list.co.uk/music Records – Singles | MUSIC
SINGLES & DOWNLOADS
SAD CITY ‘You Will Soon Find That Life Is Wonderful’ EP (Phonica Special Editions) ●●●●●
Glasgow-based, Northern Ireland- born producer Gary Caruth delivers a four-track EP that is dripping with lush, undulating synth hedonism and blissed-out meditative swashes. It’s reminiscent in its artistry of the languid astral-plane wandering house of Brooklyn duo Blondes, full of bright, ambient explorations, throbbing beats and Balearic broad synth strokes. Caruth has often jammed with multi-
instrumentalist Julian Lynch and this bold effort shows a similar willingness for cosmic expeditions, albeit using a different palate. Order the EP at phonicarecords.com; hear more at soundcloud.com/sadcity; facebook.com/MusicBySadCity
CARTER TUTTI ‘Coolicon’ (CTI) ●●●●● JON HOPKINS ‘Open Eye Signal’ (Domino) ●●●●●
Despite being pretty active, this is the first single for over a decade by Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, formerly of industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle. That said, they have always marched to the beat of their own drum and with their impending return to the live scene this new release gives a timely reminder of their still vibrant dynamic. ‘Coolicon’ (the manufacturer's name
of an old metal lampshade that Delia Derbyshire used to 'sample' while at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 1960s) is a juddering and cacophonous dubby dirge that will sound just fantastic when lumbering out of a formidable PA. Available on 10" green vinyl and download, order from cti.greedbag.com
Electronic multi-tasker Jon Hopkins seems to sound different every time he remerges from whatever cocoon of synths and equipment he chooses to find solace in. Here he delivers a propulsive slab of analogue joy from his forthcoming LP Immunity, which has an immediacy from the get go and does not stop its chugging euphoria for the duration. ‘Open Eye Signals’ tightly structured rhythm deviates little, but there is a majesty in this unravelling juggernaut. Remixes of 'Open Eye Signal' by Happa, Lord of the Isles, Nosaj Thing and Luke Abbot will be released on Mon 3 Jun, with a white label vinyl available from Mon 20 May. Watch the official video on YouTube now.
ROB ST JOHN AND THE COVEN CHOIR ‘Charcoal Black and the Bonny Grey’ (Song, By Toad) ●●●●●
‘Charcoal Black and the Bonny Grey’ was originally sung in 1905 in Lancashire; here, Lancastrian Rob St John restores it to what we will presume to be its former glory. It’s an old song pregnant with a pernicious gloom, and a ‘grim up North’ fatalism. This remodelling – a 7” on Edinburgh
label Song, By Toad – is skilfully done, channelling the past with its hallowed sense of purpose, varied instrumentation and vocals teaming with a weighty poignancy. Available to download from songbytoad.com; find out more at robstjohn.tumblr.com (Singles reviewed by Mark Keane)
EXPOSURE
HAIM When Haim look towards their future, do they see anything between themselves and a torrent of riches and acclaim? We’ve checked, and we can detect nothing. Were we to be unimaginative, in fact, we’d say they have all the retroisms to one day go on to be a kind of female Kings of Leon, except with a gift for sweet, yearning pop melo- dies rather than gravelly, masculine truck drivin’ country rockers. Who are they?
Sisters (another KOL similarity) Este, Danielle and Alana Haim, and drummer Dash Hutton. When they were at school in southern California the three women played in a covers band called Rockinhaim with their dad Mordechai and mother Donna, and Danielle and Este were in minor Columbia-signed girl group The Valli Girls. Danielle is also Jenny Lewis’, Julian Casa- blancas’ and Cee-Lo Green’s former live guitarist. Are they good?
Very much so, in The List’s opinion, if you like breezy MOR rock with a bit of bite and heart to it. We saw them in Stereo last year and they were tremendous, covering Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Oh Well’ to perfection, grinding out the R’n’B-style slow jam ‘Go Slow’ and charging through their mighty breakthrough single ‘Don’t Save Me’ and the arguably even better ‘Let Me Go’. All single at the time, they also menaced the poor menfolk of Glasgow in impressive style: ‘we’ve tried haggis balls – you know how we feel about balls in this band, right?’
What’s next? The debut album in the summer, produced by Paul ‘Adele’ Epworth and James ‘Simian Mobile Disco’ Ford. How can it fail? (David Pollock) ■ Haim play SWG3, Glasgow, Mon 27 May and T in the Park, near Kinross, Fri 12 Jul.
16 May–13 Jun 2013 THE LIST 87