New Music Drops: April 2026

​New Music Drops is a bi-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. For the second installment of the year, you'll find a whopping 58 recommendations covering everything from ethereal shoegaze to filthy goregrind, happy hardcore to dystopian hip hop,  neoclassical global grooves to experimental avant-garde, and beyond!

New Music Drops is posted on Bandcamp Friday, where all sales go directly to the artists. All selections this month from Parisa
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Pop & Rock
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Mute Swan - Only Ever
Genre: Shoegaze
For sure going to be one of my year-end contenders, and not just because it’s a local Tucson release fronted by my buddy Mike (who co-hosts The Melody Feed podcast on T&E!) It’s a no-skips album that conjures up the dreamiest of dream pop melodies, the type of melancholic shoegaze that teeters between ethereal bliss and somber nostalgia. I can’t say enough great things about this release, and about our dear friend Thomas Sloane, the guitarist on this album who passed away before this was released. We love you, Thom. Will think of you every time I hear this.
Favorite song: “Phantasms of the Living”
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Twisted Teens - Blame the Clown
Genre: Garage rock
This one has been on heavy rotation for me and all my record store coworkers. New Orleans-based garage rock with some twangy steel guitar, for fans of Oblivians and crudely recorded blues rock that kinda bums you out in a cool way
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Xiu Xiu - Xiu Mutha Fucking Xiu: Vol. 1
Genre: Experimental
A whole Xiu Xiu cover album!!! An absolutely incredible lineup of songs, covering everything from Talking Heads to Throbbing Gristle to GloRilla to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, all done in a frenetic and freakish way that only can be produced by this duo. Any band that covers “Sex Dwarf” by Soft Cell is ace in my books
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Scattered Purgatory - Post-Purgatory
Genre: Krautrock, drone
Really surprising and unique new turn from Scattered Purgatory, a Taiwanese drone group that draws influence from krautrock, experimental electronic music, psychedelic folk, and Taiwanese music culture. As if those weren’t enough genre influences to list, this album goes into some trip hop and Mandopop territory. It’s a lot -- sometimes I think maybe even too much -- but it’s exciting and cohesion is kinda overrated anyway, haha. 
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Ak’chamel, The Giver of Illness - Spiritually Unemployed
Genre: Psychedelic, experimental
Been so eagerly awaiting a new release from this freaky ass ensemble of psychedelic folk musicians, and this album does not disappoint. A bizarre clashing of global instrumentation, ritualism, distortion, lo-fidelity, and improvisational chaos. Broken ouds and hurdy-gurdies and self-made instruments were recorded on vintage cassette decks and reel-to-reel units powered through dying generators that randomly dropped voltage and dropouts and speed fluctuations, giving it this weird and haunted quality. For fans of Sun City Girls, Amon Düül

Dagmar Zuniga - in filth your mystery is kingdom / far smile peasant in yellow music
Genre: Indie
If you enjoy really lofi, minimal, delicate, soft, ghostly folk music that’s submerged in tape hiss and borderlines on outsider music, then you will greatly appreciate this record. I’m not generally a big listener of lofi indie bedroom folk, but it has a strangely psychedelic quality to it that really resonates with me
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Magick Knives - S/T
Genre: Goth
Another great release from Tucson, the feature debut from gothy post-punk/darkwave four-piece group Magick Knives. Hypnotic and cinematic grooves laden with influences of the Sonoran Desert and occultic themes
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Ohkami No Jikan - Black Tape II
Genre: Psychedelic rock
A reissue of a rare demo tape from the 1990’s Tokyo underground scene. Heavy, early-Sabbath drone type worship that morphs into shredding psychedelic jams. For fans of Kikagaku Moyo but it’s more fuzzed out, noisy, raw and heavy 
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Pan-American - Fly the Ocean in a Silver Plane
Genre: Post-rock, ambient
A conceptual album about travel - from one shore to another, but largely a metaphor for traveling the ages of life. An introspective mood carried by collages of different instruments, textures, samples, all drifting past you like a hazy nostalgic memory. This album is so, so beautiful. 
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Maria BC - Marathon
Genre: Ambient folk
Beautiful and dreary singer-songwriter music from San Francisco, for fans of similarly experimental and dark folk sounds a la Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle, and Midwife. 
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José González - Against the Dying of the Light 
Genre: Indie
A beautiful, lush and pensive album from one of my favorite living singer-songwriters. A continuation of his signature blend of folk music and Brazilian influence with nylon string guitar, and singing in English, Spanish and Swedish. My favorite album from him since 2015’s Vestiges and Claws. Favorite songs: “Gymnasten” and “A Perfect Storm”
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Hannah Peel & Beibei Wang - “Awaken the Insects”
Genre: Art pop
Full album isn’t out until May so I’ll save the review blurb for then, but just had to share this for now and say it’s undoubtedly my favorite single of the year so far. 

