A Lot on My Crate

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  • Why You Should Spin: The BPM by Sudan Archives

    Why You Should Spin: The BPM by Sudan Archives

    Once upon a time, a little girl named Brittney Denise Parks learned the violin and fell in love with it. That was her first treasure finding. Secondly, according to her in the Guardian, Parks stated that she found a whole new world to music when she found out on how Africans played the violin as opposed to Westerners. It was the spark that lit the match and her creative range has skyrocketed. The confidence she exudes was enough to leave the family home when they warn her she has been going out a lot. Being a young rebel means risks. Risks mean thinking outside the box frequently as an artist. So her story begins when Brittney became Sudan Archives, the name meaning ‘black history’, as she wants to become one with her African roots. She doesn’t want to make violin blended in with Western styles, she wants to become unique. So, she made a couple EPs and I recognized them during my radio days. And then, she made her debut with Athena. The album cover featuring her self with a violin speaks that is what she wants to highlight. It has been her focus and her mission to not only put herself and the violin on the map, but what black music can do. Athena and her sophomore album, Natural Brown Prom Queen are both alternative R&B albums with the former having the vibes, but the latter was very lush and is recognized by many and showered with praise. There have been a handful of tracks from Prom Queen that I adore, but when she went out guns blazing on The BPM, my jaw hit the dance floor. Parks releasing an EDM album was a very bold choice and the most deviating from her style from her yesteryears. It’s a statement that she is a jack of all trades, but master of all and doesn’t want to just be known as the novelty violin artist. She does implement violin, but this dance album has everything including the kitchen sink thrown at it, but it sounds so punchy, yet cohesive as a dance album. It also has R&B elements, but house seems to be the focus here along with some personal songwriting. This has been a wild ride, as I write with regret by listening to this album months after its release and not discovering it sooner. The title could be referring to the acronym “beats per minute” as applied to the tempo of music, or it could apply to the rate of which the heart pumps. The BPM is so catchy and does its job very well, you’d think Parks has been dropping beats at raves for a long time. As someone who loves EDM and raving, I can assure you, THE BPM for the most part, doesn’t skip a beat.

    The opener is like a jump scare for how hard it pivots from the past Sudan Archive’s discography being alternative R&B style in the past. But “Dead” starts growing and develops a pulse with these 808 kicks as surprise, so it’s now a dance album. And you are going to like it! The production and songwriting is dramatic as it is fantastic, with its groove, dreamy mystifying vocals, and these beautiful violin flourishes makes “Dead” feel so damn alive now. We get into “Come and Find You” is a song laced with quirky, yet mysterious sounding afrobeats. It’s impressive how she was able to make a song with so much energy have just as much intimacy about a fling. “Yea Yea Yea” comes in with these trap beats that puts up a facade of luxury to enshroud a struggling relationship. “Touch Me” provides us with a heavy bass that shakes the room with a strong chorus. It’s a song that glamorizes sex and drugs that just makes it enticing to listen to. We get to “A Bug’s Life”, and if one wants to hear the full force of BPM, then this song will sway and slay you with Parks having charisma and flow like Beyoncé. This piano house cut with ornate strings is so infectious to listen to, that I must say, Calvin Harris, eat your heart out. Not only is “Nature of Power” is a banger that induced stank face on me especially during James McCall’s segments, but there is some powerful songwriting Parks has displayed. The song is about moving on while nature or how one cannot fight fate pushing back towards you. It’s funny now hearing Sudan “Fuck the odds, bet it all on the two of us.”, but the longtime relationship between McCall and Parks crumbled in the song and in real life. The house won. There’s some tragedy here, when these two people didn’t make it. So, Parks sees Adam and Eve become ‘beautiful liars’. The bed creaking at the end did send me in a chuckling state though. “My Type” has a good earworm of a chorus with her being about that boujee life. That seems to be what she’s looking for in sub of a dude. The violin in the song, “She’s Got My Pain” sounds so epic amongst this R&B cut, especially when it sounds like a Riverdance number. We have “David and Goliath” sounding suspenseful and cinematic with the strings being so pronounced alongside the auto-tuned vocals. “A Computer Love” goes into this digicore direction sounding like something Porter Robinson would produce. She seems to play a character that is holding on to a sliver of hope. The next two were a couple of head scratchers. We get to “The BPM” and it means the ‘power’. This song seems like another way for Parks to vent. “Ms. Pac Man” attempts to be this exotic bop, but it sounds really out of place and jarring. But thankfully, we get to a decent last leg of the album. After “Los Cinci” having killer strings and its moody and eccentric melodies, we get into “Noire”. Now, “Noire” might be my favorite here and it’s has the best placement being an absolute slapper before the much needed cool down at the end. The kicks juxtaposed with its strings, horns, and pianos being used so elegantly and with suspense. “Dang, what happened?”, has been living in my head rent free. It’s like a fight song for lovers. Now forgive me for I’m about to say the closer, “Heaven Knows” sounds very heavenly and is appropriate to end things on a wild ride of an album such as this. With arms in the crowd waving side to side, Sudan Archives leaves us with words of wisdom on getting back on our feet. No matter what people think of you or the mistakes you make. Being you is a win. It’s a wholesome message that anyone can appreciate.

    There seems to only be a dip in quality after the midpoint. “The BPM” and “Ms. Pac Man” being not as cohesive as the other songs. “The BPM” sounds a little rushed and “Ms. Pac Man” just sounding off. After that, things seem to pick up speed.

    This album is hit with so many slappers and bangers. If you want deep lyrics mixed with dance heavy beats and melodies, this is your haven. Sudan Archives has shown us she’s a force to be reckoned with and shows she’s not just “the violin gal”. She’s an incredible artist with many talents and has provided us with something so bold and motivating. In W Magazine, she said she wanted to make the album more “dance’y”, so with the help of producers in Detroit and instrumentalists in Chicago, they combined their powers to make this fun project. It is a fun escapism, but it is also empowering. Parks also said, “I want people to feel powerful when they hear it, and to understand that the power is within you.”

    FAVORITE TRACKS: DEAD, COME AND FIND YOU, TOUCH ME, A BUG’S LIFE, THE NATURE OF POWER, MY TYPE, SHE’S GOT PAIN, DAVID & GOLIATH, NOIRE, HEAVEN KNOWS

    LEAST FAVORITE: MS. PAC MAN

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.

