Albums of the week
Kindess – ‘World You Need A Change Of Mind’ [Polydor/Female Energy]
It’s appropriate that London’s Adam Bainbridge should call himself Kindness. Hazarding at the the softer side of electronics, with this release through his own Polydor sub-label Female Energy, ‘World You Need A Change Of Mind’ reaches deep into the realms of tenderness. The contorted funk of Anyone Can Fall in Love and the synthesised hip hop swing of That’s Alright have a shamelessly romantic feel to them. Spare R&B and smooth jazz colour the swagger of Cyan and groove of Gee Wiz.
Bathed in the warm sun and boundless emotion only his electronically orchestrated sounds can achieve, Kindness runs along bashful synth-lines and rhythms resembling the constancy of a beating heart. Distilling elements of blue-eyed soul and unrestrained experimentalism, ‘World You Need A Change Of Mind’ provides a womb of aural escapism and wonderment. [SK]
Listen to Kindess – ‘World You Need A Change Of Mind’ [Polydor/Female Energy]
Tanlines – ‘Mixed Emotions’
‘Mixed Emotions’, Jesse Cohen of Tanlines tweeted, is “ A grown-ass album for complicated people (everyone). a dramedy”, The music is witty, inventive and snappy, located at some jumbled point in the past when sparking production and an inventive melodies were common currency in pop. They also believe, strongly, that even artists on the underground should write really, really great songs, which ironically makes them seem a little old-fashioned. The lyrics are mostly about realising that everyone is both different to you and not actually that different to you, and that life, people and their stuff are confusing and funny things. To be honest, this is what pop for grownups should be, and it hasn’t been for a while, which is why ‘Mixed Emotions’ is one of the most exciting, welcome records of the year.
Stream Tanlines – ‘Mixed Emotions’ [True Panther Sounds]
Odd Future – ‘The OF Tape Vol. 2’
Odd Future return with the first collective effort since their rise to stardom. Everyone from Voltron head Tyler, the softly-spoken Mike G, psych-soulers The Internet and even the now-free Earl are here and above all things the tape shows just how diverse the group are despite their quick assimilation into popular culture. Of course there are recurring tropes and those are evident here but the sophomore effort shows other sides of the multi-faceted OF and their newly-found fame provides another theme for the group to explore. Left Brain heaving trap bangers and Tyler, the Creator’s chords dominate the production but this gives the compilation a cohesiveness and makes asides like Frank Ocean’s White all the more special. It’s great to hear the group’s synergy again and see some of the lesser members getting an airing on a major release. Reluctant or refusing to change or commit to one thing, the tape is not so much a progression as a reminder that Odd Future are still about and they still don’t give a fuck. [AW]
Listen to Odd Future – ‘The OF Tape Vol. 2’
Various Artists – Stellae 1 [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
In the grand tradition of German techno labels, Stroboscopic Artefacts have made an insanely limited edition compilation album, beautifully packaged, that’s full of some of the most exquisite electronic music around. It’s two tracks per clear 10”, each side dedicated to one four artists – Lucy, Perc, Kevin Gorman and Borful Tang. Lucy contributes some pretty techno, Borful Tang more abstracted industrial, Perc some modulated soundscape-y stuff, while Kevin Gorman contributes two tracks of live / looped instrumentation. It’s the sound of electronic music reaching deeper into itself for stranger, purer, prettier solutions, and this is a real gem, seriously. [CRJ]
Buy Stellae 1 [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
