Welcome to The Roux! Every Friday, new music is released. Though the internet and streaming make it easier than ever to discover something new, the main channels usually rep the same established big names. This leaves equally great records on the sidelines. Each of these artists is talented and accomplished in their own right. With this weekly feature, I do the searching, so you don’t have to, selecting five releases that were discovered while exploring beyond the algorithm.
All releases are linked to the artists’ respective Bandcamp pages.
01. FOSSILS
by No Masters
[Self-Released]
Despite their homemade nature, FOSSILS is a muscular collection of industrialized beats and noise atmospherics. Across fifteen tracks, the album rarely allows for a moment of rest, instead, it propels forward with unrelenting energy, an apt fusion of noise and dance.
02. Arctic Colors
by Midnight Medics
[Self-Released]
Cold micro beats and icy textures make Arctic Colors a richly intricate array of winter-themed ambient noise. There aren’t just field recordings of wind here, instead, the compositions evoke silent snowfall as well as the cacophonous shattering of ice.
03. Alexithymia 述情障碍
by Various
[Scandal]
Compiling eight local female producers onto one cohesive release, Alexithymia touches on emotional tie-ups via our now-standard social distancing, and how these eight producers tackle these conflicts. While this is a headier domain, the release can simply be appreciated as a euphoric dancefloor filler.
04. Rampike
by Dark Ensemble
[Self-Released]
An overlooked opportunity in December, I’m pleased that I’m at least late to the game with Rampike. Two long-form examinations that act as homages to nature, the combination of Blanka Pesja’s poetry atop Timon Persoon’s subtle deconstructed and textural music makes for an enticing and thoughtful experience.
05. Scattered Tracks
by Stephono ZIP
[Self-Released]
Scattered Tracks takes the rich history of musique concrète and adds a little synth flare. In sound, it’s a bit unnerving to listen to this release, across its seven compositions, textures come in like steel knives, vocals are lopped and twisted while analog instruments communicate a state of disorientation…. all together, it’s varied and detailed and worth repeat listening for new mysteries to discover.
Lagniappe Exposure 