JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Warren G.’s 56th birthday.
New Video: Always You Share Glistening and Breezy “Shadow Play”
Los Angeles-based duo Always You — twin brothers Christoph and Anton Hochheim –will be releasing their third album, the Jack Tatum-produced Against The World is slated for a Friday release through Hit The North Records.
With Jack Tatum at helm guiding production and mixing, he tirelessly broke down and then reconstructed all the elements of the material with the twins, pushing the album’s overall sonics to the absolute breaking point while still retaining their signature sophtisipop sheen. Throughout the album’s run time, heavy guitars and bending sheets of white noise clash over frenzied hi-hats and The Prodigy-like sub bass. Abrupt starts and stops seemingly crash down with the weight of the world. Drum ‘n’ bass and house beats thump over soaring melodies and chopped up vocal samples. The ballads seemingly sparkle with more heart and tension than anything in their previously released work.
Thematically speaking, Against The World is a statement for and against the times: a manic manifesto drawing a line in the sand, pointing out that love is the only resistance against the forces manufacturing distance and endless dissent between us. It’s a rallying cry pushing for something better, a staunch refusal of the status quo, fueled by the belief that we all deserve much better. The album’s material is rooted in the deep sense of longing for something, hell, anything else than this — a different reality, an alternate timeline, anything. Increasingly divorced from the world around us, the false promises of a new lover, a new leader, a quick and seemingly effortless salutation or a new savior become impossible to resist. That fantasy leads us further and further underground, leaving miles of rubble in its wake and keeping us all just out of reach.
Against The World will include”1994,” “Eye to Eye,” and the album’s final pre-release single “Shadow Play.” “Shadow Play” is the album’s most sophistipop-leaning tracks of the released singles. Featuring glistening synths, thumping electro pop-like beats, “Shadow Play” is a breezy tune that’s rooted in inquisitive themes.
“‘Shadow Play’ is about living for an imagined audience,” the duo explain. “We all do this to some extent in life and in love. Relationships are a type of performance, with specific roles that get cast and stories that get etched out and retold with time. It’s about love as a projection, as something very personal to a person rather than something created by two, and the dangers of copy and pasting that onto others.”
The accompanying video for “Shadow Play” follows a woman and one-half of the duo performing — in their own way– for an audience with concert strobe lights to emphasize the performative nature at the core of the song.
Throwback: Happy 56th Birthday, Scarface!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Scarface’s 56th birthday.
Throwback: Happy 57th Birthday, Pepa!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Pepa’s 57th birthday.
New Video: Alain Void Shares Brooding “Amo questa vita”
Alain Void is an Italian electronic music scene and producer, who first emerged into the synthwave and electro pop scenes in 2022 with his solo recording project Empty Essence, which saw him blending elements of post-punk, electro pop and darkwave paired with lyrics that frequently tackle philosophical themes.
Void eventually stepped out into the spotlight as solo artist, writing and recording under his own name. His work as a solo artist has largely been inspired by the nee to spread awareness and awaken consciousness through music.
The Italian artist’s latest single “Amo questa vita” continues a run of material that pairs Void’s remarkably Dave Gahan-like vocal with a brooding early era-meets-Violator-era Depeche Mode-inspired production featuring layers of glistening and shimmering synths, a motorik-like bass synth-driven groove and industrial beats. “Amo questa vita” thematically touches upon accepting oneself entirely — including their complicated history.
The accompanying video was shot in black and white and follows Void wandering through a wood area and in graffiti-strewn ruins — and in some way it reminds me of early era MTV videos.
Throwback: Happy 77th Birthday, Bonnie Rait!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Bonnie Raitt’s 77th birthday.
Throwback: R.I.P. Richard Lloyd
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the life and music of Television’s Richard Lloyd.
Throwback: Happy 83rd Birthday, Joni Mitchell!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Joni Mitchell’s 83rd birthday.
New Audio: L’Eclair Returns with Slow Burning, Mind-bending “Dunes”
Bulgarian-born, Geneva-based brothers Stef (guitar, keys) and Yavor Lilov (drums) were shaped in a myriad of unseen ways by the centuries-old folk music that filtered through their daily lives. It helped mold their creative spirit and inspired them to make music together at a young age — and that unique and intuitive alchemy has been a foundation of their acclaimed, JOVM mainstay act L’Eclair, which they formed a decade ago.
Their newest EP, Echo was released today through Innovative Leisure. Self-produced by Stef and Yavor Lilov, Echo EP reportedly finds the acclaimed Swiss outfit once again pushing their endlessly elastic approach to rhythm, texture and groove while continuing to occupy their own peculiar corner of the dance floor. where hypnotic repetition gives way to unexpected detours, locked-in rhythms collide with warped electronics, and vintage textures meet a modern sense of space. The result is another playful, exploratory chapter from a band that has spent the better part of a decade proving that groove can be both a destination and a way of getting wonderfully, deliriously lost.
