028! Mini Digest: Tanzanian Jersey, Cape Verdean Pop & The UK Underground
Link-in park
Many thanks from all of us at Sound + Vision HQ (me) to all the new readers and followers that have come from the latest essay - welcome, it’s a pleasure to have you! I also cracked 1000 followers, which is lovely.
A couple of weeks back I was honoured to be invited to Medellín, Colombia for the first time, to DJ at a mini festival called Bamba (playing alongside Identified Patient, Badsista, Stenny and others). The club was up there with some of the best I’ve been to - laden with Funktion Ones, a rooftop with a stunning view, a green room to die for. I’m always excited to hear what’s playing on the radio in cabs or in the streets when I’m in a new place, and Medellín is the home of some of Latin America’s biggest stars: Karol G, J Balvin, Shakira and Maluma. I heard a bunch of Beéle, the biggest Colombian act out right now, and just a lot of salsa and afrobeats.
Like everyone else, I also watched the new Paul Thomas Anderson movie, One Battle After Another, and like everyone else, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Man, did we need some optimism. Dissent! Ridiculing fascists! Fun! Hope! Jonny Greenwood! Mary HK Choi wrote a highly gratifying review, and this section stood out:
“When I watch a movie, the things I look out for most are tone and tail. Tone, is tone. The absolute toughest, slipperiest factor to nail. It’s also why Hollywood and publishing mandates, like, “only hard comedies with an ensemble cast are going,” or else “books of essays aren’t selling,” are so annoying and ultimately full of shit because whenever a singular voice comes barreling in like a dynamo everybody shuts the fuck up, pretends to have fucked with the vision the whole time, lauds them for how much of a paradigm-shattering iconoclast they are and then turns around to manufacture exactly the same thing except as a derivative, algo-mutant facsimile that barely scratches the itch as if that shit will work again”.
What Mary is saying feels annoyingly and easily applicable to most corners of art and entertainment, especially music. “Albums don’t sell anymore”, “only 2 minute TikTok friendly songs are getting playlisted right now”, “this genre won’t work in this market”, and so on. None of it rings true when a visionary artist or record comes through. If that isn’t a fire under our asses to make whatever the hell we like, I don’t know what is.
And now for the usual links round-up:
Sound
“Legendary Colonia Independencia record collector and selector Sonido Dueñez was playing Cumbia one night in the early 1990’s when disaster struck: his turntable’s motor overheated and slowed down, turning the music into a warped groan with half-speed voices echoing over wobbly accordion and splashy guacharaca rhythms.” Some legendary chopped and screwed Cumbia from ‘92 sees the light of day.
This banger of an early Brazilian funk track from 2000 is currently trending on TikTok.
The UK music scene seems to be thriving right now, from mainstream wins like Olivia Dean to a wild amount of new and exciting underground music. It’s worth its own post, but for now here’s svn4vr - sick day.
Always love a new Jessy Lanza release.
Underground Nigerian artist Txmmyily - Jaiye.
Basic Channel’s Mark Ernestus never usually does studio DJ mixes. Here he gives us 2 hours of straight up Amapiano. I saw him do this live earlier this year, and it was incred.
Not sure I’ve heard much Cape Verdean pop music before, but this bangs.
Gavsborg’s mix for Kiosk Radio got me bad. The Jamaican electronic producer from Equiknoxx takes us from Sarah Mclachlan to Mobb Deep to Andy Stott.
It’s a war between Tokischa and BIGOBLIN for my favourite Dominican track right now.
Time for some hating. Is this the worst DJ drop you’ve ever heard?
Vision
British DJ Sherelle released a visual album all set in the club.
The latest FKA Twigs video is seriously worth watching to the absolute very end.
Our deadpan king Werner Herzog is on Instagram now. Can’t wait for his Get Ready With Me.
In history’s most rubbish times, maximalism comes through strong, and this excellent Demi Lovato album cover is further proof.
Thought
A Resident Advisor piece on the booming “algorithm-smoothed spectacle” that is mainstream clubbing.
Kieran Press Reynolds asks why TikTok is overflowing with AI country music erotica. (Warning: it’s quite catchy).
How K-Pop Stans set the stage for the US TikTok ban. An inspirational use of fandom.
If you can handle any more chat on AI and its place in culture, read this.
that Dueñez tape is fire. thanks for the Sherelle mention!