Templar Sounds is a Sydney based (big fuggin ups) record label that formed in 2011. It has produced some fantastic records of late, mostly exploring the darker sides of IDM and UK bass with a plethora of low-end presha, RnB vocals and haunting synth malfunctions. This is interesting for me, as a resident of Sydney. The city is generally associated with the shining sun and clear water, but the artists on this roster are digging deeper, and producing far more interesting music than the next whiny suburban Birthday Party rip off.
Although we have blogged about Citizen before, Dro Carey seems the break-out success of those on the label. This collaboration with Brooklyn's Andy Petr proves his ability to step up to the plate and throw a doozy. Blaring, sirenic, heavily flangered synths provide the backbone of the track while the rhythm work trips out through a field of disciplines and genre - in its last 30 seconds the song stutters into a hip-hop bounce after traversing much ground of the ardkore continuum. The track is also exemplary of the overall feel of the label - it is dark in a complex way, it is a darkness keenly aware of, and in tune with, light. In this way, Templar could be the soundtrack to a post-MDMA haze, the sadness upon realising the fact that the happiness of the weekend, of the show or the set, is over.
Skanky's 'Blind Spot EP' maintains a similar awareness of light and dark. The EP is packed to the brim with RnB vocal samples, but not in the flavour-of-the-month style of other producers - they are a consistent theme throughout the EP, constantly reminding the listener of the happy place that this deepness has emerged from. For me the highlight is the title track, with its gut-wrenching bass, immaculately arranged vocal samples, buzz-saw synths and ghostly arpeggiators.
If you're in Sydney, keep your eyes close on this label, its movements and its recently released compilation, from which the Dro Carey & Andy Petr song is taken.
29.2.12
27.2.12
Supreme Cuts - Silkk
A wonderful, swirly new track from Supreme Cuts. Distant vocals and synth bleeps and bloops make up the intro, then the vocals fade in and clear up into one of the best drops I've heard in a while. It features bouncing garride rhythms, spacey orchestral swirls and subdued horn blares all fitted out with the effects of a Teengirl Fantasy or Blondes song, and certainly retaining a very similar vibe to the two.
Juke Roundup - Warm Chords
Last juke roundup I talked about the string sample's ability to synthesise the often harsh minimalism of juke rhythms. Today I'll have a look at some recent tracks that, instead of using strings, create their antithesis with a synthesiser.
Perhaps this is the best example of what I'm talking about, the new track from the undeniable masters of this genre. At 1:00 everything drops to just the bangs, the occasional snare and an exquisite whistle. Autotuned vocals join the song's bare bones, before a set of woozy, warm chords fill out the sonic space and elevate the song as a whole to trippy heights.
Phil's remix of Beyonce's 'End of Time' has a similar effect. It features drenched Beyonce loops, speedy, ADD horns, a fantastic marching snare line and those beautiful qualifying chords.
'Star 2k12' is a real work out, and the formula of using chords later in the song is here reversed. They start, and thus the track builds to overwhelming intensity. Heavy bangs accompany a scattered, layered vocal sample before a juke mutant joins the chorus, exhorting you to 'turn it up', which you shall inevitably do.
Perhaps this is the best example of what I'm talking about, the new track from the undeniable masters of this genre. At 1:00 everything drops to just the bangs, the occasional snare and an exquisite whistle. Autotuned vocals join the song's bare bones, before a set of woozy, warm chords fill out the sonic space and elevate the song as a whole to trippy heights.
Phil's remix of Beyonce's 'End of Time' has a similar effect. It features drenched Beyonce loops, speedy, ADD horns, a fantastic marching snare line and those beautiful qualifying chords.
'Star 2k12' is a real work out, and the formula of using chords later in the song is here reversed. They start, and thus the track builds to overwhelming intensity. Heavy bangs accompany a scattered, layered vocal sample before a juke mutant joins the chorus, exhorting you to 'turn it up', which you shall inevitably do.
Gerry Read - Crawlspace
'Crawlspace' is everything you'd expect from a new Read release, executed perfectly. It has that 4/4 thump which sounds like a club from the street, mutating chords and munted, chopped vocal samples. This particular track reminds me of Actress at his happiest and housiest - those hats sound straight off 'Always Human'. The 'Yeh Come Dance EP', from which this is taken, is forthcoming on Delsin records so keep your eyes peeled.
