Pop prodigy Billie Eilish's long awaited debut LP is out, and who better to give it a first listen than a group of 11-13 year olds? Plus Kirsten Johnstone, Yadana Saw, and Elliott Childs have new music from Flume, Lafawndah, SOAK and Mdou Moctar.
Billie Eilish Photo: supplied
Flume - 'Dreamtime'
This is the most ambient track on the new mixtape Hi, This Is Flume, from the Australian electronic music producer. Best experienced on headphones, it shows off his production prowess, with a clarity of sound that is almost tangible. It feels like that woody sounding tapping is coming from inside your skull, the video-game plinks neon sparks flying through ASMR inducing pastel pink clouds. KJ
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go.
Teenage pop prodigy Billie Eilish released her debut album this week, and who better to review the album than 11-13 year old girls. Sophie, Tahu, Honey, and Grace joined us for a first listen to When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go.
SOAK - Valentine Schmalentine
SOAK’s Valentine Schmalentine completely fulfils the criteria for Song Crush. It’s a song about a crush. Moreover, it’s a song about getting crushed by your crush. In this delicate, heart-rendering song you get spaciousness and just-the-right-amount of drums, tweeting birds and instrumentation. Bridie Monds-Watson’s wistful delivery is reminiscent of early Radiohead, where Thom Yorke’s emotional, plaintive voice hit you right in the guts with hardly any words. Listen to this if you want a swift kick into your deep feelings. YS
Lafawndah - 'Daddy'
Lafawndah is an Egyption/Iranian, though she refers to herself as a cultural orphan, not fitting into any one musical lineage. I hear the timbre and emotion of both Bjork and Madonna in this song. It’s production is spare but evocative: big bass whoomps, rattlesnake percussion, and field recorded crickets form the hot-climate backdrop to her sing-song melodies. The whole thing feels foreboding, ancient and mystic. KJ
Mdou Moctar - 'Wiwasharnine'
Complex guitar lines worked around traditional Saharan rhythms is the hallmark of the unique brand of desert rock made by the nomadic Tuareg people. Wiwasharnine by Mdou Moctar is a perfect example of how trance like and groovy the music can be as well as how joyous it can sound. EC
