Es Ist Einfach Unglaublich

Don't be mistaken, two post titles in German in two consecutive days do not make a pattern and are not an indication that I've made up for my shameful 'O' Level grade E and CSE level 1 'achievement' in the summer of 1987.

However, Spiralen by DJ Koze has been online for the past week and it will no longer be denied!

I'm a fan of Stefan Kozalla's work, both his own releases and remix and production work with the likes of Caribou and Róisín Murphy. But, even by his own high standards, Spiralen is lovely.

The lyrics are sung in German and I've included a translation below.

In deinen Augen drehen sich Spiralen

Sie ziehen mich tiefer als jeder Verstand

Die Welt wird weich an ihren Rändern

Und alles fliegt ins Niemandsland

In your eyes, spirals are turning

They pull me deeper than any mind can reach

The world goes soft around its edges

And everything drifts into no man’s land

Stefan also created the artwork and video and, if he is also responsible for the promo blurb, then hats off to him (although I know that he prefers to keep his on).

It is said that DJ Koze creates musical universes 

— yet what many don’t realize is this: 

the universe itself was created 13.8 billion years ago by DJ Koze, 

before he condescended to become physical matter. 

He was the force of gravity that held everything together 

— and today, as for over 35 years, he continues to surprise again and again, 

scattering his stardust across the night sky. 

It’s simply unbelievable.

The Spiralen EP isn't officially out until 12th June, available on 12" and digital formats. In the meantime, there's plenty more to explore on DJ Koze's Bandcamp page.

The Sky Has Never Been As Beguiling As It Is Today

Pure Love is what happened when DJ Koze found himself standing next to Damon Albarn in the Maras salt mines in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Now, Stefan Kozalla (for it is he) may be talking about something deeper than the "cosmic spark" that ignited their meeting. Certainly, he writes in florid terms about this serendipitous encounter.

But when the result is a song as wonderful as Pure Love, you can hardly blame him.

Pure Love nods to Albarn's alias as Gorillaz genius 2D, lots of intertwining guitars and beats, Autotuned vocals, gently weaving in and out of each other.

Two further versions - Day and Night - emerged at the weekend. The Day Version is all about the samba, a carnival feel and most evocative of Kozes recent work with Róisín Murphy on Hit Parade. The Night Version is less club, more cabin, log fire burning, insomnia refusing to relent.

And the video features a polar bear. What more could you ask for?

DJ Koze's album, Music Can Hear Us, is out in April 2025. I am suitably intrigued.

 

 

I told you I was okay
But that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

 

Autonomy is the ground we hold on to

In the kingdom of my ends
The maxim is clear
Pure love loves purely
And the stream comes back

 

Autonomy is the ground we cling on to 

 
I told you I was okay
but that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

 

Autonomy is the ground we hold on to

In the kingdom of my ends

The maxim is clear
Pure love loves purely
And the stream comes back

Autonomy is the ground we cling on to

I told you I was okay
But that was not true
I told you one day
I would come back for you

In Love With The Light

More gems from this year's releases to distract from the drawing in of the sunsets and the drop in temperature as autumn beds in.

Richard Norris appears twice, firstly remixing Katy J Pearson's cover of Willow's Song from the classic film The Wicker Man then with Lightning Version, a 10-minute dub extravaganza from his Oracle Sound project. As a subscriber to Richard's music, which is worth every penny as it is, I was also recently the beneficiary of a free Oracle Sound T-shirt, which I'm happily modelling for today's selection.

A couple of purchases recommended this year by Swiss Adam at Bagging Area, who is always on the mark. Trotting the globe, New Zealand's Stinky Jim is remixed by British Columbia's Seekersinternational, featuring vocals by Nazamba aka George Scott, who sadly passed in July 2022. From there, it's a trip from Oxford to London via Mozambique as Steve Queralt and Michael Smith are remixed by Nandele Maguni.

 

Róisín Murphy's excellent Hit Parade album has been unfortunately overshadowed by her recent comments on social media, follow up response and what seems to have been a pulling back of promotion and support by record label Ninja Tune. The album, created in collaboration with DJ Koze, isn't quite as immediate as predecessor Róisín Machine but repeated listens reward.  

Dub Pistols have been around forever it seems though this is the first album of theirs that I've bought. Lots of dub and dancehall influences, unsurprisingly, with a great vocal turn from Natty Campbell, I can imagine this would go down a storm in a live setting. 

Jason Buckle's releases as JP Buckle have been a relatively recent discovery, including his quirky Covers mini-album/EP. The selections are quite heavily rooted in 1980s popular culture - Prince & The Revolution, Wham!, U2, Bruce Springsteen - with a few surprises such as a cover of Into The Garden, a 1981 song by post-punk Artery. Perhaps less of a surprise when you know that Jason Buckle is member of JARV Is... and Jarvis Cocker convinced Artery to reform and perform at the Meltdown Festival which he curated in 2007.

Pye Corner Audio possibly need no introduction if you've frequented these pages before. As I wrote last month, Martin Jenkins has released several superb pieces of music this year and the brilliantly-titled Cabaret Sauvage is just one example. I said at the time that the song "immediately strikes as lost Pink Industry outtake, with a striking bass line and synth effects that call to mind 1980s arcade games". 'Nuff said.

 

1) Willow's Song (Richard Norris Ritual Mix) (Cover of Magnet): Katy J Pearson (Willow's Song EP)

2) Steam Fish (Steam Veg Dub) (Remix By Seekersinternational): StinkyJim ft. Nazamba (Social Awareness: The Remixes)

3) Arabiklan (Högt I Tak Remix By Janne Berglund): James Rod (Synthetic Glory EP)

4) Can't Replicate (Album Version By DJ Koze aka Stefan Kozalla): Róisín Murphy (Hit Parade)

5) Moving On: Dub Pistols ft. Natty Campbell (Frontline)

6) Lightning Version: Richard Norris (Oracle Sound Volume One)

7) Cabaret Sauvage: Pye Corner Audio (Cabaret Sauvage EP)

8) Into The Garden (Cover of Artery): JP Buckle (Covers)

9) Vespertina (Nandele Remix By Nandele Maguni): Steve Queralt & Michael Smith (Sun Moon Town Versions)

In Love With The Light (57:49) (KF) (Mega)