Midweek Beats + Pieces vol.19
Here we are, again.
This one is sort of a Midweek Beats + Pieces, kind of an End of Week Beats + Pieces, who really knows? I’m very much in the pre-production phase of my life/everything I’m working on in 2022 right now, so this will probably be a bit sparse, but we’ll see. This week’s photos were taken on Kodak Porta 100 film with an Olympus MJU camera. That said, I’ve got my Nikon F60 back now, so expect more of that soon. Flower pictures, I would imagine.
WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING:
I wrote about Heels & Souls Recordings forthcoming Paprika Soul / Soft Sugar reissue for my mates over at Test Pressing. Read more here. Doubling down, I also wrote about DJ Python’s Club Sentimientos Vol 2 over at Test Pressing. Read more here. Thanks to Chanel Kadir for looping me in on this one.
Also, in more Test Pressing news, the man, the myth, the legend, Phil Mison, has recorded a new mix of 7” singles for the site. You can listen to TP515 here.
Just teasing a few things: I’m currently working on feature stories on the Australian composer Ros Bandt, the Mexican-American producer/DJ Debit, who has a VERY INTERESTING album coming out in February, and a basic primer on the history of jungle/drum & bass in Wellington, New Zealand. I’ve also been putting together a few short-form breakbeat history slides for the music technology company, Melodics.
MORE + MORE
Anyone watched the Hulu drama miniseries Dopesick? It gets a strong recommendation from me. Also, that Station Eleven show and the Licorice Pizza film, pretty pretty good.
How To Dress Well has a new album coming out this year.
Haramacy - a crowdfunded collection of essays prescribed by voices from the Middle East, South Asia, and the diaspora - is very close to finally coming out. More details here. So cool!
Longreads is calling all writers to pitch them essays.
Sydney’s Planet Trip Records has a very cool looking compilation album coming out this year. Ordinary Dreams Vol.2 is due for release on April 14. Nice to see Mogwaa and Ivy Barkakati on there.
Bandcamp Fridays return on February 4th.
The great Hua Hsu has a new book coming out, Stay True, described as a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art. Because we’re talking about Hsu here, none of this can be considered hyperbole.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:
Jakub Knera looks at contemporary electronic sounds, alternative rock and improvised music from Poland in a new column for The Quietus focusing on central and eastern Europe. I’m hoping this does well. There’s a lot of great work coming out of these regions and they definitely deserve more support.
Nathan Yoder interviewed Portland musician, sound designer, general person of all trades Patricia Wolf for Deepest Currents. An interesting conversation with a fascinating talent. Wolf’s debut solo album can’t come too soon.
Nyshka Chandran reviews Courtesy’s Night Journeys II EP for Resident Advisor.
Tim Grieving spoke with Candyman score composer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe for The Los Angeles Times. Yet more of the good stuff.
James Gui tracks the Asian dance diaspora with Eastern Margins and Eternal Dragonz for Bandcamp Daily. I love what these labels are doing, and it’s a joy to hear more about the thinking process and context around what they’ve done and what they intend to do.
That’s all I really have for you today. Bye for now.
FIN.