WETTER THAN JULY
TORN SAIL LP IMMINENT! And me having a blissful year of music loving with the missus, something that looked impossible at the years start. As if there haven't been enough blessings, Votel only went and released Alan Parkers wonderful One Summer score. A veritable masterpiece that somehow traverses the rustic beauty of nostalgia with the raw beat of essential music in the now. I'm transported back to the 2 or 3 sunny days in the 6 week holidays one minute, then feeling all head noddingly righteous behind my turntable the next. Dynamite.
Cassettes have been like buses with nothing one minute then 3 the next. Tommy's Session 11 is pretty bloody special. I love the music they create and wish more folk had the sense to appreciate them. Another winner was the self-titled San, which is laced pop vision music with a squinting eye at the sun. Red Moon is a killer. To complete the trio, Maquina Total released a sublime self- titled beauty in a silver foil bag. Urbanitzacio Esmeralda has the most beautiful music on it. And more than ever we need beautiful music.
Sugai Ken has released some gems this year. On The Quakefish, the debut Lullabies For Insomniacs LP has rightly received its fair share of plaudits but I've been more blown away with the beautiful (that word again)
Em CD Goto no Yoniwa which utilizes exotic (to my ears) Japanese insects to great effect. Akin to lying in a bath full of Matey, it both soothes and transfixes. Far closer to hom, the wonderful Ruralcolours released a delightful cdr by Sophie Cooper called Count The Days which is bloody fantastic and works similar magic, albeit through more traditional means.
My favourite edits of the year have come courtesy of Tryck & T Ons 2 releases, and surprisingly the A-sides Sunday Morning ? and Old Lady Friend? are the bombs. Think sunshine and arm waving. Something that's been in short supply. These are just some of the highlights of another incredible 6 months of music. I could write a list for a week but won't.
However, not all good as the engine in my brain that was keeping SFH motoring has switched off. A gig from my 2nd favourite French band was in the pipe-line, as were a few mixes, but then nothing. No word, nothing. It was as if folk were saying 'fuck him, he doesn't know what he's doing,' which was precisely the point of SFH. I don't know what I'm doing; I buy records and think to myself 'I feel bloody fantastic listening to this,' then have the docile notion to try to connect my joy to other people, which is why we're here. Beyond that I try to elicit a bit of social media interest but of late have realized a lot more folk are doing it better. Massiv heads up to What the Freak? for making material a night I was plotting 2 years ago. I asked my pal if he'd drive then let me crash in his car coz I think Khruangbin and Horsebeach are incredible. He messaged me back saying 'student music.' The former also played sunrise sessions in Croatia's Love International festival, as did Begin. I would've loved to have been in attendance for those magic moments. Not the festival mind.
Oh, did I mention TORN SAIL LP IMMINENT!
