Singles & EPs Round up - 14th October 2021

Shida Shahabi - Cloud No 26 (Fatcat)

I don't connect with many classical pianists but Shahabi is an exception, as she again delivers the familiar but with her subtle boundary nudging way. Her aesthetic, the close up microphones capturing hammers and pedals as well and in this case the beautiful string accompaniment, as much as her virtuosity mark her out as a rare modern talent.

(Liv).e - CWTT+ (IN REAL LIFE)

The sounds of the microdosed nu-soul underground are in safe hands with (Live).e. Here the Dallas singer crafts another hazy soulscape for the late night, low light, leftfield R&B boys and girls.

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RIDDIM RESEARCH LAB - DOPEWISE (LOCAL TALK)

If the Brentford Allstars were still going and had  access to a Digital Audio Workstation they might like sound something like this funky, skank along, bass heavy cut and paste  double sided window rattler out of Sweden.

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Salamanda - ​卄Happy QuarantineҨ (Self Release)

Salamanda are holding down the tripped out Fourth World vibes in South Korea with  consistency and now seemingly increased regularity (check out their new Sphere LP as well). The girls snuck out this single over the summer to keep the toad licking ritual massive shaking and gyrating at the solstice ceremonies.

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Spaced out Krew - S.O.K (PPU)

The Spaced Out Crew sound like a bunch of Midwest proto house/electro/boogie producers from the 80s that plugged their AKAI sampler into the wrong socket, created a glitch in the time continuum and were thrown forward to the Viral 20s. Welcome back to the future guys.

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Luke Sanger - Mountain Dance (Cosmic Pint Glass)

It's been a good year for Luke Sanger, you might right remember we bigged up his Languid Gongue LP as well. Here he structures his warm electronic tones around more recognisable house rhythms to wonderful deep house effect and gets remixed by a couple of likely lads for the slightly darker dancefloors.

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House of Ho - Aiaiai/Please Hold (Zen 2000)

Real old school production but the vibes are right as the drum machine sounds, pleasing samples and simplistic synths combine together in lo-fi retro harmony to get the mellow message across, "Please Hold" especially.

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Laura Cannell, kate Ellis, Rhodri Davies & STewart Lee - August Sounds (Brawl REcords)

Cannell and Ellis enlist a couple of special guests to jump into the mushroom circle with them on this trip through experimental and psychedelic folk sounds. Another triumphant, remotely executed response to this age of virus.

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heka - (a) EP (Balloon Machine)

Leftfield hazy bedroom pop with a pleasing lo-fi appeal on this up close and personal recording from this London based urban troubadour, as she recounts her experiences and thoughts on life with a easy charm but no little conviction.

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