Freshly Ripped: Van Dyke Parks, Can, Neneh Cherry, & More
Can, The Lost Tapes - This three disc box-set of previously unreleased material provides further evidence of Can’s unclassifiable genius. Sharon O’Connell writes:
“Three discs is a lot to digest in one sitting, but to plunge into The Lost Tapes at any point is to be rewarded with a reason to rhapsodise afresh about Can’s everlasting, inspirationally bonkers vision.”
Arnaldo Antunes, Edgard Scandurra, Toumani Diabaté, A Curva da Cintura - The Brazilian poet/singer-songwriter Arnaldo Antunes is joined by rock guitarist Edgard Scandurra and Malian Koran player Tourmani Diabate on this intriguing, incendiary experiment. Chris Nickson writes:
This is an album that stands outside any culture or even fusion… and at its heart this album is pure rock’n'roll.
Jamie Jones, Tracks from the Crypt – Jones was voted the best DJ in the world last year by dance magazine Resident Advisor, and this album of irresistible floor-fillers, which mixes up old-school Detroit techno, deep house and disco, shows why.
Kraak & Smaak, Mixed Feelings – This anticipated collection of brand new tracks from the Dutch duo also includes remixed highlights from their Electric Hussle album and an anthemic take on Moby’s “The Day”.
ParaOne, Passion – The acclaimed French producer’s second album puts a seductive spin on futuristic R&B, deep house and electro.
Riz MC, MICroscope – Overlooked when it came out early last year, the accomplished debut from British rap’s Renaissance man — Riz Ahmed is also a poet, promoter and actor — is re-released as a deluxe package. It’s packed razor-sharp rhymes and cutting social commentary.
Exlovers, Moth - The ethereal debut from Londoners Exlovers has an irresistible pull, drawing you in with dreamy vocals and swirling, shoegazey guitars.
Neneh Cherry and The Thing, The Cherry Thing - Cherry’s first record since 1996 features her dizzyingly sexy take on Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream”, alongside covers of her father Don Cherry’s “Golden Heart” and “Dirt” by The Stooges. Michaelangelo Matos writes:
The Cherry Thing has an air of kismet about it, though both the singer and the band sound carefully exploratory, with the normally furious Thing laying back a bit to accommodate their very special guest.
The Chapman Family, Cruel Britannia - The Stockton-on-Tees band’s riposte to the Jubilee includes a bleak, stripped-down cover of Morrissey’s “Everyday is like Sunday”.
Van Dyke Parks, Song Cycle (reissue), Discover America (reissue) & Clang Of The Yankee Reaper (reissue) – These highly sought-after solo albums, cut immediately after Van Dyke Parks worked on the Beach Boys’ abortive Smile album, are finally re-released by Bella Union. Andrew Perry writes:
For anyone with the remotest interest in Beach Boys lore, all three are essential, and endlessly fascinating.
Lorn, Ask the Dust -Milwaukee’s Marcos Ortega follows up his landmark Nothing Else album with another essential collection of cuts that both crackle with menace and pulse with feeling.
