DOCUMENT EVERYTHING #11 - Farewell to summer stonkers season ❤️🔥
A quick note on what's been floating my boat recently
Hello and welcome to the eleventh edition of DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The last sweltering embers of summer have prompted me to gather my thoughts and assemble a list of songs that have got me through the warmer months, which, I am aware, are now firmly coming to an end. It’s a mix of new and old tracks (although I haven’t been truly honest about how much Dire Straits I’ve been listening to). In contrast to these times when culture can feel easily disposal, I think all of these tunes have repeat listening value and shouldn’t just disappear after yearly ‘best of’ whatever lists.
You could argue this newsletter is arriving too late by the look of next week’s forecast. And you’d probably be right. But trust me; these tunes can still hit the spot huddled under a rusty heater in a pub garden, or seeing your own icy breath on the way to work. If not, there’s always, erm, 2024. I’ve added every song into a handy playlist if you’d prefer to listen rather than read on.
Summer stonkers season is dead, long live summer stonkers season 🪦
JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown - ‘God Loves You’ (AWAL)
Ever wondered how being taken to church by JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown would feel? It’s as hectic as you’d expect, as an uplifting gospel sample underpins the chaos.
Wildflower - ‘Hogol’ (Self)
Jazz from the depths of 2017. A simpler time. Theresa May was Prime Minister. I can barely even remember who she is at this point. I don’t think she would have liked Wildflower. More of a Lighthouse Family fan.
Hudson Mohawke & Nikki Nair & Taylor Parx - ‘Set The Roof’ (Warp)
I think it’s fair to file this under festival season’s ‘weapon of mass destruction’.
Joan Armatrading - ‘Tall In The Saddle’ (A&M Records)
I’m in awe of Joan Armatrading’s songwriting and have been delving more into her back catalogue this year. It’s criminal I didn’t really appreciate her when we worked with her at the AIM Awards. But I’m up to speed now. Better late than never. Big fan of this closer on her self-titled debut which starts slow and unfurls into a full tilt party.
NewJeans - ‘Super Shy’ (ADOR)
I made some forays into the K-pop world through my old job. I can’t say much as I’d be breaking contract but…[redacted]. Maybe a diligent journalist should do some digging. Anyway, I love some killer pop with breaks! This ticks all the boxes.
Pangaea - ‘Installation’ (Hessle Audio)
A summer stonkers list wouldn’t be complete without this one, would it?
ANOHNI & The Johnsons - ‘Rest’ (Rebis Music)
Listened to the entirety of this record on a long train journey when it dropped. I think I replayed it two or three times in full straight away and ‘Rest’ really stood out. What a songwriter! What a band!
James K & hoodie - ‘Scorpio’ (AD93)
I’m all about slowing it down in 2023. ‘Scorpio’ nods to the 90s with its dreamy synths and lurking bass but its claustrophobic feel is readymade for the modern day.
Speakers Corner Quartet - ‘Shabz Needs Sun’ (OTIH Records)
What does summer mean to you? To me, it’s a tightly-wound flute freak out. Shabz needs sun? I can relate.
Florentino - ‘Xcuse Me’ (Club Romantico)
It’s not summer without a new Florentino tune, ever reliable and super charged.
Ocean_SA - ‘Crazy Drum’ (Self)
Out to whoever played this on NTS earlier this year. Pure joy when those drums hit. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Lunch Money Life - ‘New Herdsmen’ (Wolf Tone)
If it veers into metal territory, I’m normally only partial to Limp Bizkit. But Lunch Money Life have me rethinking everything I thought I knew. Caught the sweaty album launch at The Haggerston and it was special.
Jim Legxacy - block hug ((!))
A beloved cut from (probably) the best album of 2023.
Late Of The Pier - ‘Space and the Woods’ (Parlophone)
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and I’ve been lapping it up when revisiting the first and only Late Of The Pier album. Those memories of Underage Festival come flooding straight back. More DJs should play their tunes, especially this one, on the dancefloor now. It’s time.
Benny The Butcher - ‘5 to 50’ (feat. India) (Black Soprano Family)
A masterful beat laid by The Alchemist for one of the best lyricists out there. Perfect tune.
a.s.o. - ‘Falling Under’ (Low Lying Records)
Attention downtempo lovers. a.s.o., made up of vocalist Alia Seror-O'Neill and Tornado Wallace, slow down the pace and embrace brooding pop. With acid nods and dub influences aplenty, the instrumentals are so syrupy you risk getting stuck. You won’t mind on ‘Falling Under’, however, as the more time you can spend with it the better.
Andi Otto & M. D. Pallavi - ‘Bangalore Whispers’ (Mr Bongo)
If you read my roundup newsletter of 2022, you’ll know what a big fan I am of Luke Una’s É Soul Cultura compilations. I could have picked so many tracks from his latest for this list but ‘Bangalore Whispers’ is my favourite. It’s a whirling teacups ride of a song; hypnotic if you try and concentrate on it, dazzling if you shut your eyes.
Ruf Dug - ‘Sunrise’ (feat. Natalie Wildgoose) (Rhythm Section)
An evergreen tune which perfectly captures the carefree feel of the warmer months on a road trip with anyone special to you. This one is for the lovers.
ROLROLROL - ‘SEDAN’ (Ilian Tape)
The Ilian Tape hot streak continues with ROLROLROL. Love how ‘SEDAN’ builds to a squelchy Justice-esque crescendo.
Joe Armon-Jones & Maxwell Owin & Mala & Marysia Osu & YUIS - ‘Ikigai’ (Aquarii)
We’ve already heard what Joe Armon-Jones and Mala can do together thanks to their excellent collaborative EP, A Way Back. But adding even more talent to the pool results in ‘Ikigai’, a shuffling, atmospheric slice of lumbering dub paired with sultry keys.
Syzygy - ‘Can I Dream’ (Kalahari Oyster Cult)
Bouncy, spacey goodness on one of the best labels out there.
Squid - ‘The Blades’ (Warp)
Squid are for all seasons. But their second album ‘O Monolith’ dropped in the height of summer and I’ve played ‘The Blades’ over and over. Very fun live, too.
Orca - ‘4AM (Unreleased Mix 1)’ (Deep Jungle)
It’s Orca. It’s Deep Jungle. You know it’s solid gold.
Tirzah - ‘Stars’ (Domino)
I suppose this one feels like a bit of a stretch because the album hasn’t been out long. However I know it’s going to stay with me for a long time. Some people have a problem with the ‘one arrangement’ concept and I understand why. But I think it really suits Tirzah. I’ve always loved her magic touch for constructing devastating love songs from bare bones features and this record really emphasises that knack. ‘Stars’ is a favourite amongst many.
If you’ve made it this far, hello again and thank you. If you’ve enjoyed the newsletter, feel free to recommend it to other people. If you’ve hated it, slag it off them to as well. Everybody loves endless online discourse at the moment.
You can find me here. Listen to the accompanying playlist here.
Don’t forget to document everything 👋
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