Never Bite Through The Trix

Oneohtrix Point Never has just released the first song from upcoming (and hotly anticipated) album Garden of Delete. What with the many teasers floating about, it has been hard to grasp what is in store. 'I Bite Through It' remains a real headscratcher, in the best kind of way. Starting with stuttering, sonorous synth and hold-pattern beats, it feels like Daniel Lopatin is going for the pop overdose jugular; but as the sounds mount and enter their own grooved paths, something is building. The industrial pounding moments that hit though are cathartic hiccups though - halfway through we hit a Cornelius level of contemplation, a New Age eye of the storm, before all elements meld into each other, guitar adding yet another layer, a flagrant merging of cyber tape manipulations. Preorder Garden Of Delete (out through Warp Records) here.

Brittle Concrete, Bony Water

Sydney electronic artist Setec has been on my radar since his Wood & Wire release, the EP I'll Be Good. There is a subtle percolating beauty that lies embedded in his work, something akin to the more subdued cut-and-paste elements of Cornelius' work. Its the fluidity of the music that really stands out - when most artists say they are blurring the lines between organic and synthetic, they aren't cutting close to what Setec is tapping into here. And his upcoming LP Brittle As Bones seems destined to show this once and for all. You only need to be lulled by track 'Water Or Concrete' to understand where Setec (AKA Joshua Gibb) is heading. It's an amazing track that precedes what is likely to be a very exciting release, seguing from found-sound percussion to nebulous loops, hushed samples, and Gibbs' own voice, all melding together to become a breathing, naturalistic wonder.

Brittle As Bones comes out soon - keep your eye and ears peeled, because this promises to be an important 2014 release.