New Music Drops: July 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 the July installment, you'll discover jazzy trip hop, experimental free folk, extreme baile funk, frog-fueled dungeon synth, and more!

Pop/Rock/Etc.

​a.s.o. - a.s.o
Genre: Trip hop
A really crisp, moody and ethereal trip hop record from Berlin-based duo a.s.o. Club production, dub effects, jazzy instrumentation, hip hop beats, and swoony Hope Sandoval-esque vocals…this album is a dream. Love everything about this album. - Parisa

Requiem - POPulist Agendas
Genre: Post-rock
I can be very particular about post-rock, but I’ve really been enjoying this release from Requiem. Huge, vast sonic soundscapes defined by percussion and synth-driven bass. An immersive experience that lies somewhere in between ambient and drone. For fans of Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Parisa

Maral - “Wondering Dub”
Genre: Dub
A new single from producer Maral who combines dub with club music and Iranian classical samples. An artist I just recently discovered and have been really enjoying digging into their discography, hopefully there’ll be another LP later this year. For fans of Muslimgauze.
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V/A - PRENDS LE TEMPS D'ECOUTER - Musique d'expression libre dans les classes Freinet / Tape Music, Sound Experiments and free folk songs from Freinet Classes - 1962​/​1982
Genre: Free folk, musiques concrète
Have you ever wanted to be the most pretentious asshole at a party? Or perhaps you’re tired of being outshined at your local record store by the clerk who knows the most obscure music out there? Well you’re in luck, because LANCEPIERRE (a subsidiary of the incredible Born Bad Records) put out this experimental record of tape music, free folk and field recordings from French youth in “Freinet”-style education classes from 1962 - 1982. Your friends will absolutely love it when you comment, “Yeah sure, I’ve heard of Vashti Bunyan…but have you ever even heard tape music from French children in 1963????!”

All jokes aside, this is a really incredible piece of history and a sonically beautiful one at that. Educationist Célestin Freinet was an anti-authorian teacher and researcher who wanted to provide empirical evidence of free form music being an essential tool for people, especially youth, to expand inter and intrapersonal skills. The Freinet philosophy became commonplace in France for free expression, and this compilation captures moments from the evolution of this movement. A great read and an even better listen. Favorite track: “The ocean” - Nadine Perron - Parisa
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​King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation
Genre: Thrash, rock
I kinda fell off the King Gizzard boat because I got a little burnt out on keeping up, but this album is a total shredder and absolute face-melter so I’m back on board, baybee!! While metalheads may be weary of an alternative psych rock band making a thrash record, I assure you that this is worth a listen. Heavy but still in the realm of Gizzard territory, centered around a conceptual apocalyptic reptilian fantasy. “Gila Monster” may be one of my favorite singles of the year. - Parisa

King Krule - Space Heavy
Genre: Alternative
Another beautiful and melancholic release from my favorite modern day gloomy crooner. Minimal and abysmal, not as sonically experimental as previous albums but in true King Krule fashion, still tinged with hints of punk, garage and jazz. - Parisa

Morgan and the Organ Donors - M.O.D.s
Genre:  Garage
Melodic and harmonious, guitar driven rock, reminiscent of the Fastbacks, featuring Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill! - A. Iwasa   
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Creature Party - Thoughts on File
Genre:  New wave
I didn’t know the keytar could sound so good!  If the B-52s put out a new album this year, not only do I think it might sound like this, the lyrics would probably also pack a similar punch. - A. Iwasa 

Electronic
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Body of Light - Bitter Reflection 
Genre: Synth pop, EBM
Tempe-based brother synth duo Body of Light create EBM-tinged synth pop. Super catchy hooks, shiny and metallic synth melodies. For fans of Cold Cave, Drab Majesty, etc. - Parisa
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Frog Concert - Slumbering Sounds of the Frog Fellowship
Genre: Dungeon synth
“A charming and comfy collection of music to croak by.” Perhaps the most unique dungeon synth release I’ve heard this year. Warmly textured fantasy synthscapes with a medley of frog choirs, super cozy, relaxing and makes great background music for D&D nights. Cottagecore fanatics rejoice! 
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​DJ K - PANICO NO SUBMUNDO
Genre: Baile funk
A super aggressive baile funk record from São Paulo's DJ K. The album art kind of explains it all…like a terrifying acid trip through carnival where you can’t tell if you want to cower in a corner or keep dancing through the crowd. Lots of shrill noises that are supposedly influenced by a popular scene drug called lança perfume which creates a sense of euphoria but also strong, high-pitched auditory hallucinations. (I’m fully aware that this description does not sound pleasant at all but sometimes a high anxiety dance record kinda rules??) - Parisa

