Electro – Page 17 – 7th Level Music

Bizhiki are “Unbound” with their new single.

Bizhiki — a made-in-Wisconsin collaboration between Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, Joe Rainey Sr., and multi-instrumentalist S. Carey (Bon Iver) — shares the new single/video, “Unbound,” from their new album Unbound, out July 19th via Jagjaguwar. Following lead single “Gigawaabamin (Come Through)” featuring Mike Sullivan, the title track of the album is exemplary of Bizhiki’s unique cultural and musical intersection.

The song begins with an electronically modified hand drum accentuated by a plaintive piano chord, leading into a somber warning sung by Carey: “Be calm when she speaks/she speaks the truth, unbound.” The words were pulled by Carey from Rainey’s notebook, right in the studio. “I wrote those lines around a string of tornadoes and hurricanes — this wrath of mother nature that was hitting everybody,” Rainey says. “There was so much relief needed for people who were displaced, so many people out there hurting.” Carey’s warning is joined to an urgent topline sung by Bizhikiins Jennings, as arresting as it is beautiful.

The video for “Unbound” was directed by Finn Ryan and features dancer Indaanis Demain alongside the group. “Gichigami and Anishinaabeg have long been intertwined in a relationship rooted in reciprocity and respect, which continues to this day,” Ryan explains. “On her shores we continue to sing and make offerings, carrying out ancient responsibilities tied to culture and place. Be calm when she speaks, she speaks the truth out loud.”

Bizhiki has also announced their album release show at the Parkway Theater in Minneapolis, MN on Wednesday, July 24th, and will be joined by special guest Dosh. Tickets are on-sale now and are available here.

Watch the Video for “Unbound”

Unbound opens with a single, trembling chord that rises and descends before meeting a warm, beguiling voice, a voice singing in a tradition that’s been heard in Northern Wisconsin river country for millennia. The music that follows is a soulful dialogue between the ancient tradition of powwow singing and a contemporary musical palette. Unbound sees the powwow style entwined with synthesized voice modulation, and hand drumming accented with electronic samples and beats. The harmonies and resonances on this album are equal parts cultural and musical.

Many of the songs on this album go back to when the spirit of the Bizhiki was forged, nearly a decade ago, on the banks of Wisconsin’s Chippewa River at Eaux Claires festival in 2015, and came together over the course of years in between several projects from Bizhiki members, including two solo album releases. Both Joe Rainey’s Niineta and S. Carey’s Break Me Open were released in 2022, and the artists have been busy touring their projects. Bizhikiins Jennings has also been committed to a robust schedule of speaking and teaching engagements —he’s in the final stage of his pursuit of a PhD at UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies — in addition to his singing in powwow groups, both locally and internationally.

Bizhiki: Unbound is the recipient of an inaugural Wisconsin Special Projects Grant from Ruth Foundation for the Arts. The project is one of ten selected from a pool of over 80 applicants; selections were made by a national panel of jurors. Project collaborators will develop and tour a multidisciplinary music and video performance, engaging audiences throughout Wisconsin about contemporary Ojibwe culture at live shows in 2024 and 2025. The project will make great efforts to both support revitalization within Tribal communities and enhance understanding in non-Tribal communities.

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Watch/Stream “Gigawaabamin (Come Through) (feat. Mike Sullivan)”

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Bodysync get us moving with their new single, “Bailiar (I Want to Dance).”

Today, Bodysync return with the euphoric rave-pop single “Bailiar (I Want To Dance),” featuring the beloved Honduran-Canadian singer-songwriter Daniela Andrade. The final single ahead of their second album, NUTTY, set to drop next Friday, June 28, via Buddies Inc, pushes the tempo with energetic piano chords and Andrade’s soft-spoken, ethereal voice controlling the melody.
“Daniela is one of our favorite artists to work with. She never overwrites and seems to instinctively know how much a track needs,” Bodysync remarked on their second collaboration with Andrade. Following previous singles “Rock It” and “Babies,” the latest offering from the new electronic producer duo of Ryan Hemsworth and Charlie Yin (AKA Giraffage) continues to build anticipation for their second full-length, which has already garnered attention from CBC, Exclaim!, Paste, Stereogum, Uproxx, and many more.

