Clockwise from left: Khruangbin, Arjuna Oakes, Lil Yachty, Kim Gordon & Faye Webster. Photos / Supplied
Clockwise from left: Khruangbin, Arjuna Oakes, Lil Yachty, Kim Gordon & Faye Webster. Photos / Supplied
No Man’s Land
By Marshmello and Venbee
As Everything but the Girl first proved in the final years of the 20th century, mopey bedroom pop and drum & bass go together rather well. So it is with this track by Erin Doyle, aka rising UK star Venbee, and Christopher Comstock,aka American DJ/electronic producer Marshmello, who combines the singer’s pensive vocals and some plaintive acoustic guitar pickings with a sweet skitter of rhythm-scape. A very nice reminder that when it comes to d&b, there’s no need to shout. – Russell Baillie
Lego Ring
By Faye Webster and Lil Yachty
The two US artists have been friends since middle school, and have finally collaborated on the short but dynamic Lego Ring. It seems to depict a solid relationship with its share of painful moments, possibly similar to stepping on Lego. Despite their different voices and usual musical releases, the unexpected duo works nicely together and have created an interesting, ever-pace-shifting song. – Alana Rae
The Storm
By Arjuna Oakes and John Psthas
London-based, Auckland born jazz singer-songwriter Arjuna Oakes has collaborated with NZ composer John Psathas on a new EP Sierra. Opening track The Storm is fluid, catchy and consistent. Its darkness in particular drives the song across the lyrics, production and performance. “Calling out to the void / my oldest friend,” Oakes vocalises in his impressive range atop a soft, eerie arrangement of piano, drums and flute. – Alana Rae
Houston’s gently psychedelic trio deliver another instalment of their glistening guitar lines floating over slightly funky bass and a nailed-down rhythm which confirms their winning formula and flags a new album, A La Sala, due April 5. Longtime followers can reassuringly return for this summery instrumental, a relaxing slice of surf-guitar cum dream-pop. – Graham Reid
Bye Bye
By Kim Gordon
Former Sonic Youth bassist/singer/writer and visual artist Gordon’s debut solo album No Home Record (2019) was a challenging affair of lo-fi electronics, distortion, abrasion and monochromatic vocals. It channelled anger — her autobiography, Girl in a Band, explained the reason — and this brooding and grinding single in advance of new album The Collective (due March 9) also doesn’t resile from being a spoken-word litany and confrontational collage of images skewering contemporary trends, obsessions and commercialism. Compellingly menacing and acerbic. – Graham Reid
Despite the title, the second single off Big Thief frontperson Lenker’s forthcoming solo album sounds less sad and lonesome than the first, Ruined. The violin cheers things up a bit on a song about the years rolling by too fast, one which has echoes of Wrecking Ball-period Emmylou Harris. – Russell Baillie
Kraus, first movement from Symphony in C minor, VB 142. Concerto Köln, Werner Ehrhardt conductor.
Josef Martin Kraus was as close to an exact contemporary of Mozart as makes no difference. Both were born in 1756, and Kraus, a German who worked in Sweden, died in 1792, a year after the Austrian. In style, though, Kraus was closer to Haydn. This symphony, Kraus’s best-known work, starts restlessly before, about three minutes in, going full Sturm und Drang. Haydn, always quick to spot a musical tribute when he heard one, is said to have called the symphony a masterpiece. – Richard Betts
