2014 In Music, Forked…

Just in time for the New Year, it’s time to wrap a decorative ribbon around the bouquet of sonic good times that was 2014. Well, I say good times though the general consensus seems to be that the whole world got a little bit absurdly darker this year, ending on a volatile pas de deux of words between North Korea and the US sparked into being by, of all things, a Seth Rogen movie. Still, this isn’t to say there wasn’t anything to enjoy over the past few months either, and to celebrate the music at least, I’ve done a little bit of collating as well as a fair bit of playlist-making to give 2014 the blinkered send-off it deserves.

Before we get started though, I’d just like to give major big-ups to Mixcloud for housing all of my mixes this year, free of charge. Connect via Facebook now and you’ll no doubt find a few friends on there already enjoying work from their favourite artists/DJs as well as their own homemade mixes; it’s a rather nifty thing enjoying its own fine slice of success that only promises/deserves to get that much bigger over 2015.

N.B. Have tried to put Spotify links in wherever possible so feel free to peruse.

But I digress, and here we go…

 

Dibder’s 2014 Megamix Pt.1 (To Dance)

Featuring Ariana Grande, Basement Jaxx, Charli XCX, Electric Youth, Hercules And Love Affair, I Am A Camera, iamamiwhoami, Katy B, Kele, Kiesza, Little Boots, Mary J. Blige, Mr. Little Jeans, Röyksopp & Robyn, Shamir, The 2 Bears, Todd Terje and Zola Jesus.

 

Top 10 EPs Of 2014

1) Do It Again by Röyksopp & Robyn

2) Penny by Penny

3) Ocean Death by Baths

4) Waterfall by Evian Christ

5) Lion Babe by Lion Babe

6) Business Pleasure by Little Boots

7) Hey by LE1F

8) Duck Droppings by Duck Sauce

9) Northtown by Shamir

10) No Bells On Sunday by Mark Lanegan Band

 

Top 5 Debut Albums Of 2014

1) Flatland by Objekt

2) Pocketknife by Mr. Little Jeans

3) Kiasmos by Kiasmos

4) LP1 by FKA twigs

5) Music For The Uninvited by Leon Vynehall

 

Dibder’s 2014 Megamix Pt. 2 (To Darken)

Featuring Aphex Twin, Baths, DJ Dodger Stadium, Evian Christ, FKA twigs, Gazelle Twin, Guy Gerber Vs. Puff Daddy, Kate Tempest, Leon Vynehall, Moiré, Neneh Cherry, Objekt, Perc, Run The Jewels and Young Fathers.

 

Top 3 Comebacks Of 2014

1) Syro by Aphex Twin

2) Hotel Valentine by Cibo Matto

3) Blank Project by Neneh Cherry

Needless to say, if she came out with any new material this year, Kate Bush would have had this thing sewn up following her sensational return to the stage this summer but I’ve already wittered on about that…

 

Top 3 Artists I Just Couldn’t Get On Board With In 2014

1) Sam Smith

2) Royal Blood

3) Iggy Azalea

Dishonourable mention must also go to the vapid, would-be-empowering bland-pop of Meghan Trainor, but seeing as she only released an EP this year, we’ll give here another twelve months to dig herself deeper with her brand of cloyingly insincere, body-image-obsessed guff.

 

Worst Album Of 2014

Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classics by Aretha Franklin

I don’t mean to be disrespectful to one of the greatest singers the world has ever heard, but it can’t be ignored that her version of “Rolling In The Deep” was the worst thing to happen to music this year. And that’s even after “All About That Bass” happened. That’s how genuinely, shockingly awful it is…

 

Dibder’s 2014 Megamix Pt. 3 (To Depart)

Featuring Against Me!, Alt-J, Carla Bozulich, Cibo Matto, D’Angelo And The Vanguard, East India Youth, Fatima, How To Dress Well, Jon Hopkins, Kelis, Kiasmos, Lana Del Rey, Little Dragon, Perfume Genius, The Acid, The War On Drugs and TV On The Radio.

Top 50 Albums Of The Year

50) Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey

49) Sisyphus by Sisyphus

48) Sea Island by Loscil

47) Liminal by The Acid

46) Life Is Easy by Bright Light Bright Light

45) Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes by Thom Yorke

44) Psychic 9-5 Club by HTRK

43) Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings

42) Wonderland by ceo

41) EVE by Angélique Kidjo

40) Gone Girl – Soundtrack From The Motion Picture by Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

39) Camino by Gustavo Santaolalla

38) Sucker by Charli XCX

37) This Is All Yours by Alt-J

36) This Is My Hand by My Brightest Diamond

35) Singles by Future Islands

34) To Be Kind by Swans

33) Friend Of Mine by DJ Dodger Stadium

32) The Feast Of The Broken Heart by Hercules And Love Affair

31) The Air Between Words by Martyn

30) Happiness Is Happening by Roman Flügel

29) Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs

28) The Power And The Glory by Perc

27) Blank Project by Neneh Cherry

26) Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!

