— Issue 86 —

This month’s letter comes off the back of a lovely gig last night - Kae Tempest at the legendary Shepherd’s Bush Empire. For those of you that don’t yet know about them, Kae (formerly Kate Tempest) is a poet, spoken word artist, author and much more. The show was amazing. A real exploration of rhythm and flow tackling powerful and sensitive issues. If you haven’t checked them out yet, we highly recommend you do!

Now, on to the vinyl.

The album is “Shouting With Nothing To Say,” a brand new release from Bleak Soul, who are known for exploring concepts of purpose & mental struggles through vast sonic explorations from ambient soundscapes, to guitar-heavy rock songs, acoustic ballads, jazz & 80’s new wave. This record feels very much like a product of the last couple of years; an emotive cinematic soundtrack with some lovely acoustic and ambient moments.

This month’s 12” is a lovely one, and has an interesting angle; it’s quite rare that a drummer is the headline artist on any kind of record. In fact we think this EP; “Spirit Beats” by Richard Spaven is the only example we have seen in the last few years! Composed of four very strong tracks which all showcase Spaven’s skills, the 12” spans hip hop, drum & bass and jazz improvisation. It’s easy to hear why the artist has played with the likes of Flying Lotus, Mala, and Alfa Mist. The standout track on this one is the beautiful neo-soul tune “Nova” with vocalist Jordan Rakei. Enjoy!