In Strict Tempo, vol. 103: Music Heavy
This weeks In Strict Tempo is going to get straight into it, matey, and dispense with the usual music news - in truth, there’s not all that much going on that I can be bothered to comment on right now. Behind the scenes I’m busy and should have a new Ceremony mix ready in the next couple of weeks, plus some more ready to go over the next few months.
Before we get to the tunes - a quick question: How do you listen to the playlists I share here?
Now that’s out the way here’s this weeks music.
New Music
Jeff Sova - Belvedere Point [Athens Of The North]
Athens dig deeper than pretty much anyone else, and here they find some lost music from 90’s Detroit that sounds like nothing else the City was offering at the time. Sure there’s a debt to Mills & Co, but it owes as much to the likes of Tangerine Dream and Japanese new-wave as it does proper techno.
Shackleton - Euphoria Bound [AD93]
I’m only three tracks into this but it’s already reset my brain for what I want to hear in 2026. More on this once I’ve given it a couple more listens
Xterea - I’ll call you later [5Gate Temple]
Proper head-screwing IDM business, this. Never really liked the term IDM, but it seems to have stuck for this kinda gear. Fuck-yer-earholes drums, soundsystem destroying tackle from minute one.
John T. Gast - Infant [5Gate Temple]
A 5GT double header this week with label honcho John T Gast coming correct with this furious, mesmerising trip through the dark fantastic. Anyone else getting a bit of Muslimgauze from this one?
RIP Magic - 5words [DFA]
I got that LCD Soundsystem book for Christmas, I’m currently reading through it. Hate them or love them, in my eyes they’re a fucking fantastic band. This one has been produced by James Murphy and could well have been a LCD B-Side. Comes backed with a Maurice Fulton mix too.
Sternpost - unworld.afterpop [Concentric Circles]
The best kind of weirdo gear here, from the master of archival business Concentric Circles… Hard to put a name on what you’d broadly call a folk-pop album, but the sum being so much more than that.
Rhythm & Sound & Paul St Hilaire - Showcase [Rhythm & Sound]
No need to say anything about this that hasn’t been said already. Just go and bliss out to it.
Beck - Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime [Capitol]
An interesting collection of covers from Beck - an artist I’ve not thought about in a while. Downtempo takes on the likes of The Korgis, Elvis & John Lennon, Midnite Vultures this isn’t.
Larrison - Connectors Vol. 1 [Freedom To Spend]
There’s only a couple of tracks of this one streaming right now, made from a solo copy of a cassette tape that found it’s way to Jed Bindemann & Pete Swanson. Could easily be a library LP, I’m minded to recall the C4 Schools theme from those old videos they made you watch when the teachers didn’t have a lesson planned.
Annie Hogan - Death Rituals [Downwards]
Two new ones from Goth Goddess Annie Hogan, on her new spiritual home of Downwards. This has been a pretty fruitful partnership between Hogan and label boss Regis so far, and long may it continue. These two new ones are dark in the extreme, swallowing all light yet somehow reflecting back to the listener exposing Hogan’s vulnerabilities, and strength as a singer. New album coming soon!
Sintaro- Looking for Her Denim [All Centre]
Sitting somewhere on the Deep Medi/2010’s Planet Mu axis Kyoto based Sintaro melds body rattling dubstep with glitch & grime elements. One of the most original things I’ve heard in some time.
