Category: Blog

WKNC DJs and Staff Top Tracks of 2022

Post author By Maddie
Post date January 1, 2023

The 3rd edition of our annual series!

Why post year end lists before the year is even over? That’s why we release our list on January 1.

Hope you find your next favorite songs here. You can also click the hyperlinks in DJ’s names to go to their Spinitron pages and see all their DJ sets, or check out blogs they’ve written, or follow them on Instagram, or anything else they wanted to let y’all know about.

As always, you can check out the playlist on our Spotify page.

*Denotes songs not available on Spotify.

Jamie Lynn Gilbert; Station Adviser/Radio Mom

The Papercuts – “I Want My Jacket Back”
American Aquarium- “Chicamacomico”
Taylor Swift – “Anti-Hero”

Maddie/cow ball; General Manager, DJ

Jockstrap – “Jennifer B”
Special Interest – “Cherry Blue Intention”
Grace Ives – “Lullaby”

Adrian; Program Director

Black Midi – “The Defence”
Black Country, New Road – “Basketball Shoes”
Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”

Eilee/space cadet; Promotions Director, Assistant Local Music Director; DJ

Wednesday – “Bull Believer”
Black Country, New Road – “The Place Where He Inserted The Blade”
Kitchen – “River Song”

Caitlin; Content Manager, blog writer

Big Thief – “Time Escaping”
Mitski – “That’s Our Lamp”
Charli XCX – “Yuck”

Maddy/Maddog; Daytime Music Director; DJ

Alex G – “After All”
Beabadoobe – “the perfect pair”
The 1975 – “About You”

Jedward; Assistant Daytime Music Director; DJ; Instagram

Weyes Blood – “The Worst Is Done”
Alex G – “Mission”
Parannoul, Asian Glow – “Wheel”

Quaker; Afterhours Music Director, DJ

Cities Aviv – “CINEMA CLUB”
Machine Girl – “Sin to Win!”
Tennyson – “Iron”

Ewan/DJ off belay; Underground Music Director; DJ; blog writer

Kenny Mason – “DIP!”
Jean Dawson – “GLORY*”
Scubadiver – “Alligator”

Erie; Local Music Director; Interviewer; DJ

Sylvan Esso – “Echo Party”
Secret Shame – “Hide”
Wame – “Callin Up”

Jaden; Chainsaw Music Director; DJ

Denzel Curry – “Walkin”
Thornhill – “Arkangel”
Loathe – “Dimorphous Display”

dj babycakez; Social Media Content Creator; DJ

Grace Ives – “On The Ground”
Djo – “End of Beginning”
MICHELLE – “SYNCOPATE”

President Shrimpo; DJ; host of In the West Wing

Spoon – “The Hardest Cut”
Yard Act – “Land of the Blind”
Gilla Band – “The Gum”

Carter Norfleet; Video Content Creator; Instagram

Black Country, New Road – “Concorde”
black midi – “Welcome to Hell”
Pool Kids – “That’s Physics, Baby”

Tommy/T-Time; DJ; Podcast Content Creator; Instagram

foxtails – “ego death”
Chat Pile – “Why”
The Sound of Animals Fighting – “Sharon Tate, Despite Everything”

Will/Hüttemeister; DJ; blog writer

Jerry, at the Beach – “I’m Hurting”
Surf Curse – “Self Portrait”
Alvvays – “Many Mirrors”

Tyler/The Loaf; DJ; Interview Content Creator

julie – “pg.4 a picture of three hedges”
Leaving for Arizona – “Cowboy Killers”
Weymouth – “Seasons”

Gracie/grak; DJ; Instagram

Horsegirl – “Billy”
Deadharrie – “Jubilee”
Barrie – “Concrete”

FULLMETAL RACKET; DJ

Soul Glo – “Gold Chain Punk (whogonbeatmyass?)”
Foreign Hands – “Separation Souvenir”
Kaizo Slumber – “Schlierberg”

Zach/Aloe; DJ

Denzel Curry – “Walkin”
Big Thief – “No Reason”
Lowertown – “Bucktooth”

Erik++; DJ

Yndling – “Like Love is Real”
Divino Nino – “Drive”
Alexander Wallin – “Hyperambient I”

J/Malocchio; DJ; Instagram

Theater’s Kiss – “Konig”
French Police – “LLORAR”
L’ment – “Odraz”

Leksie/leksipro; DJ

The Garden – “What Else Could I Be But A Jester”
Wet Leg – “Being in Love”
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – “AHHHH!”