26.2.12
Amen Ra
Amen Ra, of mysterious dubstep collective LHF, has been steadily releasing tunes on Soundcloud for weeks. Whereas most of LHF's other material harks back to golden age dubstep, the more recent work appears cemented in a contemporary post-dubstep landscape. This is very exciting stuff considering that a debut LP is imminent.
'Oracle' is a perfect morning song, featuring lush chords, huge, cathartic shotgun snares and a swinging garage groove. The tune builds with wheezing synths to a climax of bomb explosions and a beautiful vocal sample that, for me, came as a surprise but works sublimely well.
'Delicate Hand' sounds like a trek through a magical jungle. It starts with wonky oohs, monkey screeches and syncopated bongos, which are joined later by a featherweight piano lick and almost Blakean synth oozes. Hot shit!
'Oracle' is a perfect morning song, featuring lush chords, huge, cathartic shotgun snares and a swinging garage groove. The tune builds with wheezing synths to a climax of bomb explosions and a beautiful vocal sample that, for me, came as a surprise but works sublimely well.
'Delicate Hand' sounds like a trek through a magical jungle. It starts with wonky oohs, monkey screeches and syncopated bongos, which are joined later by a featherweight piano lick and almost Blakean synth oozes. Hot shit!
25.2.12
Machinedrum - Nastyfuckkk
Our man, our main man. Machinedrum is probably collectively (along with Actress, Zomby and Falty DL) our favourite producer and we inevitably get psyched over any of his releases, and it is inevitably amazing. Apart from the title track, however, this one does not rank with his best. Nastyfuckkk sees Machinedrum pursuing a far darker sound than what is presented on any of his recent releases. I am always apprehensive when an artist moves away from a sound that I think they have perfected (James Blake instantly springs to mind as the biggest disaster), but this EP still has a lot to offer.
The tune starts out in absolute badman fashion with a mean, monstrous acid flex, booming subs and dry footwork beats. Halfway through the flavour changes entirely, from menacing to soothing, as MD brings out his signature swelling synths and spacey pads that will caress the ears and warm the heart any day of the week. A great song that proves that this man is capable in any territory.
'What You Wanted 2 Feel' takes on a slower, more brooding vibe. The song comes complete with stuttered beats and incredible bass pressure yet never takes off, it is stagnant in a sluggish groove until its eventual fade out.
'No Schnitzel' takes off where the first half of Nastyfuckk takes off, with dark, jukey beats and a scratchy cut up rap sample. However unlike 'Nastyfuckkk', 'No Schnitzel' does not build dark, heavy tension before allowing cathartic release and hence leaves me, as a listener, somewhat unsatisfied. My slightly negative reaction may just be because I come to expect straight fiyah from MD everytime (that is, after all, all that he has been giving us), and when a couple of average songs come along they seem worse than they actually are.
On a lighter note Machinedrum has ALSO released a minimix of forthcoming tunes which is fucking amazing.
So, after this relatively small blip in MD's 2012 we already know that fucked up shit is headed our way. If Heavy Weight, A New Meaning and High on Hope get released on one EP it could be an early contender for release of the year.
The tune starts out in absolute badman fashion with a mean, monstrous acid flex, booming subs and dry footwork beats. Halfway through the flavour changes entirely, from menacing to soothing, as MD brings out his signature swelling synths and spacey pads that will caress the ears and warm the heart any day of the week. A great song that proves that this man is capable in any territory.
'What You Wanted 2 Feel' takes on a slower, more brooding vibe. The song comes complete with stuttered beats and incredible bass pressure yet never takes off, it is stagnant in a sluggish groove until its eventual fade out.
'No Schnitzel' takes off where the first half of Nastyfuckk takes off, with dark, jukey beats and a scratchy cut up rap sample. However unlike 'Nastyfuckkk', 'No Schnitzel' does not build dark, heavy tension before allowing cathartic release and hence leaves me, as a listener, somewhat unsatisfied. My slightly negative reaction may just be because I come to expect straight fiyah from MD everytime (that is, after all, all that he has been giving us), and when a couple of average songs come along they seem worse than they actually are.
On a lighter note Machinedrum has ALSO released a minimix of forthcoming tunes which is fucking amazing.
So, after this relatively small blip in MD's 2012 we already know that fucked up shit is headed our way. If Heavy Weight, A New Meaning and High on Hope get released on one EP it could be an early contender for release of the year.
24.2.12
Natalia's Song
The reaction to the infamous 'Natalia's Song' controversy shocked me.
