D/R/U/G/S – Connected
Tender Age
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By virtue of the name there has obviously been a bit of a thing in journalsim with making bad jokes about the name of this producer. I’d like to say that I’m not joining in that game because I’m above that, but if you’ve read this column before then you obviously know I’m not above bad jokes. I’m just having trouble thinking of one after all of those… This is the second release from Mancunian house producer Callum Wright and is coming out on a limited edition 12” on Tender Age. He’s supporting Digitalism on their upcoming tour if you want a chance to see him reproduce it live.

Connected by D/R/U/G/S

Sunless 97 – Making Waves EP
Abeano
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This is a record that is being put out by Abeano. For those of you not in the know it’s a blog and a label that was started by a man called Imran Ahmed. The label is part of the XL family and I think Imran is pretty much running A&R for those boys these days. Yeah, I should do my research but if you don’t believe me you also have access to Google. Obviously, if XL have both given him a label and trust him to influence who they sign the man’s got taste. With this he has pretty much thown up in lights the fact that this can’t be argued with. SUNLESS ’97 are a London based three piece who share vocals over soft vicodin dream electronica. Perfect for trying to forget it’s winter.

Sunless ’97 – Making Waves EP by SUNLESS ’97

Doldrums – Empire Sound
No Pain in Pop
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I know I can be prone to hyperbole and to repeating myself. It’s part of my style, OK it’s part of my questionable ability to write well, but here we go again. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, No Pain In Pop are the kind of label where you can just buy their releases on trust. This is something I say about a lot of labels but there are smarter people than me out there. If they’re smarter than me they’re probably smarter than you. Doldrums is 21 year old Alrick Woodhead, I swear a week doesn’t go by where I don’t feel like I should have achieved more younger. This ep is a mad mixture of clicks, beats and samples that have no right to work together. God knows how he managed it, but they do.

EMPIRE SOUND EP by DOLDRUMS

Gabriel Bruce – Sleep Paralysis
Off Modern
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This record is being put out by Off Modern. You know how fat kids love cake, well I love these boys like the people who make insulin love the fact that fat kids love cake. This isn’t a comment on my sexual persuasion but a declaration of how much I respect what they do. They have impeccable taste and by putting this out they have once again helped the world meet something brilliant. Gabriel used to sing in a band called Loverman, he’s now making music of a slightly different persuasion. It’s dark and it’s brilliant and I cant stop playing this over and over again. It’s a special release as well, it comes with a 50 page book examining the idea of sleep paralysis, there are only 300 copies and this is a physical only release. The A side comes with a stunning video from Ferry Gouw which I’m including here, because of that there’s also a stream to the B side, don’t I treat you well.

OMR002 – Gabriel Bruce ‘No Love Lost’ (B side) by Off Modern

Ultimate Thrush – Ultimate Thrush EP
Winning Sperm Party
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The separation between the beauty of the packaging with this record and the beauty of the music is spectacular. I mean, I like the music, but when you say someone’s unconventionally beautiful it’s usually because they’re a bit special looking. Ultimate Thrush don’t make unconventionally beautiful music, they do however sound like a sonic representation of the beating someone took as a kid that left them looking a little different to normal. The packaging however is prom queen stunning. Its description is a little confusing but apparently it “comes in screen printed gold card packaging, hand sewn, with insert and hand decorated slip case”. I don’t know how you sew card but then again I don’t know how to sew anything. It’s being put out by the brilliantly named label “Winning Sperm Party” and I can’t wait to grab one IRL as I’ve only seen pictures so far.

Ultimate Thrush – THE SVESHNIKOV RELOADED by winningspermparty

Throwing Up – Mother Knows Best
What’s Your Rupture?
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You probably guessed from the band title and the art work, this isn’t classical music. One week I might stray there but this isn’t it. Instead I’ll use some genres that are kind of weak as a resort to describe music but this is pretty D.I.Y punk with some Riot Grrrl influences. They do feel apt though. It could almost be from an old K Records release. It’s in fact being released by What’s Your Rupture?. The band feature two former members of Headless, one of whom , Camille Bennet, also directs music videos. We’ve had some of them on the site. The other member of the group is Ben Rayner, whose name you might recognise from his other job as internationally renowned photographer.

Throwing Up Mother Knows Best 7″ ?0411 by What’s Your Rupture?

Trash Talk – Awake
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Some more noisy stuff. I do try and keep this column varied but it does depend on what comes out each week. Also, I get to pick what’s in it and as is probably apparent by now, I’m not into tranquil stuff all that often. This is the kind of thing I’d stick on in the morning. Id’ recommend it, you will stroll out the house thinking you’re harder than (resist erection based jokes) um, something hard. I take no responsibility for you punching your boss if you take my advice, but I am a grown and supposedly educated man that still listens to hardcore, it’s no surprise I support people punching their bosses. Trash Talk are a Californian punk band that have been fucking shit up since 2005, last time I saw them play the bruises lasted several weeks and I’m still not sure my elbow works properly.

Words:

Tom Hinton

This entry was tagged as 33-45, abeano, doldrums, drugs, gabriel bruce, no pain in pop, off modern, REVIEWS., sunless 97, tender age, throwing up, tom hinton, trash talk, ultimate thrush, vinyl, whats your rapture, winning sperm party.