STREAM: “BAILAR (I WANT TO DANCE)”

The record features twelve new belters, rooted in 90’s rave music but embracing all shades of dance music, alongside indie, and pop punk influences. Bodysync is Ryan Hemsworth and Charlie Yin (AKA Giraffage), and this project has been their core focus since their well-received debut album Radio Active was released in 2022. In their own words – “it’s dance music by fans of DIY punk and Y2K pop, with a healthy dose of absurdity.” Previous Bodysync collaborations include Tinashe, Devin Morrison, Dazy, and Nite Jewel. As individual producers, Ryan & Charlie have worked with the likes of Joji, Japanese Breakfast, Mitski, E-40, Doss, alongside official remixes for Carly Rae Jepsen, Porter Robinson, ODESZA, and Lana Del Rey.
Giving more context on the album, Bodysync share: “Keeping things a little nutty has just been like, the mantra. The discourse in electronic music is so enveloping and polarising. We just choose to focus on our legends – Todd Terry, Paul Johnson. There’s so much comedy in their stuff and that has really resonated lately, which shamelessly gets mixed up with the stuff we enjoyed at a young age – Venga Boys, Daft Punk, and Mad Magazine.“

A fitting acronym for Bodysync could be “Be Open, Do You, Say You’ll Never Change” – it’s for everyone, all ages, no gatekeeping. It has that optimistic feel-good energy that was felt at the free party movement in the UK, and the desert parties in the US decades ago. The universal language of music remains the same – bring the people together, it’s best experienced communally.

Listen to “Bailiar (I Want To Dance)” above and look out for the full album release of NUTTY on Friday, June 28th, and details for a North American tour kicking off in August.

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[Thanks to Cody at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: Nathaniel Eras – Omniaglyph 0

The cover image might invoke suggestions that Nathaniel Eras‘ Omniaglyph 0 is going to be a dark metal album, but it’s actually an interesting ambient trance album full of neat synths, modulators, processed beats, and live instruments.

“Ancestral Memory” is a neat instrumental of layered percussion that builds and builds into a hypnotic meditation. “Encrypted Consciousness” brings in sizzling, snappy industrial beats to flow with the New Wave synths to a neat effect.

Then we get to “Architecture of Thought and The Subversion of Language Systems.” It’s haunting and creepy (Those bells and somber piano chords!) and will make a great addition to your upcoming Halloween playlist.

The EP ends with “Routing Systems,” an ultra-slick synthwave bumper that throbs with gristly bass and pulses with machine beats. It leaves you pumped up and ready for action.

I like the way the EP blends ambience with industrial. Not many people could pull that off this well.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Live: LCD Soundsystem – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL – May 26, 2024

It was the third night of a four-night residency for LCD Soundsystem at their favorite Chicago venue, the Aragon Ballroom. They’ve done shows there in the past, and it was the last place I’d seen them years ago. It was good to catch them again. One can’t help but wonder if James Murphy is going to pull the plug on the band for a second time.

They got off to a great start with “Us V Them” and soon surfed into “I Can Change.” “Tribulations” was another great spot in the set, and one I hadn’t heard live in a long while.

The crowd was great, many of whom had been to the first two shows and were already planning on coming to the fourth. It was warm in the Aragon, as it always is, but a little more so since everyone was dancing and going wild as they turned the whole place into a disco.

“Yeah” was a great touch, as it was the first time they’d played it on this tour (which they called the “Kinda Tour”), and “Losing My Edge” was, as always, an absolute ripper. I’d forgotten how good a track “Tonite” is until they played it live.

“Dance Yrself Clean” and “All My Friends” made for a great encore, but the nicest moment of the night was their tribute to the late Chicagoan and music producing legend Steve Albini during “Someone Great.”