The EP also introduces some new additions to the studio lineup — James Iwa (bass), Panji Bharata (synth) and Eduardo Silva Fuentes (percussion).
Echo EP features the previously released “Excelsior,” a song that the band had been playing during live sets over the past year, and the album’s latest single “Dunes.” Subtly channelling some of their earlier efforts — i.e., 2018’s Polymood, 2019’s Sauropoda and 2020’s Noshtta — may be their most guitar-driven composition in a couple of years: Beginning with a gently droning tanpura-like sample woven around acoustic guitar, “Dunes” slowly unfolds into a mind-bending, psilocybin-fueled groove, anchored by a strutting five-song bass line paired with some laconic yet bluesy guitar solo. It’s a song that further cements their reputation for crafting material that’s simultaneously perfect for lazy afternoons and evenings at home — or for lifting off into the stratosphere.
L’Eclair explain, ““Dunes” marks our return to a more guitar-driven sound. It’s a thread that we explore throughout the entire Echo EP. The track highlights our ability to explore and blend genres, creating deep, mystical soundscapes equally suited for the dancefloor or a trip from the comfort of your couch.”
New Video: JOVM Mainstays Yoo Doo Right Share Patient, Shimmering “Tortue”
Montréal-based experiential rock outfit and JOVM mainstays Yoo Doo Right‘s fourth album, the Ky Brooks co-produced Build and Rest by the Shepherd’s Light was officially released today through Mothland.
Build and Rest by the Shepherd’s Light‘s material ranges from eardrum shatteringly loud forays into post-rock and krautrock, highly-tempered, effects-driven pieces seemingly drawing from ambient, noise, done and more. Eschewing genre strictures and boundaries, the album sees the band — currently Justin Cober (guitar, bass, VI, synthesizer, piano, tape recordings and vocals) and John Talbot (drums, percussion) — opting for a symbolic approach to creation, with each of its different pieces free to unfold in a myriad of ways upon each listen.
From its creators’ point of view, Build and Rest by the Shepherd’s Light chronicles the hardships of artistic resolve, acknowledging the daily grind required to keep the momentum while embracing the shared joy of the creative process. Throughout the album’s runtime, there’s an underlying tribute to the communities that foster art: “Industriestraße 9” pays homage to a defunct Luzerne squat where they used to play. Symbolism seeps through song titles like “Tortue,” “Sofort, Si fort,” and “To Be a Lambskin (Or to Be the Whole Flock)”, which offer enigmatic glimpses into creative vision. Co-producer Ky Brooks contributes a spoken word poem to album track “Neighbours Report Their Neighboours.” Timothy Aaron Brynan, who recently joined the duo on tour was invited to play bass on “Doldrums, Doldrums, Eviler Than the Devil,” a song that has quickly become a live set staple. Additionally Jessica Moss (violin) and Francis Leduc-Bélanger (trumpet, flugelhorn) make vital contributions to the album.
The Ky Brooks co-produced album was recorded at Montréal’s Hotel2Tango and Studio Error 403. Seth Manchester mixed the album at Providence’s Machine with Magnets. Amal Lal mixed the album at Oakland’s Macro Sound. The album’s cover art is a photo taken in Ovronanz, Switzerland by Julia Bender.
“There is a lot of joy and laughter in this album. For the first time in a while, we were feeling enriched and energized by what we were creating, the instruments we were using, and what was coming out,” the band says in a lengthy statement. “The record is us looking at our place in the world and deciding we were still committed to making music together. Boldly doing so with as much joy as we can drag out of the dried roots of modern day life. Rather than the anxiety-inducing white knuckle ‘when is it going to break’ energy we have worked with in the past, this record is optimistic but pensive. It holds onto the idea of transcendental musical themes and is deeply rooted in repetition and a clear momentum. A momentum we hope moves people, whether it is in thought or the physical.
“The title—Build and Rest by the Shepherd’s Light—highlights the main themes and motifs of the record as it stands. Rest and build, and rest and build, and rest and build… What else is there in our stories? Everyday is caring for ourselves and then doing everything in your power to care for those around us. A heroic journey is nothing but helping set camp up every night and making sure everyone is fed. A person’s ‘shepherd’ is defined by themselves, whether it’s music, their friends and families, their companion animals, or the very equipment they use to create! In each of our lives, we have the potential to draw strength and find rest in what is around us, build and rest by the shepherd’s light.
“Half the record came fully-formed, the other half was born of improvisational jamming. Originally made as pieces of music to help his partner sleep, Justin created ‘Industriestraße 9’ and ‘Neighbours Report Their Neighbours’ while isolated in a cabin over the Winter. ‘Doldrums, Doldrums, Eviler Than the Devil,’ ‘Tortue,’ and ‘Build and Rest by the Shepherd’s Light’ were us just having lots of fun in the studio, being excited by new ideas and sounds, challenging ourselves to dive deeply into new grooves and styles. The rest were either old ideas born anew or fully conceptualized pieces brought to life. While quite exploratory in its sonic landscape, we see the record as one cohesive story. A cinematic exercise that we hope people listen to in full.
