January 2022 – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

CHAI release new single, “Whole,” and new tour dates.

Today, CHAI present a new single, “WHOLE,” released via Sub Pop. In addition, “WHOLE” is confirmed as the theme song for Japan’s public broadcaster NHK’s new romantic-comedy-drama series, Koi-senu Futari. Tapping their San Diego-based Wink Together collaborator, Scoobert Doobert, to produce, “WHOLE” is a nostalgic and romantic J-POP track, charged with harmonies and melodies that draw influences from 90’s Japanese TV drama songs. The lyrics, inspired by Koi-senu Futari’s storyline featuring an aromantic/asexual couple, touch on the theme of universal and unconditional love. “WHOLE” speaks on the desire to accept one another’s differences, to love one another as a “whole,” and the wish to “turn this anger into something beautiful”—a message that reverts back to CHAI’s philosophy as artists.

Yuuki, who penned the lyrics, says the song: “Sometimes, no one empathizes with you. But is that really a bad thing? I don’t want to make my thing, or someone else’s thing, something to be ashamed of. Because our ‘differences’ may not be our enemies. I wish we could love each other’s little differences and little similarities entirely– that’s the hope behind this song.”

Listen to “WHOLE”

Next month, CHAI will begin their WINK TOGETHER tour before embarking on a string of sold-out dates supporting Mitski. Full tour dates are below.

CHAI TOUR DATES
Fri. Feb. 4 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Sat. Feb. 5 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
Sun. Feb. 6 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed. Feb. 9 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
Fri. Feb. 11 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Sat. Feb. 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
Sun. Feb. 13 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
Tue. Feb. 15 – Brooklyn NY @ Elsewhere
Thu. Feb. 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel * – SOLD OUT
Fri. Feb. 18 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 19 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern * – SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 21 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City * – SOLD OUT
Tue. Feb. 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Thu. Feb. 24 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Outside Lawn) * – SOLD OUT
Fri. Feb. 25 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory * – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 26 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater * – SOLD OUT
Mon. Feb. 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren * – SOLD OUT
Wed. March 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall * – SOLD OUT
Thu. March 3 – Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall * – SOLD OUT
Fri. March 4 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 5 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater * – SOLD OUT
Mon. March 7 – Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall * – SOLD OUT
Wed. March 9 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Thu. March 10 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre * – SOLD OUT
Sat. March 12 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Sun. March 13 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Tue. March 15 – San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
Thu. March 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
*= supporting Mitski

CHAI Online:
https://chai-band.com/en/
http://pitchperfectpr.com/chai/
https://twitter.com/CHAIofficialJPN
https://www.instagram.com/chaiofficialjpn/
https://www.facebook.com/CHAIofficialJPN/

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll feel whole if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Raw Poetic brings us “Sunny Water” ahead of his new album out March 18th.

Raw Poetic announces Laminated Skies, his official debut solo album out March18thonDef Pressé, and presents its lead single “Sunny Water.” Produced by Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) alongside friend and frequent collaborator Damu The Fudgemunk, LaminatedSkies was recorded during the sweltering summer heat of 2019 at Windom Road Studio in Brentwood, Maryland and features guest musicians Pat “P” Fritz (Panacea, Archie Shepp) on guitar and Irreversible Entanglements’ Luke Stewart on bass. Damu’s production adds a tapestry of instrumentation, including live and programmed drums, strings, vibraphone, kalimba, melodica, vinyl scratching, and synthesizers. With Moore pulling musically from myriad genres, the multidimensional work draws inspiration from several sources, including spirituals and Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man. Today’s single, “Sunny Water” is a serene introduction to Laminated Skies, swirling in hypnotic haziness.

Watch Video for Raw Poetic’s “Sunny Water”

Moore was born in Philadelphia to a rich family legacy. Both of his parents were members of the original Black Panther Party and his uncle is legendary jazz musician Archie Shepp. Before eventually settling in Northern Virginia, Moore was raised in the Washington Metropolitan area, and both Philly and DC have played a major role in his artistry. By college, Moore had founded Restoring Poetry in Music aka RPM, and became the lead MC in Panacea(Rawkus). Formed by producer/beatsmith Kyle Murdock, the duo released five albums before disbanding on a high note in 2010. Throughout his career, quality has remained synonymous with Raw Poetic’s reputation: just see the resume stacked with national tours; further collaborations with K-Def, Blu, and Kev Brown,; airplay on MTV,VH1 and BET, spins on Sirius/XM, GillesPeterson Worldwide FM/BBC 6 Music; syncs on the Showtime series Shameless, Weeds, and more.