    https://sudanarchives.bandcamp.com/album/the-bpm

  • Why You Should Spin: Lotus by Little Simz

    Why You Should Spin: Lotus by Little Simz

    It was around 2018 I saw a YouTube music video of “Proud of Me” by England’s Mahalia. It was an alternative R&B soul and hip-hop single that was uplifting about someone being filled with gratitude. The verses by Mahalia herself and the chorus was already hitting, but then came Little Simz’s turn and I was completely blown away. Not only does she flow so well over the beat with such speedy ease, but is also able to implement her poetry like comfort food for the soul. I followed her works and listened to her third album Grey Area and was astounded that she is able to tell her stories and her blights in so many different ways. Grey Area was so memorable and hard to beat. Even the critically acclaimed and ambitious Sometimes I Might Be Introvert album was not able to match it in my opinion, despite me loving this grandiose album too. Little Simz or Simbiatu Abisola Abiola Ajikawo has grown up in London most of her life and knew she wanted to perform at a young age shown that she performed in TV series or taking dance classes. But her real passion is music. It’s in her blood. She makes mixtapes and uploads on Soundcloud with those creative juices flowing in her mind and her bars. If you listen to her lyricism and her sound back then, it is a night and day difference now. Understandable, since she’s been working her craft for over a decade now. Her rapping style is not only smooth to listen to, but her words can cut like sharp teeth against her offenders. Or you can hear the most self reflective music and be transported into the new world with words of wisdom that some people never get to see even with their third eye. If Chris Rock asks me my top five, then Little Simz would be in that list. She’s that spectacular. I couldn’t get into No Thank You, but there were still a handful of tracks that were amazing. The swagger, the wisdom, and the emotional roller coaster ride Lotus provides are great perks to this jazz rap album. When she talked to the The Guardian, she said she wasn’t confident about this release. It was made in a fit of rage and hardship when the conflict with producer Inflo (of Sault) has made her life hell with being owed in the millions. A shame, since they both worked on the masterpiece that is Grey Area, but her need to make this album is a calling. It sounds like a call for justice. She’s at her low and the meaning of Lotus is that it’s the flower that grows in harsh conditions. This flower has thorns, beauty, and memorability. This album has is a warrior with a bandolier of these superb memorable tracks. This texture and instrumental palette makes me revisit this jazz rap album again and again. But not only that. Simz’s words and teeth are the boost I need.

    “Thief” gives off scary energy to the point that they have these wolf howls. The thief, Simz refers to is Inflo who has stolen what she is owed. The background vocals of the chorus feels like ghosts laughing and mocking at a tormented soul. This diss is so catchy. She even makes it really personal and push Inflo’s buttons by saying she feels sorry for his wife (Cleo Sol). The diss continues with “Flood” with these angry battle ready kicks and a feature from our man, Obongjayar. It’s no coincidence he has collaborated with talents such as Simz and Annahstasia, but Obongjayar deserves his flowers too. But Simz continues the fight and means business by fighting business men. “Flood” is criticism of record labels being described as snakes, hyenas, and clones. These first two tracks have got me pumped up. But we then pump the brakes on “Young” with these bass licks, but Simz shows she’s got independence to survive. She’s being cheeky here, because she knows nothing scares her, since she’s already clawed out of the abyss. No looking back. “Only” sounds like a cool samba with this very glam chorus by Lydia Kitto. She delivers great quotes like “It’s funny how they always wanna hate to love.” She’s on top of the world with the haters just festering on the bottom away from her ocean view. “Free” is nice disco throwback with the background vocals and these ornate strings that makes the whole song so smooth. The song just exudes positive energy. If one needs wisdom to achieve peace there are a lot of great helpful tips here. There are tips like don’t succumb to fear, love yourself, accept real love that is sincere, etc. Little Simz becomes a self help book without the marketing or moral posturing, because she says you must love yourself in the mirror unconditionally. Speaking of peace, we go into this absolutely breathtaking guitar loop and distant singer saying ‘she’s got to find some of peace of mind’. “Peace” is probably the most beautiful song here to the point that it gets me emotionally teary-eyed. Peace is not achieved by avoiding all that is negative and never failing, but learning to live with it and embracing those bad things. Easier said and done yes. It sounds close to being spiritual with references of religion. It says love is the currency and minimalism doesn’t mean you spend less. And of course, Moses Sumney and Miraa May guides us to a safe exit out. “Hollow” sounds like someone contemplating on the stage and reminiscing their past. She goes through some spoken word and she goes into a monologue as if she’s on the stage alone with her thoughts and memories about those who wronged her. It’s a very cinematic moment here. “Lion” is a cool cut with Obongjayar up for round two as a stellar feature. She boasts some more and rubs it in their face! “Enough” sounds so sinister with these xylophones and bass guitar that it gave me a frozen stank face. A catchy hook on “don’t make me pull the plug” along with these unhinged artistic liberties and vocals that signals for you to get out of her way. She’s still hungry for success as she is not sated. We go into this profound dialogue between Simz and Wretch 32 that plays her brother in this story. Even though, Wretch 32 is not her brother, the love, the frustration, the worry, and the longing for bonding, made me convinced they are true siblings. It feels like this song was very personal for Simz and maybe for Wretch as these words seem to be from the heart. All she wants is a phone call from him now and then. It’s a back and forth that can constitute as cinema on film. Things seem desolate on the titular track, “Lotus”. Little Simz goes aggressive on this one as it feels like she has so much trauma and endless baggage under her belt. It makes you curious on how one is able to survive through all this hardship and a rough environment. But now she equips her hardship for words to the next one feeling down to get up and try the fuck again. “In my pain is a glory.”, says Michael Kiwanuka in “Lotus”. The penultimate track, “Lonely” is ornate by Simz feeling really down herself after saying all these motivational words, she regresses. We all feel that. You find yourself high on your medicine when you stop thinking about that toxic friend and then a wave of sadness hits you when you feel the cold betrayal again, even when they’re not there anymore. The negativity comes and goes. They always do, as it is very natural and human to feel these cycles of sadness. The curtain closes on “Blue”, as it sounds epic, grand, but somber by utilizing these minimal instruments and this cowboy whistling. In this closer, she doesn’t touch on her struggles anymore, but extends her hands to those in dire need and the world is against them. It almost sounds like she’s in tears in a few spots here. Sampha lets us sit in our thoughts as this song sounds like a sad ending and a battle lost However, she hopes people will get out of their ruts, whatever they may be.

    “Hollow” and “Lonely” has great song writing, however only sound wise I couldn’t get into them. They are still recommended listens. The caveats this album has are damn specks.

    Lotus has strong instruments, hooks, melodies, and even strong features. It’s also very accessible as hip-hop fans and jazz heads would dig this. It’s so tough to pick a favorite between this album and Grey Area. This album has so many constant hits. They don’t need to be hard hitting trunk thumpin’ bangers, but the art resonates with you emotionally. What makes Simz such a profound rapper, is that she is able to tell a myriad of ways to uplift people. She builds a positive mindset and narrative to uplift you, hug you, and when backed to a corner, defend you. She states this album was made for her to heal her wounds, but yet, is impactful enough to indirectly be able to dress and cure our wounds as well. Maybe we needed this album too? Her last three lines were hauntingly profound:

    “Would you still do it with no guarantee?”

    “You’re either a savin’ grace or you’re a disturbance.”

    “What do you do when given your purpose?”

    She asks will you blossom or die? She gives you words that can save the soul. Now it’s time for the souls to save the world.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: THIEF, FLOOD, YOUNG, ONLY, FREE, PEACE, LION, ENOUGH, BLOOD, LOTUS, BLUE

    LEAST FAVORITE: HOLLOW

    This album and her discography are also available for streaming.

