Tag Archives: pop

Kweku of Ghana, Ariane Roy, Jyocho, and Mæntra

by Dæv Tremblay

Kweku of Ghana – Zone 6, Agege (Heavenly Sweetness)


So Kweku is the frontman of my #1 Afrobeat band of 2021: Onipa. This year, he released a new album under the name Kweku of Ghana, and so I was immediately drawn to it. Zone 6, Agege has a more traditional, folkloric, funky, reggaeish Afrobeat sound than the Afrofuturistic synthy Onipa. That’s neither a pro nor a con, as I love both sounds equally, but that’s just to set different expectations for when you listen to this. This is a beautiful, intimate, inspired, authentic album that truly speaks of Kweku’s… Read more

Drumcorps, Charbon, Ahleuchatistas, and Edith Judith

by Dæv Tremblay

Drumcorps – Creatures


So have you ever tried to blend mathcore and breakcore? I have, but that’s a story for another day, for today I’m talking about Netherlands-based Drumcorps. Their new album, Creature, is indeed a creature of its own. The moment you hit play, you get the dissonant off-putting riffs, you get the glitch effects and synthetic drums, and you get the howling screams. That’s basically all I want from different music genres put into a cereal box. And it’s amazing. Be sure to check it out!

Charbon – Cavalcade


Admit it, you already know what to expect,… Read more

Margarida Guia & Random Record, Palm, Alta forma, and Nnamdï

by Dæv Tremblay

Margarida Guia & Random Record – Untitled (Do It Youssef!)

As a tribute to activist, actress, composer, and performer Margarida Guia, Do It Youssef! are releasing her performance with Random Record (David Bausseron & Nicolas Chichagnot), recorded in 2012 in Brussels. This fifty-minute psychedelic free rock improvisation is an absolute mind-altering experience, thanks to the wildly creative work of the three musicians involved, and the characteristic narration of Margarida Guia. Drown in the mad world of this improvisation, you won’t regret it!

Palm – Nicks and Grazes (Saddle Creek)


Palm is a band from the future, bringing us avant-garde nu…… Read more

Kutu, Aeternam, Kolínga, and I, Parasite

by Dæv Tremblay

Kutu – Guramayle


The Ceccaldi name is a promise of great music. On this album, both brothers collaborate with two Ethiopian singers from Addis Ababa to make a modern fusion of Ethiopian pop and jazz fusion. Everything is solidly backed up by drummer Cyril Atef, who’s previously played on other incredible albums, as with Bumcello. It’s an album made to groove, dance, and have a terribly fun time. The drums feel aptly Afrobeatish in essence most of the time, while the harmonization is walking the thin line between authentic and experimental. It’s a truly superb album!

Aeternam – Heir of

… Read more

Sweet Heart, Open Ear: August

by Bishop Martin

Rejoice! The Light Has Come – II


If every genre of music is a language, then we can think of bands as authors who write in those respective languages. The first chord of II tells you instantly what language we are speaking.
The language of dissonant black metal has been evolving and becoming more popular in the last decade. Every band has their own formula for writing music like this; their own dialects and slang, their clicks and pops, their interpretations, and their judgments. I trust the clicks and pops and judgments of Rejoice! The Light Has Come.

If you … Read more