WET TOWELS

Impossibly optimized stuff from James Grant's experimental-adventure-jazz Spelunks pseudonym. Lite-percussion intersects with warbled oddities on "Wet Towels (Cabana Boy Mix)," which features on the Serenely Skeptical EP, out on Crystal Magic on August 15. Also watch out for James Grant's forthcoming tape under the Abstract Mutation moniker, out soon on 1080p.

RQ x MELBOURNE

Guerre
MP3: "Millenium Blues"

TV Colours
MP3: "The Kids Are All Grown Up"

Terrible Truths
MP3: "Don Juan"

Free Choice Duo

Spelunks (DJ Set)
MP3: "Why Do You Make Me Wait"

+ Rose Quartz DJs

Saturday 13th August

The Gasometer Hotel
484 Smith St, Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia 3066
Melbourne, Australia
$10
8pm - late

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NOTHING 2 DO

MP3: Spelunks - Why Do You Make Me Wait?

This brand new funky tip from ex-Christchurch, now Melbourne based musician James Grant has been ruling my lounge room all night. Grant's still in his increasingly characteristic, odd-disco zone, pairing bassline funk and muffled karaoke reverb into an unlikely off-kilter bedroom hit. Definitely getting a Mausian vibe from this one too which is all good (duh).

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GEONS

MP3: Spelunks - Relaxed Geometry

We've been following James Grant's diverse and singular releases as Spelunks pretty closely for a while now through his Sleepout Recordings depository, and this latest single might be his best yet. Grant melds a sparse dance beat with no-wave bass slides, mumbled vocal delays and digital recorder (?!) into this amazingly off-kilter weird groover which my flatmate described as being "really good but it makes me feel real weird or something".

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ZILCH

MP3: Spelunks - Ba-DUNK

More languid aquatic grooves from Christchurch's Spelunks right here. Lost vocal delays slip into squelchy synth crunches, both offset by a loose bassline and muted distant club beat - seems disorienting at first but it actually feels totally right.

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CCHHUURRNN

MP3: Spelunks - 2 of a Kind
MP3: Spots - Thirty-Five (Blaring)

Here's two tracks from two different aliases of Christchurch, New Zealand artist James Grant. The Spelunks track is a real casually beautiful pop song, swamped in some all too tangible 17 year-old moper feelings, but buoyed from complete bleakness with that bouncy bassline and wonky guitar licks. At just under 1:30 the Spots track feels a bit like a teaser but manages to sound real enchanting in its sparse Arthur Russell-style athleticism; guitar like bow strokes and vocal echoes all aquatic and delicate.

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