News

Editor’s Picks: October

• 16th Oct 2014

This month has been jam-packed with so many releases that we’re overflowing into the editorial section as Glasswerk editor Jamie Otsa picks his favourites from the latest crop of albums and EP’s to flow into our inbox.

Moon Hooch – Eat Your Veggies (EP)

What can you say about Moon Hooch? They’re certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but with their artful merging of gypsy folk, jazz and electronica influences they were an easy pick for a stand-out release. In a never ending stream of generic records from the latest hype bands and homogenised genre-clichés they stuck out like a sore thumb; a deliciously weird, groove-driven, mind-bending thumb of epic proportions. This four track EP is utterly bonkers in the best possible way and delivers an injection of much needed identity, individuality and freeform expression into this week’s inbox. Duelling saxophones and blast-beat drumming from the Brooklyn trio fuse together in an organic and primal offering to the Pagan gods of music – dance now or forever hold your peace.

Eat Your Veggies is out now on Megaforce Records.

GoGo Penguin – v2.0 (album)

Lambasted by some as “the jazz choice” for this year’s Mercury Prize, GoGo Penguin are another trio with a jazz lilt – however, where they differ from Moon Hooch is in the tone and spirit of this phenomenal record. It’s rare to come across an act so deserving of the exposure offered by the Mercury, but we’re happy to say right now that GoGo Penguin not winning would be a travesty. This record oozes sophistication, intelligence and class with a musicianship that’s frankly jaw-dropping across the board. If you’re still feeling sceptical check out the jittering, Frankenstein’s monster of a stand-out track ‘Garden Dog Barbecue’ below; with a rising and falling tempo more often found in euphoric trance, Penguin bring a new dynamic to the old jazz formula. Has to be heard to be believed.

V2.0 is out now on Gondwana Records.

Kormac – Doorsteps (album)

This new one from Dublin producer Kormac is reminiscent of the all of the best parts of RJD2, Bonobo, DJ Food and DJ Yoda, which is probably why they’re all clamouring to hail him as One To Watch. In actual fact though, the music speaks for itself and is capable of standing alone without plaudits from his contemporaries – the dancehall twist of ‘Superhero’ is masterfully spliced with a knees-up ska beat, while elsewhere on ‘White Noise’ a downtown hip hop cut featuring Speech Debelle demonstrates an impressive diversity to the young newcomers range of style. Joined live by a ten-piece band, we’d be remiss to omit a mention of the dystopian urban undertones of the album; a struggle against modern life and the pace of change that marks Kormac out as a rare, intellectual force in the electronic world. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.

Doorsteps is released on Bodytonic Records on 20th October.

Wayward – Ugetsu (EP)

This Balearic tinged offering from DJ duo Wayward is a condensed collection of soulful, summery dance that leans towards the housier end of the spectrum; a subtle and diligently crafted mix of instrumental and vocals that transcend the usual pitfalls of a genre too often associated with throwaway releases. Wayward step out of their comfort zone repeatedly on this debut and throwing the kitchen sink into proceedings ultimately results in a refreshing and interesting record that’s piqued our interest as to the pair’s future.

Ugetsu is out now on Black Butter Records.

Restorations – LP3 (album)

Big, beefy bloody rock music – it’s back in fashion eh? Some people are doing it well, others are…well..not. Luckily for Restorations, they’re doing it very well indeed. The cunningly titled ‘LP3’ is their third release (obvs) and pulls in a staggering range of influences – a hint of Tom Waits in the gravelly vocal, a smattering of Gaslight Anthem, the heavier influence of cult heroes Hot Snakes. This is musician’s music through and through, meaning they may fall at the hurdle of mainstream success, but who cares when their dirgey head-nodders are this exapansive and melodic? Lovely stuff.

Resorations is released on Sideonedummy on 28th October.