Fielded: Interview

Credit: Benjy Russell

Back in October I found myself in London at the same time as Fielded, who was in town to perform with installation artist, Naama Tsabar. I took the opportunity to sit down with her for an interview, where we spoke about her new EP, Young Medusa, as well as displaying vulnerability through art, keeping things varied and learning to enjoy the act of collaborating.

Telemachus ft. Penelope Oddity: Beaten Gold

A very welcome return to the blog by Telemachus, who recently announced the imminent release of a new album. Having already become a staple part of the UK scene through his production efforts as Chemo, his alter ego, Telemachus, has spent yearr travelling round the world and absorbing different musical cultures, which he then channels into sublime instrumental projects such as 2014’s, In Morocco. This latest album draws heavily on influences from the likes of Vietnamese folk tales, West African high life, dancehall, jungle and folk, all punctuated with vocal support from a handful of artists. The lead single sees its release today and features some dreamlike production from Telemachus, bolstered by some haunting vocals from Penelope Oddity. The album, Boring & Weird Historical Music, is due for release shortly on High Focus.

ELUCID: SEERSHIP! (Stream)

ELUCID maintains his position as one of the most crucial figures at work right now, with a new project which emerged this week. As with virtually everything ELUCID touches, SEERSHIP! is an immersive experience; a journey through intense soundscapes, pulsating rhythms and distorted samples. Initially it has all the hallmarks of some sort of instrumental exploration, until ELUCID’s vocals crackle into life at the midway point, with billy woods stepping into the booth for the final act. There is also an epilogue featuring a familiar flow, courtesy of an artist calling themselves YOUNGMAN. See if you can work out who the mystery man is. You can stream SEERSHIP! below and downloads are available on Bandcamp.

ELUCID: Every Egg I Cracked Today Was Double Yolked (Stream)

I love it when my favourite artists emerge from the shadows with unexpected new material; yesterday it was Blu, today it’s ELUCID and his excellently titled project, Every Egg I Cracked Today Was Double Yolked. According to the Armand Hammer MC, this is a collection of songs made on the fly while he has been travelling and touring throughout the year. And it’s still better than a lot of the material surfacing at the moment, which is further proof of ELUCID’s worth. There are downloads available via Bandcamp, or you can listen to the full thing below.

Ras G x Flying Lotus: Black Heaven

Hip hop is in mourning once again, following the sad news that legendary LA producer and child of the cosmos, Ras G, passed away last week. One of those to voice their grief was fellow producer, Flying Lotus, who described Ras as an “ally in sonic warfare”, before going on to share a track that the two of them had worked on the last time they saw each other. Black Heaven was given life when FlyLo was experimenting with his mini keyboard and Ras was recording what went down. The following day Ras sent him a new track and the title was Black Heaven. You can hear it below and then after that go stream as much of Ras’s music as you can. Rest easy, sir.

Tom Caruana: Inner Space (Stream)

The mash up master, Tom Caruana, returns with another incredible project as he continues to blend areas of music that would otherwise remain perfect strangers. Following on from his earlier ventures, including Wu Tang vs. Hendrix and Wu Tang vs. The Beatles, the Tea Sea Records founder has now delved into the instrumentals of German experimental rock band, Can, who were one of the pioneers of the Krautrock explosion that occurred in the late-60s.

Chikaya: Castles

A dreamy new synth driven track from Bristol-based vocalist, Chikaya, as she delivers an ideal accompaniment for these balmy summer nights, in the form of Castles.

Lyza Jane: Housebound (Stream)

Next up we’ve got the debut album from Lyza Jane, which follows on from a string of singles and an EP with Sniff, which was one of last year’s highlights. I find it hard to pinpoint exactly what genres Lyza’s music fits into, as there are a lot of different influences at work, but hip hop definitely plays a big part in her inspiration. Housebound features appearances from Lee Scott, Black Josh and Danny Lover, with beats from Lee, Sniff and Lyza, who handles the majority of the production herself. You can hear the album in full below, with physicals and merch available via Bandcamp. Stay tuned for an interview with Lyza coming soon.

Bang On! x Reklews: Defo Not Normal (Stream)

Two new projects from Blah Records today, starting off with the latest release from Bang On. For Defo Not Normal, the Liverpool MC has joined forces with fellow Blah OG, Reklews, with the pair delivering an EP that is built within the framework of hip hop, before straying off into experimental territories. I’m a big fan of so-called alternative rap and this is a fine example of why. Defo Not Normal is available to stream below and you can find downloads over on Bandcamp. The cover art was made by Matt Littler.

Lyza Jane ft. Lee Scott: Indigo (Video)

On the eve of her album release, Lyza Jane gifts us a fresh visual for the Indigo track which surfaced last week. The track features Lee Scott, both on vocals and production, and it is lifted from Housebound, which you can pre-order via Bandcamp.