In Strict Tempo, vol. 75: Green Shoots
Regular readers might have noticed the two-week gap in newsletters a couple of weeks ago, this was due to me attending the IMS Music Conference in Ibiza, and then taking a week’s holiday afterwards (I might have mentioned it?).
There’s a few of these conferences taking place throughout the year, IMS in Ibiza and an offshoot in Dubai, SXSW in the US (there’s a London edition this year too), Brighton’s The Great Escape this weekend and BMC next week, Reeperbahn in Hamburg, Indie Week in New York, ADE in Amsterdam, there’s loads. I don’t go to them all, I doubt anyone could, but the format is usually the same, panels with industry folk, tech exhibitions, mixers and industry showcases.
All of these conferences are taking place against a background of a dance music industry that’s experiencing a number of challenges right now. The cost of these events means they’re generally aimed at the more mainstream end of dance music rather than the smaller DIY outfits, but still many of the issues the industry faces are the same from one-man-band labels to those with the staff counts in the hundreds. You can’t move for people decrying the state of the industry right now, from Spotify to AI to the same old festival bookings and the lack of decent journalism - you’d think we’re in a real death spiral right now, but you know what? I disagree.
Everyone I spoke to at IMS, regardless of who they worked for, was there because of one reason only: they love electronic music. Say what you want about the state of the scene but there’s a load of really good people working in it, people who want to make a difference. All over the place folk are starting labels, putting on events, writing newsletters like this one and just doing their bit, no matter how small, in trying to make things better. It’s all pretty inspiring really. Yes, there’s still a whole heap of issues to sort out, and yes, it’s never been more difficult to break through as an artist right now, but there’s people out there who want to support the music, who want to build better things, and who want to do all this for not much in the way of recognition or renumeration.
Even though things are as corporate as they’ve ever been in the mainstream, the underground is still there, and I feel it’s closer to the surface than it has been for a while now. There’s green shoots breaking through, and a vibe shift is coming in how we consume and share music. It might not make anyone a millionaire, but if it gets good tunes into the ears of the people who want to hear it then that’s all that matters. Can we ever go back to the scenes of the 2010’s when there were whole ecosystems built around great underground music? It’ll take time, it’ll take blood, sweat and tears, and it’ll take people with the guts and dedication to release and push really fucking good music but going on the people I’ve spoken to over the past few weeks I believe that it can happen. Now let’s get on with it.
News Round-Up
It was great to hear so many of you enjoyed the interview with DJ Persuasion & Liftin Spirits last week. I can’t promise loads more jungle coverage in In Strict Tempo, but I’ll do my best. Benji’s just announced a new tape as part of the Berceuse Heroique mixtape series, I’d move quickly if you want one of them.
The Cure have been busy sending acetates round to a handful of record shops promoting their new remix album. This is a really cool idea, and gets the hype going offline - the only way to hear it before it’s release next week is to get down to one of the twenty or so shops and ask them to play it. Apparently they asked each of the remixers to select a shop that they think worthy of receiving the record, adding a further personal touch to the campaign.
Next week I’ll be at Brighton Music Conference speaking on a panel. It’ll be my first one IRL which I’m quite excited (and a little nervous) about. If you’re interested in learning how to choose a Label/Publisher/Manager or PR then this is the panel for you. Hope to see some of you there. They even made me this nifty little graphic look:
Friend of the newsletter Jack Murphy has started a new radio show on Kiosk Radio out of NYC. There’s some killer tunes in this first show he’s put online.
A week or two ago there was an auction for a load of Andrew Weatherall’s studio gear. Proceeds went to his family, so that’s good. I can only hope the equipment went to people who’ll use it well. I shudder at the thought of generic house tunes being made with these instruments.
New Music
DJ Persuasion & Liftin Spirits - Transmission 96 [Liftin Spirit Records]
You read the interview last week, now you can hear the full album. This is old-skool jungle at it’s finest, subtly aided by modern technology. Turn your dial to ’96 and lock in.
VA - Volcanic Tongue [Disciples]
This has been out a while now, with an accompanying book by David Keenan collecting a variety of his music writing over the years, and truth told I’ve barely put either of them down. There’s little connection between the artists featured in the book and those on the compilation, but for those who remember Keenan and Heather Leigh’s Volcanic Tongue shop in Glasgow they’ll enjoy the tunes featured here, all from the DIY underground and the kind of stuff the shop exclusively stocked until it shut a decade ago.
Biosphere - All Stars Have Names [AD93]
A new Biosphere album is landing on AD93, another label on a fine run of form lately. Gier Jenssen is one of the pioneers of ambient music, and not much comes close to him. This album is inspired by the novel The Time of Man, and features vocals sampled from the radio play of it. If you enjoyed The Petrified Forest as much as I did you’ll find much to enjoy here.
Crisrail - November 18, 1983 [Athens of the North]
Described as a lost, funky Cure record this one has been played out by your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ’s for a while now, at least since it initially came out on 12” a year or two ago via diggers supreme Athens of the North. Now available on a special limited 7” with a handmade riso sleeve.
Cuneiform Tabs - Age [W.25th]
It’s hard to believe this is a 2025 release, that people are still making music that sounds like this these days. That’s not a bad thing at all - we need more stuff like this if you ask me. Hazy, lysergic post-pop that takes me back to Flaming Tunes.
Living Dream - Absolute Devotion [Inscrutable Records]
Another one that sounds like it could have come out any time in the last fifty years, this is a nice EP of jangly indie-pop with a shoegazey influence to it. I’m getting a lot of Ride from this, but it’s so much more than that.
billy woods - GOLLIWOG [Backwoodz Studios]
Loads has been written about this already, probably the most essential person working in hip-hop right now. If you’d have played me this and told me it came out on Def Jux in 2003 I’d have believed you, and made my way straight to the nearest HMV for the CD.