Electronic 
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Fever Ray - The Year of the Radical Romantics
Genre: Electropop
A live compilation album from Fever Ray, featuring recordings from the 2023 There’s No Place I’d Rather Be Tour. While I’d much rather just watch the live concert, I’m so thrilled to finally have the pure ecstatic techno remix of “I’m Not Done” that was previously only done as a live version.
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Nullsleep - Boundary
Genre: Hardcore, breakbeat
From a local Tucson producer comes this incredibly slick and colorful blending of IDM, jungle, acid house, and footwork. An ode and celebration of the underground hardcore rave styles. Got to see the EP release show and it firmly planted this as my favorite electronic release of the year so far
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Fcukers - Ö
Genre: House
Y2K-era influenced club music laden with lots of UK garage beats. Super bouncy, metallic, upbeat, and sassy as hell. Got a couple of more straightforward pop songs on there too, but they really hit their stride on songs like “Play Me”
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Radwan Ghazi Moumneh & Frédéric D. Oberland - Eternal Life No End
Genre: Experimental
A two-year process collaboration between Jerusalem In My Heart’s Radwan Ghazi Moumneh and multi-instrumentalist Frédéric D. Oberland that serves as a proclamation of transfigured reality and the injustices of the SWANA regions. Hypnotic, trance-inducing percussive melodies, heavily synthesized overdubs, modified electric rababas, and other experimental instrumental transformations carry the backbone, while Radwan’s voice and Arabic poetry pull together the emotional weight of it all 
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Mandy, Indiana - URGH
Genre: Industrial
Mandy, Indiana has been one of my favorite contemporary bands from the past decade, and this album reminds me exactly why that is. It pleases me to no end that as they gain more and more popular attention, they manage to get even more experimental and noisy. I don’t have the know-how to summarize this album in a little blurb (there are endless in-depth reviews of this album online), but alls I really gotta say is this is an album of the year contender and anyone who likes aggressive, industrial, experimental and noisy electronic music will love this 
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Sawteeth - S/T
Genre: Jungle
Jungle, IDM, techno and happy hardcore coming from an independent producer in Seoul. I'm sure I could conjure up a more elaborate and sophisticated way to describe this album but what I really got to say is GODDAMN does this SLAP!!! Absolutely no skips, old school raver vibes all the way, can’t get enough of this release

V/A - Late Night Tales: Barry Can’t Swim
Genre: House, various
Late Night Tales is a compilation series now going 25 years strong where an artist picks a selection of their most influential tracks. This installment, the first one in five years, features selection from Scottish producer Barry Can’t Swim. His taste is focused on the atmospheric, jazzy side of house music, but scattered alongside other types of dancefloor tunes from across eras and genres. A fun one to dig into and discover some new tunes. Favorite track: “Afternoon at Barenquell” by Loket

Lagartijeando - Wirikuta
Genre: Folktronica
Psychedelic chicha, Andean charangos, and sonidero textures woven through a lush electronic lens. Lagartijeando is one of the most consistent artists in the folktronica genre these days. Just the single is out now, full EP out next month
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Simon Berz - Tectonic
Genre: Avant garde
German experimental, ambient and club music through a geological lens. Berz composes music with drumkits and electronics, but also made his own instrument called the “Lithophon” where stones are turned into amplified sound through water drops and the “Tectonic” where he sources sound waves through a set of Icelandic basalt stones with electronic manipulation. The natural samples almost feel tangible. A fun release, definitely not as stern as the description would lead you to believe 
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Matryoshka - Blasé Saint 
Genre: Dub-techno, ambient
It’s that moody, ethereal UK ambient club music that sounds like walking out of the club alone at 4 am in a cloud of fog. Beautifully textured, heady, and atmospheric. RIYL: Space Afrika, Burial 
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Taroug - Chott
Genre: Electronica
German-Tunisian producer Taroug creates a compelling conceptual album through analog synths, field recordings, and bass-driven pulses. He creates an intimate reflection on his search for identity via home recordings with family members and incorporating traditional Tunisian instrumentation that’s equally pensive as it is danceable. 
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ADULT. - Kissing Luck Goodbye
Genre: EBM
I’ll be real with y’all and say this is definitely not my favorite ADULT. release, but I could just be biased because I’ve decided I like them better as a live group than an album band. All that being said, industrial and EBM fans should at least give this a spin because there are some solid tracks on here
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Whodamanny - Ondo Biloba
Genre: Italo disco
Super infectious electro boogie from Naples-based producer Whoamanny, who combines Italo-disco with funk, samba, dub and house. Definitely an homage to 80’s club production, but with a polished twist. This album is so joyous and silly and cheesy in all the right ways. My favorite track would be one that’s technically not on the album, but big ups to this dub remix of “Loca Loca”! Found out about this one from New Music Feature on KXCI -- shoutout to Jamie J for this one!
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Yasuhito Ohno - Music in DNA
Genre: Outsider music
First time reissue of an album recorded in early 1980s New York City and then self-released in 1984 in Japan by a young DIY experimentalist, Yasuhito Ohno, who later in life became a renowned composer. A super lo-fi, amateur exploration of four-track cassette recordings and the Roland Juno-60 synthesizer, inspired by the avant-garde movements of 80s NYC and early personal computing and computing graphics. A really sweet little time capsule, anyone who is interested in hyperrealist, vintage-meets-futuristic sounds, and/or the movie Liquid Sky, then you will love this 

