| Hi again – a one week turnaround, can you believe it! We promise this unparalleled productivity will continue into the new year, only the best for our dear readers (no matter how many of you there actually are, three I’m guessing…hi Mum!) Since we last spoke we had our Wharf gig with STAR. It was another great night spent with some lovely company, thanks all for your continued support. We managed to raise over £350 and have a whole load of fun in the process. Many thanks to all our talented performers: Jasmine, Shaku, The S(h)ell Foundation and Santino – we couldn’t have done it without you 🙂 Next week is the last week the library will be open this term 😥 Please make sure everything you’ve taken out is returned by the coming Friday (14th), we’ll be chasing you up otherwise. However, there’s one more event for you all to attend before the break: our Xmas party! We accidentally made the FB event for this private (learning curve, sorry!!), but here are all the details for it incase you wanted to rock up at any point… We’re starting at 5pm in the upstairs room of the Fenton pub. It’s a very short walk from campus, just down by the Laidlaw. Here’s a handy pin marker for your maps and a rough plan down below of how the evening will pan out: 5 – 7 Open Decks (BYORekkids): We’ll be bringing along some turntables as well as a selection of records from the library itself. Feel free to bring anything you’d like to play, no mixing required just a nice relaxed affair while everyone gets settled in. 7 – 7.30 Food is served: We’ve got permission from the pub to bring our own food in to serve to you all, so don’t worry about having to fill yourself up before you leave the house. Expect VG and GF business as usual. 7.30 – 9 The music quiz to end all music quizzes: It’s time to assemble your dream team, bring your thinking caps and gear up for some fierce competition. There will be no mercy, only musical quiztaztic carnage. 9 – 10 Karaoke: You better believe it! Any requests please message one of the committee or send us an email. Looking forward to hearing some fabulous renditions. |
Committee picks: As promised, here’s a selection of records and tapes we have taken a liking too and we thought you might enjoy. A bit late notice we know in terms of taking them out but at least this way they might get some airtime in the library at some point in the week ahead. |
Annette Peacock – The Perfect Release
There’s no lack of Joni fans in the house this year, so have a look at this if you want something of a similar ilk but just a bit more loose and jazzy. Special mention goes to the incredible 14 min track on the b-side, Survival, where Peacock riffs off a continuously changing beat with flourishes of wisdom:
“True values is our age / Compete upon a stage / Of – not better, but more / Than before / And hey (sons of science) / Technology’s a groove / But the faster that we move / The more we risk to lose / By the – anyone’s hand of unforseen consequence”
Would definitely snap my fingers to this, somebody should send it to Google…
Luomo – Vocalcity
Technically cheating a bit here as this was bought only a couple weeks ago… but it’s almost 2 decades old now! A hot take on this one, especially the masterful Tessio, is that’s it’s ‘Tech-House Abba’, lol, but hear me out before you picture in your minds eye a bunch of lads in Ibiza wafting to Solomun. This album has been on repeat since summer and with every listen it’s even more rewarding; 6 tracks, all around or over the 10 minutes mark, really meticulous, shape-shifting production but always (as the title implies) incorporating a vocal of some sort within the groove. It manages to perfectly balance experimentation with functionality and then has some kind of distorted pop appeal on top of all that. It’s dubby, glitchy, soulful, hi-tech…and all other manner of helpful adjectives. But, most importantly, it’s thoughtful, passionate and undeniably SEXY. Just all round great dance music that stays with you long after the first listen, big big recommendation!
The Monochrome Set – Love Zombies
One of the big struggles here at UML HQ is what to be with the obscenely large amount of dull, uninspired, plain-old ROCK music (urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh). Sorry past committees but we really don’t need 25 Nirvana/grunge knockoff bands from the 90s, they don’t give you much. What is (in our humble opinion) some pleasant guitar music to enjoy from time to time is this little gem from 1980. Call it what you want: post-punk, art rock, new wave etc, what it is is catchy and accessible but with enough weirdess to make you wanna come back for more.
Carlos & Anxiety Support Group – Cong Burn Tapes 06
Does what it says on the tin, put this on if you’re feeling even the teeniest bit overwhelmed from the day-to-day grind. Both sides are great but special mention has to go to Leeds legend and one of the nicest people ever: CARLOS. In case you happen to be reading this on the Saturday that this newsletter originally went out, go see her perform a special live set for Equaliser’s Winter Party
Thank – Sexghost Hellscape
UML royalty on display here. A lot of you will probably have heard this already but it deserves to be continually pushed cause it really is THAT good. Apologies have to be made for the inexcusable coffee(?) stains that now grace the cover. It doesn’t affect the music though, which is still equal parts groovy and abrasive.
That’s all from us. Hopefully see you soon and watch out for another newsletter with a round up of our favourite new releases of the year.
UML xx
Leeds Union Music Library 