Good tidings of great joy and to all people! This week Joyful Noise Recordings present their annual holiday special, with the likes of C.J. Boyd, Jad Fair, Oneida, and The Ophelias each packing a snowflake-shaped 7-inch whose proceeds go to the Coalition for the Homeless. In the same spirit Arca, Merzbow, Foodman, Fire-Toolz and more line up for the sixth Mutants Mixtape, whose 78 songs serve to aid the Bogota-based rights group Red Comunitaria Trans.
The Bristol breakout Grove leans on their dual-heritage background for a fiery blend of dancehall, dub, and hip hop on their latest mixtape. Exploring everything from the steezy self-confidence and lusty sensuality to the billowing softness of fledgling relationships, the video for the track ‘Slippery’ sees the director Ben Dornan Wilson and artist Jasmine Butt experiment with rotoscope animation, double exposures, and caffeinated kicks. From the Finnish crossroads of Lahti the prolific producer Aleksi Perälä continues to mine the Colundi Sequence, while Damon Albarn delivers a glacial ode to the Esja mountain range which hovers opposite Reykjavik.
Spitta keeps on spitting, Prolaps complete the Ultra Cycle, and the Stroboscopic Artefacts label founder Lucy reworks the debut of Wanton Witch. Armand Hammer and The Alchemist visualise a couple from one of the year’s best rap albums, while Nas and A$AP Rocky declare themselves the new ‘Wave Gods’ with a shoutout to Max B. Sarah Mary Chadwick continues the series of sterling Elliott Smith covers for the Kill Rock Stars thirtieth anniversary series. Medhane, Wiki, Paris Texas, Joana Gama, Luis Fernandes, and Jhené Aiko also feature, while drunk and alone in some honky-tonk bar by the side of the road is how Robert Henry usually spends his Christmas.
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Curren$y – ‘Big Game Fishing’
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Nas – ‘Wave Gods’ (feat. A$AP Rocky & DJ Premier)
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Robert Henry – ‘Usually Goes’
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Jad Fair – ‘Baking Cookies for Santa’
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Sarah Mary Chadwick – ‘2:45 AM’
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Joana Gama & Luís Fernandes – ‘There’s no knowing . 1’
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Aleksi Perälä – ‘FI3AC2160020’
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Armand Hammer & The Alchemist – ‘Robert Moses’ & ‘God’s Feet’
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Paris Texas – ‘jesus christ had dreads’
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Lucy – ‘Wanton Witch 6’ (Resentment)
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No Joy – ‘Theme from Gremlins’
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Jhené Aiko – ‘Wrap Me Up’
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Medhane – ‘Stars Fell’ (feat. Wiki)
