"minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix]"- Aphex Twin

A major mistake I made when listening to "minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix]," British producer Richard D. James' first new work as Aphex Twin in 13 years, was assuming the stirring vocals that end the song were lifted from some "ancient" source. They're so frail and wobbly that I just imagined James clearing them off a hard-drive labelled "Samples" from the year 2000. 

It's the only thing though from "minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix] that feels "dated."  The layers of fluttering drum machines, watery synthesizers and stray noises are remarkably of the moment; recalling Aphex Twin disciples like shadowy post dubstep artist Burial and experimental hip hop producer Flying Lotus. James' aforementioned sighing at the song's end could be confused for a new Radiohead effort. Aphex Twin's been dormant since the maligned Drukqs in 2001, but James has clearly been paying attention to his imitators.

So much so that it sounds like he's read ahead of the class. As much as "minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix] is of 2014, it’s simultaneously out of time. Individual ripples of synth keys are soundtracking a sci-fi flick that won't be made for another 10 years. The robotic heaves throughout the track are alien to my ears. There's no Rosetta Stone to decode the language of James' vocal manipulations. Aphex Twin is unquestionably back and already out in front of the field.




Aphex Twin's new album Syro is out Sept. 23 through Warp Records. You can find James' mangled bio accompanying the new release here and view the tracklist below.

Syro:
1. "minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix]"
2. "XMAS_EveT10 (thanaton3 mix)"
3. "produk 29"
4. "4 bit 9d api+e+6"
5. "180db_"
6. "CIRCLONT6A (syrobonkus mix)"
7. "fz pseudotimestrech+e+3"
8. "CIRCLONT14 (shrymoming mix)"
9. "syro u473t8+e (piezoluminescence mix)"
10. "PAPAT4 (pineal mix)"
11. "s950tx16wasr10 (earth portal mix)"
12. "aisatsana"

"ILYSB"- LANY

"And you need to know that I'm hella obsessed with your face," LANY's enigmatic vocalist tenderly croons in bouncy new single "ILYSB". Hearing that phrase delivered in such an endearing tone, I'm reminded of an ongoing "game" my friend Michael and I play. Over the last year or so, we've kept a running tab of artists who use "f***" so masterfully that it becomes a delicate word. Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Vampire Weekend have all been added to the hallowed ranks and while "hella" is far removed from the infamous four-letter word, LANY at least deserve an honorable mention for the way they use "hella." Instead of a fifth grader's favorite word, it's a paean of love; an innocent confession lacking any of the hazards "obsession" often comes with. Even the title, rendered in an acronym, is an ingenuous admission of affection. "I love you (babe) so bad" the singer repeatedly hums in the chorus, finger snaps and tidal synthesizer carefully accompanying him.

The cautious production is really what rescues "ILYSB" and LANY from dire romantic drama. When they sing "and you need to know that you keep me up all night" there's no agony dripping from the line. Right as the phrase ends, what sounds like a guitar is gently plucked and the pressure is alleviated. There's no pain or worry anywhere. The serene music would have you convinced he's up all night because it's a new love. The kind where everything done together is an important "event." A sort of love where you're sending texts that read "ILYSB" at 2AM in the morning as you go to bed. Or perhaps a simple smiley face emoticon. Considering the warmth of "ILYSB" the latter is more likely.



LANY's Acronyms single is now available on iTunes.

"Go"- Grimes

Not even 10 minutes after Vancouver native Claire Boucher aka Grimes put up her latest song "Go" on Soundcloud, there were loading problems for the track. I can't imagine I was the only one nervously clicking, "praying" I'd get through in time to replay "Go" to my heart's content. Though I'd just heard it on Zane Lowe's BBC 1 Radio show at 1:30, I wanted to hear it again. If I spent the rest of day letting it boom out of my speakers and failed to get anything else done, including this review, it'd still be a successful day.

Now some of that is obvious hyperbole, but not much. "Go" is that kind of entrancing effort. The same week Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal told us about the joys of well-timed bass drops in a music culture desensitized to them, Grimes upped the ante further. Rustie's "Raptor" features an unquestionably terrific drop, one best compared to a waterfall of noise if you're intent on using any kind of "dropping" or "falling" verbiage. But "Raptor"'s drop is necessary when you consider it comes after a stretch of silence. You need noise to drown out the quietude in that case. The reason "Go"'s anvil-like drop is so fascinating is that it may not even be needed. Before its leaden appearance "Go" is a mid-tempo languisher with an eerie clock rhythm and elegiac piano ringing out. Grimes half-whispers about dreams and memories being indistinguishable and time cruelly stretching out past some far-off horizon. Bolstered by mechanical drum claps, its best described as "haunting."

