Say what

Mika Vainio - Goths

Raster-Noton's 'Rhythm' series of Eps reaches it's zenith with a contribution from Mika Vainio, and his first all-techno release in some time. But, y'know, Vainio techno. Records he puts out under the name ∅ are techno that sounds like it's been fashioned from wool, sheet metal and the sounds a house makes in the dead of night, and Pansonic err more towards demolishing techno form with noise. So, this is rough and ready stuff, kind of what that Fuck Buttons album was supposed to sound like. I'm not sure this is danceable per se, but it's definitely more head-banging than hypnotic. Well played.

Gucci Mane - Lemonade

I haven't paid close attention to Gucci Mane's prolific run of mixtapes (apart from the 'Cold War' series), but if you missed his debut back in 2006, new album 'The State Vs Radric Davies' is as good a place to start as any. It's difficult to surmise - I'm still trying to get to grips with what the hell he's talking about much of the time - but it's an immediately striking listen, full of the kind of psychedelic keyboard club rap bizness favoured by Bangladesh and PRGZ. It doesn't really grate on the nerves the way I felt most crunk full-lengths did, and theres no lulls or any tracks I thought of as filler. I'll be working my way through all winter I guess, not a bad way to spend my time.

Ol Dirty Bastard - Just Say No

Not sure to what extent 'Message To the Other Side' is a new Ol Dirty Bastard album (as in, whether the majority of verses have been used before), but it's a pleasant surprise in terms of quality. I loved ODB with all my heart, so I'm happy to listen to anything he hollered into a microphone, but the production here is generally pretty strong, and.. Look, it's stuff by ODB you haven't heard, so hear it. 'Just Say No', in particular, is bananas in a way that totally reminiscent of 'Return to 36 Chambers'. I miss this dude.