It was characterised by a vehement and sometimes violent rejection of
Zomby as a musician and, ironically enough, Zomby as an auteur. Forums
and YouTube (which are, if trivial, probably a fairly accurate representation of popular
opinion at large) were filled with comments such as the simple "Zomby
is a thief" to "You are now allowed to stick your foot in your mouth
and hate this man like everyone should. People should be boycotting
his music/shows, this is unacceptable and disgusting." FACT magazine,
all holiest of holy grails, even posted an article facetiously
entitled 'Did Zomby even write Natalia's Song?' My answer: who cares?
This all came about more than 50 years after Barthes' 'Death of the Author' was widely accepted, institutionalised and since radically built upon and
expanded by other theoriticians. In fact, even Zomby made a name for
himself by keeping anonymous (see what I did there?) Surely fans of
the producer would have noticed this and wondered why. And it's not
even as if being anonymous is a hot new thing like it was back in Richard James' day! What I really wanted to say is: don't let this debacle tamper with your fandom of Zomby's music, the controversy is both irrelevant and counterproductive.
It was characterised by a vehement and sometimes violent rejection of
Zomby as a musician and, ironically enough, Zomby as an auteur. Forums
and YouTube (which are, if trivial, probably a fairly accurate representation of popular
opinion at large) were filled with comments such as the simple "Zomby
is a thief" to "You are now allowed to stick your foot in your mouth
and hate this man like everyone should. People should be boycotting
his music/shows, this is unacceptable and disgusting." FACT magazine,
all holiest of holy grails, even posted an article facetiously
entitled 'Did Zomby even write Natalia's Song?' My answer: who cares?
This all came about more than 50 years after Barthes' 'Death of the Author' was widely accepted, institutionalised and since radically built upon and
expanded by other theoriticians. In fact, even Zomby made a name for
himself by keeping anonymous (see what I did there?) Surely fans of
the producer would have noticed this and wondered why. And it's not
even as if being anonymous is a hot new thing like it was back in Richard James' day! What I really wanted to say is: don't let this debacle tamper with your fandom of Zomby's music, the controversy is both irrelevant and counterproductive.
Distal ft. Dj Rashad - Stuck Up Money Sampler
Atlanta's Distal and Chi-town's own Dj Rashad team up on a 12" on'Well Rounded Records'. Distal contributes 3 juke tweaked raving bangers soaked in good vibes and stylish ease. 'Stuck Up Money' itself evokes the hellium pitch cartoonish tone of an old skool anthem but sedated by smooth juke drumwork. 'Behold the Jungle Bootleg' and 'Short & Sweet' respectively flesh out the jungle and house sides of this retro footwork pressure cooker. 'Stuck up Money' is due out on the 20th of March so watch out.
Ryddim 93 - She Likes My Footwork
"19 year old philosopher, womanizer, gardener, warrior king, producer" Ryddim 93 with some more synth-swelling clean and heavy footwork. The production on this is seriously therapeutic for the brain.
22.2.12
#Seapunk vs #Icepunk vs #Slimepunk ~ Hashtag Genres and Internet Labels
Music journalists must have had a much easier life before Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Last fm, Youtube, Tumblr or Twitter. These fickle social-media now practically decide the cutting edge, give legitimacy to the most banal micro-trends and exacerbate the speed at which they become obsolete. In the last month, out of nowhere, no less than 3 new compilations have come out on Bandcamp based netlabels each featuring inordinate amounts of hashtag-savvy bedroom producers from around the world and each pioneering their own respective niche genre. It's kinda hard to take any of these netlabels seriously when they are all predicated on the most banal aesthetic trends but its impossible to ignore such a mind-bogglingly vast number of musicians when they are each, at least, worth a listen. So here you go, the low down on 2012's best Hashtag Genres.
#Seapunk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seapunk, spearheaded by Chicago's Fire for Effect aka 'Ultrademon' (posted previously) has been booming in popularity in the Tumblr and Twitter universes and is based around the love of all things aquatic: dolphins, the beach, being wet, but mostly, having blue hair. I would struggle to think of a more arbitrary basis for a scene, in fact i can't help but think of a little Mighty Boosh vignette in which the duo adopt the 'Future Sailors' schtick in pursuit of the next big thing. Seapunk is unique however, in that it is the only scene marketed as a 'way of life', I mean, I don't think Witch Haus ever went that far. As such, there is a dress-code to this movement, basically: blue hair, hologram glasses, hawaiian shirts, 90s vibes.