However once the bass goes from a mid-volume rumble to a speaker busting boom, "Go" becomes something else entirely. "Bubblegum trap rave" may be a clunky way to describe it, but that's what immediately came to mind. If that is the descriptor though, it's not syrupy sweet bubblegum pop you'd hear on an AM station in the 60s. This is the sugar-free variety, where the bubble's been popped and disappointment hangs where a smile once resided. Under Blood Diamond's massively stuttering samples, you can hear Grimes' head hanging down when she sings of "stupid dreams." Her best work often captures peril in mundane situations (night-walks becoming panic-stricken runs on "Oblivion") and "Go" is no different. We all dream, it's just rarely as vivid or panoramic as this.



In an on-air interview with Zane Lowe today, Grimes intimated she'd be releasing a new album "sometime next year" so "Go" will have to tide you over until then.

"Nebraska" ft. Mac Miller & Vince Staples- Earl Sweatshirt

"I rap better than most of these rap veterans," Vince Staples wearily raps in his anchoring verse over sighing James Bond horns and grumbling bass in new Earl Sweatshirt effort "Nebraska". In terms of rap boasts it's one of the more exasperated in recent memory. There isn't the slightest hint of excitement in Staples' voice as he rattles off the line. He sounds so lifeless that you'd think he was about to do a 25-year prison bid.

But that lifelessness is exactly what makes Staples and Odd Future cohort Earl Sweatshirt better than rappers in almost any weight class. The joy in listening to them resides in their impassivity. Quite often when you hear them rap it's easy to imagine a vacant stare consuming their face. There's no glower or scowl just an emotionless abyss. When Staples speaks of "sweet revenge," you know he'll have it because he clearly has nothing to lose. Similarly, Sweatshirt's promise to use a weapon and "make a peppermint outta that white tee" is a bite without a warning bark. The initial moniker of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All Don't Give A F*** is fully fulfilled in Earl. While Tyler, the Creator growls, Earl murmurs over discordant piano keys about "switching through lanes, handling business on my side of the line." If he's going 150 the entire time, there would be no surprise. He's already admitted to being "frightened and scatterbrained," every action flows out of that toxic fountain. And if it all sounds too daunting, there's some "sweat talk" those "rap veterans" could probably offer you.



(Note: Because of how simpatico Staples and Sweatshirt are here, it wasn't easy to find a seat at the table for Mac Miller. But rest assured, the dude goes off. He manages to chow down on "shawarma" and shout out Chewbacca in the same weed-addled line that's "as calming as the Dali Lama.")

"I Am Very Very Lonely"- Chance the Rapper

(From: Freshness Mag)

Last month while reviewing Chance the Rapper's "Home Studio (Back Up In This B****)" I couldn't help but use the word giddy to describe the track. With Chance namechecking Yogi Bear over goofy synth-organ and strutting funk guitar, it was near impossible to hear the song and leave without a smile. 

Yesterday to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of his breakout release Acid Rap, the Chicago-native released "I Am Very Very Lonely". If you can gather anything from the title alone, the track is a seismic market correction from "Home Studio"'s sunny vibes. For starters, the sonic cupboard is nearly bare here. Produced by Chance's touring band Social Experiment, "I Am Very Very Lonely"'s constitution is penned with a timid keyboard figure and hobbled drum beat. Other than the occasional "huh" or brief bit of "harmonizing" they're all a subdued Chance has to keep him company. So instead, he wearily croons about staying in to smoke "la cucaracha" and munch on cold pizza topped with Sriracha. It's the type of night where you get all dressed up just to post up on a couch and flip through channels until you find something to hold your attention. A weary night where you'll do "lots of activities" like "fix the dishwasher" or "file the cabinets" not to get ahead, but to avoid the present. In Chance's case he's trying to avoid dwelling on someone he severely neglected. "Shoulda had ya when I had ya, now I wish I gotcha tonight," he warbles in a tone so defeated he later manages to make Lion King sound more depressing. When the chorus finally floats away, you hope he's finally dug himself out of the couch and gone to bed. Sometimes it's the only way to push disappointments past you.

(Last week Chance the Rapper was sidelined with a case of tonsillitis and the flu, so it's great to see his back out now.)

"MT. Olympus"- Big K.R.I.T.

A "diss" is how Consequence of Sound describes Big K.R.I.T.'s "MT. Olympus". They're not alone in the description either. A cursory glance at "MT. Olympus" mentions on Twitter reveals plenty of people who've had the wool pulled over their eyes. Somehow because K.R.I.T. calls the famed "Control" beat a beat that "an ugly b**** that everybody done f***ed raw," everyone assumes he's going for Kendrick Lamar's head. The hip-hop community is lousy with this mentality. A mere mention of another rapper, that isn't 100% glowing, will be seen as an insult by those listening. People become subliminal attack experts and are able to make proverbial mountains out of molehills.

