Review: Five recent releases

A series of recent releases by artists and labels we’ve featured in our zine. Mostly electronic, with 80s synth compilations, vinyl sampling novelties, and ambience mixed in with a mix tape of lofi rock, punk, electronica, and a piano ballad. There’s a bit of everything in these five releases.

Anika

Taken from Les Gordon’s album Nuances. Another Time is the most recently released track to feature Anika and follows her collaboration with Les Gordon in 2021 on their track Visions.

When we spoke in our first issue, Anika was just about to release her second solo album Change and has since released a remix collection of songs from that album. But while Change and its remixes hint at what Anika could sound like in a more produced electronic group, her work with Les Gordon really shows you what’s possible. It’s only one track, but I’d be keen to an album of Anika working with other producers if they were all this good.

Buh Records

Buh have been incredibly prolific since we interviewed them about Oksana Linde’s album in our third issue. They’ve released some film score work by Luis David Aguilar, the psychedelic debut by Puppies In the Sun, and my personal favourite ​Sí​ntomas de techno : Ondas electr​ó​nicas subterr​á​neas desde Perú (1985​-​1991) a collection of synthy electronic music from the late 80s.

From the opening beats of Disidentes’ Martillo I was addicted. I love darkwave synthy electronica, and so everything about this compilation appeals to me. Make sure to give this album a listen in full, and keep your fingers crossed for further volumes.

Garden Seat

Yes Yes:A Comfortable Compilation features 22 tracks of lofi rock, electronica, and ambience made by the friends of Melbourne label Garden Seat. There’s a lot happening in here.

Opening with Ronny Quasar’s percussive beats, things are switched up with a bit of K5’s garage rock, followed by a lofi live recording of Smoek. Brickhead will make you jump around the room before things get a bit more doomy with New Dregs, and then there’s some more lofi rock.

Although it bounces around genres and goes from lofi to hifi and back again, it makes the perfect mixtape and works in particular for what it is, a mixtape made by friends of the label. As mentioned in our interview with Zeb and Jaxon, they also run the venue Static Open, and it’s easy to imagine each of these bands appearing at one of their eclectic nights. Listen to the whole thing here on Bandcamp.

Astro Sounds

Featured in our first issue, Astro Sounds are an Australian record label specialising in limited 7"s from local producers and they’ve just dropped two spooky vinyl releases. Embedded above is Frightmaster Soup & The Flesheaters Want To Die? which pulls together spooky samples and surf rock to create a new graveyard rock.

They’ve also put out the similarly themed Monster A’ Go​-​Go by The Ghastly Inhabitants. Both releases are short and sweet, as Astro Sounds have stuck to their mission of limited 7" releases. It definitely keeps them fun. Check them out on their Bandcamp.

David Toop

Pink Spirit, Noir World is the latest release from David Toop, compiling tracks from two of his albums Pink Noir (1996) and Spirit World (1997). This is the first time these songs have been collected on vinyl, and they’ve been pressed by Deepgrooves, who create “sustainable vinyl” using 100% green biomass energy.

Back in our first issue I interviewed David Toop about his book Rap Attack, but before he began writing he was already experimenting with sound and has continued to release new music. Pink Spirit, Noir World is a great opportunity to explore some of his 90s work which is easy to miss amongst such a deep discography. Tracks like Ceremony Viewed Through Iron Slit stand out as they wouldn’t sound out of place in a mixtape next to Autechre. This is one to put on with the lights out as it envelops you completely. Grab the full album on Bandcamp.