Ishaaq Aarkistra - "De Forest"

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Photo by Oliver Sundqvist

Ishaaq Aarkistra is a Stockholm based ensemble led by Swedish-Indian musician Ishaaq. Their latest single, "De Forest," is this amazing blend of what should be far too many sounds. The song mixes psychedelia with Western jazz and Indian raga into a completely new sound. It's quite dance friendly (despite being relatively chill), but in a completely organic, non-electronic way. Plus, the Pungi flute might be my new favorite instrument. The song will instantly grab your attention, especially if you're a fan of psychedelic music, world music, and/or jazz. Even if you're not typically a fan of any of those genres, "De Forest" could be your gateway to all three.

Ishaaq says of the new single:

“The sound of the underworld and the destructive forces of deforestation. Niccolo plays the snake charmer flute, the Pungi, on this hypnotic piece. I Iove that it became so deep sonically, like noises from another, darker realm. To me these noises say that we don’t know what will come, what awaits us. The light vocals in increasing volume are singing ‘lite till’ which means ‘just a little bit more’. For me it is a picture of greed, or addiction to owning more things. It’s really nice when Suranjana’s tabla steps into the centre.”

You can listen to "De Forest" below. Arikomban Space is due out January 16 on Lost Map Records, and is available to pre-order on eco-friendly bio-vinyl here. For more on Ishaaq Aarkistra, check out the artist on Facebook and Bandcamp.

On Repeat...

Midnight Peg - "Thirstland"

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Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
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Minibeast - "High Sea"

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Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
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Brooke Annibale - "Home Again"

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Photo by Ryan Mastro The latest single from Brooke Annibale is modern day folk/pop/indie rock done to perfection. "Home Again" stops just shy of being laid back, and is a dreamy tale of falling in love. Annibale's voice blends effortlessly into the music, giving a listener a joyful sense of the hypnotic. It's filled with hope, and optimism, and is clearly about the beginning of the relationship. The good news is that Annibale and the song's inspiration are engaged. The bad news is, they were supposed to be married on June 26, 2020.  Brooke Annibale explains the song :  “I wrote this song at the beginning of a relationship: a song about falling in love, figuring out how to communicate our love for one another, and ultimately build a life and home together. Over a year after I wrote it, I proposed to my girlfriend (she said yes), and we set our wedding date for June 26, 2020. For the past several months, I have looked forward to this day, a special day of ce...
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