Punk and Metal
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Dødheimsgard – Black Medium Current
Genre: Avant-garde/Black/Industrial Metal
Continuing a peculiar 8-year release cycle, Dødheimsgard return with another ambitious, epic, and surrealistic masterpiece. Whereas its predecessor was equal parts jarring, jagged, and claustrophobic, Black Medium Current is calmer, more psychedelic, and just plain poppier. To be clear, Dødheimsgard has not mellowed with age – Black Medium Current is still a shining beacon to progressive and avant-garde ideas, and the boldness with which they continue to pivot between disparate musical styles is matched by few. It’s just that this time around all that weirdness is dreamier and mid-era Pink Floyd-ier. Their wonderfully layered and idiosyncratic songwriting is more beautiful, melancholic, and haunting than ever, further blurring the lines between hallucination and reality. This one’s definitely ending up on my AOTY list. - Andrej
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NARC & Threar - S/T split 
Genre:  Powerviolence
All the crusty, angsty, noisiness one comes to expect from a good powerviolence band, but with some surprisingly good melodic parts too.  - A. Iwasa

Ribbons - S/T
Genre:  crust
Sometimes a little noodley and melodic in a good way, yet still a purely hardcore crossover into metal.  - A. Iwasa
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Cran - Nat​ë
Genre:  Oi!
The runaway best band the youtube has turned me on to.  I was listening to another French punk band Litge, who I would be writing about if they had a new album out!  -A. Iwasa

Blackbraid - Blackbraid II
Genre: Indigenous black metal
Black metal from the Adirondack nation - raw, powerful and incredibly emotive and atmospheric.  I don’t doubt if this will be my favorite black metal release of the year! RIYL: Windir. Also if you haven’t already seen the photo gallery of Blackbraid on T&E shot by Ruben Daniel, click here and check it out!  - Parisa
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​CH'AHOM - Ts'ono'ot
Genre: Blackened death metal
Ritualistic Germanic blackened death metal with some rather progressive song structures. Only a single-track EP, but it’s a brutally efficient 12 minutes! - Parisa

The Body - I Shall Die Here Earth Triumphant
Genre: Doom, noise
An unnerving, glitchy and horror-fueled experimental doom release from The Body, produced by one of my all time favorite dark ambient composers, The Haxan Cloak. Industrial electronica suits The Body better than I would have imagined. - Parisa
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Hip-Hop and R&B
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​Kassa Overall - ANIMALS
Genre: Hip hop, nujazz
Jazz drummer and emcee Kassa Overall collaborates with a myriad of talented musicians and rappers for a mellow, jazzy hip hop record. Some tracks are a miss for me on this one so I can’t say I totally love this as a whole, but there are a ton of standout tracks that I’ve been going back to for repeated listens since this dropped. Favorite track: “Make My Way Back Home” feat. Nick Hakim & Theo Croker - Parisa
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billy woods & Kenny Segal 
Genre: Rap
I haven’t stopped hearing about this LP since it dropped two months ago but didn’t get around to listening to it til now, and damn am I glad to finally know what the hype is about. A conceptual album on “road, or roads, taken and untaken; of living the dream and dreaming of another life. It is an album about trying to find your way home, after making your home wherever you lay your head.” A personal memoir with anecdotes, humor, pain, grief, all pushed to heightened states of storytelling through Segal’s unique beats. Don’t sleep on this one like I did! (P.S. - What album hasn’t Quelle Chris been on this year?? Absolutely crushing it)  - Parisa
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Farhot - “Taking Naps”
Genre: Instrumental hip hop
One of many instrumental hip hop tracks from Hamburg-based Afghani producer, Farhot. Lo-fi, nostalgia but not in the generic “10 LoFi BeAtZ tO ChiLl tO” way. If you dig it, he’s been putting out several singles each month that are all available on Bandcamp. - Parisa

Global
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V/A - Ayuda/Help para Glenda
Genre: Latin American medley
A compilation curated by Colombian electro-cumbia extraordinaires, Meridian Brothers, of various groups from across Latin American countries showcasing diverse styles of cumbia and beyond. Proceeds for this record all go to visual artist Glenda Torrado who painted most of the Meridian Brothers album art and is battling cancer. While the album is largely cumbia, there are some different styles/genres from other artists affiliated with Glenda’s artwork, like a Turkish psych rock track, Colombian tropicalia, a somber orchestral piece, and more.   - Parisa

Find more global music releases on Global Rhythm Radio streaming here on T&E! Click the “DJ Mix” category on the right sidebar to find all the episodes. New episode coming in two weeks!

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