Following 2020’s Ocean Bridges, Moore’s highly praised collaborative effort with his uncle Archie Shepp and Damu The Fudgemunk, Laminated Skies is his sixth solo album and his first official release for a label. It’s also his most personal album to date. “I still can’t fully describe what kind of album this is so I’ve now reserved myself to telling people it’s a ‘Jason’ album,” says Moore. “I wanted to tell people what the hell is going on through my head sometimes; how I feel as a guy from Northern Virginia. Sometimes it’s invisible, other times invincible. Sometimes loved, sometimes hurt. Once we got started mixing and matching ideas, well… it became something that I am very proud of.”

Damu elaborates: “I’m extremely proud of what we did on this album. When Raw asked me to get involved I was amped. I’ve watched Raw become a producer over the last ten plus years, teaching himself how to record and lay tracks. His production style is so unique, free and different from mine that I soak up a ton of inspiration from collaborating this way. With both of us usually exclusively perceived as hip hop artists (which we don’t mind), ‘Laminated Skies’ feels like a victory for us to show our appreciation while creating honest art, but escape the box without actually making a formal announcement. It’s easily one of the best things I’ve been a part of.”

Keep your mind open.

[I’ll feel sunny if you subscribe.]

[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Boy Harsher and Maria Saldaña team up for “Machina.”

Boy Harsher – comprised of vocalist/lyricist Jae Matthews and producer Augustus Muller – present “Machina,” the latest offering from their new album The Runner (Original Soundtrack) out next Friday,January 21st via Nude Club/City Slang. Following singles “Tower” and “Give Me a Reason,” “Machina” continues teasing the cinematic universe of The Runner, the short horror film written and directed by Boy Harsher.

Featuring guest vocalist Mariana Saldaña of BOAN singing in Spanish and English, “Machina” is a playful yet cautionary tale about companionship and dependency. Saldaña describes a cold, sterile entity, the Machine, that is soulless and without a heartbeat. The track blends the bright palette of HI-NRG and Italo with Boy Harsher’s shadowy aesthetic and was sonically inspired by Muller’s time at the renowned Mexico City club Patrick Miller. Muller elaborates: “I was reminiscing about Friday nights at Patrick Miller. I was trying to create an artifact from a club in a far off place and an unknown time.” The electrifying self-directed video produced by Muted Widows comes from the world of The Runner, presented as an exclusive NUDE TV studio performance by Saldaña.

Watch the “Machina” (Ft. Ms. BOAN – Mariana Saldaña) Video

Boy Harsher’s fifth release is not a traditional album ⁠— it’s a soundtrack that balances eerie instrumentals with pop songs that push the boundaries of the duo’s sound. In the midst of last year’s chaos and Matthews’ MS diagnosis, she kept thinking about a sinister character: a woman running through the woods. The duo developed this idea further into The Runner, a film that follows a strange woman as she travels to a secluded, rural town where her violent compulsions are slowly revealed. The story intertwines with Boy Harsher performing on a public access channel. Their music scores the strange woman’s descent deeper into the unknown. The Runner features break-out performances by musician Kris Esfandiari (King Woman), performance artist Sigrid Lauren (FlucT), and musician Cooper B. Handy (Lucy). The Runner and its soundtrack are both a return to form and an evolution for Boy Harsher.

The Runner will begin screening in select theaters this Friday, January 14th and streaming via Shudder (North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand) and Mandolin (rest of the world) on Sunday, January 16th. Visit therunner.film for more info on screenings and tickets.

Watch the “Tower” Video

Listen to “Give Me a Reason”

Watch The Runner Trailer

Pre-order The Runner (Original Soundtrack)

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ahmad at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Imarhan and Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys team up for “Adar Newlan.”

Today, Tuareg quintet Imarhan releases “Adar Newlan,” a collaboration with Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and the third single off of their third studio album, Aboogi, out Friday, January 28 on City Slang. Imarhan and Rhys wrote and recorded the song together at Aboogi Studio, the band’s studio in Tamanrasset, Algeria. Sung in the musicians’ native languages of Tamasheq and Welsh, the song is about the universal value of kinship and more specifically highlights the struggles of the young people of Tamanrasset. The video for “Adar Newlan” was directed, written, and animated by Hugo and Rodolphe Jouxtel of Fantômes and produced by Ondine Benetier for La Blogothèque and Wedge. The song follows two previous singles, “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)” and “Achinkad.”

