The Everlasting Shade

5. Music Can Hear Us- DJ Koze

Essentials: “Brushcutter” ft. Marley Waters, “The Universe in a Nutshell”, “Der Fall” ft. Sophia Kennedy

4. Luster- Maria Somerville

Essentials: “Garden”, “Violet”, “Stonefly”

3. i can’t be alone tonite- Set Dressing

Essentials: “gender balance”, “class valedictorian”

2. The Null Club EP- The Null Club

Essentials: “Slip Angle” ft. Valentine Caulfield, “Frameshift” ft. ELUCID

1. Under Tangled Silence- Djrum

Miguel recently released a new song called “RIP”, which is the 3rd single from his highly anticipated upcoming 5th LP, CAOS. Unlike the preceding singles from CAOS (”New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)” and “El Pleito”, respectively) which found Miguel continuing to channel the psychedelic soul sound of Wildheart, “RIP” sounds like some genuinely new terrain for him. Opening to soft synth swells, a gentle low-end stomp, and Miguel’s tender croon, “RIP” briefly stirs to life sounding like more of the same (not necessarily a bad thing) before metallic percussion and some bright 808s ignite the proceedings.

It’s always an interesting proposition to hear the solo work from musicians in well-established groups. Are they making a concerted effort not to alienate fans of their band, is it an excuse to follow ideas that wouldn’t fly in that band, are there any commercial considerations being made whatsoever? Regardless of intent, there’s always at least some reason for the solo moniker, and the freedom (if only marginal) to work outside the confines of expectation has resulted in some of the most compelling music ever made. Alan Dugges, who plays lead guitar in the great Irish noise rock band, Gilla Band, stuck the perfect balance on his self-titled solo debut EP as The Null Club, from earlier this year. Across 3 blistering tracks within the realm of experimental electronic noise rock, Alan managed to hone in on a sound that’s reminiscent of everything compelling about GB while carving out a distinctive, destructive identity that’s entirely his own.

The short but sweet TNC consists of just three songs in the span of 12 minutes, but it feels just as substantial as any other release that I’ve heard this year. The music consists of bludgeoning drum programming alongside immersive synths and dense shards of effects-laden guitar that are exquisitely textured, extremely expressive, and almost perpetually bleeding into the red. The music is almost unrelentingly abrasive, but there’s an impressive dynamic range present within these cacophonies that prevents the music from feeling like an oppressive slog. Each one of these songs features a guest vocalist, but the vocals aren’t leading these processions so much as they’re seamlessly woven into the mix like a different texture. The music on TNC moves with the fluidity of a single piece, and the way that each vocalist meshes with the music only serves to heighten the range that Alan managed to wring out of these extremely narrow sonic parameters.

Opener “Frameshift” begins unassumingly with soft synths tones before chugging industrial percussion enters the frame, and before long the music progresses into a nasty, electronic noise rock composition. The raw beat programming is superbly juxtaposed against lush synth drones and swathes of white guitar noise for a few measures before everything except for a bludgeoning bass synth and haunted field recordings abruptly dissipate to make room for a visceral ELUCID verse. While this could have been a clunky collaboration on paper, Alan cedes plenty of space to ELUCID, only embellishing his vocals with tastefully grotesque flourish around the margins. “14 Hours”, featuring the vocals of Faris Badwan, is a somewhat lighter affair, with an understated, but beautifully sung melody from Faris swaddled in layers of eviscerating guitar noise and a persistent hi-hat/snare rhythm. It’s the only moment on the EP where Alan allows any sweetness to seep in, but it’s carefully cut with sonic arsenic.

Closer “Slip Angle” featuring vocals from Valentine Caulfield of Mandy, Indiana is probably the highlight of the collection, but it hardly deviates from the carnage that precedes it. Over a wailing synth drone, tumbling floor tom loops, and vocal samples warped beyond recognition, Caulfield enters the frame delivering characteristically deadpan vocals in French. Within short order all the arrangements are swapped out for a bleating synth arpeggio reminiscent of a siren and a metallic sounding droning synth that break up the action nicely before the initial progression resumes. And shortly after things snap back into place, the music dives into a brief but aggressive techno outro that reimagines Gilla Band’s demolition derbys as dynamic dance music. Alan’s initial foray as TNC doesn’t deviate from the elements that make GB exciting, and it finds him explores another dimension of that same sensibility with remarkable precision.

Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo recently shared a new single called “Demon Time”, which is the 2nd song they’ve shared from their highly anticipated collaborative LP, In the Earth Again. Like their last single, “Radioactive Dreams”, “Demon Time” finds the perfect middle ground between CP’s curdled sludge metal/noise rock and HP’s delicate fingerpicking folk without sounding like a watered down compromise. The sound of “Demon Time” is akin to a creeping slowcore reverie that coasts along gorgeous fingerpicked guitars and streaks of distortion that glide across the mix like contrails.

Danny Brown recently shared a new single called “Starburst” from his upcoming 6th LP, Stardust. “Starburst” is a chaotic burst of avant-garde rap that feels like vintage Danny Brown through sheer exuberance while also being the first song of his to really make good on his love for hyperpop and its myriad of nascent subgenres. “Starburst”, which was produced by DJ Holly (the album also features production from the likes of Jane Remover, Frost Children, and Underscores) consists of squeaking synth arpeggios offset by distorted synths and air-tight trap drums that help ground the frenetic loops. Midway through, the music flips into a tribal drum propelled bridge that quickly makes way for an EDM build before landing on a different nasty sounding squelchy trap beat.

Bruiser and Bicycle recently released a new single called “Sinister Sleep Shuffle”, which is the latest taste of their upcoming 3rd LP, Deep Country. Whereas their last single, “Waterfight”, was a bit of a patiently building slow-burn, “Sinister Sleep Shuffle” picks things up as the band cruise along a nimble, cymbal-heavy rhythm that’s rounded out with jaunty acoustic guitars and a rollicking bassline.

The blended vocals from co-frontman Keegan Graziane and Nick Whittlemore are still understated, but their characteristic exuberance and colorful tone, which are extremely similar to Avey Tare and Kasra Kurt, still shine through the mix. With B&B, the way that vocals are employed express far more than what’s being said, and so lines like “The sheep won’t leap to your aid/If they hear coyotes creep”, while evocative, don’t convey quite as much as the giddy intonation they’re delivered with.

After releasing one of last year’s best records with his downtempo, avant-pop opus, PHASOR, Helado Negro is back with a new single called “More”, which is the first taste of his upcoming The Last Sound of Earth EP. Although more upbeat than the bulk of his last record, the lush sound design and reverb-drenched vocals that drift throughout “More” are very reminiscent of that record. After some unsteady synth chords rouse things to a slow start, funky drum programming and some fizzy synth arpeggios lock the music into an infectious, unrelenting groove.

Although Mandy, Indiana had been steadily building hype since their earliest explosive singles in the early 2020s, their excellent 2023 debut LP, i’ve seen a way, is an unusually well-realized debut that marked the true arrival of one of the most promising bands in experimental rock. Like many bands of their ilk, the touchstones weren’t hard to spot, but the way they were recontexutalized and assimilated into their overall sound presented M,I as a band with a completely distinctive vision. The immense anticipation for any word on a follow-up continues to build (they released a superb single last year called “Idea Is Best”, but that’s the extent so far), and earlier this year their guitarist/producer, Scott Fair, dropped his debut solo EP, i can’t be alone tonite, under the alias set dressing. While icbat doesn’t traffic in the sounds of noise rock fusing with techno like M,I, it casts a comparably dour, compelling spell that’s distinctly its own.

icbat is a 5 song, 18 minute EP credited strictly to sd. It’s spare, haunting synth music that never comes off as anything other than one person, composing music alone, possibly in some of the same caverns that isaw was recorded in. These songs swap M,I’s muscular, electronic rock quartet approach for impressionistic electronic soundscapes that put a much higher premium on texture, touching on coldwave, ambient, and vaporwave with equal aplomb. While there’s plenty to admire about the synth playing alone, icbat is an extremely insular affair, with no sort of obvious draw for anyone who isn’t already predisposed to music that keeps listeners at an arm’s length. The vocals are unintelligible whenever present, and they’re used more like another sound woven into the fold than a leading presence. But beneath the icy veneer, icbat offers plenty of the same sort of appeal that runs parallel to the adventurous spirit coursing through M,I’s veins.

The opening song/title track kick starts the EP on an eerie, propulsive note. An evocative synth arpeggio like something straight out of an 80s dystopian B film ignites right out of the gates, and within short order heavily effects-laden, otherworldly vocals, and a simple kick/snare drum machine rhythm join suit. Wisps of additional textures that sound like field recordings periodically glide through the mix, and the music eventually snaps into taut, foreboding coldwave groove. From there we flow into “it will only end”, which retains the rickety drum programming and indiscernible vocals of the former with a funkier synth progression. The following song, “date line”, is pure vaporwave bliss, with its chintzy synth arpeggios and lumbering snare groove. Although the words still can’t be made out beyond the enthusiastic “Date Line!” vocal sample, its campy sensibilities superbly offset the darkness of the rest of the EP.

