Messi - O (messi.bandcamp.com)
The debut album of Chocolate Milk’s Joshua Aidan Padarathsingh, under his latest moniker Messi, finds the former noise artist applying his skill for dissonance and tension to the land of Boom Bap Hip Hop. Messi’s off kilter rhythms, reminiscent of both Flying Lotus and Ravi Shankar, stutter and slide over a kaleidoscopic stereophonic world of samples and textural knob tweaking. The unique blend of eastern polyrhythm and Bed Stuy sampling is immediately apparent in the opening track “Chase”, as frantic bells rush over a smooth jazz organ bounce that quickly evolves into a tightly wound Stax Records-style groove. The mid album track “Name A Price” drops deeper into the stereo panning exploration with the integration of horns and electronica that can only be described as Fela Kuti playing game boy. O is a boundary pushing must-have for fans of modern beat culture.
Boas - No Wonder (boas.bandcamp.com)
In the wake of the recent apparent disbanding of Richmond’s renowned electro-tribal group Cold Toast, main button pusher Tyler Newbold has returned with his second solo offering as Boas. Less squishy and meandering than his debut solo LP, this single, taken from forthcoming LP Grave Dreams, returns to the strong acoustic and the organic roots of Newbold’s former group. The lush strings and hypnotic drums evoke a sense of meditative atmosphere that is set perfectly by the song's pristine production. A definite accomplishment.
Tungs - Good Dreams (tungs.bandcamp.com)
In this DIY clip from local Psych rockers Tungs, for a song from their latest LP, Sleeping, a collage of summer hopes and exuberance is displayed against the backdrop of the group’s retro shoegaze squall. The beach, mopeds, day tripping kids in cool sunglasses, all being streamed through a nonstop rotation of the color spectrum. What more could you ask for? The production values are minimal and there is a cursor that constantly and annoyingly moves along the left of the screen but the overall effect when taken in is pure youth and sunlight.