Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world A wise man once said that life is too short for introductions. So,this week JOHN BITTLES is going to skip the formalities and dives right in.
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world January and February are usually quiet months for new music. So it is with 2017! New Year hangovers and Christmas overspending means most artists keep their shiny new records under wraps until the daffodils start to bloom. For the discerning listener though, there are still enough quality new releases to be found to make a trip to the local record store worthwhile. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world An influential figure in the rise of acid house, Justin Robertson is a musician who always pushes boundaries. In doing so he can be relied upon to create music which constantly catches you by surprise. Justin Robertson’s Deadstock 33s is a relatively new alias which sees the British producer create a body of work full of twists, turns, and mesmerising grooves. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Don’t hate me for this, but I thought Lemonade by Beyonce was a bit shit! I know that most »taste makers« raved about it in their end of year Best Of lists, declaring it a work of Godlike genius. Yet, somehow, the overproduced pop on offer left me a little cold. Perhaps it’s just me, but the whims of a multi-millionaire pop star just didn’t resonate. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Now that the year 2016 has come to an end it is the perfect time to sit back and reflect on what has been and gone. While it is hard to do this without lingering on the horrors which dominated the headlines, (Brexit, the rise of Trump, the passing of Prince, Bowie, Cohen, etc), it is important to remember that great things did happen over the last twelve months. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world With the Christmas season upon us it seems apt to reflect on some of the great records which have recently entered our lives. While the fact that Clean Bandit have been Number 1 in the UK sinlges chart for what seems like years may have led you to give up entirely on the humble single, it’s important to remember that it can still be a creative outlet of note. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world With the world seemingly moving ever further away from the realms of plausibility, sometimes it is all you can do to keep from just giving up and burying your head in the sand. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Going by the number of overly cheery adverts on the telly I think it is safe to assume that Christmas is on the way. With everyone from family to friends willing to embrace this over-commercialized rubbish by demanding presents from yourself make the break from the slimy claw of capitalism this year by simply spending your hard-earned money on yourself. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world With fabulous new records by Lord Of The Isles, Makam, Roman Flügel, Michael Mayer, Gas, Loscil, Equip, Hollis Parker, and more to be reviewed I’m going to get straight to the grooves. By JOHN BITTLES
Music | Bittles’ Magazine: The music column from the end of the world Sometimes it can seem that buying singles has become a bit of a dying art! In the age of downloads, people seem to want throwaway songs to play on their iPhone rather than something they can actually touch and feel. Here in Belfast for instance the last place that would regularly get in new dance 12inches has given it up because there simply wasn’t the demand.By JOHN BITTLES