Preview two outstanding new LPs from noise kingpin Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and pop weirdos Tonstartssbandht via Mexican Summer records

Ambient/electronic artist Jefre Cantu-Ledesma and eclectic pop duo Tonstartssbandht don’t have much in common on paper, but they are linked by a record label — the great Mexican Summer imprint — and the fact that they are both releasing highly anticipated (and incredibly good) LPs in the first quarter of 2017.

You can hear the rich electronic soundscapes on that populate Cantu-Ledesma’s forthcoming On Echoing Green below via the shimmering “A Song of Summer.” It you aren’t familiar with his work, it is always this grandiose and scintillating, which is why he is held in such high regard. It is the kind of electronic music that pulses with life, similar to Oneohtrix Point Never, Tim Hecker and the like. “A Song of Summer,” and the whole LP, feature kind of music that doesn’t need one word to convey a cascade of emotions. The nine-song LP will be released on June 16th.

Tonstartssbandht are less precise but no less articulate. The duo, who happen to be brothers, make unwieldily pop songs that stretch and bend in varied directions, but don’t lose themselves in the dreaded “jam band” territory. Their songs have heart and guts, and are more collages of different ideas crammed into three longish songs that comprise their latest LP Sorcerer. They are streaming two of the three tracks, but I’d suggest diving in via the title track, which is the shortest song on the record at a brisk 9:30. Wistful, funky, richly arranged, the song is the kind of visionary madcap songwriting that makes the band so exciting (saying nothing of the fact that they are best known for their dynamic live shows). Their three song LP is out now. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for a stop here in the Twin Cities on this tour.