Just Mustard – We Were Just Here

This hard-working 5-piece from Dundalk, Ireland have been on my “must-listen-too” list since their first release a couple of years back. Delightfully, they avoid heading into a genre rut, instead they continue to conjure up inventive and impressive music. You are advised to search out their previous output along with heading to your corner record shop for a copy of their new long-player, We Were Just Here.

The Colourflies – Shake Me

The first thing you need to know about The Colourflies is these lads out of Idaho Falls are on the always excellent Shoredive Records label. Honeydripper is the title of their LP and they consider themselves as a psychedelic/shoegaze/grunge rock band, which I have no reason to disagree with except I would label them as making damn good, interesting music. There are many enjoyable ideas going on these 14 tracks. Well done!

Iko Chérie – Ghosted Ghosters Of The Holy G

Let’s call this experimental music made in London by French artist Marie Merlet who says she feels most at home with dub textures and analogue noises, Casio drones, reverb drenched guitars and spoken word samples processed through tape delay. Ghosted Ghosters Of The Holy G is from Marie’s splendid self-produced long player, Soft Centre. Merlet defines Soft Centre as alive in radical tenderness, unguarded, open, and vivid. The album she says is an invitation to connection that she describes as “… hopefully a meditation into healing.”  

Ugné Uma – Rage Love Strange Love / Rage Love Strange Love II

Here we have Ugné Uma a Lithuanian artist based in Berlin who has dabbled in experimental poetry, underground jazz and folk scenes. This is her debut EP, a gorgeous, fully memorable debut too, with Uma’s slurred vocal landing with such quiet force it takes a minute to fathom what you’re actually listening to. There are a couple of obvious references here, New York’s Downtown scene in the post-no wave years, circa James Chance, plus the ghost of Billie Holiday hovers with her vocals. A curious, charming blurring of lines between experimental poetry and jazzier inclinations. Beautifully crafted. Ugné Uma comes to us via Somewhere Press out of Glasgow, a label you must investigate.

100 Poems – Rockin’ Dub Music

The album Rodeo Disco is a project of tunes, remixes and collaborations, written & produced by musician and DJ Mike Wilson out of Dublin. From a 1959 newsreel interview, Elvis defends rock ’n’ roll while Wilson dubs everything up over Easy from the Sun Records vaults featuring  Jimmy DeBerry, guitar & vocals & Big Walter Horton, harmonica with Houston Stokes on drums. The final result is a thumping grand workout that delivers a message, skillfully mixing nostalgia with today’s syncopation. Mike Wilson says he hopes that “this album is a reminder that joy is resistance and dancing is its own kind of healing”. He adds, “All proceeds from sales go to two mental health charities – MIND and Jigsaw. Give what you can afford. If you can’t afford anything, no problem, please download and enjoy”.

Congi – Burn (feat. Ayaluna)

Out of Nottingham, exceptional downtempo Dubstep from producers, Alex Tulip aka Tulip and Gary Frost aka Gaz presenting as Congi. Exquisite soulful vocals courtesy of Ayaluna on Burn. Their album, Quartz should not be overlooked. Very cool artwork by Kasper Plougmand. Love this one!

QRTR – I Guess I Don’t

An honest statement, “I Guess I Don’t…Have Self Control” from Meagan Rodriguez who is QRTR. She is out of Philadelphia and writes, produces, performs and mixes all music for her album, Ondas which translates to “waves” from Portuguese and Spanish. “both languages I grew up mix and mashing together with English” says Meagan, “Ondas, the title is based on a poem I wrote in 2017 to my religious Portuguese mother taking inspiration from the waves to keep going, over and over, despite the ebb and flow of the tide”. Very confident collection here with interesting rhythms. 

Vlimmer – Cystacanca

He is a force of nature, part human and part mythical being, he is Alex Donat the wizard behind Blackjack Illuminist Records. He also mystifies music lovers as Vlimmer. Cystacanca came to us as a double-sided single with No Cars Go on the flip. Both cuts are true-to-form if you’re familiar with the Vlimmer output – Dark, Industrial, Coldwave and of course Eccentric. This is what Alex does so well and never disappoints. His meticulously curated output must not be ignored. Bravo sir.

Ugné Uma – Someone Call Donna 

Another cut from Uma’s remarkable EP on Somewhere Press. Those multi-tracked vocals over the looped bass caught my attention immediately. “My love is running from being rational” maybe the most sensible honest line, ever.

Dania – Personal Assistant

This is from the album, Listless, all the cuts here says Dania “were composed after midnight, at night things shift, id shadows the world operates strangely – I see it when I work the night shift, this otherworld.” Dania splits her time between life in Barcelona and night shifts as an emergency doctor in remote corners of Australia. “It’s not a pop record,” she says, “but it’s the closest thing I’ve ever made to one.” Honestly, no matter what genre you want to label Dania’s music it’s not important, this is another one you should not overlook from Somewhere Press.

Fish & Goat At The Controls – No Man Curse Version (Dubplate)

A fine example of early 90’s dub from Partial Records out of London. A very welcome re-release of an original 1994 production by Fish & Goat. Warning – hopefully your bass woofers are up to the job. 

Photograph by Angela Devon-Smith “Summer’s Over” 2005 25” x 25” digital print on archival paper. Courtesy of Norman B’s collection