Benjamin/Your Friendly Local Bird-Themed Noisemaker; DJ; original music on Youtube and Soundcloud

*SABI – “My Poor Brain”
Ben Levin – “That’s What Lunch Was Like”
New Space – “Secret Admirer”

Sarah/Scrimble; DJ

MUNA – “Silk Chiffon”
Carly Rae Jepson – “Surrender My Heart”
Seeing Double – “Leah”

Zach/Zen; DJ

Jakey – “DRIVE OFF A BRIDGE”
HANRORO – “MIRROR”
Jakey – “FAT HEAD”

Bug/Velvet Worm; DJ

Jockstrap – “Concrete Over Water”
Scandisk7 – “Aokinaoi”
Pretty Sick – “Self Fulfilling Prophecy”

dj bluegill; DJ

Black Country, New Road – “Concorde”
JID – “Dance Now”
Weyes Blood – “God Turn Me Into A Flower”

Ben/dj chef; DJ; blog writer

Black Thought & Danger Mouse (ft. MF DOOM) – “Belize”
Abbie from Mars – “DreamDreamDream”
Yaya Bey – “reprise”

mike utt; DJ; Instagram

Fievel Is Glauque – “Save The Phenomenon”
Dry Cleaning – “Gary Ashby”
Horsegirl – “Anti-glory”

Jacob/Chuck Rockwood; DJ

Matt Rise – “Falling in Love”
The Smile – “You Will Never Work in Television Again”
Jean Dawson – “PORN ACTING*”

Sanath/DJ Fives; DJ

Bladee feat. Ecco2k – “5 Star Crest (4 Vattenrum)”
Weezer – “Records”
The Smile – “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”

chalcopyrite; DJ

death’s dynamic shroud – “Messe de E-102”
Naked Flames – “Tennessee Transit”
Chat Pile – “grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg”

Banshee; DJ

Julmud – “Kalma'”
Dora Jar – “Lagoon”
Jerard – “House trumpet”

Rodeo Romeo; DJ; Website

Hiding Places – “Actin’ Ugly”
Jeffrey Lewis – “Finish The Book”
Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”

DJ SHEETZ; DJ; blog writer

Charli XCX – “Twice”
JID – “Raydar”
Soft Blue Shimmer – “Prism of Feeling”

johnny ghost; DJ

Frankie and the Witch Fingers – “Electricide”
King Khan and the Shrines – “Children of the World”
Tejon Street Corner Thieves – “Love’s Pilot”

Doris/dj habanero; DJ

p-rallel, Rachel Chinouriri, Venna- “Can’t Get Enough”
Kilo Kish, Jean Dawson- “CHOICE COWBOY”
Bien et Toi, Biig Piig- “Rainbow Tables”

Sam/Milo Minderbender; DJ

black midi – “Welcome to Hell”
Dry Cleaning – “Gary Ashby”
Denzel Curry – “Walkin”

Dylan Tincher/DJ Dylatonin; DJ; Instagram

LCD Soundsystem – “new body rhumba”
Djo – “On and On”
Automatic – “Teen Beat”

Rainbow Riot; DJ; Instagram

Little Simz – “Gorilla”
Ezra Collective – “No Confusion (feat. Kojey Radical)”
The WAEVE – “Kill Me Again”

tetrapod; DJ

Jockstrap – “Debra”
Perfume Genius – “Pop Song”
Planet 1999 – “crush”

Justin/JustinTime; DJ

black midi – “Welcome To Hell”
Ginger Root – “Over the Hill”
Jockstrap – “Greatest Hits”

Gibson/DJ gibogib; DJ

Daphni – “Cloudy”
Hikaru Utada – “Find Love”
Certified Trapper – “Freak Like Me”

Zeddy; DJ

Black Country, New Road – “The Place Where He Inserted the Blade”
Big Thief – “Simulation Swarm”
Rome Streetz – “Reversible”

Tags Top tracks 2022

Concert Review

MJ Lenderman Concert Review

Post author By escenten
Post date December 16, 2022

Photo taken by author.

Local Asheville, North Carolina legends, MJ Lenderman and the Wind opened for Katie Crutchfield and Jesse Williamson’s new project, Plains, on their month-long tour in support of their new album.

