listening2… is a series of regular posts on what I’ve been listening to. Tracks from my travels. New songs and music to explore further. Half forgotten tracks from my collection. Roadtrip gems. If you like this post, let me know or, even better, let someone else know!
June 22nd 2024: I’ve been listening to… #05
In this week’s listening2… Anohni bringing out something new - treat time; the disco ball wonder that is Jimmy Somerville; a discovered lockdown session from the wonderful 9Bach; a Progression Session in memory of the late, great MC Conrad; avant garde Guatemalan pop brilliance from Mabe Fratti; and lush Drum & Bass loveliness from Keeno.
As always, a couple of bonuses: a Mabe Fratti session and a 90s lost indie classic with a link to one of the other tracks.
1. Anohni and the Johnsons - Breaking
When Anohni brings out something new, I always know I’m in for a treat. From the early Mercury prize winning I Am A Bird Now, to her work with Bjork and Hercules and Love Affair, and right up to her latest pared back soul album, My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross, everything she releases is considered, and most of it is glorious. Her latest single - Breaking - is no exception and the imagery in the video matches its stark beauty. I’ve listened to this a lot this last few days and it’s literally hypnotic…
2. Jimmy Somerville – Some Wonder
I’ve loved Jimmy Somerville’s voice and style since the days of Smalltown Boy and his albums with The Communards (his band with now national treasure and super vicar, Richard Cole, and singer, Sarah Jane Morris). His solo work is great too – and his inspiration drawn from the early years of disco eventually bore fruit when he released Homage, commenting: "I've finally made the disco album I always wanted to and never thought I could." It’s an album full of classic disco tracks you’ve never heard, but sound oh-so-familiar! Lots of favourites on this album, but Some Wonder is wonder-ful … just listen to those opening strings!!!!
3. 9Bach - ar Dâp | on Tape
I came across 9Bach one freezing summer afternoon at a gig to celebrate the reopening of the refurbished Cardigan Castle in July 2015. They were mesmerising, almost upstaging the mighty Bellowhead, who they were supporting. There was controversy in the air as some locals grumbled at the non-Welsh headliners, but both bands were great despite the cold (did I tell you it was freezing? At the end of July?). Two amazing albums on Real World, Tincian and Anian were followed by a live album, Ar y 9. Then over the lockdown period, they recorded this session in collaboration with S4C. I missed it at the time, but it’s got all the beauty of the albums and live performances. Enjoy! 1
4. LTJ Bukem Ft MC Conrad – Progression Sessions 1
Back when I was discovering the genuinely revolutionary (in musical terms) sounds of UK Jungle and Drum & Bass in the 90s, there were two voices who became familiar to me from the Promised Land and Logical Progression compilation series: Cleveland Watkiss and MC Conrad. Their smooth rhythmic freeform vocals drew on Hip Hop, but felt entirely new, and were combined with the breakbeat magic of LTJ Bukem, Blame and Fabio, to become ‘Liquid’ or Intelligent’ Drum & Bass.
MC Conrad (Conrad Thompson) tragically died this year, aged only 52. You can find out more about his work from https://mixmag.net/feature/rip-mc-conrad-drum-n-bass-obituary-tribute. This Progression Session from 1998 is typical of the prolific output of LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad and the Good Looking Records crew at that time.
5. Mabe Fratti - Enfrente
I’m quoting Alexis Petridis in the Guardian (20/6/24) here: “Without wishing to sound like the bearer of more inadvertently faint praise: if you only buy one pop album by an avant garde Guatemalan cellist this year, Sentir Que No Sabes should definitely be it.”
There’s not much I can add. I’ve had the three available pre-release tracks from the album on repeat since reading this on Thursday. It’s utterly, uniquely amazing. And it will be the one pop album by an avant-garde Guatemalan cellist that I buy this year. 2
6. Keeno - Is This The Way? (feat. Abbie Rose)
One of my favourite labels is Hospital Records, home of much of the best Drum & Bass being released at the moment. There’s so much to explore, but my most recent online crate digging find is Keeno’s magical 2017 album, All The Shimmering Things. Somehow it combines the dance floor vibe of the best D & B with lush orchestration and great composition and songwriting. I’d go as far as to say that this is probably my go-to album of the moment. I could have chosen any of the tracks, but this one catches me every time I play it… And Abbie Rose’s vocal? Just joyful….
Fun fact: 9Bach - the Welsh language band featured above was set up by Lisa Jen and Martin Hoyland in 2005. Martin Hoyland was a member of 1990s indie band Pusherman. The band fell apart in 1997, but their 1996 album, Floored is a lost classic. This is the first track, Chase It. It sounds like grunge Oasis channeled through early Nirvana… in a good way!
Bonus session: according to Alexis Petridis, Mabe Fratti’s latest album is avant garde Guatemalan cello-pop (see above). Here’s her being a bit more the avant-garde than pop, I think, in a Mexican session from last year. It’s gorgeous…