Midweek Beats + Pieces vol.26

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:

I interviewed the world-wandering DJ, producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jitwam for Mixmag. His new album Third is out now. If you like to dance, you should check it out.

In other news, I’ve got a few DJ gigs coming up in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand). On the 6th and the 12th of August, I’m playing at Mabels on Tory Street from 9 pm. For those who don’t know, Mabels is a really yummy Burmese restaurant. They’ll be serving wings at the bar while I’m DJing. I’m also playing at a Syrian restaurant named Damascus on the 13th of August, but I think that event is sold out. Sorry about that.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

This New Documentary Unearths Valuable Techno History—With Some Glaring Omissions: God Said Give 'Em Drum Machines tells the story of Detroit's illustrious techno personalities, highlighting the inner workings of one particular crew. Nyshka Chandran reporting for Resident Advisor.

Get To Know - Elle Shimada: Get acquainted with Elle Shimada, the Tokyo-born, Melbourne-based artist exploring the meaning of home with luminous electronic beats and shimmering vocals. Dhruva Balram for DJ Mag.

Trans Women DJs Are Taking Over the Club: Artists including Jasmine Infiniti, Honey Dijon, Juliana Huxtable, and Eris Drew are lighting up dancefloors and seeing their collective influence reflected back. Delilah Friedler reporting for Pitchfork.

Why Dancehall Isn’t A Major Industry In The UK, And What Needs To Be Done: Ray Paul gives a critical assessment for Mixmag of the state of dancehall music in the UK and what action is needed to strengthen the influential music genre.

Boogie Monster: After a stint as keyboard player with B.T. Express, Brooklyn’s Kashif turned to writing and producing for other artists, and himself, infusing synthesizers into R&B and taking the post-disco genre into a modern boogie wonderland. Chris Williams for Wax Poetics.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Galaxy Brain is one of the production aliases of the self-described “boogie bitch” Citizen Helene, a lover of synths and bad movies. Unsurprisingly, her new Night Dad EP is a lot of fun. UK-slanted Italo-house and instrumental boogie with a bit of a sci-fi B-movie vibe. There’s a bit of braindance here and an awful lot of booty-shaking potential as well. You gotta love it when a producer really does just have fun with it.

I feel like Yesterday Is Heavy is UK producer/DJ Lil Silva’s man alone in a cabin in the snowy woods album. It’s a beatmaker becoming a songwriter and showing off an elite level of craftsmanship alongside a cast of collaborators that includes Sampha, Ghetts, Little Dragon, serpentwithfeet, Charlotte Day Wilson and Skiifall. There’s such an embarrassment of riches to enjoy here, but I still feel like the best is even yet to come.

If you like jazz, this whole series is worth checking out. Released by Jeff Henderson’s Kiwijahzz imprint, Jazz from the Underground Nightclubs of Aotearoa does exactly what it says on the tin. Over what now counts as eight volumes, Kiwijahzz has been documenting some fierce stuff. Vol.8 sees Kiwijahzz house band Trioglodyte teaming up with drummers Karen Hu and Larsen Winiata Taylor to tackle two Ornette Coleman pieces.

I’m going to be extremely simplistic here. If you’ve ever enjoyed ‘Baby’ by Donnie & Joe Emerson, I think you’ll probably love the forthcoming new compilation album on Melbourne’s Efficient Space label. Ghost Riders is a masterclass in 60s/70s US garage soul. I’m mesmerised.

BONUS:

Anna Rankin talks to RNZ’s Jesse Mulligan about the life and legacy of Mike Davis.

Submissions for Juke Bounce Werk’s final JBDUBZ compilation album open in thirty days.

FIN.