WIDE Recomienda: #0018
This week WIDE Recommends comes packed with pretty okay and quite okay stuff: we’ve got a couple of booty-shaking bangers, boastful francophone raps and delightful R&B slikyness. Tracks on girls taking the lead, beautiful metaphors about melanated swans and gabber political statements. Check it! Dig it! Love it!
1. Lao Ra – No Pressure
One night stands are a pretty okay thing which we could all do with a little more often: you’re there, there’s someone you like there. Then you’re balls naked. Next morning, everyone goes home happy. But you gotta be straight with ‘em! Otherwise someone might get a case of the feelings and start texting you just a little too much. For London based Colombian singer Lao Ra, there’s absolutely no mystery to this: sure you can bounce on a boy’s bones, but you first you oughta set the terms and conditions: I got somebody else on my mind, so can we do it no pressure?
2. MHD – Bodyguard
It’s been about a month since MHD, the French rapper and afrotrap pioneer released the video for his upcoming album’s first single “Bodyguard”, a celebration of his rising artistic profile with a display of classic hip-hop bragadoccio, self-hype and hubris: humbling down the competition and being very convincing about his being very convinced of being a big deal, in this particular case, the sort of big deal which could do with a big dude in body armor with a career as an ass-whoop can opener; all of it dressed with delicious pop-culture references and afrotrap beats, and delivered in snappy fancy-ass French! It’s quite a nice day to be a francophone!
3. Okzharp & Manthe Ribane – Teleported (Rastronaut & PEDRO Edit)
Rastronaut & PEDRO made a nifty little remix of Okzharp & Manthe Ribane’s 2016 track “Teleported”, which was already a tragically catchy and danceable banger of itself. Tuning down on the in-your-face factor to add a dash of eerie acid basslines and an entirely new drum palette, this mysterious, tropical-sounding track easily finds its way to your hips: a nice pick for an all-nighter at your favourite shady club.
4. Kwaku Asante – The Way That You Move
London musician Kwaku Asante joined up forces with unknown, wildcard producer Yann on “The Way You Move” and the result is pretty darn spectacular. A sweet R&B tune with a collage of very contrasting timbres: guitar chords set the atmosphere for Kwaku’s husky and smooth vocals, to be joined later by bendy, brass-synth stabs, sinewave basslines, shiny arpeggios and the softest, popcorn crackling drum beats. Quite the letter of presentation, eh!
Listen to our last series of new music recommendations (0017) here
5. Yves Tumor – Noid
About two years from the release of Serpent Music and about 10 months from his latest compilation album Yves Tumor returns to the ear-eyes of the music world as signed artist to WARP Records and a new track pumping with energy. Sticking to his signature interplay of abrasion and atmosphere, like a freak-folk darkwave goth of of sorts, “Noid” strikes us in a way very reminiscent of ‘90s supernatural films, Trent Reznor’s sullen-crazy-seductive vocal delivery and the never quite passé “Age of Paranoia”. This is a great songs for intense, black-leather-coat vampire flicks, Rocky-Horror themed drag parties or just staying at your apartment cleaning your furniture angrily or peeking out the window looking for stalkers or the FBI.
6. Blood Orange – Charcoal Baby
Dev Hynes seems not to know when to stop. He keeps releasing these completely awesome tracks which can really make some aspiring musicians’ skin crawl with envy. His upcoming album’s latest single, “Charcoal Baby”, makes a delicious back and forth between the most cheerful and laid-back guitar chords you’ve ever heard and thick, detuned sawtooth waves like it ain’t a thing. Snappy drum beats between R&B and hip-hoppish. To top it all, there’s lyrics so simple and perhaps so deep, so emotionally charged that they move, deeply. We’re real enthused for Aug. 24th!
7. Pussy Riot – КОШМАРЫ / NIGHTMARES
After their endearing performance at the World Cup, Pussy Riot keeps their danceable political statements stream a-flowing with a gabber prison chanson intended to raise awareness on the unlawful incarceration, slander and torture of Ukranian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov – who took part on the Maidan activist front, a factor his country’s revolution of 2014 – and demanding his release. A commendable effort in memetics for a righteous cause that is as fun as problematic: Is this the new way to create political solidarity? Is protest music still a form of agency in 2018? We’re clearly not the ones to answer these questions, yet we really appreciate their being brought about again.