Punk and Metal
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Converge - Love Is Not Enough
Genre: Hardcore
I gotta say, this is my favorite Converge record in years. There are countless reviews of this already out there that describe it in far better detail than I could, but just had to drop this in the blog as it’s been on heavy rotation. 

Ile de Garde - Rage Blossom
Genre: Post-punk, synthwave
French medieval feminist synthy post-punk inspired by Hildegarde Von Bingen, Sylvia Plath and Diamana Galás. When I read the description I was already smitten, seeing how they managed to bring up all my favorite things in one blurb. Some tracks show off their varied influences more cohesively than others (this is quite rough around the edges, sometimes in a charming way and others in just a less polished way), but overall a fun debut and a new band to be on the lookout for. Favorite track: “Homicide volontaire”
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Poison Ruïn - Hymns from The Hills
Genre: Deathrock, cold oi
I’ll preface this blurb by saying that this is my first time actually getting around to listening to Poison Ruin, so I can’t say how it compares to their discography (though I’ve read this is far more polished than their more raw recordings from before). I’m glad I went in with no expectation, however, ‘cause all I know is that this was a super catchy and enjoyable listen - I really love the combination of dungeon synth, deathrock, and punk (learned the term "cold oi" today - for bands similar to this and Home Front, aptly coined!)

Cyril Cyril & Le Syndicat du Futur - “Le petit bonhomme orange”
Genre: Post-punk
A new single from Swiss post-punk duo Cyril Cyril and their children, making a French-sung anti-war, anti-dictatorship, anti-Trump song. A political song written from the children’s point of view, all through a cool and moody post-punk atmosphere. I’d highly recommend the music video (which you can stream on Bandcamp) that’s all done with clay stop motion 
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The Caries Company - Episodio Especial
Genre: Egg punk
A super high-energy, pitch-shifted, hyperactive, lo-fi 7 minute egg punk EP from Spain. For fans of people who accidentally play their Davila 666 records on 45 rpm 
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Hemiptera - Until Every Flag is Burned
Genre: Anarcho punk
Saw this recommended by a favorite antifascist black metal artist (shoutout Tumultuous Ruin) and have had this on rotation since. Anarcho d-beat crust punk melodically backed by a cello, definitely has some skramz influence in there too. 
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Neurosis - An Undying Love For a Burning World
Genre: Post-metal
Undoubtedly the best comeback album of the last decade. Similar to the Converge blurb I wrote above, there’s already so much written about this album and hype surrounding it that I don’t feel compelled to go into much detail here other than saying it’s really a goddamn dream come true.
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Hellripper - Coronach
Genre: Speed metal
Absolute ripper of a new album from Scottish blackened-speed metal one-man band Hellripper. Total face melter, and even if you’re not generally a fan of speed metal, absolutely still worth checking it out as it incorporates stylistic qualities of both death and black metal. Haven’t had this much fun listening to a new metal release in a minute
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Candarian - Trepanacion
Genre: Death metal
Gore-infested old school death metal worship from Costa Rica. A debut release inspired by the likes of Autopsy and Incantation - filthy, heavy and groove-laden. 
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Funelore - The Dissolution of Consciousness
Genre: Death doom
Debut release from Canadian death doom metallers Funelore, whose name would aptly lead you to hear their funeral doom leanings. Gets a little synthy and orchestral at times, and the first track does it far more successfully, but nonetheless an interesting debut 
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​MORS.VOID.DISCIPLINE - Txketh)ëké
Genre: Goregrind
Hailing from the extreme metal underground scene in Chile, MORS.VOID.DISCIPLINE bestows twenty minutes of relentless war metal-driven goregrind. While it contains all the gurgles and aural disgust of ‘90s goregrind, it feels less like a display of sickness and instead leans toward  depressive, depraved nihilism. Check out the vocals on “Cultus Abominationum Nigrarum” to see what I mean. A favorite metal release from this month

