Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Finding great new music can be difficult in today’s over-saturated cultural landscape. With a glut of new releases hitting the likes of Spotify every week, trying to sort through the crud to find something worthy of your time can seem overwhelming. Over the last few weeks I have spent countless hours doing just that to bring you the bona fide crème de la crème of what’s on offer. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world With Brexit looming ever closer, those of us who live in the UK are preparing ourselves for the worst. If the hard-line Brexiteers get their way we will be dragged back to the dark ages, but with worse hair, clothes and hygiene. And even though, as I write this, hundreds of thousands march in London, while a petition to revoke Article 50 has reached over four million signatures, there is a feeling of powerlessness upon the people, that we are being forced off a cliff no matter
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Now that we have moved to a monthly format I have had lots of time on my hands. Rather than trying to listen to numerous albums a day I have been able to take my time and get to know the nuances of some hand-picked gems. This month I will be dissecting some of the the best LPs to hit the shops so far this year. We have the haunted electronica of Pye Corner Audio, the emotion rich indie rock of Twilight Sad, the fuzz-filled psychedelica of
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Every so often a record will come along which makes you sit up and take notice. Right from the very first bars you know this is the one for you. One such 12” entered my life a few weeks ago in the form of Thought Crime, the sumptuous new EP by Red Pig Flower. Containing a generous helping of deep, melodic house, lush ambiance and smooth techno beats, each of the record’s four tracks are rich with personality and soul. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world With a cruel arctic chill threatening to overwhelm the country, it’s time for any sane person, or maybe just me, to consider giving up on the outside world and indulging in an extended duvet break. This week’s selection of albums will make the perfect soundtrack to cosying up in a home-made blanket fort with either your loved one or yourself. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Slam are a band who need no introduction. With a name inspired by a legendary Phuture track the DJ/production duo of Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle have, over the years, been responsible for some of the most vital techno and house to find its way to these ears. Their DJ sets in clubs such as Glasgow institutions Sub Club and The Arches have become the stuff of legend, while tracks like Positive Education, Stepback, Azure and Vapour are the highlight of any night spent on the dance
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world After a short break, were I sailed around the world in an inflatable dingy, taught myself seven different languages, wrote the next great Irish novel (again), and shut Mr. Trump up for a while by giving him a piece of very sticky gum, it’s back to the day job, namely writing music reviews. BY JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Every so often a record comes along which makes you stop what you are doing, prick up your ears, and pay rapt attention. One such album is the thoroughly excellent Truth by fast rising Polish producer MANOID. Out now on the always fresh Hafendisko imprint, Truth is a record which only needs a few moments to convince you that you and it are going to be good friends. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Thomas Ragsdale is an artist whose work bristles with personality and emotion. As anyone who has been won over by releases such as Bait, Dear Araucaria or Under Dwellers will attest, he is a rare breed of producer who creates music which disregards genres or easy pigeonholing. Atmospheric soundscapes, dub drenched nightmares, delicate melodies and more can be found within his meticulously crafted grooves. By JOHN BITTLES.
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Sometimes it feels like I am alone in thinking that house music should be sexy, sultry, and appeal to the heart and head as much as the feet. Recently I have become bored of clubs where you get accosted by drunken assholes, the dance floor is too jammed to permit the concept of personal space, while the night’s soundtrack is a limited palette of frantic, functional techno beats. Now, maybe it’s because I am getting a little older, but when I go out I want to hear
