Robocobra Quartet – Heaven / Night
‘Heaven / Night’ is the latest release from Belfast-based avant-garde indie jazz band Robocobra Quartet. The double single is the band’s first release in three years and comes with the announcement of their signing to Deptford-based label First Taste Records with which they will release their third album later this year. ‘”Heaven” is about the cult-like mania of capitalism’, said drummer-vocalist Chris W. Ryan. ‘I grew up listening to Dead Kennedys and always liked how they would write songs from the perspective of a character they didn’t necessarily agree with. There’s something fascinating about the stories that emerge and I wanted to get inside that extremely chaotic and self-absorbed headspace. I loved the idea of singing as someone so narcissistic they find their newborn child beautiful just because they look alike.’ Downtempo track ‘Night’ is a lo-fi piece with minimal instrumentation combined with Ryan’s spoken style of vocals. Visit: https://robocobraquartet.bandcamp.com/ 

Emma Langford – Winter Nights
‘Winter Nights’ is a new work by Emma Langford and cellist Alec Brown. The long-form piece was commissioned in 2021 by the Source Arts Centre in Thurles and is an immersive soundscape that evokes a wintery walk along the river Shannon in Limerick. The piece was inspired by moonlight and mist, and originated as an a cappella piece, during which instrumentation and sounds are introduced gradually as the work progresses. Recordings of falling snow, footsteps in frozen grass, the flow of the Curragower falls, and the whistle of the wind through the trees can be heard throughout. ‘I like the chill / Frost in the air / Like powder blue organza’ Langford sings, her voice as soft as ever, while Brown’s cello gently bolsters the vocals and nature sounds. Purchase the track on Bandcamp: https://emmalangfordmusic.bandcamp.com/track/winter-nights

 
THUMPER – Delusions of Grandeur
Pop-rock band THUMPER have recently released their debut album Delusions of Grandeur via Reckless Records. The ten-track album features previously released singles and well-known works from the band’s live repertoire, ‘The Loser’, ‘Topher Grace’, and ‘Ad Nauseam’. The title refers to the struggle of self-image and the search for an authentic self, while its stomping choruses, wailing guitar hooks and crashing percussion (the band has two drummers) prove the band’s name. This year, THUMPER will perform at festivals including The Great Escape in Brighton, Vestrock in the Netherlands, and Sea Sessions in Bundoran. Purchase Delusions of Grandeur here: https://www.hellothumper.com/

Daithí – Familial 
Electronic artist Daithí has this month released a new track ‘Familial’ on the Strange Brew label. The ambient work with modulated synths is accompanied by a music video directed by New Zealand filmmaker Ayla Amano. The song, and video, explore themes of family connections and communication, and was inspired by the musician’s relocation to his home place after some time away. ‘ “Familial” started out life as a track I wrote around an uncertain feeling I had about returning to my home county of Clare,’ said Daithí. ‘Growing up in a remote area, there was a stifling feeling of repressed emotions; people in the area would sometimes find it difficult to say what they really felt. It was quite a personal piece of music to me, but it was transformed into something with even more to say when I began to collaborate with Ayla. The idea of finding common ground and themes with a community so far apart from my own got me really excited, and I started seeing the track in a new, more global perspective. The themes are universal.’ Visit: https://daithi.bandcamp.com/track/familial

 
Dani Larkin and Ulster Orchestra – Between Worlds
This month, singer-songwriter Dani Larkin released Between Worlds, a three-track EP featuring the Ulster Orchestra. The record features three songs – ‘Love Part Three’, ‘Samson and Goliath’, and ‘The Red, Maca’s Return’ – from Larkin’s debut album Notes For A Maiden Warrior (2021), performed as new orchestral arrangements. ‘This collaboration with the Ulster Orchestra has added an additional layer of depth,’ said Larkin. ‘To perform these tracks live with the Ulster Orchestra brings a certain kind of magic and breath in a way that only a live recording with over forty musicians can’. Earlier this month, Larkin showcased at SXSW and will perform several dates across Ireland and Northern Ireland this spring. Visit: https://danilarkin.bandcamp.com/

Beauty Sleep – I Love it Here I Hate it
Alt-pop act Beauty Sleep have recently released ‘I Love it Here I Hate it’, their second single follow-up to 2019’s debut album Be Kind. The ambient, dreamy pop song glitters with a synth hook throughout, under a veil of vocal harmonies. The duo from Derry, who previously lived in England, wrote the song about their blended identities, accents and heritage. ‘We are all so inbetween, all our identities are uncertain,’ the band writes. ‘That makes us so powerful and we should celebrate it, rather than letting it ruin our self-esteem. It’s about trying to claim our own identities and inspire others to do the same. There is power in that. There is power in owning who you are, and connecting with others through your complicated identity.’ Purchase ‘I Love it Here I Hate it’ on Bandcamp: https://beautysleeptheband.bandcamp.com/track/i-love-it-here-i-hate-it

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