Mordeo - S/T
Genre: Crust, d-beat
Crusty hardcore with a sludgy delivery, as described in their promo landing “somewhere between a d-beat–driven Full Of Hell, the bleak crust of His Hero Is Gone, the raw drive of early Black Breath, and the oppressive weight of Primitive Man”

Worm - Necropalace
Genre: Symphonic black metal
I knew I’d love this album when I asked a customer at the record store where I work what it sounds like and he went, “Unfortunately, it’s a little…um, magical?” Worm has always been of the theatrical nature, I’m stoked to see them go on a full on symphonic crypt keeper doom type ish. 
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Invictus - Nocturnal Visions
Genre: Death metal
The second album from Japan’s Invictus, a solid death metal release that isn’t necessarily doing anything groundbreaking but still a great listen for fans of early Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Decapitated. 
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Fulci - Risorsero dalla Tomba e Fu… L’apocalisse!
Genre: Death metal
A 12” maxi single from Italian horror maestros Fulci, serving as a soundtrack to a new short film of the same name. The third and final track offers their signature combination of Spaghetti Western-type cinematic atmosphere with death metal, although it does kind of drag and I’d argue the second track rips way harder
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Teratoma - Longing Voracity
Genre: Death metal
Heavy, filthy guttural Berlin-based death metal band Teratoma return after a five year hiatus, leaving behind their crust/hardcore stylings and going straight for the old school death sound a la Bolt Thrower and Entombed. Favorite song: “Chaotic Bewilderment”
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Hip-hop and R&B
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Rocé - Palmier
Genre: Conscious hip hop
French-Algerian rapper, composer, and violinist Rocé brings jazzy, orchestral melodic hip hop on his sixth album. Warm, soulful and inspired by the legacy of his father, Adolfo Kaminsky, noted anti-colonial resistance leader. Also has a great feature with famed Arabic singer Natacha Atlas (who also just put out a stellar new anti-war single titled “Somoud”)
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Witch Prophet - Words are Spells, Thoughts are Magic
Genre: R&B, neosoul
Sweet and smooth fusion of jazz, neo-soul and R&B with East African melodic influences. Witch Prophet casts lyrical spells of intention and transformation, a perfect listen for all the divine femmes out there seeking a soundtrack to harness their inner magic 
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RJD2 & Supastition - According To…
Genre: Boom bap
Two experts of their field collaborate to bring a deeply personal and relatable album on the weight of everyday living. I saw it described as “top-tier grown-man rap”, which aptly sums it up - rapping about working, parenting, loss, love - which may sound mundane, but when spoken through the prowess and sharp wit of Supastition and backed by the signature electronic boom bap-inspired production from RJD2, you’re in for something good 
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Rey Morado, Dex & Nick Arcade - The Last Prophets
Genre: Hip hop 
“They've repressed our creativity, subdued our survival instincts, and covered their
tracks with surrogate memories. Their delusion is guided by letters and a cryptic phantom vinyl pressing containing (what they believe to be) rare and powerful secrets to the universe.” A dystopian concept album that fully immerses you in an Orwellian atmosphere between the elaborate, fantastical lyrical wordplay between Rey Morado & Dex, and the cinematic production from Nick Arcade. Also love the reworking of obscure film samples into intermittent skits between tracks. Can’t recommend enough, especially for fans of sci-fi conceptual artists like Deltron 3030 or Dr. Octagon
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By Storm - My Ghosts Go Ghost
Genre: Experimental hip hop 
An incredible crossover of contemplative emotionality and experimental sounds from the By Storm duo, formerly of the Phoenix-based rap group Injury Reserve. A triumphant return since the tragic death of Injury Reserve rapper Groggs, maintaining their brazen spirit but transforming it into a display of complicated sonic introspection. Favorite songs: “Best Interest (Feat. billy woods)” and “And I Dance”

ELUCID & Sebb Bash - I Guess U Had To Be There
Genre: Hip hop
“Two turntables and a microphone. There is a truth in the clarity of that simple coda, a truth that also belies the breadth of what is possible within its confines. Sometimes you gotta get reminded.” It’s true -- and damn if this isn’t one of my favorite hip-hop releases of the year so far. Dark and brooding, with great features from the likes of Shabaka and billy woods. Favorite track: “Make Me Wish”
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OCD & THEM&i - NO TITLES NO MASTERS
Genre: Hip hop
Tucson-based hip hop duo collaborating to create a poetic, politically conscious, intimately personal and hopeful album that’s ultimately shares the message “we still got us”. The urgency of the lyricism is contrasted so nicely with the leisurely, laid-back beats provided by THEM&i’s deep crate digging and love of sampling. Shout out the art production as well by photographer Ghazal Hesami, who beautifully captured the dry beauty of Tucson and its inspiration that seeped into the album’s music 
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Ana Tijoux · 97