There's nothing "subliminal" about K.R.I.T.'s booming new self-produced effort. Over near-Gothic incantations and echoing piano, Krizzle immediately establishes who he's at odds with. The battle lines aren't draw between K.R.I.T. and other rappers, but K.R.I.T. and an indecisive audience. One moment they want something real, the next they're clamoring for "radio." Hearing the Meridian, MS-native tell it in the chorus, you can hear the frustration in his voice. Not simply because he snarls "f*** them n*****," but because it sounds like it’s done through clinched teeth. 

The same crowd is incredulous that K.R.I.T. could've "made the beat" and "mixed the track." Any direction he heads in is the wrong way. Even if he ascends to Rap-God status, he won't be put in the same pantheon as rappers from the East-Coast and West-Coast. "You tellin' me I can be King of Hip-Hop, and they wouldn't give it to Andre 3000?" he demands as the heavy drum hits back out entirely. A kingdom's hard to claim, especially when no one's willing to recognize your sovereignty.





Cadillactica is out some time this fall through Def Jam.

"Walk Away"- LANY

Listening through enigmatic LA-artist LANY's initial single it becomes easy to use the word "simplistic" as a descriptor. Musically "Walk Away"'s DNA is extremely mappable: late-80s R&B that could wind up on a Ready for the World album. A lone synthesizer continuously ripples like a wave in Japan's Ocean Dome Pool. Artificial finger snaps are metronomic in their precision. LANY's voice never soars or plummets as he confesses "I'm too good at leaving love," one of the song's few delivered lines. Even the way LANY ends the effort with a cut-off "I don't wanna be" harkens back to an 80s delivery method.

But filing "Walk Away" as 80s R&B-revivalism would dangerously reductionist. The electronic murmurs floating to the song's surface would be far too eccentric for standard 80s R&B fair. Each bleep recalls a spaceship scanning the surface of the Moon looking for signs of life. Reflecting on every alien communique, LANY's pregnant pauses in-between lines become almost skin-crawling. However, they don't have the feel of dramatism. Those abrupt stops seem to be done out of necessity rather than showmanship. And when you consider what LANY's saying, that his hidden talent is hastily letting love go, the pauses become necessary for the listener as well. And in those moments of vocal silence, you realize what LANY's constructed stands outside of time and place.



You can find LANY's debut track "Walk Away" and "Hot Lights" now through Soundcloud and download them on iTunes. Credit to Disco Naïveté for posting an early review of this track.

What's New(s)?

Damon Albarn drops video for Brian Eno feature "Heavy Seas of Love"

Earlier today Damon Albarn made his debut solo effort Everyday Robots available for streaming through iTunes Radio and to promote the move he's released the video for Brian Eno-feature "Heavy Seas of Love". While the Matt Cronin-edited clip doesn't include the ambient-pioneer, it does incorporate plenty of shots of wide-eyed traveling and not so subtle psychedelia. Like the ambling track itself it doesn't bowl you over, but it is relaxed enough to calm you down. 

Everyday Robots is out April 28 via Parlophone/Warner Bros.

 

Jamie xx releases new song "Girl" from upcoming single

Almost a month ago, The xx's beatmaker Jamie xx dropped the profoundly silent "Sleep Sound" as part of an upcoming double A-side 12" record. Then dubstep-crooner James Blake released the record's other half "Girl" during his BBC Radio show; albeit with talking piled on top of the track. Now the track has officially been released by Jamie xx and its an absolute monster. For all of the stark silence of "Sleep Sound", "Girl" is brimming with warped vocal samples, hair-raising electronic tics, and dying drum machine beats. Whatever sliver of comfort the already tense "Sleep Sound" had to offer is gone on "Girl".

"Girl"/"Sleep Sound" is out May 5 via Young Turks, and you can find the audio for "Girl" below along with the deeply affecting clip for "Sleep Sound".

Chromatics & Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel Scoring Ryan Gosling's directorial debut

 

 

As much as I love Cliff Martinez's alternately bright and foreboding soundtrack for the 2011 pulp-masterpiece Drive, I can't help but wonder how it would've sounded in the hands of Italians Do It Better-founder Johnny Jewel. Though Jewel's band Chromatics had a feature on the soundtrack, Jewel was originally slated to craft the entire score until interests diverged and Martinez stepped in. And while Jewel's fascinating Themes for An Imaginary Film strongly hints at what might've been, it's not entirely satiating. 

 

All of that will change next month when Drive-star Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, Lost River, premieres at the Cannes Film Festival. The film which the L.A. Times summarizes as "A single mother enters a dark lifestyle, while her son uncovers a road leading to an underwater utopia," was entirely scored by Jewel, who is also working on a new Glass Candy record.

No word yet on when the score/soundtrack will be releasing, but odds are it will be a worthwhile listen. While you wait, enjoy the video for Chromatics' mesmerizing "Cherry".

