Juana Molina - Segundo (2000)

Dreamy, abstract Argentinian indie-folk against a backdrop of minimal electronic textures and pulses. If you're a fan of Vespertine -- which, statistically speaking, you are -- you should find a lot to love here.

Track listing:

1. Martín Fierro

2. ¿Quién?

3. El Perro

4. ¡Que llueva!

5. La visita

6. Quiero

7. Mantra del bicho feo

8. El desconfiado

9. El zorzal

10. El pastor mentiroso

11. Misterio uruguayo

12. Vaca que cambia de querencia

13. MedDlong

14. Sonamos

15. The Wrong Song [hidden track]

I know that pain

You should also hear:

Manual - Until Tomorrow (2001)

Aspidistrafly - I Hold a Wish for You (2008)

Khalil - The Water We Drink (2017)

The sound of Auto-Tuned pop/R&B stuttering, faltering, collapsing, and being fed through a digital wood chipper. Never heard anything else quite like it. A Posh Isolation joint. I remember thinking this record was gonna be a big deal with us nerds but as far as I can tell I was wrong, as I don't remember hearing/seeing anyone talking about it and it was surprisingly hard to track down a good rip for the purposes of this post. 

Track listing:

1. Trapper

2. Rest My Head Against a Wall of Water

3. Gigds

4. Submit So Deep

5. Estate Straight Line

6. Herat

7. Always Wanted to Ride in a Place Like This

8. Natures Envy

9. Sculpture No Solid

10. The White Hoodie I Wear Because I Love You

I've been looking for your touch

You should also hear:

M.E.S.H. - Piteous Gate (2015)

KÁRYYN - The Quanta Series (2019)

Telefilme - Pocket Horror Symphony (1997)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:

Telefilme - Fade In, Fade Out (1995)

By request, here's the second and final album by this truly phenomenal duo. Somewhere between the electronic sounds of the mid 90s, the romantic depression of 80s new wave/pop, and the cluttered aesthetic of a burgeoning indie/post-rock scene, Telefilme struck a magic kind of musical alchemy on two 10/10 albums, then broke up because they were too good for this world.

Track listing:

1. Electric Farm

2. Hi-Fi Ghost

3. Shopping List Blues

4. Da Haus

5. California Punch

6. Jeremy

7. Catastrophe Baby

8. Fahrenheit

9. I Will Follow the Leader

10. Doll-House

11. Peter Pain

12. Ballad of the Droog

Life's like a big supermarket

You should also hear:

Mark Renner - All Walks of This Life (1986)

Jack Frost - Jack Frost (1991)

Steve Hillage - For to Next (1982)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:

Steve Hillage - Green (1978)

Guitarist/psychedelic lifer Steve Hillage's skewed, hypnotic take on synth-y 80s pop rock, colored by his reliably sublime guitar work and spectral, Eno-esque vocals. I've always loved Hillage's first few records, but for some reason, I never really delved further into his discography until last week, when a friend kinda randomly sent this my way, and I immediately fell in love with it. Destined to be one my most listened-to records of the summer.

Track listing:

1. These Uncharted Lands

2. Kamikaze Eyes

3. Alone

4. Anthems for the Blind

5. Bright Future

6. Frame by Frame

7. Waiting

8. Glory

A triumph and a tragedy

You should also hear:

Gary Numan - Warriors (1983) + Strange Charm (1986)

Jan Bang - Frozen Feelings (1989)

Frazier Chorus - Wide Awake (1995)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Frazier Chorus - Sue (1989)

Third and final album from the quietly brilliant Frazier Chorus. On Wide Awake, they embraced a smooth, R&B-ish, 90s production style, with palm muted guitars, downtempo beats, muted horn lines, and other stuff that might make for good make-out music if you don't listen to the lyrics.

Track listing:

1. Wide Awake

2. If the Weather Was Up to Me

3. Bye-Bye Little Bird

4. Here We Are

5. Take Us Away

6. Driving

7. Lie, Mimic and Mime

8. Sound Asleep

How did I read the stars so wrong?

