Beats + Pieces Vol. 60

A sometimes weekly re-cap from me to you.

Selected Works is a weekly (usually) newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell, aka Yours Truly. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes it takes completely different forms.

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING:

Over the last couple of days, I’ve written up two reviews for Test Pressing. On Sunday, I looked at Ryota OPP’s house-tempo Palace EP. You can read my review here. Today, I wrote about the 1980s Coventry DIY group Skeet’s new old archival compilation on Efficient Space. You can read the review here.

Last week, for DJ Mag, I spoke with London duo 404 Eros, who mixed street soul, boogie, broken beat, house and more for their entry in the storied Fresh Kicks series. We discussed their storyteller’s approach to music, starting out on Peckham's Balamii Radio and their 5enses’ cassette mixtape series. Fun fact: This is the first time I’ve written for DJ Mag. Big thanks to Eoin Murray for helping me tick this off the list. You can read the story here.

Earlier in the year, I grabbed some Zoom time with the classically trained trumpeter, percussionist, producer, DJ, vocalist and academic Isaac Aesili to substantially update his Audio Culture page. It’s an honest story about a guy who has been through a lot but, through it all, maintains an open heart and great ears. You can read the story here.

Also, for anyone who missed it, last week, I interviewed the Manchester-based vocalist, producer, DJ and musical educator Private Joy for Test Pressing. You may know her from street soul, house and jungle records with Ruf Dug, Finn, Hidden Spheres and more. Read the story here.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

Time and whakapapa slowly unravel as Talia Marshall weaves her way across Aotearoa in a roster of decaying European cars. Along the way she will meet her father, pick up a ghost, transform into a wharenui, and make cocktail hour with Ans Westra.

Last week, I absolutely tore through the Dunedin-based writer Talia Marshall’s first book, Whaea Blue. It’s a remarkable memoir, and I think it will resonate with many people in a dizzying number of ways. I won’t say a lot here, but I will say a couple of things. Firstly, I woke up at two AM the other night, feeling utterly compelled to finish reading it. Secondly, I think Whaea Blue would be an amazing recommendation to give to teens or people in their early twenties who are showing interest in reading people like Charles Bulowski, Hunter S. Thompson or Jack Kerouac. More details here.

Right now, I’m three-quarters of the way through All The Houses I've Ever Lived In by the UK journalist, broadcaster and author Kieran Yates. While I started reading this book because of my interest in housing, I quickly realised that while it’s about housing, it’s also about Yates's experiences growing up in an immigrant family in the UK and using a love of reading, writing, music and friendship as a way to cope with the world around her. It’s a hackneyed phrase, but the pages really have been turning themselves. I figure I’ll finish it later, possibly at 2 AM - LOL! More details here.

All You Need is Love: The Unlikely Friendship of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Kenichi Nishi: My hero, Shy Thompson, tells the story of what happened when a fledgling game developer and a vaunted musician combined their talents. Read here.

Disney wants NYU doctor allergy death suit tossed because of widower’s Disney+ subscription: Kanokporn Tangsuan’s bereaved widower, Jeffrey Piccolo, is suing the theme park juggernaut, claiming that she suffered a fatal allergic reaction shortly after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant in Florida last October.

But Disney is claiming the $50,000 suit should be moved out of the courts because Piccolo agreed to arbitrate all disputes with the company when he first signed up for a one-month trial of the Disney+ streaming service back in 2019, court documents charge. For the New York Post, Emily Crane. Read here.

Dean Roberts, experimental musician and composer, dies aged 49: The New Zealander released on labels such as Kranky, Blank Forms Editions and Mille Plateaux. For Resident Advisor, Michael Lawson. Read here.

New Irish Music: July/August 2024: Eoin Murray on releases from Toby Kaar, Jane Deasy, Coolgirl, Seamas Hyland and many more. Read here.

FIN.