(Main playaz 'Fire for Effect' and 'Zombelle' rocking their Dr1pPin' w3T l0Okz~~)
If pressed I'd describe the sound as: classic early 90s ardkore throwback with influences from chillwave, beatmaker and juke, an experimental bent and an overall 'wet' sound. Then again there are many outliers like 'ocean gang' that don't tick off that checklist and I don't really understand when acts like Teams, Pictureplane or Slava became suddenly associated with the scene. Their is no musical philosophy, instead, Seapunk is attempting to realise a particular visual aesthetic that is attached to the music through its Tumblr consumption. Describing the specific aesthetic vision is another thing entirely. Seapunk appropriates a kind of early nineties techno-utopian look, cgi seascapes and kitchy retro internet graphics taking cues from random video games and anime.
You can DL the 'Seapunk Comilation Volume 1' on Fire for Effect's 'Coral Records Internazionale' here:
#Icpunk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Icepunk was coined by various artists on 'Aural Sects' an online music collective and label founded, primarily, by a handful of left-over witch house producers floating around on Soundcloud. The label acts as a kind of online fraternity as they say on their Bandcamp: "We endeavour to provide all music free of charge in a digital format, as well as try and experiment and push the boundaries as to what an internet community-minded label can do in the internet era". Since June of last year Aural Sects has been prolifically releasing no-name musos work, and lot of it is pretty sweet shit but I can't tell you for the life of me what this "family" is all about. Unlike Seapunk, the Icepunks don't seem to fit themselves into a visual niche, in fact the only references to artic imagery usually lie in the names of the artists and tracks such as: ❄PERMAFROST❄ - Yung Arctic, I¢y Pharmaceuticals - içe hospital, Cold Casey - Night Ice. Some certain motifs keep popping up however, cold synths, kitchy melodies and a minimalist aesthetic. Icepunk is either one of two things, a new generation of internet hipsters searching for the new witch house (now that everyone is pretty much in agreement that its dead) or an ironic, post-modern, art movement for art movement's sake (I mean, its not just a coincidence that icepunk and seapunk simultaneously popped up, one has to be taking the piss of the other).
DL the I¢epunk Comilation from Aural Sect's Bandcamp here:
Unicorn Drone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hub of this little online scene UN1CORNDRONEZ is a netlabel founded by 4 experimental soundscapers. The music of its constituents are at least more obviously conceptually linked. The sound is rooted in Tangerine-Dream-esque kraut stylings but with a far more updated, internet aged palette. There is a certain accompanying visual style as with most hashtag niches, a kind of photoshopped hyper-reality gone wrong. Its very trippy stuff and saturated with audio chemistry.
Listen to (or buy if you're into that sorta thing) label founder Sega32x's latest album here
Sine Field
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About a month ago, another expansive bedroom collective sprung up which I would guess was founded by ✞ENNI$R✡DM∆N as he is the only person to appear on all three of their releases so far. However the roll call extends to Gypsy Mamba, StewRat and ۞∑N๏☪Ж۞ (seriously?). No shit though, R✡DM∆N's latest mix 'Death of Slime, Birth of Ooze' is labeled as, you guessed it, Slimepunk. I haven't yet seen anyone really taking that subculture seriously, but enough shit comes up on a #slimepunk search on Tumblr and its the same CGI aesthetic as the #Sea equivalent. While I'm sure that this one has definitely got to be a piss-take I have to admit it is mad shit, oozey, slimey and interet-y, what did you expect? R✡DM∆N brings out the Wacky soundbites and mixes em into heavy future dubstep trip-outs:
Death Of Slime // 私の脳食べる [I ATE MY OWN BRAINZ] DL in Description by ✞ENNI$R✡DM∆N
Anyway, the first compilation of the Sine Field collective showcases a massively diverse range of futre-fantastic sounds and comes with a free download. Everything is in there, Russian-flavoured beatmaker, juke (of course), a strain of sound designer R'n'B rollers. My absolute favourite has got to be Drippin's
'Bubble Room' with is compulsively ear pleasing samples.
#Seapunk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seapunk, spearheaded by Chicago's Fire for Effect aka 'Ultrademon' (posted previously) has been booming in popularity in the Tumblr and Twitter universes and is based around the love of all things aquatic: dolphins, the beach, being wet, but mostly, having blue hair. I would struggle to think of a more arbitrary basis for a scene, in fact i can't help but think of a little Mighty Boosh vignette in which the duo adopt the 'Future Sailors' schtick in pursuit of the next big thing. Seapunk is unique however, in that it is the only scene marketed as a 'way of life', I mean, I don't think Witch Haus ever went that far. As such, there is a dress-code to this movement, basically: blue hair, hologram glasses, hawaiian shirts, 90s vibes.