If you like this, listen to:

Nona Hendryx - SkinDiver (1989)

Ega and Alice - 24 Years of Hunger (1991)

KÁRYYN - The Quanta Series (2019)

A stunning piece of experimental electro-art pop from this LA-based composer-producer. Acrobatic, expressive vocals over abstract, glitchy production. The Quanta Series compiles a series of EPs released throughout 2018, but its flow as an album could not be better. From its depictions of emotional damage ("Ever"), courage ("Purgatory"), love and lust ("Binary"), and dystopian grief ("Cytokinesis"), this record spoke to me through one of the worst periods of my life, and ended up an all-time favorite.

Track listing:

1. Ever

2. Yajna

3. Purgatory

4. Binary

5. Ambets Gorav

6. Un-c2-See

7. Mirror Me

8. Cytokinesis

9. Aleppo

10. Today I Read Your Life Story 11:11

11. Segment & the Line

Somewhere

Beyond the now

Beyond the numbers

I'm living fully

Beyond the colors

You might also enjoy:

Anja Garbarek - Smiling & Waving (2002)

Twine - Twine (2003)

Solex - Solex vs. The Hitmeister (1998)

Should-be classic debut from Solex, a.k.a. Amsterdam-based artist Elisabeth Esselink. Built on off-kilter drum loops; Esselink's cooing, at times kinda punk vocals; and heaps of dusty, fragmented samples, Solex vs. The Hitmeister is trip-hop by default, but is without a doubt its own strange, whimsical, woozy scene. One of those records that never failed to make me feel extremely hip when I'd put it on while getting stoned with friends in high school, even though none of my friends in high school really liked shit like this. And if you're one of the friends in question (I know at least one of you comes 'round here from time to time): don't lie, you know you only listened to anarcho-punk, NIN, and Weezer.

Track listing:

1. One Louder Solex

2. Solex Feels Lucky

3. Solex in a Slipshod Style

4. Waking Up with Solex

5. Solex's Snag

6. Rolex by Solex

7. There's a Rolex on the Run

8. Solex All Licketysplit

9. Solex for a While

10. Some Solex

11. When Solex Just Stood There

12. Peppy Solex

13. Solex Is Barely Dressed [bonus]

Tabloids will be all over it

More along these lines:

Luscious Jackson - In Search of Manny (1992)

Cibo Matto - Cibo Matto (1995)

Pablo's Eye - Pablo's Eye (1989)

First album by this under-appreciated project, a musical collective centered on Brussels-based artist Axel Libeert. Glistening guitars, sharp synths, Marie Mandi's understated, expressive vocals (which often remind me of 90s Joni Mitchell), a bit of viola, and very little percussion of which to speak. Not particularly representative of the group's definitive sound, but a great record nonetheless.

Track listing:

1. The Lord's My Shepherd

2. Mysteries Due To...

3. Winter

4. Burning Passion

5. Possession

6. Helen's Nose

7. A Duel

8. The Salmon Sings

9. Lullabye

We're often close to disaster

If you like this, check out:

Dip in the Pool - Silence (1986)

Nona Hendryx - SkinDiver (1989)

Dip in the Pool - Silence (1986)

Heaven-sent Japanese ambient synth pop. Understated, deceptively complex, and way ahead of its time. Little bits here and there remind me of some of the greats, but Dip in the Pool never really sound like anyone but themselves. 10/10.

Track listing:

1. Rabo del sol

2. Facing the Sea

3. はすのえにし

4. Sur le pois

5. Silence

6. ひなまり

7. View

8. Again

9. Spring from the Surface

10. Dormir

It's so different here

You might also enjoy:

Akira Inoue - Splash (1983)

Jan Bang - Frozen Feelings (1989)

Anja Garbarek - Smiling & Waving (2002)

Related:
Japan - Adolescent Sex (1978)
The Dolphin Brothers - Catch the Fall (1987)
Rain Tree Crow - Rain Tree Crow (1991)
No-Man - Together We're Stranger (2003)

Excellent third album from Norwegian vocalist/songwriter Anja Garbarek. Cryptic, unsettling songs backed by downtempo, string-heavy, jazz- and electro-tinged sounds courtesy of a cast of musicians that includes, among others, Mark Hollis, Steven Wilson, and Steve Jansen.

