It is hard to believe that after a stunning second LP and equally as amazing EP, to coincide with the record, Flume wasn’t finished. But now the Australian producer has released something so extraordinary I can hardly type this review and contain my excitement. To companion his first companion EP, the Grammy and multiple Aria award winning electronic artist has dropped yet another 4 tracks that are heavier, spacier and as bass bulky as ever.
Starting off with an exasperating tune featuring the unsurprisingly impressive Pusha T, Flume combines his intricate nature enthused synths with the growling vocals of one of the worlds most respected rappers and makes a truly heart pounding, gritty explosion of textures. Listening to Flume makes you feel as if you are in a completely new universe, one so out of the ordinary that you hardly know what to do with yourself, both ‘Weekend’ and ‘Depth charge’ are no different. I feel as if some of the hooks hark back to his debut album, which is anything but a disappointment.
The artwork of the EP expresses what seems like a darker side to the music Flume was putting out in 2016, the majority of the tracks express this as well, especially the ending number featuring Dave from ‘Glass Animals’. As two of the most interesting artists currently out there, it was only a matter of time before they collaborated, it is truly unbelievable to think that these tracks were only really considered as B-Sides to the actual album but Flume treats us well, fulfilling our tropical electronic needs.
Go and check out what is one of the best musical projects to drop so far in 2017.
Kiedis and Co are certified rock legends and 2016 saw the release of their 11th studio album, which was a huge step up from their disappointing 2011 release ‘I’m with you’. In tracks like ‘Goodbye Angels’ and ‘Dark Necessities’ we get the funk aesthetic that we crave from such a prestigious band, if you haven’t already go check out the album, especially those tunes.
9. The Wytches – All Your Happy Life
Back with their second full length LP, the Wytches have diversified their sound and created a ghostly new record full of shrieking melodies and fascinating instrumentation. Tracks like ‘C-Side’ and ‘Ghost House’ are my personal favourites; seeing the new material live was a madness too.
8. Eagulls – Ullages
An anagram of the band’s name, ‘Ullages’ is an album that would be sinful to not listen to all the way through, it is a modern take on some 90s classic indie and truly develops their own sound, if it wasn’t unique enough already. Go listen to ‘Lemontrees’ and ‘Skipping’.
7. Kaytanada – 99.9%
This is one of the best albums I have ever heard from the mind of a self-confessed ‘Producer’. On the strongest debut LP of the year, Celestin shows he is much more than what he is labelled as, he is a true artist and one of the most important figures currently in world hip hop. Listen to ‘Drive Me Crazy’ and ‘Got It Good’.
6. Glass Animals – How to be a human being
Bringing even more tropical vibes to the world, Glass Animals second LP was highly anticipated and it didn’t fail to impress. Based around true stories that Dave Bayley heard from strangers he got talking to last year, the album exposes the realities of life in a way only Glass Animals could. Listen to ‘Pork Soda’ and ‘Youth’.
5. Flume – Skin
Harley Streten’s second album has proved he is one of the most gifted and intriguing electronic artists to have emerged from the broad landscape of electronic music. Collaborations with Vince Staples, Vic Mensa and even Beck shows just how versatile he can be in his production, check out ‘Helix’ and ‘Smoke and Retribution’.
4. Jamie T – Trick
An alternative idol, Jamie Treays released his latest LP back in September. Full of future classics, ‘Trick’ is a grittier album than the cleanliness of ‘Carry On The Grudge’, it truly establishes the rapper-songwriter-producer as a one man genre and thankfully he still hasn’t left the talent he possesses with his sampling. Go check out ‘Tinfoil Boy’ and ‘Solomon Eagle’.
3. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition
The Detroit born mentalist that is Danny Brown dropped the most ambitious and experimental album I believe he ever has this year. Inspired by everything from Joy Division to Rage Against The Machine, this LP isn’t for the faint hearted but is one of the most important releases in modern rap, listen to ‘When It Rain’ and ‘Pneumonia’.
2. Skepta – Konnichiwa
2016 saw many album releases from the grime greats, whether it was Giggs or Kano but since its discharge, there hasn’t been a day gone by where I haven’t listened or heard a song from ‘Konnichiwa’. It was definitely one of the most anticipated British albums of the year and Skepta did not disappoint, as he rarely does. Just listen to the whole thing.
1. Slaves – Take Control
If you know me well then you are probably thinking this is the most cliché number 1 I could have chosen but the roar punk energy of Slaves is something that no one can get near to at the moment. Produced by Mike D and perfected by Isaac and Laurie, it is an album of nothing but straight up punk bangers. Features from the likes of Baxter Dury just tops the record for me and makes ‘Take Control’ slightly more versatile than what ‘Are You Satisfied?’ was, you have to check out this album, buy it for yourself and everyone this christmas.
To coincide with his latest album ‘Skin’, Flume is now debuting 4 new songs all in a similar vein to the material on his release earlier this year. Rich in punchy synths, beautiful, howling vocals and samples of an endless list of peculiar instruments, The tracks could have easily made the cut for his second album; but this just shows how strong of a record ‘Skin’ was.
My favourite tune from the EP has to be ‘Heater’, a song using similar synth patterns to innocence; the climatic build and crashing blend of electronic instrumentation makes it one of the best songs Harley has produced this year. Flume is one of the most important electronic artists of the decade and is constantly changing the way we perceive ‘EDM’ music, go and check out his new material below.
Feeda Music 