Rn Cp uiNgủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận ThếSubtext
Considering its density of sound and complexity of feeling, it’s a wonder that Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế is only 27 minutes long. Each musical idea lingers only as long as it needs to. RCĐ gestures at their encyclopedia these little bits of musical synecdoche: a pointillistic sweep here summoning Curtis Roads, a dembow rhythm there recalling Shabba Ranks. Like the V-2 rocket in Gravity’s Rainbow, these moments serve to illustrate a greater whole: in Pynchon’s case, the destructive capability of twentieth century mathematics and engineering, and for RCĐ the vast range of musical knowledge that the internet has made widely available.
Arab StrapAs Days Get DarkRock Action
There’s a funny thing that happens on As Days Get Dark. Wretched misdeeds and thoughts slip more thoroughly into the third person. There’s a sense of remove. Aged, the lecherous scumbags seem more pathetic than ever. They’re much too old for wherever they are and whoever they’re creeping, just barely louche at best. You can almost smell the flop sweat of the dude in ‘I Was Once A Weak Man’ as he tries to convince himself that his behaviour isn’t deeply, deeply embarrassing – at minimum. Other tracks are nightmarishly parabolic. A grease-stained god of nocturnal dalliances sweeps up the nightlife in ‘Here Comes Comus!’; doomed foxes seek refuge; the past haunts a train traveller in the first-person ‘Sleeper’. Is it possible there are lessons to be learned here? Maybe even a little bit of wisdom?
TirzahColourgradeDomino
There is a refreshing intimacy to Colourgrade, almost as if the recording process simply consisted of leaving a microphone in the shower and then editing out the trickling water in the background. Like the lyrics started off as simple poems on steamed-up glass. In contrast to Tirzah’s distinctively candid poetics, most of the record’s production, with the exception of the guitar-drums combo of ‘Send Me’, or the never-ending carousel vibes of ‘Sink In’, feels like it comes from a darker, less innocent place. Like a void encroaching on a perfect world. In ‘Beating’, lovers miraculously find each other in that void, and even create life. “I found you. You found me. We made life,” Tirzah half-sings as static hisses and grainy loops churn like ashy stratus clouds. The generally somber sonic palette feels like a kind of liminal space where memories swirl and swim, waiting to be plucked out.
TomagaIntimate ImmensityHands In The Dark
When Valentina Magaletti’s oblong tank drum cycles emerge from the dark to form a tuneful skeleton for ‘Idioma’, the opening cut of Tomaga’s final release, it’s a sound at once known and unknowable, evolved from 2016’s The Shape Of The Dance, yet embedded with a deeper meaning in light of Tom Relleen’s passing. On Intimate Immensity, the breathless reverberations of his Buchla synthesiser are just that bit more incisive than before as they saturate the sound space and grow emotional branches around echoing polyrhythms. Bass textures bubble up and wash over lurking, shy noises with newly discovered weight. An electronic pulse whistles for the first and last time.
L’RainFatigueMexican Summer
Each song on Fatigue is preceded by an interlude to piece the emotions of each cut together. The first of those interludes, ‘Fly, Die’ asks us, “What have you done to change?” This is the key question that the album as a whole sets out to explore: how do we change and expand ever outward? Across the record, L’Rain envisions a kind of psychic city, each dominion anchored to distinct emotions. We fly through it, amongst the buzz of city life, roads with police sirens and the resistance of air. We catch glimpses of people’s interactions on the street, hear their laughs, hums, cries, claps, stories and feelings. In L’Rain’s genre-subverting world, emotions do not exist in singularity.
The ArmedULTRAPOPSargent House
It’s a mark of The Armed’s deftness and intelligence that their fandom can remain both obsessive and inclusive at the same time, never bordering on the weaponised toxicity that has scarred ‘Stan’ culture elsewhere online. What elevates The Armed from the enjoyable to the essential, however, is the extraordinary strength of their art. The driving force behind all their fans’ energy is music that feels genuinely vital. ULTRAPOP is an attempt to take the intensity of the hardcore music the band grew up on, and by injecting it with modern pop’s forward-facing maximalism, up its energy even further still, emerging with a brand new genre from which the album takes its name. In the process, they’re gleefully undercutting the hypermasculine nonsense that can sometimes dog heavier music. Sneer at their ambition if you will, but they’ve succeeded in that mission. ULTRAPOP is as bold, dynamic and addictive an album as you’ll hear all year.