Imarhan first met Rhys in London at an Africa Express event, organized by Damon Albarn. Rhys elaborates on their collaboration: “My time at Aboogi with Imarhan was unforgettable. We hid from the sun and drank hot strong tea in the orange tent within the studio’s outdoor compound and exchanged musical ideas. New friends singing in multiple languages; Tamasheq, Welsh, French, English, Arabic drifted on the air from the studio door into the yard. Songs seemed to flow and grow quickly and effortlessly in these conditions. Right where the city meets the mountains, and where you can glimpse both worlds, capped by the ceiling of their gigantic sky – without barely moving your head.“

The video depicts a man coming to listen to a group of Tuaregs who recall the legendary struggles of their ancestors as they sit by the fireside. Time passing has transformed the history into tales and legends, spawning many versions as tea is prepared. Story telling becomes dialogue and dialogue becomes lively debate. Imarhan says, “As we delve into their contrasting imaginations, the truth seems to slip like sand between our fingers…finally giving way to a common story, enriched by sharing and begging to be reinterpreted, again and again.”

Watch Imarhan’s “Adar Newlan”

Imarhan built Aboogi Studio themselves so that they could finally record on their home soil and provide the same resources to other artists in the Tamanrasset area. On the region, Rhys said, “A simple four meter walk to the studio then to document these ideas live and in the moment – [it was] the perfect way to record. To get to visit Tamanrasset in the first place, to receive the warmest welcome possible and to travel into the desert and witness all its beautiful glory by day and its infinite stars at night was life changing enough in itself, but that’s an entirely different story!” It seemed only natural to also call the resulting collection of songs Aboogi, a nod to the new collective space Imarhan created, as well as the historic resilience of their culture and people.

Aboogi also features collaborations with Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas and Tinariwen’s Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, solidifying Imarhan as a truly global group, united with their collaborators in a spirit of resistance and societal change. Following Imarhan’s exhilarating 2018 album Temet, Aboogi’s featherweight, festive music belies the band’s fierce sense of conviction and justice. These are the complexities that make Imarhan’s music so prescient – beauty and tranquility intermingle with strife and heartache, creating a dynamic view of life for those subjugated by over a century of colonialism and lopsided revolutions but blessed with extraordinary community, art and culture.

Imarhan are: Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane (aka Sadam), Tahar Khaldi, Hicham Bouhasse, Haiballah Akhamouk and Abdelkader Ourzig.
Watch Video for “Achinkad”

Listen to “Tamiditin (feat. Japonais)”

Pre-order Aboogi

Imarhan Tour Dates
Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 – Rennes, FR @ Théâtre L’Aire Libre
Thu. Mar. 10, 2022 – Tourcoing, FR @ Grand Mix
Sat. Mar. 12, 2022 – Brighton, UK @ Green Door Store
Sun. Mar. 13, 2022 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Mon. Mar. 14, 2022 – Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Tue. Mar. 15, 2022 – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Thu. Mar. 17, 2022 – London, UK @ The Dome
Fri. Mar. 18, 2022 – Gent, BE @ De Centrale
Sat. Mar. 19, 2022 – Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat
Sun. Mar. 20, 2022 – Brussels, BE @ AB-club
Mon. Mar. 21, 2022 – Den Haag, NL @ Paard
Wed. Mar. 23, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK @ Alice
Thu. Mar. 24, 2022 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. Mar. 25, 2022 – Erfurt, DE @ Franz Mehlhose
Sun. Mar. 27, 2022 – Genève, CH @ PTR L’Usine
Tue. Mar. 29, 2022 – Lyon, FR @ Ninkasi
Wed. Mar. 30, 2022 – Paris, FR @ La Gaité Lyrique
Thu. Mar. 31, 2022 – Rouen, FR @ Le 106 Club
Fri. Apr. 1, 2022 – Orléans, FR @ Astrolobe
Sat. Apr. 2, 2022 – Toulouse, FR @ Le Connexion
Mon. Apr. 4, 2022 – Valencia, ES @ 16 Toneladas
Tue. Apr. 5, 2022 – Madrid, ES @ Clamores
Thu. Apr. 7, 2022 – Braga, PT @ Teatro Circo
Fri. Apr. 8, 2022 – Lisbon, PT @ Music Box
Sat. Apr. 9, 2022 – Sevilla, ES @ Sala X
Sun. Apr. 10, 2022 – Alicante, ES @ Alacant
Mon. Apr. 11, 2022 – Barcelona, ES @ La Nau
Tues. Apr. 12, 2022 – Istres, FR @ L’Usine

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[Thanks to Yuri at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Firebreather return with “Creed” – the new single from their upcoming album “Dwell in the Fog.”