  • Why You Should Spin: Tether by Annahstasia

    Why You Should Spin: Tether by Annahstasia

    She hails from Los Angeles, one that is named Annahstasia Enuke. A very talented artist with their foot in the door of many crafts, she signed a record deal at the early age of 17. She shared some thoughts with Crack Magazine, that she hasn’t been a good fit with the industry and she knew in her heart, that her hunger as a musical artist hasn’t come to light at that age. Come years later, Annahstasia took the reins and independently released her works being some singer-songwriter EPs, which the genre seems to be her forte. I’ve stumbled onto this album many months after its release last June and I am grateful I discovered Tether now. For a debut album, Annahstasia has absolutely got me in a spell with this chamber folk album. It’s so impressive that this is her first album being released right out the gate, that carries so much emotional weight. There are some minimal winds, keys, and percussion instruments used here and there, but mostly acoustic guitar has been the bread and butter of this quiet and intimate LP. But the star and primary weapon used here is Annahstasia’s captivating voice that makes you drop everything what you’re doing and listen to her dulcet tones. I see the comparisons online with folk singer Kara Jackson being her contemporary. Her voice is at a tenor range with husky and smoky qualities, which she has stated was tough to work with production wise until she found the right audio engineer. But the stage that is utilized in Tether is so open and still, that you can feel every breath of emotion she pushes into her lyrics. You are taken to a room to be alone with both her and your thoughts. She takes advantages of the pauses between bars and lets us process in silence. There are times in this album I clench my lips and shut my eyes on how great the song writing and musical highs gets in this. If this album reaches your soul, then that’s because you have the self-reflection and emotional depth to resonate with this album. It does many wonders.

    “Be Kind” sounds like a bittersweet goodbye to a person that she wishes to mend the cracks between them. The second half is such a soft moment and an epiphany on how much she already has changed. “Villain” with its cinematic crescendo from start to finish takes us to an emotional peak. This other person has done her wrong with the line, “You think you’re some single judging jury”, yet she’ll gladly take the badge of villain in this story with great pride despite of what really happened. “Unrest” has us looking outside the windowsill with arms folded around us. Why worry about the outside that might hurt us, as long as that person we care about is here with us? “Take Care of Me” are gentle hands manifested to take care of this fragile being. Annahstasia describes herself as porcelain, pleading she might get damaged by someone who doesn’t care as much. Then we have our man, Obongjayar being a feature on “Slow”. Excited he’s collaborating with high talents and I’m excited to talk about another collab he’s done with Little Simz (post coming soon *wink *wink). Obongjayar matches Annahstasia’s energy and is locked in with her serenity and grace. Their chemistry is strong and the chorus is haunting, as they’re being passed back and forth on both pairs of my ears into a strong outro. “Waiting” has this country rock flair with someone’s patience being tested and wavered for a loved one who might not return. “Overflow” is the most lively of the whole album with this energetic strumming of the guitar. Powerful lines like “Everybody knows the child prodigy, but who’s saving space for the goldfish in her cage?” makes the persecution very tangible. Annahstasia just pours her heart out for this person that she’s made sacrifices for and wanting them to hear that. Will this love be reciprocated? Or will it be unrequited? After a spoken word poetry interlude, we go into “Silk and Velvet” that starts off with Annahstasia saying she’s tired. She’s tired of all the horrific things happening around her and copes by becoming someone who is not a moralist and an anti-capitalist. The ending leaves us hanging and it suddenly makes her a different person than before, maybe someone who follows the status quo, but with more resolve and self-awareness. Even though, “Satisfy Me” hasn’t left me satisfied, the album did stick the landing with the last song with “Believer”. The tone on the closer shows the character is much more resilient, but her bond for the other does not weaken. The question she asks as the song dies out shows how much more love she has can give. Thank goodness the LP ends in an emotional high.

    Not only “Satisfy Me” sounds not as interesting instrumentally as the other songs, but the songwriting doesn’t get a hold of me as the others do. But other than that. There are few caveats for me in this album.

    For anyone looking for peace or has found peace, I am telling you to give this a spin. Just thinking about the creative boost she got from this album makes me excited with anticipation if Tether is the bar. It’s about someone who is not afraid of who they are. The album being quiet doesn’t mean it’s weak. Its emotion is its strength. They embrace themselves. In that Crack Magazine interview, Annahstasia attributes her creativity of Tether to trying to find her ground with her Nigerian roots. She states she found some of it in her singing with some regions of Nigeria. It has healed her. So, now she has found her peace and is able to pluck our heartstrings with her lovely sound. If there’s something that anchors you down, Annahstasia is telling us you can let go of this emotional tether. Because even though the world and its people can be such a pain, there is no weakness in letting go.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: BE KIND, VILLAIN, UNREST, SLOW, WAITING, OVERFLOW, SILK AND VELVET, BELIEVER

    LEAST FAVORITE: SATISFY ME

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.

    https://annahstasia.bandcamp.com/album/tether

  • Why You Should Spin: Traces by Cahl Sel

    Why You Should Spin: Traces by Cahl Sel

    So, I didn’t know much about DJ/electronic producer, Cahl Sel from San Francisco. Jasper Sharp going under the moniker of Cahl Sel, has performed at the back of DJ venues or radio broadcasts for quite some time. On his website, he has archived his past gigs that vary from a chill atmosphere to groovy house. Listening to these streams made me believe he knows his craft. I discovered him through high praises from Pitchfork (RIP) on the album and was curious on how this IDM record made them tick. As of right now, he has two EPs under his belt and this album being his debut. Being a fan of IDM and wanting more works like the Animatronics album by Rolando Simmons that I wrote about, I ventured into Traces. And what I got after listening to the opening track was something so gratifying, I knew this record was going to be something special. This all electronic record front to back has some of the most amazing melodies and percussive elements that just soothes the soul. Ambient techno being the heart of this project is such a treat for the ones who want to be engaged into the danceable music, but being put at ease as well. Even the interludes can be enticing. One other album that I recall that takes me into the same headspace was Skee Mask’s iconic Pool as fans of that album would definitely vibe with this one. The whole thing is cosmic, catchy, punchy, and meditative as this album is encased behind glass that you can break for emergencies if one feels down. I beseech you to listen to this and much serotonin will fill your mental cup.

    “Blink” is such a great entry to the pearly gates as we start with these tapered pad fills that feels like a dance floor along with these hand claps. However, “Blink” does a rug pull and a light with its lens flare has shined down on us with this elongated glossy synth lead that sets the mood of the rest of the album. This is the kind of music that heals the soul. “Call to Mind”‘s synth leads are straight out of a planetarium and is reminiscent to works of old works of µ-Ziq. The swelling of this track going back and forth as well as these squelchy sounds near the end adds to the exoticism showing this world has its own nature. “Livin” being short as it is, was very moving and is a great bridge to the mellow “Clear” track. I feel very nostalgic with “Clear” with the hi-hats being delicate as they are and whatever synth recipe Sharp has used to keep up the otherworldly aesthetic. It’s all layered perfectly with many different textures just floating in the air. Whatever soundscape Sharp has achieved on “The Game” is nothing short of spectacular as we get triangles and wind chimes as well as this sound pack that has this sort of howling air that adds to the mystery of this place. The percussive elements have been removed on “Regeneration” as we have crackling radio static and these ambient sounds that come and fade. This cascading arc of this track is a must listen for ambient heads. It sounds like something Paulline Anna Strom would compose or be a fan of. In the next track “Halflife”, what initially sounds like muted hi-hats that emulate spoons to become this track’s heartbeat. This ominous drone in the background makes it haunting, but you don’t feel in danger in anyway shape or form. Then this upbeat acid synth comes in and the tension just floats away. The kicks come in and you just imagine all the wildlife in this strange world just living their best life. “Halflife” has turned into such a fun bop and the bouncy synth leads make it the most danceable out of all of these tracks. Then this small interlude that is the bridge for the next track is one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard of this year. You have these fluttering electronics and grandiose horns coming in like a warm welcome. It sounds like I’m below a spaceship about to be beamed into the sky. It kind of emulates an orchestra warm up if I do say so myself. Sharp didn’t need to go this hard on an interlude, but it’s one of the most memorable things from this album and so damn cinematic. Another favorite of mine is “Left Eye” being it sounds like a VHS nightcore aesthetic painted within a science museum. The sound just eases you into visualizing the future that has been provided for you. The future! Behold! The heartbeat is set in rhythm with pads and hi-hats on “Alone” and these bright synthesizer soundscapes are such great components to be admired as they are all in perfect harmony within each other. We end things strong with “Leaf” taking us in orbit of any planet you can summon in your head. Despite the synth leads making you feel like a speck on the black sea, you don’t feel anxiety, but serenity. It’s a great one to close with it being so peaceful.

