Every week a plethora of high-quality music is released across the globe. Discovering music has become easier than ever, but also can be overwhelming for the everyday listener. We breakdown some of our favourite releases to have come through Bandcamp this week.
Skee Mask – A
Kickstarting with a favourite choice from Bandcamp Friday (4th of March) is Skee Mask A, a record allocating all earnings to Ukraine’s humanitarian aid. The cover of this album pays homage by including (the now globally recognisable) yellow and blue colours of Ukraine’s flag. A favourite from this compilation is “DIY Letterbox”. This track is warped around rolling 909s and 303s, whilst having an evident ambient setting, the sort of track made for easy listening a walk or car journey.
In comparison to the fourth track on the album “BFIB” , dark percussive sounds of Skee Mask’s earlier compilations shine through and has similarities to “Flyby VFR” on Compro. This track is perfect for a club setting — dark electro, with hints of breakbeat and bass. Personally, it as a transitional tune between genres, a switch from electro to jungle edging at 140 BPM. It is also interesting to point out that “BFIB” is a play on the phrase V-FIB, Ventricular Fibrillation and A-FIB, Atrial Fibrillation. Loosely these medical terms are a fitting comparison for this track. Symptoms include sweaty palms and an irregular heartbeat, a common occurrence for those suffering from serious heart diseases (and also for the listeners of this track). The album switches between serious club hitters and smooth listening, tracks that make you ponder life and want to produce something similar, we would expect nothing less from Skee Mask’s productions.
Pugilist – Sun Dial/ Illusion of Time
Another self-release from Melbourne-based artist Pugilist, aka Alex Dickson, following on from his most recent Banoffee Pies release Static.. The first track “Sun Dial” offers four minutes of uninterrupted warmth — a wall of sound — as described by Pugilist. With soft chimes and a slow bass, the ambience of this track is gently heated. Illusion of time follows a similar theme with elements of reverberant winding and crashing echoes of illusive vocals are evident throughout. This particular track makes for great listening if you need to wind down or concentrate whilst working. An excellent example of Pugilist’s production mastery and a refreshing change from some of his earlier releases.
DJ Double Oh! – Cuerpo Y Sol
This EP, forthcoming on All Centre, offers the third track of this pre-release by DJ Double Oh! A debut release, Cuerpo y Sol is a continuum of his remix of Yushh’s “I’m With Empty”. Double Oh! traverses elements of reggaeton, gqom, cumbia and techno. The exclusive track on this release “Burst” (available with pre-order) heightens the tempo towards the 140 BPM mark and the understated, introduction gives way to huge bassweight, precision-programmed drums and short snippets of vocals. Energetic percussive patterns shift as the structure progresses, constructing a mesmerising drum track that will keep dancers on their toes throughout. The complete EP is available on all streaming platforms from the 11th of March.
bergsonist – FASTING
This four-part self-release by the New York-based 3D artist and producer offers a combination of club showstoppers and radio hard hitters. The variation in genre within this release is typical of bergsonist, her heated vocals wrapped around polyrhythms offers listeners a complex journey into her productions. “12 YEARS TO SAVE A PLANET” takes inspiration from bergsonist’s earlier release “Don’t Have Babies” on her debut album Middle Ouest (Optimo Music). The second track “FASTING” showcases an Italo two-step style of track — with a dub echoed bass and bouncy chords, this track- is very fun and different from the rest of the EP.
Not only is bergsonist an accomplished artist, but she also raises questions surrounding the value of artistry. Her Paetron, costing $10 per month, adds an element of exclusivity to her music and her access to artist Paetron’s highlights the need for producers and DJs alike to fight for fairer pay concerning artist loyalties and distribution of musical rights.
SPECIAL REQUEST X TIM REAPER – SPECTRAL FREQUENCY VIP
A combination of legends join forces for this special one-off track. Again, in aid of helping victims of the Ukrainian crisis, Special Request and Tim Reaper unveil a one-off release entitled Spectral Frequency VIP. Showcasing Reaper’s remix one of Special Requests most loved tracks, the track transcends into a haze of wasps like bass and rolling amen breaks. It includes a climactic intro that catapults through a jungle maze of choppy breaks & a dub-heavy bassline, adding a warm pulse to the cold static. This is a non-negotiable showstopper that is expected to appear at big nights out causing a frenzy on the dance floor, satisfying both techno and Jungle-heads alike.