Swedish trio Firebreather share a new track today from their forthcoming album Dwell In The Fog via Metal Injection. Hear and share “Creed” HERE. (Direct YouTube and Bandcamp.)

Revolver Magazine previously shared the first single “Kiss Of Your Blade” HERE. (Direct YouTube.)

Gothenburg, Sweden trio Firebreather’s 2019 RidingEasy Records debut album Under a Blood Moon was a powerhouse that most certainly established the band’s incendiary potential. But none of us would be prepared for the suffocating onslaught that is Dwell in the Fog. While that album was in-your-face and raw, Dwell in the Fog rumbles and rages with a fury the band had only hinted at previously.
Firebreather has a streamlined focus on driving, symphonic riffs in the vein of High on Fire, Inter Arma and their tour- and label-mates Monolord. The guitar and bass tones are, quite simply, entrancing. Paired with vocalist/guitarist Mattias Nööjd’s guttural yet melodic howls and drummer Axel Wittbeck’s groove based rhythms, their entire sound flows like thick, viscous lava.

“The album is a cathartic journey inwards and a musical continuation from Under A Blood Moon, but with more emphasis on groove and feel,” Nööjd says. From the first notes of album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade” you’ll know exactly what he means.
Like their preceding two albums, Dwell in the Fog was also recorded and mixed by engineer Oskar Karlsson at Elementstudion in Gothenburg. The band is joined by new bassist Nicklas Hellqvist on this album, who seems to have increased the thunder rumble tenfold.

From the aforementioned album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade”, with its droning opening chords over a rollicking tom pattern, the band quickly shifts gears into a head bobbing, serpentine riff with a transcendent melodic hook. Elsewhere, as on the title track and “Weather The Storm” rapid-fire hummable riffs come and go in an ever-shifting mass of devastating swirling churn. It’s like the band has such an endless supply of great hooks that to, ahem, dwell for too long on any one would undo their constantly building momentum. That they somehow give each song, and the album as a whole, a streamlined and cohesive, monolithic groove is testament to their skill. And, proof that the album must be absorbed in its entirety to experience the overwhelming swaying and lunging low end growl that drives the band’s most captivating work to date.

Dwell in the Fog will be available on LP, CD and download on February 25th, 2022 via RidingEasy Records.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Dave at US / THEM Group.]

Author & Punisher release “Maiden Star” from upcoming album.

Author & Punisher unveil a second track from the outfit’s highly-anticipated new album, Krüller (Feb. 11, Relapse Records), with today’s release of the drone-drenched love song, “Maiden Star” (https://youtu.be/c52RTO8fvL0).

Tristan Shone offers insight into the track and its place on the album: “’Maiden Star’ continues the trudge of escape and survival from ‘Drone Carrying Dread,’ but with a focus on the vital interpersonal conflicts and triumphs that exist in times of war and peace. This track, my personal favorite from the balance of the heavy and the melodic, is deeply personal and painful at the same time. The first note both lifts me up and beats the shit out of me.”

News of the album’s forthcoming arrival was met with widespread excitement. Revolver, who had placed on the album on their most-anticipated releases of 2022, noted how “shimmering, melodic, and gorgeous” Author & Punisher’s music had become over the years. On the first preview from the 8-song release, “Drone Carrying Dread” (https://youtu.be/5BrAAXCbUXE), Consequence echoed the obvious focus on melody that drives Krüller, saying “The presence of electronic beats, synth flourishes, and a triumphant vocal delivery make it one of the prettiest A&P tracks to date, though no less sonically powerful.