It was great to see them again, and great to be in such a fun crowd. LCD Soundsystem never disappoint.

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Review: Curses – New Wave Acid Punx DEUX – Secret Cuts

Just when you think you’ve heard your favorite classic new wave / no wave / goth-punk / industrial dance track of all time, a compilation like New Wave Acid Punx DEUX – Secret Cuts comes along and drops a bunch of stuff you’ve never heard and makes you nearly lose your mind with “How did I miss this?” types of questions.

This latest gem from Berlin-based DJ Curses brings out a wild mix of stuff that he probably found in a warehouse’s trash bin moments before the place was demolished to build a clothing store no one wanted. Chrome Corps‘ “Body Attestation” starts off the thing with industrial chops, and Curses himself includes a previously unreleased track of his own, “Get Lost,” right after it to keep up the dark vibe. Aura Nox and Christian Koupa‘s “Compound Lies” is a dark wave banger.

Notausgang‘s “Malphas” becomes a meditative synth-jam (even with birdsong at the end). Ghost Cop‘s “You Can Never Go Home” demands to be played at your next dance party. Nuovo Testamento‘s “In My Dreams” (the “Powerhouse Mix,” no less) is like opening a time capsule from the mid-1980s found under the remains of a British disco. Unconscious‘ “LivEvil” version of “Carnivora” is the sound of a robot hit squad coming after you in a 1985 shopping mall.

Gunce Aci‘s “Being in the Shadows” is a gothic dance track that’s phat with bass and makes you wonder if the title refers to being / standing in the shadows or a being that’s in the shadows. Curses gets back into the game with “The Deep End (Redux),” which adds a nice guitar element to the goth sound, not unlike old Wall of Voodoo tracks.

Paresse‘s “Journey of the Heart” (the Guy Tallo remix) brings a bit of ambient into the synths and is a track suitable for late night drives, workouts, or the trailer to your newest film about a fitness instructor trying to avoid a serial killer while dating a cop with a mysterious past. The “Modern remix” of You Man‘s “Third Eye” is the sexiest track on the record, with female vocals samples of “Oh my God…” blending with throbbing bass and smoky synths.

Much praise to Curses for finding these rare cuts and presenting them to us in a great mix. Don’t skip this one if you’re a fan of darkwave, synthwave, new wave, industrial, or acid house.

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[Thanks to Eclectica!]

Review: Operator Music Band – Four Singles EP

It’s not every day you put out a groovy EP of acid house tracks. This is especially true after one of your band members falls over twenty feet through a skylight, breaks both wrists and six ribs, and sustains a head fracture that results in permanent hearing loss.

Yet, Operator Music Band did just that with their new Four Singles EP. How? You got me, but Jared Hiller figured out a way, and, along with Dara Hirsch and Daniel Siles, crafted a slick record.

Blending house with some krautrock and synthwave, “As It Goes” comes out of the start with a drippy, bass-filled bang, wicked hand percussion, and low-end vocal effects to warp your brain even further. “Screwhead” is a sexy, slightly industrial (Those drums!) track with sensuous vocals (“Focus is a function of ecstasy. Let me go slow. I’ll be right back.”).

“Oval” is bouncy and bubbly that, at the halfway point, turns into almost a dance-punk track with its almost frantic drums. “10 Days” continues this dance-punk theme with percussion and synths that sound like they’re coming through pipes and pneumatic tubes in an abandoned factory where a rooftop rave is taking place.

It’s all over too soon and leaves you wanting much more, as any good EP should. Many accolades should be given to Operator Music Band for creating something this good after Hiller’s harrowing accident. That kind of grit is rare.

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[Thanks to Cody at Terrorbird Media.]

Brijean takes us down “Euphoric Avenue” with their new single.

