new music – The Concordian

Tabéa’s Picks:

Mount Kimbie – The Sunset Violent

Composed of Kai Campos, Dominic Maker, Andrea Balency-Beérn and Marc Pell, the glorious British band Mount Kimbie released their sixth album on April 5. This new project runs for 37 minutes and is a magnetic, cohesive, immersive and atmospheric body of work. The alternative, electronic and groovy flare of Mount Kimbie’s sound flows seamlessly over each song and its production quality across all nine tracks is stellar. The contrast of hearing different members singing the same song, for instance on “Fishbrain” with Andrea’s singing and Kai’s vocals, adds a lovely depth to the album. Moreover, being able to hear King Krule’s involvement in two separate songs is a delightful surprise for all listeners.

Trial Track: “Empty and Silent” (feat. King Krule)

Vegyn – The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions

Joe Thornalley, better known as Vegyn in the music industry and to electronic music lovers, dropped his sixth album on April 5. The London-based producer put together a beautifully 45-minute curated endeavour through 13 tracks. I love how some songs are solely instrumental and let Vegyn’s beat-making shine while others feature vocals from the likes of Léa Sen and John Glacier that only push the energy and meanings of the songs further. Some tracks play with the willful duality of lower and higher tempos and heavily charged production, while others are more minimalistic with ambient sounds.

Trial Track: “Trust” (feat. Matt Maltese)

Mayfly – Killed My Innocence

Montreal-based duo Mayfly, composed of singer-songwriters Charlie and Emma, shared their latest project with the world on March 29. Labelled under Indie Pop, this EP includes five tracks and delivers moody, airy and pungent production style. The growth and decrease of the cadence and elements in the track “See Through” captivated my attention and encouraged total immersion from the very beginning, all the way till the end. The calculated but experimental and cohesive project of these fellow Montrealers is definitely to be added to your music library!

Trial Track: “See Through”

Stefano’s Picks:

Tyla – TYLA

Following the breakout success of “Water,” Tyla returns with her self-titled debut album, a full offering of tuneful Afrobeats tracks. The album is filled with infectious instrumentals and alluring vocals from the South African starlet, many of which are Amapiano tracks with the same foundation as “Water.” The Skillibeng and Gunna-assisted “Jump” is exceptionally catchy, with its heavy Amapiano bass stabs combined with traditional Afrobeats percussion. From the high notes on the bridge to the understated chorus, the song succeeds as a bouncy, tropical, summery cut. Tyla is poised for success, and her debut album fully displays her capability to make catchy hits characterized by angelic, harmonious singing.

Trial Track: “Jump” (feat. Gunna & Skillibeng)

MIKE & Tony Seltzer – Pinball

Pinball sees underground rapper MIKE taking a stylistic leap away from his usual, abstract hip-hop style, instead opting for a mainstream sound by teaming up with producer Tony Seltzer. The project is an upbeat, fun listen that combines trap, drill, West Coast and Detroit hip-hop production with melodies that are lighthearted and ethereal. “On God” is a moodier cut that boasts a feature from Earl Sweatshirt who provides an addictive hook with his deadpan, hypnotic delivery. Tony Shhnow and MIKE perfectly match his energy, and the trio offer an addictive, atmospheric cut that is short, sweet and guaranteed to get repeat listens.

Trial Track: “On God” (feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Tony Shhnow)

Bryson Tiller – Bryson Tiller

Bryson Tiller’s self-titled effort is his fourth studio album, his first since A N N I V E R S A R Y in 2020. The project is brighter and more rhythmic than some of his signature, moodier projects, dabbling in a series of genres. The album combines R&B balladry with melodic takes on drill rap and Jersey club, plus ventures into Afrobeats. Per usual, his singing performances are intact and balanced with his brand of melodic rapping. “No Thank You” is a personal favourite, with a light, dreamy, bouncy hip-hop instrumental that Tiller sings and glides over effortlessly.

Trial Track: “No Thank You”

If you thought Hiawatha, the founder of Iroquois confederacy, rose from the dead to live out his dreams in electronica, think again. This ‘Hiawatha’ is the project of David Psutka, also known as Egyptrixx, and a former Thrush Hermit, Ian McGettigan. Both striking musical figures in the Toronto scene, they started collaborating a while back and have always had a positive relationship through music.

Their first album, Language, is out now courtesy of Last Gang Records, the same label that launched Metric, Crystal Castles and MSTRKRFT. Psutka called the record “an exploration of pessimism and optimism; success and failure; concussion and tranquility.”

“I wrote the record when I was going through some heavy personal l things in my life, and they were on a similar line,” revealed Psutka. “They weren’t absolutely good, and they weren’t absolutely bad. I wanted to reflect that.“

Psultka previously collaborated with Canadian synth-pop band Trust, producing electronic music that can easily be put on for dance purposes. He debuted his solo material as Egyptrixx in March 2011 with the track “Bible Eyes.”

Halifax-born McGettigan is now a producer, but was the bassist and vocalist of now-defunct alt-rock band Thrush Hermit.Together, they are Hiawatha.

As for the classification of Hiawatha’s sound itself, Psutka doesn’t consider it an important subject or a necessary responsibility.

“Genres don’t ever really concern me, I understand there may be need for them for promotional material, but as a receiver and performer, genres don’t really matter at all,” said Psutka.

Although the project sounds like it has all the doings of what could be classified as electronic, Psutka and McGettigan recorded using the default rock tools: guitar, drums and keyboard. More often than not the joy of music is how differently it can be interpreted and manipulated when it is made and heard live in person.

Hiawatha will make its live debut this November at New York’s Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival.

Trial track: “Caring Less and Less To See and Know You”

The Music Editors of The Concordian share their most-listened releases from March & April.