This next Sable EP has been about a thousand years in the coming and now that the first of it is here it’s immediately obvious why it’s taken this long. It’s a massive departure from the EP that brought him to the international stage but if you were taken entirely by surprise then you weren’t paying attention. That Kanto two tracker that he released toward the end of last year hinted at a love for affected vocals and Thunder Wave particularly can be seen as a bridging track between this new EP and the older material, retaining the casiotone twinkles but moving toward the sparser, longer syllabicated tonality and vocal fueled new tracks. There’s a big bunch of PC Music influence through the vocal most obviously but also there’s a reference to Sophie’s Lemonade in the central dropped section. The big takeaway is that Sable is proper songwriter now but also that the branding around this song is without equal, at least domestically. The press shot is the live action partner to the graphic novel that’s being slow released through his socials as we speak, featuring a pokemonesque fox like thing that turned up on the Kanto release too. I suspect it’s the same animal that’s been his logo for a while now.

But hey T-man, isn’t this a bit too commercial for you mate? Aren’t you into all that underground business? Doesn’t this already have 7.6 billion plays on tunecloud? Well yeah, sure, I’m a hot tastemaker with a heck of a sonic palette, but this is a good song right? And in the end, isn’t that enough? Historically it hasn’t been, but today it is. Plus look at these graphics from the cartoon and then come back to me you peanut. Now where’s that new Wave Racer?

*NOTE: Sable out through Pilerats Records who I have a business relationship with. If you feel like this post was written for any reason other than simply because I like the song, please don’t listen to the track.

Really into this new one from Melbourne chap Jamil Zacharia whose session credits run deep through the Wondercore Island / Hiatus Kaiyote clique down here. The Oscar Key Sung interpretation he recorded last year was what announced him but he’s been remarkably quiet since. Magic Snuff Box is the first track from his forthcoming The Soft Tread That Inspires EP and whilst I’d hope that the track was a conceptual piece dedicated to this, I console myself through the sonic quality of things. I’d be remiss if I didn’t go on to say that it really would have been quite a special track though. Nonetheless, it is what it is and that’s a stunningly intricate little spirit quest of a song, something to accompany your next ayahuasca field trip. This reeks like a smoky tent and pitches like heaving ship, and if my imagery hasn’t won you over then nothing damn well will. Respect this.

Oh it’s a free download too.

Pleased to be able to make your Monday morning with a binary offering from Yujen. The three piece have been chipping away down in Melbourne a couple years now and during that time they’ve produced for other acts (see the first track on TEEF’s Imperium In Imperio compilation) and made waves under their own moniker, dropping an EP through Detail Co. that even features the crooning vocals of label co-founder Chet ‘Big Business’ Faker. The track that announced Yujen [to me] those few years ago was called Heirloom and is still a staple of my playlisting behaviours.

That old EP though, that’s the past, fit only for your sound bin (maybe keep a copy though, it’s actually quite good) because I’ve got the future for you right here and its manner of release is near as interesting as the music. Two songs at once might as well be cyanide pill in this world of cut throat soundcloud domination but that’s the sort of artist we’re dealing with here. Yujen are dropping these things into your earbits and flipping death the bird as they dive deep into the industry abyss, ignore all depth warnings and ‘no cannonball’ signage. Among Others is the official name of the release and it’s open ended in that this two-tracker might be the only release under that name but then it’s equally likely that Yujen will release more ‘Others’ throughout the year. Fingers crossed for the latter.

I’m not bold enough to these a departure from the groundwork set down through the EP but it’s a strong development. I’m not sure which of the three members of Yujen is singing on ‘Sanctuary’ but the vocals are far higher in the mix than they’ve ever been on a Yujen track and ‘Avalanche II’ is eight and a half minutes long, eclipsing any other song they’ve released so far, at least in duration. The tracks are immaculately produced, intricate, nuanced and warm on the ear. I hope this isn’t the latest incarnation of Among Others and that Yujen spend this year developing Other upon Other but regardless, if this is where the release ends then I’ll still declare it a success.

The main, most special single from Snowy Nasdaq & Snowy Life’s newjangle2012. Dolewave2015 is my next favourite track from the record, or maybe even my first favourite, but this is the soundcloud single so I’m going to respect the campaign and we’ll run with this. There’s a six track EP out through French (thought decidedly Oz-obsessed) French label Beko Disques and if you enjoyed this track you’ll enjoy the rest too. Snowy is one of the pivotal voices of Melbourne music ecosystem and features in about 26 other bands including at least 4 that are just him under different pseudonyms.

I’m gambling on this one because I’m not 100% certain that this artist is Australian but I have a very sneaky hunch that he/she is and that they may even be a member of crucial Melbourne outfit Total Giovanni. Just maybe. We can’t possibly know at this point but I have my street team combing the whole of Northcote for clues. If it’s out there, we’ll find it. The primary clue we have to go on (which bids me investigate in a different direction) is the track title ‘Mutombo’. Is there a connection with Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo?

Mutombo is one of the NBAs all time best shot blockers so utilising his name on this track is almost certainly no accident in a time when the Australian internet is facing dangerous censorship at the hands of (and I think you probably already know where I’m going here) one man with a history of blocking. George Brandis. We followed the breadcrumbs and what came up? That’s right, our governor general is spending his down time making lo-fi bedroom disco. Waving his finger in our faces as he makes lighthearted (yet oddly gorgeous) lapt-pop* on taxpayer dime. This is easily the best thing that Brandis has done during his time as GG and frankly the only thing he’s done that I’d be happy supporting. Keep at it boi, tax dollars well spent.

*patent pending