This edition, we bring you childlike chaos and joy, atmospheric pieces that transport you elsewhere, and pick-me-ups you didn’t realize you needed.
Listen to the full playlist right here:
Boabie-DCL – “Blossoms”
“Blossoms” opens with a clean, sharp melody layered over what sounds like something being steadily shaken to rhythm. What follows is a careful layering process – new elements arrive and accompany the melody, the way light shifts across a scene without changing what the scene fundamentally is.
Scottish producer and bassist Boabie-DCL makes music rooted in landscape. Blossoms follows in this way of creating. Boabie-DCL’s background as a jazz bassist is audible in the sense of space he preserves as the production deepens; nothing here is in a hurry. The track is ambient, stretching itself out into the space around it. This track truly rewards patience and repeat listens.
Eltus – “Can’t own me”
“Can’t Own Me” opens with an ambient echo and drama – “Oh no no no no/ I won’t play that role”, she sings. The song immediately sets up a cinematic tone. You can instantly picture it as the backing track to that pivotal moment in the action film when the heroine decides she’s had enough, wipes the blood off her face, and marches out to get revenge. At 129 BPM, the track runs on a driving, unrelenting pulse. The lyrics and the vocals add to this energy that is built – “Don’t be convenient,” she sings, “be real tonight.” This is the kind of song you might want to listen to on those days when you need to convince yourself to get out of bed.
Slapper- “Imagination”
“Imagination” marks a new chapter for electronic producer Slapper, as the first release in two years to incorporate vocal samples. The track makes you wait in silence for the first eight seconds – then it opens with a clean rhythmic foundation, with percussion that is controlled and precise. The track is made up of complex layers that sit on top of each other, taking turns to be the centerpiece. There’s a cinematic quality to the way the synths move across each other, swelling and receding as though the track is breathing. The vocal samples add a human dimension to what might otherwise remain purely textural, and absolutely elevate the song. You never quite know how the song will proceed after a piece of the vocal sample ends. That element of surprise is delightful.
Boabie-DCL – “Cornwall Kew March”
“Cornwall Kew March” moves with the measured of a steady march – just as the title suggests. The opening of the track immediately demands patience of you – the first forty seconds tease you with bursts of sound that pause and move unexpectedly before finally giving way to a beat that joins in. Layers emerge slowly, each one adding something to the texture of the track without obscuring the clarity of what came before. When an independent tune is allowed to stand out for a minute, or when a drum roll takes center stage, it is surprising and delightful. In this track, orchestral and electronic elements are allowed to exist within the same emotional register without either dominating.
Karlo Bromsen – “Parlin Papito”
“Parlin Papito” is built around a hand-drawn character inspired by illustrations from Karlo Bromsen son Willi. The music that surrounds it carries exactly that spirit of delight and chaos. You cannot help but bob your head along as you listen to this track. The instruments cut in and out rather abruptly, not bothering too much with smoothness. The beat carries a loose, bouncy energy that is addictive and electric. It is playful and joyous; it would be the perfect song to play as you dance around the house making pancakes on a Saturday morning, pretending the spatula is your mic and the kitchen your stage. This track is definitely becoming my morning alarm for the next couple weeks.
