ON OUR RADAR

Welcome back to On Our Radar, a music feature where the team at Reform select their hottest tracks of the week. This week we’re getting weird and whacky, exploring niche sub-genres that really make you feel something.

JANSKY 

Microgenres are getting pretty intricate these days. So, if avant-garde biophonies are your thing, this one’s going to bang. Recording insects in Mallorca, Spanish duo Jansky have created a seven-track album with each song dedicated to a different insect. ‘Insecta Dance Music’ is a journey through the sounds of their landscape, created by sampling the sounds of insects such as crickets, cicadas and bees. Creating rhythms, tones, bass and synth pads and using these sounds to construct whole songs. Although electronic-driven, their music involves the use of poetry and a flute, combining luscious tones of classical music against atmospheric waves of contemporary. 

JOAQUINE

Imagine you are in space, floating around in the atmosphere and soaking in the enormity of our galaxy. That’s what this EP sounds like. Dreambient and mystical, ‘Oh Angel’ is five tracks of pure bliss. With layers upon layers of modular sound art from the moment you press play and not a single vocal in sight. Joaquine is definitely one artist to look out for. 

ASHA PUTHLI

You rarely come across an artist able to explore a multitude of genres and not only do it well, but add their spark. Indian songstress, Asha Puthli, does this effortlessly, adding her artistry to the spectrums of Jazz, Rock, Disco, Psych and even Pop, showing how eclectic Outhli is as a musician. Listen to her distinct, ethereal and enchanting vocals on a new compilation album released on UK record and film label Mr Bongo and hear the beauty for yourself. 

MAARA 
Progressive Dance music is making a comeback and Maara is at the forefront, leading the way. Here you can get a sneak peek of what’s to come on release day, July 11th. Filled with gated vocals, seductive slurs and a feeling of haunting enchantment, ‘Forget The World’ is perfectly hypnotic and otherworldly. Screeching monkeys and monotonous drums take you on a journey, similar to that of a 1990’s Trance track where you could simply lose yourself in the music. If you have ever seen the rave scene in the Matrix Reloaded, you might recognise the same dark and tropical appeal that arose from the 1990s clubbing scene. Now, Canadian producer Maara brings this back, creating the tracks one might expect to hear vibrating across the dancefloor in the early hours of the morning.

FUTURE JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Released on Ten Lovers Music in May, the ‘Rough Times’ EP is four tracks by multi-instrumentalist Nicola Penna, otherwise known as Nasty Boy. The Italian DJ and Producer constructed Future Jazz Ensemble as a side project and his connections to the Electronic world are most certainly audible. This fresh take on Jazz is wonderfully encapsulating, with echoing brass notes, Rhodes chords and pitter-patter drums throughout.