(Main playaz 'Fire for Effect' and 'Zombelle' rocking their Dr1pPin' w3T l0Okz~~)
If pressed I'd describe the sound as: classic early 90s ardkore throwback with influences from chillwave, beatmaker and juke, an experimental bent and an overall 'wet' sound. Then again there are many outliers like 'ocean gang' that don't tick off that checklist and I don't really understand when acts like Teams, Pictureplane or Slava became suddenly associated with the scene. Their is no musical philosophy, instead, Seapunk is attempting to realise a particular visual aesthetic that is attached to the music through its Tumblr consumption. Describing the specific aesthetic vision is another thing entirely. Seapunk appropriates a kind of early nineties techno-utopian look, cgi seascapes and kitchy retro internet graphics taking cues from random video games and anime.
You can DL the 'Seapunk Comilation Volume 1' on Fire for Effect's 'Coral Records Internazionale' here:
#Icpunk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Icepunk was coined by various artists on 'Aural Sects' an online music collective and label founded, primarily, by a handful of left-over witch house producers floating around on Soundcloud. The label acts as a kind of online fraternity as they say on their Bandcamp: "We endeavour to provide all music free of charge in a digital format, as well as try and experiment and push the boundaries as to what an internet community-minded label can do in the internet era". Since June of last year Aural Sects has been prolifically releasing no-name musos work, and lot of it is pretty sweet shit but I can't tell you for the life of me what this "family" is all about. Unlike Seapunk, the Icepunks don't seem to fit themselves into a visual niche, in fact the only references to artic imagery usually lie in the names of the artists and tracks such as: ❄PERMAFROST❄ - Yung Arctic, I¢y Pharmaceuticals - içe hospital, Cold Casey - Night Ice. Some certain motifs keep popping up however, cold synths, kitchy melodies and a minimalist aesthetic. Icepunk is either one of two things, a new generation of internet hipsters searching for the new witch house (now that everyone is pretty much in agreement that its dead) or an ironic, post-modern, art movement for art movement's sake (I mean, its not just a coincidence that icepunk and seapunk simultaneously popped up, one has to be taking the piss of the other).
DL the I¢epunk Comilation from Aural Sect's Bandcamp here:
Unicorn Drone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hub of this little online scene UN1CORNDRONEZ is a netlabel founded by 4 experimental soundscapers. The music of its constituents are at least more obviously conceptually linked. The sound is rooted in Tangerine-Dream-esque kraut stylings but with a far more updated, internet aged palette. There is a certain accompanying visual style as with most hashtag niches, a kind of photoshopped hyper-reality gone wrong. Its very trippy stuff and saturated with audio chemistry.
Listen to (or buy if you're into that sorta thing) label founder Sega32x's latest album here
Sine Field
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About a month ago, another expansive bedroom collective sprung up which I would guess was founded by ✞ENNI$R✡DM∆N as he is the only person to appear on all three of their releases so far. However the roll call extends to Gypsy Mamba, StewRat and ۞∑N๏☪Ж۞ (seriously?). No shit though, R✡DM∆N's latest mix 'Death of Slime, Birth of Ooze' is labeled as, you guessed it, Slimepunk. I haven't yet seen anyone really taking that subculture seriously, but enough shit comes up on a #slimepunk search on Tumblr and its the same CGI aesthetic as the #Sea equivalent. While I'm sure that this one has definitely got to be a piss-take I have to admit it is mad shit, oozey, slimey and interet-y, what did you expect? R✡DM∆N brings out the Wacky soundbites and mixes em into heavy future dubstep trip-outs:
Death Of Slime // 私の脳食べる [I ATE MY OWN BRAINZ] DL in Description by ✞ENNI$R✡DM∆N
Anyway, the first compilation of the Sine Field collective showcases a massively diverse range of futre-fantastic sounds and comes with a free download. Everything is in there, Russian-flavoured beatmaker, juke (of course), a strain of sound designer R'n'B rollers. My absolute favourite has got to be Drippin's
'Bubble Room' with is compulsively ear pleasing samples.
