New Music Drops: April 2023

​New Music Drops is a monthly series on T&E where we share some of our favorite new releases from this year in rock, pop, metal, punk, hip-hop, and global music. In this April installment, you'll find some cyber-ambient Mandarin pop, industrial UK post-punk, death-infused grindcore, Italian cinema-inspired krautrock, and so much more. 

New Music Drops is published every Bandcamp Friday, so if you enjoy any of these tunes, be sure to support the artists directly via Bandcamp!

All picks aside from the first album below written by Parisa.

Pop/Rock/Etc.
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Melanie Martinez - Portals
Genre: Pop
Melanie Martinez returns with her first record in three years, and the third and final installment of the Crybaby trilogy. This character first showed up in her debut album, Crybaby, then moved through K-12, and finally, the character dies and continues into their afterlife in Portals. The album is a reflection of years learning about hypnosis and reading others experiences, as well as her own experiences. This record still embodies the energy and sound of Martinez’s music, while growing up with her. She enters a more spiritual side, as she wrote almost half the album in a room she called The Portal Room. When sitting in this room, she would connect with the spiritual realm, helping to guide her songwriting. In the opening song, “Death”, there is a deep vocal track repeating “Dead, dead, dead” that was inspired by a voice Martinez heard while singing in The Portal Room. “I heard a spirit with a completely different tone than mine repeat a melody I had sung out loud in the silence and it sent a chill down my body. I was really scared at first.” But she used that as a confirmation from the other side to continue on. Lyrically, sonically, and visually, this album is complex and intriguing. I highly recommend listening to this record from top to bottom the first few times, in order to really understand the story. Every track is great in its own way, but some of my favorites are “Void”, “Battle of the Larynx”, and “Evil”. “Evil” is especially fun, with its rock and roll intro and catchy hook. I feel like everyone knows a narcissistic person who can relate to this song. The entirety of the album confronts death, grief, and the afterlife. While this could be an incredibly heavy record, it's light and dancy, teaching us to accept that death is inevitable, and that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. - Chelsea Whitaker
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Xiu Xiu - Ignore Grief 
Genre: Experimental
My favorite album of the year thus far. A listen that truly disturbs me to my core, as Xiu Xiu’s music often does. As so aptly noted in the Bandcamp description, “What none of this record does and despite the oft repeated assertion, what Xiu Xiu has never done, is attempt to superficially shock the listener. Instead, Xiu Xiu has spent twenty years grappling with how to process, to be empathetic towards, to disobey and to reorganize horror; there is no other word for it other than horror.” Teetering between modern classical and industrial, the trio (with the addition of new drummer David Kendrick, who I may add is my favorite Xiu Xiu drummer to date) asks themselves if there is a way to emerge from severe grief and pain, not necessarily to have the question answered, but explored.
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slowthai - UGLY
Genre: Post-punk
The UK rapper embraces a whole new rock sound in his latest album UGLY, not entirely surprising considering his sonic evolution but absolutely pays off. Bringing the attitude of post-punk, the aggression and flow of UK grime, layered with synth-heavy production.The album really takes off in the second half for me, with “Tourniquet” perhaps being his best and most emotionally raw song to date. 
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Xiao Yun - Purple Garden
Genre: Mandarin pop
A rerelease of a hidden gem from the '90s cyber-ambient Mandarin scene, a blessing to have rediscovered and out in the world again. The arrangement and soundscapes evoke a sci-fi and fantasy feel, courtesy of “master of cuber-occult” producer Henry Kawahara, with Xiao Yun’s absolutely heavenly vocals adding another ethereal layer to this dreamy compilation. Something that feels so incredibly nostalgic of the 90s, and yet it’s so timeless. I’ve probably listened to “Purple Gardens” a hundred times since this was put out on Bandcamp this week.

