The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This week: Disciples of Noise, God Gotti with Prod. P, Blou Reed, Atlas the Kid, Frontier Ruckus, Tymbals, How to Draw Monsters, Darrin James Band, John Beltran, Orka Veer featuring Zakoor, Cloudburst, and Stephen Kemsley.

Disciples of Noise
REGRESS // NOISE
Genre: experimental
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: A2's 1475 label teams up with students and a professor from U-M's Department of Performing Arts Technology for a compilation of out-there sounds. "REGRESS // NOISE is an album of ten compositions completed in a special seminar on Noise at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan. Facilitated by Performing Arts Technology professor Julie Zhu and supported by the Arts Initiative, this album was duplicated on cassette, as is the practice of local Noisicians, or as the artists here are collectively called, Disciples of Noise.”
Links: 1473.bandcamp.com

God Gotti
Dark Sounds/Dark Souls
Genre: hip-hop
Location: Ypsilanti and Dover, Delaware
Notes: Ypsi's Prod. P created the beats for this LP by Delaware rapper God Gotti.
Links: instagram.com/prod.by_p

Blou Reed
Moonrise
Genre: jazz
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Live recording made at Willis Sound by this talented group of young jazz musicians.
Links: linktr.ee/blou_reed_band

Atlas the Kid featuring RNB Abe, Micah tha Smith, and Teddy MC
"If You Can't Know"
Genre: hip-hop
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: New single on the heels of October's The River Phlegethon EP. 
Links: facebook.com/Mad4tlas | instagram.com/mad4tlas | mad4tlas.bandcamp.com

Frontier Ruckus
"Clarkston Pasture" music video/film
Genre: folk, bluegrass, indie
Location: Ypsilanti and Detroit
Notes:  Music video shot on 16mm film for a single from last year's On the Northline LP.
Links: "All the Time: Frontier Ruckus Explores the past, present, and future on new album" [Pulp, February 16, 2024]

Tymbals
Pure Broods
Genre: industrial, experimental, noise
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes:  Jason Adam Voss and Sean Schuster-Craig (aka Jib Kidder) documented noises made from wood, plastic, and metal, then the latter mixed the samples in a way that approximates heavy machinery going to town at a dig site, or the inside of an industrial fabrication facility.
Links: instagram.com/jasonadamvoss | instagram.com/jibkidder

How to Draw Monsters
Blacklight Death
Skineminimum 1
Skineminimum 2
Genre: vaporwave, electronica, ambient
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Blacklight Death features two 20-minute ambient drifts, but the double-volume Skineminimum features down-tempo beats and slowed vocals for a woozy, strange subgenre of vaporwave called "barber beats."
Links: howtodrawmonsters.bandcamp.com

Darrin James Band
Live Ravine Sessions
Genre: rock, blues, roots
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Ravine Studios owner Darrin James (guitar, vocals) documents his ace band—Brennan Andes (bass), Rob Avsharian (drums), Keaton Royer (Hammond organ), and guest saxophonist Tim Haldeman—on eight tracks.
Links: darrinjames.com | ravinerecords.com

John Beltran
Back to Bahia Anthology
Genre: dance, funk, Brazilian
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: A compilation of Beltran's ongoing series of dance singles that nod heavily to Brazilian music.
Links: instagram.com/johnbeltranmusic

Orka Veer featuring Zakoor
Endless
Genre: chill wave
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes:  The latest collaboration between Ann Arbor musician Michael (last name unknown) and vocalist Zakoor builds on their previous 2025 album, Into the Void, with a dreamy, synthy, spa-ready collection of mellow tunes.
Links: orkaveer.com

Cloudburst
Water Balloons EP
Genre: lo-fi psych rock
Location: Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor
Notes: Patrick Pyne teams up with producer Evan Haywood again to document his scrappy, scratchy psych-rock jams. 
Links: instagram.com/cloudburstband13 | instagram.com/ledawghaywood

Stephen Kemsley
Bridge in the Night
Genre: indie rock, folk
Location: Ann Arbor
Notes: Debut album by this singer-songwriter, who was assisted by Steven Rumpel on drums but played all the other instruments himself.
Links: submithub.com/link/stephen-kemsley

Send your music to pulp@aadl.org if you're an artist or label with Washtenaw County associations. Check out more local music coverage here and in the Friday Five archives.