Sad this week to hear about the passing of music journalist and musician Neil Kulkarni. He wrote for the Melody Maker in the 90s (after writing a critical letter) and also The Wire, The Quietus amongst others, as well as maintaining his own Substack. I also heard his funny, passionate and strident contributions to the brilliant Chart Music Podcast (which if you haven’t listen to – please do), where he mused on pop, crisps, the Birmingham piss troll and who you would trust to make you a sandwich.
I never met him, despite him being a Coventrien of a similar age but always admired that he stuck it out in the city that I left, particularly as he would’ve had more reason to do so. Sadly, his sudden death has left two daughters without both parents (his wife having died a few years ago) and a fundraiser has been launched to offer support.
Astrid Sonne’s got a new album called ‘Great Doubt’ the Dane’s third and from what I’ve heard so far and this time it’s more lyrically driven. Her viola has acted as the main ‘voice’ in the earlier releases but retains a central role. Tizrah is an influence as is her occasional collaborator and fellow Dane, ML Buch. The ‘Everything is Unreal’ track that I played is a striking, sparse but gorgeous doom-laden balled.
Talking of doom, and more specifically the symphonic and grandiose type, Daona are back with a new EP ‘live machines’ and, on the show, I aired the ‘Hot Cell’ track from it, which has a beautifully weaved clarinet going through it. The track title made me think of ‘A Cold Cell’ by Coil and there definitely an echo of Coil in Daona’s musical approach.
I came across Sainte in the enjoyable Digging with Flo podcast (recommended listening – and coming from someone who has no interest in growing). From Leicester, he someone that was close to making it at professional basketball when his throwaway rap ditties were getting attention on YouTube, so his career took a different course. ‘Champagne Shots’, which I played on the show, is his biggest hit yet.
The rest of the show featured some folk (English, Irish, Ukrainian, Surminamian) and lots of other doomy tracks amongst other styles. The playback link is below. Some annoying glitches around the 45-60 mark, but they eventually pass.
1 Jon Lucien Kuenda
2 position normal I Feel Fantastic
3 The Red Krayola Victory Garden
4 Toumba Istibtan
5 Timmy Thomas Why Can’t We Live Together
6 Astrid Sonne Everything is unreal
7 Annie Anxiety Waiting for the Fun
8 Brise-Glace Angels on Installment Plan
9 JPEGMAFIA,Danny Brown Fentanyl Tester
10 Unknown T,ODUMODUBLVCK WELCOME 2 MY STRIP
11 Ori Barel Monophonic Conspiracy
12 Jockstrap/Taylor Skye Pain Is Real
13 Duffy x Uhlmann/Gregory Uhlmann/Hand Habits Gold Tooth
14 Nuke Watch Anti Work
15 Mykolaiv Singers Пісня до Меланки
16 John Francis Flynn Within a Mile of Dublin
17 Richard & Linda Thompson The Calvary Cross
18 Saramaccan Sound (Suriname) One Mother, Two Hearts
19 A Bad Diana Behind the Curtain of the Sun
20 Daona 3 Hot Cell
21 Shackleton Shimmer, Then Fade
22 Eich Bleak
23 Brackles/Fox Skank (feat. Fox)
24 Fear-E Off The Bat
25 LXNGVX/YOUK3IV YUMMI
26 apillsinjuice FREETATO
27 Byron Messia Mad Dawgs
28 Rainy Miller,Space Afrika,Coby Sey The Graves at Charleroi
29 Sainté Champagne Shots
30 Tierra Whack Chanel Pit
31 Novelist Stay with me
32 Nourished by Time Can I Tell You Tomorrow?
33 YOTO Entrada a La Panadería
34 Wolf Eyes Pointerstare
35 Classe de perfectionnement Voix + tube à musique
36 LAM03GIN L03N
DVDeeets 
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