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John Preston brings you the best seven tracks of the week.
Miss Kittin, The Hacker, ‘Ostebahnof’
Miss Kittin and The Hacker both rode the crest of the electro-crash wave and the duo has stuck around since, albeit in fits and spurts of creative output. Miss Kittin’s collaborative work with Golden Boy, Felix da Housecat and of course The Hacker remains essential and influential. ‘Ostebahnof’ continues the legacy.
Mallrat, ‘Teeth’
The Australian artist drops a single or an EP – no debut album yet – a couple of times a year with minimal fuss or fanfare, and almost always these songs make an impression. ‘Teeth’ is no exception to this, and proves once again that Mallrat’s pop sensibility is in-built and underrated.
Ibibio Sound Machine, ‘All That You Want’
Eno Williams astounding instrument of a voice is front and centre on the new Hot Chip-produced Ibibio Sound Machine album, Electricity. Although the West African influence remains, this record’s references intriguingly owe more to UK and American dance culture over the last 40 years.
Hatchie, ‘Lights On’
Hatchie has managed to do something quite rare in that she clearly takes inspiration from music made in the late- to mid-90s that topped charts worldwide, but she remembers to make the melodies as big as the production. ‘Lights On’ is a certain kind of pop fan’s dream.
Let’s Eat Grandma, ‘Levitation’
That chunky, hyper-manic synth bassline that pushes Madonna around in ‘Into the Groove’ has been pinched left and right this year, and Let’s Eat Grandma are the latest guilty pair. ‘Levitation’ is also a great song and the pair’s unique singing style makes this even more special.
Princess Nokia, ‘No Effort’
It’s great when a song’s title helps the listener understand completely what they’re going to get before listening to it, and in the best possible sense ‘No Effort’ is exactly that. A beat that is irresistibly simple and effective with a rap that flows magically – Princess Nokia makes it sound so easy.
Kelly Lee Owens, ‘Sonic 8’
‘This is an emergency, this is a wake up call – what are you gonna do about it?’ questions Kelly Lee Owens pointedly on this rumbling, hissing electro experiment. More reminiscent of Jenny Hval-type rumination than the kind of indie rave house Lee Owens specialises in, this is nevertheless intoxicating stuff.
