I’ve been having this experience where all music seems like dub music. Does this ever happen to you? Is there a Reddit page about this, or a convention I can attend for people experiencing this condition? It’s most noticeable when I see live music. Every show I’ve been to lately, I get in the room, the set starts, and I’m like, ‘wait… is this dub?’. Doesn’t matter the room, the mix, the artist… I find myself swaying to some deep, dialed-back rhythm in the music I’d never quite tuned into before. This is probably more about me and my head than it is about the music, but I figured I’d mention it all the same. Just in case.
click the cover to listen or go your own way ~~
Kristine Leschper - The Opening, Or Closing Of A Door (2022)
This one’s been a real enduring presence in my life since first hearing it in February of this year. A dear friend recommended it on account of Kristine’s coming to town. And damn, am I ever grateful: the record is superb and the show was even better. This is nuanced, rhythmically nimble, carefully considered pop of the highest order. Special shout out to Sammy Weissberg who contributes immaculate string and woodwind arrangements here (as he did for The Cradle’s Bag Of Holding, which I wrote about earlier this year).
Masumi Hara - 4 X A Dream (1984)
Numero Group’s press release for its reissue of this album claims it “landed like a fish on the moon in 1984”. I’m not sure if that’s in reference to something or just a perfectly apt gonzoism, but yes: a fish on the moon indeed. Oddly dubmatic, galactic, synth-skewered art pop that feels profoundly idiosyncratic. The music of multi-media artist Masumi Hara is like…… it’s like… the sound of a rainbow trout spankin’ itself down on some lunar cheese ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader (2003)
MF DOOM’s tragic passing in late 2020 has been a slow burn for me. The days since have been peppered with wonderful, enthusiastic conversations with all kinds of folks about what a special artist he was. I can’t quite get into it all here, but DOOM means a great deal to me. The first time I ever bought vinyl (circa 2005), I bought three records in one go: DOOM’s MM..Food, Smog’s Knock Knock and Hella’s Hold Your Horse Is. Anyhow, what's incredible is that everyone I’ve enthused about DOOM with seems to have a different favorite line, couplet, verse, song, album. After some recent, late-nite pontificating with a friend, I was encouraged me to revisit Take Me To Your Leader, an album that didn’t really hit for me the first time I heard it, and subsequently drifted away. Now, it’s an incredible gift to have music from such a potent moment in his creative output that feels completely new to me. Certainly one of his best.
Tomb Mold - Manor Of Infinite Forms (2018)
I’ve been listening to more and more metal, mostly death/thrash, and wondering if/how to include it in the Regular Universe. After some months of deliberation, I figured I’d start here, where it all started for me. This was the first album that really grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It’s such a scorcher. I had a burnt CD in my old station wagon that I jammed pretty hard for a few years. This budding interest in metal feels serendipitous with my landing in Montreal, a true mecca for the genre. Case in point: Tomb Mold are touring through soon, playing with Douglassville’s Outer Heaven and locals Serpent Corpse (both of whom released great records this year). My excitement for this show is actually what finally prompted me to dish out some gnarl on you dweebs. See you in the pit?
ICYMI, I started a donations page for Regular Readers. All the money I receive will go back towards music (eg. purchasing physical/digital music, merch, concert tickets, supporting other music outlets, etc.). If you’re not able to support the newsletter financially (no presh!), you might also consider liking / sharing / following on Instagram.
ALSO, I started a ~*fun*~ tracking sheet that provides transparency on donations and spending. It includes a list of great tapes currently for sale as well as links to my Bandcamp + Discogs profiles. This is as much about accountability as it is an experiment in tracking my own financial investments in music over a calendar year.
Thanks for reading MUSIC REGULAR! I’m super interested in feedback / dialogue / suggestions. If you have ideas about the newsletter, want to share music with me, have specific questions / requests, don’t hesitate to get in touch. And please: share this newsletter with a pal if you feel so inspired!
Yrs.,
Andrew P.
andrewdanielpatterson [at] gmail [dot] com
Totally needed to hear both "Take Me to Your Leader" and "4 X a Dream" tonight. A thousand blessings from my ears to you.
Great post; and great that you attend concerts.
Anyway, I'm a music writer myself. Let's collaborate or subscribe to each other's newsletters.