Midweek Beats + Pieces vol.31
Crash Hot, Test Pressing, Jordan Rakei
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:
Between 1990 and 1992, former 95bFM staffers Dom Nola and Robert Southon produced three iterations of Crash Hot, a magazine-style New Zealand music radio programme. Syndicated nationally through the student radio network, Crash Hot was distributed internationally to college radio stations across America, Canada, and Europe. In the process, it helped introduce a new generation of New Zealand musicians and record labels to audiences locally and overseas. It also laid the foundations for future projects from the next generation of New Zealand broadcasters and music journalists. I spoke to Dom and Robert about Crash Hot for Audio Culture.
I wrote about four new releases from four releases from Lucrecia Dalt, Paddy Fred, IKSRE, and Danny Scott Lane for Test Pressing. Check them out here.
Raised in Brisbane and based in London, Tokoroa-born Jordan Rakei is a talented songwriter, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Over the last decade, he has toured his soulful groove-based sound extensively through Europe, the UK, North America, Australia, and South Africa. I wrote about his story for Audio Culture.
WHAT I’VE BEEN READING/LISTENING TO:
Play De Record was ground zero for Toronto vinyl lovers: The documentary “Drop the Needle” recounts Eugene Tam’s role in developing Canada’s hip-hop and dance music scene through his Toronto store Play De Record. Nick Krewen for The Star.
Shinichiro Yokota Is A Revitalised Hero Of Japanese House Music: Japanese house pioneer Shinichiro Yokota champions the principles of "simple and beautiful" production. He speaks to Mia Pattillo for Mixmag about Tokyo DJ battles, returning to music-making, and why less is more.
Sacred Spaces - Lose Yourself to Dance by DJ Paulette: The first excerpt of Resident Advisor’s upcoming book Sacred Spaces, this letter by Manchester's local hero and ultimate party starter is a statement about simply loving to move.
theLAnd Interview - Mike Davis: On the 30th anniversary of the dystopian L.A. touchstone “City of Quartz,” Jeff Weiss talks to the prophetic author and oft-misunderstood activist about political uprisings, the pandemic, and what gives him hope for the future. Rest In Peace, Mike Davis.
Eastern Sound Stories: Scalper AKA Nadeem Shafi has been a stalwart of the international trip hop & breakbeat scenes for over 2 decades, starting as MC Nad in the UK hip hop group Made In Britain (M.I.B.). Namnita chats with him about living in Aotearoa, how to grieve healthily, growing up with racism & his song “Dust”.
The history of Spiral Tribe, the UK’s most notorious travelling sound system: Spiral Tribe were ‘90s Britain’s hardest hardcore techno crew – a travelling party troupe of anti-authoritarian acid-adventurers, and a scourge of the establishment. With co-founder Mark Harrison in the midst of writing a book on their story, and PRSPCT Recordings recently releasing a collection of classic cuts from live Tribe duo R-Zac, for DJ Mag, Harold Heath dives into their history, legacy and vow to 'Never Stop'.
Mavi Wants To Unlock Memories: The North Caroline rapper channels MF DOOM, 'Adventure Time,' and jazz great Sun Ra for 'Laughing So Hard It Hurts'. Arielle Lana LeJarde for MTV.
Album Of The Day - Loraine James, “Building Something Beautiful For Me”: When composer, pianist, and vocalist Julius Eastman passed away in 1990, his name, stylistic innovations, and body of work were largely unknown to avant-garde music fans. As a gay Black musician who struggled through poverty and long bouts of homelessness, Eastman was firmly disconnected from the social and economic class privileges that many experimental musicians enjoy. For Bandcamp Daily, John Morrison writes about Eastman’s influence on Loraine James’ new album, Building Something Beautiful For me.
MUSIC:
Ruban Nielson aka Unknown Mortal Orchestra has a new single out called ‘I Killed Captain Cook’. If you know, you know.
If you enjoyed the Danish synth-folk artist Suzanne Menzel’s Goodbyes & Beginnings album, you absolutely have to listen to The Stag Must Die by Jumpleads. Spectacular British jazz-folk circa 1980.
Nigerian “Cruise” or “Freebeat” music really is the hot ticket right now. If it isn’t taking the world by storm right now, it will be really soon. These dance tracks are so fun and so funny. It’s just so refreshing.
Arjuna Oakes and Serebii, a.k.a. Callum Mower are an open-eared musician/producer duo from Wellington, New Zealand. Across their new Final Days EP, I can hear shades of Flying Lotus, Portishead, Chic, Thom Yorke and some dashes of psych-rock, jazzy lounge music and neo-soul. Nice for a sunny afternoon vibe.
FIN.