Good news, everyone: gig season is finally upon us. By us, I mean me, as the past four days have seen me trek to the capital for one-off sold out headline shows from superduo Porter Robinson and Madeon and great pop hope RAYE. It’s been rather fabulous, even if it means This Week In Records is coming to you live from the verge of a Red Bull addiction. You too can join in with the live music spirit, however: The Edge is taking over Southampton’s Talking Heads on March 2nd for Edgetival, a great value evening of live music.
Katy Perry feat. Skip Marley – ‘Chained To The Rhythm’
A week ago, an Island Records email blast introduced Skip Marley, the 19-year-old grandson of Bob, as he released debut single ‘Lions,’ an “intense call to action” and “the ideal start to a year of activity.” That activity, it seems, is guesting on Katy Perry’s new thing, set to be performed at Sunday’s GRAMMY ceremony. Also making an appearance there by way of a Target commercial will be Carly Rae Jepsen and Lil Yachty, covering ‘It Takes Two’ for reasons that I’m not sure I will ever understand but will certainly want to listen to more than once. If only that could be said for ‘Chained To The Rhythm’ too.
(This week, their big new hope is Sigrid. You’ll find her behind only Perry on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. I can only assume she’ll be on a new Drake single next week.)
Rag’n’Bone Man – Human
Who is white, supremely bearded, the winner of the BRITs Critics’ Choice gong, hailed as some sort of rough, soulful new hope for the year, and has a debut album that we’ve give five whole stars to? Yes, it may sound like Sussex bluesman Rag’n’Bone Man is travelling right down – even down to selling out venues like Brighton’s Dome months in advance – but if it means great music and a spellbinding live presence then that’s absolutely fine by us. Check Bruno Russell’s review of Human here.
Ed Sheeran – ‘Shape Of You’ (Galantis Remix)
Today is the fifth Friday since Ed Sheeran started asserting some sort of grasp on 2017, however subsequent ÷ offerings bar a tracklist, cover, and release date have remained elusive. Today, ‘Castle On The Hill‘ and ‘Shape Of You‘ get oh-so-inevitable acoustic renditions in case you hadn’t quite heard enough of them, but the most interesting landing comes from the ‘Shape Of You’ take by Swedish power pop pair Christian Karlsson and Linus Eklöw. It’s evident that there are those who prefer ‘Castle On The Hill’ and those who are wrong, however Galantis’ edit brings clownish horn squelches, more emphasis on the distorted extremities of Sheeran’s vocal, and actual popping sound effects. It’s a real thing of deranged beauty that should just about tide us over until ÷ on March 3rd and Galantis’ own new single effort, rumoured to be one week away.
Fifty Shades Darker Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Dreary duet that doubles as a big global single? ZAYN and Taylor Swift.
Unnecessary cover of Coldplay? Corinne Bailey Rae.
Thing with a silly title and purring to match? ‘Bom Bidi Bom’ from Nick Jonas and Nicki Minaj.
Upcoming artists who would normally otherwise do far better? Frances, Joseph Angel, and JP Cooper.
Generic film-soundtracking man? Danny Elfman.
Tropical house? A new thing from Kygo that won’t stream on Spotify yet.
All the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack is missing in the game of clichés is an outing from Si…OH WAIT.
(Just go and watch The Lego Batman Movie instead.)
Jillionaire, Fuse ODG & Fatman Scoop – ‘Sunrise’
If this particular combination sounds familiar to you, rewind three weeks and you will find the exact moment at which I fell in love with Fatman Scoop again. Yes, there was already the SCOOP Spotify playlist to which I turn every time I crave yelling and commands to wave money in the air and silence the chickenheads, but the endless mystery that was Capital playlisting ‘Sunrise’ what eventually turned out to be slightly prematurely led me to Mr. Scoop’s Facebook page. For the last month or so, he has jumped on Facebook Live from his New York home to answer literally anything his audience pitches. Why? “I had a foot operation. I’d been stuck in the house, had nothing else to do, and I wanted to occupy my time by doing something instead of masturbating, watching television, and a bunch of dumb shit.”
Because we ask the hard-hitting questions here at The Edge, jump to the 14:20 mark on this particular stream to find out his favourite German phrase. (To contextualise, earlier he had remarked that he spoke some German and his answer to my question immediately followed some sort of rant about electricians and how you can replace their knowledge with Pinterest.)
Yes. “Ein Big Mac ohne Fleisch mit großes Pommes und Fanta.”
Anyway, ‘Sunrise’ is finally upon us and looking far better than the delicate ‘Run Up’ ever could. Fuse ODG is Fuse ODG, bringing the AAAYYYYAYs. Fatman Scoop is Fatman Scoop, bringing the shouts of FATMAN SCOOP. Jillionaire is, apparently, a capable production entity independent of Walshy Fire and Diplo, bringing whining synths in the drop that burrow in throughout a record so summery that it has for the last few days genuinely made me forget that it’s so chilly and perpetually miserable everywhere at the moment. Fortunately, Capital is now properly behind it and Scoop is coming (assumingly with his colleagues) for promo work and a launch party TILL THE WHAT TILL THE WHAT TILL THE WHAT.
Selected Other Releases
Albums
Above & Beyond – Anjunabeats Vol. 13
Amber Run – For A Moment, I Was Lost
Big Wild – Invincible EP
Brooders – Brooders
Deadbeats Compilation Vol. 1
Devlin – The Devil In
Lupe Fiasco – DROGAS Light
Mr. Eazi – Life Is Eazi Vol. 1: Accra To Lagos
NAO – For All We Know Remixes EP
Nines – One Foot Out
Poté – Fire For Fire EP
Rationale – Vessels EP
Singles
Amba Shepherd – ‘Wide Awake & Dreaming’
Amtrac – ‘Piano Boy’
Anne-Marie – ‘Ciao Adios’
Avelino feat. Stormzy & Skepta – ‘Energy’
Axwell Λ Ingrosso feat. Kid Ink – ‘I Love You’
Bridgit Mendler & Devontée – ‘Temperamental Love’
Carmody – ‘Before You Knew Me’
Coasts – ‘Heart Starts Beating’
Courage & Lao Ra – ‘Wild At Heart’
Desiigner – ‘Outlet’
Dirty Projectors – ‘Cool Your Heart’
FKJ – ‘Skyline’
Hercules & Love Affair feat. Faris Badwan – ‘Controller’
Jacob Banks – ‘Unholy War’
Jamiroquai – ‘Cloud 9’
Jidenna – ‘Bambi’
Juicy J feat. Wiz Khalifa & Ty Dolla $ign – ‘Ain’t Nothing’
Just Us – ‘Cloudbusting’
LION BABE feat. Moe Moks – ‘Rockets’
Marika Hackman – ‘Boyfriend’
Milky Chance – ‘Ego’
NERVO – ‘In Your Arms’
Sigrid – ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’
Texas – ‘Let’s Work It Out’
The Magic Gang – ‘How Can I Compete’
The Staves – ‘Tired As Fuck’
Throttle – ‘Hit The Road Jack’
Will Heard – ‘I Better Love You’
Zak Abel feat. Wretch 32 – ‘Rock Bottom’
This Week In Records: Playlist Edition
Follow our shiny Spotify playlist and all this musical newness will be right there in time for breakfast every Friday morning.