    Some misses are present on this album for me, because it either sounds too esoteric that it has no effect on me or the melodies aren’t crafted as well as they are compared to the other tracks. “Ancient and Distant” did sound like a clashing mess to me. Its layering kind of takes me out of the tranquil atmosphere Sharp has achieved in other tracks. However, the album as a whole still succeeds in world building.

    I am so ecstatic on what Cahl Sel will provide next. Traces is calming music that doesn’t make you lethargic. It’s old school IDM without being too derivative. It conjures imagery of outer space that we want to get lost in. This is one of the most beautiful albums in my scope that has moved me to a different spiritual plane. In an interview with Thoughts of a Certain Sound, Sharp has stated this project took four months to produce, but embellished it to his vision for many more years. He sounds like he cares much about how his art would look as a whole and you can tell how meticulous he is in trimming and pruning this ethereal entity. He states there’s not really an order that is necessary of these tracks to listen to, but nevertheless the order is perfect and his father who is also an electronic producer (Spacetime Continuum) has helped him out too. I’m smashing that follow button on Cahl Sel, as I’m booking another trip to another dimension. His dimension.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: BLINK, CLEAR, THE GAME, REGENERATION, HALFLIFE, RHIZOMA, LEFT EYE, ALONE, LEAF

    LEAST FAVORITE: ANCIENT AND DISTANT

    https://cahlsel.bandcamp.com/album/traces

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and his album is available on YouTube.

  • Why You Should Spin: Getting Killed by Geese

    Why You Should Spin: Getting Killed by Geese

    What’s more to say about this album? That question is for the people who are already aware of this band and their accolades following their latest release from 2025. Most music journalists and newsletters have been head over heels and for this, while analyzing brick by brick. Before they were known for many works centered around jamming and rocking. Their catalyst happened around the release of 3D Country, an album I loved with how much soul was put into this rock revival kind of deal. Cameron Winter the vocalist has so much bravado now compared to then. If you listened to his earlier works with the band, he sounds nothing like he does today. It was a wild ride for them during 3D Country, but they didn’t want to stall the momentum they had. I saw them live in a small venue and they absolutely blown off the roof with a couple of teasers of the latest release. And now we hear of them performing on Jimmy Kimmel and they have booked a gig at Saturday Night Live. But before Getting Killed, Winter released his solo album, Heavy Metal. Despite its name, it was an Americana and singer songwriter passion project that was much more passionate and had a self reflection to it that made some tracks haunting and beautiful. Listen to “Nausicaä (Love Will Be Revealed)” and see what I mean. The tragic personality that Heavy Metal has manifested has been transferred to Getting Killed. It’s a great stepping stone on what the band can accomplish now that Winter has shown his elaborate penmanship. I already wrote about “Taxes” from before and how I was so hyped on this album, so you know my enthusiasm and anticipation has been filled to the brim. This album has great chords and melodies that I’ve been coming back to many times, but the songwriting and tortured vocals Winter provides are next level even though be polarizing for some. This record has the subtext of a man trying to keep it together, but falls apart in front of their most valuable loved ones. Or there are battles to be won that they put up arms for. It’s like a somber self persecution, but without the theater. There’s a lot of emotion displayed and flayed on the table here. Not only that, but we have renowned hip hop producer Kenny Beats helping produce this thing from left field. There are many other reasons why people love this album, including me. So, I’ll do my best to say why.

    I preemptively shower praise to this album and then we get into the opening act that is “Trinidad”. It’s an intense rocker where you have vocals just eating the mic and scream their freaking lungs out as he yells, “There’s a bomb in my car”. I appreciate it’s intensity, but it didn’t captivate me as much as the other songs here. However, “Cobra” with its country twang and overtones is so cheery in tone, but the main character being so burdened with the thoughts of their significant other. It’s such great songwriting of this flawed character. On “Husbands”, Winter sounds like an absolutely tortured church goer without a roof. The repeating “falling apart” lines are increasingly haunting. Then the background choir rises up on “Getting Killed”, which sounds so reminiscent from 3D Country’s revival rock. The background of “Islands of Men” has such a wholesome background. Along with this ear worm of a groove that crescendos to its peak, Winter has got people guessing what the lyrics are about. Some people say it might be attest to male loneliness, but I like the other interpretation that it’s about their guitarist, Emily Green, a trans woman facing her fears and accepting who they are against this cruel world. I’ve wondered how Green feels when she goes into this groove. This song gets me at a hyped high. “100 Horses” sounds like a motorcycle road trip down the countryside or desert. It’s a rebellious fist pump into the air that’s supposed to get you riled up. I absolutely loved the piano outro too. “Half Real” makes me feel like I’m at the pews at how spiritual this is, but it tells of a man who’s significant other is slipping away from him. Now, I thought this was already a devastating blow, but then it hits you with “Au Pays du Cocaine” like a bag of bricks. This took a few listens for me to grasp the pain this person is going through. The song sounds like a cowboy riding away into the sunset, but it’s not a happy nor proud ending. This ex-lover is now gone and our main character cannot accept it. It always hits me with, “You can stay with me and still come home” and “Baby, you can change and still choose me.” It’s so heart wrenching that this person thought there is still a sliver of a relationship to repair to the point of denial. Just a testament on how great this songwriting is able to reach into people’s hearts. The last act of this album is still as consistent in quality, as what we get into probably the most jam-like song with “Bow Down” as the instrumental makes me involuntarily move with our character moving swiftly in confidence. Absolute killer outro in this one. And you know my opinion of “Taxes” from an earlier blog post. It was great back then and it is great now. Just the explosion of sound as we see the light in the second half of the song. It’s a hopeful ray of light in these cumbersome clouds for most of the album. This song is very much needed as the penultimate track. I will always remember, “Doctor! Heal yourself!” The closer is such an appropriate tone of how spiritual they finish off. Winter using biblical references saying nothing is going to stop him and his fellow band members on accomplishing their purpose. The resolve on “Long Island City Here I Come” is palpable.