Track listing:
1. Her Room
2. The Gown
3. Spin the Context
4. Stay Tuned
5. You Know
6. Big Mouth
7. The Diver
8. That's All
9. And Then
10. It Seems We Talk

I'll get back to you

If you like this, try:

Savant -
The Neo-Realist (At Risk) (1983)

David Sylvian -
Blemish (2003)

The Dolphin Brothers - Catch the Fall (1987)

Related:
Japan - Adolescent Sex (1978)
Rain Tree Crow - Rain Tree Crow (1991)

Artful new wave/"sophistipop" (I refuse to use that word without mentioning my contempt for it) from Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen of Japan. Honestly, Jansen, who handles vocals, kinda sounds like he's straight-up doing a David Sylvian impression.

Track listing:
1. Catch the Fall
2. Shining
3. Second Sight
4. Love That You Need
5. Real Life, Real Answers
6. Host to the Holy
7. My Winter
8. Pushing the River

Falling down without a sound

You might also like:

Gary Numan -
Dance (1981)

The Wild Swans -
Bringing Home the Ashes (1988)

Jane Siberry - The Speckless Sky (1985)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Jane Siberry - The Walking (1987)

Crystalline art pop from the great Jane Siberry. While The Walking will always be my personal favorite Siberry record, The Speckless Sky is probably her best. It's less experimental, but it's also less melodramatic, it's exploratory, and has the same shimmering, idiosyncratic beauty. Pretty sure this is what people have retroactively started calling "sophisti-pop," but I haven't adopted that one yet because it's so lame, it physically hurts to say out loud.

Track listing:
1. One More Colour
2. Seven Steps to the Wall
3. The Very Large Hat
4. Vladimir Vladimir
5. Mein Bitte
6. The Empty City
7. Map of the World Part II
8. The Taxi Ride

There
There's the sun
Through the bars
Cutting swathes
Lighting dust

If you like this, listen to:

Anna Domino -
East and West (1984)

Jan Bang -
Frozen Feelings (1989)

Anna Domino - East and West (1984)

My schedule is positively brutal this term. Goddamn, I miss having free time. But I have a tiny little window of nothing right now, so I'm listening to this short-but-sweet EP of downtempo, laid-back but sharp 80s art pop and staring out the window of the student union.

Track listing:
1. With the Day Comes the Dawn
2. Land of My Dreams
3. Review
4. Everyday, I Don't
5. Trust, in Love

I know that my dreams aren't true
I sit and spin, and I can't begin
To recover and count the cost, and get lost

You should also listen to:

Nona Hendryx -
SkinDiver (1989)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Jan Bang - Frozen Feelings (1989)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Christian Wallumrød, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, Erik Honoré - Birth Wish (2000)

Synth-driven 80s pop from Norwegian singer/musician/producer Jan Bang. Big, shiny production and upbeat arrangements mask some pretty damn dark lyrics. Bang is better-known for his later work in the jazz world, making this sophisticated take on contemporary pop a curiously sugary addition to his discography. Reminds me of Tears for Fears, circa The Hurting.

Track listing:
1. Frozen Feelings
2. One Made Two
3. Fake Delight
4. Blindness
5. Merciful Waters
6. Dance Away
7. Is This Really True
8. Beyond
9. Come with Me
10. I Can't Forget You

Dive deep down

You'd also like:

Nona Hendryx -
SkinDiver (1989)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Arto Lindsay & Ambitious Lovers - Envy (1984)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Arto Lindsay - Noon Chill (1998)

Weird, angular art pop fronted by the great Arto Lindsay. Some buoyant Latin percussion here and there, as well as a snapshot or two of the laid-back tropicália that would come to define Lindsay's solo work.

Track listing:
1. Cross Your Legs
2. Trouble Maker
3. Pagode Americano
4. Nothings Monstered
5. Crowning Roar
6. Too Many Mansion
7. Let's Be Adult
8. Venus Lost Her Skirt
9. My Competition
10. Badu
11. Dora
12. Beberibe
13. Locus Coruleus

Your generosity is too close to cruelty

If you like this, try:

Che -
Narcotic (1989)

Nona Hendryx -
SkinDiver (1989)

DIANA - Perpetual Surrender (2013)

Laid-back, 80s-indebted hipster electropop. With so many bands aiming for a similar sound, Perpetual Surrender unfortunately kinda got lost in the shuffle, which surprised the hell outta me because I heard it before it came out and was positive that it was gonna be huge. Oh well. By the time the sax hits midway through the title track, you'll know where I was coming from.

