Its been two flippin' years since the last episode of Troika! Just as I was getting back in the swing of it in 2021, life got in the way again. So in order to try and 'break the seal' of this hiatus, I've put together a very quick episode, simply featuring some new music I'm listening to. I rapidly recorded my talky bits unscripted in about 5 mins (where I would normally write out at least an outline first). Speed was of the essence!
Here's what I'm listening to at the moment:
-
"Sauce!" by Site Nonsite Bandcamp
I was blown away by Simon Collison's new music project, Site Nonsite when he launched last May with the Hiroshima EP. I didn't know what to expect, but I was delighted by how fresh and original it sounded. At times it's autobiographical, as Colly himself narrates parts of the journey. Since then he's released Kyoto and now he's gearing up to release the Osaka EP, and this is the second single from that EP, Sauce!. While Hiroshima understandably touched on some difficult subject matter, this is more light hearted. It joins tracks like Lemon Jelly's 'Nice Weather for Ducks' in my list of tunes to cheer me up. As you can hear on the podcast, it made me chuckle just thinking about it. -
"Money" by Hamish Hawk Bandcamp
Hamish Hawk came onto my radar last year, and immediately grabbed me with his voice and lyricism. A Scottish Jarvis Cocker perhaps? While 2023's Angel Numbers doesn't yet have as big a place in my heart as 2021's Heavy Elevator, this track is real standout. Hamish describes it as being a 'list of petty grievances'. It's got a great video too.If you haven't come across the epic "The Mauritian Badminton Doubles Champion, 1973" (not '72 as I say in the podcast), do yourself a favour and listen to that too!
-
"Ar Ais Arís" by Gareth Quinn Redmond Bandcamp
Ar Ais Arís, is the third album by Irish producer Gareth Quinn Redmond, and one where he discovers the art of tape loops. Using traditional Irish instruments (or in the case of the title track, a piano) the effect is a minimalist but soothing ambient sound. Definitely one I had to buy on vinyl.
Cover Illustration: One of my noodly vector drawings.