More runaway train conductor than narrator, Middle Name John distils disillusioned poetry that oscillates between a purge of incisive social observations and a collection of elaborate indagations of subconsciousness, holding a two-way mirror into the personal and the collective. Obviously Confidential, his debut album, highlights the shortcomings of modern-day individualism and reminds us that perhaps the glimmer of hope at the end of the dark tunnel of human ugliness can only be achieved through empathy.
Recorded during times of simultaneous global pause and unrest, the album intentionally reflects the chaotic, confusing, and at some points, silly dialogues that happened both in the public and internal spheres.
Instead of enforcing solitude, Middle Name John embraced collaboration, bringing along multi-instrumentalist friends such as Alessandro La Barbera (Los Padres, Sans Soucis) and Max Mella (Aphty Khéa, Sheldon Agwu) as co-producers. On the final track ‘Too Much Too Soon’ you can hear the propulsive drumming of Marijus Aleksa (Joe Armon Jones, Oscar Jerome). The challenge of never being in the room with more than one person invited each collaborator to bring an individual edge to their respective tracks, turning the songwriting into a playful process where the toying around with cassette loops and effects pedals can be heard throughout.
Finding a balance between the multi-faceted creativity as a player, a writer, an observer, an activist, and a person, the anonymous creative Middle Name John emerges as a faceless expression of life’s uncertainty, continuing to showcase the expanse of his musicianship.
Middle Name John’s music is rooted in his belief in a future without oppressed people, poverty, war, borders or oligarchs. It allows unity to breed a reconstruction of our planet and its inhabitants. Obviously Confidential challenges the boundaries of genre while speaking to difficult and relatable topics with rich lyrical prowess.
The project also marks Juicy's return to physical releases, with a beautiful edition of 100 cassette tapes in recycled purple colour, with variant cover and exclusive artwork, pressed in collaboration with beloved London-label Slowfoot Records. You can buy via the artist's Bandcamp or our webstore.
And if streaming is more your thing, please pick your platform of choice here.
Check out the video for the album's first single below:
Earth (in Portuguese, Terra). The third planet from the Sun and the only place known to us in the universe where life has originated and found habitability. Also 1930s silent film by Ukrainian director Oleksandr Dovzhenko, and more recently an original soundtrack composed by MUAY for the same movie.
Recorded live for a concert film performance at Cinemax, Penafiel, which took place on November 29th, 2021, TERRA saw the duo break new ground both sonically and conceptually. The resulting four songs create a compelling narrative while sustaining the different personalities of MUAY as a band.
Previously only available via Bandcamp and cassette tape sold by the band, this release can now finally be found on all major digital and streaming platforms via Juicy. Pick your poison:
First show of 2022 is up on Mixcloud for your listening pleasure. It's a recap of what I've been writing about over on the online zine posts + a few extra sprinkles of greatness. A bit longer than usual, but still just a few minutes over one hour.
For obvious reasons and not only, I didn't feel like pressing record and doing the show for the last three months, but I believe that, if anything, music helps us get through tough times and process shit.
⚠️IMPORTANT⚠️ if you don't make it to the very end of the show where I talk about it, please consider purchasing the excellent ВОЛЯ Fundraiser Compilation by MUS.CUT Records - it's got songs from 17 Ukrainian artists, and all sales revert to the fight for Ukrainian freedom. Also please check this page for other ways you can help even if you can't donate.
Show 18 features music from Home Front, Resina, McKinley Dixon, Earl Sweatshirt, Knxwledge, WTCHCRFT, Dryft, Julia-Sophie, Cloakroom and Soul Glo.
Listen below and if you like what you hear check out the weekly New Music posts on the online zine.
To celebrate the release of our new zine, I've recorded a very special long-form episode of The Juice Show. It mirrors our Playlist section in the print zine, where I highlight my favourite music of the year.
I did my very best to jampack it with absolute gems from some of my favourite records of 2021 and also insert a few easter eggs about The Juice Zine 08's contents.
Let's keep it 100: there was almost no zine this year (again, because you know, 2020...). The Juice is about gathering friends together, in and outside its pages, so the thought of releasing a zine without a party left us bummed out.
But then we realised that time only moves forward if we move along with it. The Juice Zine 08 is a testament to what gets us through, what makes us tick, what lifts us up, what gives us life. The Push/Pull issue, because we all need both of them to go through existence.
So our eighth issue celebrates life and our ability to savour the present moment, informed by the past but not bound by nostalgia. As always, we spoke to artists who inspire us, talked about things we care about and reached out to old and new friends to help bring our pages to life.
As mentioned earlier, no release party this year, but we'll be recording a special episode of The Juice Show to give more insight into the music and the people that inspired this issue.
You probably didn’t notice, but the show took a little break for the month of August. To compensate, this new episode showcases music I've discovered over the last couple of months. Expect a few more songs than usual, although still under the 1-hour mark.
Episode 16 features music by Mansur Brown, Kenny Segal, Bloodslide, Merpire, Veslemes, Atariame, Samia, The Lipschitz and Wiki & Navy Blue.
Listen below and if you like what you hear check out the weekly New Music posts on the online zine.
Summer is in full effect, and so on this episode, things turned a bit sunnier.
Keeping it under 40 minutes, show 15 features the music of Yves Tumor, Mndsgn., Spectacular Diagnostics, Children of Zeus, Lightning Bug, Dating and Backxwas. It's a lively one, I can guarantee.
Listen below and if you like what you hear check out the weekly New Music posts on the online zine.
The next zine will be about what gets us through, what makes us tick, what lifts us up, what gives us life. What pulls us closer and what pushes us forward.
And so we introduce The Juice 08: Push/Pull Issue.
More importantly, I want to invite you to be part of it!
If you have a project to share, something you want to write about, or a suggestion to make, get in touch. If you have never collaborated with a fanzine before, get in touch. If you're part of a minority group that is underrepresented in mainstream media, get in touch. If you feel a specific topic/experience lacks visibility and accurate depictions in other publications, get in touch. If you just want to get something off your chest, get in touch.
If you're a writer, illustrator, artist, photographer, designer, or if you know one that might be interested, get involved.
How to get involved? Email us at thejuice@juicyrecs.com or use our contact form.
DEADLINE FOR PITCHES/SUBMISSIONS: August 15th 2021.
Episode 13 of The Juice Show is now online. I've been feeling a bit low recently, so I turned to music to bring me back up. This show is probably the most energetic so far.
It features music by Baauer & Omega Sapien, Saint Jude, BODY MEAT, Tk Mclaren, Sal Dulu, Lost Girls and KUCKA.
Listen below and if you like what you hear check out the weekly New Music posts on the online zine.
For the latest newsletter, I announced the new issue of The Juice Zine in print and called for submissions and recapped on what we've been up to. Oh, and heka has a new single!
