Photo by Athena
art rock
A single in two parts, "Spiral" by Bristol four-piece art-rock outfit Quade is a mysterious musical endeavour, combining post-rock, neoclassical, and spoken word. The tense mood builds and is released by mourning strings and shifts in rhythms, but the sinister feeling it creates lingers long after the track(s) finish.
experimental/metal
This pleasantly twisted cut of raw and experimental metal is bound to get your blood moving. From Brighton, Gurf make strangely funky instrumental metal in the vein of Primus, but the instrumental nature makes it a more intense listen; the manipulated guitars and powerhouse drums are worth a thousand words.
punk
From South London, Play Dead sing about the pains of a bad chop on "Barbershop". With sharp playing and a bucket of attitude, the group deliver a sharp blast of observational punk in under two minutes. "Don't you dare, fuck up my hair.", wouldn't it be great if we all dared to say this to our barbers?
electronic/pop
Sigmund Faust is an alternative rock musician from Berlin, and his latest single, "March Sweet Blunder", switches between sophisticated indie rock and more raucous garage notions. The intellectual composition has shades of Alt-J and Interpol, but the vague lyrics make any meaning challenging to pick up on; enjoyable tune all the same.
