CRISTOBEL & THE SEA : peach bells : City Slang
Dars: Stunningly brilliant stuff to my ears! The wide spectrum of inspirations and varied cultural backgrounds by this London based quartet are melded into an own musical construction. “Peach Bells“ delivers rich and well-crafted songs that bathe in psychedelia. Mind-bending tropical rhythms and apparent southern mediterranean spirits are accompanied by a beat-generation vibe that steals into all their songs. 9/10
Seven: Yep, this is a rather special one, indeed. It’s one of those records Tim Love Lee would kill for, I guess. It’s a very elaborate affair, one which nonchalantly hits all the right buttons and is deeply felt where it could’ve been easily academic and stilted. 8.75/10

 

 

SON LITTLE : things I forgot : Anti-
Seven: Heavy R&B-influences and a crooning/fully accomplished vocalist usually aren’t the things that I’m necessarily cheering about, but this one here actually feels just right. It’s smart and sharp and true, yet it is incredible radio-friendly. Or in other words: Son Little is one of these artists where you must be deaf and blind to not recognize that he’s clearly destined for big - very big - things. 6.75/10

 

 

ALEX G : dsu : Lucky Number
Dars: Fifth full length effort by Pennsylvanian lo-fi maestro Alex G, that is soaked in sadness. However, the trilling guitars and overall scuffed production quickly convinced me to grow fond of this instant classic of DIY music! 7.7/10
Seven: True. It’s one of those records where you actually cheer about that the elements are fairly limited. The early enthusiasm unfortunately receives a slight setback as soon as you realize that the whole thing is de-energizing halfway through. 6/10

ERIK TRUFFAZ & MURCOF : being human being : Mundo Recordings
Seven: Swiss label Mundo never was one that played its cards just plain straight, so this collaboration actually is a perfect fit since it needs to be decoded first. Once you engaged yourself in “Being Human Being“ though, you get rewarded with an album that adds a pleasantly unique take on genre-bending music. 7/10

ALL WE ARE : s/t : Double Six/Domino
Dars: Slow rhythmic shuffles and lots of psych-infused R&B and pop harmonies made its way on the debut album by this Liverpool based three piece (made up of Guro Gikling, Richard O’Flynn and Luis Santos), who've become more imbued with electronics lately. I'm amazed by the general feeling unleashed by these guys, it's a real treat. In short, sheer pleasure! 8.2/10

 

 

V.A. : the green collection : Eskimo Recordings
Dars: The third installment in a new compilation series on Eskimo that´s based around colours. “The Green Collection“ boasts a variety of soft-focused and rather restrained Scandinavia-inspired electronic pop and dance music, instead of the eclectic styles they were famous for. Included are bits of house, electronica, nu-disco and electro-pop, with a generous helping of melancholy that affects the whole album. Me like! 7.9/10
Seven: Oh yes, indeed. Pop elements are usually just added to make the medicine go down easier, but in Eskimo’s case it actually is a very winning addition that will certainly bring back some much-needed sunlight into this grey season. 8/10

 

 

V.A. : i care because you don’t : Turbo
Seven: Wow, this is seriously fucked up... some would say in a good way, but this showcase of dark - very dark - breakbeat-ridden techno from the very north of the UK just isn’t my thing, really. It sometimes sounds as if Aphex Twin looked into the strobelight for two hours straight, which obviously won’t make it easy to digest, really. Sick, weird, apocalyptic stuff... and in its consequence almost funny. 5/10