We recorded with co-producer Ky Brooks. They are one of our favourite artists and a dear friend so the choice to have them hop on was an easy and exciting one. We booked studio time with no intention of finishing a record. The goal was to lay down some new ideas and get in the mindset of recording. Hotel2Tango is an incredibly warm and creatively conductive place for us. For four days straight, we put in 12-14 hour days and routinely got lost in the haze of creative fervor. Timothy joined us to record “Doldrums […]”. Jessica, Ezra, and Francis’ instruments, as well as Ky’s vocals, were recorded at Error 403. Having finished recording, we of course turned to Seth (mixing) at Machines with Magnets and Amar (mastering) at Macro Sound to elevate the album.”
Over the past handful of months, I wrote about album tracks “Doldrums, Doldrums Eviler Than the Devil,” and “Sofort Si Fort.” The album’s latest single “Tortue” is a remarkably restrained yet expansive, shoegazer-like take on post-rock that sees the band patiently adding sonic layer upon sonic layer, beginning with droning modal harmonies, furtive melodic bursts and free-flowing percussion. And as the song progresses, a new element is introduced until the song reaches a gorgeous, dream-like coda featuring bass VI, guitar, shimmering synths and twinkling piano.
The accompanying video by visual artist Trevor Yardley-Jones is fittingly a painterly and downright trippy visual that layers the colors and increase with intensity.
New Audio: IFULKI Shares Uplifting and Empowering “Moment”
London-based trio IFULKI features musicians shaped by a culture of improvisation, openness and collaboration:
- Queen Kaltoun, a Moroccan-Italian vocalist, who relocated to London when she was 189 to pursue a career in music
- Charlie, an English-born bassist and synth player with Irish and Ghanian roots
- Ayman, a Sudanese drummer and percussionist
Each member of the trio have spent years performing across London’s live music circuit, playing sets at Ronnie Scott’s, Jazz Cafe and Village Underground and a long list of others, while collaboration with a collection of boundary-pushing artists including David Mrakpor, Rebekah Reid, Mei Kirby, Ayo Salawu, Arowah, Tay Grace, and NK-OK.
The London-based trio have quickly established a unique blend of Gnawa inferences, electronic textures and live instrumentation helps to create a sound that’s deeply rooted in ancient traditions while being remarkably modern. Rather than remaining within the boundaries of jazz, the project for the trio became the meeting point of everything the inspired them — the freedom of improvisation, the emotional depth of electronic music, trip-hop and soul, and the philosophy of Queen Kaltoum’s Amazigh heritage.
Driven by spacious electronics, hypnotic rhythms and deeply instinctive interplay between the trio, the band’s music consistently prioritizes deep feeling over sterling perfection. That philosophy stems directly from their name: “‘Ifulki’ means ‘beautiful’ in the Amazigh language,” Queen Kaltoum shares. “It’s a celebration of the beautiful people and beautiful connections we encounter in this life. I’m Moroccan, and I come from the Amazigh people, an Indigenous people from North Africa. I want to pay homage to my ancestors. They’ve carried such a strong sense of community through generations, and that’s something I want to celebrate.”
For Queen Kaltoum beauty isn’t something superficial. Beauty exists in kindness, generosity, solidarity and the relationships we build and maintain with each other. Those values, which are deeply embedded within Amazigh culture, quietly shape every aspect of the emerging London-based trio’s creative vision — one, ultimately born, as Queen Kaltoum says, “from a need to bring people together.”
The rising London-based trio’s debut EP Something Greater is slated for a December 4, 2026 through [PIAS]’s new imprint SOURCE. The EP will feature the previously released EP title track “Something Greater,” and the EP’s latest single “Moment.” Built around a strutting and irresistible bass line, skittering hi-hats and atmospheric synths, “Moment” is a seamless blend of soul, trip hop and dance music rooted in a urgent, empowering message about calming one’s space and embracing the present with an unapologetic confidence delivered by an equally powerful vocal. In tone and message, the new single nods a bit of Aretha Franklin’s 1994 cover of C+C Music Factory’s “Pride (A Deeper Love).” But at its core, the result is a much-needed blast of affirmation and uplift — and a reminder that you can’t let anyone dim your shine, ever.
The track is a call to recognise your moment when it arrives and refuse to let it pass you by,'” IFULKI’s Queen Kaltoum explains. “It’s about claiming your space, pushing through resistance and refusing to let anyone diminish what you’re building. At its heart, though, ‘Moment’ is also a reminder that strength doesn’t have to be solitary: sometimes, the right people beside you make all the difference.”
Throwback: Happy 78th Birthday, Glenn Frey!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 78th anniversary of the birth of Glenn Frey!
Throwback: Happy 62nd Birthday, Corey Glover!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Living Colour frontman Corey Glover’s 62nd birthday.
Throwback: Happy 62nd Birthday, Greg Graffin!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin’s 62nd birthday.