Tonights entry is split into two parts, firstly a recent double 12 inch by a German DJ called Matt (short for Matthias) John. It's called the Bridge and is a brilliant almost-concept album. I wanted to say album as it's certainly long enough to be one but it's officially a double 12 inch so who am I to argue?
He's originally from Nordhausen, just south of Hanover and was deeply influenced by the minimal styles of Villalobos and Richiw Hawtin. Listening to the tracks I'd also say Claude Von Stroke with his leftfield style. I'm finding it difficult to categorise the music because it is minimal (mainly) but also quite funky in parts and he employs a lot of voice sampling and an almost experimental approach to the keyboard composition. Have a listen to 'Dolphins' and see if you agree.
He has a sort of semi-permanent residency in a few After Hours clubs such as Bar 25 in Berlin where he lives although he can be found spinning discs across Europe and further nowadays. There's a lot of depth to his music and because it's never 'in your face' it means you can really explore the sounds. This is 'Hello Again (California Sunrise)' from the same 12 inch/EP/album. It's a lovely warm song. I'm sure it's going to be a smash too.
Next up is a Norwegian band called 'Your Headlights Are On'. They've been around for about 3 years and are highly thought of in their home country winning 'Most Promising Band' in one of the big Norwegian national papers last year. They've recently released an eponymously titled album and I've been listening to it tonight.
According to the record company blurb they employ a Wurlitzer and tuba amongst their musical weapons of choice. They are definitely on the edgier side of pop with a lot of their tunes. They really like to grind the guitars and the singing is definitely best suited to watching them live. They remind in part of their fellow compatriots, Casiokids inasmuch as they often flit between dance/noise and pop effortlessly. I like as well that they also sing in their native tongue in some of the songs, notably Diskobar. They show a maturity well in advance of their band age and also their own ages. I'm going to keep an eye out for them for when they tour the UK next. Here are a few tracks from the recent album.
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