Listening Diary 2026-01-28

Future Falling – The Album Leaf – https://thealbumleaf.bandcamp.com/album/future-falling – Most recent LP from Californian ambient/shoegazer Jimmy Lavalle and friends, his sixth since 1999 and seven years after the previous one. Gentle, introspective passages driven by modular sequencing that seem made for contemplation.
Bastard – Colin Newman – https://swim.greedbag.com/buy/bastard-24/ – Having a bit of a wander about the output of Colin Newman and Malka Speigel’s swim ~ label. ‘Bastard’ is a nominally solo Colin Newman LP from 1997, but unlike previous Newman solo LPs, it is advised not by the same post-punk artfulness of Wire (it was difficult to separate the two at times) but by techno, 90s electronica and post-rock. The result is a mix of breakbeats and loose guitar explorations that reflect Wire’s repetition without imitating it. The additional material from the 2024 release has more of the feel of a solo Newman LP but also has passages that sound like Underworld at that time.
LaBradford – LaBradford – https://labradford.bandcamp.com/album/labradford – More context, an excellent example of late 90s post-rock. Spacious, fuzzy ambience with minimal guitar lines and whispered vocals. Music for foggy evenings like this one.

Bedlam Steps