Divide and DissolveGas LitInvada
I have an admittedly unevidenced suspicion that people are reluctant to reference other bands when describing Divide And Dissolve’s music, on account of the duo’s Sylvie Nehill and Takiaya Reed avoiding this. That’s arguably good practise in many ways, but I do wish to emphasise that this is a really good sludge record: striking and individual, but not an unheard vanguard in sound or anything (though certainly D&D’s most fully realised release to date). Reed’s tone – “going deeper and deeper into the swamps,” she’s called it – has echoes of Steve Brooks’ in Floor on ‘Denial’; Burning Witch on the wretched tectonic slippage of ‘It’s Really Complicated’; a Godflesh-type industrial monotony on album closer ‘We Are Really Worried About You’, whose guitar sound is slightly cleaner than on previous songs, all things being relative.
LiarsThe Apple DropMute
The Apple Drop boasts a rich sonic palette that brings in string arrangements, embraces the guitar in a way this band hasn’t for more than a decade, and pushes Laurence Pike’s crisp, martial drumming to the front of the mix. It sounds absolutely massive. One of the many impressive things about the album is that while it joins the dots between Liars past and present, it never feels like a straight-up retread of those early records. Instead, it suggests a fascinating future for Angus Andrew and a now presumably flexible line-up of co-conspirators. It’s a beautiful, weird, heartfelt and uncanny album – exactly like the nine records that preceded it and also entirely unlike them.
Tanz Mein HerzQuattroStandard In-Fi
If you’ve already come across drone-folk monsters France then Tamz Mein Heinz are their slightly less monofocal cousins, with Mathieu Tilly and Jeremie Sauvage (who also runs the Standard In-Fi label) appearing in both. While France will plough a single furrow for the entirety of a release or a show (thrillingly, I should add), Tanz Mein Herz – who here also include Ernest Bergez (AKA Sourdure), Alexis Degrenier, Guilhem Lacroux, Pierre-Vincent Fortunier and Pierre Bujeau – have a more wide-open sound, while still keeping faith with the hypnotic power of repetition. Even by their previously excellent standards, Quattro is pretty monumental – the shortest track is just over seven minutes, and the longest clocks in at over 26, but what’s striking isn’t so much duration as the tension between savagery (of the drones and the see-sawing fiddle) and the poise of the milky guitar arpeggios, plunking bass and rumbling drums that draws you in as the grooves intensify and trails of synth start to glow like comet tails.
Gazelle Twin NYXDeep EnglandNYX Collective
Deep England takes its name from a strain of identity diagnosed by academic Patrick Wright as "this deep-frozen English nationalism." It unfolds like chapters in a bedtime story that’s taken a plunge into the uncanny, as Bernholz deploys a shifting palette of wind instruments, textured shrieks, horror-movie FX, and lurching techno. Chiming church bells usher in opening track ‘Glory’, which quickly whips itself into a terrible rhapsody of female voices, like the ghosts of England’s unresolved sense of self swirling through all at once.
Sleaford ModsSpare RibsRough Trade
This is the sorry state into which Sleaford Mods’ latest album announces itself like a punch in the belly from a stubbly stranger outside the small Sainsbury’s. Recorded quickly under lockdown, the music feels urgent in an almost skeletal way. The very bass lines themselves groan and sigh with both exasperation and aggression. Crucially, they still contain just enough swing to get the old hips swaying from side to side. The beats are harsh, icy and precise, with extra electronic embellishments used slyly and sparingly. There are barnstorming guest performances too, from Billy Nomates and Amy Taylor from Amyl & The Sniffers. As for Jason Williamson’s always engrossing lyrics, there is little point in quoting any of these gems directly. They might look great on paper but they have to be heard first-hand to be properly enjoyed and absorbed. A large part of the pleasure of hearing any Sleaford Mods album is in the sheer accumulation of Williamson’s poetic dismay, as well as the perfect positioning of a particularly cathartic rant or foamy mouthed slur.
Scotch RolexTewariHakuna Kulala
On ‘Omuzira’ and ‘Juice’, Ishihara creates a thick, heavy, but somehow spacious beat that’s tailor-made for Yallah’s terse flow, and on ‘Nfulula Biswa’ provides Swordman Kitala with a pummelling, industrial dub track redolent of Kevin Martin at his finest. It’s the three tracks with Lord Spikeheart that are most uncompromising of all – Ishihura’s fiery beats merge with Khanja’s merciless grindcore screams to create something so oppressive and claustrophobic that it becomes thrilling, like a headrush after being starved of oxygen.
Richard Dawson CircleHenkiDomino
On ‘Ivy’, it’s a "poacher of men" seeing his son swallowed by malignant vines. The eight-minute narrative spirals out like a horticultural Moby Dick, turning into a full metal gallop as the protagonists’ lives slip further into violent tragedy, one of them eventually "torn limb from limb by his own mother." This strange epic mixes mythologies: a touch turning everything to stone here, a ride into the underworld with a panther there. The narrative takes some unpacking to find coherence, but the sense of desperation is always palpable.
