Shall we write a new editorial? Oh the endless demand and who needs a damn editorial? No time for editorials, let the actual music do the actual walking and the actual talking. Exact same thing again, another five (or so) slices of musical things that have passed our way recently and however you like to slice it and of course it was the price of lemons and here comes the editorial. Don’t be flippant she said, how could it ever be flippant? I can’t remember why she said that now, in one ear, out the other, we have a bad attitude here apparently, no respect for those who work in the music industry, well no poop Sherlock, have you only just worked that one out? We’ve been showing (and getting) zero respect since the last century, zero flips given.

Five? There’s something rather compelling about five. Cross-pollination? Five more? Is there another way? A better way? A cure for pulling flying rabbits out of the clouds? Is there a rhyme? Is there a reason? Was there ever a reason? What do reasons make? Five more? Snake oil? Everything must go and no, we never do and the proof of the pudding is in that proof reading. When we started this thing, oh never mind, it doesn’t matter why we started this damn thing and like we asked last time, does anyone bother reading the editorial? Does anyone ever actually look down the rabbit hole or is it all just method acting? We do really try to listen to everything that comes in, we do it so you don’t have to, we are very (very) very very picky about what we actually post on these fractured pages or about what gets played on the radio or indeed what we hang in a gallery. Cut to the chase, never mind the editorial, skip this bit, there’s loads of music further down the page, well five or so pieces of music that have come our way in the last few days and what’s Wordsworth? Just the basic facts and links and those sounds (and visuals), that’s surely all you need from us?

Here we go, five more slices of music that have recently come our way, this time we start somewhere in Norway, via Taylor Silk’s window and her red stars under feet – ORGAN THING: Taylor Silk’s Soft Domme opening night at East London’s Wilton Way Gallery, so much more than just playful fun…

1: Building Instrument & Mari Kvien Brunvoll & Øyvind Hegg-Lunde and a new single on the always interesting rather leftfield Oslo label Hubro – “Hubro is a record label dedicated to releasing music from the vital Norwegian jazz and improvised music scene. We cherish the album as a physical object. All releases come with exclusive design by the very talented design group Yokoland”.

“The first single from Building Instrument´s upcoming album is out now. Saunte depicts a quiet explosion of presence during a train ride through North Zealand, Denmark. This outstanding track delivers unexpected rhythms and riffs, and uses sampled ukulele sounds and treated vocals against an urgent pitter-patter of electronic percussion and de-tuned strings”, so the label say via Instagram

If it is a train ride then it is on tip-toes, it is each foot carefully placed on the tracks, it feels as crisp as fresh snow, certainly no hint of the wrong leaf fall on the line…

“Norwegian trio Building Instrument – Mari Kvien Brunvoll, Åsmund Weltzien, Øyvind Hegg-Lunde – return with new sounds full of dreamy pop hooks, sparkling synth textures and beguiling lyrics about the moon, spirit, animals and the experience of simply being alive. Their album Månen, Armadillo, set for release on March 14, 2025 (Hubro CD / LP), embraces the wild, the fragile, and the beautifully fleeting. Defying genre boundaries, Månen, Armadillo showcases the trio’s open and playful approach to music.

The first single from the album, Saunte, depicts a quiet explosion of presence during a train ride through North Zealand, Denmark. This outstanding track delivers unexpected rhythms and riffs, and uses sampled ukulele sounds and treated vocals against an urgent pitter-patter of electronic percussion and de-tuned strings. 

The Bergen-based trio have been active for nearly 20 years, blending free improvisations with collaboratively composed elements. The result is a homemade, musical patchwork. Comprised of Øyvind Hegg-Lunde, Åsmund Weltzien, and Mari Kvien Brunvoll, the group merges elements of electronica, folk music, improvisation, and contemporary classical music.

Since their debut album Building Instrument in 2014, also released on Hubro, the trio from Bergen have continuously explored new musical directions while maintaining their distinctive sound. Much of the material on Månen, Armadillo was developed as part of a commissioned work for the electronic music festival Ekko in Bergen in 2022.

2: Venamoris – We that had us dumbfounded for a moment or two, who is this? What is this? I know this song? Who are they covering, this is really familiar, i know this, wow, that’s how to cover a song, that’s a Scorpions cover! That is indeed animal magnetism, the new single from Venamoris’ album, To Cross or To Burn – in stores Feb 28th, more here – the album is the new release from “soulful dark pop from legendary drummer Dave Lombardo and singer-songwriter Paula Lombardo” – yer man from Slayer but you probably knew that already, dare we call them goths? Here’s the Bandcamp

About the new single, Dave says, “My first concert was May 25, 1980. Scorpions opening for Ted Nugent’s ‘Scream Dream’ tour. We (Slayer) had covered a couple Scorpions songs in the early years, but I never would have thought of re-imagining one of their songs at that time. Now it seems like the most natural thing to do. The idea to re-create Animal Magnetism came to me late one night. I could hear Paula’s sultry voice, the song taking on a slightly industrial feel…

…And I could fully hear Gary Holt play this insane lead. It’s been really incredible to see this idea come to life. To release this at the same time this iconic band is celebrating 60 years is a perfect way for me to thank them for an inspiring first show in 1980 and for all they have contributed since.”

Paula offers insight into the album, “‘To Cross or to Burn’ has taken us down a darker, very different path than our first album. There’s a confidence in this body of work. An overall vibe of heaviness that was unexpected. Verses of hard truths now bound in acceptance. The soul-searching continues.”

3: Squid – Cowards is the third album by the “English art rock quintet” Squid, out February 2025 on Warp Records. The album is said to be about evil, here you go, you, go see if they’re making a career of evil or something like that.

More of that soon to be released Squid album via Bandcamp while we get on with not being able to eat another thing….

4: Black Flower – Synesthetic is taken from Black Flower’s album ‘Kinetic’, to be released on 31 January 2025, more here

“Renowned for their unique blend of afrobeat and jazz, Black Flower releases their second single, Synesthetic, from upcoming album Kinetic.

Frontman Nathan Daems recounts the inspiration behind the track: One morning around 5am, I was lying in bed, my eyes still closed but no longer fully asleep. I heard two birds improvising rapid melodies that became vividly visual. Lines, shapes, and colors appeared instantly, representing the sounds with astonishing detail and complexity.”

Rather than simply imitating the birdsongs, Black Flower channeled the energy and joy of that moment into Synesthetic, crafting a celebration of the interconnectedness between sound and visual sensation. This synesthesia-like experience became the foundation of the track, capturing the ephemeral beauty of those early morning melodies.

The accompanying music video was made by Belgian visual artist and video director Philippe Werkers“.

5: The legendary Pink Dots and a slice of mellowness alongside some visuals from the recently reviewed soon to be released new album So Lonely In Heaven – ORGAN: Albums – Wire’s Edvard Graham Lewis asks if you’re Alreet? Legendary Pink Dots floating in a tin can, Marc Neys has some poetic piano, the not so bleak post rock of Beneath a Steel Sky, Canada’s Megafauna, Motherhood’s Thunder Perfect Mind and… More via Bandcamp / Website – So Lonely In Heaven is out on 17th January, according to the press release we said of the album “Mellow, almost poppy, slightly psychedelic space rock. It is all very easy on the ear, almost crisp, clean-cut, likeable future-pop maybe?”

More Squid while we unfreeeeeeeze our feet….