Track Of The Day: MJ Guider – ‘FM Secure’

Murky, industrial sounds permeate ‘FM Secure’, the latest single from MJ Guider. Lifted from her upcoming album Sour Cherry Bell, which is set for release on 18th September via Kranky, Guider’s shadowy electronics smoulder alongside her atmospheric, beguiling vocals.

Based in New Orleans, MJ Guider (aka Melissa Guion) blends elements of shoegaze, gothic pop and industrial sounds to create her hypnotic music. On her upcoming album, Guider explores power dynamics, musing about the notion of “lost and found, corporeal and cerebral, harnessed and exploited, of one and many, in this reality and the next.” This musing extends to ‘FM Secure’, its ominous glow intensifying with each listen.

Speaking about her upcoming record and the tools she used to create it, Guider explains: “I was curious to see how far I could go with them, even if that meant reaching the ends of their capacity to do what I wanted. But I never exhausted them and they never exhausted me.” Listen to ‘FM Secure’ below and follow MJ Guider on bandcamp and Instagram for more updates.

Photo Credit: Craig Mulcahy

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Get In Her Ears x Summer Sounds 06.08.20

Tash & Kate were in the Hoxton Radio studio spinning some of their favourite summer sounds. Highlights include tracks by Kynsy, heka, Scuti, Evil House Party, Babehaven, Circe and bestfriend. They kicked off the show with Kate Bush and finished with Whitney. Enough said.

Listen back here:

Tracklist
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
Circe – Ten Girls
Ailbhe Reddy – Between Your Teeth
Cehryl – moon eyes
Bestfriend – last bus in the a.m.
Babeheaven – Cassette Beat
The Crayon Set – Summer Song
Mandi (m&i) – into my mind
Bethany Thomas – I’m Not Sorry and I’m Not Scared
Girlhood – sister
Julia Sophie – I Left You
Kynsy – Cold Blue Light
Deaf Surf – Strangers
Izzy Bizu – Tough Pill
Robin Kester – Cigarette Song
Fenne Lily – Three Oh Nine
Dream Nails – Vagina Police
ALYSS – CLUSTERFCK (MONO/POLY REMIX)
Scuti – Weekend
Evil House Party – Wicked
Heka – redwoods
Byenary – Princess Give A Fuck
The Muffin Heads – Snow White
Hannah Moule & The Moulettes – Idiolect Pt.1
Laura Guarch – Fleeting Light
HAAI – Head Above The Parakeets
Whitney Houston – It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay

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LISTEN: Fern Ford – ‘Match’

Sparse beats and atmospheric electronics permeate ‘Match’, the debut single from Fern Ford. Released via AWAL, the track is a slow-burning soundscape inspired by Ford’s desire to overcome feelings of self doubt.

Best known as the drummer for Mercury Prize nominated band The Big Moon, Ford’s solo work is a world away from the garage-rock anthems she creates with the group, who released their second album Walking Like We Do earlier this year. On ‘Match’, Ford allows space for her musings about trusting your intuition with her tentative beats and ambient keys.

Speaking about the track, Ford explains: “I first started writing 8 years ago, armed with just a Casiotone 202 and a xylophone. Being the drummer in a band, I always felt like maybe I should stay in my lane and leave the song writing to the pros. It felt a bit like imposter syndrome, helped by the fact that the music I was making didn’t sound like the music I was hearing around me, which made me think that maybe I was doing it wrong. I soon realised that was silly. Over the years the self-doubt subsided and with a bit of practise, I finally found my voice. ‘Match’ is about trusting your intuition. It’s about realising your strength and finding comfort in the unknown.”

Listen to ‘Match’ below and follow Fern Ford on Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: George Selwyn-Brace

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Delhia de France

Crafting a solo career between Berlin and L.A over the past two years, Producer and songwriter Delhia de France has been busy re-working a track from German producer Robot Koch’s latest album, The Next Billion Years. She takes Koch’s concept of sound-tracking the far distant future of earth on ‘All Forms Are Unstable’ and gives it an alt-pop twist, breathing new life in to the instrumental piece with her soft vocals and shimmering electronics.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is by asking what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Delhia to ask about her “Five Favourites” – five songs that inspired her song-writing techniques. Check out her choices below, and scroll down to listen to her cover of ‘All Forms Are Unstable’ at the end of this post.

1. Massive Attack – ‘Paradise Circus’
‘Paradise Circus’ has a certain melancholic lightness to it that I really like. Massive Attack have been consistently bending genres and been a huge influence of mine since forever. Their latest project Eutopia with Young Fathers is as brilliant as it is important. The tracks are layered over with speeches and lectures by prominent educational figures demanding justice, equality, sustainability. Goosebumps education.

2. Fever Ray – ‘I’m Not Done’
This whole album is one of my all time fives. I will never get tired diving into these eerie synth baths that have a very artificial sound yet and incredibly warm vibe. It really is an album of light and dark and to create opposites so each side can shine is something that I picked up from Karin Dreijer’s productions.

3. Rosalia – ‘A Palé’
I love how the track begins with this soothing melody and then takes a totally different turn. It’s incredible how she fuses traditional flamenco with modern sounds. I love all the space in between and her voice effortlessly pouring over it like a waterfall.

4. Thom Yorke – ‘Skip Divided’
Radiohead had always been a massive influence to me and Thom Yorke with his extraordinary fragile voice throwing words at you like daggers. He has a special way of writing melodies that uniquely beautiful. How he marries the piano with these textured organic sounds has been, I’ve always been fascinated.

5. The Knife – ‘Silent Shout’
Again Karin Dreijer, this time with her brother Olof. The whole Silent Shout album has been an eye-opener to me, these simple melodies and her bone-shaking voice combined with glowing and sawing synths are so far opposite of my usual sound yet so captivating and just plain beautiful in this genius simplicity.

Thanks to Delhia de France for sharing her favourites with us.
Listen to her cover of ‘All Forms Are Unstable’ below.

Photo Credit: Alix Spence

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