Sobs look like the dorkiest band in existence after Camera Obscura. I've never actually seen blksmiith's picture, but he isn't far behind in that department either lol. Love it.
That Sobs album is incredible, but the biggest issue with it is the lack of truly spectacular songs. A lot of good ones, a very consistent album too, but no tracks I'd consider among the best of the year. Friday Night is probably the best track on the album, one of the better tracks in the tourney as well, and still I have no problems voting against it in this particular match. The funny part is the break in the second part of the tune, which accidentally matches its competitor.
Blksmiith is possibly the best discovery of 2022 for me. It's rare that you stumble upon an electronic record which is incredibly consistent, interesting and diverse all the way through and could easily be played at any good party. Only the greats can make collections of songs (be it albums, compilations, EPs, mixes etc.) which are incredible when played both in the club and at home. Satellite from days of old, lead me to your access code is the opener which immediately sells the album. The most dynamic track of the bunch, it's perhaps not as directly aggressive as Umwelt's track I've nominated, but it's f'd up in different ways. The phrases are chaotic, the saxophone sample is unnatural but still fitting, and the snares are more compressed and oppressive than most breaks tracks. Just when you think you've heard it all, the song still manages to subvert expectations and throw in a trap beat. And all of that while being drenched in ambient soundscapes. I'm usually more of a dnb purist and not particularly interested in the hyper-EDM pioneered on the internets and TikToks, but blksmiith is the best of both worlds. _________________ Overall chart Fake overall chart
Singapore Twee— Sobs, Subsonic Eye, Cosmic Child, Aspidistrafly, Motifs, (sometimes) Yeule— has been one of the most unexpected joys of the last five years or so. This dream-pop wave clouding the island has been a lovely dose of bittersweet blurs. Real deprivation tank floating in fuzzy nowhere stuff. I'm not sure why Sobs' Telltale Signs never gained traction, but I'm glad Air Guitar has reached more ears— it toes this line between a dopamine dose and an old college photobook yearning for past better days. It's bubbly and skillful, but at the same time you can tell the group is a little nihilist/tired/whatever happens happens. I think Alvvays get that similar sound, but they lean more towards rock, whereas Sobs leans more towards pop.
I'm going to give the entire album one blight— I think it's mixed a little low. When you give it a listen, you gotta kinda blast it. Let it be a blanket, comfort food, etc.
Not enthralled by any of those. Vote for Satellite... because I thought the production on that Sobs track was downright offensive. Will probs relisten on a better system though, those lenovo speakers really suck.
the production on that Sobs track was downright offensive
kinda with Norm here, that said I found the production made a lot more sense (to my ears at least) once the track made that surprisingly smooth shift into that kind of drum n bass + quasi-shoegaze bit, almost felt like the whole tracked was mixed with only that section in mind. That said there's some genuinely good songwriting here, classic cutesy power pop catchiness and again the sudden genre shift felt far more natural than I would've expected. Get the feeling I'd appreciate this more in the context of the album.
Sort of mixed on the Blksmith track. I'm not against the chillification of breakcore by any means (I don't think everyone needs to be Venetian Snares) but while I found it perfectly pleasant nothing really stands out as particularly noteworthy, but then again I don't think it's trying to; it's, in going a tad against the conventions of the genre, essentially a chillout track, which I can get behind even if I'm not super inclined to listen again anytime soon.
Overall I feel lightly positive about both, and I while I think I enjoyed them about equally, I did find the Sobs cut a bit more interesting, so that narrowly gets my vote _________________ A Variety of Artists
Satellite from Days of Old is a cool example of a genre I usually don't enjoy. I guess I can get behind a modest take on breakcore, since it's neither unnecessarily stylish nor overly chaotic.
Friday Night is cute and nostalgic but at the same time shows another side and a rather interesting progression.
I don't know, right now I consider them more or less equal, I may abstain - though I could see Friday Night growing on me. _________________ Bob Dylan Charles Mingus
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