Reviews
Albums, tracks, gigs and clubs reviewed
Spoek Mathambo Mshini Wam [BBE] The urgent debut of South African rap’s expressive star is a bracing, brilliant listen.
Chilly Gonzales Ivory Tower Electroclash’s merry prankster makes a chess movie, and its soundtrack – but does he come out as the King?
Flying Lotus [ICA, London] Free jazz’s errant prince regent claims his crown at the ICA, with a subtle – and at times over-subtle – re-interpretation of his electronic masterwork ‘Cosmogramma.’
Zola Jesus Stridulum II [Souterrain Transmissions] Nika Danilova of Former Ghosts gets out nu-EBM album of black tones to terrific effect.
Janelle Monáe The ArchAndroid [Atlantic] David takes a look at one of the weirder records of recent months, from one of the weirder singers of recent years.
Wavves King Of The Beach [Bella Union] Muscular third album sees Nathan Williams coming to terms with the fact hip people are now into Lo-fi music, his project and, by extension, him.
Robyn Body Talk Part I David explains what Swedish Popstar Robyn’s second album has to tell us about the “oddity of spectacle” in 2010.
