LISTEN: ShitKid – ‘SuMmEr BrEaK’

Inspired by her rebellious emo school days, Sweden’s ShitKid has returned with new tune ‘SuMmEr BrEaK’. Taken from her new EP [DETENTION] which is set for release in May, the track brims with teenage angst and anticipation, forming the ideal backdrop for the kids to cut loose too.

ShitKid began as the solo project of Åsa Söderqvist in 2015, but now she’s been joined by bandmate Lina Molarin Ericsson. Together, the pair are set to release eight new tracks that Söderqvist says were inspired by her nostalgic love of pop-punk music: “I started listening to the bands that I loved in school again, and I felt inspired by it. It’s a genre that’s quite embarrassing to go back to, and I knew that would make it really fun. I used to be emo in 2008, and now nobody plays that music anymore! There’s nothing about being kids and nobody understanding you. It felt like time to bring it back.”

Recorded at Stockholm’s Country Girl Studios with producer Lovina Isaksson and cut almost entirely live by an expanded four-piece lineup including Söderqvist, Ericsson, guitarist Arvid Sjöö and drummer Josefin Ahlqvist Lyzwinski, [DETENTION] aims to evoke a rebellious, youthful spirit that everybody can relate to. Söderqvist has said she aims to release a pop album and a screamo next, and if it’s anywhere near as catchy at this new release – we’re certainly be in to it.

Listen to ‘SuMmEr BrEaK’ below and follow ShitKid on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Moa Romanova

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Cosey Fanni Tutti – ‘TUTTI’

Known for her work as an avant-garde artist and a former member of Throbbing Gristle, Cosey Fanni Tutti has shared her most personal work to date on new instrumental album TUTTI. Released via Conspiracy International, the record is full of ambiguous and gripping soundscapes that provide an aural reflection on Cosey’s life so far.

Originally, the release was conceived as a soundtrack to Tutti’s autobiographical film ‘Harmonic Coumaction’, which she performed live in 2017 as part of the COUM Transmissions retrospective in Hull (UK City of Culture 2017), and then later as an audio-visual installation for her solo exhibition at Cabinet Gallery in London. Since then, the release has taken on new life as an album in its own right.

Recorded at her studio in Norfolk, Cosey’s music speaks volumes without the presence of lyrics. It can be interpreted and enjoyed most effectively when it’s simply left to play out. No track falls below the four minute mark, but time is not something to be conscious of when listening to TUTTI, as each soundscape has an immersive, distracting quality.

The title track opens the record with a mixture of sax samples, mesmeric beats and sharp production. It seamlessly merges in to the aptly named ‘Drone’, followed by ‘Moe’ which retains the edge of both tracks. There’s a more echoic, ambient element present in some of the synths textures, which are interrupted intermittently by glitchy noises. The sparse yet urgent ‘Sophic Ripple’ stands out among the collection, with its tight yet widening progression. ‘Split’ is a slow, uneasy, jagged listen, whilst ‘Heliy’ is another venture into Cosey’s more ambient world – her distant siren-like vocal gently stretching out over considered beats. The penultimate ‘En’ is a slow-burning, engrossing tune and the ornately produced ‘Orenda’ closes the album.

Cosey cites “my life is my art, my art is my life” as her personal motto, and we see no need to contradict her output. An extraordinary life has formed the basis of this unusual and affecting record – we urge you to put TUTTI on now, and see for yourself what this talented artist has to say.

Photo Credit: Chris Carter

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Ioanna Gika – ‘Out Of Focus’

Inspired by her Greek heritage and an emotional realisation after unexpected familial grief; Ioanna Gika has shared her new single ‘Out Of Focus’. Taken from her debut album Thalassa, which is set for release on 5th April via Sargent House, the song is a gentle and ornate example of Ioanna’s songwriting talent.

The single is accompanied by a self-directed music video, featuring world surf champion Jake Caster masked as the Greek God Pan. Ioanna’s album Thalassa takes its name from the primeval spirit of the sea, and her unusual treatment of mythical figures makes for a surreal set of visuals. Whilst her music has a strong sense of melancholy to it, her vocals and lyricism are as cutting and powerful as the waves Caster is chasing in the video.

Speaking about her upcoming album, Ioanna explains: “A series of deaths drew me home to Greece. The city of childhood memories was in disrepair. I drove past painted swastikas towards burial sites. I said goodbyes and grieved for those I didn’t get to say goodbye to. Thalassa is about going through change that is unwanted yet unstoppable. It is a document of the dread, the adrenaline, and the surrender in the moments when you realise the only way to survive the wave, is to brace yourself and go through.”

Ioanna will be supporting Garbage across the US in May as part of a Spring tour around the release of Thalassa. European dates will follow soon. Listen to ‘Out Of Focus’ below and follow Ioanna on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of Ioanna Gika’s debut album Thalassa here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Ellis – ‘Something Blue’

A melodic reflection on the gift of hindsight, Ontario’s Ellis laments about wanting to travel back in time on her latest single ‘Something Blue’. The track is taken from her recent EP The Fuzz, which will be physically released for the first time via Fat Possum records on 22nd March.

Ellis – aka Linnea Siggelkow – cut her teeth on her local DIY scene as a solo artist before evolving into a 4-piece band in 2018. Her gentle voice hosts both vulnerability and conviction, something which makes her new track ‘Something Blue’ so easy to listen to. Speaking about her new song, Ellis explains: “I think everyone has a moment that they wish they could time-travel back to and have a do-over. This song is about mine. Hindsight can be a real bitch.” We couldn’t agree more!

Ellis will play her first set of UK shows in May this year, which include dates at Glasgow’s Stag and Dagger festival and a headline show at The Islington in London. She will also be performing at SXSW too. With comparisons to Soccer Mommy and Mazy Star, we think Ellis is going to have a very successful 2019. Listen to ‘Something Blue’ below.

Pre-order your copy of Ellis’ EP The Fuzz here.

Ellis UK Tour Dates 2019
5/4/19 – Broadcast – Glasgow, UK (Stag and Dagger Festival)
5/8/19 – The Islington – London, UK

Photo Credit: Josh Howe

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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