Best New Tracks

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  These New Puritans

  These New Puritans: "Fragment Two"

  Infectious

  By Ian Cohen; June 13, 2013

  The announcement of These New Puritans' previous album, Hidden, was a literal declaration of war, and they sure as hell weren't subtle about it: we're talking six-foot Taiko drums, blaring digital dancehall horns, the simulated crushing of a human skull, Jack Barnett wearing chainmail vests on stage. "Fragment Two" suggests they're opting out of the arms race with themselves on Field of Reeds.

  The blocky piano chords are instantly reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens in his Cub Scout cartographer phase and the drums are those of a simple trap kit, as Barnett mutters a tender, lilting melody over irregular rhythms. But as strings and horns waft over like smoke on a deserted battlefield, you're reminded of the militaristic severity which has defined These New Puritans since Beat Pyramid, serving as an eerie reminder of a danger that could strike at any moment; "Fragment Two" isn't the sound of peace so much as a tenuous armistice.

  These New Puritans: "Fragment Two" (via SoundCloud)

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  Todd Terje

  Todd Terje: "Strandbar (disko)"

  Olsen

  By Ian Cohen; June 12, 2013

  A little background on the title of Todd Terje's new single, doubling as your daily lesson in Norwegian: strandbar means "beach bar" in English. It seems to be a subtle jab at the haters: Apparently after the release of his spellbinding 2012 single "Inspector Norse", a radio executive claimed that the optimal venue for Terje's music was, well, the strandbar. Not exactly a compliment.

  But if even Terje's throwing down the gauntlet here, he's doing it with characteristic playfulness. Hooks abound throughout "Strandbar"--from a 12" out today on Terje's own Olsen imprint-- and as thrilling as it is for seasoned electronic listeners, there's an appealing jam construction that will reel in people who are encountering Terje for the first time. It's full of glorious piano vamps and bass loops sequenced in ways that feel both intuitive and inventive over the span of nearly nine minutes, as if Terje is surprising himself even as the build of "Strandbar" owes itself to expert-level craftsmanship. You might even be worried that he's being too generous packing in so many gleeful moments into one isolated track, but you could've said the same about "Snooze 4 Love" and "Inspector Norse". Terje's already held us down for two straight summers, and here he goes doing it again.

  Todd Terje: "Strandbar (disko)" (via SoundCloud)

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  Lone

  Lone: "Airglow Fires"

  R&S;

  By Larry Fitzmaurice; June 4, 2013

  Over the past year or so, UK nü-rave producer Matt Cutler has let a few tracks out here and there under his Lone alias, but he's finally ready to return with a proper release following 2012's astounding Galaxy Garden. On July 9, R&S will put out Lone's new single, the "Airglow Fires" 12", which will feature the title track backed by another new one, "Begin to Begin". "Airglow Fires" features a stuttered synth hook, thwacking percussion, and what sounds like a sample of J Dilla's "The Twister (Huh, What)"; it might take a listen or two to catch on to what he's doing here, but when it sinks in it's quite engaging.

  "Airglow Fires" is, on a whole, a less cluttered take on Galaxy Garden's big, blocky chords and neon streaks; the elements that make up the tune are more spaced out in general, making it an airy companion to Galaxy Garden's standout single "Crystal Caverns 1991". Squint just a little bit while listening, and you can hear the overtly jazzy compositional talents that radiate through fellow UK knob-twiddler Floating Points' astral-techno style. From the beginning, Cutler's been all about growth-- from Ecstasy and Friends' woozy Dilla-fied glow, to Emerald Fantasy Tracks' breakbeat fantasias, to Galaxy Garden's beatific positivity-- and with "Airglow Fires", one of dance music's best producers of the moment is pushing himself forward yet again in a new, thrilling direction.

  Lone: "Airglow Fires" (via SoundCloud)

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  Fuck Buttons

  Fuck Buttons: "The Red Wing (Edit)"

  ATP

  By Ian Cohen; May 30, 2013

  In the past, Fuck Buttons edits were a necessary evil, or at least an imperfect trade-off; yes, their tracks run ten minutes on average, but if you don't want to make that kind of time investment, do you deserve the thrill of those transcendent, Olympian builds? The lead single from their third LP, Slow Focus, makes it a moot point, as "The Red Wing" is the first Fuck Buttons song we've heard where the beat drops immediately-- and it's the first Fuck Buttons song where the "beat" can be understood in a hip-hop sense of snares, kicks and hi-hats.

  On a Fuck Buttons track, even a rudimentary breakbeat can create an overwhelming, gravitational effect that aligns all of these disparate and playful ideas into a singular, driven juggernaut, as the duo mark "The Red Wing" with reverbed samples, untraceable arcade sound effects, and joyful, buzzsaw synth lines. While Fuck Buttons have been uncomfortably grouped in noise, rave and post-rock, there's always been a hip-hop approach in their intuitive and inventive reappropriation of cheap synths and scavenged sonic detritus. "The Red Wing" shows how Fuck Buttons interact with the concepts and ideas of their peers rather than just the mere music; as such,  they are never in danger of sounding like anyone other than Fuck Buttons.

  Fuck Buttons: "The Red Wing" [edit] (via SoundCloud)

  [from Slow Focus; out 07/22/13 in the UK and 07/23/13 in the U.S. via ATP]

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  Chvrches

  Chvrches: "Gun"

  Virgin / Goodbye

  By Ian Cohen; May 28, 2013

  Front page photo by Christina Kernohan

  Chvrches make hyper-melodic and instantly accessible pop music that belies the extreme challenges inherent in its creation: similar to distilling your own moonshine or drunk dialing, there are so many ways it can blow up in your face if the slightest thing goes wrong. But the promised yield makes the risk worthwhile, and with "Gun", the Scottish trio continue a mastery of their inexact science. Brilliantly major-key without being cloying, extroverted without coming on too strong, synthetic but not stiff and metaphoric without being impressed with its own cleverness, "Gun" follows in the tradition of "The Mother We Share" and "Recover" while also cranking the tempo and sociopathic, bitter notes embedded in Lauren Mayberry's high-fructose melodies.

  Chvrches: "Gun" (via SoundCloud)

  [from the "Gun" single; out 07/15/13 via Virgin/Goodbye]