25) My Love Is A Bulldozer by Venetian Snares

24) E s t a r a by Teebs

23) Chiaroscuro by I Break Horses

22) I Never Learn by Lykke Li

21) Lion by Peter Murphy

20) Naturally… by Dana Ruh

19) Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels

18) Shelter by Moiré

17) Hotel Valentine by Cibo Matto

16) Everybody Down by Kate Tempest

15) Syro by Aphex Twin

14) It’s Album Time by Todd Terje

13) Yellow Memories by Fatima

12) EX by Plastikman

11) Music For The Uninvited by Leon Vynehall

10) Boy by Carla Bozulich

9) LP1 by FKA twigs

8) “What Is This Heart?” by How To Dress Well

7) Too Bright by Perfume Genius

6) Kiasmos by Kiasmos

5) Pocketknife by Mr. Little Jeans

4) Trick by Kele

3) BLUE by iamamiwhoami

2) Flatland by Objekt

1) Nabuma Rubberband by Little Dragon

You know when a really good friend of yours comes through and is able to show the entire world how awesome they are, even blind-siding yourself in the process as even though you’ve always adored them you’re just as shockingly-surprised at how wonderful they are capable of being? That’s what Little Dragon did with their fourth album, featuring work as heady and swoony as previous wares have been, but now distilled with the sort-of “I have arrived” confidence that inspires rather than irks. Here’s to the victory lap that 2015 undoubtedly should be for them!

And that’s your lot for this year, everyone! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading and listening to everything I’ve put out… all I s’pose there is left to say now is:

Happy New Year, xxxo

December 2014: The Playlist

Well, howdy-doody-do…

You’ve actually caught me in the feverish midst of Christmas Eve-Eve, so I’m going to keep this mercifully short. I did manage to attain my tally of four hundred new albums/EPs though, which may not be as impressive as getting all my Yuletide shopping done, but it’s still something. As a result, there will be more words to come before the end of the year, obviously, but for now:

Dibder’s 2014: December Mix

01) “Heroine” by Little Boots

02) “Nobody But You” by Mary J. Blige

03) “Walking Waters” by Saa

04) “No Sorrowing (Kangding Ray Mix)” by Ben Frost

05) “Bleeding Ink” by Loscil

06) “Fallen Funk” by Theo Parrish

07) “Real Fine Day” by Mike Farris

08) “Still Your Girl” by Somi

09) “Jungle Lady” by Lion Babe

10) “Another Life” by D’Angelo And The Vanguard

See you just before the New Year, and Merry Christmas…

xxxo

November 2014: The Playlist

Aye’up all,

Just a couple of notes to make before I sojourn on with my monthly rambles…

First up, in a little-over-a-week’s time I shall be (dis)gracing the DJ booth at London’s The Black Cap on Friday 5th December for the third Audacity party, the newest gay indie music night to take root in the capital. For a taste of what to expect, here’s a mix of what I played the last time around at the premier shindig way back in July:

If you’re in town, please do well to poke your head in and party the night away with us. As well as myself there will also be tunes spun courtesy of Little Bastard and Silverhook, along with special guest DJ David OBryan, plus (PLUS!) a live set from electro-witch-hopper Baby Tap, of whom you can have a listen to his album Gem Pop right here:

It’s sure to be messy (hell, it wouldn’t be Camden otherwise!), but it’s also sure to be a shitload of fun, so please come along!