Fever Ray - Radical Romantics
Genre: Experimental pop
A collage exploring the many facets of love, melding both the dreadful, vulnerable and dark roots of Fever Ray's debut album and the shiny, bouncy metallic synthpop melodies of their previous LP. What can I say aside from that Fever Ray is my favorite living artist? No current pop music challenges my understanding and relationship to sound the way Fever Ray does. It’s a thing of beauty. 
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Jackie Mendoza - Galaxia de Emociones
Genre: Electropop, Latin pop
The debut LP from Tijuana-based artist Jackie Mendoza, melding  electronica, Latin pop and indie. There are quite a few duds on here, but the songs that hit work really well and show promise for a consistent follow-up. The opening track, “Natural”, is definitely my favorite single from the past month - gives me like, cool alien girl house party.
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​Genevieve Artadi - Forever Forever
Genre: Avant-pop, jazz fusion
A lo-fi, jazzy pop album just released on Brainfeeder, featuring the dreamy vocals of Genevieve Artadi with jazz stylings courtesy of Thundercat. Wears strong influences of Stereolab, Talking Heads, Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, etc. Great fusion and even better basslines.
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Black Country, New Road - Live at Bush Hall
Genre: Indie
Following the massive success of their previous LP and departure of lead singer and songwriter, Isaac Wood, the remaining members of Black Country, New Road decided to tour and play all unreleased material. This is less a standard live album but more a complete reinvention of the band, and an incredibly beautiful one at that.  Tender songwriting, sweeping and soaring melodies, huge orchestral arrangements; a sound that’s bigger than life yet feels like it’s being sung directly to you. “Turbine/Pigs” is a stand out, and I absolutely wept when they I saw them play it opening for black midi. For fans of Neutral Milk Hotel and other melodramatic indie bands with quirky instrumentation
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Heartworms - A Comforting Notion EP
Genre: Post-punk
An instant favorite new band, and an EP that will absolutely be on my year end list. All hits no misses on this short four-track debut release that dabbles in goth, post-rock, post-punk, industrial and trip hop with a distinctly UK sound.  Produced by Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Slowthai, Fontaines D.C.), the melodramatic mood of this EP gives impressions of The Cure, Siouxsie, Portishead but with the industrial intensity of Nine Inch Nails. 
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Rosalia & Rauw Alejandro - RR EP
Genre: Reggaeton, Latin pop
We all know and love Rosalia already so not much else to say aside from the fact that this collaboration with her now-fiancee is just as solid  as you’d think. Collaboration without compromise, highlighting each other’s style and bringing the best out in each other - Rauw bringing the hot reggaeton energy and Rosalia bringing her industrial-like experimentation and always flawless vocals. 
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Punk and Metal
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Fonsadera & Biological Warfare - Another Way of Expressing the Violence
Genre: Black metal
A rad split between two raw black metal bands, one from Mexico City and the other from Japan. The kind of black metal vocals that sound like a moaning banshee that’s luring you but from like… eight miles away. Topped off with an ambient, dark synth album closer that’s reminiscent of early Norwegian black/ambient projects
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Heretic Plague - Context Is A Stumbling Corpse
Genre: Death metal, grind
Just released today! The debut release from UK death-infused grind group Heretic Plague, showing what horrors exist when grind songs last longer than 30 seconds. For fans of Pig Destroyer and Nasum
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Blood of Melancholy - Disguised as Hope
Genre: Black metal
Some extremely lo-fi bedroom black metal from Mexico City. Honestly this shit sucks but that’s why I kinda love it. Totally detuned, off key, sloppy songwriting, and even for black metal the recording quality is just total garbage, but for the “terminally online” people as myself, you’ll probably find comfort in that. In the way that sometimes you put on The Shags and you don’t know why but for some reason it just feels good, you know? Just putting this out there in case anyone relates lol (shout out to Battleflutes and Sideways Skulls radio show for this one)

REZN - Solace
Genre: Drone, heavy psych
Super heady psychedelic drone music that ebbs between pure doom metal to heavy shoegaze. The opening track, “Allured by Feverish Visions”  is the stand out for me - a simple guitar melody backed by a repetitive bass drone, slowly built up with flute, piano and modular synth accompaniment into a colossal wall of sound. For fans of Let Us Pray-era Electric Wizard and Windhand
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Ulthar - Anthronomicon
Genre: Blackened death
Absolutely masterful blackened death with strong tech death-based songwriting. As stated so eloquently in the release “ULTHAR baffles with angular warped riffage, dipping in and out of various dimensional spheres. Off-kilter multi-directional turns veer swiftly and violently as though about to come apart at the seams only to reshape again and again into ever more monumental forms.” Favorite metal release of the year thus far.
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The Heartbeeps - Cum Together
Genre: Garage punk
The kind of sleazy, scuzzy crunched out ‘60s-esque garage punk sounds we’ve come to expect and love from a Slovenly Recordings release. It’s all about the attitude, man. 
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Son Rompe Pera - Chimborazo
Genre: Cumbia 
Cumbia is the new PUNX! Nine covers of traditional Colombian and Peruvian cumbia tracks (including a cover of my favorite cumbia artist, Ranil) but with more raw vocals and even faster style of delivery. Not completely uprooting traditions nor doing it for the sake of a gimmick, this album is a fun modern exploration of roots music. I hope to see the group lean even more heavily on the punk sound for future releases like they do on the tracks "Chucha" and "Cumbia is the New Punk"

