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. Today’s photos were taken at the Clear Path Ensemble album launch last month.
WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON:
Four times a year, I write a recap of ten interesting, fun and worthy albums and EPs released over the previous three months for Dazed & Confused. The Q3 2022 edition of my column is up on the site now. Some of the names in the mix include Aleksandra Słyż, Shy One, Neil Macleod, and Elle Shimada. Check it out here.
Over on Bandcamp Daily, I’ve written a feature story about one of my favourite compilation albums of the year, America Dream Reserve, which is out now through Smiling C Records. If you like the idea of hotel lobby dream pop, dusty drum machine restaurant rock and the general theme of twilight music, check it out here.
My deepest thanks to the mighty Piers Harrison for writing this beautiful review-meets-personal anecdote about the impact that Instant House, Lost Horizons and Dance Tracks had on him in the nineties. Read it over at Test Pressing here.
On the theme of gratitude, thank you to Tom Ravenscroft for playing ‘Adrar’ by HAMSI Boubeker on his BBC Radio 6 Music show last week. Lovely to hear Hamsi’s fusion folksong sounds on such a special radio show. If you want to listen, you can restream it here.
Congrats to Ivan Liechti and Efficient Space on the release of their remarkable 60s/70s garage soul compilation album, Ghost Riders. Here’s my interview with Ivan from a few weeks ago.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
London Nightlife Today, According to Four Promoters: The organisers of parties PXSSY PALACE, GutterRING, COUSINS and No ID talk about community, privilege and life-affirming experiences at the club. Katie Thomas for Resident Advisor.
TikTok profits from livestreams of families begging: Displaced families in Syrian camps are begging for donations on TikTok while the company takes up to 70% of the proceeds, a BBC investigation found. Hannah Gelbart, Mamdouh Akbiek and Ziad Al-Qattan for BBC.com.
Lou Mati and The Polynesian Club: Once described as “NZ’s Naughtiest Nitery”, the Polynesian Club was a unique venue in Auckland during its 1950s heyday. The patrons on the dancefloor were a true cultural melting pot, the music ranging from Hawaiian-influenced popular tunes to swinging jazz, and – despite the rules around 6pm closing – the bar serving alcohol all night long. Gareth Shute for Audio Culture.
The Bodies In The Cave: Native people have lived in the Big Bend region for thousands of years. Who should claim their remains? Rachel Monroe for The New Yorker.
How Cortex’s ‘Troupeau Bleu’ Became Hip-Hop’s Favorite French Jazz Album: Tyler, the Creator, Rick Ross, and Madlib are all fans of the psychedelic 1975 LP. Now, decades later, the group is ready to take its rightful place as a key influence. Arielle Lana Dejarde for Rolling Stone.
Thirst for freedom: Kyiv’s queer clubbing community returns to the dancefloor: As Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine, photographer Arthur Vovchenko captures clubgoers coming alive at daytime raves. Gemma Ross for Mixmag.
The endless evolution of Jersey club: With its high-energy beats, infectious dance routines and community ethos, Jersey club has become a global phenomenon. Tice Cin reports from New Jersey on some of the people pushing the sound forwards, the special moments they create, and their hopes for the future of the music. Tice Cin for DJ Mag.
Eight Essential Releases by Detroit Producer Apollo Brown: Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, veteran hip-hop producer Apollo Brown cut his teeth in Detroit’s storied hip-hop scene. Today, Brown is part of a vanguard of underground hip-hop producers who make samples from old records soar. John Morrison for Bandcamp Daily.
WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:
Pieces of Driftwood is a collection of non-album singles, tracks recorded for compilations, and new material recorded by an avant-garde folk artist from Dunedin, New Zealand, known as Maxine Funke. That said, it still hangs together better than plenty of folk records I’ve heard and provides a window into her artistic development between 2011 and 2021. There are some dusty diamonds and rusty gems on here.
In 1989, a 48-year-old Swedish lyricist, composer, singer and musician named Karin Liungman started her own record label, Arketon and released an evocative album titled I Denna Magiska tid. Liungman had no interest in the major label system, and her Swedish language fusion of folk, dream pop, ambient and rock is all the better for it. Recently reissued digitally by my friends at Frederiksberg Records, I Denna Magiska tid will carry you away like the rising tide.
Angel Marcloid, aka Fire-Toolz's new album, I will not use the body’s eyes today is relaxing, unsettling, calming and fierce, the full emotional spectrum rolled into seven songs. That’s more than something. Track by track, the Chicago producer/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist uses synths, guitar, bass, programmed/electronic drums, software VSTs, and specialised production and processing techniques to breathe life into a mercurial and ever-shifting soundworld. Moments of relaxation centre mood music rubbing against androidified soft rock, malfunctioning computer system freakouts and full-on screamo. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
I’ve been partial to M. Geddes Gengras work ever since he was involved in that dub-noise-reggae album with the Congos for RVNG INTL. Expressed, I Noticed Silence is Gengras on a kosmische, new age, soundscape, ambient, mood music, whatever else you want to call it, type flex. All six compositions are delicate, moving, moody and rough around the edges when required. I’d be happy to put this one on, and collapse in a bean bag for a few repeat plays.
FIN.