Dispatches from the Underground // August 2, 2021

SOS – free album from Sad Man

If you’re anywhere near London this Friday > guitarist Dean Mcphee is playing New River Studios / Hypnotic Telecaster landscapes, entrancing ritual instruments, 8 string baritone picking and semi-improvised kick drum/vibrato guitar

Out today – Obstacle Navigation by Synthetic Villains / instrumental synth pop but with an emphasis on bass and beats, plus the addition of an unusual blend of synth strings and bowed guitars on several tracks

Also out today > Creations by Gaye Device / new soundwaves for daydreaming and drifting / Eight tracks of kosmische ambient electronica + The New album by L M N O P / a broad sonic palette of blistering disarray and static lullaby smeared across cheeky hooks, ornate flourishes, and melodious power grooves

Coming in October via Raintrain Press > Debut album from Theodore Wild Ride / collaboration between French keyboard players Christine Ott / Mathieu Gabry and Oud player Ophir Levy

20 LP copies of Dear, Sudan, Infinity Knives, debut, are still available via Phantom Limbs

Fresh batch of cassette reviews from Quietus / Spool’s Out

Over at Sounding Out! > Sonic Lessons of the Covid-19 Soundscape

Over at Foxy Digitalis > Review of A Sky Record, new one from Damon & Naomi / Kurihara

Over at Raven Sings the Blues > L.A.’s Dummy wade through the vernal psych-pop gardens that nurtured Broadcast, & Stereolab while stumbling the noise pop alley for a tussle with Hangman’s Beautiful Daughters & Snapper / out on Trouble in Mind

Over at Turn Up the Volume > 20 Knockout Tracks Of The Month – July 2021

Over at PopMatters > Review of Venus by Upper Wilds / glorious cacophony of guitar noise, pounding drums, fuzz bass, and big catchy hooks

Episode 83 of the Magic Window show is up now on Mixcloud / featuring Survey Channel, Clocolan, Time Rival, Castles in Space and many more

Electronic music mixtape by Binarysweets

Just 5 copies of Solstice by Kieran Mahon left in Airbag Records vault

The nineties bundle from Numero Group > reissues of Karate’s self-titled debut and In Place of Real Insight, Seam’s Headsparks album and Days of Thunder EP, and Duster’s 1975 12”, all at a reduced price

Happening at the end of August > 9128 Birthday Event / Takeover (h/t Past Inside the Present)

Out tomorrow > In Human Form by Mukqs / bigger than all of us – Ryley Walker

Coming soon – two new releases from Steep Gloss