There's music for driving, running, dancing, and dreaming this week in Song Crush: A 96 year old Ethiopian nun, some techno legends, a Tongan finding his groove in Berlin, and a lo-fi bedroom producer are all in there.
Selectors: Kirsten Johnstone, Rachel Morton (Heartstop Music and BFM) Danielle Street (RNZ, BFM) and Yadana Saw.
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou Photo: Youtube
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou - Homesickness
Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou is a 96 year old Ethiopian nun who learned classical music as a child, and made these improvised, impressionistic, meditative piano recordings in the 1970s. As soon as I heard this music I was transported to a place of calm. You can almost sense Guèbrou's spirituality through her music. Every person I play this for falls for it in such a big way, just such an aural pleasure. RM
Underworld - S T A R
Electronic dance music veterans Underworld have been steadily releasing a new track every week for the last year as part of DRIFT – a project designed to shake the shackles of the recording-releasing-touring cycle and keep their music-making fresh. With so much output, it can be difficult to know where to dive in to DRIFT, but this track is the perfect gateway. Leaning on a familiar children’s nursery rhyme and a classic Underworld beat, 'S T A R' proves that with 40 years tucked under their belts the British duo are still belting out big tunes. DS
Noah Slee - Do that feat. FHAT
Combining elements of neo-soul, funk, and jive, this is the sound of Tongan New Zealander Noah Slee finding his groove in Berlin. Featuring queer duo FHAT, the video shows off Noah's adopted community with an impeccably choreographed vogue dance, and the joy they find in it is infectious. YS
(Sandy) Alex G - Hope
Philadelphia's (Sandy) Alex G is a 26 year old bedroom producer and multi-instrumentalist who already has 8 albums out. As with anyone so prolific, not all of it is gold, but this song 'Hope' is my pick from his latest House Of Sugar.
Densely layered and intimately recorded, there’s clear reverence for indie-icon Elliot Smith and the sound of The Shins, and this is possibly the most upbeat song about a Fentanyl overdose ever written. KJ
Cate le Bon - Mother's Mother's Magazines
From the Welsh singer/songwriter’s fifth studio album Reward, this slick, sharp and punk track could have been released fifty years ago. With clever use of vocals, punchy brass and layers of strings, this song offers more to me on each listen. Cate le Bon's music maturing in such a generous way for her listeners. RM
Green Grove – Silently
Auckland artist Durham Fenwick (aka Green Grove) has the soundtrack for your cruise home with his new single ‘Silently’. The synth-driven track, which is from Green Grove’s new mini-album Machine Music, was partially inspired by late night walks home through the city and aims to capture that surreal pre-dawn vibe. DS
