The Playground Picks 12/12/19
There is an endless amount of great music out there to enjoy, so we are making it easier for you to find it with our fresh Spotify playlists, updated weekly and highlighted every Thursday and Friday.
This week in AFRO, BASS, HOUSE, TECHNO and WAVE music we bring you inspiration and enjoyment from the Congo to Canada, from Germany to Uganda. Music transcends all boundaries and so we invite you to join us in appreciating the fine talents we have spotlighted below as this week’s fresh selects.
Fresh Selections:
Rey Sapienz – ‘Hakuna Ku Lala F’
Hailing from Nord-Kivu, Congo DRC, Rey Sapeinz’s debut ep offers a window into his heady Soukous mutations. ‘Hakuna Kulala F’ is a unique and trippy exploration of abstracted Soukous and techno-inspired sounds.
Nihiloxica – ‘Endongo’
‘Endongo’ is taken from their eponymous debut EP, bringing indigenous Ugandan drums in tune with dark, foreboding techno-inspired synth lines in a project designed for mayhem in the live environment. Comprised of seven percussionists, one kit drummer combined with an analogue synth player, Nihiloxica presents a darker take on a traditional Bugandan sound.
Fresh Selection:
Lijah – ‘Alhassan (160 Flip)’
After rave reviews about the original ‘Alhassan’ track that dropped on L U C Y’s SZNS7N label, Lijah approaches the track with a new perspective. With the song already being played on Reprezent and Boiler Room multiple times over the past weeks, Lijah’s debut 160-footwork release is a quality inception into the genre.
Fresh Selections:
Baba Ali – ‘House’
‘House’ is the new single from the latest signee to 30th Century Records, Baba Ali. “It’s funky with a hardened edge. It’s urgent and it’s fed up,” says Ali who, in early 2019, recorded a new set of music with Jamie Hince. Those songs found their way to acclaimed artist-producer Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, and they have subsequently become Baba’s latest release, the This House EP, set for release early 2020 on 30th Century Records.
Skayem – ‘Spread My Wings’
With its catchy vocals, groovy bassline and joyful piano, ‘Spread My Wings’ represents pure House music. Released on the extremely successful JANGO Music, I can assure you, ‘SpreadMy Wings’ will be the perfect track to get anyone going with joyful mood, either on the dance floor or simply for their day.
Urchin – ‘Without No Fear’ feat. Black Rose
Utilizing both his training as a jazz guitarist, and skills as a producer, Urchin crafts an openly complex track simultaneously filled with a spacious sonic ambience and sense of urgency seeping from the sporadic guitar licks. Singer, Black Rose, provides a 90’s R&B inspire topline that lends the track a sense of mystery and foreboding. ‘Without No Fear’ is the third track from Urchin’s sophomore EP due out in January of 2020.
Fresh Selections:
Timur Fa – ‘Omen’
A tech-house track utilizing classic techno drum machines and synthesizers. With ‘Omen’, the main focus is on the minimalistic bassline, Detroit chord sequences, and overall groove.
Enrico Hubert – ‘Lumen’
Combining a hard pumping kick drum with a melodic lead sound and melancholic pads, ‘Lumen’ is Hubert’s first release after a two-year creative hiatus and a promising showing of what to expect from the reinvigorated artist.
Tramtunnel – ‘Expedition to Earth’ (Original Mix)
Taken from Tramtunnel’s EP Against The Fall Of Night, ‘Expedition to Earth’ is an ode to the great science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The techno-addicted synth fanatic uses mostly hardware for his music and isn’t scared to leave some of the hiss and other imperfections in his tracks.
Fresh Selections:
The Hedrals – ‘Atonement’
Blending a mix of widely reverbed layers and antique chants, the music of The Hedrals is sacred, uncluttered and ceremonial, floating between darkness and light, ambient and catchy moments.
Juche – ‘Virtual Sensitive’
The seminal wave artist’s highly anticipated debut album Future Love Story is here, showcasing his forward-thinking aesthetic. ‘Virtual Sensitive’ presents the listener with a refreshing take on his well-honed sound. The synths envelop, the vocal samples stir and the percussion simply bangs.