21.2.12
Paisley Parks - Rain
Dope new track from the Japanese juke producer Paisley Parks. This is seriously impressive shit right here. Parks juggles the high pressure brutality of Chicago's finest with mysterious wet sound design. Every part of the song works together on a new level, Parks even throws in a surreal trumpet sample and it fits so nicely into the tacks grand arc. Another great example of international experimental footwork.
19.2.12
Jamie Grind - A Night In Detroit
Really large, thumping roller here from the UK's Jamie Grind. While bunking up with fellow garage-revivalist Hackman previously, Grind explores the sounds of America on this track. Obviously Detroit is immediately evoked with the lulling chords and soaring strings, but tics from footwork and UK Bass are well presented in the highly detailed yet stomping rhythm work. A heavy werkout.
Chits
US producer chits has recently released some fascinating, beautiful and eclectic music. We'll have a quick look at a few of his/her most recent and engaging tunes.
'O U Mad' sounds like the lovechild of Actress and RZA. The ominous, stepping swagger of the melody, eerie vocal samples, death synths and jittery drums conglomerate into a brooding slow jam. Had Herzog not used opera and Popol Vuh to score Fitzcarraldo, he might have chosen something like this.
'Hustlerz Ambition' is altogether a different beast. This could easily have beeen released on 100% Silk, with its buzzing warped synth lines and Chicago indebted drum work. Halfway through, however, it takes a turn for the jukey and mellow, hence altering the overall effect from deep and bumping to serene and tranquil.
'Stay Schemin' takes on a gangsta juke tip with epic intentions. We are met with warm synth tones and a space age melody, before being dropped into a black hole of firm bass and a skittering wood block. Brilliant synths break through and the song takes flight with a flange-ing bass, bleary-eyed vocal sample and bumping footwork riddims.
'O U Mad' sounds like the lovechild of Actress and RZA. The ominous, stepping swagger of the melody, eerie vocal samples, death synths and jittery drums conglomerate into a brooding slow jam. Had Herzog not used opera and Popol Vuh to score Fitzcarraldo, he might have chosen something like this.
'Hustlerz Ambition' is altogether a different beast. This could easily have beeen released on 100% Silk, with its buzzing warped synth lines and Chicago indebted drum work. Halfway through, however, it takes a turn for the jukey and mellow, hence altering the overall effect from deep and bumping to serene and tranquil.
'Stay Schemin' takes on a gangsta juke tip with epic intentions. We are met with warm synth tones and a space age melody, before being dropped into a black hole of firm bass and a skittering wood block. Brilliant synths break through and the song takes flight with a flange-ing bass, bleary-eyed vocal sample and bumping footwork riddims.
Juke Roundup - Strings
Diffusion favourite DJ Earl perfectly exemplifies the sonic dialectics that make juke such an intriguing genre. Booming bangs and frantic drums are paired with soft string swirls and a beautifully ditty-ing piano line achieve a synthesis that perfectly balances dance funktionality and aesthetic experimentation.
Avery here delves further into the ambient. The bangs are first replaced with sub drones, the drum line features a reversed snare, and the song is accompanied by a swelling synth loop - this is unchartered and exciting territory!
A classic soul-slamming roller from DJ LJ. Keeping things on the chill with (you guessed it) a swathe of Roy Ayers samples, the track also features the flutter of suspended strings in the background and the gentle roll of hand drums. Sweet and mellow vibes.
17.2.12
DJ Rashad - Shoot Me
Ashes57 of Swamp81 has knocked up a... slideshow basically, as a clip for DJ Rashad's 'Shoot Me'. Maybe its just the Swamp81 connection but Rashad has definitely britted-up his style on this one, but, as is to be expected, its still pretty mad.
James Hand - Spigot
Oxford's James Hand, formerly ▲❏l❍❏▼❏❍l❏▲ (although thank fuck he dropped the wingding shit cos how the fuck do you pronounce that?) just dropped this sexy lil roller. His tunes usually reside in the James Blake post-dubstep camp but his latest resembles the kind of ghetto sound design of Sinewave's 'Sine Field' label, with artists like Drippin' and Poor Sport. The track has some pretty heavy swagger and is definitely worth a listen.
Slava - Soft Control
Slava's new EP 'Soft Control' comprised of 5 cold slowjam juke tracks can easily fit into the ever growing movement of ambient footwork that has been cropping up all over the world. Slava however has got to be one of my favourites. This particular collection of uneasy easy-listening tracks covers new ground in the budding footwork niche in that it employs a more immersive or even commercial style and in a far less abrasive way than his contemporaries. 'File' stands out as the gem with a wintry funk groove refined with subtle juke-indebted drum-work. On a whole the EP is demanding and at points drawn out but it holds its own in an exponentially growing scene of second generation footwork producers and convinces me that Slava is definitely someone to look out for.
