The Flash-Cult October Issue
What is this thing?
Welcome to "Flash-Cult", swift insights for the advice-averse!
Each month, join us on a journey from the electrifying strums of rock to the soothing melodies of jazz, from the serene waves of ambient to the pulsating rhythms of electronic. No need for long reads—just a quick, fun glimpse and an invite to explore the best tunes we've discovered.
Flash-Cult choices of the month
Our special selection of great music released during this month.
Being Dead
EELS
Rock / Alternative
Being Dead's second album, EELS, is a fun, quirky, and surprisingly touching exploration of love, longing, and the absurdities of life. With a sound that draws on influences like punk, surf rock, and classic indie, the band crafts catchy and complex songs filled with witty lyrics and dynamic vocal interplay. Though seemingly lighthearted, EELS delves into deeper themes of innocence, adulthood, and the allure of fantasy in a world that often feels devoid of hope.
Flash Advice Song: Van Goes
HWI
Humanly Possible
Electronic
HWI is a multi-talented artist who creates captivating music and visuals. On her debut album, Humanly Possible, she blends diverse genres like R&B, hip hop, and techno into a unique sound. Her work is both meticulously crafted and refreshingly spontaneous, showcasing a DIY aesthetic that elevates her resourceful approach. HWI's vocals are a versatile instrument in her sonic arsenal, ranging from beautiful melodies to experimental textures that push the boundaries of her artistry.
Flash Advice Song: Your My Past Lives
Félicia Atkinson
Space In An Instrument
Experimental
Félicia Atkinson's new album, Space In An Instrument, explores cosmic and personal spaces through intimate soundscapes built from field recordings, piano, and her own alluring vocals. She masterfully blends the organic and electronic, creating a constantly shifting, multi-layered soundscape that balances serenity and disturbance. Influenced by minimalism, avant-garde composition, and field recording, Atkinson's music is complex and captivating, demanding repeated listens to fully appreciate its depth.
Flash Advice Song: Thining Iceberg
LYZZA
Third World: The Bottom Dimension
Video Game Soundtrack
Lyzza's soundtrack for the video game Third World: The Bottom Dimension is a powerful and innovative work that pushes the boundaries of game music. Drawing on a diverse range of influences, from reggaeton to Detroit techno, Lyzza creates a sonic world that is both thrilling and unsettling. The music perfectly captures the game's exploration of the Black Brazilian experience and the impact of colonialism, while also showcasing Lyzza's unique ability to tell stories through sound.
Flash Advice Song: Star Crossed
David Lance Callahan
Down To The Marshes
Folk
Elements of folk, West African, blues, Indian and post-punk music in an extremely gentle and "chamber" mix. David Lance Callagan confirms the elements already shown in the first two albums, but in this case the sound palette is expanded thanks to a wind section and a string quartet capable of underlining the melodies. The effects of the pandemic and the lockdown are evident and provide a carpet of melancholy and meditation: a sort of secular prayer, the confirmation that even in the small of our environments art can be born - as long as it opens us to the world.
Flash Advice Song: Island State
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
No Title As Of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead
Post-rock
A tense, angry and at times desperate album, even more than usually happens with G!YBE, but for once not only navel-gazing, not only nihilistically collected on the melody. It is impossible to separate this album from its title and from the massacre of the Palestinian people that accompanies it, and yet the strength and richness of the musical offering of this band remain granite over time. If there is a light at the end of the tragedy it is in the possibility of its expressibility, net of what words cannot actually express. It is almost always the unexpected that gives light, or at least consolation: and only God knows how much we need it.
Flash Advice Song: Babys In A Thundercloud
Charles Lloyd
The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow
Spiritual jazz
A jazz tainted with blues, with fascinating melodies that stick to your mind, give you joy and slip away like velvet, between the notes of the sax and a never invasive piano. Another album conceived during the pandemic where ghosts and anguish are transformed into the meditative wait (four years) to return to the recording studio with a group of talented trusted friends. Sometimes you just need to get back among friends, relax and do what you like: if it's good music, then there's a good chance it will reach people who need the same moment of respite from the world.
Flash Advice Song: Defiant, tender warrior
Kelly Lee Owens
Dreamstate
Dream Techno
A pop trance work that mixes dream pop with a dancefloor vein: an album full of dance hits, between suffused tensions, adrenaline-filled crescendos and very welcome drops. In general it is an album that denotes a less authorial and more directly commercial tension, but this does not devalue the artistic scope at all, managing to deliver a melodically captivating work, powerful and crooked at the same time. It may not be an immortal masterpiece, but sometimes all you need is a little artfully constructed lightheartedness - even when it makes you think of Nordic elves dancing on the dancefloor.
Flash Advice Song: Rise
Historical milestone
Every month, a fresh milestone from music history served up for you.
Flying Lotus
Cosmogramma (2010)
Electronic (?)
Flying Lotus's Cosmogramma is a groundbreaking album that transcends genre limitations, fusing jazz, hip-hop, video game sounds, and IDM into a singular and challenging listening experience. This intricately constructed record marks a departure from his earlier work, showcasing Ellison's unique sound and his growth as a producer. With influences ranging from J Dilla to Alice Coltrane, Cosmogramma is a testament to Flying Lotus's creative vision and his ability to push the boundaries of electronic music.
Flash Advice Song: Do The Astral Plan (Personal note: My wife and I have chosen this song for our entrance into the reception during our wedding - EM).
