A nice slow start to a year we can all hope will deliver some excellent music. In full releases, we've gotten another great posthumous Mac Miller record, a divisive Ethel Cain EP, and in my corner, a true follow-up to Matt Berry's (yes, that Matt Berry) retro-opus The Blue Elephant with Heard Noises.
But forget all that, we're only interested in singles here. Let us see what the Bandcamp gods hath wrought.
clipping. - "Change the Channel"
from Dead Channel Sky out on March 14th
I've somehow never given clipping. the chance that they now clearly deserve. "Change the Channel" is an absolutely blistering mash-up of breakbeat, industrial imagery and tones, and West Coast stylings.
All speed and brevity, lyrics fly past and percussion flows from kit-to-noise-to-synths. While I couldn't guess what the song's actually getting at, the visual theme set up by it's lyrics perfectly match the cybernetic industrial sound going on here.
Drudkh - "The Eve"
from Shadow Play out on March 21st
I'm a sucker for Drudkh's brand of atmospheric black metal. And "The Eve" gives a glimpse at yet more proof that they may just be the best in the biz. Blazing tremolo-picked riffs are contrasted with vibrant synths (strings?) in an evocative and all-together more natural and fantastical sound than with their previous few records. Certainly, due in part to the colourful album cover which too stands apart in their discography. "The Eve" is introspective but doesn't betray as much of a bleak tone, seeming instead more thoughtful. This is a good sign for the upcoming album, which given the recent death of former drummer Amorth in the Russo-Ukrainian war, will undoubtedly continue their conversation with the forces of life and of man.
Vega Trails - "Els"
from Sierra Tracks out on March 28th
"Els" is confident in a very compelling way; it simply demands attention. Vega Trails are a new find for me and I'm looking forward to acquainting myself. With beautiful interplay between saxophone and piano, and intermittent mirroring of the parts for strong melodic emphasis, this song really has what I need from chamber jazz. It's soulful and hearty, emotionally dense but instrumentally spaced-out. Spectacular stuff.
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs - "Stitches"
from Death Hilarious, out on April 4th
If you know Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs then you know roughly, but not exactly what to expect from a new single. The group distills stoner metal, psych, alt-rock, and some light experimental urges together, gives it a stir, and sees what boils over. "Stitches" is their usual groovy affair: mildly melodic, occasionally aggressive, and oh-so riffy. Flaunting their own absurdity pays off for this band, and helps them stick out in a genre of a million boilerplate bands.
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