In other news, I also made it to see Goldfrapp‘s special one-off performance at the Royal Albert Hall earlier in the month, heralding the last moment of their Tales Of Us promo campaign alongside a twenty-piece orchestra and fifty-strong female choir. Those in attendance hoping for some of the resplendent glamour-stomp pop found in the livelier parts of the duo’s back catalogue were sure to be bemused as Alison and (latterly) Will dedicated the night to a full rendition of their aforementioned sixth studio set released last year, which found them at their most bucolic and swoonsome, re: pretty much absent of overt poppy electronic flourishes (and in passing, it does often bear a resemblance to Kate Bush‘s “A Sky Of Honey” suite from Aerial, but I’ve already written about that, so…) Consisting of biographical paeans to some of the duo’s closest friends (even taking said subjects’ own names as song titles), the mood evoked is striking in its galvanizing intimacy, creating an intensity that held the sold-out concert hall audience in rapt awe as Will’s arrangements swept through the expanse, sometimes fraught with menace, other times awash with incandescent sublimity (frequently both, to be honest). Alison herself cut quite the enigmatic figure throughout, coming in early on a few lines on some songs and frequently wondering offstage as if in a trance; whether this was down to her own nervousness or perhaps something else, who could say, but her voice still held true, as tremulously clairvoyant as it is on recording, matching Will’s arrangements ceaselessly in her ability to mix shades of salient light and foreboding dark within a single note.

Given her erratic behaviour in the first half as well as the thematic nature of these intense songs, it could very well have been that the material on Tales is perhaps still a little too harrowing for her to perform at times, for once the choir summoned in the second half for a rendition of previous album Head First‘s closing curio “Voicething“, Alison and her players began making their way through older material that noticeably put both herself and the audience much more at ease. Still taking its pastoral cues from Tales, the rest of the live set consisted primarily of tracks from debut album Felt Mountain and their almost-illegally-gorgeous Seventh Tree, a canny move as not only are these two LP’s arguably the most revered by fans but the arrangements found on these albums lend themselves better to the live set-up of orchestra, choir and band that Alison and Will were able to gather together at the Royal Albert. Highlights thereafter included Alison straddling two microphones to wail alongside the sinister trip-hop trappings of Mountain‘s “Lovely Head” and the choir chiming brightly away throughout Tree‘s “Caravan Girl“, by which point Alison had politely asked if the audience could stop being so formal and to “please stand up”. By the encore, Alison even had enough chutzpah to admonish a particularly blinkered heckler begging her to sing “Strict Machine” with a perfectly aloof retort of “I’ve forgotten how that goes…” She finished with “Black Cherry” instead, a perfect finale in its sublime blend of aching soul and electro-pop smarts that have stayed true with Alison and Will for fifteen years now, and it was fucking gorgeous.

Oh, and John Grant was there, and he was as darkly adorable as always…

So yeah, that was good, but enough chitter-chatter about past and future events, here’s what is “happening” with me right now:

Dibder’s 2014: November Mix

01) “Vista” by iamamiwhoami

02) “In Sintesi” by Róisín Murphy

03) “I Had This Thing” by Röyksopp featuring Jamie Irrepressible

04) “Held” by Kiasmos

05) “Violence” by Andy Stott featuring Alison Skidmore

06) “Kings Of The South” by Big K.R.I.T.

07) “Angel Duster” by Run The Jewels

08) “Love Stained” by TV On The Radio

09) “Radio Tokyo” by Hookworms

10) “Seguir” by Gustavo Santaolalla

And that’s it… Until next time, Merry Christm… fuck NO! NO!

Sorry xxxo

Remembering Utopia (Channel 4) + October 2014: The Playlist

“Where is Jessica Hyde?”

The above quote is sure to take on a newly poignant resonance for fans of startlingly-good cult TV now as UK broadcaster Channel 4 has seen fit to call time on one of its most challenging original dramatic productions in recent years; Dennis Kelly‘s trenchantly-funny conspiracy-thriller opus, Utopia. Taken purely on values of diminishing viewership, this shouldn’t have come as anything surprising, seeing as the second series debuted this summer to less than one million viewers and slowly-yet-surely dwindled to less than three-hundred-thousand thereafter. However, Utopia‘s presence in the current TV landscape was still something truly special enough that surely Channel 4 shouldn’t have let it go; as stylistically and thematically warped as Charlie Brooker‘s Black Mirror series but devilish enough in its convictions to set its feverish ramblings in the real world, its unique blend of twitchy paranoia, harrowing ultraviolence and hysterical comedy was lauded by all who saw it (re: unless you actually read The Daily Mail), and despite modest viewing figures had even managed to gather enough momentum to get HBO and David Fincher to commit to bringing a US adaptation to fruition. With its strident anti-authoritarianism, sly indoctrination of the media and challenging moral compass that continually wavered with every speech about selfishness over utilitarianism, it never offered its audience anything less than close-to-the bone wit and involving drama.

