reviews

Musical togetherness must have been at the forefront of the label's mind when they gave Caterina Barbieri and the illustrious Eleh a split EP.

This is some release. Lemna (Japan's Maiko Okimoto) makes her debut on Horo. Her sounds betray an eternity of hard work. Deep and wrought. The rhythm controlled. Embracing the darkness.

Brought up on an overflowing diet of jazz records, Spain's JASSS emerges years later as an elusive experimental electronica producer, delivering an immensely impressive debut out of nowhere with 'Weightless'.

After a quick visit to Honest Jon's, Laurel Halo swings again at London's Hyperdub. It's a slow, mainly vocal based swing. A bit like she did on her debut 'Quarantine'. As if there were conditions attached to her return. 'You will sing again.'

Rembo' is reminiscent of 'Rambo'. Fight and win. Sweat and punch. Karen Gwyer has her own duel in her songs. Meandering versus techno beats. Swooning versus overpowering. It's a tight battle in which Karen Gwyer, against her habit, limits the length of her tracks to gripping lengths.

‘They are so good, sir’. The youth. Political consciousness was in the background and nobody seemed to want to combine music with a message anymore. That seems to be changing. Politically conscious musicians surround themselves with like-minded people in shovel-kicking collectives.