Kobe-based solo project Garbage Garden has unleashed an absolute tempest of a single, "busy. being. Real." Drawing profoundly on Japan’s "Lost Generation" and the heavy psychological toll of navigating a rigidly hyper-efficient world, this new release is an abrasive jolt to the nervous system. https://open.spotify.com/track/68L3xHjofvZzyl1PT6gspO?si=64dd4dbb738f41f2 Garbage Garden continually wraps deep trauma exploring everything from emotional neglect to natural disasters in glaringly bright, video-game-esque textures. The result...

Right, so, Manchester's own Robert McGinty is back. "Reflections," they call it. Twelve classical instrumentals. Twelve! Like the apostles, but...less preachy, more piano-y. It's supposed to be uplifting and joyful, this album, a sequel of sorts, tracking his growth since the debut. Did you know the collective noun for owls is a parliament? Completely unrelated, I know, but owls are wise, and there's a...