David Emery Online

Three Drums by Four Tet

I came to electronic music late, much like I always thought I would with jazz. I could see jazz, hovering there, interesting, beguiling, not quite in view but on the horizon. Inevitable. I would get to it eventually. Electronic music, on the other hand, I dismissed out of hand.

I remember working with an artist when I was early to the music industry—I was going to say fifteen years ago but, sadly, I just checked and it will be twenty years ago next year—and being entranced by the music, but I could not get past the lack of vocals, or the lack of live instrumentation. The latter I find most odd in hindsight, coming from someone who was only in their orbit by virtue of his decades long obsession with ones and zeros. For far too long I was caught up in maintaining how I thought things should be, rather than embracing all of the possibilities of what they could be.

Four Tet, right now, is embracing those possibilities. He has entered his imperial phase—a phrase coined by Neil Tennant from the Pet Shop Boys, who knows a thing or two both about pop culture and electronic music, referring to when an artist is at their commercial and creative peak—which is objectively quite funny for someone that clearly is just having so much fun. From accidently forming a supergroup with Skrillex and Fred again.. to releasing albums by Brian Eno (and Fred again.. again), and ending up accidentally headlining Coachella, Four Tet is somehow everywhere, but in the nicest possible way.

This latest track—another in a long line of standalone singles since his last album proper in 2020—is over 8 minutes long, but the first time I heard it I immediately played it again. The way it builds and flows and ebbs and soars, adding new elements only to take them away and make you long for their return, makes that runtime feel the same as a punchy radio edit, drowning you only to bring you back to the surface. I remember my cocky, righteous, twenty-something self being so sure that electronic music couldn’t bring the same emotion, the same connection, that quote-unquote real music could conjure. I’d like to think that if I’d played him this track, maybe—just maybe—he might have changed his mind.

Black Country, New Road - 'Live at Bush Hall'

Black Country, New Road are a fascinating band. Up until last year, a music journalist would have probably focused on the dry wit of their lyrics and the wry delivery of lead singer Isaac Wood, both of which were the cornerstones of a sound that was taking them to bigger and bigger audiences. And then, on the eve of their second album release, he quit.

They were always more than just one person, though. And so, they have continued, reconfigured, and got on with it—continuing to tour, but with all new material. It’s still great—different, of course—but the spark that made them interesting in the first place is still very much intact.

‘Live at Bush Hall’ is a statement of intent—a full live performance film of brand new material, complete with a dose of theatre and artistic rigour. The vibe is Arcade Fire (without the problematic overtones) meets the best high-school band that ever was:

UPDATE: This has now been released as a proper live album, and it’s glorious: Black Country, New Road – Live at Bush Hall

The Work by Gold Panda

Sometimes, and in fact often with my most favourite records, it takes quite a few listens for an album to reveal itself. Listen one will just bounce off in a wave of indifference, or disappointment if expectations are high. Another try will result in the same, often the second half doesn’t even get listened to. Then a week will go by. Maybe a track appears in shuffle and I’ll check to see what it is and be surprised. And so on. Until, eventually, my ears are accustomed enough to let the whole album in, and again and again until it dominates my listening.

So it goes, and so it has been with the latest album by Gold Panda.

I’ve been a fan for years, and in fact I would credit his 2013 album “Half of Where you live” as being my first introduction to electronic music, having focused on guitars for far too many years prior. “The Work” initially passed me by, despite wanting to love it. Now it’s a daily play.

Weightless by Arlo Parks

Phoebe Bridgers has been busy.

I can only assume that three separate music marketing teams independently came to the conclusion that the third Wednesday in January was the optimal time to announce a new album, because yesterday was slammed with new music. A new record by The National. A new record by Arlo Parks. And a new record by boygenius.

You would, of course, expect Bridgers to appear on that last one, as it’s an in-air-quotes supergroup of her, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. All stalwarts of the American indie scene—and all great—and now all, such are the whims of the music industry, signed to Interscope, home of Lady Gaga and Sting.

She also appears on The National album, which makes sense, alongside Sufjan Stevans, which also makes sense, and Taylor Swift. Her appearance does, also, make sense—in fact it would have been almost surprising for her to have not been on it, such is where we’re at in The National Extended Universe in 2023—but if you told me that ten years ago I wouldn’t have even thought you were joking, just very confused. Phoebe is on the album twice though, so her work-rate still comes out on top.

Finally, Phoebe also makes an appearance on the new Arlo Parks album. The three separate labels did at least have the communication skills to avoid Bridgers appearing on multiple different songs on the same day, so we’ll have to wait until later to find out her contributions, but—and I stress that music is not a competition, we are all winners—the Arlo track is clearly the best, at least on first listen.

If you only have the chance to listen to one of these, make it that one. And then proceed, like I have just done, to wonder just how Phoebe Bridgers handles time management.

Be On Your Way by Daughter

I must confess that Ex:Re, the solo record by Daughter’s singer and main songwriter Elena Tonra, is a once-a-week listen for me, despite it coming out over 4 years ago now. That also accounts for the 7 year gap since their last album proper.

It’s beautiful, of course.

2022 in Music

What Can We Learn from Barnes & Noble's Surprising Turnaround?

There’s a lot of interesting points in this piece, but the overriding theme for me is trust. Trust in the staff to make the right local decisions for their unique market and local conditions, and trust in the audience that they might want something different.

There’s also trust in the very concept of being a bookshop, and a focus on the answer to the question “why might someone go to a bookshop?” The answer, which seems obvious but clearly isn’t, is to buy books. Not to drink coffee, or to buy assorted trinkets, or to chase after a completely unrelated business line in the hope that it might magically bring more customers in.

Focus and trust.

NO THANK YOU by Little Simz

A few listens in, and this sounds like a worthy follow up to her Mercury Prize winning last album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’.

Also a timely reminder not to collate your “Best of the Year” lists until the year is actually done.

Active Scenes: Mix 001 (DJ Mix) by Confidence Man

Talking of DJ Mixes, this new mix by Confidence Man—whose song Holiday was The Guardian’s #19 best song of the year—is a blast.

2manydjs present As Produced by Soulwax 2020-2022 (DJ Mix)

2manydjs—also known as Soulwax—have released a series of DJ Mixes on Apple Music. This one is a mix of some of their recent recent remixes and songs they’ve produced, and—unsurprisingly—it’s very good.