Natural Music #8: June 2024 Standouts
Some standout Albums, EPs, Comps, Singles, and Mixes from June 🌀
Welcome to all of my new subscribers, I’ve cracked 100 subs now and while a small milestone it still brings me happiness.
My goal here is to share tunes that stand out among the rest for one reason or another. The hours of digging and contemplation are too numerous to count but it’s all worth it if I’m bringing new music into ppl’s lives.
Live music is one of the reasons I chose to move to NYC but it’s a challenge to keep up with what’s happening. If you’re looking for concerts this summer in the city make sure to give the last newsletter a read below.
I’ll probably post some footage from the first three featured shows that happened last week on Instagram but I’ll just say that Naima, Horse Lords, Leya, Mei Semones, and Chanel Beads absolutely delivered.
For those receiving this in your inbox I recommend clicking the title or the ‘Read in App’ to view this article where you’ll be able to just press play and listen to the embedded music while you read. Alternatively, if you’re just here for the tunes you can head over to Buy Music Club to listen to everything featured all in one place.
Support Natural Music 🙏
Pledge your support for the price of a coffee
Forward this on to a friend who’s into good music
Missed an issue? Check out the archive here
Albums
Anastasia Coope - Darning Women [Jagjaguwar]
An album of heady, forward thinking pop music that might be described as freak folk by some. It’s sparse and quant at times but full of pleasantly unusual earworms with melodies that float around a room like on “What Doesn’t Work What Does” and “Woke Up With No Feet”.
Catch her live at Baby’s All Right on August 1st alongside Kevin Krauter and Pleasure Systems.
2K88 - SHAME [Unsound]
2K88's debut album “SHAME” is a sonic tapestry that fuses classic Polish rap samples with innovative soundscapes, blending ambient textures, dub basslines, and frenetic jungle beats. The album reflects on Poland's post-communist cultural evolution while pushing the boundaries of the country's vibrant hybrid club scene, creating a forward-thinking sound that acknowledges the past without succumbing to nostalgia.
GB - Gusse Music [Posh Isolation]
GB's debut album is a collaged symphony of experimental music with a pop sensibilities where tracks bleed into each other, like videos in a feed, momentarily grabbing the listener's attention only to be forgotten again shortly after. Its makeshift compositions offer a 33-minute textural plunge into the melancholy of the infinite with lofi vocal delivery reminiscent of dean Blunt and instrumental flourishes sure to please fans of Tirzah or Vegyn.
Emma DJ - Lay2g
Lay2g is a frenetic, genre-defying album that blends elements of blog house, EDM, donk, and hyperpop with nods to new wave and industrial music, a sonic landscape that's both nostalgic and futuristic. The Paris-based producer masterfully balances destructive rhythms with emotional melodies, offering a punk-inspired approach to contemporary dance music,
Catch Emma DJ this summer on Fri, Aug 9 at MomaPS1 Warm Up alongside Ash Lauryn and Juliana Huxtable’s new band Tongue in the Mind.
Sacre - Orchestration of My Joy
I'm picking up on a pattern in this month's picks. Pretty much all these albums play with the idea of collage, disregarding genre boundaries and tossing lots of ideas into a mix.
Sacre’s album here sounds like “like re-glued fragments, like a broken mirror that was re-composed but with layers this time. It sounds like regeneration and hope, but also like defeated batteries and burnout.”
This is slightly haunted headphone listening music for fans of Actress, Space Afrika, and the likes. It’s a thrilling swirl of lush breaks, beautiful piano bits, and heady textures which at moments (like on ‘substitutes’) is complemented by subterranean drum and bass.
SLIKBACK - s/t
SLIKBACK has been dropping pay-what-you-want insanity for years now (this included).
Finally on offer here are some of the best previously released tracks (from 2021 - 2023) pressed onto a single definitive SLIKBACK album ranging from banging trap, gnarled electronics, heady ambience, and more. In his own words “going in different directions sonically but always staying connected to my emotions”.
Martha Skye Murphy: Um [AD 93]
Martha Skye Murphy's debut album "Um" is a stunningly original and diverse work of art pop that showcases her ethereal vocals set against meticulously crafted soundscapes that range from intimate ASMR to expansive synth architecture, blending influences from baroque pop to ambient experimentation. Think Slauson Malone meets Kate Bush.
Dylan Henner - performs Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds for Baby
Dylan Henner reinterprets a selection of Raymond Scott’s iconic work originally released in 1962. The “the ineffable beauty and warm gentleness” at times reminiscent of SeeFeel or Aphex Twin’s ambient excursions is sure to please any resting baby or adult looking for an emotional reset.
Other Noteworthy Albums
Black Decelerant, Contour & Omari Jazz - Reflections Vol. 2: Black Decelerant
Iceboy Violet, Nueen - You Said You'd Hold My Hand Through The Fire
Skee Mask - Resort [Ilian Tape]
Fine - Rocky Top Ballads [Escho]
Tashi Wada - What Is Not Strange? [Rvng Intl.]
Actress - Statik [Smalltown Supersound]
Been Stellar - Scream From New York, NY
Charli XCX - Brat [Atlantic]
EPs
Joey - Ten Sixty [Elicit Records]
A masterful blend of innovative soundscapes, complex textures and trippy, percussive madness from the rising NYC-based artist on Kessler’s newish label.
El Blanco Nino - Echoes in the Stu 2
The sequel to Echoes in The Stu exploring more ambient club.
Drumskull - Champion Sound
Nasty sub riddims, proper bass bin rattling jungle
Less-O - Cri du Cœur [TemeT]
In recent years Simo Cell’s label TEMƎT Music has cemented itself as an impressive hub for cutting-edge bass music. Simo’s young brother Maxime makes music as Less-O and his mini album, Cri Du Cœur, is bursting at the seams with fresh ideas as he traverses high definition, percussive, rolling club music across various tempos. The title track in particular is a standout.
