Single Reviews: 2 November 2024: Córdoba/Ciurkot, Stray Theories, Langendorf United, Calming River, TALIA

Posted by Jay Honeycomb on

Photo by szm 4

 

Córdoba/Ciurkot - Luminiferous Aether

experimental

Danish duo Ignacio Córdoba and Agata Ciurkot, who operate under the name Córdoba/Ciurkot, showcase their exploratory spirit on “Luminiferous Aether” the first single and opening track of the album “Ephemeral, Basal”, which will be released on January 17th, 2025, via the ever-reliable label Pink Cotton Candy. In this piece, the pair offset ambient and calming piano ruminations with wonky and warbling synths, becoming increasingly distorted and anxious as the piece progresses. Static explosions, piercing wails, and complex jazz structures merge into a mosaic of nuanced profundity. According to the press release: "In the realm of science, luminiferous aether was once understood as the medium through which light travels - a concept long abandoned. This composition seeks to invoke exactly that sense of light’s apparent wave-based ability to move through empty space..." The pair succeed in creating something physically ethereal and radiant, though buoyed by its philosophical weight.







Stray Theories - Veil

ambient

New Zealand-based, Australian musician and composer Micah Templeton-Wolfe operates under the moniker Stray Theories. His music is sweepingly comprehensive, creating layered worlds rich with emotional tones and hopeful resolve. This is evidenced on Veil, a piece Stray Theories has contributed to the upcoming compilation Fauna, which is set to be released this December 10 by n5MD. This date coincides with  International Animal Rights Day, and all proceeds from the compilation will be donated to the French non-profit association L214. However, one doesn't need an ulterior motive to engage with this music. Everything on "Veil" feels stretched out and slowed down, so much so that time and space appear to bend and contort around the soundwaves. There's a mountainous ambition to proceedings, and Templeton-Wolfe balances his ethereal brushstrokes with moments of intoxicating percussive melody. 







Langendorf United - Hymn (live)

jazz

The softness that constitutes "Hymn" by Swedish troupe Langendorf United is at once balmic and inspirational. It's also adorably sweet. Originally featured on the group's 2023 album Yeahno Yowouw Land, this live version of the song sports an air of abandon and escape, with the crowd's cheers mirroring the sense of jubilance the unhurried piece aims for and hits. Spearheaded by the saxophonist Lina Langendorf, the group feel calm as they ruminate on the beauty hidden behind the mundane. Recorded at the group's debut concert, this live version of "Hymn" will feature on the upcoming compilation A song is a dream (and dreams are real​!​), which will be released on November 8th by the label Sing a song fighter in celebration of the label's 10th anniversary. 








Calming River - Plain of Esdraelon

ambient 

The acoustic guitar is ubiquitous, though it's far from worn out. Artists are constantly finding ways to incorporate its earthy resonance into new forms. One musician doing this is British finger-picker Joshua Malcolm, who goes by the apt stage name Calming River. On his recent single "Plain of Esdraelon", Malcolm leans into the acoustic guitar's ambient potential, barely plucking his strings yet somehow collecting his notes into captivating bunches with passion and emergency, coloured by distant and watery synths and droning elements. This song is the first to be released from Calming River's upcoming album, Macdui, which is slated for release in 2025. If "Plain of Esdraelon" is anything to go by, Macdui promises to be an enchanting and mystical fare capable of providing respite to those in need.  







TALIA  - Talking Heads

indie electronic

From New York City, USA, TALIA deals in alluringly sweet and emotionally invested electronic indie pop musings on her recent single "Talking Heads". Colliding loud drums and intense electronic instrumentation with personable vocals delivered with a cool sincerity, TALIA wraps everything in just over two minutes, ensuring an impactful and replayable tune about the perils of escapism "Nothing feels the same we get high to feel the buzz" the impact it can have on our relationships "biting on your tongue like you got something you won't say", and the dehumanizing effects of this combination, rendering us mere proverbial talking heads.