The EP sustain its sinister streak throughout the final stretch, which is also where the music really hits its stride. On “gender balance”, the music settles into a creeping coldwave dirge, with codeine-coded drum programming propelling the proceedings. The vocals hit a deeply affecting peak as they breach the high end of Scott’s digitally treated register, wringing a deeply heartfelt poignancy from the synthetic tone despite the unintelligibility on display. The surreal emotional crux coupled with the slow-burn sway of the synths renders it the pinnacle of the sd project so far. And on closer “class valedictorian”, the vocals subside entirely as the music takes a turn towards dark ambient to close things out. Very little transpires throughout “class valedictorian”, but the evocative synth swells shifting throughout convey worlds of unease. While brief and not quite as visceral nor as dynamic as M,I, this first sd release exudes a uniquely disquieting that’s well hopefully hear expanded on.

Melody Protchet (who records music as Melody’s Echo Chamber) recently shared a new single called “Daisy”, which she recorded with Leon Michels, the frontman of El Michels Affair. “Daisy” is right in line with the sort of effervescent psychedelic pop that Protchet’s been making since the jump, but instead of the more visceral, kosmiche leaning side of her sound there’s an airiness to the proceedings here that you don’t always get with her work. There’s an understated delicacy to the chord progression and vocals alongside some particularly nimble rhythmic work.

Tortoise recently shared a new single called “Layered Presence”, and it’s the 2nd song they’ve shared from their upcoming 8th/comeback LP, Touch. Beginning with some nimble cymbal work and field recordings, “Layered Presence” quickly snaps into an infectious low-end heavy groove propelled by lush keys and a thunderous bassline. The music is sustains this groove for its all-too brief 3 minute runtime, with tasteful drum rolls, dreamy synth flourishes, and a brief but white-hot guitar solo each peppering the mix at various moments.

After years of delays, Miguel recently announced his highly anticipated upcoming 5th LP, CAOS, and shared the record’s first single “New Martyrs (Ride 4 U)”. “New Martyrs” is the sort of vintage Miguel slow jam that, with its smoldering bassline, succinct bursts of squealing guitar, and lumbering drum beat, cruises into a smokey ambiance and just luxuriates in that reverb-drenched, honeyed haze. The music sounds like an extension of the psychedelic soul sound that Miguel perfected on his 2015 opus, Wildheart, but with a lower fidelity and a looser structure than anything on that record.

Ragana and Drowse shared a new song called "In Eternal Woods, Pts. 2-3", and it's the first single that the two artists have shared from their upcoming collaborative LP, Ash Souvenir. As expected, Ragana's scorched black metal and Drowse's desolate drone are a sublime match for one another, and here they culminate in a delightfully harsh suite of experimental metal. The nasty, heavily effects-laden, droning guitar passages and booming percussion provide an excellent foundation for Ragana's curdled procession of shrieks to twist around.

10. Hornet Disaster- Weatherday

Essentials: “Blood Online”, “Green Tea Seaweed Sea”, “Angel”

9. Glory- Perfume Genius

Essentials: “It’s a Mirror”, “No Front Teeth” ft. Aldous Harding, “Dion”

8. Lonely People With Power- Deafheaven

Essentials: “Magnolia”, “The Marvelous Orange Tree”, “Winona"

7. Los Thuthanka- Los Thuthanka

Essentials: “Salay “Titi Ch’iri Siqititi””, “Jallalla Ayllu Pahaza Marka Qalaqutu Pakaxa”, “Huayno “Ipi Saxra””

6. Patience, Moonbeam- Great Grandpa

Essentials: “Junior”, “Never Rest”, “Task”

5. Gift Songs- Jefre Cantu-Ledesma

Essentials: “The Milky Sea”, “River That Flows Two Ways”, “Gift Song III”

4. Seeking Darkness- Huremic

Essentials: “Seeking Darkness Pt. 1”, “Seeking Darkness Pt. 4”, “Seeking Darkness Pt. 5”

3. From the Private Collection of Saba & No ID- Saba & No ID

Essentials: “How to Impress God”, “head.rap” ft. Madison McFerrin, Ogi, & Jordan Ward, “Breakdown”

2. hexed!- aya

Essentials: “off to the Esso”, “Time at the Bar”, “navel gazer”

1. 45 Pounds- YHWH Nailgun

Something in the Air", which is the 2nd single that they've released from their upcoming 7th LP, Blight. Like their last single, "Carnage", "Something in the Air" begins like what fans of TA would typically expect from them with its softly strummed acoustic guitar, gentle patter of keys, and frontman Peter Silberman's whispered croon fighting for space in the mix. The elegant piano melody driving the arrangement in particular is one of the loveliest things that they've ever recorded, which makes the abrupt mid-song change up that much more satisfying.