    The album doesn’t have legs for me until the second song. Also, the titular track is a little too mellow for me. But these are very minor grievances. Even these songs have strong lyricism.

    When it came to 3D Country, I’ve always have the thought that album is accessible to both new and old rock fans. However, this album blows 3D Country out of the water and I believe the same accessibility is the same for Getting Killed. This album has been polarizing despite being critically acclaimed, because many felt they couldn’t get into Winter’s vocals. That’s fair. But in my opinion, the vocals carry so much emotional weight along with the depressing word, memorable melodies, and riffs. I am going to remember this album for a long time as there are a handful of songs I come back to have sat through whole listens to this album many times. This is an album for the ages. I hope the best for this band and I love their works even more. With this momentum, let those be damned, if someone even suggests to nail them down.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: COBRA, HUSBANDS, ISLANDS OF MEN, 100 HORSES, HALF REAL, AU PAYS DU COCAINE, BOW DOWN, TAXES, LONG ISLAND CITY HERE I COME

    LEAST FAVORITE: TRINIDAD

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and their discography is also available for streaming.

    https://geesebandnyc.bandcamp.com/album/getting-killed

  • Why You Should Spin: GOLLIWOG by billy woods

    Why You Should Spin: GOLLIWOG by billy woods

    Billy Woods was a name I’ve known in the underground hip hop scene through many praise on the web. But I’ve never got around to listening to him with much regret yet at an auspicious time when he did an unforgettable collaboration with Moor Mother on Brass in 2020. The work on that album was what Billy does best. Using dense yet cold lyrics to describe the wicked ways of our unjust world. One day, I would love to do a deep dive of Brass, since I’ll confidentially say it’s one of my favorite hip hop albums ever. And this made me have more desire to follow his work more. I’m aware of his duo project with fellow rapper Elucid that I’ve never got the chance to listen. However Billy’s teamup with Kenny Segal on Maps was astounding yet accessible. Then comes this album. The best way to describe this album it is probably my favorite darkest album yet. It is how others have described, haunting and harrowing with Billy’s bars being so dense and many times fly over my head on how clever he is or if the references are way above my pay grade. He drops verses with mentions of Deng Xiaoping, Coach Thibs, Annie from Misery, the RICO Act, Corinthians, and even a Sylvia Plath name drop that is absolutely bonkers. Woods is very well aware of what’s going on in our present and our past, which I can say more than me. However, as I might fail to grasp the references, I try to understand more as these sinister beats come with these harrowing flows. I know Woods is trying to relay to us with the telescope in front. And all we have to do is look through the lens even if we might be uncomfortable with what it is. The sound of this album is already a trance and a fever dream, yet is what draws me into this album. It’s a tough listen and may not be accessible to some. But if you sit down and are willing to put the effort. This is definitely an experience you won’t forget.

    “Jumpscare” sounding like an American Horror Story episode, Woods references the title of the album right off the bat and heads into the horrors of colonialism. I’m always fascinated with a lot of these words and names I haven’t been aware of and wonder, which books Woods has hit. Quivering strings and bass on “STAR87” and Woods is still referencing children’s books, but the content straight ahead are not for the faint of heart and innocent young souls. Standout moments is Woods talking about his past and having survivor’s guilt. And “Misery” being a strong track with Woods returning to collab with Kenny Segal. It sounds like a Madlib joint (which was appropriate since they make an MF DOOM homage) with Woods speaking ill and praise of an adulterer woman. There’s a lot of erotic imagery at play and this woman he’s head over heels with has caused him pain. How does he cope? I absolutely love this campy DJ on “BLK XMAS” that feature Bruiser Wolf provides, but the matter at hand is the opposite of fun. We touch on the subject of poverty while the people on top want them to suffer. It gets to you when they mention spoiled food, broken toys, and neighbors being evicted in their homes. It’s tragic, yet maddening to the point that the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. We get to the stunning “Waterproof Mascara” as I had a visceral reaction with this grainy sample of this woman crying. It’s such a haunting, disturbing sound. This crying woman is most likely Billy’s mother wanting an escape from their hometown in Zimbabwe. It’s a survival story with not that bright of an outcome as he dropped that Sylvia Plath bar to stay strong and not succumb to the absolute stress. One of my other favorites was “Corinthians” sounds like a John Carpenter dream that never ends. After a Mandarin excerpt, there is great wordplay used against the violence in Gaza, Saudi Arabia, and Elon Musk. I remember the grim video referenced by Woods in “All These Worlds Are Yours” about the Russian soldier being killed by grenades from a drone in the Ukraine Invasion. The opening of that song mentioning the drones being such a powerful weapons, but being as far away from humanity as possible. The verses feeling like chants or spells being cast, which makes it so hypnotic and lets us go into a desensitized trance. “Maquiladoras” starts with killer verses of gang imagery with Al.Divino. Then it goes into an intimate piano about people needing to cope about losing their culture and identity according to the status quo. Diabolical on how that ideal is. Woods likening it to amputation in a way that is poignant to the point that it gave me goosebumps. It’s a lounge saxophone jazz song on “A Doll Fulla Pins” that Woods raps about being alone in this cold world. The aesthetic the song makes is like a noir film and then it goes into a down spiral with this man referencing the titular character that demands him to look after himself and his interests only. He talks about nightmares on blights of his community, a botched basketball draft, and gentrification. Many subjects that just fly over my head. “BLK ZMBY” has one of the coolest, badass beats in the LP with Billy Woods rapping about zombie states, a subject so grim by African refugees leaving governments by sea. Who’s to say they made it out alive? It was really a nice jab to have the dictator of Uganda’s speech being layered by flies. Another favorite of mine is “Born Alone” where this somber lone piano plays throughout. We get another MF DOOM tribute and the connection with death and ones shoes. And then we get “Lead Paint Test”, which sonically might be my favorite out of the whole album. There’s these somber piano chords with a trumpet accompaniment. The other half of Armand Hammer’s ELUCID feature being an absolute machine on the first verses. And Cavalier being able to match their energy is a feat as well. And with Billy’s verses coming in, it is revealed that these artists had a pretty rough childhood. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as they not only peel the wallpaper to show the cracks of their childhood, but their parents cracking under pressure to survive. We end with a strong closer being “Dislocated”, where we have ELUCID again showing up as a trippy disembodied voice ringing in your head. Woods closes the curtain says he won’t be located. I’d say that he wishes it to be true, since he blurs his face out in promotional shoots. I don’t blame him, since it’s a weird parasocial world out there.

    The album is a long listen and even with the few tracks not resonating with me, they were still a decent listen. The album being almost an hour is in danger of being bloated, but thankfully was not the case with its haunting atmosphere. The only ones I couldn’t get into were not because of Wood’s lyrics, but the production being a little too scant and barebones for me.