Utopia sets its disregard for typical espionage thriller tropes out as early as its opening scene via a siege on a comic book shop made by two heavies as disquietingly peculiar as you’re likely to have seen on TV. From there on, the first series was a foul-mouthed, violent romp, as a rag-tag group of comic book geeks in possession of an unpublished manuscript for a graphic novel that may contain details about a future genocide find themselves on the run from not just these menacing hitmen, but also by the authorities after being falsely implicated in all kinds of nasty business at the behest of an omniscient government-controlling syndicate, known only as The Network, bent on sterilizing the world. These guys are so deplorable they are not even above performing an impromptu primary school massacre (that’s only just kept offscreen) to get their work done. The second series broadened the show’s scope even further, not least in a sterling premiere that provided plenty of juicy context into the virus’ creation by granting its key progenitors a wealth of backstory, the resulting series thereby picking up where the first left off but with a far murkier ethical understanding of why and what the Network was doing what it was. Throughout all of this there were moments of inspired pitch-black comedy as well as gut-wrenching moments of tension, one perfect example of both being when one character tries to evade an assassin squad whilst being handcuffed to someone dying from a heart attack or a hostage antagonizing their kidnappers by smiling in their ransom photograph despite having a gun pointed at their head.

Technically, it was also a marvel that popped out at you in idiosyncratic style; The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has often said his making the titular characters yellow was a choice so that even a casual TV viewer can instantly discern when an episode was on whilst hopping through their channels and it’s quite clear Kelly and his team took similarly bold strategies to make sure Utopia looked and sounded like nothing else. Offering up moments of Magritte-inspired imagery swathed in saturated colours that erred so close to the toxically-saturated as to make you feel queasy, the digital colouring also made sure that every moment of bloodletting was contrasted to perturbed perfection. One particular standout masterstroke was having season two’s flashback opener seemingly being filmed via an aspect ratio suggesting an old home movie camera, thereby inheriting a gorgeous ’70s-style hue throughout. And special mention must also go to Christobal Tapia de Veer‘s marvelous score, which complemented the action onscreen perfectly in terms of its schizophrenic ability to navigate right-left-right-again turns with pieces of chopped up samples as dementedly-playful as they were disturbingly-tense.

For all of its acidic bent though, at heart Utopia was always a little too spiky and volatile to perhaps attain true crossover success; much like the school shooting did in series one, series two courted its own controversial snipes from right-minded mouth-pieces for incorporating the real-life assassination of Conservative politician Airey Neave as a key plot point in its narrative. It’s dissection of the media as a method of communicating how it is used to instill fear and paranoia into the public mind was razor-sharp also; away from clever bon-mots like coded messages being hidden in the ticker-tape of twenty-four hour news channels whilst it showed coverage of the inconsequential Youtube video (Roomba Cat!), it’d be a little uncomfortable watching it now and hearing what it has to say amidst all the Ebola outbreak coverage currently subsuming our news feeds. There’s also the overriding theme of child abuse that emerges and permeates throughout the second season specifically, a hard-sell for some even when its treated with the utmost seriousness as it is here, both as metaphor via how The Network seeks to allegedly save the world by partially destroying most of its populace, directly via specific character relations that I won’t go into here for the sake of remaining spoiler-free. Needless to say, as warped as Utopia is, it’s still engrossing and powerful enough to warrant some sort of retribution from fans just to indeed find out where Miss Hyde is now. I haven’t even gone into how committed performances from each of the cast members are, principal and recurring; not only is everyone written with enough of a sharp zest to make them instantly engaging, but everyone’s clearly having the time of their lives playing all of this nonsense to the hysterical hilt. Ultimately though, Utopia‘s continuation may be even bleaker than the future posited by its own twisted mythology; that shouldn’t stop anyone with the stomach for brilliant drama from taking a chance and rediscovering it for themselves though.

Great, now that that’s out of the way, back to beeswax. Here it is:

Dibder’s 2014: October Mix

01) “Never Catch Me” by Flying Lotus featuring Kendrick Lamar

02) “Metropolis” by Logic

03) “Can’t Do Without You” by Caribou

04) “Coasting” by Kele

05) “We Fall In Love” by Lamb

06) “Ratchet” by Objekt

07) “Secrets” by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

08) “Dangerous Days” by Zola Jesus

09) “I’m Not The Bad Guy” by My Brightest Diamond

10) “Smokestackmagic” by Mark Lanegan Band

And until next time, Happy Halloween everybody! xxxo

Before The Dawn + September 2014: The Playlist

What’s up, you little snots!?!?!

