Aluka are an a capella three piece straight outta Compton Melbourne who’ve just now released the first track from their debut full length. Think a poppier Mountain Man and you’re probably not far from the truth of it. The track has also been remixed by Oscar Key Sung whose idea of a remix is obviously not far from cover. Obviously it’s killer though, as it is, afterall, Oscar Key Sung. Guy can’t do much wrong as far as I’m concerned and I’m very concerned indeed. I’ve spent the week listening to the new Tame Impala and while I’m knee deep in appreciation for the thing, the jury’s still out on ‘Is it as good as Innerspeaker?’
Probably not. This track from Aluka has been a good interlude from the mind-spiralling Lonerism in that this is a definite, concrete set of sounds without an excess tone to be found. It’s been an even better interlude still from the B.O.B playing over the work loudspeakers. I wish my life was a permanent B.O.B interlude. That’s the dream though, isn’t it?
This week I’ve been listening Melbourne’s Cold Hiker whose wailing Radioheadisms were passionate enough to keep me more than interested for the full duration ‘Phosphenes’ a whole bunch of times. Old mate’s fluid falsetto was the draw card that pushed me through the first listen but the off beat tom hits and swaggering flow were what’s bid me play it through a few more times. Let’s be honest though, there’s more than a little Paranoid Android in there. I’m a man of faith though and I’ve forgiven it in the foreknowledge that this is just the tip of the Cold Hiceberg.
Anyway, has been sitting in my drafts all week and it’s not getting any more significant with each passing day so I’m going to cut this bird free before I strangle it to death. That hour we lost via daylight savings hasn’t done me any favours even if it’s allowed me to witness natural sunlight for the first time in since March. Heavens above.
Laurence probably won’t last that long. Not as a band I mean, just as the name under which they’ll perform. When they start hitting their straps and these frequencies hit those (read: your) ears, you’ll know that what was meant to happen has happened and that life is good. Your woman will finally start respecting you and maybe that gimp who works the xerox will stop hitting on her when he senses your newfound closeness. Plenty of potential in this track, obviously. Bright Eyes turned americana and vocodered through a tincan + a bonus introductory instrumental. It’s a moving joint if you’ll let it be.
I’ve had to suspend all work related activity to place this up here for your listening pleasure but I’ve no regrets for as the old saying goes, ‘When there’s a new Sufjan Stevens Christmas track online, cease all business’. I know it sounds like a cliche but those old sayings are popular for a reason.
It’s classic Sufjan (inasmuch as it’s totally ridiculous and an extension of his constantly expanding structural experimentation) but it’s also nothing like the Christmas songs of past. It features a Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” refrain that you’ll find yourself singing along to over the weeks leading up to Christmas and obviously it’s thirteen minutes long. The best news is that he’s releasing a second batch of Christmas records called Silver & Gold: Songs For Christmas, Volumes 6 – 10 and they’ll be out November 13. You know what to get me. Judging by this trailer that he posted online last week there will some more traditional Christmas numbers in the mix.
Two minutes and nine seconds of split and spliced, feet on both pedals, synth vacuumed triptronica. That’s probably the best way to describe this joint that I’ve lifted from Thomas William’s Deccan Technicolour. Even if it’s an absolute mess of a sentence, you’re on my blog so you’ll ingest my opinions and afterwards you’ll ask for seconds because that’s just the polite thing to do damnit. Even more so since Life Aquatic Blog closed its doors today, so your sources of quality Australian curation have just decreased by one, and what a one it was.
Now, it’s probably about time you hit play on this so up and at ‘em folks. The lovechild of a drunken threeway between Seekae, Fishing and Brothers Hand Mirror, these tunes are worth investing your bandwidth in, especially since they won’t touch your coin purse. He’s been a stalwart of the Sydney experimental electronic scene for as long as anyone can remember and is only just recently back in the game so we’d all do well to give him a warm welcome given the strength of sound on which he returns. Ignoring all ill-informed comparisons, this record is pretty spectacular.
You’ll find that he’s also a finalist in FBi’s Northern Lights competition so if you dig this enough to cast a vote then cast a vote.
