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Weekly Adds: 1/11

  • Post Author
    by Music director
  • Post Date
    Wed Jan 19 2022

Every Tuesday at WSUM, our Music Director, Arthur, chooses his favorite new releases to add to our music library. Here are this week's favorites, presented to you by WSUM's Music Journalism Club.


Strawberry Hospital, Data.viscera [EP]

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Azure,” “Squall”

GENRE: Trancecore, shoegaze, glitch pop, blackgaze, digicore

RIYL: Yakui the Maid, Lilac, Nosgov, Acetantina, Foxtails, Your Arms are My Cocoon

In less than 10 minutes of playtime Strawberry Hospital proves once again how they have a complete grasp of the elusive trancecore genre. In Data.viscera, the producer gracefully treads between the genre lines of trancecore, atmospheric drum and bass, blackgaze and cybercore. The project is well known for mixing the heavy guitar riffs from metalcore with the child-like playful aspects of hyperpop and digicore, and this EP is no different. The vocals are reminiscent of the robotic nature of Vocaloids and evoke a nostalgic ambience that permeates throughout the short EP. This EP also showcases clear evolution in the Strawberry Hospital sound, as they experiment with jazz chords during the ambient breaks and rely less on the sheer edginess of their first albums. Data.viscera is an incredibly strong release in the emo community this year, we all just wish it was longer than 10 minutes.

— Arthur Machado


Five Pebbles, forgetmenot [EP]

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “kiss,” “we know the devil,” “cat's tongue”

GENRE: Shoegaze, noise pop, dream pop

RIYL: Weatherday, Swirlies, Candy Claws, My Bloody Valentine

forgetmenot is the latest project by Sputnik, also known as Weatherday among several other aliases. Whereas most of Sputnik's releases since 2019's Come In have been mostly synth-driven, forgetmenot sees guitars taking the lead once again, albeit in a decidedly more
“shoegazey” and textural role. You can see this in tracks such as the lush “kiss” which I would rank as the EP's best, with it's gripping hooks and blissful wall of sound production. Another high point for the EP is the track “we know the devil ” which showcases the EP's melancholic leanings. Ultimately, forgetmenot is an incredibly strong release and in its 19 minutes delivers some of the most well performed shoegaze tracks of last year. 

— Matt Jarosinski


John Dwyer, Gong Splat

John Dwyer, Ryan Sawyer, Wilder Zoby & Andres Renteria - Gong Splat . Bleep.

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Toagut”, “Hypogeum”, “Yuggoth Travel Agency”

GENRE: Jazz, rock

RIYL: The Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Nolan Potter

As someone who has searched long and hard for worthy instrumental albums, John Dwyer's Gong Splat will be entering the rotation after my first listen. While improv can be occasionally self-indulgent, there is nothing selfish about this album. Without going too in-your-face and over-the-top, there is a shockingly harmonious balance between both elements of rock and jazz. As a founding member of The Oh Sees, John Dwyer's extensive discography is only enhanced by his masterful work on his 2021 release. One of his four albums released this year, Gong Splat goes above and beyond in developing tone and blending complex instrumentation. I couldn't help but think certain songs sound like they belong in a movie soundtrack. While it would have been easier to reshuffle all of the elements Dwyer plays early on, the sound evolves to create everchanging sounds and beats. If this album is any type of glance into the solo work John Dwyer can accomplish, I would advise most to keep him on the radar. 

— Kait Fueger


Alice Phoebe Lou, Child's Play

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “If You Were Here,” “Care,” “Child's Play”

GENRE: Indie pop

RIYL: Angel Olsen, Big Thief, Faye Webster, Stella Donnelly

Child's Play is the fourth studio album from South African singer-songwriter Alice Phoebe Lou. Released as a surprise album in 2021, it was Lou's second release of the year. Working with the same collaborators from her previous album, Glow, Lou maintains her signature dreamy sound. The clever songwriting, reverb-enlaced vocals and old-school instrumentations present in Child's Play continue to set Lou apart in the indie pop scene.

— Amany Khreis


Sis, Gnani [EP]

HIGHLIGHT TRACKS: “Wooie,” “Flower in Space,” “Embodiment”

GENRE: Spiritual jazz, progressive electronic

RIYL: Alice Coltrane, Four Tet, Floating Points, Mort Garson

Jenny Gillespie Mason has released a new EP under Sis, heavily influenced by spiritual jazz artist Alice Coltrane. Gnani blends together a healthy mix of genres, seeing Sis switch from funk on “Wooie” to the glittering and dreamy “Flower in Space” and from the synth-pop inspired “Embodiment” to the ambient “Gazelle Rites.” The EP is also consistent with its use of electronic music, being extremely reminiscent of Four Tet's work. Gnani is an innovative and contemplative EP, seeing Mason in an uncrowded but highly regarded place in musicespecially following the success of Floating Points and Pharoah Sanders's Promises last year.

— Amany Khreis

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