Lay Down Dot

There's lots of new music around as we head into February. I have a list in my notebook that's a page long, all of which I intend to write about here. Today's new music is a pair of releases that came out at the end of January from opposite hemispheres. First up is Eduardo, my friend from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who records as Pandit Pam Pam. His latest is a six track mini- album titled Dot. Pandit Pam Pam's previous EP, Ar, was a musical response to the poor quality of air in Sao Paulo. Dot  was originally lined up to be on that EP but Eduardo was persuaded to leave it off and make something new with Dot as the starting point. Eduardo has a young baby and his recording is to some extent built around the baby's needs as the second track- Recorded With Diogo In My Arms- makes clear. 

Dot, the title track, doesn't appear until five tracks into the EP. Shuffling drums, echo, a rippling melody on top, bags of atmosphere, and then at nearly two minutes in a female voice drifts in and out again. It's a gorgeous piece of music, calling to mind a fractured version of One Dove or Death In Vegas gone ambient. 

The rest of the EP is equally beautiful, from ambient opener Samba De Longe to the eight minute modular synth/ sleeping babe track mentioned above, the skittery ambience of Fot and even more hazy Interludio. The EP ends with Guitar 2- background buzz of static, wash of FX and picked guitar notes creating a very blissed out, blurred out track that stretches time. You can listen and buy at Bandcamp. Highly recommended for small hours and headphones listening. 

Back in the UK comes an EP from Velvett called Lay Down. Velvett are Jo Sims and Natali Williams. Lay Back starts out ambient but drums kick in and then Natali's vocal, both suggesting mid- 90s trip hop is in the ether again (Kruder and Dorfmeister were featured here only a few days ago). Slowed down late night sounds. 

There are remixes, one from Warehouse Preservation Society which toughens up the rhythms and stretches it out into something darker, and one from Dickie Continental (Red Snapper's Rich Thair) which builds slowly, drums and strings, and snatches of the original mix flitting in and out, Rich cutting from one element to another. The trip hop vibe continues. 

There's also a Velvett club mix, the Rubber Dub Club Mix which suddenly switches everything into gay disco mode, bouncing bassline, whooshes, and Hi NRG sequencers. You can find the whole EP at Bandcamp.