Summer semester has started, which means less DJs and more music from the automation playing. Which means it is now as good a time as any to talk about the music that plays on it and is new and good! Here’s albums that got put on the rotation recently that you can hear in the Afterhours block on WKNC right now.
“CAR CRASH AND SIREN” by Various Artists
Genre: Hyperflip.
Lost Frog, the label that put out this album, has been known for a while for their consistent output of pretty good Japanese hyperflip. In “CAR CRASH AND SIREN,” they took that reputation to its logical conclusion with a three-hour-long various artists release. It is shockingly consistent in quality for its length, while still having a good variety of styles – for example, “director kasukasu puppy” by kasumi is full of loud gabber kicks over glitchy synths, while komato’s “PRICELESS CONSPIRACY #call_me_on_the_way @Sar7” has the modern dance DJ mix vibes of leroy album “Grave Robbing.” Even if you have a passing interest in hyperflip, there’s something to find and love in this album.
“Basspunk” by Bassvictim
Genre: Electroclash.
To be completely honest, I’m still not really sure what the term “indie sleaze” means, but between the 2010 Tumblr aesthetic blog vibe and the monotone vocals, I’m pretty sure that this is it. That said, Bassvictim aren’t just doing the Snow Strippers/Crystal Castles blueprint again – the production has a not insignificant amount of wubs and dubs, and adding that in works shockingly well for this type of music. If you’re looking for that specific brand of “kind of trashy but still pretty good,” then this is, without a doubt, it.
“Hex Dealer” by Lip Critic
Genre: Digital hardcore.
Digital hardcore is a fun genre in that it’s frequently colored by the artist’s other influences, and that is especially true of Lip Critic on “Hex Dealer.” This album stands out in that the vocals are extremely dance-punk-y, while still keeping the complete and utter chaos typical of the genre. It’s a super fun listen, and exactly the kind of thing I hope I get to see live at some point. If you usually don’t listen to much electronic music, love punk and don’t mind the possibility of being filtered by wacky production, this is absolutely worth a shot to start you on the Afterhours pipeline.