Ana Tijoux - 97
Genre: Latin hip hop
Four track EP from the Chilean rap icon herself. An ode to the year 1997, the year that her and the album’s beatmaker, DJ Dacel, began their friendship. Not as lyrically aggressive as her more recent EPs, way more laid back, relaxed and polished vibes which she also does equally as well
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Jazz
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Shabaka - Of the Earth
Genre: Jazz/electronic fusion
An ethereal, spiritual jazz journey that is laid down with electronic beats and loops and lifted up through choral flute melodies and soaring jazz improvisations. This is Shabaka’s first album that’s entirely self-produced, written, performed and recorded - a phenomenal celebration of self-expression and DIY spirit. Also the first album that features him rapping! Each track continues to surprise with interesting, textured elements and new melodies abound. For fans of: Sons of Kemet, Floating Points, Francis Bebey
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Global 
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V/A - Indian Talking Machine Part Two: Instrumental Gems from the 78rpm Era
Genre: Indian classical
Another great installment of the Indian Talking Machine from the Sublime Frequencies label, featuring twenty six different 78rpm recordings from 1904 to 1959. As with the other 78rpm series from this label, it’s equally a beautiful listen as it is a historical look into the genre’s music history
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V/A - Music from the Mountain People of Vietnam
Genre: Vietnamese folk
Another great new compilation from Sublime Frequencies, this one showcasing the most renowned musicians of the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Capturing a rare and disappearing form of folk music from the Jerai, Banhar, Ede and Rongao ethnic groups. As stated above, equally a beautiful listen as it is an important documentation of a fleeting tradition
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Los Felcas - Sabor a Felcas
Genre: Cumbia
A phenomenal new compilation from VampiSoul featuring the psychedelic, tropical sounds of Peruvian cumbia group Los Felcas. This reissue collects music from various albums and obscure 45s and puts them out for the first time since their original release. I listen to a lot of reissued chicha music, but this one really stands out as a favorite from the past year. Infectiously joyful and sublimely sweet, favorite track: “LA CUZQUEÑITA”

ZÖJ - May the Devil’s Ear Be Deaf
Genre: Experimental, neoclassical 
A live, improvisational flow of pure beauty from the neo-classical experimental Iranian group ZÖJ. A delicate composition of kamancheh, drums and emotional vocals recorded in a single take. “The title comes from a Persian saying spoken to protect something beautiful from envy or ill fate. In this music, that idea becomes a quiet act of courage: creating even when beauty feels vulnerable.”
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Saba Alizadeh - Rituals of the Last Dawn
Genre: Neoclassical
In this New Music Drop, you’re getting not one, but TWO recommendations for Iranian neoclassical improvisational records with an avant garde twist!! How’s about that. Saba Alizadeh is a master kamancheh player, and for this two-track record, he collaborates with guitarists and electronic maestros Pietro Caramelli and Liew Niyomkarn. I can’t stress enough how emotional and beautiful this release is, will bring you to tears

KINACT - Kinshasa in Action
Genre: Congolese, experimental
I’ve said no less than a dozen times through T&E blogs and on the Global Rhythm Radio show, Kinshasa has the most dynamic, badass music scene on this goddamn planet. Here’s another new release that continues to prove just that. 11 tracks that create a ritualistic, industrial experience via drills, hammers, saws, engines, homemade xylophones and communal drum circles. As the liner notes describe, “It sits somewhere between Einstürzende Neubauten’s industrial clang, Konono No.1’s distorted amplification and African Head Charge’s dread-soaked voodoo minimalism, yet remains grounded in Kinshasa’s street heat and night air.”
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Abdou El Omati - Lost Tape 1980
Genre: Funk, disco
Lost demos, rehearsals, unreleased tracks and private recordings from the late great Moroccan artist Abdou El Omati, a collection of music that was found quite literally in a cardboard box in the trash. Hypnotic classic Moroccan ternary 6/8 rhythms grooved out on an ARP Odyssey synthesizer, fabulously blended with psychedelic funk, cosmic disco and early electronic experimentation. The recordings are definitely raw and unpolished, but in my opinion, glam dance music is even better when it’s tinged with some grit