10.2.12
Dream Continuum - Reworks EP
Dream Continuum is a new collab between Travis (Machinedrum) Stewart and Om Unit aka Jim Coles the dude behind the Philip D. Kick footwork jungle edits of last year. That's right folks, more Machinedrum tunes, this guys seriously shits out bangers. The collaboration was inspired by a mutual epiphany of combining juke and jungle but it couldn't have been better timed as each producer has been respectively ripping shit up recently. For instance: this mad Om Unit remix
Beat Inc. - Just Remember (Om Unit remix) - Original Cultures by omunit
and this mad Machinedrum tune
Bonobo - 'Eyesdown (Machine Drum Remix)' by BOILER ROOM
'Reworks EP' is out March 26 on Planet Mu
6.2.12
Scuba - Flash Addict
Released yesterday on Hotflush Records, Scuba's new 12" is a cut above his usual efforts. While the A side 'The Hope' is decidedly less noteworthy, although not without its steez, 'Flash Addict' is a clubby smorgasbord of swells, peaks, rolling stabs and dancefloor propitiousness with ambiguous intent.
Curtis Vodka - I Feel 4 U (Lao in Startropics Remix)
Dr~pp!n W3TT lyk u j@st G#t oUt OfF D4 TID4L W@V3!!! Curtis Vodka gets the works from fresh Mexican producer lao. Hints of Hype, hints of Rashad, hints of Ferraro and the simple refrain of 'I miss you' all conglomerate into the gentle wash of a wave. When a tune is so on point, who can argue?
Shlohmo - wen uuu (Salva Remix)
Salva on dat funky juke tip, with all his skills with warm synth tones and vocal samples showcased perfectly. Masterful production from a modern master!
Abel - Purple
San Fran's Abel produces a wonderful little ditty here. Looped guitar licks resonate through the sonic space, ragga horns blast and are let to reverberate over jumping bangs, while all held down by the chant of 'purple' and then bam, its over.
Hesk - Three Six
Some highly flavoursome footwork coming out of Montreal in the form of a three 6 mafia remix. Lush strings accompany werking riddims and the occasional gangsta vocal injection. What lifts this song to next level is the subtle addition of church bells and the happy-ending marriage between smooth hip-hop beats and jittery juke drum patterns.
5.2.12
DJ Avery - Ghost
Just in case the Evian Christ EP didn't get you your fix of dark, ambient footwork, DJ Avery has delivered an eerie juke night-scape and its heavy as fuck. I am really reminded of Zomby listening to this as it shares a sense of drawn-out anticipation where any climactic release is teasingly minimal, however it achieves this using a completely different vocabulary of breaks coming from the heart of the footwork scene. Mad tune.
3.2.12
Bruises - White Blood
Every now and then a tune comes along that blows you outta the water. This has gotta be one of them. Huge in its production, intelligent in its simplicity, beware of playing this too loud for fear of your head exploding!!
2.2.12
John Talabot - ƒin
John Talabot - Oro y Sangre (Off 'ƒin', forthcoming on Permanent Vacation) by Diffusiontunes
John Talabot - ƒin by cooldizzang
Fin is a fantastic album. It is melancholic, incredibly well produced and boundary pushing insofar as it's rhythmically house-indebted, but sonically delves into unexplored territory. In this way producers like Four Tet, Floating Points or Ital spring to mind, although Talabot approaches his genre in a far more subdued and yearning manner (the album is, after all, called Fin, or the end). Fin is drenched in echoes and delays - its timbres are cavernous, its textures sometimes harsh. What permeates throughout the album is a sky high production value, as exemplified by the laser-cut drum programming and subtle synth work. 'Oro Y Sangre' sounds like what Four Tet's take on witch-haus would be, with buzzing, distorted synths, eery screams and a beautifully intricate and masterfully executed drum line. Conversely, the album will take a turn for the poppy, as 'Journeys' and 'Destiny' demonstrate. In some ways these two songs remind me of Animal Collective's masterpiece Merriweather Post Pavilion, however, if MPP was an electronic album made by a pop band, this is certainly pop music made by an electronic producer. The distinction is vital, as Talabot works around his own sounds with grace and finesse. 'Last Land' features a fantastic string sample, moody bass and suspended vocals. At 3:20, Talabot further explores his sample and, in so doing, musically and structurally resolves the song - the tension built by the strings is subtley released. 'When The Past Was Present' is the most housey song on the album, with a pounding 4-to-da-floor, intermittent 'yeah' samples, and stabbing synths that shape and morph into grooves and climaxes. The song is impeccably arranged, Talabot appears well aware of the effect of extra distortion on the vocal sample, or slight modifications on his synth work. 'So Will Be Now' features a bouncing bassline (which is eventually overtaken by sub drones), echoing claps and looped and depitched vocals that break out into their orignal pitch during the song's climax, in which the metallic, Actress-y hihats and surging synths prove that this is an outstanding end to an outstanding album. Link forthcoming.