Apologies for that, but as is customary with these end-of-month posts, I’m always in a bit of a mood that consists of a primary conflation of relief and agitation… or perhaps it’s just plain tiredness, who knows/cares? However, this month I can also add a little dash of an elated tizz to my typical mood for I was able to play my part as a first-hand spectator to what will likely be one of 2014’s key reference points in the annals of pop music history. For you see, I was one of the lucky thousands of people who had the opportunity to see the inimitable Kate Bush live on stage at the Eventim Apollo in London for her first live tour in thirty-five years, a twenty-two date residency that sold out within minutes of tickets becoming available online. Of course, there was intense consternation from fans as to what exactly Bush and her creative team, dubbed the KT Fellowship, were to come up with right from the off. Whilst she has begun to tentatively release more music after a dry spell that lasted over a decade beginning with 2005’s beauteous Aerial (subsequently backed up by 2011’s double release of the questionable remix compilation Director’s Cut and the thankfully-amazing 50 Words For Snow), a primary worry was whether Bush would even be present onstage at all, on account of her well-documented crippling stage-fright. And even if she was, was she up to the physical demands of such a long run of shows after decades away from the live performance arena, and could her team come up with something worth waiting thirty-five years for in terms of content and quality, something that felt as timeless and special as her music does but that also had the appropriate level of bombast and wonder that could only be conveyed in a live show created in 2014?

Given the finite work present in the writing, arrangements and production of her studio albums (all mostly credited to herself, literary icons notwithstanding), even the passing fan would assume that a live performance of her particular oeuvre wouldn’t be anything less than a huge undertaking diligently constructed with passion and flair, and the Before The Dawn tour didn’t disappoint (unless you were hoping for anything pre-Hounds Of Love being performed anyway). A three-hour production (read: not a concert) split in to two halves, the stage is primarily set as a slick, “greatest hits”-style affair, as Bush’s band and back-up singers file themselves onstage to deafening cheers from the audience in front of an expansive, top-of-the-line lighting rig. Then as the intro to The Red Shoes‘ “Lily” begins, Bush herself enters barefoot to a standing ovation so instant and cathartic it’s a wonder the roof of the Eventim hasn’t been blown off; she’s visibly overwhelmed and teary-eyed from the crowd’s reaction (and it won’t be the last time that happens tonight), but with a cautiously gracious smile she gets things going agreeably with a smattering of her more well-known hits, including a barnstorming rendition of “Top Of The City“, her voice still more-than-capable of reaching those spine-tingling highs. Then, after about thirty minutes, the concert set-up is literally blown away, as one of the band’s percussionists takes centre stage away from Bush for the finale of “King Of The Mountain” and heralds in a seismic scene-change that plunges the concert hall into darkness to rapturous applause. And this is when Bush’s unique otherness really starts to take hold of the show, externalizing itself into a spectacle that manages to deliver a challenging-yet-rewarding cross between the cinematic, the theatrical and the musical.

Preceded by an amusing interlude featuring a flustered astronomer, the rest of the first half dedicates itself to the second half of her Hounds Of Love album, or “The Ninth Wave” as Bush and her fans have deigned to moniker it, which details a woman’s physical and emotional journey as she fights for survival after being thrown overboard into a deathly-cold sea. Bush had wanted to create something of a mini-movie inspired by this suite back when Hounds was first released in 1985, but came up against too many technical, logistical and financial difficulties with regards to trying to capture her vision. Now, armed with a bevy of collaborators including novelist David Mitchell, creature/set designer Robert Allsopp and former Royal Shakespeare Company alum Adrian Noble among others utilizing all kinds of formidable stagebound trickery, she was able to deliver this tale to her audience in person. True, it may have been harder to swallow for some expecting a simple live band set-up, especially during a few longer-than-most scene changes being coupled with Bush’s frequent prolonged exits from the stage, but at least she and her team endeavoured to deliver something no one had likely seen before or will ever again, especially in the moments featuring our beleaguered heroine projected on to a giant screen singing wistfully of sheep as she lifelessly drifts in a watery expanse. For those not particularly fond of the West End-style theatrics offered by “Wave”, the night’s second half offered something a little more pleasingly abstract in terms of narrative and production, itself based on another nightly half of one of Bush’s albums, namely the suite “A Sky Of Honey” from Aerial. The band were back at the forefront after being foisted downstage by “Wave’s” ambitious set-pieces and were even able to interact properly with some of the action this time, imbuing the second half with a more improvisational, organic feel particularly near the end once Bush’s blackbird character had worked everyone into a frenzy for a high-flying finale.

