On Kuma Cove, Luke Wyland overlays loops of live improvisations, in different tempos, as a representation of his own stutter. As he says, “the musicality of my disfluency is revealed in its frictions, elongations, and foreshortenings.” What we get is a collection of songs with often slightly-disconcerting tones and drones, sometimes metallic, sometimes rumbling, sometimes soaring, with soothing motifs of melody in the foreground and unpredictable, staccato plucked strings or piano, giving Wyland his voice. There's structure and development to the songs, creating a narrative of contrasting emotions locked in tension, battling for ascendency. This is exactly what Tim Hecker does and Kuma Cove offers that intensity, albeit with less abrasive sounds. It's amazing to get lost in this music.… More

A friend of mine is fond of saying, "music is infinite" when talking about the sheer amount of stuff that is released each week. Whilst not true in the literal sense, it's pretty much certain that nobody can keep up with everything, and, if you think about it, a corollary is that an artist you should like might completely pass you by for years. Which brings me to HVL. How the hell did I not know about this guy until the other week?

HVL is Gigi Jikia from Tbilisi, Georgia, who has been releasing music for over 10 years and has nine albums to his name. The 14 tracks here sound a bit like Skee Mask, with elements of Boards… More