Shone began work on Krüller after returning from his opening slot with Tool across the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, before being cut short due to the March 2020 lockdowns. “Melody has been and is still a part of my sound,” says Shone. “I’ve always bathed them in a lot of reverb, delay, and distortion, though. This time around, I was bothered by the wall of distortion I had created. I wanted a little more clarity. I wanted to refine the sound. I wanted to step back from my own show and analyze it a bit. I had all these competing distortions that I wanted to streamline. I like contrast and wanted the vocals to be immediately noticeable. There’s something about mixing punishing drones and rumble with a mellow thing on top that I really like on Krüller.” Shone’s digitized snarls rightfully had their place on earlier tracks like “Doppler,” “Terrorbird,” and “Nihil Strength,” but contrasting mellow vocals atop Author & Punisher’s unparalleled heft made dynamic sense. Indeed, with Shone’s singing on songs like “Drone Carrying Dread,” “Maiden Star,” and the exceptional translation of Portishead hit “Glory Box,” Author & Punisher have projected an air of uncertainty around the steely, often slow-motion grind.

Part of the Krüller revamp included refining the machines that have become synonymous with Author & Punisher. As a result, Shone is also launching a bespoke audio gear company called Drone Machines to coincide with the release of Krüller. The gear company launch follows nearly two decades of Author & Punisher honing in on his craft – meticulously inventing, machining, experimenting, and creating custom musical instruments for his incredible live performances and recordings.

Krüller pre-orders are available now (https://orcd.co/authorandpunisher-kruller) with the 52-minute collection available on a selection of limited-edition vinyl variants that tie into the color palette of the album artwork, CD, cassette and digitally.

Author & Punisher has announced two rounds of 2022 European tour dates with a pair of North American performances slated for March.

Headlining dates:

February 7 Tallin, Estonia Sveta Bar

February 8 Riga, Latvia Melna Piektdiena

February 9 Vilnius, Lithuania XI 20

February 13 Antwerp, Belgium Kavka

February 14 Brighton, UK Patterns

February 15 London, UK The Underworld

February 16 Leeds, UK Brudenell Social Club

February 17 Glasgow, UK Stereo

February 18 Newcastle, UK Cluny

February 19 Birmingham, UK Castle and Falcon

February 20 Bristol, UK Fleece

February 21 Manchester, UK Deaf Institute

March 6 Los Angeles, CA Resident

March 10 Oakland, CA Elbo Room Jack London

w/Perturbator and Health:

October 6 Lille, France Aeronef

October 7 Paris, France L’Olympia

October 12 Bordeaux, France Krakatoa

October 13 Toulouse, France Bikini

October 14 Madrid, Spain La Riviera

October 15 Barcelona, Spain Razzmatazz 2

October 16 Nantes, France Stereolux

October 18 Lyon, France Le Transbordeur

October 19 Strasbourg, France La Laiterie

Oxtober 20 Lausanne, Switzerland Les Docks

October 21 Munich, Germany Freheiz

October 22 Vienna, Austria Arena

October 23 Budapest, Hungary Akvarium Nagyhall

October 25 Prague, Czech Republic Lucerna Music

October 26 Wroclaw, Poland Zaklete Rewiry

October 27 Warsaw, Poland Progresja

October 28 Berlin, Germany Heimathafen

October 29 Goteborg, Sweden Tradgar N

October 30 Stockholm, Sweden Berns

November 1 Helsinki, Finland Tavastia

November 3 Oslo, Norway Vulkan Arena

November 4 Copenhagen, Denmark Pumpehuset

November 5 Hamburg, Germany Uebel & Gefahrlich

November 6 Utrecht, Netherlands Tivoli

November 8 Cologne, Germany Kantine

November 9 Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxermbourg Rockhall

November 10 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique

Keep your mind open.

[I’m an author. Why do you punish me by not subscribing?]

[Thanks to Monica at Speakeasy PR.]

Review: Motörhead – Everything Louder Forever

How do you even attempt to create a collection of Motörhead‘s forty-year career? If you’re BMG Records, you put together Everything Louder Forever, which they describe as “the definitive assembly of Motörhead songs that have created [a] cultural phenomenon, and represents the first time all the eras of the band’s recorded history have been represented in one place.”

Starting with the classic, frantic “Overkill,” Everything Louder Forever packs so much power into two CDs / four LPs that it’s bursting at the seams. Lemmy Kilmister‘s heavy bass comes to the forefront on “We Are Motörhead” and never leaves for the rest of the collection. “Fast” Eddie Clarke‘s guitar solo on “Snaggletooth” (a song named after the band’s logo) is stunning. Brian “Robbo” Robertson‘s piano pounding adds a fun touch to “Rock It.”