 

 

Check back tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s) and follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

What's New(s)?

Lykke Li releases new song "Gunshot"

Swedish pop singer Lykke Li's third LP I Never Learn, her follow up to 2011's ruminating Wounded Rhymes, is out next month. Li has previously said the record will conclude a trilogy that began with her debut release Youth Novels in 2008, and that it will be more of a "singer-songwriter record than pop." Li's already released the achingly fragile "No Rest for the Wicked" and the distanced folk-leaning "Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone", but her latest effort "Gunshot" might be the most confessional of the three. Over an aquatic drum throb, a reverberated Li chases after a love she knows has Chernobyl levels of toxicity. And still she begs over and over again for that love to come back, if only for a night. If these are kinds of confessions Li's been working on, I Never Learn will be a bitter epilogue to a brilliant trilogy. 

I Never Learn is out May 5 through Lykke Li's LL Recordings imprint. And if that's too long of a wait, "Gunshot" is currently streaming on a specially created site. And if that still isn't enough Li for your liking, the video for "No Rest for the Wicked" is available below.

Hear a recently discovered J Dill track now

Pay Jay, the imprint run by deceased producer J Dilla's family estate, is putting out a new record that rounds up previously unheard efforts from the rap-icon. Entitled Give 'Em What They Want, the EP culls together three separate vocal tracks Dilla laid down in 2001, along with two instrumentals to round out the effort. Today the first of those tracks, the booming title-track, dropped. Co-produced with Supa Dave West, "Give 'Em What They Want" gives a glimpse of a more rugged Dilla than many are used to seeing. But by the end, the brash histrionics shuffle off and a hypnotic, Eastern-tinged instrumental steps in. Proving once again that part of Dilla's appeal is a profound ability to make every permutation of his style a "must-listen."

Give 'Em What They Want drops May 6 and can be purchased through Rap Cats, and tracks from the EP may be featured on the long-lost Dilla album The Diary.

OFF! fight Dave Foley and Brian Posehn played fascists in "Red White and Black"

This has already been an incredible week for music videos. Yesterday not only saw the release of the gut-busting video for Real Estate's "Crime" featuring TV's Andy Daly, but also the Nazi-defying "Red White and Black" by hardcore-punk supergroup OFF! While the song itself moves a million miles faster than Real Estate's loping "Crime", both videos feature a madcap sense of humor. In "Red White and Black", Kids in the Hall star Dave Foley and Mr. Show/Sarah Silverman Show actor Brian Posehn play Nazis nervously preparing for a music gig at a bar. A black biker-gang gets wind of the show and by the end all the Nazi-scum is driven out of the bar. And if brawling black bikers and Nazis portrayed by Foley and Posehn weren't enough, the "Red White and Black" video features cameos from: David Yow (Jesus Lizard), Danny Carey (Tool), Dale Crover (Melvins), and Jack Grisham (TSOL).

Check back tomorrow for more of the newest in new(s) and follow AllFreshSounds on Twitter for updates throughout the day.

"West Coast"- Lana Del Rey

It's almost too easy to describe Lana Del Rey's music as sensual. Her smoky declaration "you fit me better than my favorite sweater" over the rippling guitars of "Blue Jeans" leaves skin-crawling and clothes falling off at record pace. The languishing piano and stereo-panning harp plucks found in "Video Games" continue to make the mundane sound sultry nearly three years after the song's release. While "Ride"'s slow, string-heavy build is meant as an anthemic farewell, it's equally adept at scoring a passionate first kiss. Even when her particular lane of pop isn't simmering, it still feels that way. Del Rey may bat her eyelashes with Flash-like speed in "Off to the Races", but the effect is the same. 

There's no better way to describe Lana Del Rey's first single from sophomore LP Ultraviolence than as "sensual." That said, its sensuality is a better fit for the midnight hour. Black Keys-guitarist Dan Auerbach's hypnotic island groove to open "West Coast" turns a shade darker as Del Rey launches into her graveyard whisper. "Down on the West Coast, they got a sayin, if you're not drinkin', then you're not playin," she eerily philosophizes. "Live fast and die young" has been an ideology of Del Rey's music since the beginning, but with the exception of the elegiac "Carmen" the dark-end of the tunnel has never seemed so close. Del Rey steps out onto balconies of rippling guitars and stuttering drum fills in the hook of "West Coast", but instead of stopping to enjoy the scenery she wildly proclaims "I'm in love." She's far too preoccupied with Golden-Age Cinema and "Rock N Roll groupies" to notice the flames climbing higher by the minute. By the time the vague chopped-and-screwed outro enters with a gloomy synth in hand, her fate is sealed. Living for the moment is fine until the future becomes the present.

Ultraviolence may be coming out as soon as May 1 via Interscope, but that date has yet to be confirmed.