On Monday November 7, Plains and MJ Lenderman stopped in Saxapahaw, North Carolina at the Haw River Ballroom on their tour. This was the perfect night for me because the Haw River Ballroom is one of my favorite venues in the area, and MJ Lenderman and Waxahatchee are two of my favorite artists. I wrote about my love for MJ Lenderman’s latest album “Boat Songs” in a blog post over the summer, and I continue to gush over the album everyday.

MJ Lenderman is the solo project of singer songwriter Jake Lenderman, he is also known for his lead guitar work in the band Wednesday. The band played as a six-piece, made up of frontman Jake Lenderman, drummer Colin Miller, who has a solo project I really love, Xandy Chelmis on pedal steel and tambourine, who also plays pedal steel in Wednesday, Jon Samuels on guitar, who also plays in 2nd grade and Friendship, a bass player I did not catch the name of when he was introduced on stage, and guest guitarist Brad Cook, who is an acclaimed producer and musician based in Durham, NC. He’s worked on records like “Valentine” from Snail Mail, “Any Shape You Take” by Indigo De Souza, Plains’ “I Walked With You A Ways,” and so many others.

The “Hometown” Heroes played a 45 minute set and opened with the electric tune “You Have Bought Yourself A Boat.” The crashing symbols and bombastic bassline made for a great opening tune. From there the band played “TLC Cagematch” and then “Hangover Game.” It was really interesting to hear the band slow it down so quickly and bring it back up by wedging one of their saddest songs in between their most driving tunes.

Karly Hartzman, the lead singer and guitarist of Wednesday came on stage for “Toontown” to sing backing vocals. Her voice shined through against such a somber tune adding to the atmosphere of the performance. A lot of people in the audience were fans of MJ Lenderman, and I think a lot of his family was at the show, which added to the atmosphere and excitement for the band as well.

The band’s energy on stage was electric. They set up in a u shape so they could all look at each other and communicate about the stops, changes, and jams throughout the set. Everyone on stage looked like they were having a great time and it felt as if they were allowing the audience to look in on one of their practices. Their sound filled the intimidatingly large size of the Haw River Ballroom. It was a lot of fun to watch Xandy get really into the songs and not be able to stop moving while playing the pedal steel or tambourine. The performance also felt really personal, Lenderman is a really honest song writer and his vulnerability translates well on stage through his vocal delivery.

Later in the set the band played older songs like “Knockin’” and “Someone Get the Grill Out of the Rain” which the crowd loved. They closed out with their tune “Tastes Just Like it Costs” which had kind of been a track I had overlooked on his new record, since the record is filled with so many amazing tracks that I gravitated towards more. However, hearing this song live has now made it one of my favorites. The band played with so much passion, it radiated off the stage. Set to cast in overblown fuzzy guitars, the track has a sense of warmth that comforts in the face of disappointment. I was enthralled by the way Lenderman sang out “Mmmm honey, it tastes just like it cost” with so much emotion. By the end of the song the whole crowd and band were singing that line along with him.

Plains followed up MJ Lenderman, and of course they sounded wonderful. Crutchfield and Williamson had the most perfect harmonies, their voices blended so well together. The group played some of their new songs like “Problem With It” and “Abilene” and they also played songs from their solo projects together, like “Can’t Do Much” from Waxahatchee’s catalog and “Hunter” from Jesse Williamson’s catalog.

MJ Lenderman will be back in the area on February 2, 2023 at the Cat’s cradle back room with Florry.

Tags concert review, mj lenderman, Wednesday

Playlists

Best New Releases October/ November ’22

Post author By Rachel Laminack
Post date December 15, 2022

In this blog post, we will be taking a closer look at some of the best new music releases from interesting and innovate artists in the alternative hip-hop scene, in addition to a few R&B and alternative-pop highlights. All of these tracks were released in October or November 2022.

Note: Some songs on this playlist contain explicit lyrics.

Top Track

“GLORY*” by Jean Dawson is off of his new album, “CHAOS NOW*”. This is Jean’s third album, and is more Indie Rock than his previous albums. Some other standout tracks include “POSITIVE ONE NEGATIVE ONE*“, “0-HEROES” and “BLACK MICHAEL JACKSON”. If you enjoy these songs, I highly recommend checking out his last album “Pixel Bath”, as it is one of my favorite albums.