Electronic
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El-B & Om Unit - Far Gone
Genre: UK garage
Repetitive, dark UK garage with atmospheric drum ‘n bass overtones and hints of footwork. Perfect for a sinister night out with your mates, innit? 
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Django Django - Off Planet Part 2 EP
Genre: Techno, neo-psychedelia
British quintet Django Django released part two of the four part Off Plant series, with each installment representing a separate “planet” of music. I mentioned Part 1 in the last New Music Drops blog, and while I dug that one more, Part 2 has its own highlights. “Squid Inc.” stands as the highlight track, giving the mushroom jazz feel a la Mark Farina with the liquidy bass lines, heady synth vibes, and a shreddin’ flute improvisation.
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Algae & Tentacles - The Mouth is a Resonant Field
Genre: Noise
A recontextualization of American folk music through electro-acoustic improvisations, combining spoken word poetry and digital sound art with harsh noise. Each of these two 22-minute tracks are so densely and intricately textured, yet find themselves balanced in a minimal space to allow for deep contemplation. Lots of unexpected turns and shifts in mood for an overall very dynamic piece that keeps you fully engaged throughout.
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Trees Speak - Mind Maze
Genre: Krautrock
Another phenomenal release from the Tucson-based modular synth duo Trees Speak. An album that doesn’t really fall into one genre (though it does keep electronica at the forefront), rather  shows influences of Krautrock, '60s Italian film scores, free jazz, psychedelic rock, drone, New York-style post punk, and musique concrete. An intergalactic space journey for the ages!
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Glacier.WAV - “Thirty Four”
Genre: Synthwave
A song from the 2021 debut release from Tucson-based synthwave trio, but just dropped this visually striking new music video this week. Giving some strong '80s vaporwave aesthetics but with more warmth, heart and soul - all which mirrors the tenderness and vulnerability that Glacier.WAV incorporates into their vibrant, polished synthpop sound. Beautiful work sonically and visually.

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IAMDDB - “Where Did The Love Go?”
Genre: Drum ‘n bass, neo-soul
My favorite contemporary R&B singer is back with a new single that shows a total transformation of her persona. As she mentions in this self-interview video, her upcoming Vol 6. LP is a reflection of her newly found independence and maturity as an artist, and this ultra ~vibey~ atmospheric drum ‘n bass is a great teaser of what to expect. A song about silencing the ego, and a reminder that “the best form of revenge is to love yourself.” My only complaint is that the production masks her natural vocal ability a little too much, but regardless it’s a solid, catchy lil trance tune. 

Hip-hop and R&B
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B. Cool-Aid - Leather Blvd.
Genre: Alternative R&B, neo-soul
A smooth, soulful release from duo B. Cool-Aid (feat. vocalist Pink Siifu and producer Ahwlee) with an absolutely stacked ensemble of guest collaborators, including Quelle Chris, Butcher Brown, Jimetta Rose, and so many more. Despite the dozens of contributors, it doesn’t feel crowded, but more than everyone came together to share their own piece to what Ahwlee describes as “the whole spectrum of Blackness”
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Decuma - let’s play pretend!
Genre: Rap, spoken word
Existential poetry expressed through themes of youth, backed by minimal compositions that traverse through classical, industrial and harsh noise. A short but heavy listen that confronts trauma and grief directly, leaving no heavy bass or beats for the listen to hide behind.
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Pete & Bas - “Quick 1-2”
Genre: UK hip hop
I know I keep dropping every Pete & Bas single that comes out in the New Music Drops series, but these boys never miss. Fire production from 91shots, and once again Bas shows that he’s the best out there in the drill scene when it comes to wordplay and flow. The way he uses anadiplosis to carry the rhymes through on the last verse is honestly mind blowing. ("I'ma block them calls/Call cleaners when a job gets done/Done a man in, did him in, got spun/Spin that wheel, foot down on the pedal/Pedalling gear, ship that by the tonne/"Tunbridge Wells for the house in cunch"  ...i mean c'mon)

Global
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Naujawanan Baidar - Khedmat Be Khalq
Genre: Afghan folk, experimental
While technically not a “new’ release because it came out in 2022, I’m including it in the list ‘cause it only just got a physical release for the first time this week - so now is a good time as ever to check out this incredible experimental release from Eindhoven-based Afghani multi-instrumentalist and producer, Naujawanan Baidar. Recreating traditional street music with heavy distortion and a blown out sound complimented by a lyrical emphasis on anti-imperialism. For fans of Throbbing Gristle, Amon Düül, Faust, Muslimgauze, etc.
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King Ayisoba - Work Hard
Genre: Ghanaian music, pop
A shamanic performer, kologo player, singer and experimental performer from Northern Ghana creating a high energy pop record infused with Frafra traditions. Frenetic, unexpected, and of my most listened to records of the year so far. Favorite track: “People Talk Too Much”
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The Good Samaritans - No Food Without Taste If By Hunger
Genre: Edo funk
 From the Benin City of Nigera, the Edo Funk scene integrated the native Edo culture with sounds from the West African night clubs.This stellar new re-release from Analog Africa recovers this extremely rare edo funk album from The Good Samaritans, which until now only had a small private pressing. Grooves that will dominate a dancefloor *chefs kiss*


I also shared dozens of new global releases here on T&E on the Global Rhythm Radio show! Select the “DJ Mix” or “Global” tab on the right sidebar to find the episodes. New episodes every month. - Parisa

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