Musical Discoveries of July

  1. A Broken Frame (2015) is a refreshing modern-day interpretation of the iconic 1982 Depeche Mode album performed by Marsheaux, the all-female electro duo from London. To my ear some covers sound even better than the originals (My Secret Garden, Monument). Or maybe I’m just starting to get bored of old stuff?

  2. I first heard Silver Apples’ Lovefingers at the opening of Civil War and immediately loved it for its eerie atonal sound. The fact that it the same-named Silver Apples (1968) album was recorded over half a century ago is mind-blowing.

  1. Retrace Your Steps (2024), a new single from maestro Brian Eno, featuring remastered versions of masterpieces such as St Elmo’s Fire, Third Uncle, and the amazing Seven Deadly Finns. Don’t miss the brilliant video for the latter.

  2. An epic orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, The Planets, written between 1914 and 1917. It is composed of seven movements, with each one named after a planet of the Solar System and reflecting its astrological character. It’s believed that the opus inspired John Williams to compose Star Wars soundtrack: the opening Mars clearly reminds me of The Imperial March. I particularly like the 1961 performance of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Herbert von Karajan.

  3. Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky (2024) is an intriguing musical quadriptych by Jyoti Prakash Mishra, an Indian-born British artist, radical Maxrist, and leader of White Town — a band mostly known for the 1997 hit song Your Woman. The conceptual EP consists with four tracks arranged according to the historical activity of their lyrical heroes. Sounds like Trent Reznor after reading “Das Kapital”.

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