In truth, there is far more for me to tell here than three long paragraphs can do justice to, and not all of it is complimentary. Bush’s evident penchant for theatricality did give rise to moments that strove for profundity but came across as rather clunky and forced; one such instance of this was the whole prelude inside the crooked room before “Watching You Without Me” in “Wave”, even if it provided one of the staging highlights of the night not just with the self-contained structure’s rocking back and forth but ultimately when Bush magically inserted herself into the scene. When I saw it, the audience took a collective breath of surprise that segued into a sigh of relief, previously desperate for the star to return to the stage as soon as possible. Which isn’t to say that the rest of Bush’s company of actors, dancers and puppeteers didn’t work hard or lacked presence in of themselves (including her son Albert who, I shall put it politely, “seems promising”), it’s just that they were sharing the stage with a reluctant icon whose presence is still as earthy, enigmatic and engrossing as it was when she first came to prominence. By the point of the second act finale “Aerial“, which sees Bush taunt her band with an arm that has since become a wing resplendent with black feathers, her eyes widened with sensual hysteria as she screams “I want to be up on the roof”, it’s hard to ignore the woman’s magnetism, which offsets her misty-eyed humbleness when she directly acknowledges the audience at the encore wonderfully. Even if you come away from Before The Dawn a little waylaid by the sheer scale and more curious inclusions of its whole enterprise, there’s no doubt of its standing as a monument to its progenitor’s mercurial charm, talent and most importantly her gall to see something this peculiar and huge through to the end. And there’s half the chance that given how swimmingly this has all gone, she won’t leave it so long next time either…

Me an’ ma Kate Bush swaaagg…

And that was the proverbial that. In other news, September also happened to be the month I hit the magical 300 number in terms of new music releases that I had the pleasure (or not) of listening to. So to cap things off, here is:

Dibder’s 2014: September Mix

01) “Cirlont14 (Shrymoming Mix)” by Aphex Twin

02) “No Gravity” by Moiré

03) “Wilkie” by Roman Flügel

04) “The Mother Lode” by Thom Yorke

05) “Belly Of The Beast” by Gazelle Twin

06) “Hunger Of The Pine” by Alt-J

07) “Venus” by Nick Mulvey

08) “Fool” by Perfume Genius

09) “Wrong” by Kilo Kish

10) “White Is Red” by Death From Above 1979

Oh, and FKA twigs for the Mercury Prize 2014!!!

xxxo

August 2014: The Playlist

And there we have it people, summer is officially over. Now that the English weather has started to make its yearly shift from highly-changeable to plain-miserable, we can look forward to the rush towards the end of the year and a hearty bevy of all kinds of TV, film and music to be thrown our way. Whilst I personally can’t promise to keep up with everything in the two former fields (I’m presently caught between reconciling my feelings for Channel 4’s Utopia 2, trying to come up with a feasible plan to create my own Unikitty and the whole debacle that was “Freezergate” on The Great British Bake Off), at least the monthly playlists can be relied upon to keep plowing ahead to punctuate my preferred sonic highlights from 2014. So, without further ado, here is:

Dibder’s 2014: August Mix

01) “Killer In The Streets” by The Raveonettes

02) “Early Night” by Luluc

03) “Before The Moon” by Geotic

04) “Neglected Space” by Imogen Heap

05) “Two Weeks” by FKA twigs

06) “Dawn Of Luxor” by Shabazz Palaces

07) “Invisible/Visible” by Taylor McFerrin featuring Bobby McFerrin and Cesar Camargo Mariano

08) “If It Wasn’t True” by Shamir

09) “Never Say Never” by Basement Jaxx featuring ETML

10) “Indian Summer” by Guy Gerber Vs. Puff Daddy

On a personal note, I just want to dedicate this to the man who presented me with my degree back in 2005 and whom I had the privilege of shaking his hand as I did so. Sir Richard Attenborough, you will be sincerely missed.

xxxo

July 2014: The Playlist

Hey y’all,

July has been a long and busy month for myself, mainly because my getting paid on the last Thursday of every month means I’ve had to deal with a five-week monstrosity whilst everyone else got seen to at least a week beforehand. Not only that, but I’ve been tinkering with playlists in an effort to beef up my official DJ debut at the following brand-spanking-new club night this coming Friday:

The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that the live special guest has changed since last month to frisky synth-pop duo T.W.i.N.S, but the event itself will still be as fun, if not more so, with its blend of electronic, rock, pop and alternative music. If you’re in Camden, please pop along for a drink and a bop or several.

