Midweek Beats + Pieces vol.29

Skylab Radio, listening and reading suggestions, one of those weeks.

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.

This week’s photos were shot in Hong Kong near the end of 2019 on 35mm Lomochrome Purple film with an Olympus MJU II point-and-shoot camera. I believe they were developed and scanned by a photo co-op in Brixton. It was a different time, one I miss dearly.

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING:

It’s been a bit of a slow one this week. I’ve been quietly battling the worst sore throat of my life but seem to be turning a corner with it finally. Based on what I’m seeing online, I’m not alone either. Oh well, what can you do but sip an endless stream of lemon, honey and ginger drinks, do steam inhalations, use sprays, take painkillers and garage hot salt water?

Ain’t It True, my latest mix for the Naarm | Melbourne-based internet radio station Skylab Radio is live for streaming on their site now. Ain’t It True: Wellington, New Zealand-based DJ Martyn Pepperell presents a mix of homespun Street Soul, Swingbeat, New Jack Swing and Uptempo R&B recorded around the world during the nineties. Stream here.

WHAT I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO:

Earlier in the week, the legendary Brownsville, New Yorker rapper and producer Ka, released two new albums on his website, Languish Arts and Woeful Studies. If you’re familiar with Ka’s work, you’ll be unsurprised to hear every sample is perfectly chosen and every line is perfectly measured. They’re a window into his interior world, personal history, and a stunning set of audio essays on earlier times in New York City. They’re also all I’ve really been listening to this week. You can purchase them here.

If you want some supplementary information though, Pitchfork has some details here. Check the video for his new song ‘Ascension’ below.

I don’t have any fully formed thoughts on this one yet, but New York-based Peruvian multi-hyphenate Daniela Lalita is making some very very interesting music, with equally interesting visuals. She’s one of those artists who lives at the intersection of music, dance, costume design, film and performance. Her debut EP is out now.

WHAT I’VE BEEN READING:

‘It feels harder than ever’ - independent radio stations under threat from rising bills: Gilles Peterson and other station bosses explain how the passion projects that sustained music scenes and consoled listeners over lockdown now find themselves in jeopardy from rocketing costs – with little sign of government help. Will Pritchard for The Guardian.

Björk: Mother, Daughter, Force of Nature: In Iceland with the experimental pop icon, digging deep into the triumphs and tragedies that birthed her remarkable new album, Fossora. Jazz Monroe for Pitchfork.

25 Years of Influence - Beats Per Minute Looks Back at 1997: 1997 gave rise to a tide of undiluted influence, and those same ripples continue to spread out and will alter the perceptions of musicians for generations to come. Loved seeing my friend Ana Leorne write about Homework by Daft Punk in this one.

Kadapat - Setra Kombat: Dissociative gamelan music with a spectral, shadowy sheen. Nyshka Chandran for Resident Advisor.

Small Professor on His Orchestral Beats & Bugged-Out Vocals: A long-time hotspot for the city's counterculture, Germantown also sports a rich jazz history as the former home of musical giants like Sun Ra, Rufus Harley, Khan Jamal, and Byard Lancaster. It was here that veteran hip-hop producer, Small Professor—aka Jamil Marshall—was born and raised. John Morrison for Reverb.

Hua Hsu Is True to the Game: His new memoir is both a coming-of-age story and an evolutionary step for Asian American literature. Ryu Spaeth for Vulture.

Carly Rae Jepsen - More Than A Feeling: When Carly Rae Jepsen finally completed her fifth studio album in early July, she wanted to smash her face into a cake. Ilana Kaplan for Crack Mag.

FIN.