    To say this album is spooky is very reductive. It’s not an album that you can market in a Spirit Halloween. Its production sets the atmosphere and stage, but the lyrics were the real horror of this project. The album is so dense lyrically, that I wanted to look up as much as I can of the content he preaches, but even then I know a lot of it would go through the cracks of my brain. There is so much wrongdoing in the world that I thought I am aware, but there’s always something else. It’s so disturbing. It’s not supposed to be a feel good album, but the tools are there to make you listen. The title of this album is something I wanted to talk about, is actually a slur on a racist caricature doll marketed to children in the late 19th century. Another injustice added to the history books that Woods highlights, as he conveys bars on children’s tales occasionally in this record. Children’s tales are supposed to teach the young on how to be morally centered, to be prepared for life, but somehow the adults still have so much to learn.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: STAR87, MISERY, BLK XMAS, WATERPROOF MASCARA, CORINTHIANS, ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS, MAQUILADORAS, A DOLL FULLA PINS, COLD SWEAT, BLK ZMBY, BORN ALONE, LEAD PAINT TEST, DISLOCATED

    LEAST FAVORITE: COUNTERCLOCKWISE

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and his discography is also available for streaming.

    https://billywoods.bandcamp.com/album/golliwog

  • Why You Should Spin: Tranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never

    Why You Should Spin: Tranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never

    Daniel Lopatin under the moniker of Oneohtrix Point Never, is someone I’ve heard of many times, but never got into until recently. Not that I didn’t want to, because the man is hailed as a pioneer of groundbreaking electronic music. However, I’ve never done a deep dive as I haven’t had time to. I remembered liking a track off of his Replica album, which was this weird enigmatic track full of ethereal keys and unhinged breathing on “Sleep Dealer.” So, all that was the extent of all my knowledge of Lopatin. He’s just known as an experimental guy to me. But this experimental guy has done mountains of work with eleven studio albums under his belt, with six of them being with Warp Records including Tranquilizer. He’s also collaborated with FKA Twigs, and the Weeknd, so thankfully he’s being properly recognized for his work. The release of Tranquilizer was met with a lot of acclaim right off the bat, so it piqued my curiosity. The album seemed to be in my wheelhouse as it was a lot of layered ambient soundscapes, but it was not a captivating first listen. So wondering if it was me, I decided to actually sit down with proper headphones and give this album another college try. To my surprise, I appreciated the album buku amounts more and listened to this multiple times. There’s a lot of complexity within this New Age album and follows no specific formula. It provides a lush and ethereal atmosphere that makes me feel like I want to float in the air. Lopatin revealed that the development of this album is basically a passion project of using samples from libraries of the 90s. So, giving us a lens of how he made this monster of a project, I’ll go ahead and give you the rundown on why Tranquilizer is something you shouldn’t “sleep” on. I am so sorry for that….

    Even after multiple listens, I couldn’t get into the lukewarm start of “For Residue.” I know it’s supposed to be a taste tester of things to come, but it hasn’t got me engaged enough to prepare for this spiritual experience. It was too wallpaper for me. “Bumpy” was very interesting as it is this glitchy calm soundscape. With these celestial synth sounds and that come in at sporadic times. It has its swells and it sounds so out of this world to me. “Lifeworld” has these tribal hand drums and distorted warbled sounds going into this haunted theme just grabbed my attention. The looping motif of this track made it very memorable to me and I always go back to it. If you want to be taken to an actual spiritual journey “Measuring Ruins” is a wild ride I would recommend. It’s very minimalist in the beginning, but the crescendos on those stuttering pads just does wonders to the human mind. It’s very calming, but very engaging. Two descriptors there that define the album as a whole. “Modern Lust” has a dynamic to it by growing from these soft yet mechanical percussive elements to these overlapping blends of jazz and synths just working in tangent to each other. And in the end of it the synths are singing its song and makes it sound so alien. “Vestigel” is just a delight for any ambient stans in the beginning and gets more chaotic to the point that it becomes jarring in the end. I know a lot of people love “Cherry Blue”. But even if it was not my cup of tea, I can still recognize the blending layers can be engaging with these pianos and synths answering each other. “D.I.S.” is another positive for me. It’s so glitchy and heavenly that it’s not afraid to almost destroy itself as the MIDI keys just go haywire. It then tapers into something so beautiful with this piano passage. Then we get into the titular track, “Tranquilizer”. It is this mysterious entity lurking in the shadows, but it leaves you unharmed in the end. The ending theme is back into its baseline of tranquility as this sinister segment leaves us. There’s this fun xylophone and pan flute segment on “Storm Show” as it is being layered with this tape and glitch noise. In the midpoint of the track, it goes into this really haunting as what it sounds like strings that makes you feel like you’re ascending…..and then it stops. It makes you take a breath and then takes us into this beautiful watery marimba passage that makes it pure bliss. “Petro” is probably the most simple track texture wise, but doesn’t take away the emotion it provokes. It gently pushes us with these simple chords throughout the whole track and it does nothing, but soothes you. “Rodl Glide” is just a crazy adventure. What makes Lopatin justify this minimalist jazz like beginning into this acid, IDM segment that has this groove that just makes me involuntarily move and ends things with this trippy vaporwave aesthetic. It’s the most different out of all the tracks, but it’s so much fun. I cannot lie. And we finish things off with a bang that is “Waterfalls”. The sample sounds used is a great aggregate of all of what makes this album so enriching. It’s epic and engaging with so many memorable moments that it make it an awesome closer.

    It’s a long project and even though there were a few misses, it’s only a remarkable few. The start being a drag is one complaint and some others just seem too wallpaper for me. But that seems to be it.

    Tranquilizer is such a dense, calm behemoth of an album that makes me appreciate the ideas and sounds that sprout from those sample libraries and Loptain’s brain. That mind palace of his must be cluttered with amazing sounds that I’m baffled on how a person can come up with this stuff. The hype is real on this album and I am on the train to Oneohtrix Point Never town. Population: a lot of people, since they praise Daniel and his works that it makes me want to go back and deep dive his discography. This is a headphones listen and you will be remiss if you skip on that immersive experience. It’s sounds you can almost touch. It’s sounds you can heal yourself with. It’s sounds you can escape with. A leap of faith is all it takes.

    FAVORITE TRACKS: LIFEWORLD, MEASURING RUINS, MODERN LUST, VESTIGEL, D.I.S., TRANQUILIZER, STORM SHOW, PETRO, RODL GLIDE, WATERFALLS

    LEAST FAVORITE: FEAR OF SYMMETRY

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and his discography is also available for streaming.

