Music Submissions Roundup: July
A selection of our favorite music submitted by XLR8R+ members last month.
Music Submissions Roundup: July
A selection of our favorite music submitted by XLR8R+ members last month.
It’s reaching the end of the month which means we’re back with another roundup of submissions to our portal. It’s running a little bit later than usual, but once again there’s an abundance of great music that has been played out regularly at XLR8R HQ in Los Angeles since it dropped in our inboxes. There are, as there are each month, some west coast submissions in this list but the music that really clicked with us came from France (Blutch’s sublime “River”), Dallas (Boy Jugo’s impossibly chill “The Great Siphon”) and The Netherlands, the home of Modo Mero, whose the mesmerizing Bits and Piece EP has left us all craving more. Ireland, Michigan, and Estonia are all represented too. As always, we’re delighted to have discovered a whole bunch of new artists and labels, and given that discovery is the main drive for XLR8R doing what it does day in day out, this particular list of submissions is memorable. Dig in, because you’re sure to find something that’ll resonate, and if you follow that wormhole you’ll probably discover even more. To all of you who submitted: thank you, as always, for your support.
Editor’s note: we’ve made a point of linking each artist’s Bandcamp page, or a place where you can buy their music, and we encourage our readers to support these independent artists by buying their music. Let’s keep independent culture alive!
For those unfamiliar, XLR8R+ is a member-supported music community and curated music experience. Every month, you will get three exclusive tracks—sometimes more—by a wealth of amazing artists that XLR8R has supported over the years, as well as access to the member’s area where you can submit tracks and DJ mixes to be showcased in this feature series and to the XLR8R+ community. There’s also exclusive editorial content, mixes, FREE passes to music festivals and events, playlists, and more. You can find out more here.
Modo Mero “Nebulous”
Whether you are dancing in a nightclub or staring out of the window on a late bus ride home, Modo Mero’s music will make you feel fuzzy inside. The rising Dutch artist celebrates the history of electronic music while exploring the limitless means of modern music production. Inspired by his tranquil countryside surroundings, he recently debuted on Amsterdam label Fussy with Bits and Piece, a warm bath of dreamy ambient and hypnotizing synth patterns. It belongs somewhere near to Barker and Lorenzo Senni.
Marco Tracks “Unveiled”
Marco Tracks is a DJ-producer based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with a deep passion for ambient, dub, and house music. “Unveiled,” one of his latest tracks, is an intense journey with unfolding atmospheric synths, pulsating beats, and heavy use of delay.
Buy/Listen
Sentient Cursory EP
Through industrial synths and horror-inspired atmospherics, Sentient, real name Dom Wallace, creates an unnerving and deranged bass sound. His first full release, Cursory, is available now on Bristol label Foundation Audio and it has been supported by Sicaria Sound and Zygos. We couldn’t choose just one track to stream so we’re playing clips of the entire release, and we highly recommend you dive in.
Killerkat & Hugo Mesi “Cherry Tree”
Hugo Mesi is a producer based in Tallinn, Estonia, better known as Killerkat. He keeps personal details about himself to a minimum but he is a regular performer at HALL in Tallinn. In June, he released Out of the Blue, an EP of pulsating techno with dubby synth lines, and “Cherry Tree” is our pick of the bunch.
Emika “Wonderful Life”
Emika, real name Ema Jolly, will mark the 10th anniversary of her debut self-titled album with Vega, a trilogy of song collections. It features some reimagined versions of classic tracks from her Ninja Tune catalog and collaborations with Horace Andy (Massive Attack) and Rødhåd. More recently, she’s shared “Wonderful Life,” her cover version of Black’s 1986 pop hit. Using her sultry vocals and deep resonant bass-lines, she retains the understated atmosphere of the original while giving it a euphoric, melancholic edge.
Cartin “Spanner”
Since winning AVA Festival’s emerging producer award in 2020, Derry-based producer Cartin has put out a series of EPs on Extended Play, the Belfast house imprint headed up by JMX and T-Bone. Pulling from IDM, breaks, bass, and techno, he’s developed a reputation as a forward-thinking and genre-merging artist, and last month he contributed “Spanner,” meshing deconstructed beats and filthy synths, to a monster 22-track compilation on MINDS. Keep your ears peeled for the unexpected switch-up at the halfway point.