Loraine JamesReflectionHyperdub
With Nova, for instance, James explores the objectification of women in the #MeToo era. "Just hold my hand when we drive off the cliff / Bold to see justice it’s just a myth" feels like a Thelma and Louise-like nod to female friendship and empowerment in a world where gender equality is still a world away. "Smacked on the butt since birth / and during the pregnancy," Nova raps over this urgent plea for respect, sung over a techno beat and a clever Drexciyan chord progression. James’ adept mono auto-tuning of Nova makes the message sound both confrontational and weary: it’s a demand for equality but one with a long sigh wondering why women are still asking the same questions.
William DoyleGreat Spans Of Muddy TimeTough Love
Although 1960s girl groups don’t immediately spring to mind when listening to William Doyle, there’s something about the emotional honesty of some of the lyrics and singing on Great Spans Of Muddy Time that recalls how groups like The Ronettes, The Girlfriends, or The Crystals could sing songs wreathed in uncertainty and doubt, using plain language in a heartfelt, direct delivery. In the stunning lead single, the compact, kaleidoscopic pop symphony of ‘And Everything Changed (But I Feel Alright)’, the passionate repetition of the line ‘I feel alright I believe’ in the chorus suggests a narrator trying to convince him or herself of something; the word ‘believe’ can imply both conviction and faith/uncertainty.
The Weather StationIgnoranceFat Possum
Opening with ‘Robber’, the record’s most intricately layered and intriguing arrangement, Lindeman expresses fatigue with capitalist-induced corruption. On our first taste of the sumptuous expansion of The Weather Station’s sound – now featuring two drummers, brass, strings, and synths – the sonic ambition on display is immediately arresting. Crawling like a cloud swollen with rain, the arrangement bears the weightiness of an imminent storm that will culminate in a thundering crash of cymbals. Its propulsive beat provides a steady base for the sinisterly intoned textures; sweeping strings and a slinky sax part reminiscent of Bowie’s Blackstar (an influence which remains intact on ‘Atlantic’). The song is a hallmark of the maturation in The Weather Station’s previously more folk-leaning compositions.
Dean BluntBlack Metal 2Rough Trade
"Here we are, back on the guitar," sings Blunt on ‘SEMTEX’, while ‘VIGIL’ has the same midi strings that gave The Redeemer its shoddy grandeur, and sees the return of long-time collaborator Joanne Robertson, contributing guitar twangs and vocals. There’s a potent presence of Mazzy Star, the dubby dream world of AR Kane, also Felt and The Pastels – the socially acceptable alternative to C-86 type jangle. They’ll even steer dangerously close to emblems of US slackerdom, Kurt Vile and the like. A well known tradition in all these kinds of music is the hiding of depression behind jaunty tunes, but on Black Metal 2‘s ‘DASH SNOW’, Blunt sounds properly dejected over the summery instrumental. It’s tears and shit cocktails on a grotty garden patio. All aftermath, contemplation.
AYAim holeHyperdub
Listening to vocal tracks, like the sombre earworm ‘what if i should fall asleep and slipp under’, or self-described ASMR drill of ‘Emley lights us moor’, my mind constantly shifts focus. There are the vapour trails left by the voice(s), perpetually varying in pitch, depth and texture, like those DeepDream videos, and the multidimensional productions floating in the background – HD sonic tapestries interwoven with crumbs of sound, subtle nuances of timbre, and dramatic synth pyrotechnics that feel out of joint. A true sonic contortionist, aya is always looking for new ways to squeeze sound into unknown forms.
The BugFireNinja Tune
In many ways it feels like a more direct sequel to 2008’s London Zoo, described by at least one critic in unintentional Hulk-ian terms as "tense," "angry" and "ferocious, but always triumphant," adding that it "threatens to bust out your windows and rip holes in your speakers." Fire‘s ingredients are similar to those of London Zoo, but all the measurements have somehow been upped. The mutant basslines are deeper than a humpback anglerfish, and almost as ugly. The tracks are packed with apocalyptic rumbles, industrial clankery and sepulchral beats, decorated with inner-city sirens and other smog-ridden reverberations.
Martin has stopped overthinking things, he has said, going with his instincts instead. By relaxing his self-confessed "maniacal control," he’s letting the music breathe for itself and teem out more naturally. The Hulk is on the loose.
