and weaving

Joe Godard - Apple Bobbing

It's tempting to paint Joe Godard's 'Harvest Festival' as the yin to Alexis Taylor's 'Rubbed Out' yang, the two sides to Hot Chips mix of mournful indie and inventive electronica. That kinda demeans the role of the rest of Hot Chip, but you can't deny that 'Harvest Festival' sounds like what Hot Chip might sound like with the emo removed. It's a playful record, very much of it's time, referencing brighter shades of dubstep and wonky, but with more of an eye on the Boomkat home listening market. I'd go so far as to say that although it doesn't have the highs of Hot Chip's 'Made In The Dark', I'm more likely to listen to this. It's, y'know, fun.

Ricardo Villalobos feat. Los Updates - Driving Nowhere

A year or so ago, every single move Villalobos did (or didn't make) was of massive importance. I don't read that many blogs, but I've heard nary a word about his last 2 Eps, collaborations with Los Updates (first seen on 'Sei Es Drum''s amazing 'Four Wheel Drive'). It might be that the last one had a long weird ramble all over the top of it about bankers and financial collapse, but ****** is more in the 'Four Wheel Drive' vein, the Los Updates vocals just another weird dissonant element in Villalobos' spare mix. The beats are as intricate as ever, and if you need to dance to it, the remixes stay faithful to the original whilst offering something a bit more palatable. It's a good 'un.