XLII

Thank the Lord, it’s finally Summer. Time to shed your woollen clothes, bare flesh at the tiniest hint of sunshine with the goal being to get roasted that particular shade of rosy red that suggests a back slap would be absolute agony. So make yourself a mojito, slap on some factor 5, and prime yourself for bumping uglies outdoors and eating questionably cooked ribs. If the weather’s shit, just download this capsule summer soundtrack and sit next to a heater.

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[53:04]

1. Tawiah: “Everystep”

• (0:01 – 4:13)
• from In Jodi’s Bedroom EP (Bush Girl, Broad Street; 2008)

Tawiah’s soulful vocals have seen her touring with Mark Ronson. Her debut EP sees her explore her laid back dance tinged RnB such as on this doe-eyed gem which glimmers like Robyn’s “With Every Heartbeat” under a baking sun.

2. The Black Ghosts: “It’s Your Touch”

• (4:14 – 8:10)
• from The Black Ghosts (Southern Fried Records; 2008)

From the other member of pre-Simian Mobile Disco band Simian, the Black Ghosts. Simon Lord presents us with a straight-forward dance cut.

3. Jim Noir: “Don’t You Worry”

• (8:11 – 11:40)
• from Jim Noir (My Dad Recordings; 2008)

One of the less electro-pop flavoured tracks from Noir’s excellent second album, “Don’t You Worry” marries rich Beach Boys harmonies to strumming acoustic guitars.

4. Nostalgia 77: “Quiet Dawn (Bonobo Remix)”

• (11:41 – 18:47)
• from Shapes 08:01 (TruThoughts; 2008)

Downbeat jazzy hip hop * from Brighton’s Nostalgia 77 in the vein of DJ Shadow and Prefuse 73.

5. Four Tet: “Swimmer”

• (18:48 – 27:30)
• from Ringer EP (Domino Recording Co; 2008)

A hypnotic pulsating cut * from Hebden’s recent four track EP permeates like ether with subtle muffled percussion and heavy drone influences.

6. Ellen Allien: “Elphine”

• (27:31 – 32:18)
• from Sool (Bpitch Control; 2008)

Subversive vocal slicing glitch pop * from CMG favorite Sool.

7. Paul Woolford presents Bobby Peru: “Once Bitten”

• (32:19 – 36:48)
• from The Truth (2020 Vision; 2008)

Bearing no relation to the greasy Willem Dafoe character * from Wild At Heart, “Once Bitten” is a funky, carefree rolling drum break with buzzing electronics.

8. Neon Neon: “I Lust U”

• (36:49 – 39:47)
• from Stainless Style (Lex Records; 2008)

Fizzing eighties-influenced pop * from Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys with Prince-heavy seduction techniques.

9. The Whip: “Fire”

• (39:48 – 45:04)
• from X Marks Destination (Southern Fried Records; 2008)

Bleak New Order-inspired dance * from fellow Mancunians the Whip.

10. Akala: “Comedy, Tragedy, History”

• (45:05 – 49:02)
• from Freedom Lasso (Illastate; 2008)

Nudging Amanda Bank’s lightning quick break on “Bump” by Spank Rock, Akala’s machine gun delivery tries, in four minutes, to namecheck every Shakespeare play whilst still playing down the haterz with a killer string riff.

11. dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip: “Look For The Woman”

• (49:03 – 53:04)
• from Angles (Sunday Best; 2008)

Wry and self-deprecating lyrics delivered in Scroobius Pip’s Essex drawl meats with trip hop bating beats * from dan les sac to offer up a melancholy riposte to LL Cool J’s “I Need Love.”