Video & Audio: The choice of a new generation
once there was a philosopher where children played
Prince Kaybee: “Milani”
From one of South Africa’s top house DJs/winemakers comes a rare instrumental, named after his son (or maybe after his shiraz that was named after his son.) The oddly moving melodic lead is from populist violinist Maremo Seabela, who’s also a student studying molecular and life sciences. With his multitasking ability, he should be able to pick up oenology too.
Kate Soper: “The Understanding of All Things”
Cut-off syllables and sudden switches of point of origin of voice add a hesitance to believe one can ever fully understand a text without going mad. Given the text is Kafka’s, this is fitting.
Ayra Starr: “Rush”
After Tems’s worldwide success, this Benin-born, Nigerian-raised singer is Afro-R&B’s great hope for 2023. This has a pretty standard Mavins beat (genial synths, passive-aggressive drums) that doesn’t threaten you with a good time like last year’s “Overloading”, but it goes down very smoothly; it could sneak up Western charts for a while.
Johnny Ray Daniels: “Whatever You Need”
Daniels, a 76-year-old with undiminished soul, you might remember from Hanging Tree Guitars and Sacred Soul of North Carolina. His subject you may recall from books like the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Lyrics Born ft. Yunoka Berry: “Choosy Choosy”
People, while they’re allowed to make mistakes, should eventually learn to make good choices? How middle-aged of him.
Julia Bullock & Christian Reif: “One by One”
For once conservatory singing helps, as Bullock’s soprano gives this enigmatic song by OG cult songwriter Connie Converse both precision and dignity. Sometimes it is art, kids.
Paal Nilssen-Love Circus: “Nazare da Mata”
Trumpeter Thomas Johannson recalls two tunes from northeastern Brazil and accordionist Kalle Moberg sounds like he can’t quite remember another one. Bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen plays along like he’s six feet tall in a six-foot pool, then Juliana Venter starts singing like she’s annoyed having emerged from being six feet tall in a six-foot pool, before going into the deep end again.
Balka Sound: “Ni Kuel’ko (I Refuse to Marry)”
Rhythmically, the oddball funk of this ’80s Congo-Brazzaville band recently reissued by Strut is nothing like soukous, yet somehow one can spot structural similarities, especially when the jerkiness resolves into release in the sebene-equivalent. Yet the jerkiness soon returns: it’s what they were in it for.
PinkPantheress: “Take Me Home”
3:20, which makes it her “Marquee Moon” or something. She stretches out the melody in a very TikTok-era way: there are some motifs, some others and some others, then we cycle around to the beginning again. It’s engaging, though not easy to sing along to if you were born last century.
Kim Petras: “Throat Goat”
This is exactly what she should be doing with her talents, but Kim, I guarantee you do not need Dr. Luke to help you write and deliver lines like “I just sucked my ex, no gag reflex.”
Bodega: “Statuette on the Console”
“I never was born with God”, but she won’t “hurt more than necessary”. Treat Nikki Belfiglio as an NPC and she’ll do the same to you, and that goes for the deity too.
Saucy Santana ft. Latto: “Booty”
As I was saying, sometimes it is art, kids.