There's a long lineage of rapper/producer team-ups that combine the idiosyncrasies of each artist into a compelling blend of distinctive sensibilities that sounds like it couldn’t have been made by anyone but the two of them. Records as desperate as Madvillainy, Beast Mode, and 3rd Shift find the sweet spot between the wheelhouses of both the rapper and producer involved, with each artist managing to pull something surprising and thrilling out of the other that they may not have managed if simply left to their own devices. Earlier this year, the Chicago born, LA-based artists, Saba and No ID, joined forces for such an endeavor, and the resulting LP that emerged from those sessions, aptly titled From the Private Collection of Saba and No ID, is yet another strong addition to this form that finds each artist delivering some of the most compelling music that either of them have ever made.

While NI has worked with a myriad of great MCs over the years, Saba feels like the perfect match for his stylistic range. Saba's dexterous flows and innate melodic gifts allow him to navigate anything that NI throws his way with remarkable precision. Saba is completely in his bag here, whether that calls for tightly-wound introspection on "How to Impress God" or the loose, carefree sway of "head.rap". Compared to a record like Saba's devastating 2018 opus, Care for Me, FtPCoSaNI sounds almost casually tossed off from a tonal standpoint, but the craft on display isn't slighter by any means. As such, the record functions like a mixtape that showcases what Saba is capable of. Here, there's room for classic backpack cuts ("Breakdown"), triumphant hometown pride anthems (“Westside Bound Pt. 4” ), silky love jams ("crash") and jazz rap ("30 Second Chop") among so much else. While there isn't anything here that Saba hasn't already proven adept at, the immense versatility on display is staggering when hearing him execute it all at this level in such quick succession.

While Saba has had plenty of excellent fire power behind the boards propelling his raps to greater heights over the years, NI takes it to a whole other level. NI's beats here exude an immensely melodic gospel/neo-soul sensibility with a gritty boom-bap edge. The drums knock with a visceral thrust even at their most minimal, like on “Reciprocity”, while the rich keyboard chords wage war on your dopamine receptors on pretty much everything. There's an immense level of sonic detail imbued within these beats (like the constant squeaks, squeals, peals of guitar, and synth whirls dispersed throughout “Stomping”) that give them a heightened level of appeal beyond simply being easy on the ears. And just as crucially, NI knows exactly when to get out of the way and let Saba's bars shine, or turn up the heat to accentuate the potency of those bars. It's always a gift to hear a producer this in tune with the rapper they're working with.

FtPCoSaNI has the low-stakes, rousing feel of a block party orchestrated by two absolute masters of their respective crafts. The palpable enjoyment and sheer joy that Saba and NI conjure here feels honest, infectious, and easy to approach for even those who are the most dismissive towards hip-hop. Which is not to say that the pair went after the lowest common denominator, or disavowed anything that makes the form exciting, but simply that they brought out the best of one another for a record that’s bursting with melody. You never get the sense that Saba and NI set out to make something great so much as they just wanted to see what kind of magic they could conjure together. While everything about this record (from its title, presentation, and execution) suggests that it's just a brief detour along their respective paths, hopefully it won't be the last time that those paths merge in such a substantial way.

Clark recently returned with a new single called "Blowtorch Thimble", which is the 1st single from his upcoming LP, Steep Stims. While Clark's last proper LP, 2023's Sus Dog, was produced by Thom Yorke and was the first Clark LP to prominently feature his vocals, "Blowtorch Thimble" finds him reuniting with the propulsive dance music of his earlier work. The simple drum programming that consists of little more than snappy snares and kicks nonetheless provides the perfect foundation for the rapid-fire synth arpeggio and delicate piano chords that take the spotlight.

Dan Snaith recently shared a new single called "Eleven" under his Daphni alias, which is the 3rd song that he's dropped in as many months. While the prior two singles ("Sad Piano House" and "Clap Your Hands", respectively) are both quite good, "Eleven" is without question the strongest of the bunch. Across nearly 6 minutes, Snaith stretches a bouncy house beat into a seismic dance floor stomper. "Eleven" is a superb exercise in building and sustaining tension, and it beautifully merges the immediacy that Daphni's known for with the more ambitious pacing of his main project, Caribou.