New Music: Cool Angels

Following on from the sublime Formes De Viure tape back in February (scope it out here), Exo Tapes are comin' through once again with a new set from Cool Angels, the brainchild of Nicholas Ray aka Speculator. Much like previous releases under the guise, Hole is a melancholic yet comforting reverie, a meditation on reggae and pop communicated through hiss-drenched, spacious soundscapes. It's just the kind of summer comedown music you need as we approach the holidays, so listen to the digital stream below and maybe grab a tape from Exo here; there are only 35 of these in existence, so it's not to be missed.

New Music: Foodman

It's been over a month since the last //APEX post, and in our dormancy some fairly astounding records have been released. One such album is DRUM DESU, a new tape from the slippery Japanese footworker 食品まつり aka Foodman, which was released unto the web by Noumenal Loom on May 9. If you've had the pleasure of following the music of Foodman, you'll know that the footwork connection is an extremely distant one at this stage; DRUM DESU continues his expansion into what is near-enough uncharted territory, characterised by his use of garbled samples, digital squelches and barely-there drum patterns. Bewildering stuff indeed, but it should leave you thoroughly satisfied if you're in the market for an alternative experience. Stream the whole damn thang below, and maybe grab it on cassette from the label here.
 

New Music: Serious Thugs

Enter Serious Thugs: the latest and greatest contribution to the discussion on the low/high art distinction. Possibly. The group, which consists of William E. Wright (aka Yung Willuminati), Alis Pelleschi (aka 3D Slut) and DJ Warlord, have released two tracks thus far in "Link Ting (Other Girls)" and "Ur Not a Baller". An initial glance may indicate that Serious Thugs merely appropriate "chav" culture, just as Sadboys and Gravity Boys have aped the fashion of their favourite rappers. Much like their Swedish contemporaries, however, there's more to ST than meets the eye; this isn't so much appropriation as it is fetishisation, and while it would be easy to dismiss as mere irony/click-bait fodder, there appears to be a genuine appreciation of so-called low culture at work here: fake Air Max, chains, Rubicon and Burberry lingerie all feature in the video for "Ur Not a Baller".

The comparison to the y[o]ung Swedes could be further extended to the music itself; Serious Thugs are to grime and UK bass/funky what Sadboys/Gravity Boys are to cloud rap, with a sound that captures the strange saccharine urbanness of 3 Of A Kind, and more recently Sophie's anthem "Bipp" (one of my favourite tracks of last year, I should add). Whether it was their intention or otherwise, Serious Thugs have crafted a potent mixture of yesteryear's [un]fashion and hypermodern, ultra-slick pop, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next. Watch "Link Ting (Other Girls)" and "Ur Not a Baller" below, and keep an eye out for ICE ARENA, their forthcoming album.

New Music: disrupt

I wouldn't count myself as an avid listener of dub, but then again, Dub Matrix with Stereo Sound is hardly your average dub release. Constructed primarily out of the bleeps and bloops from disrupt's "Gamebwoy" - a modified Gameboy system capable of providing "maximum bass weight" - Dub Matrix is a wonderful diversion which introduces the sonics of 8-bit chiptune to the tried-and-tested dub sound. If it sounds a little gimmicky, think again: according to Jahtari's website, "this mini LP is not a joke ting", so take their word for it and stream "Babylon Wavetables" above (also, consider downloading this thing from Boomkat).

New Music: Meili Xueshan I&II

One of my favourite paradoxes is the existence of an underground community of musicians on the Internet. The World Wide Web is surely the way of getting your music out there, but for every Chance The Rapper out there riding a tidal wave of web-induced hype, there are a huge number of names who, while not commanding the popularity they often deserve, are sticking to their guns and releasing some of the more peculiar, but nonetheless intriguing music of the day.

Meili Xueshan I&II, curated by the wonderfully named Hi-Hi-Whoopee, is an exemplary survey of the Internet's underground scene as it stands right now, featuring the likes of *ahem*: D/P/I, 18+, Foodman, AyGeeTee, Ahnnu, YYU, E+E, Diamond Black Hearted Boy, Giant Claw, Seth Graham, C V L T S, Sofa Pits (aka JCCG), but to name a handful. So, to you I say this; check this the hell out, and remember these names, because I have no doubt there'll be plenty more where these came from.

New Music: Yong Yong

Here's the lowdown: if you're anything like me, you can't get enough of the Hype Williams sound. Crumbling synths, broken drum patterns, detatched vocals, all stitched together in a miasma of pop culture references - it's all good stuff in your book. You're also a little sad that Hype Williams appears to be no more, with what Dean and Inga seemingly severing ties (although this could just be an elaborate ruse - who knows?).

If the disbandment of Hype Williams has left you without a reason to be, then you should probably check out the new Yong Yong album, titled Greatest It's, for it may bring a ray of sunshine back into your miserable existence. Their debut statement Love was practically Hype Williams worship, but Greatest It's sees the mysterious Glasgow-via-Lisbon pair branch out into new territories, with some dreamy, almost Badalamenti-esque compositions and mutant, kush-cloud pop excursions. It's a rather beautiful thing, albeit said beauty is somewhat obscured beneath a hazy fug. Stream it in full below, and if you really wanna, you can purchase it from Boomkat.

New Music: Grapes (James Ferraro)

The ever-mystifying James Ferraro has been pretty hot damn prolific lately, and it would appear he's got a new alias as Grapes. The two tracks he's dropped thus far, "." and "Sherm", feature Jim rapping (for the first time?) over some woozy-ass instrumentals (definitely not the first time), replete with movie samples and sirens aplenty. Give them a listen below, and expect more to come from Grapes.

#STOPTHEVIOLENCE #GRAPES 2014

New Music: Dalglish

The Berlin-based PAN has been slowly but surely building up one of the most consistently impressive back catalogues in experimental music. One of their latest entries is Niaiw Ot Vile, the enigmatic Chris Douglas' fourth release under the Dalglish moniker. The ten abstractions of track titles (and indeed the name of the record) are indicative of the music within, which sees Douglas explore the serene ("Set Nuin"), the dissonant ("Noscrlu"), and in the case of the album's centrepiece "Ciaradh", a crystalline amalgamation of both moods. Stream "Ciaradh" below, and read an interview with Dalglish here [via The Quietus].