Dinosaur and Alarmist performed a double headline gig at the Black Box in Belfast, closing the Brilliant Corners Jazz festival on Saturday night. Photos by Alan Maguire.
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Wyvern Lingo live at the Roisin Dubh in Galway with support from Pa Reidy. Photos by Sean McCormack.
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Life, according to some philosophers, is a maze. A daily chore of blindly feeling your way around corridors, of searching in vain, of following the breadcrumb trail that previous wayfarers have left that may or not lead to the exit. It can be frustrating, enchanting but ultimately rewarding. The sight of the rising light glimmering through the portal that beckons you to freedom is quite beautiful. Many videogames, which are not as separate from the real world as we would like to think, are built around mazes. All of the Zelda games, for example, feature central character link exploring maze-like…
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Reminiscent in different ways to El Ten Eleven, Axis Of and the elated instrumentalism of And So I Watch You From Afar, ‘Matty Rusko’ by Galway four-piece Race The Flux is the kind of prog and latter-day post-rock-leaning track we’re more than happy to wrap our ears around time and time again. Going at least one step further than some of their peers in said realm, the single is a masterstroke in sidetracking exhausted tropes of the genre, blossoming from purposeful instrumentalism to a single-minded, fist-clenched conclusion. Going one further: it’s right up there with the best Irish tracks released this year. Race The Flux play Dublin’s…
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Previously known as Deadman, Belfast producer Jason Mills AKA Deadman’s Ghost comfortably established himself as one of the country’s most ambitious and idiosyncratic musicians with his debut LP, The Broken Zoetrope. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Beck and David Holmes, it tapped into a magnificent mid-point between expansive post-rock terrain and exquisite electronic soundscapes. Very much a return worth waiting for, his new track ‘Insula’ instantly lured us to a realm in which Beak> and Tortoise got together to jam ‘All I Need’ by Radiohead. The result was delightful.
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It’s safe to say 17-year-old Dubliner Sam Ojo is a hip-hop artist with confidence and flow beyond years. Produced by Ignorvnce, his new single ‘So Pro’ is, in spite of being under two minutes in length, a heady, intent-drenched throwdown that doubles as something of a statement of intent from the hugely-promising wordsmith. The latest release as part of the new-fangled Word Up Collective – also featuring the likes of Damola, Katie Laffan, Anti-One and Stay Gold – watch the video for the track, directed by Steven BeatSmith, below.
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“Quite a touching song in its sheer bare-boned simplicity and sound. Great track – potentially brilliant artist.” So your writer scribed three years ago this June in reference to an early version of ‘There’s a Wolf’ by Co. Armagh’s Conchúr White AKA Silences. Having came on many leaps and bounds since that tentative first foray in 2013, White and his band have released a reworking of the track, revealing deft harmonies, wonderfully subtle pockets of sound and fleshed-out, full-band instrumentation that more than justifies the revamp. Silences’ forthcoming EP Luna will be released on April 15 will be released on April 15.
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Antoin Lindsay and Aidan Hanratty return for their latest look at the very best electronic gigs, tracks and mixes of the week. Gigs Shivers with Pender Street Steppers at Electric Garden & Theatre, Galway Friday 11 March Shivers is a new party happening in Galway, and they’ve got a treat for their first gig. You might know Pender Street Steppers from their releases for Peoples Potential Unlimited or Mood Hut, or maybe the mixtape they dropped for the latter label a few years back. They’re real party DJs, so it’s sure to be a brilliantly fun night. Best wishes and good luck…
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The Coral have always been outsiders. Springing up in 2002, this young and fully formed six-piece dazzled listeners with Captain Beefheart-esque psychedelia, pop hooks and classic songwriting. At the time, the NME led New Rock Revolution was in full swing and aside from The Zutons, they seemed completely out of step with the predominantly garage rock bands they were sharing column inches with. Producing outstanding albums as a frenetic pace –their first two albums in particular still sound spectacular—could not last and the past few years have been one of contemplation and regrouping for the band. Losing the outrageously talented Bill Ryder-Jones and original guitarist Lee Southall…
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Following on from Little Green Cars’ stunning debut LP Absolute Zero was always going to be a challenge. The album, which was released in 2013, was a culmination of a young band’s determined and remarkably capable work up to that point. It was rife with brittle, anxious lyrics, ambitious yet subtle musicianship and stunning vocal harmonies, and was at times almost like listening to someone speak when their nerves have lead to a jarringly frantic output. Everything they had to give was thrown at us to ensure something stuck. And it did. Thankfully, there was scarcely a note on that…