Going to concentrate on music that is a bit more dance orientated today, just so people know that I’m not just a guitar monkey. So we may as well start with this lot.
1. Atlas – Bicep (single, 2020, Ninja Tunes Records)
The second album ‘Isles’ from Bicep was much hyped and when it finally dropped at the start of the year it didn’t disappoint. ‘Atlas’ was the lead track from it and that kind of whet the appetite – with its charging synths and bouncy rhythm that every now and again is forced to one side by an ambient interlude that is wonderfully nostalgic of early Four Tet releases.
2. Fever Farewell – Grief Lines (single, 2021)
Moving on from Bicep to a band I know very little about, other than the fact that they released this stunning piece of music about four months ago. Research tells me that it is the work of Guy Bannister from Leeds. Musically, it combines dance, ambience and shoegaze, whilst that might sound worryingly like the sort of nonsense that Ozric Tentacles used to churn out whilst off their noodles on mushrooms, it’s actually rather ace.
3. Hennya – Saraphim (single, 2021, Nomine Sounds)
‘Hennya’ is an intriguing slice of middle eastern inspired electronica from a duo based in Essex, that I know very little about (theme running here).
4. Could U Stop – Keep Dancing Inc (single, 2020, Taken from ‘Embrace’)
Finally, we come to Parisians Keep Dancing Inc who are not quite as bleepy as the rest of todays offerings but their 80s synth pop is pretty tremendous.
And todays randomly shuffled Christmas tune is…one of the greatest Christmas single of all time.
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
I also like this version
No Badger Required 