Local Artists

Tommy Richman, an artist from Virginia, released his first album “ALLIGATOR” on Oct. 28. This playlist features “703”, a track with a very unique sound that can be best described as funky punk.

“BROTHER WASSUP?” is a collaboration between Young Wabo and ERNESTO BIRMINGHAM. This is the pair’s second song together, as they released “WHO THE GOOD GUYS?” earlier this year. While I would describe both ERNESTO BIRMINGHAM and Young Wabo as hip-hop artists, this song pushes the boundaries of the genre in a very interesting way.

Mavi, an artist from Charlotte, NC, released his second album on Oct. 14 “Laughing so Hard, it Hurts”, consisting of mostly lo-fi hip-hop tracks. “3 Left Feet” seems to touch on a relationship ending and the feelings of a breakup. Other standout tracks include “My Good Ghosts” and “Last Laugh”.

Another artist from Charlotte, LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON, released his third album of the year “DIS TEW MUCH” on Nov. 15. Yes, you did read that correctly, he has released three albums in 2022. This playlist features track eight titled “Alicia Keys in the Face”.

Alternative-Pop

spill tab tapped into a alternative-pop punk genre with her newest single “CRÈME BRÛLÉE!”. This is her third single of the year, quite different from the indie-pop style of her previous single “Splinter”. It features an amazing instrumental, and I hope that she continues to experiment with these sounds in the future.

“Maybe Love” is Maz’s second single, a new artist from Utah in the alternative-pop sphere.

R&B / Soul

Fousheé, who was featured on Steve Lacy’s newest album, released her second album “softCORE” on Nov. 18. “supernova” is different from the normal music Fousheé makes, but shows that she continues to push boundaries in the alternative R&B and neo-soul genre.

Hip-Hop

“Demonslayer” by AKAI SOLO is from “Spirit Roaming” released on Nov. 11. Another highlight from this album is “The Weakest Crest”.

On Nov. 25 MIKE, Wiki and The Alchemist released a three-track EP which included the title track “One more”. MIKE plans to drop an album called “Beware of the Monkey” on Dec. 21.

Listen to this mix on Spotify. Note: Some songs on this playlist contain explicit lyrics.

Hope you enjoyed! Check out September ’22 New Releases here.

Rachel L.

Tags New Releases, Playlist, Underground, underground hip hop

Classic Album Review

Dawn of a Legend – KMD’s “Mr. Hood”

Post author By DJ Southpaw
Post date December 15, 2022

KMD, “Mr. Hood” album cover art

Kause in a Much Damaged Society, or KMD, sparked the legendary career of one of its core members, Zev Love X. Among other aliases, Zev Love X eventually came to be known by the moniker MF DOOM, the underground hip hop icon. Other members of KMD included DJ Subroc (Zev Love X’s younger brother) and Onyx the Birthstone Kid. “Mr. Hood” was the debut album released by the group under Elektra Records in 1991.

Can Rap Be Comical and Impactful?

The concept that “Mr. Hood” revolves around is the namesake character, who is composed entirely of samples from language-learning tapes and travels around New York City with the members of KMD. The group also brings in sampled voice lines from sources as disparate as a Malcolm X speech on “Boy Who Cried Wolf” and Bert from Sesame Street on “Who Me? (With an Answer from Dr. Bert)” and “Humrush”.

KMD’s lyrical style is reminiscent of other artists in the New York scene during the early 90s, including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and the Jungle Brothers. They maintain a balanced blend of light-hearted humor and themes of racism and black empowerment throughout “Mr. Hood”.

Yet, the humor often serves to emphasize more thoughtful messages from verses on “Who Me?” for example. The song begins with a snippet from Disney’s “Song of the South”, an infamously racist movie from the 40s that introduces the character Little Sambo. Zev Love X’s verses explore his outrage towards several derogatory terms for Black people, and the phrase “who me?” reflects this point.

Lips and eyes dominant traits of our race
Does not take up 95 percent of one’s face
But still I see, in the back two or three
Ignorant punks pointing at me
Lyrics from “Who Me? (With an Answer from Dr. Bert)” by KMD

Zev Love calls on Dr. Bert at the end of the song to solve this issue, in which he instructs kids to “draw a circle around [Little Sambo]”. Considering how Little Sambo is such a racist caricature of Black people, Bert is telling all kids (not just those affected) to call out racism when they see or hear it rather than letting it slide.

