Two Underground Stars Imagine a Dank, Dubby Baltimore

A friend recently sent me a list of her favorite records of 2024 with the disclaimer, "Basically I listened to Valentina Magaletti all year." While she was being hyperbolic (sort of), I understood what she meant. Magaletti, the London-based drummer and producer, may be the hardest working musician in experimental music. Last year alone, she was the rhythmic force of You Never End by the techno-meets-post-hardcore band Moin; she worked alongside the Príncipe affiliate Nídia on an ethereal reimagining of kuduro; and her band Holy Tongue linked up with bass provocateur Shackleton for some soul-searching trips down a dubby, post-punk rabbit hole. That doesn't even account for the abundance of one-off singles, EPs, and projects that would leave even the most enthusiastic Discogs archivists with their head spinning. Did I mention she started a label? 

Whether Magaletti is making brash and unapologetic punk as part of UUUU or collaborating with experimental and ambient musician Laila Sakini on gossamer soundscapes, every record is as unexpected as it is essential. Her latest creation arrives on Dusseldorf weirdo-in-chief Vladimir Ivkovic's label Offen Music. It’s Cold in Baltimore, her second outing under the alias V/Z alongside Susumu Mukai, is a dark and twisted record of blown-out post-punk and dub. Mukai is an equally adventurous figure from the fringes of the underground: His debut LP as Zongamin, released on XL Recordings in 2003, is a time capsule from the moment when skinny-jean hipsters were starting to take pills and DJ in Williamsburg warehouses. Mukai’s releases since then have been increasingly outré, mixing folk and world music with techno and disco.He’s probably the only person to release 12-inches for both French blog house label Ed Banger and the fourth-world experimental imprint Multi Culti.