COIDO - Traces [YUKU]
An album that could be played at both fabric london and tresor berlin to equal effect. Coido merges post-dubstep and broken techno brilliianly, YUKU isn’t missing lately.
DIVPRO - TWIST001
NYC’s Twist crew inaugurates their new imprint with an EP from Texan DivPro and London MC Renz showcasing a dynamic fusion of UK bass music styles, blending elements of 2-step, grime, dubstep, and garage across its tracks, featuring sharp drum work and heavy basslines.
Daisy Moon - System Creak [Peach Discs]
Daisy Moon delivers playful, proggy, and sparkly dance music perfectly tuned for the summer featuring uplifting synth lines, field recordings, and submerged vocal chops, all mixed with vibrancy and dynamism for maximum vitality.
Ma Sha, Sobolik - Slipstreaming
Taking cues from each other’s unfinished projects and bouncing ideas back and forth, the pair serve up the fastest EP the label has released to date.
Compilations
A superb compilation from Obligated, bridging the gap between genres like techno, baile funk, dembow & 140 featuring tracks from Skee Mask, Bluetoof, Sister Zo, Swimful, Jossy Mitsu, and more.
A stunning variation of tunes with a wiiide sonical pallete and diverse naratives and approach from some of the freshest name in the electronic experimental field.
Usually riding the line between dubstep, bass, DnB and at times bearing tastefully towards the wookish tear-out zone. Who knew crazy such music was coming out of Minnesota courtesy of Renraku
Pay what you want (!!)
The fifth compilation pushing Early Reflex's mission to propel leftfield techno and experimental club music into uncharted territory featuring Ma Sha, No Sir, ZULI, Young Muscle, Ziyiz and more.
Mixes
An ongoing lists of my favorite mixes and sets from the year can be found here but these are a few that particularly caught my attention this month.
An incredible mix from Ophélie live from Floorless Festival, this would have been so much fun on the dancefloor. Often holding onto tight subby loops for a long time in what sounds like dexterous 3-4 deck masterclass.
ani/live just rarely misses and sustain release pool party always hits.
I highly recommended a college friend to attend this all night session at Sameheads in Berlin and her review was simple “Nona gigsta is funny as fuck, and she has raaaannnngggggeee”
Eva Loveless on the first hour with lots of dubstep and Drummy b2b Sobolik in the second hour for some signature kindergarten chaos.
I finally published my set from my party, Polarity, at Bossa Nova Civic Club. I was hoping to use it for a mix series but I need more mixes up, so enjoy this closing set of slow rolling sub bass and dub. Ronan also posted his set from the party here.
Singles
Some standout tracks from the month of June.
If you enjoyed this newsletter I’d really appreciate if you shared it with a friend or two.
Playlists
NYC Concert List (Next 6 Weeks)
For a full list through the end of the year click here.
Thu, Jul 11 - Cassandra Jenkins @ Public Records
Sat, Jul 13 - Mabe Fratti @ Public Records
Sat, Jul 13 - MIKE'S YOUNG WORLD IV: EARL SWEATSHIRT / STACY EPPS / MYAAP / SIDESHOW / MIKE @Von King Park [Free]
Tue, Jul 16 - Snooper @ Elsewhere
Wed, Jul 17 - Hurray for the Riff Raff @ National Sawdust
Wed, Jul 17 - Cola @ Bowery Ballroom
Thu, Jul 18 - Ben Howard / John Francis Flynn @ Central Park Summer Stage
Thu, Jul 18 - Arushi Jain, Contour, Daytona 500 @ Nowadays
Fri, Jul 19 - MomaPS1 Warm Up: Nick León b2b DJ Python | Safety Trance | Lolina | FITNESSS
Mon, Jul 22 - Hana Vu @ Bowery Ballroom
Tue, Jul 23 - Margaux (Album Release Party @Union Pool
Wed, Jul 24 - Medhane + Kahlil Blu @ Public Records
Thu, Jul 25 - Model/Actriz & Water From Your Eyes @a boat leaving from pier 36
Tue, Jul 30 - Lianne La Havas @ Webster Hall
Thu, Aug 1 - Kevin Krauter, Anastasia Coope, Pleasure Systems, Chanel Beads (DJ) @Baby's All Right
Thu, Aug 1 - Bent Knee @Brooklyn Made
Sat, Aug 3 - The Body & Dis Fig w/ Cel Genesis @ Le Poisson Rouge
Sat, Aug 3 - Drugdealer @ Bowery Ballroom
Wed, Aug 7 - DIIV @ Brooklyn Paramount
Fri, Aug 9 - Tirzah, Loraine James, Purelink @ Knockdown Center
Fri, Aug 9 - MomaPS1 Warm Up: Emma dj | Ash Lauryn| Tongue in the Mind
Sat, Aug 10 - Juan Wauters @ Bowery Ballroom
Sat, Aug 10 - CCL (open to close) / Sister Zo + x3butterfly @ Public Records
Mon, Aug 12 - WILD NOTHING, PEEL DREAM MAGAZINE @ Elsewhere
Fri, Aug 16 - Helado Negro @Knockdown Center Ruins
Sat, Aug 17 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard @ Forest Hills Stadium
Sun, Aug 18 - Big Brave @TV Eye
Aug 21-27 - Jeff Rosenstock @Warsaw
Fri, Aug 23 - Pure Bathing Culture @ Union Pool
Mon, Aug 26 & Tue, Aug 27 - Childish Gambino, WILLOW @ Barclays Center
Thx for reading and listening and sharing 🫶🏻
- Aleksander