Philosophy of KMD

As noted on the track “Nitty Gritty”, the members of KMD are Black Muslims part of the Ansaaru Allah sect, which mixes elements of Black nationalism and Islam. At this stage in KMD’s career, all were devout and refrained from drinking or doing drugs.

The opening track off “Mr. Hood” illustrates Zev Love X’s disdain for drugs and drug dealers. After learning that Mr. Hood is a drug dealer, he tells the story of Crackpot Jenkins, who got arrested for trying to sell crack to a cop. He still manages to keep up the light-heartedness of the album by setting the story in a playground where Crackpot Jenkins sells “pebbles and stones to throw rocks”.

Since then I knew he wasn’t too head smart

As I scribbled in art he insisted on standing in the sandbox

To collect unknown amounts of pebbles and stones to throw rocks
Lyrics from “Mr. Hood At Piocallee Jewelry / Crackpot” by KMD

From Love to Villainy

Despite becoming well known as one of the best in complex rhyme later in his career, Zev Love X’s rap style still sounds highly reminiscent of established artists at the time. His rhyme scheme had not yet developed to the intricate level displayed on Madvillainy or MM…FOOD.

Additionally, he had not yet experienced the hardships that brought him to adopting his villainous persona MF DOOM such as losing his brother Subroc to a car accident. As such, he still raps enthusiastically and with a passion not present in his later work.

It’s difficult to find a track on “Mr. Hood” devoid of any funk, with thudding bass lines and a groove that resonates through every track. While albums released under MF DOOM would drop the funk sound, the driving bass and humor lived on.

Conclusion

Zev Love X wanted listeners to be able to enjoy KMD’s music while still preserving the artistic integrity of their messages on Black empowerment. These themes only became more of a focus on their follow-up album “Black Bastards”, which was finished after Subroc had been killed.

As a result, “Mr. Hood” remains the only album in Zev Love X’s discography to be born out of passion for his craft and relative innocence. Listeners already familiar with MF DOOM should come to this album to explore his origins and find a more upbeat and pure DOOM.

Rating: 8.5/10

— CashewCrunch

Tags KMD, MF Doom, Mr. Hood, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 12/13

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date December 13, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	LEATHER	We Are The Chosen	SPV/Steamhammer
2	OBITUARY	“The Wrong Time” [Single]	Relapse
3	SUBSUN	Parasite	Self-Released
4	WINDS OF LENG	“Into Leng” [Single]	Self-Released
5	MASSA NERA	Derramar \| Querer \| Borrar	Zegema Beach
6	FELETH	Divine Blight	Rob Mules
7	SCATTERED STORM	In This Dying Sun [EP]	Blood Blast
8	LORNA SHORE	Pain Remains	Century Media
9	ABBEY, THE	“A Thousand Dead Witches” [Single]	Season Of Mist
10	SUNAMI	“2022 Promotional Tape” [Single]	DAZE

Chainsaw Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	DRYAD	The Abyssal Plain	Prosthetic
2	JESUS PIECE	“An Offering To The Night” [Single]	Century Media

Tags Chainsaw Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Afterhours Charts 12/13

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date December 13, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	FLOATING POINTS	“Grammar” [Single]	Ninja Tune
2	CLUB ANGEL	6AM [EP]	Astral People/PIAS
3	HVOB	TOO	Different/PIAS
4	PENDANT	Harp	Saddle Creek
5	BICEP	“Water” feat. Clara La San b/w “Waterfall” [Single]	Ninja Tune
6	SHYGIRL	Nymph	Because
7	ALICE GLASS	PREY//IV	Eating Glass
8	DEATHS DYNAMIC SHROUD	Darklife	Self-Released
9	DIVINO NINO	Last Spa On Earth	Winspear
10	MATVEI	TALES_FOR_NIGHTCLUBS_II [EP]	Kitsune

Afterhours Charts

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	CULPRATE	Number Four	Open Outlets

Tags Afterhours Charts, NACC Weekly Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Top Charts 12/13