Track listing:
1. Foreign Installation
2. That Feeling
3. Perpetual Surrender
4. Strange Attraction
5. Anna
6. Born Again
7. New House
8. Curtains

Make this feel like something more
One last time

You'd also like:

Processory -
Change Is Gradual (2011)

Tropics -
Parodia Flare (2011)

Rain Tree Crow - Rain Tree Crow (1991)

Related:
Japan - Adolescent Sex (1978)
David Sylvian & Holger Szukay - Plight & Premonition (1988) + Flux & Mutability (1989)
David Sylvian - Approaching Silence (1999)
David Sylvian - Blemish (2003)

Rain Tree Crow was all four members of Japan, reunited under a new moniker to signify the more experimental direction that they'd taken. Their one-off album is an absolute masterpiece of shimmering, slowburning art rock, and possibly my favorite album David Sylvian's ever been a part of, which, considering he's one of my favorite musicians, is really saying something.

Track listing:
1. Big Wheels in Shanty Town
2. Every Colour You Are
3. Rain Tree Crow
4. Red Earth (As Summertime Ends)
5. Pocket Full of Change
6. Boat's for Burning
7. New Moon at Red Deer Wallow
8. Blackwater
9. A Reassuringly Dull Sunday
10. Blackcrow Hits Shoe Shine City
11. Scratchings on the Bible Belt
12. Cries and Whispers
13. I Drink to Forget

I put no trust in milestones

You might also wanna hear:

Adrian Belew -
Lone Rhino (1982)

No-Man -
Together We're Stranger (2003)

Che - Narcotic (1989)

A criminally overlooked goldmine of inventive, synth-y art-funk/pop. Starts off sounding like a lost Prince album, and ends up taking on a sinister, almost industrial quality. Records like this languishing in obscurity is a great reason to not believe in God.

Track listing:
1. Scream Like a Swift
2. Fireflies in Summer
3. I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much
4. Moving the Silence
5. Imperfections
6. Be My Powerstation
7. Jerusalem
8. View from a New Perspective
9. Celebrating Life

I'm scared of what I'd do

You'll probably also enjoy:

Mazarati -
Mazarati (1987)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Godley & Creme - The History Mix Volume 1 (1985)

Kevin Godley and Lol Crème were founding members of 10cc who left the band in 1976, shortly after the band's commercial breakthrough, to form a duo. The History Mix Volume 1 serves as a perfect introduction to the world of Godley & Creme, and not just because it's their best album and it contains one of my absolute favorite songs -- much of the record consists of songs and musical elements from throughout their career (including with 10cc), completely remixed and presented as parts of epic, mind-melting megamixes.

Track listing:
1. Wet Rubber Soup / Cry
2. Expanding the Business / The 'Dare You' Man / Hum Drum Boys in Paris / Mountain Tension
3. Light Me Up
4. An Englishman in New York
5. Save a Mountain for Me
6. Golden Boy
7. Cry (Extended Remix) [Bonus track]
8. Snack Attack (Extended Remix) [Bonus track]

You don't know how to ease my pain

You might also like:

Jane Siberry -
The Walking (1987)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Akira Inoue - Splash (1983)

Smooth, lush Japanese synthpop. Tinges of fusion and new wave round out a shimmering, positively heavenly sound.

Track listing:
1. さまよえるオランダ人のように
2. アドリアン・ブルー
3. 異星 （ソラリス）の女
4. Le Plongeur
5. Eleven Islands
6. サファリ・オスティナート
7. リンダ・ラルー （ラムの大通りにて）
8. 海底2万マイル
9. オンディーヌ

Lost passengers

You should also listen to:

Frazier Chorus -
Sue (1989)

Care -
Diamonds & Emeralds (1997)