Top of The Drop
By Daniel J. Springer.
This is the second installment of a new column in the Gwangju News: “Top of the Drop,” by Daniel Springer of the Gwangju Foreign Language Network (GFN). Each month, “Danno” picks his favorite newly released tunes that you may have missed, along with some upcoming albums and EPs that you might want to keep on your radar. — Ed.
Floating Points with Pharaoh Sanders & the London Symphony Orchestra – “Promises”
It must be noted that we usually only list singles in this column and then point out the LP’s or EP’s they may be a part of, but this album is a completely different animal and must be listened to in its continuous totality, current singles-only trends be damned (the bucking of this trend is part of its brilliance as well). Floating Points is the moniker of Sam Shepherd, a DJ and producer from London who has been producing some of the most intricate, cutting-edge, and spacious electronic music out there for some time. In his third long-play outing, he really takes it to the next level with a jazz sax legend and man who has been in the vanguard of cutting-edge music for decades in Pharaoh Sanders. Together, the two combine with the London Symphony Orchestra in a murmuring, hypnotic, haunting, and continuous 46 minutes of audio whispers, poignant pauses, and screaming crescendos that is sure to receive many album-of-the-year plaudits.
L’Imperatrice – “Voodoo?”
The Empress returns and all hail Flore Banguigui and her stellar disco funk ensemble du maximum! The group’s latest album, Tako Tsubo, is finally out and does anything but disappoint. It is an elegant, concisely arranged instrumental adventure that, when combined with Mlle. Banguigui’s feather touch vocals, creates a cosmic dance vibe that is hard to match.
Jungle – “Keep Moving”
The famed UK-based duo announced their upcoming album in a massive way with this single that dropped March 23. Listen to both “Dry Your Tears” and “Keep Moving” as a single, continuous piece. You might have to wait a bit for it, but the payoff is huge with a Justice-meets-Daft Punk bump that is one of the best dance tracks of the year. The band’s new album, Loving in Stereo, drops August 13.
Black Monument Ensemble – “NOW (Forever Momentary Space)”
Damon Locks is the veteran producer and conductor of many audio projects, but Black Monument Ensemble might be his best. The Sun Ra and Kelan Phil Cohran-inspired project is out with the title track to their upcoming new album as of April 9. After having their 2019 album, Where Future Unfolds (which was recorded live in one take), mentioned by the likes of BBC6’s Gilles Peterson as possible album of the year, NOW is not to be slept on.
Otis Kane – “Sweet Sensation”
With the hunger of the young artist that he is, but the silky veteran presence of John Legend, this young man out of L.A. is turning heads all over the map with this, the latest single from his upcoming debut album still to be officially announced. Do check his Growing Pains EP from February for more, as this is a young brother on the rise.
Genesis Owusu feat Kirin J Callinan – “Gold Chains”
In an amazing concept album and the start of what promises to be a remarkable career, the Australian rapper dives into themes of depression and racism, all the while defying conventions and avoiding the pitfalls of Aussie hip-hop. Add to that his personalized touches on punk, funk, and folk, and you get one of the most engaging albums of the year called Smiling with No Teeth.
Alice Phoebe Lou – “Lovesick”
This tune appeared on the South African artist’s latest album Glow, her third career LP and definitely her most mature and confident. Now based in Berlin, Lou was discovered busking on the German capital’s streets, and while her previous work was solid, it had a mania and lack of surety that seemed to distract from the quality. Not so with Glow, which exudes the vibe of an artist who knows herself.
Altin Gun – “Kesik Cayir”
You might be forgiven for thinking that this crew is a product of Istanbul’s thriving funk and soul sound that has been around for five decades now, but no. Altin Gun is based in the Netherlands and has been gaining a huge following for their tight instrumental arrangements and vintage sound, with their third career album YOL earning very deserved, great reviews, even though the band added a synth and drum machine twist on this latest long-play. Not an easy trick to pull off given the band’s earlier very organic sound.
Miesha & The Spanks – “I Want Fire”
The Calgary-based duo of Miesha Louie and Sean Hamilton came out with their Singles EP April 16, and this was the first single released with that project. The vibe here is a mix of older proto punk pioneers like The Runaways, along with 90s bands like L7, which makes for a solid blowback with the speakers properly juiced.
Stevie Zita – “Vesta”
The artist hails from what is pretty high on the list of music hotspots right now in Toronto, and his Cosmica EP is a series of space-age love ballads reminiscent in more ways than one of his “bathroom series” videos from social media, where he lets his vocal range enjoy the very specific acoustics of the tile and pillow-soft augmentations of the commode. Obviously, this quality EP is not to be left there.
Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open”
The collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak is promising to be one of the most dynamic collabs of the year. This silky, buttery soul ballad worthy of the greats is the first single to An Evening with Silk Sonic, which still has yet to announce a release date, but the hype in the air is already thick and, with this initial single, deservedly so – even going to #1 on the Billboard singles charts last month! A true rarity for a genuinely great tune the critics love.
APRIL RELEASES
April 9
Black Monument Ensemble – NOW
Flyte – This Is Really Going to Hurt
Brockhampton – Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine
April 16
Greta Van Fleet – The Battle At Garden’s Gate
April 23
Field Music – Flat White Moon
April 30
Manchester Orchestra – The Million Masks of God
Gojira – Fortitude
WATCH OUT FOR THESE!
May 7
Nancy Wilson – You and Me
May 14
Sons of Kemet – Black to the Future
St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home
May 21 Lord Huron – Long Lost
May 28 Black Midi – Cavalcade
June 4
Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee
Black Pumas – Capitol Cuts: Live from Studio A
The Author
Daniel J. Springer (a.k.a. “Danno”) is the creator, host, writer, editor, and producer of “The Drop with Danno,” broadcasting nightly on GFN 98.7 FM in Gwangju and 93.7 FM in Yeosu between 8 and 10 p.m. Prior to this, he was a contributor to several shows on TBS eFM in Seoul, along with being the creator and co-host of “Spacious” and “White Label Radio” on WNUR in Chicago.
You can find “The Damyang Drop,” his monthly collaborative playlist with The Damyang House, on YouTube and Spotify.
Show RSS Feed: https://feeds.transistor.fm/the-drop-with-danno
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @gfnthedrop
Main photograph by Fringer Cat on Unsplash.