The Quietus Albums Of The Year So Far 2021
- 1: The Bug – Fire
- 2: aya – im hole
- 3: Dean Blunt – Black Metal 2
- 4: The Weather Station – Ignorance
- 5: William Doyle – Great Spans Of Muddy Time
- 6: Loraine James – Reflection
- 7: Richard Dawson & Circle – Henki
- 8: Scotch Rolex – Tewari
- 9: Sleaford Mods – Spare Ribs
- 10: Gazelle Twin & NYX – Deep England
- 11: Tanz Mein Herz – Quattro
- 12: Liars – The Apple Drop
- 13: Divide And Dissolve – Gas Lit
- 14: The Armed – ULTRAPOP
- 15: L’Rain – Fatigue
- 16: Tomaga – Intimate Immensity
- 17: Tirzah – Colourgrade
- 18: Arab Strap – As Days Get Dark
- 19: Rắn Cạp Đuôi – Ngủ Ngày Ngay Ngày Tận Thế
- 20: black midi – Cavalcade
- 21: Natalia Beylis & Eimear Reidy – Whose Woods These Are
- 22: Eris Drew – Quivering In Time
- 23: audiobooks – Astro Tough
- 24: Ben LaMar Gay – Open Arms To Open Us
- 25: MICROCORPS – XMIT
- 26: Joy Orbison – still slipping vol. 1
- 27: Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
- 28: The Transcendence Orchestra – All Skies Have Sounded
- 29: HARD FEELINGS – HARD FEELINGS
- 30: Part Chimp – Drool
- 31: Rochelle Jordan – Play With The Changes
- 32: ioulus – oddkin
- 33: Kìzis – Tidibàbide / Turn
- 34: Black Country, New Road – For The First Time
- 35: Space Afrika – Honest Labour
- 36: Shirley Collins – Crowlink
- 37: Skee Mask – Pool
- 38: Shackleton – Departing Like Rivers
- 39: Grouper – Shade
- 40: Ed Dowie – The Obvious I
- 41: Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
- 42: —__–___ – The Heart Pumps Kool-Aid
- 43: Godspeed You! Black Emperor – G_d’s Pee At STATE’S END!
- 44: Erika de Casier – Sensational
- 45: Hawthonn – Earth Mirror
- 46: Rufus Isabel Elliot – A/am/ams (come ashore, turn over)
- 47: Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
- 48: Ruth Goller – Skylla
- 49: Succumb – XXI
- 50: Melvins – Working With God
- 51: Frog Of Earth – Frog Of Earth
- 52: Oliver Leith – ‘Me Hollywood’
- 53: Andy Stott – Never The Right Time
- 54: Goodbye World – At Death’s Door
- 55: Slikback – MELT
- 56: Max Syedtollan / Plus-Minus Ensemble – Four Assignments
- 57: Time Binding Ensemble – Nothing New Under The Sun
- 58: William Parker – Mayan Space Station
- 59: NONEXISTENT – NONEXISTENT
- 60: Årabrot – Norwegian Gothic
- 61: Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson – Searching For The Disappeared Hour
- 62: Manic Street Preachers – The Ultra Vivid Lament
- 63: Claire Rousay – a softer focus
- 64: Helm – Axis
- 65: Clairo – Sling
- 66: Aging ~ Land Trance – Embassy Nocturnes
- 67: Rien Virgule – La Consolation Des Violettes
- 68: Jane Weaver – Flock
- 69: Jeff Parker – Forfolks
- 70: Vapour Theories – Celestial Scuzz
- 71: At The Gates – The Nightmare Of Being
- 72: GNOD – La Mort Du Sens
- 73: Ursula Sereghy – OK Box
- 74: Bloody Head – The Temple Pillars Dissolve Into The Clouds
- 75: Jorja Chalmers – Midnight Train
- 76: Leather Rats – No Live ‘Til Leather ’98
- 77: Koreless – Agor
- 78: Snapped Ankles – Forest Of Your Problems
- 79: Hedvig Mollestad – Tempest Revisited
- 80: Richard Youngs – CXXI
- 81: Squid – Bright Green Field
- 82: Mirage – Mirage
- 83: Laura Cannell & Kate Ellis – May Sounds
- 84: My Bloody Sex Party – Vol. 2
- 85: Taqbir – Victory Belongs To Those Who Fight For A Right Cause
- 86: The Altered Hours – Convertible
- 87: Perkins & Federwisch – One Dazzling Moment
- 88: Converge & Chelsea Wolfe – Bloodmoon: I
- 89: Fluisteraars – Gegrepen Door De Geest Der Zielsontluiking
- 90: Angharad Davies – gwneud a gwneud eto / Do And Do Again
- 91: Vanishing Twin – Ookii Gekkou
- 92: Antonina Nowacka – Vocal Sketches From Oaxaca
- 93: Turnstile – GLOW ON
- 94: Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime
- 95: Senyawa – Alkisah
- 96: Ruth Mascelli – A Night At The Baths
- 97: LoneLady – Former Things
- 98: Low – HEY WHAT
- 99: Marco Shuttle – Cobalt Desert Oasis
- 100: Celestial – I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night
