Templar Sounds

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.

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.

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.

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!

Thank U

Hudmo n Rustie. U rule.

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.