    https://oneohtrixpointnever.bandcamp.com/album/tranquilizer

  • Why You Should Spin: Stardust by Danny Brown

    Why You Should Spin: Stardust by Danny Brown

    Danny has always been one of the most respected hip hop artists of the underground. His nasal delivery makes his voice unique and the ability to flow over any beat the universe can throw at him are some of many reasons he is most formidable. His style gradually changing into the conventional to the most unorthodox has been a most interesting sight. I mean the man even rapped over a Crash Bandicoot beat with Zelooperz at one point. His rise hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Danny Brown fans know back in the day he has been struggling with alcoholism. He made Atrocity Exhibtion, which I felt was his best album to date since he highlights his most personal lows, but I’m relieved he got better. His addiction got him to the point where he had to be admitted to rehab. It was a grueling process, where he had to do some self reflection and isolate himself. In an interview with NME, Brown said the thought of quitting music passed by his mind, but thankfully that was not the case. It was a success comeback story and seeing someone rise up always gives us a fuzzy feeling. Brown has taken things into stride and has shared his open mindedness by listening to and even participating with experimental music. Which makes sense as Atrocity Exhibition and Scaring the Hoes with JPEGMAFIA were in fact experimental. He even lamented the fact that Vince Staples (who can also rap with unconventional electronic beats) collaborated with legendary electronic producer SOPHIE and regrets he never would get to do it again since he didn’t want to be a copycat back then. But his open mindedness got his curiosity when he said his first exposure to hyperpop was listening to 100 gecs and it all started there. Danny said his moniker for Stardust, was to make ‘Make SOPHIE proud.’ And that slogan being stamped on this album and a huge fan of SOPHIE, I had to give this album a shot. Danny states this album was his first project being done sober and this album sounded like so much fun. You can tell he had fun. It didn’t matter what beat these talented electronic, hyperpop artists threw at him. And speaking of featured artists, you have so many talented big names who complement what he is going for. You got Quadeca, underscores, Frost Children, Jane Remover, and more. And props to him for collaborating with LGBTQ artists. With these weird ass beats, he makes it sounds so easy, so much as it was like he has been doing this all his life. And this sober album is uplifting and seems to have given Brown so much clarity in his thoughts by not giving a shit about album sales, according to the opening track. This album sounds like a new beginning for an uprising star. It’s a damn feel good time and Brown doesn’t skip a beat.

    “Book of Daniel” is a great opener with these pop guitar loops with Danny talking about how he’s above where he used to be. “Sleeping real good at night ’cause I’m proud of myself. Say a prayer when I wake up, because that rehab helped.” And he wants to be proud of what he has accomplished and influences his fans and upcoming artists. “When the fat lady sings, just know you lived your dreams.” And then the Quadeca feature opens the heavenly gates. “Starburst” was a single I heard to prep for this album and I knew I was going to like what I was getting into. It’s an insane beat with Danny being a well-oiled machine. And if you thought that was insane, wait until you get to the last half of the track. “Copycats” with underscores is this fun infectious pop anthem with this sticky chorus. It’s a song and a warning to those who may lose their way on their walk to fame. Probably my favorite track on the whole album. “1999” sounds like an arcade on the fritz, which makes you question how Danny Brown can keep up with this production. You think, “This is an actual human being rapping?” And then we have this intense screaming alongside this insane asylum. Another favorite I want to go over is “Lift You Up”, which seems to be this house cut that just has a great groove. It’s relatable lyricism that talks about this one relationship with a friend. That friend doesn’t act like one by knocking Danny down only to make them look good. “Green Light” is a good representative on the sounds of this light music box like production with heavy bass. It’s emo hyperpop that is a little bit of a slow burner with some romance sprinkled on top. “What You See” is a song that even though it is slow paced, the vocals from Quadeca is a warm hug and piano accompaniment is sweet solace. Danny Brown shows his growth that he isn’t a young man who only longs for lust anymore. He doesn’t want to be that toxic lover anymore as he got a taste of his own medicine. This beat on “Whatever the Case” is so kooky as it sounds like falling down a cliff constantly and the feature ISSBROKIE keeps up the pace with Danny. “1L0v3myL1f3!” is such a crazy, ethereal experience as the background and jungle breakbeats get hazy. We also have femtanyl’s vocals and screams echoes throughout our path, to the point that it gets celestial at the end with Steve Albini’s outro sample being an inspirational force. Danny shows a lot of gratitude on this track that he sounds like a self-help panel, but it’s so out there yet sincere. The last leg of this album has been such a journey. “The End” I had to warm up to because of the length, but it was engaging enough with a lot of memorable segments with the heavenly Danny bars, the Ukrainian segments by Ta Ukrainia, and the insane IDM and jungle breakdown at the end and we taper off with Angel Emoji spoken word passages like before. “All4U” being the most beautiful moment and is one of the best endings to an album for 2025. It’s uplifting on how a man goes from rags to riches and is happy to spread his art for others.

    There are a lot of tracks here and even though some tracks seem like we blaze through, some of them make the album only a bit bloated. The spoken word passages kind of slow down the record a little bit and some songs aren’t as catchy or avant-garde enough for me to come back to them.

    Danny Brown being so creative and so upbeat on this album gives this whole thing a personality. Stardust is so much fun to listen to and any hyperpop head will appreciate the many elements they love about hyperpop, they will also love this for the same reasons. It’s introspective as Danny has always been with great lyricism and pen, but backed by beats that many rappers would and could not touch. It makes him one of a kind and it’s no mystery why he has so many fans. It’s no Atrocity Exhibition for me, but if Stardust makes his mentality for the better than I’m all for it. In an interview Grammys, he makes a quip that people are allowed to party during his performances, but he avoids it. He’s an old man now, since the darkness has engulfed his earlier years that was made into a catalyst for change of his mindset. Being anti-drugs isn’t being anti-fun. In his NME interview he says, “I want to have fun, but I still have something to say.”

    FAVORITE TRACKS: BOOK OF DANIEL, STARBURST, COPYCATS, 1999, LIFT YOU UP, WHAT YOU SEE, 1L0V3MYL1F3!, THE END, ALL4U

    LEAST FAVORITE: RIGHT FROM WRONG

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and his discography is also available for streaming.

    https://dannybrown.bandcamp.com/album/stardust-1

  • Why You Should Spin: I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi

    Why You Should Spin: I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi

    We usually associate someone being chronically online as a negative entity. That they are just some weirdo that is constantly plugged in is being part of a cog of a machine, or living in some horrific dystopia. These sheeple will never wake up! However, this album is a love letter about a healthy and complex relationship with their technology. One of the singles is how I found out about Ninajirachi and is literally called “Fuck My Computer”, a song about someone who wants to you know they make sweet sweet love to their computer. After listening to the cute single about nostalgia that is “iPod Touch”, I was then totally invested and followed the release of this album. This electronic album has the most appropriate aesthetic for this theme. How else would you show your love and appreciation to machines than to convey your craft than with the power of technology itself? It’s an electro house and EDM album with meaningful and touching storytelling. Not only the beats and melodies stay with you, but the lyrics do too and this really felt like it was made by someone who truly adored their craft. This album is like a mix of Kero Kero Bonito with the vocals and older Porter Robinson production influences all laid out with some hyperpop elements. One of the best things about this album is that it’s so cohesive and seamless and it flows just like a DJ set at an EDM fest. I was so fortunate to stumble onto this and I hope this reaches out to others too!