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date December 13, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	AKAI SOLO	Spirit Roaming	Backwoodz
2	MAMALARKY	Pocket Fantasy	Fire Talk
3	ALEXANDRA BABIAK	Magical Thinking	Self-Released
4	DENZEL CURRY	Melt My Eyez See Your Future	Loma Vista/Concord
5	FLY ANAKIN	Frank	Lex
6	JPEGMAFIA	Offline! [EP]	Peggy
7	LAVA LA RUE	Hi-Fidelity [EP]	Marathon
8	070 SHAKE	You Can’t Kill Me	G.O.O.D./Def Jam
9	ADE HAKIM	“I’m Finna Eat” [Single]	Self-Released
10	MAVI	“Baking Soda” [Single]	Self-Released
11	PRETTY SICK	Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile	Dirty Hit
12	SCUBADIVER	Godspeed To	Self-Released
13	SHY HIGH	Goodbye Delicious [EP]	Self-Released
14	TOMMY RICHMAN	Alligator	Boom
15	YOUNG WABO	Mirage [EP]	New College
16	ARMAND HAMMER	Haram	Backwoodz Studioz
17	AVIAD	Believe [EP]	Self-Released
18	DIFFERENT JANE	Rooms	Self-Released
19	GIRLPUPPY	When I’m Alone	Royal Mountain
20	KWAMZAY	Motherland! [EP]	Corner Store Art House
21	LOWERTOWN	I Love to Lie	Dirty Hit
22	MIKE	Disco!	10k
23	NILUFER YANYA	PAINLESS	ATO
24	REDVEIL	learn 2 swim	Self-Released
25	SOFIE ROYER	Harlequin	Stones Throw
26	THEY HATE CHANGE	Finally, New	Jagjaguwar/Secretly Group
27	WEYES BLOOD	And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow	Sub Pop
28	ALEX G	God Save The Animals	Domino
29	LUCY DACUS	Spotify Singles [EP]	Matador
30	SHYGIRL	Nymph	Because

Top Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	WEYES BLOOD	And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow	Sub Pop
2	GIRLPUPPY	When I’m Alone	Royal Mountain
3	LOWERTOWN	I Love to Lie	Dirty Hit
4	ALEXANDRA BABIAK	Magical Thinking	Self-Released
5	ASIAN GLOW	Coverglow pt.1	Self-Released

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Top Charts, WKNC 88.1

Blog

“αριθμός τέσσερα” by Culprate – Album Review

Post author By DMC Woodstock
Post date December 7, 2022

The album cover for "Number Four" by Culprate.

“αριθμός τέσσερα” means “Number Four” in Greek to signify Culprate’s 4th album release. It also means I must give this album ★★★★☆

This album has a ton of variety despite only being seven tracks long. Throughout the entire album, natural instrumentation blends with electronic sound to create a wide variety of musical landscapes. Much of the sound mixes western music ideas with non-western music, making for something unique.

“Koloni (MaiTai)” offers a more traditional drum and bass sound that’s easier to categorize, but still sounds incredibly strange. The first half of the track has super heavy percussion. It feels very cold, like being swept through a rushing river under a solid sheet of ice. There are synthetic electronics working alongside live recorded sounds, but what makes this section interesting is how the recorded sounds are even more alien than the electronic sounds.

The second half of the track morphs into something warmer and more soulful with a kalimba taking center stage. The melody it plays and the strings fading in and out of the mix feel bittersweet. For decades, electronic music has grappled with the contrast between the foreign and the concrete. Here, it is executed masterfully.

The next track, “Fly,” takes a completely different turn. This track is why I’m hesitant to call “αριθμός τέσσερα” an electronic music album. “Fly” begins with several layers of beautiful acoustic guitar. It’s a complex and fantastical composition. Piano and strings enter, turning up the grandiosity before approaching a musical edge, staring out into the abyss, and doing the only thing that should be done: a stunning guitar solo. After hearing two drum and bass songs, the last thing I expected was a (mostly) acoustic instrumental movement. Even more unexpected, is just how good it was.

“The Psychology of James Berland” is a fine piece of fusion sandwiched between more DnB. There are great instrumental sections from slap bass, electric piano, guitar, which move from different flavors of jazz while relentlessly hurrying forward.

“जलाना (Jalaana),” meaning “to burn” in Hindi, is an incredibly interesting track. Immediately, the Indian musical influences are apparent. The sitar and powerful vocal chants waste no time in evoking a huge landscape. In the background, electronic sound lurks, but they never show their full form until the full drop into bass. The vocals are chopped, and the Indian folk drums are incorporated into complex, stuttering rhythmic patterns that change pulse at a whim.

