Record reviewer Peter Baker brings you the releases you need to know about. This week, there are remixes, moody trip-hop soundscapes, and the rerelease of a landmark album from post-punk pioneers The Fall.
Stinky Jim — Social Awareness Remix EP
Don of the late-night airwaves, Stinky Jim (Jim Pinckney) has one of the longest-running specialist shows on 95bFM — weekly, he morphs three hours of the freshest dub, reggae, dancehall, trip-hop, hip-hop, electronica, downbeat and anything sideways. These shows are legendary and often filled with exclusive cuts and guest appearances.
Musically, Jim has released crucial cuts under the guises Unitone HiFi, Phase 5 and Soundproof. He has recently teamed with Haymaker Records for this five-track vinyl outing, culling remixes from this year’s digital-only release Social Awareness, a remix project spawned from last year’s Spacial Awareness (check Bandcamp for the full album). Social Awareness includes remixes by Seekinternational, Christoph El Truento and Tribilin Sound, ranging from raggae to dubstep and downbeat. This EP is limited to 300 copies. Make sure you grab yours now.
Record label: Haymaker Records
Release date: Out now
Listen to: ‘Owner Face (Tribilin Sound Remix)’
For fans of: Rockers Hi-Fi, and Smith & Mighty.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Emil Amos — Zone Black
Emil Amos drums for drone outfits Grails and OM, produces music under various solo aliases and is a respected podcaster. He is a revered musician and was recently commissioned by KPM to compose music for use in television and film. After exiting KPM, he decided to rework his Zone Black compositions and deliver them to the Drag City label as a fully-fledged album. Referencing haunting tunes from his childhood, Amos delivers a masterclass in soundscape creation, traversing moody trip-hop and stark ambiance. This is inspired listening that finds Amos occupying a space that’s equal parts Brian Eno and Madlib.
Record label: Drag City
Release date: Out now
Listen to: ‘Moving Target’
For fans of: DJ Shadow, Madlib, and OM.
Suarasama — Timeline
Suarasama founding members Irwansyah Harahap and Rithaony Hutajulu were both ethnomusicology lecturers bound by their mutual desire to explore all forms of musical expression and appreciation, and their resulting output is Northern Sumatra folk/world music that’s both magical and spiritual. Drag City is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Timeline, Suarasama’s fourth and last album, with its first-ever vinyl edition of compositions from 1989 to 2010. It’s a beguiling mixture of vocal chanting, frenetic guitar and lute playing, layered over minimal tribal drum patterns. Highly recommended for anyone interested in world music.
Record label: Drag City
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.Release date: Out now
Listen to: ‘Dukkha’
For fans of: Tinariwen, Toumani Diabaté, and Imarhan.
The Fall — Extricate
Few bands have gone through more line-up changes (at last count, there were 30-plus iterations of The Fall, spanning 60 or so members), with only one remaining constant throughout: Mark E. Smith, subversive band leader and Manchurian poet. The band’s influence is undeniable and, in the late 1980s, they were riding high with chart success and a relatively constant line-up (although that would change quickly). Signed to a major label, The Fall was ready to conquer the world.
Extricate is the first of three albums released on Mercury Records, recorded from 1990 to 1992. It is an astonishing landmark album for the band, harking back to earlier releases, with discordant guitars, wailing violins, big drums, and Mark’s vocal meanderings. Yet the album sounds polished (well, as polished as a Fall album could be) and the better for it. Tunes like ‘Bill is Dead’ and ‘Popcorn Double Feature’ would feel out of place on another Fall album. Thankfully, Mercury Records have re-released Extricate and the two following albums, Shift-Work and Code: Selfish. An excellent entry point into the world of one of the most prolific alternative singer-songwriters from the last four decades.
Record label: Mercury Records
Release date: Out now
Listen to: ‘Telephone Thing’
For fans of: Can, Young Marble Giants, and Public Image Ltd.
Peter Baker is a local industry stalwart with 30 years of experience and musical tastes from 80s electronic through to reggae, soul, jazz and country. If you’re lucky, you’ll find him in Tāmaki Makaurau behind the counter at Marbecks.co.nz, sharing his love of music. Read his album recommendations on Viva every Saturday.
