For my semi-regular program POST for Refuge Worldwide this week, I focused on new releases. This highlighted Lebanon in particular and still didn’t cover the flurry of releases there, but it covered other places, too. It’s all recommended, so here’s the full playback and track listing with links.
That opening track I could listen on repeat, truly. Other highlights below. It’s funny putting together mixes like this. Unlike the club music, you find emotions tumbling out of their own accord — connections that words can’t make, mixing between moments like in a lucid dream.
Everything here has come out in the past weeks or months, and then mixed in, music of mine that hasn’t actually been entirely mastered or released (or titled) yet; Bandcamp links for many of these include lyrics, sometimes with translation:
Mayssa Jallad – Taamir (Bahriyyeh)
Biorhythm – Boundary Conditions
Huggen Luft – Instrument (feat. Pavlo Treba)
Missing Music – nichi Forester
P Kirn – (unreleased/untitled)
Temp-Illusion – Longing for Rain
kyïvite – a violin plays in the street
The Microgram – Observation Point
Liliane Chlela & LAÏ لآي – Msh Akeed – مش أكيد
P Kirn – (unreleased/untitled)
Some specific notes on these:
LAÏ and Liliane Chlela have a must-hear collaboration. Here’s the video for this cut:
From back in January, the kyïvite project is fascinating, remixing archival radio recordings — that series has continued through the year:
One broadcast features remixed Ukrainian choir recordings from the 1960s. The other two are based on some of the earliest known recordings of Ukrainian folk music from the early 20th century, captured on wax phonograph cylinders during ethnographic expeditions by Lesya Ukraïnka, Filaret Kolessa and Klyment Kvitka.
I appreciate this one, in particular — archival recordings of the Transcarpathian Folk Choir (1960s), under the original direction of Mykhailo Krechko.
“Longing for Rain” is such a heavy, deeply felt track by Temp-Illusion.
Sawt El Doumouh by Sandy Chamoun et al. has rightfully earned early mention among top releases of the year. From its album notes — “flickers of light from sadness”:
Influences from the Arabic tradition of Tarab – one of the first styles Chamoun learnt to sing – and polyphonic Cantu are reinterpreted and reimagined through her voice and electronics, synths from her SANAM and Ghadr bandmate Anthony Sahyoun, and live percussion from Ali Hout.
Gag Reflex is an immediate favorite of mine. You know, there are even thematic connections in this playlist that came out, unintended. From the release text:
Clinging Vine is a resilient plant or a hyper-dependent person, fragrant at night. It’s also a music-adjacent scheme that pursues restlessness, implied unease and surplus intentions that come out in communal spaces, when it’s a little too loud & a little too late.
Huggen Luft is another essential release, with music by Dmytro Filatov and lyrics & vocals by Sofiia Artiukhina, touring now through Ukraine underneath ballistic missile fire. Just trust me. In addition to Sofiia’s aching lyrics atop Dima’s nimble rhythms, you get the soaring trumpet solo of Pavlo Treba.
I love these lyrics; more reason to go buy this track:
Я це тільки інструмент для в міру порядних речей Мій мозок керується тільки кількістю недоспаних ночей
Я це тільки інструмент для в міру порядних речей Мій мозок керується тільки кількістю недоспаних ночей
Я живу і збираю трофеї Ніхто не вигравав ще такої життєвої лотереї Щоб виграш показали в усіх музеях І ця думка мене лелеїть
І я з кожним днем стаю все більше схожа на просто ідею
Я сідаю, зламана батарея Я сідаю, зламана батарея
Коли тебе нема, мені є так Як гнізду, яке назавжди кинув птах
Коли тебе нема, мені є так Як гнізду, яке назавжди кинув птах I am only an instrument for moderately decent things My brain is driven only by the number of sleepless nights
I am only an instrument for moderately decent things My brain is driven only by the number of sleepless nights
I live and collect trophies No one has ever won such a life lottery That the prize would be shown in all museums And this thought cradles me
And with each day I become more like just an idea
I’m draining, a broken battery I’m draining, a broken battery
When you’re gone, I feel like
A nest abandoned forever by a bird
That fits the moment … broken batteries.
See you in the next installment.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source cdm.link ’
