Music Journal #002

I haven't listened to many albums over the past week, but I have listened to an abundance of tracks. An album I did make sure to check though was Replica, Oneohtrix Point Never's second album. Oneohtrix Point never is the alias of Daniel Lopatin, who most recently worked with Tim Hecker on a full-length LP. He makes experimental, electronic ambient music and his second album proved to be more clean, accessible and probably all-round better than his first album (which I did enjoy) Returnal. It's not as surprising seeing as Replica was the first album he recorded in a studio; Power of Persuasion, Replica and Nassau are stand-out tracks on a must-listen record for any fans of this sort of music.

Poliça were a band I'd heard about but knew nothing of; Their 2012 album Give You The Ghost proved to be an excellent, wonderful listen incorporating elements of contemporary R&B and electronica into indie rock. The ominous atmosphere and rush of percussion in Violent Games was a particular highlight. The vocalist can sing but she modifies her voice in a way that essentially justifies where auto-tune could have made it to. I can see why it had made a few end of year lists and was happy to be pleasantly surprised by it.

I also gave The Horrors' Skying a listen - I found it to be quite dull and unforgettable but not unpleasant for the most part. The hazy, atmospheric and slightly psychedelic sound was interesting although it didn't really go anywhere or do much for me.

Maya Jane Coles' Easier To Hide EP turned up on Spotify which was good, it's a very enjoyable release and in the same vein as most of her other work - considering these tracks were actually written a few years ago, this isn't anything to worry about. Her bouncy, pop-tinged bass-rich deep house continues to impress and I can't wait for an album.

After being drawn in by Autre Ne Veut's latest single, Counting, and nearly put off from an interview where I wasn't fond of his attitude, I decided to give his Body EP a try. The production is sleek and the vocals powerful and passionate, almost urgent throughout but I felt the only song with a feature, Not The One ft. She Woolf disappointed while the rest of it thrived. Another new R'n'B artist I've began to keep an ear on is The Child of Lov, who's less concerned with hazy post-Weeknd/Ocean sounds and more concerned with incorporating elements of funk, hip-hop and jazz beats into the mix. CHVRCHES, Jonas Rathsman, Kilo Kish, Savages and Daughter are hotly-tipped for this new year, and when I heard their music I had to concede the ridiculous amounts of hype are justified.

The perfect matching of Pantha Du Prince and The Bell Laboratory put out an amazing album in the form of Elements of Light - this is much less winter-y than Black Noise from 2010, and much more of a movement than an album; It spans over 40 minutes yet there are merely five tracks. I think it was worth the wait and Pantha Du Prince's music is as beautiful as ever. I want to see him perform live again, but this time with the Bell Laboratory. Katy B's Danger EP was something I approached with skepticism but overall it was decent. The production from Jacques Greene impressed and the main track with Jessie Ware featuring, called Aaliyah, was almost as good. The other two tracks were uneventful and seemed to be like mid-album filler, which is something that really does not belong on an EP. Katy still feels like a token vocalist on other artist's tracks to me.