Midweek Beats + Pieces

Scribble, Radio Active 88.6FM, DJ mixes, Black+White photos, etc

Good day (or good evening),

It’s a very wet Wednesday morning in Wellington, New Zealand. I’m trying to get up the courage to head to the swimming pool in the rain. While I’m doing so, I thought I might type up my newsletter for you. The photos in this edition are black and white film shots that I took down in Christchurch in the south island over a quick weekend visit. Please enjoy.

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING:

Australian musician, singer-songwriter, and screenwriter Johanna Pigott's blissfully balearic 80s dream-pop project Scribble is the subject of a new reissue compilation on Strangelove Music. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been slowly interviewing her via an extended series of emails. I wrote a feature about her remarkable music and career for Test Pressing. (Read here)

WHAT I’VE GOT COMING UP:

On Saturday the 15th of May, I’m hosting The Late Late Breakfast Show (presented by Parrotdog Bar) on Radio Active 88.6fm from 1-4pm. Seeing how it’s New Zealand music month, I may very well run through a bunch of local cult classics from the last forty-five years. I also may not. You’ll have to tune in to find out.

WHAT I’VE BEEN VIBING TO:

The latest edition in New York experimental music community project Juanita's mix series was assembled by DJ Voices and it is, one hell of a ride. Here’s what Voices told Juanita’s when they asked her about it. “This mix is inspired by two experiences: psychedelic walks through Green-Wood Cemetery, and reading about/listening to Andrew Weatherall. They’re united within me, indelibly lodged in the same part of my heart/brain, and mediated through my favorite mode of expression: the dj mix. Similarly, this mix contains two distinct halves that hopefully by the end make sense together as two chapters of the same story.”

Barcelona-based American DJ and Producer Ivy Barkakati has recorded yet another mix, so, I’ve been listening to to that also, OBVIOUSLY. Ivy recorded this one for Inverted Audio and it comes partnered with an interview. Here’s what she told them about it. “In this mix, I wanted to express how it feels to live in this new world being formed right now. Dancing on the ashes of the old world. A mix of past and present sounds, both sharp and soft, including a remix of my band IVAN as well as a track by a friend (Rumore).”

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

DJ Mag: Meet Nhạc Gãy, the collective leading Vietnam's new era of electronic music

When Hanoian punk band Cút Lộn stormed the stage at Ho Chi Minh City club Arcan last June, a mosh-pit ensued. Red light bathed the screaming, four-piece outfit, dressed as high-school girls in Pikachu costumes. Frenzied partygoers rallied behind them, while an audience member in a vampire costume jumped onto the stage and lobbed a real sheep’s head over the crowd. Behind this explosive night was the Ho Chi Minh City collective, Nhạc Gãy.

Georgina Quach discovers how Saigon crew Nhạc Gãy's homegrown sound, queer-friendly ethos and raucous raves are an antidote to tourist-centric nightlife in Vietnam (read here)

BEATS + PIECES (FROM LONDON)

patten, ‘Eat Smoke’ (feat Beans)

The South London/Internet-based producer and visual artist patten connects with New York MC Beans, co-founder of the legendary rap iconoclasts Antipop Consortium, for four minutes of hard-edged London/New York link-up energy. Future beats + future bars. It’s all on display here. patten also has a new EP out.

FAUZIA, ‘Time’

Here’s another London cut. FAUZIA does ambient shoegaze and utterly eats up the form. Guitar, voice, synth and effects spiraling together to make an utterly haunted (and haunting) moment. Special stuff.

A.G, donotdisturb EP

East London DJ, producer and elite Pokémon Trainer A.G serves up another perfectly formed three-song EP. ‘do little’ reframes the rhythmic skip and bounce of UK Garage/2-step inside a mystical dreamscape. ‘always you’ serves up a rendition of UK drill for late nights/early mornings on the night bus, and ‘attention seeker’ lives up to it’s title, setting an unforgettable bassline a neck-snapping groove and silky synths. Put ‘em on your USBs, load them up in your Serato!

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Now and forever, Free Palestine!

FIN.