Blutch “River”
With his new single “River,” French artist Blutch explores UK garage and ’90s breakbeat with his signature melancholy and textures. The result is a euphoric and trippy dance anthem filled with wistful emotion that’s sure to be played as a set closer when festivals eventually open up. It’s the second extract from Blutch’s forthcoming debut album, Terre Promise, following the equally beautiful “Cobalan.” The track comes with two dark remixes by Ellum and Astropolis Records artist Madben and Global Warming Records’ Malcolm.
Yui Onodera “Suisei Pt.1”
Dragon’s Eye Recordings, an imprint based in Los Angeles and curated by Yann Novak, has put out Suisei, the latest reissue from Tokyo-based abstractionist Yui Onodera. (Suisei was originally released through and/OAR in 2007.) With its sustained harmonics and darkly-tinged drone sounds, the album shifts through watery, isolated landscapes. We’re playing the opener, an 11-minute hallucinatory experience, here. You can file it next to Thomas Koner, Eliane Radigue, and Keith Berry.
Fentom “Trichophagia”
During the day, Dutch producer Fentom works in mental health care and to deal with his trauma he makes music. On Trillotichomania, his first EP since his cassette debut in 2019, he’s delivered six bass-fuelled dark downtempo tracks. He describes the record as the “soundtrack to your next nightmare,” and its title refers to a condition of his own, in which he compulsively pulls hairs from his eyebrows. The opening track, “Trillotichomania,” sets the tone for a chilling but compelling EP.
Elijah Nang “Vitamin D” feat. WEI
Elijah Nang has Nigerian heritage but hails from London, and through his work he explores Japanese culture. He’s been producing since around 2006 and in 2019 he released Gaijin, his latest album of blissful lo-fi house. “Vitamin D” fits into the same bracket even if it’s more uplifting and geared towards summer—which we know is drawing to a close, but this track is worth your time nonetheless!
NZE NZE “Me Ve Zimi”
DÔME is the label of Astropolis Festival in France and they’ve just released DÔME VA.02, their second label compilation. It includes “Me Ve Zimi” a track from NZE NZE, the collaborative alias of UVB76 and Sacred Lodge. It’s a hybrid combination of early tribal instrumentation, heavy basslines, and mystic vocals in Fang, a language spoken by only one million people in Central Africa.
D’Marc Cantu & Danny Passarella “Recognizably Invisible”
D’Marc Cantu, a Michigan-based artist, has put out his music on Crème Organization, M>O>S Recordings, and Tuskegee Music. More recently, he’s teamed up with Danny Passarella, a London-based producer, for four more deep, atmospheric techno originals. The Future Has A Silver Lining 3 is the third chapter in a series, the first of which was released on Les Disques De La Mort and the second in 2020 also on Passarella. “Recognizably Invisible” is the dark and evocative opener, but please do check out the other three!
Yulio ” Robots 2040″
Yulio, the alias of Julio Muñoz, a Chilean artist based in Croatia, has contributed the track “Robots 2040” to the second anniversary compilation of Santiago’s Panal Records. You can expect a frenzied and sinister techno experience inspired by robotics. In June, Yulio released Venus, his latest album, on Diffuse Reality Records.
Sebeyu “Sinsaw”
Sebeyu, an artist based in Los Angeles, has released Mindexpansion, where faded synth and melody meet heady percussion and dual harmonic singing, a voice technique that produces two notes simultaneously. In electronic music synthesis, there are four main wave shapes: sine, saw, square, and triangle, and these are filtered and modulated to create harmonic characteristics. “Sinsaw,” our favorite track on the record, is an intensely beautiful mixture of artificial and naturally occurring wave shapes.
Boy Jugo “The Great Siphon” Feat. JeMarcus Bridges
Boy Jugo, real name Jordan Reed, is a jazz experimentalist whose work as a keyboardist and electronic music producer began in 2011 alongside Capshun, his brother. Now 20 years old, Reed is a rising talent in Dallas’ hip-hop community, and “The Great Siphon” featuring JeMarcus Bridges is a standout track from Time For Jazz, Reed’s impossibly chill debut album, released at the start of this month. We recommend it highly.