John Talabot - ƒin by cooldizzang
Fin is a fantastic album. It is melancholic, incredibly well produced and boundary pushing insofar as it's rhythmically house-indebted, but sonically delves into unexplored territory. In this way producers like Four Tet, Floating Points or Ital spring to mind, although Talabot approaches his genre in a far more subdued and yearning manner (the album is, after all, called Fin, or the end). Fin is drenched in echoes and delays - its timbres are cavernous, its textures sometimes harsh. What permeates throughout the album is a sky high production value, as exemplified by the laser-cut drum programming and subtle synth work. 'Oro Y Sangre' sounds like what Four Tet's take on witch-haus would be, with buzzing, distorted synths, eery screams and a beautifully intricate and masterfully executed drum line. Conversely, the album will take a turn for the poppy, as 'Journeys' and 'Destiny' demonstrate. In some ways these two songs remind me of Animal Collective's masterpiece Merriweather Post Pavilion, however, if MPP was an electronic album made by a pop band, this is certainly pop music made by an electronic producer. The distinction is vital, as Talabot works around his own sounds with grace and finesse. 'Last Land' features a fantastic string sample, moody bass and suspended vocals. At 3:20, Talabot further explores his sample and, in so doing, musically and structurally resolves the song - the tension built by the strings is subtley released. 'When The Past Was Present' is the most housey song on the album, with a pounding 4-to-da-floor, intermittent 'yeah' samples, and stabbing synths that shape and morph into grooves and climaxes. The song is impeccably arranged, Talabot appears well aware of the effect of extra distortion on the vocal sample, or slight modifications on his synth work. 'So Will Be Now' features a bouncing bassline (which is eventually overtaken by sub drones), echoing claps and looped and depitched vocals that break out into their orignal pitch during the song's climax, in which the metallic, Actress-y hihats and surging synths prove that this is an outstanding end to an outstanding album. Link forthcoming.
1.2.12
Evian Christ - Kings and Them
Freshly signed to TriAngle Records the anonymous Evian Christ has released a free mixtape compiling the tracks he has posted on his youtube channel over the past month. His juke influenced ambient beats combine Chicago vocal ostinatos with coldly reverberated 808s evoking the spacious atmospheric footwork of Providence's 'howse'. Chocked with heavy slowjam bangs and gansta vocals 'Kings and Them' is an intriguing addition to the TriAngle discography holding up nicely alongside the likes of Ayshay, Clams Casino or OoOOoOoo (or whatever the fuck it is).
DZA Dog Beattape Volume 1
It is quite possible that DZA employs slave labour to get his work done. The album offers no less than 37 tracks at a cost of 6 Euro and is the first LP on Sasha Dza's record label 'How2make'. With so many ideas and tracks it is almost impossible to review the album as a whole however I will say it is overall more polished and lovingly sculpted than his previous releases. The chiptune affectations that comprise a prominent strain of the Russian sound (Pixelord, Moa Pillar) and came to the fore in last years impenetrable and unsatisfying 'Supershark' are almost entirely absent. Instead, DZA indulges his infrasonic/wonkified side and does so in such a balanced and considered way that the album is compelling throughout the entire 60 minute duration. That said, it is in no way ground-breaking, in fact no-one would bat an eyelid if it were released on Flying Lotus' 'Brainfeeder' imprint but it is one of the better examples of the schizophrenic, low-attention span, internet-era genre, mashing together disparate samples from games, youtube videos, webcam chats (and more or less anything else you can find on the web) all filtered through a lo-fi soft-focus. Noone in their right mind is gunna just browse through ALL the tracks so for a quick overview I recommend listening to the following: 'final scene', 'curse' and 'wordless'.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)