Today’s set of Listings (Listenings?) is a healthy dose of releases — a score and some synthy studio songs from faces familiar and otherwise. Enjoy!
Anniee — Night School
I’m not sure if you’ve heard of the New Jersey-based singer and synthy songwriter Anniee yet, but she’s been churning out some deftly sung, engagingly performed electronic music under this moniker for the past few years. [In addition to collaborating with folks such as Von Hertzog (VH x RR), including on “Fall From The Sky,” a Night School track I originally wrote about in 2023.] Night School finds Hertzog co-producing all five of its songs and the result of their pairing of talent is, as you’d imagine, memorable and enlightening across the board. Nevertheless, a standout track for me is opener “Wearing Black.” Anniee’s catchy vocals have a Robyn-esque timbre and the bouncy, Hertzog-produced instrumental track is somehow both urgent and laidback, splashed with a neon that illuminates the somewhat minor-key jet-black synths. Available now via Anniee’s Bandcamp.
Nat Walker — “Colors by Heart”
Nat Walker’s post-Chromatics journey has been rewarding in a few ways, including the Fawn project with his wife, former Glass Candy frontwoman Ida No. I’ve also been a big fan of the laid-back, chill beats he’s been releasing (now under his own name and initially under pseudonyms while still in Chromatics and other IDIB bands). The music he often crafts are these roughly two-minute vignettes of night-drenched bliss, with satisfying grooves and jazzy musicality; while also cultivating a soundscape reminiscent of synthy, late-night infomercials in the 1990s. “Colors by Heart” is in the former category and it really makes me wish he’d do more score work (under his own name, with full credit). This one is out now on streamers.
Jerskin Fendrix — Bugonia (Official Motion Picture Soundtrack
I saw Bugonia a couple weeks ago at the Woodstock Film Festival and I’m still haven’t decided what I think of it. Director Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) does many things I like and it can be really great when he gets super weird (think of The Lobster). That said, I’m not so sure I like this one. Regardless, his three-time score composer Jerskin Fendrix has done what he always does: Create some truly incredible film music to match the novel visuals and storytelling that unfurl from the minds of Lanthimos and his collaborators — even if he is said to write the music for Lanthimos fare largely without first seeing any of the picture. This track I chose is a kinetic, even maximalist orchestral piece (hat tip, London Contemporary Orchestra), but there are softer, more minimalist moments around the film, too. Milan Records released the digital version and Waxwork Records is working its magic on a particularly special deluxe vinyl release that’s available on pre-order right now.
Burial Grid — NORD Compendium
Delectably beautiful chaos that is controlled, abrasive, and a revelation to experience. Burial Grid (AKA Adam Michael Kozak) creates music that I find difficult to adequately describe, so I hope that previous sentence gives you an idea. Out now in digital and physical forms, particularly on Bandcamp.
Le Matos — “Le Matos Halloween Special 2023 (Live Studio Session)”
A few years back, Montreal-based Jean-Philippe Bernier and Jean-Nic Leupi gathered in their new-ish studio and put on a Le Matos performance that recalls the thrills of the times I’ve seen them live. It doesn’t matter if you watch it on Halloween or not; it’s thrilling. I’ve embedded the video for full effect. (Also, ICYMI, they’ve started a new label, Right Click 2 Download, with Mecha Maiko, and just gave us their first release.)
BTW, yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the release of Vehlinggo’s 5 Years comp. Even today, plenty of the songs are exclusive to it, including those from The Midnight, Anoraak, Mecha Maiko, Maethelvin, Forgotten Illusions, Bunny X, In Mirrors, VH x RR, FM Attack, and more.