However, in the meantime take a listen to what has caught my ear over the past few weeks:

Dibder’s 2014: July Mix

01) “Lust For Life” by Bright Light Bright Light

02) “Love Songs” by DJ Dodger Stadium

03) “Light On Edge” by Fhloston Paradigm featuring Natasha Kmeto

04) “Basic Instinct” by The Acid

05) “Nuit 17 à 52” by Christine And The Queens

06) “Crushin'” by A Sunny Day In Glasgow

07) “I’m On Your Side” by Peter Murphy

08) “EXpire” by Plastikman

09) “Fingertips” by Caustic Window

10) “10th Circle Of Winnipeg” by Venetian Snares

Wish me luck and see you on the other side… xxxo

2014, The First Half… + June 2014: The Playlist

Hey y’all,

So in spite of everything, we’ve made it to halfway through the year 2014 and before I bestow June’s blogmix upon the Internet for the delectation of any and everyone, in honour of making it through two-hundred new albums, EPs and mixtapes already over the past six months, I’m writing a few brief words on my favourite albums of the year so far. So without further fanfare…

My Top 10 Albums Of The Year So Far… In Alphabetical Order

Boy – Carla Bozulich

With a music career embodied by over thirty years of work including collaborations with Marianne Faithfull and Wilco, Bozulich’s fourth solo effort arrived with some of the composer’s best critical notices ever, the album’s eerily belligerent aura no doubt ensnaring each listener as its progenitor’s weathered vocals navigate through passages of Americana blues at its most tortured, dank and gorgeously gothic.
Metacritic Score: 83
Spotify Link

Everybody Down – Kate Tempest

If you were ever going to label any single artist of 2014 as ‘prodigious’ it would be pretty difficult to try and find anyone who can topple Tempest; already a prize-winning poet and playwright with a novel due out next year, she’s done well to also find time to lay down one of the most arresting hip hop debuts of the year, her passionate rhymes detailing an sordidly intricate story of city-based stragglers that’s never less than engaging.
Metacritic Score: 80
Spotify Link

Hotel Valentine – Cibo Matto

Easily laying claim as one of the late 90s’ greatest pop curios, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda’s music project went on hiatus after the release of only their second album (1999’s severely underrated pop gem Stereo Type A); with their creative juices rejuvenated after reuniting for a tour in 2011, its an absurd pleasure to report that none of their daffy pop smarts have dulled in their time apart.
Metacritic Score: 75
Spotify Link

It’s Album Time – Todd Terje

In terms of how long it has taken for reputable dance music DJ Terje to release his debut collection, quite a few of his fans would do well to change the title of his debut album to “It’s About Time”; however, when you get throwback disco this heady, propulsive and entertaining, such qualms can be easily rescinded (N.B. it’s the album Daft Punk probably should have come out with last year).
Metacritic Score: 80
Spotify Link

Music For The Uninvited – Leon Vynehall

Vynehall’s talent is certainly not one to be confused with the deluge of his so-called contemporaries who dabble in radio-friendly vocal pop to get that all-important number one debut single; sure, his debut mini-LP is a collection of more-than-nod-worthy house music, but it also happens to take its cues from as many classical samples as there are electronic, only to take them into equally euphoric places.
Metacritic Score: NR
Spotify Link

Nabuma Rubberband – Little Dragon

After courting notable plaudits for their previous albums along with their guest-work on albums from the likes of Damon Albarn, Dave Sitek and SBTRKT, the Swedish quintet hit their stride with indelible, world-taking confidence on their fourth album, the group’s brand of soul-flecked electro-pop owing as much to the sublimely sinister machinations of trip hop as it does the bubbly swathes of guitar-led alt-R&B.
Metacritic Score: 77
Spotify Link

Naturally… – Dana Ruh

Gorgeously deep house is the theme of the day with this German DJ/producer’s long-in-the-offing debut album, having kept herself busy with minimal-minded offerings since ingratiating herself into Berlin’s crowded electronic music scene in 2005; the title itself couldn’t be more perfectly suited to the wares within too, as Ruh’s ear for swoonsome sequencing creates an effortless ebb well worth being carried away by.
Metacritic Score: NR
Soundcloud Link

Pocketknife – Mr. Little Jeans

Having coasted on plenty of blogs’ Next Big Thing lists for the good part of five years since her cover of Arcade Fire‘s “The Suburbs” caught its fair share of appreciative listeners, Norwegian singer/songwriter Monica Birkenes’ solo project finally yielded album-shaped fruit with this collection of wistful electro-pop, which retains enough of a refreshing bite to make its heroine’s premier voyage a bittersweet joy.
Metacritic Score: 77
(No link for this one guys, sorry… You’ll just have to take my word for it!!)

