This Week's New Music feat. Forest Swords, Ka, Xui Xui and more...

Yep, It's time for another weekly run down musical goings on. This week I have gathered six tracks from from disparate reaches of sonic spectrum and drawn them together in this very column that sits before you. How convenient.  



Forest Swords - Thor's Stone (Lee "Scratch" Perry remix) Thor's Stone was one of the highlights on Forest Swords' first proper debut album Engravings (after releasing a few well received and lengthy EPs back around 2010), which came out a few months back now. The track is now getting the remix treatment from 77 year old dub reggae veteran Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry who adds a decent amount of kick to the track with some distorted bass alongside his relaxed half spoken vocals, in fact the reverb laden original seems perfect match for Perry's own unique take on reggae.  

Xiu Xiu - Stupid in the Dark The always surprising and hard to classify Xiu Xiu are back with a new album in the new year (as well as a Nina Simone covers album due next month!) and have dropped their first track, Stupid In The Dark from the release. The track has an aggressive edge to it with its harsh digital synthesizers and punchy drums, it has a bit of the visceral feel of Suicide, though still with those vocals that couldn't belong to anyone else. The track is from the upcoming album titles Angel Guts: Red Classroom, apparently taken from a erotic Japanese film made in 1979, and will be available Feb 3th 2014 through Bella Union.  

Ka - You Know It's About
Here's another cut from one of the year's best records. New York rapper KA put out his second LP The Night's Gambit earlier this year, and album is full of lo-fi beats matched with smart, meditative and often insightful lyrics. You Know It's About is a particularly dark cut, and now KA has directed a video to match up to the heavy, murky atmosphere the track evokes with his black and white visuals of the Big Apple at night.  

Superhumanoids - So Strange  
(Just a quick heads up; this video is kinda NSFW)
Here's a slick indie pop track from upcoming group Superhumanoids. So Strange sees the group weaving smooth vocals over 80's indebted synths and a chucky bass rhythm. Seriously catchy stuff, the track is from the band's first LP Exhibitionists which came out earlier this month on Innovative Leisure.  

Quilt - Tired & Buttered Here's some more indie pop, but there's no 80's worship here, instead Quilt seem to mix some of the harmonies of psychedelic pop with the energetic jangle of 90's alt rock to create fun little tracks like this one. Tired & Buttered only weakness is that it end just as its hooks have really began to sink in. Still, there will be a hold album to get to grips with when the band drop their second LP Held In Splendor on February 16 through Mexican Summer.  

Pandreas – Ras This track, from 21 year old Norwegian producer Andreas Kleven Rasmussen , might just be sunny enough to make you forget those winter blues. Sounding like the lighter side of the house revival with its retro leaning beat and more than a little influence of dance music oddball Lindstrom or the Balearic pop of Air France. This tune will come out on the EP Ras on 2 December through Sellout! Music.