Brijean, the project of percussionist/singer-songwriter Brijean Murphy — the percussive heartbeat for live bands like Mitski, Poolside, and Toro y Moi — and multi-instrumentalist/producer Doug Stuart, unveils the new single, “Euphoric Avenue,” from Macro, their new album out July 12th via Ghostly International. Following lead singles “Workin’ On It” and “Roller Coaster,” “Euphoric Avenue” was one of the first tracks recorded at the band’s new home in Altadena on the outskirts of Los Angeles. It took shape on organ and drum machine, later welcoming live contributions from Stephanie Yu (strings), Logan Hone (flute), and Kosta Galanopoulos (drums).

“Worlds of beauty and pain / I spy comedies in the most mundane,” Murphy sings on “Euphoric Avenue,” the rainbow road to Macro that expands Murphy and Stuart’s shared sense for storytelling. “Being in this beautiful part of town nestled up against the Angeles National Forest played a big role in how comfortable we felt stretching out and trying to push our musical boundaries,” says Murphy. “Anytime we brought someone into the world to add their musical touch, it felt like a highlight.” Macro’s sequencing elicits an exploratory vibe with high-tempo peaks and breezy valleys in the psyche especially on astral drifts like “Euphoric Avenue.”

Watch the Visualizer for “Euphoric Avenue”

Since their debut in 2019, Brijean has moved with ingenuity, fusing psych-pop abstraction with dancefloor sensibilities. Through the body and mind, rhythm and lyricism, they make sense of the worlds around and within; 2021’s Feelings celebrated self-reflection; 2022’s Angelo processed loss, coinciding with the duo’s first headlining tour, which doubled down on the material’s desire to move. Now, across the playful expanse of Macro, Brijean engages different sides of themselves, the paradox of being alive. They’ve leveled up to meet the complexities and harmonies of the human experience with their most dynamic songwriting yet. Colorful, collaborative, sophisticated, and deeply fun, the album animates a macrocosm with characters, moods, and points of view rooted in the notion that no feeling is final and the only way out is through.

The band’s collaborative streak extends to their recent team-up with Toro y Moi for A24’s Everyone’s Getting Involved: A Tribute to Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense where they cover “Genius Of Love.”

Pre-order Macro

Watch the Visualizer For “Workin’ On It”

Watch the Visualizer for “Roller Coaster”

Brijean Tour Dates
Fri. Jul. 12 – Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village
Sat. Jul. 13 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
Sun. Jul. 14 Toronto, ON Velvet Underground
Wed. Jul. 17 – Washington, DC @ Atlantis
Thu. Jul. 18 – New York, NY @ MHOW
Sat. Jul. 20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Mon. Jul. 22 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
Tue. Jul. 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
Thu. Jul. 25 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
Fri. Jul. 26 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Sat. Jul. 27 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at 3TEN
Mon. July 29 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Thu. Aug. 1 – Los Angeles, CA @ Lodge Room
Fri. Aug. 2 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Sun. Aug. 4 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Tue. Aug. 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Wed. Aug. 7 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Fri. Aug. 9 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Sat. Aug. 10 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Mon. Aug. 12 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

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[Thanks to Patrick at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: LFZ – Raveled Veiled Known

LFZ, otherwise known as Sean Smith, has dived even further than usual into his exploration of soundscapes and sound technology on his new album Raveled Veiled Known.

The album combines Smith’s hypnotizing guitar work with sound loops, vintage synths, field recordings, and probably song structures based on numerology for all I know. I mean, the album cover of embroidered art by Smith reflects numerological, tarot, and mystical themes.

I like how the album is bookended with long tracks. The opener, “Extinction Burst,” sounds like a Wall of Voodoo instrumental mixed with a John Carpenter film score and is described in the liner notes as “a characterization of the psyche’s potential to utterly resist change.” It’s all weird synths and reverb-laden guitar flourishes, and it’s all neat for over twelve minutes. In case you need a slightly radio friendly version, “Extinction Burst (edit),” at about half the length, follows it.

“View from Here” was improvised and recorded in one night and uses a lot of tape loops and “…represents themes of being trapped inside the boundless prison of one’s solitary perspective and the peace and madness that can coexist.” I mean, holy cow. LFZ is into some deep water here, and he’s floating on it like a cork while encouraging us to do the same when the water gets choppy.

