, received universal acclaim, described by Boomkat as “effortlessly enchanting” and supported by none other than Björk.

‘Vėjula’ moves their music forward by examining its beating heart, weaving delicate instrumental sequences and ethereal vocals into a rich tapestry of subtle synth work, evocative field recordings and enigmatic processes. Dazzlingly modest, the album strips down Merope to their essence, rediscovering the joy in creation and collaboration.

‘Vėjula’ is an album that reaches into the unknown without losing its tight grip on the past. Merope are in a new creative phase of their career, and they’ve never sounded quite so universal, or so vital.

‘Vėjula’ track list:
1 Koumu Lil – stream
2 Namopi feat. Laraaji and Shahzad Ismaily stream
3 Lopšinė feat. Bill Frisell
4 Vija
5 Spindulė
6 Aglala – stream
7 O Underhill feat. Shahzad Ismaily
8 Rana

Merope live dates:
08/11 – Le Guess Who? – Utrecht, NL
20/11 – Viernulvier (Ruiskamer) – Gent (double bill with Alex Zhang Hungtai)
23/11 – Explore The North – Leeuwarden, NL
28/11 – BRAND! – Mechelen, BE
29/11 – Het Bos – Antwerpen
01/12 – Bozar – Brussel

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Katie at Stereo Sanctity.]

Review: LAIR – Ngélar

Indonesian psych-funk? I’m there all day.

That’s what you get with LAIR and their new album, Ngélar – an album that salutes the band’s hometown, Jatiwangi, and the earth that provides most of the areas income through terra-cotta production, and discusses the struggles to reclaim that same land from deforestation.

“Tatalu” gets things off to a fast start with wild beats and exotic guitar work. “Pesta Rekyat Pabrik Gala” takes on a sorrowful tone that sounds like a call to ancient ancestors and spirits. “Tanah Bertuah” has more stellar guitar work from Tedi Nurmanto. “Hareeng” is almost desert rock with beautiful vocals from Monica Haspari. “Boa-Boa,” with its car horn honks, fuzzy bass riffs from Andzar Agung Fauzan, is one of the coolest songs on the record and will go straight onto your psych-rock playlist.

The chant-like vocals on “Bangkai Belantara” dance back and forth between power and celebration. “Kawin Tebu” is a lively track that makes you want to dance, sing, and invite strangers to a party at your house. The title of the album, after all, refers to a local custom in Jatiwangi of musicians roaming around the town, playing music for anyone, and celebrating whatever happens to need celebrating. “Setan Dolban” brings in some synthesizers and these cool microtonal guitars that would make King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard drool.

If you didn’t know LAIR was from Indonesia, you might think they were from the Algerian desert upon hearing “Gelombang Pemecah Malam,” which is a brief instrumental of sand dune rock. The closer, “Mencari Selamat,” is a lively song of thanks and uplifting beats made to help you forget troubles.

This is one of the most uplifting albums I’ve heard so far in 2024. It comes at a time when we need music like this to expand our horizons and jolt us out of any bad funks we’re in right now.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Kate at Stereo Sanctity.]

Rewind Review: Astrud Gilberto – Now (1972)

As if bossa nova queen Astrud Gilberto‘s lovely voice isn’t enough motivation for you to pick up her 1972 album, Now, then consider that she teamed up with a stunning array of musicians on the record (as she tended to do) from Brazil and the U.S. Gilberto self-produced the record and enlisted Eumar Deodato for arrangements.

Starting with the playful “Zigy Zigy Za,” Now begins with funky jazz drums from Billy Cobham and fun organ solos from Mike Longo. “Make Love to Me” is an English-vocal ballad with a sound to it that reminds me of soft-lit late night live TV broadcasts from 1972. Longo’s piano on “Baião” could almost fit in a rock song and reminds me a bit of the kind of stuff Ben Folds plays nowadays. Gilberto has fun with the track, as it just seems to be her, Longo, Cobham, and Deodato (on acoustic guitar) having a laugh with a fun track.

“Sunday was a fun day I spent with you,” Gilberto sings on “Touching You,” another sweet ballad to her lover…but he’s not real. She can only dream about him. “Gingele” mixes groovy bossa nova with a touch of lounge-disco into a funky brew. “Take It Easy My Brother Charlie” mixes English and Portuguese lyrics and is one of the standout tracks on the record. The flow of it is infectious and gets you moving and smiling. You instantly agree with Gilberto that things will get better and not to fret about things that are fleeting.

“Where Have You Been?” is a sad tale of loneliness from Gilberto that will hit you hard if you’ve been through a heart-breaking loss. The string arrangements on it are a nice touch. The swinging beats of Cobham’s drums on “General da Banda” are sharp as a hatchet. “I have crossed a thousand bridges in search of something real,” Gilberto sings on “Bridges” – a song about her many travels around the world and how bridge, literal and figurative, has lead to or from some significant moment in her life. The album concludes with “Daybreak” and Gilberto singing “I’m walking out on yesterday.” She encourages us to go forward, to live in the now and not in a past that was gone the moment it happened.

It’s, as always, lovely sweet stuff from Gilberto. She doesn’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

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