Caught in the Net: Nigel Godrich just needs another band

Nigel Godrich

Hear the name Nigel Godrich and you'll likely think of Radiohead.

The UK producer has been an almost permanent figure in the band's production booth since OK Computer in 1997. He's also carved out time to form a new project, Ultraísta, with drummer Joey Waronker and London pop artist Laura Bettinson. Find them at www.ultraista.com. Thus far they only have one song, a downbeat electro number with languid vocals from Bettinson called "Smalltalk". Hear it at soundcloud.com /ultra1sta and find a colourful, lo-fi video at youtu.be/9vRtx8cICvs.

Notown is big enough for the both of them

Last week, the brilliant UK electronica artist Gold Panda took to Twitter (@goldpanda) and announced a new release on his Notown label. A link – bit.ly/IN0EL5 – led to a track by fellow leftfield electronic artist Luke Abbott: "Modern Driveway" is the title track from an EP Abbott is releasing in late June on Panda's label. It's a lovely dash of sparse electronic music, blurred and full of beeps and blips, with gorgeous synth washes behind it all. Hear it at snd.sc/JhOFCm. Gold Panda also has a new 7" on Notown, out this week digitally. The songs can be streamed at snd.sc/KWiqaG.

The dark knight revises

"I See a Darkness", the title track of Bonnie "Prince" Billy's 1999 classic album, was good enough to be covered by Johnny Cash and now it has been covered again – by the Bonnie "Prince" (aka Will Oldham) himself. It appears on an upcoming EP, Now Here's My Plan, which sees Oldham return to six of his own songs. The original was a stunning, stark affair. Here, he revs things up to a jaunty pace, an upbeat folk feel belying the dark lyrics. The black-and-white video sees Oldham and friends larking around in Glasgow (youtu.be/4iV4NwSbscg).

Busy rapper banks another winner

Up-and-coming Harlem rapper Azealia Banks reportedly has an EP due this month, followed by a mixtape in summer and a debut album in September. Ahead of all that, a new song from Banks is streaming at snd.sc/KQofX6. On "Jumanji", she hooks up with producers Hudson Mohawke and Nick Hook, to spit impressively over steel drums and playful synth sounds.