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A delightful mix of existential pop songs from my turntable, to your ears.

1. STRFKR / Mystery Cloud (Reptilians) 2. Majical Cloudz / Turns Turns Turns (Impersonator) 3. John Grant / Vietnam (Pale Green Ghosts) 4. Julia Holter / Goddess Eye II (Ekstasis) 5. Hot Chip / Colours (The Danger) 6. Blackout Beach / Beautiful burning Desire (Fuck Death) 7. John Maus / The Fear (B-sides and Rarities) 8. The Shins / Port of Morrow (Port of Morrow)

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perfect.

Sigur Ros – Kveikur (XL, 2013)

Several critics have made much of the darkness that can be found on Kveikur, the latest offering from Icelandic band Sigur Ros. This is surprising. Despite the heavy image on the cover, and the (sort of) surprising heaviness of opening track “Brennistein” (translation: Brimstone) there isn’t a ton of darkness to be found; rather, there is light, and energy, and a grandiose visceral quality to the tracks that, at least to this listener, feels a lot less like “darkness” and lot more like bright, colorful motion.

After all, Kveikur translates to “Candlewick”, a tool used to light up the darkness, not revel in it. Echoes of frontman Jonsi Birgisson’s solo outings reverberate all over Kveikur, and his voice is, as usual, in top form – mesmerizing and soaring, and soaked with an emotional quality that doesn’t need to rely on language to convey.

Much of the record is clearly designed with the band’s epic live shows in mind; there are ambient moments, yes, but these feel merely like setups for the bigger, more expansive movements of Kveikur – perhaps these are simply little breaks to allow us to catch our breath.

#reviews #sigurros #kveikur #existentialpop #expop #existencemusic #xl #jonsi #iceland

Jon Hopkins – Immunity (Domino, 2013)

Jon Hopkins, the London-based producer known for his work with Imogen Heap, Coldplay and Brian Eno, makes electronic music that tends to transcend and bend genre, pushing the limits of what dance music can sound like. His latest release, Immunity, is his fourth solo offering, and continues this work.

Hopkins has created a nearly tangible sonic landscape in the space of this record, which features a variety of analog, acoustic sounds that are processed and manipulated by the producer to create an exciting, new-feeling experience, that is visceral, urgent, and extremely modern.

This is music that feels like it was made for driving a Tesla Model S at top speed through a long, neon-lit tunnel, while being pursued by flying drone police.

#jonhopkins #immunity #domino #tesla #drones #dancemusic #expop

Bibio – Silver Wilkinson (Warp, 2013)

Perhaps this could be filed under music for the modern druid; Bibio expresses a reverence for the natural world on Silver Wilkinson, his fourth release for Warp, that manages to seamlessly mesh found sounds, acoustic instruments and IDM elements onto the same aural canvas.

Casual listeners might be confused as to why Bibio is filed under electronica at first listen; indeed, one could easily mistake the first four tracks of this record for a collection of lost Shins or Junip b-sides. A good half of the record may be better described as something like “ambient pop”; but as pastoral as some moments on Silver Wilkinson may be, there is also a fair amount of beat-smithing, bleeps and glitches, and at moments even something akin to swagger.

Silver Wilkinson is a gorgeous and lush soundscape that feels tied to the natural world despite its synthetic roots. Completely enjoyable and appropriate for both bright sunshine and light drizzle.