The fuzz of “Orgasmatron” never gets old. Mikkey Dee‘s drums on “Sacrifice” are bonkers and make you stop in your tracks and pay attention. “Killed by Death” is still one of Motörhead’s wittiest tracks, as is “Smiling Like a Killer,” in which Kilmister takes on the persona of a happy man with a dark, deadly secret. “Keys to the Kingdom” is a good example of how well Motörhead could groove.

The double kick drum on “Burner” is perfect for the afterburner energy of it. “Just ‘Cos You Got the Power” has Kilmister at some of his angriest on the vocals and some of Micheal “Würzel” Burston‘s best guitar work. “R.A.M.O.N.E.S.” is a fun tribute to fellow rockers. “I Ain’t No Nice Guy” features Ozzy Osbourne on guest vocals and Slash on guitar. The compilation ends, appropriately, with “Motörhead.”

It’s full of great tracks, too many to list and review here. It works as both an introduction to the band and a fine addition to an established collection.

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[Thanks to Maria at Adrenaline PR.]

Jacques Greene releases great new track, “Taurus,” ahead of his next EP.

Jacques Greene today announces a new EP, Fantasy, out January 28th (digitally) and April 8th (physically), with the EP available today as NFT. Fantasy pushes Greene further into his down-tempo, trip-hop, and ambient influences than ever before, all while maintaining his signature style. In conjunction with today’s announcement, Greene shares Fantasy’s hypnotic lead single, “Taurus.” “In my mind there’s a real soothing, meditative core to this,” says Greene, “and the almost relentless repetitive nature of the aggressive breaks is meant to tip over into full mediation mode. There’s angst – but there’s trying to move through it.”

Listen to “Taurus” by Jacques Greene

“The things you hear when you’re alone. Walking through Mount Royal or other wooded areas you might notice a branch break. As much as I value my alone time and the subtle things you can pick up around and within yourself in those moments, a certain loneliness and anxiety permeates the quiet at some point. The past couple years created ample opportunity for that anxiety and loneliness to stretch its legs and make itself comfortable. This record was born out of weeks of willing a form of peace and inspiration into my surroundings. A large part of that came from working with Leanne Macomber on some vocals. Through a desire to form new connections and throw more humanity into the work. We made a variety of song sketches that I mostly reworked into the final recordings here. We spoke a lot about where our heads were at, certain key phrases, triggers and emotions. Joel Ford, whom I worked on Dawn Chorus with, mixed the record and helped me wrangle a few cats to get this across the finish line. Restless at home in Canada, feeling the restlessness of all my friends and loved ones I kept in touch with as much as possible, trying to make something that made the quiet a bit more peaceful.”
— Jacques Greene

Since releasing his last studio album Dawn Chorus in 2019, Jacques Greene scored the short film Exhaust starring Jimmie Fails (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), Glenn Kaino’s installation piece Tidepools (alongside Nosaj Thing), and the video game Home School. Additionally, Greene released remixes for artists including Montreal disco legends Lime, Kacy Hill, Kllo, Elohim, and more. In 2020, Greene made headlines for creating “Promise,” the first single released with associated NFT that staked the owner to music publishing, and the following year released ANTH01, a collection of unearthed tracks spanning the earliest years of his career alongside previously unreleased tracks.

Fantasy Tracklist:
01. Taurus
02. Memory Screen + Fantasy
03. Relay
04. Sky River ft. Satomimagae
05. Leave Here

Pre-Order Fantasy

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Yard Act – The Overload

Coming out of the 2022 gate with strong chops and wit, Yard Act‘s The Overload has already set the bar high for post-punk albums (and ones in other genres, for that matter) to come.

The title track opens the record with a breakneck dance bass riff from Ryan Needham while lead singer James Smith sings about “The overload of discontent…The constant burden of making sense. It won’t relent.” Good grief, is he right. “Dead Horse” is a punch at Brexit and racism in England (“England, my heart bleeds. Why’d you abandon me? Yeah, I abandoned you, too, but we both know I wasn’t the one lied to, and I’m not scared of people who don’t look like me, unlike you.”)

“Payday” and “Rich” are a nice double-punch, both with crunchy guitar by Sam Shjipstone. “Payday” is all about getting rich on the efforts of others and getting away with it. “Rich” is a witty track about how wealth often brings misery and / or desire to become richer despite having everything you need.

