Listen Up
From dark and enthralling to sweet and dreamy, some of favorite new music this week
Flying Lotus feat. David Lynch: Fire is Coming
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the collaboration between experimental magicians Flying Lotus and David Lynch is gloriously dark, demented and enthralling. The spoken-word track revolves around an ominous story, told by Lynch, over a soundscape that includes far-away thunder, rumbling, garbled hums, haunting strings and tinkling piano. The video—directed by Steven Ellison and David Firth—depicts a distorted Lynch telling the tale to a mesmerized group of wolf-children. The track will appear on FlyLo’s upcoming album Flamagra, which also features cameos from Little Dragon, Solange, Tierra Whack, Shabazz Palaces, Thundercat, Toro y Moi and others.
Tycho: Easy
The multi-talented Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) has just released the first track from his upcoming fifth album—his first since 2016’s Epoch. The dreamy song, called “Easy,” is filled with pulsing and groovy bass lines, airy synths, and hazy vocals by Saint Sinner. Hansen says of the tune, “‘Easy’ is about coming to terms with my past and defining a clear vision moving forward. It’s a comforting voice that reminds you not to get so lost in the work, but to take it easy and enjoy the ride.”
Four Tet: Teenage Birdsong
Four Tet (aka Kieran Hebden) has just released a new track and it’s a sweet, flute-and-synth-led tune called “Teenage Birdsong.” Minimal to begin with, the song becomes more and more layered, shimmery and beguiling. While it’s meditative and ambient, the song’s flawless production makes it deeply engaging. Hebden announced on Twitter that he’s been working on new music, but it’s not clear if this song will appear on an upcoming album.
fold: Teacher
Over fold’s jazzy new instrumental, a recording of James Baldwin’s moving 1963 speech given at Oakland, CA’s Castlemont High School plays. The speech, for predominantly black students, is about education and self-worth, and begins, “If I were your teacher, I’d beg you to fight me and not let me get away with anything.” The psych- and funk-infused “Teacher” layers several organic movements—and works seamlessly with Baldwin’s words. The song is one of 11 from the quartet’s recent LP We’re the Ones, which is available to stream or buy on limited edition orange vinyl.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