After hearing this track, the accomplishment of this album became clear to me: a multitude of mashed up musical styles and flavors baked into something totally new.

“Muerte De La Dama” is a classical guitar piece with a woodwind finish, and “Nammu” is a drum and bass track with a saxophone solo. By the end of the album the surprises keep on coming. It never stays in one place, and always has a fresh new idea around the corner.

“αριθμός τέσσερα” is the most delicious musical buffet I’ve been to in a while. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year. I recommend it to any adventurous music listener looking for something new. Strong ★★★★☆ – Great Album.

Tags Afterhours, Drum and Bass, Electronic, instrumental, New Album Review

Weekly Charts

Top Charts 12/6

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date December 6, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	ALEX G	God Save The Animals	Domino
2	PRETTY SICK	Makes Me Sick Makes Me Smile	Dirty Hit
3	FLY ANAKIN	Frank	Lex
4	JPEGMAFIA	Offline! [EP]	Peggy
5	DENZEL CURRY	Melt My Eyez See Your Future	Loma Vista/Concord
6	SOFIE ROYER	Harlequin	Stones Throw
7	THEY HATE CHANGE	Finally, New	Jagjaguwar/Secretly Group
8	YOUNG WABO	“Palace” [Single]	New College Entertainment
9	FREDDIE GIBBS AND MADLIB	Bandana	Madlib Invazion
10	SCUBADIVER	Godspeed To	Self-Released
11	STELLA DONNELLY	Flood	Secretly Canadian/Secretly Group
12	ADE HAKIM	“I’m Finna Eat” [Single]	Self-Released
13	LERA LYNN	Something More Than Love	Ruby Range/InGrooves
14	NILUFER YANYA	PAINLESS	ATO
15	PIXIES	Doggerel	BMG
16	REDVEIL	learn 2 swim	Self-Released
17	SHY HIGH	Goodbye Delicious [EP]	Self-Released
18	STATUS/NON-STATUS	Surely Travel	You’ve Changed
19	TOMMY RICHMAN	Alligator	Boom
20	070 SHAKE	You Can’t Kill Me	G.O.O.D./Def Jam
21	AKAI SOLO	Spirit Roaming	Backwoodz
22	DIZ	Ultra.Violet	Self-Released
23	FKA TWIGS	CAPRISONGS	Young/Atlantic
24	MAGDALENA BAY	Mercurial World Deluxe	Luminelle
25	MAVI	“Baking Soda” [Single]	Self-Released
26	PERRY MAYSUN	Painting Naked [EP]	Self-Released
27	SHYGIRL	Nymph	Because
28	SURF CURSE	Magic Hour	Atlantic
29	VERO	Unsoothing Interior	PNKSLM
30	VINCE STAPLES	Ramona Park Broke My Heart	Blacksmith/Motown

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Top Charts, WKNC 88.1

Weekly Charts

Underground Charts 12/6

Post author By WKNC Admin
Post date December 6, 2022

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	BLACKHEARTS, THE	Horn Of The Lamb	Uboy
2	JAY HOLLYWOOD	Isaiah	Chelsea Baby
3	WAKAI AND WAVWORLD	Travel Team Vol.3	Col-Der-Sac
4	DEMAHJIAE	Angels Wear Black [EP]	Self-Released
5	GHAIS GUEVARA	There Will Be No Super-Slave	Self-Released
6	E L U C I D	I Told Bessie	Backwoodz
7	CITIES AVIV	Working title for the album secret water	D.O.T.
8	TOMMY RICHMAN	Alligator	Boom
9	LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON	Dis Tew Much	4180016
10	MARCO PLUS	Tha Soufside Villian LP	Backseat! House

Underground Adds

#	Artist	Record	Label
1	MARCO PLUS	Tha Soufside Villian LP	Backseat! House
2	GHAIS GUEVARA	There Will Be No Super-Slave	Self-Released
3	E L U C I D	I Told Bessie	Backwoodz
4	LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON	Dis Tew Much	4180016
5	WAKAI AND WAVWORLD	Travel Team Vol.3	Col-Der-Sac
6	DEMAHJIAE	Angels Wear Black [EP]	Self-Released

Tags NACC Weekly Charts, Underground Charts, WKNC 88.1