“The Incident” seems to have Smith, Needham, Shjipstone, and drummer Jay Russell almost each playing their own song, but it somehow works and produces a funny tune about the different set of rules for CEOs and VIPs, even though their reputation and worth is built on illusions (“We’ve created rules that you can’t find in the book, a different type of prison for a different type of crook. Ever since the incident, my complete incompetence has been exposed to everyone and rendered me irrelevant.”)

“Witness (Can I Get a?)” is a fun punk riff on trying to get people to agree with whatever you’re yelling about at the time. “Land of the Blind” is a song about graft played with beats great for walking your dog, strutting to the ring, or working the catwalk. “Quarantine the Sticks” takes on both bad police and corporate practices. It reminds me of some of Sleaford Mods‘ stuff in its delivery and message.

“Tall Poppies” might have the hardest-hitting lyrics on the entire record as Smith spins a tale of a good joe who has a decent life and dies in his nice home, knowing he had a good run. It’s an allegory for everyone trying to make do with the hand they’ve been dealt and make the world a bit better in their own way (“We cry because children are dying across the sea, and there is nothing we can do about it. Whilst we benefit from the bombs they dropped, which we had no part in building. We are sorry, truly we are sorry. We are just trying to get by, too.”)

“Pour Another” has some of Russell’s coolest beats while Smith sings about pals kicking back with a few pints while the world burns around them. “100% Endurance” has Smith telling all of us to tell everyone we love that we love them and all of us have the means within to be happy (“Everything has already happened. Time is an illusion. It’s hippie bullshit, but it’s true.”)

A neat thing about The Overload is that it doesn’t overload you. It delivers all the goods, yes, and plenty of bite and beats, but it doesn’t hammer you over the head or try so hard that Yard Act become self-parodies or annoying. In other words, they crafted a damn fine album.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Tom at Hive Mind PR.]

Anika announces remix album and tour dates.

Anika announces Change: The Remixes, out February 11th on Sacred Bones and Invada, and shares “Planningtochange” (Planningtorock Remix). As an avid fan of dance music and the communal power of the club, Anika wanted to give her 2021 album Change a wider range by entrusting it to some friends in contemporary electronic music – Planningtorock, Dave Clarke, Lauren Flax, Maral, and PDBY. The result is a remix record that illustrates both the underlying compositional depth of the album and its ability to inspire equally exciting new songs.

Anika elaborates: “Change is quite a specific album. It was made in the context of the lockdown, very much a headphones, inside-your-head record. As a big fan of DJing and dancing in dark spaces, I wanted this to go further, keep growing, expanding, so I asked some friends from very different worlds to take it somewhere else, beyond the bird-filled hills of Brandenburg. This is what happened.”

Planningtorock’s Jam Rahuoja Rostron adds: “Anika is a dear old friend of mine and I’ve loved her music right from the beginning. Her latest LP is sooooo good and I really love Change so I was super happy be able to make a remix for this which was also a lot of fun to make.”

Anika will also tour North America in May and June. All dates are below and tickets are on sale now here.

Stream “Planningtochange” (Planningtorock Remix)

Pre-order Change: The Remixes

Change: The Remixes Tracklist:
1. Planningtochange (Planningtorock Remix)
2. Never Coming Back (Dave Clarke Remix)
3. Critical (Lauren Flax Remix)
4. Finger Pies (Maral At The Controls Dub Mix)
5. Freedom (PBDY Remix)
6. Change (Lauren Flax Remix – bonus track)

Anika Tour Dates:
Feb. 11 – Berlin, DE @ Volksbühne
March 9 – Koln, DE @ Bumann & SOHN
March 11 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
March 12-13 – Saint-Malo, FR @ La Route Du Rock Hiver
April 17 – London, UK @ Moth Club
April 18 – Manchester, UK @ Yes (Basement)
April 19 – Glasgow, UK @ Nice N Sleazy
April 20 – Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
May 13 – Austin, TX @ Oblivion Access Festival
May 15 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
May 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
May 17 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

May 19 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 20 – Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
May 21 – Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret
May 23 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
May 25 – Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
May 26 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre
May 28 – New York, NY @ Knockdown Center
May 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
May 30 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage

May 31 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
June 1 – Nashville, TN @ Third Man Records
June 2 – Memphis, TN @ Crosstown Arts
June 3 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]