Archive for May, 2020
Ashwarya’s references read rich with names like SZA, Travis, Kanye and MIA but to my ears its Rosalia that bears the strongest influence on her debut record. There’re the vocals which have that ghostly coolness to them but there’s also a hint of Rosalía’s essential castanet sounds and the capacity to move between English and another language. In Ashwarya’s case however, that language is Hindi rather than Spanish and that mobility to glide from one tongue to another makes for versatile listening. Also it reminds me of what a common pleb I am, commanding just one argot and not even a good one.
I came across her first proper release this week, a track called Biryani which strangely appears to be exclusively on Unearthed which is why you’re exposed to that truly aesthetic player below. When I asked about the track, they told me that this was just a demo and that they’d planned to ‘record and release it properly‘ but I mess with that perfectionist attitude so we’re gonna allow it. The way she switches from verse to chorus with a little BPM changeup reminiscent of Paul Walker on the gearstick is something to behold, gently whistling with appreciation and that voice is pure chiffron. It’s early days and the pop game isn’t a short one but Ashwarya is laying all the right foundations with single one.
I live by the same code as esteemed fisherman John West. The fish that John West rejects? Those are what make him the best. I’ve looked that clam digger square in his dead eyes and stole his catch phrase damn near word for word. ‘The songs that Sound Doc rejects are what make Sound Doc the best’. And let me tell ya, I reject a lot. Any asshole can keep up to speed with every new release, that doesn’t impress anyone. Picking just good gear out of that, that’s the service your boi offers. So even though a dude like Genesus Owusu is covered to death, he’s in all the playlists, he’s written about on every local music news website and he’s not that usual deepcut energy, I had to get him in here. This record is simply too good to reject.
For those aren’t yet across the Genesis Owusu backstory, I shan’t be sharing it to you because you should damn well know better. Here’s the song.
Another week, another song about ritualistic castration. I don’t know what everyone’s been swilling in 2020 but it seems that the only thing that any reputable songwriter wants to talk about is the emancipation of your basilisk. The most recent outfit to throw their hat in the ring is the appropriately named Eunuchs, a Sydney outfit who’re making an extremely obvious play for Spotify’s ‘Castration Anthems’ playlist. What sets this sonofabitch apart from the millions of songs written about the same subject matter is not just the splintering vocals that duck through varying agressions like a weavers shuttle… it’s the credits on this thing. Check it:
Danny Heifetz – Drums
Kristo Langker – Percussion and Grunts
Alex Paterson – Violin
Catherine Jang – Violin
Caitlin Duncombe – Viola + Assistant Producing
Tom Williams – Cello
Hamish Gulick – Double Bass
Suzy Sparrow – Piccolo
Lewis Pastars – Tuba
Paolo Franks – Bass Trombone
It’s a heavily orchestrated punk record boasting everything from piccolo to tuba and the arrangement is WILD. It’s the sort of record that’ll make you extremely stressed and uncomfortable and sure, not a great sell to the background listener but this IS what I want of heavy music. We’ve just become so mired in the predictable tropes of heavy music after decades of it that when we hear a bone wrenching gutteral growl with sadistic lyrics we think ‘hmmmm, that was good deathcore’ rather than actually feeling anything. So you’ll forgive me if I’m taken by this weird, gross record that makes me recoil a little.
Artists you need to know rn
| 1. 1300 |  |
316 |
| 2. Voidhood | |
259 | 3. jamesjamesjames | |
186 | 4. Zan | |
174 |
| 5. Sesame Girl | |
147 |