“What Is This Heart?” – How To Dress Well

Crooner Tom Krell’s third album under his lovelorn persona finally saw his tremulous voice break through the reverb-heavy cage it was formerly imprisoned in and take centre stage, allowing the gorgeous arrangements and production flourishes to enhance his devastating lyrics rather than distract the listener from them; it’s more accessible and easier to listen to but the candid emotionality is still all there.
Metacritic Score: 79
Spotify Link

Yellow Memories – Fatima

Swedish native Fatima’s profile has been assuredly bubbling under for some time now since her debut EP was released back in 2010 after landing in London; blessed with a mercurial voice that offers inescapable comparisons with the nu-soul greats (Erykah Badu in particular), her album offers a varied showcase for both her songwriting craft and effortlessly blissful vocal delivery.
Metacritic Score: NR
Spotify Link

So there you are; if you think I’ve missed anything out/allowed something miscreantly terrible to slip into that miniscule chart of audio loveliness, please challenge me/let me know. And whilst you try and put your words together, please have a listen to this month’s selection of just-released awesomeness:

Dibder’s 2014: June Mix

01) “Shades Of Cool” by Lana Del Rey

02) “Cedar Lane” by First Aid Kit

03) “Palace” by The Antlers

04) “Trying To Do Better” by Tom Vek

05) “Coffee” by Sylvan Esso

06) “Repeat Pleasure” by How To Dress Well

07) “Simply Beautiful” by José James featuring Takuya Kuroda

08) “Thermal Capacity” by Answer Code Request

09) “Like That” by Martyn

10) “Pass This On (Shaken-Up Version)” by The Knife

And finally, one last thing… If you happen to be in London on Friday August 1st, you’d do well to try and make it down to Camden for the launch night of a brand-spanking-new gay indie night. Audacity is the name, venerable institution of late-night mirth and merriment The Black Cap is the venue and it promises to be a great party dedicated to the best rock/electro/alternative music, recent and classic, popular and obscure. As well as a multitude of DJs spinning their particular favourites (including yours truly, but don’t let that put you off!), the particularly fancy bon-mot of the night will be a live set from up-and-coming synthpop juggernaut I Am A Camera, who quite simply put are fucking amazing.

If you’re in town, please pop by… it’ll be an awfully grand adventure. Until then, xxxo

April 2014: The Playlist

In spite of myself, here I am everyone…

April is normally a busy month for me anyway, but what with this year being the thirtieth of which I have duly celebrated/suffered/indifferently-schlepped-through the process of life on this earth and my actual birthday being hijacked by one of British culture’s more boozy public holidays (thanks for dying for our sins so we can get absolutely wrecked for four whole days, ‘Our Lord’), my always-tentative grip on normalcy has seen its stubby, sweaty little fingers almost reduced to jelly. But it was all in good fun in the end, and thanks to everyone who wished me well and got me stuff/drunk throughout; I’m a firm believer in the Rule Of Three, so am entering the third decade of my life with a degree of excitement as to what to expect already…

But I digress, here’s a list of what I felt was April 2014’s finest new music:

Dibder’s 2014: April Mix

01) “Forever Be” by Kelis

02) “Blue Sunshine” by HTRK

03) “Flood Poems” by Inventions

04) “Swing Star (Part 1)” by Todd Terje

05) “My Cave” by Dana Ruh

06) “Be Brave, Clench Fists” by Leon Vynehall

07) “Take Your Body Off” by Perc

08) “Solace” by EMA

09) “I’m Not Part Of Me” by Cloud Nothings

10) “You Endless” by Squarepusher x Z-Machines

xxxo

March 2014: The Playlist

So that’s the first quarter of 2014 done and dusted. Going by quick this year, isn’t it? Been plenty of new music for us all too; have already cracked the 100 barrier with regards to new albums, EPs and mixtapes that have managed to find their way into the world within the past 90 days. There goes my promise of trying to slow down I guess, but whether I’ll crack 500 like I did last year still remains to be seen/heard.

In any event, here is March’s mix. Enjoy:

Dibder’s 2014: March Mix

01) “We Got A Love” by Shit Robot featuring Reggie Watts

02) “Rhythm Of Devotion” by Sisyphus

03) “Buzz” by LE1F

04) “Salt Carousel” by Evian Christ

05) “Pen#1” by Penny

06) “When We’re Gone” by Vijay Iyer

07) “Danceland” by Carla Bozulich

08) “Eyes To The Wind” by The War On Drugs

09) “Like The Moon” by Future Islands

10) “Mercy” by Mr. Little Jeans

xxxo