8.5/10.Ī full decade after the celebrated The Gemini Principle, English producer dBridge returns to the album format with A Love I Can’t Explain. One of the dance floor moments of the year, this will be the highlight of many sets for months to come. The star of the show though is Octo Octa’s stunning ten minute take on Simmer which closes the album in impressive style. Also worth checking are the Harthouse style thump of Tr é bucher, the Four Tet gone paranoid anthem Subtitles, and the spacey half step acid of Minotaurs. The subtle trance melodies of Myriad follow, building slowly but surely until you find yourself completely lost in its softly rising riffs. Opener, Simmer is a glorious statement of intent, rough jungle rhythms merging with amen breaks and some elastic sounding acid lines to give us a track which gets hearts pumping from the off. Throwing Snow’s third LP for the label, Loma, is one for the clubs, formed as it is of nine beat heavy grooves. For every dance floor ‚banger‘ you get the glacial vocal ambiance of Penelope Trappes or the lush IDM of Vester Koza. London imprint Houndstooth is one of those labels which constantly manage to catch even the most vigilant of listeners by surprise. To cosying up in a home-made blanket fort At times achingly beautiful, Darkly is an album you never want to end. Other picks include the Cinematic Orchestra style late-night jazz of Sleepy Bird, the achingly beautiful ambiance o f Lullaby, the gorgeously stirring Flight Through Thunderclouds, and the nostalgia inducing twinkles of closer Prince. Next up, I Walk, I Fly is a mournful piano track which utilises minimal instrumentation to conjure a vast array of emotions. After a short Prologue, For All The People With Broken Hearts merges stuttering beats, cottony keys and the sound of a baby gurgling to create a track which brings to mind DJ Shadow, Blockhead, or vintage Mo’Wax. Bittersweet melodies combine with slo mo hip hop beats to create a rich, coherent record which just might be Georgy Kotunov’s best yet.
Out now on Project Mooncircle, Darkly is the type of record which immediately sounds like a long lost friend. 9.5/10.Ĭonceived in 2015 as an album for the piano, Saint Petersburg based artist Long Arm’s new magnum opus is a delicate and enticing collection of music for the soul. The whole album is divine though, meaning The Fifty Eleven Project is an LP to cherish and to love. Other gems include the gorgeously gentle lullaby of CT, the swoon-inducing piano melody of 50 11, the so fragile sounding you’re scared it might break Dur For Vitus, and the melancholic strains of 061016. Opener, Line Of Life (Prologue) is full of optimistic wonder, the moment the violins enter the fray towards the end will reside in your heart for a long, long time. The results are heart-rending and close to sublime. According to the press notes, the record “interprets and evokes the emotional rollercoaster Kasper experienced, from his cancer diagnosis and throughout the five years of regular check-ups”. It contains moments so exquisite they almost take your breath away. Released under the name Kasper Bj ø rke Quartet, the album sees the Danish producer collaborate with Claus Norreen, Davide Rossi and Jakob Littauer. The resulting long-player is a personal and moving collection of classical inspired ambiance. Kasper Bjørke’s new album, The Fifty Eleven Project, marks a milestone for the artist, in that it was released on the second anniversary of the producer being given the all clear from cancer. So, start gathering those blankets, and let us begin… We have the heartfelt electronica of the Kasper Bjørke Quartet, the lonesome beatscapes of Long Arm and dBridge, the bass heavy drama of Throwing Snow, hot compilations from Fabric and Cultivated Electronics, and lots more. This week’s selection of albums will make the perfect soundtrack to cosying up in a home-made blanket fort with either your loved one or yourself. With a cruel arctic chill threatening to overwhelm the country, it’s time for any sane person, or maybe just me, to consider giving up on the outside world and indulging in an extended duvet break. Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world