“Waiting for Esme” is about Smith awaiting the birth of his daughter and the nervous anticipation of such an event. It has the most “normal” structure of the album’s tracks, but is no less full of strange synth effects. The long closing track, “Naturally I Found It Within,” reflects the outward journey that always returns inward – using buzzing guitars and dark wave synths to create moments of chaos and clarity.

It’s a weird, neat record. It’s strange at times, and soothing at others.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Ryan at Clandestine Label Services.]

Review: Church Chords – elvis, he was Schlager

elvis, he was Schlager, the debut album from Church Chords, is difficult to describe, but that’s part of what makes it so good.

Combining recorded field sounds and samples with live performances in the studio, the album is a blend of musical influences from three cities: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles. It’s the brainchild of producer / multi-instrumentalist Stephen Buono, who decided to become more of a producer / bandleader / circus ringmaster with a wide number and variety of musicians from those three cities.

The result is a neat experimental record that somehow blends electro, post-punk, psych-rock, jazz, and other stuff I can’t quite define into sort of a calm chaos. It’s like the album cover, a woman stopped along a roadway while forest burns immediately next to her and she records the growing danger on her phone…or perhaps is reciting her thoughts for future meditations.

Songs like “Recent Mineral” and “Apophatic Melismatic” combine killer bass riffs with soft vocals and hip-hop drums. “Spacetime Pauses” reminds me of some of MC 900 Foot Jesus‘ jazz-psych fusion tracks.

Songs like “Warriors of Playtime” bring in wild jazz horns and prog-rock guitars. “She Lays of a Leaf” has industrial beats and, I think, vocals from Chicago alt-rockers Finom to make it a weird robot-dance / lounge club groover that builds into something that would fit into a late 1970s French erotic thriller. “Owned By Lust,” on the other hand, would fit into a modern horror film with its panicked guitar licks and rambling madman vocals.

“Then Awake” has sultry vocals over a synth-bass line that moves like a snake across a sand dune at midnight. “Man on a Wire” reminds me of some Siouxsie and The Banshees tracks with the vocal stylings, goth synths, and post-punk saxophone and beats. The vocals on “I Hope You See” are layered with extra effects to almost make them unintelligible, but also make them more ethereal.

In case you’re wondering, as I was, “Schlager” is a type of European pop music characterized by catchy beats and love-song lyrics. I suppose Elvis Presley was that for many of the masses. This record has catchy beats and love-song lyrics, but it’s not Schlager. It’s too experimental, too stream-of-consciousness, too odd.

But it’s not too much of any of that either. It’s one of the most interesting records I’ve heard so far this year.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Cody at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: Duality Tracks – Visions Vol. 2 PCRF charity compilation

Visions Vol. 2 from Belfast’s Duality Trax label is stunning collection of house and techno from UK DJ’s and producers that benefits the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

Starting with Glasgow’s Stevie Cox and “Sandalphon,” the album gets off to a smooth, trippy start with slight synthwave touches easily mixing with house beats. Kyoto, Japan’s Stones Taro‘s “Iron Door” is great for your workout playlist. It bumps and thumps at a great beat for aerobics, running, biking, and, of course, dancing in a dark club surrounded by sweaty people probably tripping balls at the time.

DAWS (Australia) brings in some old school house (complete with soulful disco vocal loops) on “Early Desire,” whereas Gallegos brings old school scratching and retro-electronic beats on “Once More One More.” It’s a track you don’t want to end because it gets better with each passing second.

emkay‘s “One Kiss Wonder” is a slick trance track that could slide right into a compilation you found in the mid-1990s on a merch table at a rave in an old high school gym. Body Clinic (Northern Ireland) finishes off the compilation with beautifully futuristic rave cut “159 Revolutions Per Minute” – which mixes synths with thumping electro-beats and sexy pleasure-bot sounds.

It’s all killer, no filler. Don’t miss this, and the money you spend on it goes to a good cause. What’s not to like?

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[Thanks to Harbour Music Society.]