    We boot up the album and it goes into “London Song”. It starts out as a grimy cut that tells of Nina never being in London. But with the power of technology and the Internet, she can doesn’t need to physically be there, but using a browser would make it like she’s there. It’s a good starter on how Nina tells about some of the positive influences of what the Internet can bring. Then we get into one of the featured singles, “iPod Touch” and it just gives me a warm fuzzy feeling hearing all these nostalgic throwbacks and with references of a Pikachu case with an iPod Touch encased in it. Makes me miss my iPod touch and classic. But there’s just a certain charm that Nina was able to hit with the production on this one. And then it immediately hits us with something down and dirty with “Fuck My Computer”. The song just blasts the speakers with the synths and electronics that make it into a pop anthem, personifying her computer as something she gives all her being into. It’s a hard hitting banger and I love the responses the computer makes when it says her name. I had to look up what the next song title meant, but “CSIRAC” was the first digital computer from Austrailia, where Nina is from and also the first digital computer to play music, so thank you CSIRAC for your contributions! This track had stuttering chopped chipmunk vocals and goes into techno kick drum patterns that starts low key at first. The chipmunk vocals is a snake charmer that entices Nina about the power of the machines and then came the noise, signifying the drop and the music. The drop dare I say, is so satisfying with that long build. “Delete” is this satisfying electro rocker that has these satisfying fuzzy synth drops and comes around these background cheerleader vocals. It tells about the anxiety, the regret, and the passion to put something online for this one person and how it made her feel. “Infohazard” seemed to fit in an EDM set with a buildup and drop about Nina’s experience of how she saw a snuff film online. Although a relatable traumatizing experience, she stated it didn’t seem to shaken her resolve for her computer, being as how upbeat this track is. “Battery Death” seems to lament a machine, but it goes out with a breathtaking bang with these repetitive lyrics of “taking it too far.” And then we get to “Sing Good” takes an interesting approach as it is a softer tone about how she is saved by this tool. It’s very inspiring to the point that it almost brought me to tears. She admits she doesn’t sing well, but she’s going to keep trying as she just breathes so much life into “Sing Good”. If it weren’t for the touching songwriting, then I would’ve wrote this song so fast. It’s cute and makes you want to cheer for Nina. Then we get into the penultimate bop being “It’s You” with commentary on self-esteem and masking oneself online. After that, we get this banger of a closer on “All At Once” that just brings all the sounds together and this closer is one of many reasons why I keep coming back to this.

    There are only a couple tracks that were lukewarm to me. The weaker ones seem to just slow down at the midpoint at me. I was not affected by “All I Am” as much as I was compared to the other tracks as the songwriting was kind of meh for me.

    Ninajirachi is that weirdo, but she’s a self-reclaimed one who stands by that title. It’s a new spin on the motif that technology is not 100% evil and makes me look at it at a different angle. Nina loves her computer and has no shame to say it. It has molded her into the artist she is today. How can you question her love for it when she made something so moving and beautiful out of this? Nina will stay online for us and for herself. I can say with confidence this is my favorite EDM or even electronic album this year. I’m so fortunate to have stumbled onto this and will follow her for the future. Now, where the devil is my iPod classic?

    FAVORITE TRACKS: LONDON SONG, IPOD TOUCH, FUCK MY COMPUTER, CSIRAC, DELETE, BATTERY DEATH, SING GOOD, IT’S YOU, ALL AT ONCE

    LEAST FAVORITE: ALL I AM

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and her discography is also available for streaming.

    https://ninajirachi.bandcamp.com/album/i-love-my-computer

  • Why You Should Spin: Pirouette by Model/Actriz

    Why You Should Spin: Pirouette by Model/Actriz

    When I listened to their debut album Dogsbody in 2023, I was floored by this cold and cacophonous sound that expanded my worldview of music. I wasn’t familiar with No Wave, but it although it causes dissonance, I was being hypnotized by this band’s avant-garde approach to dance punk. I’ve always described their music like music to a groove like you’re being stabbed at while someone is closely singing muses into your ear. And although that experience was intense and cathartic in Dogsbody, that sound didn’t leave us in Pirouette and I’m for one glad. It felt like a short time to already make their sophomore album, but I’m still down for more things I loved about Dogsbody and into this one. It’s tough to say which I love more as it could be so interchangeable. But the coldness is there, the grooves are still there, and Cole Haden’s sultry and tortured vocals are still there. In a famous story, drummer Ruben Radlauer and guitarist Jack Wetmore apparently found Haden performing by “writhing on the floor in a corset, with fake blood dripping in his face.” I love to imagine the mindset of the drummer and guitarist looking at him and saying, “That’s our guy! He’s our first draft!” And it totally fits as Haden’s vocals give both Dogsbody and Pirouette an identity. Like I described Hit It! by vianova as a beast, Pirouette is a diva. A diva that has more bite than a beast. The diva character is on about social norms, LGBTQ issues, mental health, self-hatred, religious themes, as well as violent and sexual imagery abounds. This album is theatrical, gay, abrasive, mechanical, and it sounds like a cry for help. Haden’s deep voice delivers and it gives sultry, but makes him a dangerous, sympathetic force to be reckon with. And he is backed by with this knife sharp instrumental. This whole album is an anxiety inducing trip. Oh I forgot to mention too, this album is danceable as hell! My God, they made someone’s pain so danceable.

    Anxiety attacks! And you’ll know what I mean when you start out with the opening act of “Vespers”. With that staccato synth that they use in tangent with the bass groove. This character takes the stage and is ready to writhe with fake blood. “Cinderella” sounds just like any song that can the Dogsbody tracklist. I am devoid of any complaints, because this track is such a banger with their own retelling of the ‘Cinderella’ story with moments of composure and then chaos. “Poppy” displays a person who is hurting by putting up image of a beautiful self, but surrounded by and decimated by violence. The reason I loved “Diva”, because the beat behind this beast just lurks along with Haden’s spoken word. Loved the part where he just elongated calling himself a bitch. This interlude that is “Headlights” has a lot of religious overtones of a boy who had crush on another with these dying church organs. It highlights Haden’s character and gives us more of a dossier of how he’s this self-indulgent, but tortured self. “Acid Rain” is more laid back and takes a break from the horror with this acoustic number and moment of clarity. “Departures” still continues being laid back, but the monster is still wanting out. And after no one hears his prayers, “Audience” grabs us with these unhinged backing vocals including a scream and a metallic synth that marks impending doom. And then we get an awesome industrial interlude being a clash of sounds on “Ring Road”. It’s brief, but satisfying every time it’s there. The penultimate song, “Doves” I can see why it was one of its released singles to promote this album. It’s one of the catchiest ones with the staccato synths like “Cinderella” and it ties the whole church together with its religious overtones. It’s probably my favorite track on Pirouette. And then we get “Baton” as our closer and has some very strong song-writing to take us home. It’s closing time for these cathedral doors with these sparse church organs. It’s an appropriate ending for one that is long for loving and wanting to be loved. It’s a message for someone who gives our character meaning.

    There are very few complaints I have on this album. Even on the ones that were too chill for me I enjoy their bleak song-writing. The ending even though I wish was more intense, its strong lyricism did hit home with its strong messaging.

    I absolutely love this banger of a dance punk album. This album is such self-flagellation. The flogging stops when morale improves. But does it sound like this person is doing better? Or another question, do they even WANT to get better? The audience and fans are the only outlet that these prayers have reached and are also the ones that are forced to have this sensory overload. Strapped to a chair and eyes propped open like an Alex DeLarge, we are subjected to Model/Actriz’s inquisition and dance. Haden is the one doing the prayers, but why does the light seem to be on us?

    FAVORITE TRACKS: VESPERS, CINDERELLA, POPPY, DIVA, DEPARTURES, AUDIENCE, RING ROAD, DOVES

    LEAST FAVORITE: ACID RAIN

    You can purchase this album on Bandcamp and their discography is also available for streaming.

    https://modelactriz.bandcamp.com/album/pirouette