• Monday Mixtape: Fixity

    November 1, 2021 - By 

    If you’ve not been following, Cork-based Dan Walsh is a fixture across many of Ireland’s most essential improvised and experimental music happenings. Be it on drums, sax, synth or otherwise, his work with – amongst others – Cork Improvised Music Company, The Bonk, Senior Infants, and not least his primary project, Fixity, speaks for itself. Fixity 7, his latest with the latter, came out last week, and continues to push forward his exploratory practice. Get a listen to some of the music that’s informed Walsh creatively over the years, from Johnny Keating and Ivor Cutler to The Hives and Teenage Jesus & The Jerks. Johnny Keating – Listen I…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – October 8th

    October 8, 2021 - By 

    As well as a plethora of great singles from the likes of Whozyerman?, Silverbacks, Rory Nellis, Wynona Bleach, Cabin and more, the week has featured new EP and album releases from the likes of Silverbacks, Elaine Mai, Shibashi and Rachel Mae Hannon. Whozyerman? – Why What Silverbacks – Archive Material Wynona Bleach – Aubergines Aubergines by Wynona Bleach Rory Nellis – Strange Behaviour Cabin – Dull Aonair – Think Twice (feat. Caoi de Barra) Shibashi – Shibashi EP Rachel Mae Hannon – Like It Is EP Odd Morris – Silhouette

  • Maija Sofia, Mhaol, Pretty Happy, Elaine Malone & More Set to Perform 30th Anniversary Tribute To Nirvana’s Nevermind

    September 21, 2021 - By 

    Friday, 24th September marks the 30th anniversary of one of the finest, most essential albums in recorded music history – Nirvana’s breakthrough album Nevermind. To mark the occasion, a selection of Irish acts from across the island have come together in celebration of its release and ongoing influence, each performing their own takes on track from the album in an event which will be live-streamed this Friday. The line-up, consisting of Maija Sofia, Havvk, Alien She, Cruiser, Laurie Shaw, Junk Drawer, Uaim, Aoife Wolf, Pretty Happy, Elaine Malone, Mob Wife and Mhaol will be a combination of videos performed and recorded in Dublin venues Sin É and…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – September 10th

    September 10, 2021 - By 

    As things look set to gradually open again, this week sees some key releases from the likes of Sive, Thumper, This Ship Argo, Elaine Mai & Sinéad White, Lisa Hannigan & Crash Ensemble, Let’s Set Sail, Vale, as well as the long-awaited collaborative album from Mick Flannery and Susan O’Neill. Mick Flannery & Susan O’Neill – In The Game This Ship Argo – The Ornament of the Lovestruck Heart The Ornament of the Lovestruck Heart by This Ship Argo Elaine Mai – Go Slow (feat. Sinéad White) Lisa Hannigan & Crash Ensemble – MCMXIV MCMXIV by Lisa Hannigan & Crash Ensemble…

  • The Model, Sligo’s Art For Blind Curatorial Residency Kicks Off With Arthur Itis and Tuath Show This Saturday

    September 8, 2021 - By 

    Sligo contemporary arts centre The Model is set to host a season of music and events curated by one of the finest imprints on the island, Sligo-based music and art collective, Art For Blind. The series – which will include music, film and printmaking – is part of the collective’s residency at The Model over 2021-2022. The first event is set to take place this Saturday, 11th September with two of the most forward-thinking acts in Ireland’s experimental underground. Making their debut in front of Sligo audiences are Cork-based, shapeshifting artist Arthur Itis, and Donegal-based establishment-bothering outfit Tuath, both of whom eschew easy genre classification. The experimental solo project of Arthur Pawsey, Arthur…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – August 6th

    August 6, 2021 - By 

    It’s time to take another deep-dive into a Bandcamp Friday and beyond with some phenomenal releases across the board, including big album, and EP announcements and releases from the likes of Arvo Party, F.R.U.I.T.Y., Sorbet, Hannah Peel, Alpha Chrome Yayo, smallmint, God Knows and beyond. Arvo Party – Cyclism Corpus I by Arvo Party F.R.U.I.T.Y. – F.R.U.I.T.Y. EP FRUITY by F.R.U.I.T.Y. Lukewarmdaily96 – Poison Apple Sorbet – Born Purple Let’s Set Sail – Toledo God Knows – Glory [feat. Senita] Teishi-1 – The Outlander EP The Outlander by Teishi-1 Hannah Peel – Unheard Delia EP 1000 Beasts x Toucan – Sugar High…

  • Stream: F.R.U.I.T.Y. – U.P.S.

    July 15, 2021 - By 

    Arriving on the Belfast scene like a bucket of pink paint into white, Dan O’Rawe, aka F.R.U.I.T.Y. brings a chameleonic, singular blend of woozy, lo-fi electronica, hip-hop and experimental pop, underscored by the ingrained localised perspective of a queer person in Northern Ireland. Following up on his contributions to Bangers N’ Breakups, a darkwave cover of ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’ and debut single ‘Not Quite Exceptional‘, new single ‘U.P.S.’ is the first single taken from F.R.U.I.T.Y.’s self-titled debut EP, out 5th August. It sees Tobacco & Eels-esque hazy, kaleidoscopic synth textures frame off-kilter, identity-exploring pop in the vein of Ezra Furman, Jazmin Bean…

  • Premiere: Arthur Itis – Ahead Of The Curve

    July 12, 2021 - By 

    Cork-based being Arthur Itis is back with more of his singular brand of esoteric, experimental bedroom-pop. Deconstructing any number of genres and effortlessly reanimating them in his own image in a lineage that traces lines through Beefheart, Devo, Ween and R Stevie Moore, he never fails to lean into the weirdness, even at his most accessible. Taken from his fifth LP, Occam’s Razor, earworming new single ‘Ahead of the Curve’ is no different, as Arthur’s character-inhabiting post-new wave gem marks his finest pop song yet. Set to feature appearances and contributions from Sam Clague, Altered Hours’ Cathal MacGabhann, Pretty Happy’s Abbey Blake, These Are Atoms’ Sara Leslie &…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – July 9th

    July 9, 2021 - By 

    It’s been yet another banner week for Irish music. Dig into the best new sounds of the past seven days below, featuring new sounds from Aoife Nessa Frances, Elephant, Loah, HAVVK, Invaderband, Ciaran Lavery, ZALI and more Jack Name & Aoife Nessa Frances – Watching the Willows Burn Watching the Willows Burn by Jack Name & Aoife Nessa Frances Invaderband – Handcuffed Man Shoots Himself Handcuffed Man Shoots Himself by Invaderband Elephant – Envy Loah – Your World (Georgia Douglas Johnson) Parnell March – Therapy HAVVK – Automatic Soda Blonde – Small Talk Small Talk by Soda Blonde NNic –…

  • Monday Mixtape: Meljoann

    July 5, 2021 - By 

    Having just released her self-directed video for 90s-pop bop ‘Overtime‘, Meljoann’s brand of experimental pop runs the gamut of classic and contemporary electronic pop. She takes us through some of her all-time favourites – in her own words: “I tried to make it not wanky, but unfortunately I failed and it’s actually 100% pure nerdy enthusiasm” Roger Doyle – The Iron Language Alphabet (Pt.1) Roger Doyle is a bit of a legend on the Irish experimental electronic scene. A friend had this sprawling, sci-fi inflected double album, and listening to it we were transported to another world. It took him ten years to complete.…