In Strict Tempo, vol. 62: News Round Up
Does it seem like this week is a bit of a quiet week in the world of music? With all the other nonsense going on in the world it feels like everyones attentions are elsewhere right now.
In London, the mayor announced a new Nightlife Taskforce. With 11 members it seems a bit more diverse, and a whole load more experienced than the previous Night Czar position (I made my thoughts on the success of that role clear in last weeks In Strict Tempo). I only hope this can make a difference and get London’s nightlife back to where it should be.
Thanks for all your feedback on Ceremony, the first of a series of mixes from In Strict Tempo. There’s some exciting names lined up for future installments, so keep your ears peeled for those.
New Music
On to this weeks new music, and whilst the news section may be quiet the reviews section certainly isn’t. Here’s my thoughts on the weeks releases
X Or Size - All Avail [Good Morning Tapes]
Australia’s Good Morning Tapes is a label that’s been doing great things recently, the All Welcome compilation was a favourite of mine last year, and previous releases from Tapes, Ben Bondy, D.K and INNSYTER have all been on regular play at In Strict Tempo HQ. This new one from X Or Size is like sunlight burning through the fog, reminiscent of GAS, Pole, Actress etc but with a housier element it’s an early morning trip for sure. Bandcamp & physical only for now, but I’ve put some older tracks in the playlist too.
Midding - Nowhere Near Today [Tough Love]
I wrote about the single from Midding earlier this year and now the full EP drops. Sitting in the space between shoegaze and that short-lived pre-Britpop phase of Brit-rock (Suede, Manics before Everything Must Go) this is a worthy listen.
aya - Off to the ESSO [Hyperdub]
When I was a kid the local ESSO was one of the places we used to hang out. It wasn’t even that big and there was nothing there other than a seemingly limitless supply of chocolate bars and a fairly inattentive garage attendant. What that’s got to do with this I don’t know, but a couple of people recommended this to me so I thought I’d check it out. It’s like Gen-Z Squarepusher, highly frantic, very choppy, something your parents would probably describe as a racket. I don’t mind it though. The less said about the forthcoming album art the better though.
HONESTY - U R HERE [Partisan]
This Leeds-based group have been making music since 2023 and this is their latest album. It’s a pretty accomplished selection of songs, electronic indie-pop in the vein of Mount Kimbie or Robyn. It’s the kind of thing I could have seen Warp putting out in the mid 2000’s. There’s a sense of emotion running through it, something that can often be hidden in electronic music, with just the right amount of energy to keep it interesting.
Mika Vainio - Metri [Sahko]
Originally released back in 1994 this still sounds as fresh as it would be if it came out today. Newly reissued on vinyl with extra tracks from the CD, Metri is pretty much one of the foundational texts of minimal techno, and one of those records that accurately reflects the environment in which it was made, in this case the cold, sparse tundra of Finland.
VA - Bonus Beats: Rare & Unreleased Finnish Electro 1990-2002 [Cold Blow]
Sticking with the Finns, here’s a collection of rare Finnish Electro tunes compiled by the folk at Cold Blow records. Unlike Mika Vainio’s (who features on the vinyl release of this but not the digital) tracks above, these don’t neccessarily sound like they were made in Finland, but more like early 90’s Sheffield. You could easily imagine taking one of these tracks out of a light purple sleeve. Big Tip on this one.
Spacemen 3 - Forged Prescriptions [Space Age]
Nothing new here sadly, (Christ, imagine the excitement around a Spacemen 3 reunion!) but a CD reissue of this collection of early Spacemen demos and stuff. Always worth a revisit if you ask me.
That’s it for this week. I’ll be back next Friday with a special tribute to a musical hero of mine. As always, thanks for reading, listening and sharing. I really do appreciate it.