JAMMO’S MUSIC REPORT No.010

Welcome back to another music report. The first one of the year, as it goes. Now, I’m sure you’ve been waiting with bated breath, so I’ll begin with an apology, I’m a little late to publish this month, my family and I caught covid and had a pretty rough time of it. It’s been a banging start to the year, truth be told, but I’m back! I’ve had a run, coughed a fair bit, and I’m ready with another rip-roaring rundown of my current top earworms. As the O’Jays said: “Music is the healing force of the World”.

Slagheap – Power Shower

I’m shamefully late to the party on Slagheap. Having only been introduced to them last month, after a recommendation from the Molten Retriever, I am now a massive fan and have been ragging 2019’s eponymous debut at least twice a day.

Their songs are pure energy, they give me life. It’s tough to pick a favourite, but Power Shower does end on the immortal line “I don’t need soap for my fanny, I’ll just use water thanks!” I may write about the whole album in the future…

Iggy Pop – The Endless Sea

Listening to this spaced-out synthy belter from ’79’s New Values, alone, in the middle of a storm, slap bang in the centre of Tempelhofer Feld, is definitely one of the most dramatic listening experiences I’ve had this last month. “Above us is a dirty sky, Full of youths and liquors, A little girl, a little guy, This air can’t get much thicker”.

Heavy Duty Dub – Harry Mudie vs King Tubby

This track has been on heavy rotation at ours recently. Hazy late-night dubbing from the master. Jazzed-out keys, dripping like honey over a loose and laid-back rhythm. The perfect salve for those long, sad, covid-kissed, January days.

A-Sides & NutE-1 – Tonight

I know, it feels like I just don’t write about rave related stuff anymore, and to be honest, with all the club closures and Instagram wanker DJ types I have become a bit apathetic toward most new releases that claim to be hardcore.

Now, I don’t want to trot out that “it’s not like it used to be” trope too often, but I will say this: if the peak of modern excellence is to create a track that uses all the same sounds, machines, samples and techniques as any hardcore release from ’94, then I’d really rather listen to something truly excellent from ’94, like this blissed-out banger from A-Sides and NutE-1.

New Age Doom w/Lee Scratch Perry – Life is An Experiment

Looking at New Age Doom’s Bandcamp page, I seem to have slept on the wax for this, not once, not twice, but three times! Opening with Life is An Experiment, Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Guide to the Universe is a true musical trip, through a muddied cosmic river of drone laced dub wisdom. Here’s hoping for a fourth press “If you don’t ask, you won’t get it, so ask for it”.

—/// Bonus Bits ///—

Film // Shiva Baby: I really enjoyed this film. A bisexual Jewish girl attends a Shiva at her parents’ request, unwittingly throwing herself into a comedic spiral of uncomfortable moments, involving her parents, her sugar daddy, his wife and her ex-girlfriend. The characters are excellent, and the whole thing is shot as if in real-time, mostly within the same setting.

Computer Game // Omno: I’m not much of a gamer, and a fantasy type even less so, but the kawaii aesthetic of this gorgeous single-player adventure grabbed my attention straight away. It’s a simple enough game to play, so it’s pretty much jammoproof.

As Omno, you adventure through a series of psychedelic landscapes, with your floating squirrel-like pal, solving very basic puzzles and following clues from a lost traveller. The sound and visual design are just beautiful. I want to leave this place and live in the omnoverse forever.

Achtung!!! All clips are cut to 1 minute, mega low bitrate. I do not own the rights to these recordings. If you see my shitty blog as a big risk to your gold medallions, jacuzzis and Ibiza beach houses, then contact me and I'll take it down!