Cloud Sounds #12: UNKLE vs Radkey, Chad Van Gaalen, Illum Sphere, Esben and the Witch

On this week's Cloud Sounds, a weekly playlist of new music curated by The Skinny, we present a finely-tuned mix of electronic music, hardcore punk and metal, cutting-edge indie and folk, and high-contrast hip-hop, including the first new UNKLE material in four years, remixing Radkey; a radical deconstruction of St Vincent's Digital Witness by electronic duo Darkside; the return of Sugar / Hüsker Dü front-man Bob Mould; and the superb new single from Beast Coast originators and NYC rap kingpins Flatbush Zombies. Let's get stuck in.

We begin with the return of James Lavelle, founder of the seminal Mo' Wax label, which provided the template for the nascent 'trip-hop' sound in the late 90s, laying the foundations for the renaissance of the UK beat scene. Lavelle went on to form UNKLE, a collaborative project which saw him collaborate with the likes of DJ Shadow, Thom Yorke, Ian Brown and many more. Lavelle, who is curating this year's Meltdown Festival in London, has this week unveiled his first remix as UNKLE in some time, in the form of an intricately-constructed slice of science fiction hip-hop, spun from a track by rising US punk trio Radkey.

Next up, it's Darkside - aka Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington, who we interviewed in October last year. They deliver a stark, distorted electro re-rub of the excellent Digital Witness by St. Vincent, taken from her recent self-titled album. Then it's the turn of Ninja Tune producer Illum Sphere, who we spoke to in February about his haunting album Ghosts of Then and Now. This cut is from his new EP, which drops on Record Store Day. Look out for Spectre Vex at your local vinyl emporium.

Estonia-born, now NYC-based Maria Minerva is one of the stars of the rosters of LA labels 100% Silk and Not Not Fun. She presents the first track from her forthcoming album Histrionics, a mixture of lo-fi electronics, sticky-sweet R 'n' B and pop melodies, and ethereal production, The Beginning promises big things for the album, which drops on 29 April via Not Not Fun. A change of pace next, as Esben and the Witch serve up a slice of grimy noise-rock with spectral vocals – it's taken from a forthcoming split with Thought Forms, dropping on Invada Records on 7 April.

Sub Pop troubadour Chad VanGaalen follows, with a track taken from Shrink Dust, out 29 April. Shades of Neil Young abound in this confessional tale, with VanGaalen crooning: "I'm a monster, my fingers have shrivelled and dropped to the dirt, and two giant talons have grown where they were." So... we guess Chad means he's literally a monster. Which is pretty awesome. Next up, a real treat – a never-before-heard track from legendary British folk singer Nick Drake, recorded with Beverley Martin before Drake's death in 1974. She has recently completed the track, Reckless Jane, which will feature on her new album The Phoenix & The Turtle. Martin talks about the song, which she felt for decades was too painful to revisit, in an interview with The Independent.

Oklahoma-hailing Bella Union signings Horse Thief continue the theme of this week's playlist, which seems to be 'incredibly striking lyrics.' "I sniff a little dust and I feel a lot higher," sings Cameron Neal, "and all of your friends are born and bred liars." The track itself recalls The Flaming Lips, with whom they share a label – a gorgeous slice of narcotic Americana. Then it's a new track from none other than Bob Mould, and the Hüsker Dü founder doesn't disappoint, delivering a succinct, 2-minute blast of grungy new wave pop. It's taken from Mould's new album Beauty & Ruin, out on 9 June.

Ready for things to get heavy? We drop into hardcore punk mode with a cracking track lifted from OFF!'s limited Record Store Day 7", and recorded during the sessions for recent album Wasted Years. The single features artwork by Shepherd Fairey. With barely a pause for breath, we raise our devil horns up for heavy metal supergroup Down, featuring Pantera's Phil Anselmo, among others. Their album Down IV – Part 2 is out soon. 

Experimental folk musician Alexander Tucker's The Black Bear is at once bone-chillingly strange and hauntingly beautiful – a gentle, carefully constructed, finger-picked guitar track with ghostly harmonic vocals. It's from his 2003 debut album, which gets a reissue on Record Store Day via Thrill Jockey. 

We finish with a trio of upbeat tracks – first up it's Hot Chip covering synth pioneer William Onyeabor – this is another Record Store Day release, coming on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, and featuring a whole host of artists reinterpreting Onyeabor's music, including Daphni, and Optimo's JD Twitch. Look out for WHAT?! – William Onyeabor Remixed on 19 April. Then it's NYC's Flatbush Zombies, with artwork adorned by everyone's favourite zombie, Day of the Dead's Bub. We finish with another NYC act – Hercules and Love Affair get the remix treatment from the late, great Frankie Knuckles, the house music pioneer who sadly passed away earlier in the week. 

Hear the whole playlist below, and follow The Skinny on SoundCloud to keep up to date with our favourites.