Slightly rebranded but the idea is the same.
It may not be called The Lockdown Mixtape anymore but there was no chance in hell that this feature could be scrapped. I’ve invested too much time into these mixtapes, they became my go-to thing during 2020 and they are coming back after a brief hiatus. What’s happened since the last episode? Well… wedding season has officially begun after weeks of incessant preparation, my knee is now recovering but now slightly deformed due to a bending-down-to-the-fridge related injury a month ago and I’m currently exhausted.
Otherwise, everything is moving forward nicely. With everything going on around me, it’s still within these reflective, isolated moments (accompanied by a steaming cup of tea and new music in the airwaves) where I constantly long to be. Subsequently, today marks the return of the mixtape again (lol) – in 2050 these things will be scribed by the looks of it.
Now, let’s get you some fine new music to feast on!
Mindchatter / I Go Again
I’m determined to get an interview with Mindchatter when he tours in the UK – it’s happening Mr Connolly. A definite goal. In other news, Bryce Connolly (Mindchatter) has just released another instant-earworm electronic track, no surprise there. I Go Again has just surfaced and it’s gone straight into my mind, soul and memory. This lad works in his own little world, a land filled with expressive, quirky and original sounds – a land with a population of very few musicians. There are a couple, like Bearcubs and Elderbrook that can compete but he’s the boss of this genre for me. Mindchatter remains the top find in The Sound Sniffer’s short existence.
SUNDUR / Aging Soul
One of the most underrated records of the year has been SUNDUR‘s debut Somewhere There’s Music. Pure music arranged in a pure form. We’ve got horns on the album, we’ve got lounge-club-vibe bass lines everywhere (supplied by DJ Platurn) and a totally accomplished lead vocalist (Savannah Lancaster). Throw in a few glitchy production moments and SUNDUR’s opening album shines as bright as, let’s say, SAULT at times. This is a collaboration I’d pay money to see live and I’ve been sneakily enjoying the whole album lately. I could have picked a handful of tracks to showcase this album, it’s a rasper.
They may not have the big numbers just yet but the sound they’ve crafted is better than so many who’ve somehow satisfied the Spotify Algorithm Robot before them. A vibe.
Top Tip: Listen to Let Me Break In too.
Retro Kid / Someday
Copenhagen based, UK Born producer Retro Kid has been featured on this blog before – his compositions are filled to the brim with uplifting, astute sounds and samples. His real name is Jake Juba and over the last eighteen months he has been working alongside fellow Brit vocalist Luke Alexander Byrne writing and composing their collaborative debut album. I’ve been tracking Retro Kid for a long chunk of time and it’s refreshing to see the debut record is on the horizon. Vibrant tones from this highly skilled electronic indie producer that will get you off your chair. A sound very much in the mold of Hot Chip on the whole (previous singles more so than this one). Let’s have the album.
The only downside of this song for me (and usually a fatal flaw) is that Daddy Nat used the exact same lead vocal sample in his 2020 single ‘Sippin (still liked the work enough to share anyway)
Nother / No Twist
Nother is the solo project of Stefano Milella, a well respected producer and drummer, who before this solo exploration has done lots of work for movies and TV. Future Is Bright, Nother’s debut album arrived last week and it’s filled with atmosphere and euphoria. The initial standout singles are undoubtedly ‘Lines‘ and ‘Goodbye F’ but on further inspection I’ve fallen for the instrumental No Twist as my pick of the bunch.
The keys transport me firmly into the same state of zen Kiasmos could back in 2014. The percussion is intensive and speedy with the pulsing kick emulating the feeling of raised excitement and a racing heart. People always wondered how I always danced about to Kiasmos and co without drugs in my system at their gigs. Atmospheric songs like Kiasmos’ Bent and this one are just the right blend for me; the rhythm, tempo and structure is all I need to let go and sway, no drugs were ever needed when good music like this is spun.
Nother’s sound is not dissimilar to that of UK producer Give Me Monaco in places (especially on this No Twist track) – another producer with the knack.
I don’t know why I mentioned drugs so much there. Side note: I’ve only done them like twice in my life at festivals and one of them times I had to sit at the trunk of a tree for an hour and wait for the overwhelming chemically induced blur to buzz off.
Poolz / Cause, if You Could
Staying in the same sphere, here’s a lovely track from Dutch producer Poolz (Yorick Sedee). If you’ve been following the blog closely you’d have noticed that I did a short little interview with Yorick last year as part of my coverage of The Outlaw Ocean Music Project.
Cause, if You Could is a sample based composition perfect for listening to on a train journey home after dusk. Watch the street lights ripple by the window as Poolz supplies the downtempo phonics. Huge fan of Yorick’s music and what he did with Ian Urbina’s footage (for the Outlaw Ocean) was exceptional. Really top bloke too.
Close your eyes for this one.
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog that’s still only a baby – Founded in early 2019 by Kevin Coakley, a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ also runs gigs and showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists found in the blog’s submission inbox.
Check out my Interviews HERE
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