Music Submissions Roundup: June
A selection of our favorite music submitted by XLR8R+ members last month.
Music Submissions Roundup: June
A selection of our favorite music submitted by XLR8R+ members last month.
With the month of July drawing to a close, we’re presenting our favorite XLR8R+ submissions from June. We’re particularly happy to welcome back Melina Blanco, the skilled Costa Rican artist, who delivers a sumptuous piece of melodic techno. And if you like that, there’s sure to be plenty here for you—from the blissful ambient of Open Spaces’ new track to Don Esquivel’s “U Got It,” a lo-fi jam with soothing chords. If this sort of contemplative music is what you’re looking for, then the mix by Ses is also worth checking out, but if you want something to make you move, then look no further than Blutch’s disco submission and Venture Silk’s electro-funk. Thank you, as always, for your continued support.
For those unfamiliar, XLR8R+ is a member-supported music community and curated music experience. Every month, you will get three exclusive tracks, and 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.
Vault. “Comfort Magic”
The journal of Vault., who is known for his deep and dubby productions, can be traced back to the San Francisco underground circa 2017, where he was first exposed to club culture. He heard minimal at a local after-hours and, brimming with inspiration, he started to experiment with production. In July 2021, he connected with Pheek, who helped to elevate his production skills and the releases began to flow. “Comfort Magic,” a tripped-out dubby roller, is the opening track of his This House EP, released on Romania’s Inunct Music earlier this month.
Mawn Lower “Untitled”
Mawn Lower is a producer based in Atlanta, Georgia. And this month, he’s submitted a dreamy ambient track inspired by the sounds of cassette tape. The release is out now on Mawn Lower’s own Mithra Records, as part of a compilation featuring friends from near and afar invited “to be a part of this gradient of moods and energy.”
Dakuan “FireWire”
Dakuan is the techno alias of DJ DanceAlone, a Memphis-based house artist. “FireWire,” his latest track, is layered with 808 drums, glitched cuts, and unique vocals. It’s the beginning of his experimentation with fusing vocals with techno music, so expect more soon.
Komo B “Birds Flying High”
Komo B, from Maastricht, the Netherlands, has an eclectic style that touches on disco, house, acid, and techno. All of this reflects his love for Detroit techno, spiritual jazz, and improvisation. “Birds Flying High” is taken from his Orbit EP, out now on EPM Music. The track symbolizes freedom and takes the EP into a deeper techno realm with eight minutes of transcendent grooves.
Blutch “Barbeuc’ à Guérin”
After the success of his first album on Astropolis Records, French producer Blutch (real name Julien Porhel) is back on Barbecue. This time he’s delivered “Barbeuc’ place Guérin,” a feel-good disco track with an irresistible groove, and we can’t stop tuning in!
The Pleasure Majenta “Satellite TV”
The Pleasure Majenta is a psychedelic noise outfit originally from New Zealand. Their music is a heady blend of noise, broken electronics, and guitar feedback that begs to remain untamed. Earlier this month, they released their fourth album, Looming, the Spindle, which communicates feelings of loss, grief, connection, and paranoia across 10 original tracks. “Satellite TV” is the standout track, but you should really check out the full release here.
Melina Blanco “Era”
Melina Blanco is a Costa Rican producer based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her productions involve ambient, techno, breakbeat, and more. We’ve featured her in our XLR8R submissions roundup several times before, including here and here, and this month she’s delivered another sublime piece of electronic music. “Era,” a slice of contemplative, melodic techno, is the lead track from Air, which she made between March and June last year, released on Mexican label Ineffable. “For a long time I have been very interested in experimenting with sounds that reflect the idea of making music that is subtle and in a certain minimalist way,” she says.
Open Spaces “Day Dreaming“
In 2020, Californian cassette tape label Constellation Tatsu released Opening Space by an unknown artist called Open Spaces, real name Christopher Andrew Hancock. The release featured four blissful, immersive ambient tracks and next month, Open Spaces is back with The Wandering Mind on Australian label lo fi spiritual, which interweaves transcendental drones with field recordings. “Day Dreaming,” a gorgeous and meditative ambient piece, is the EP’s second track, and we can’t wait to hear more.
Andy Morello “TAPE-4 (ultraviolet dreams)”
Italian artist Andy Morello has been involved in electronic music for decades, and his research is aimed at finding the link between improvisation and programming. “TAPE-4 (ultraviolet dreams)” forms part of his TAPES series, a collection of one-take sessions performed with a modular synthesis system and a pedal reverb. The aim is to take the listener to a distant world and that’s what this track certainly does, presenting nine minutes of immersive electronics.
Venture Silk “Another Dimension”
The sound of Venture Silk (born Ruslan Shyshniak), a Ukrainian producer living in the Netherlands, is influenced by ’80s electro-funk, ’90s breakbeat, and Detroit electro. (He also likes sci-fi movies and series like Interstellar and Stranger Things.) Nowhere is this more clear than on the spacey electro cut “Another Dimension,” a soundtrack to “a world exactly like our own, but distorted by time and space,” that he released via Bandcamp just a few days ago.
Cédric Elisabeth “I Used To Be”
Cédric Elisabeth is a French artist currently based in Copenhagen. His sound is inspired by nature, which he communicates through ripples of synths and thumping beats, “like the rhythm of his own heart when swimming through the glistening surface of the swimming pool,” he says. “I Used To Be,” a piece of uplifting house, is one of his latest cuts, but we suggest you check out Facing Reality, a collection of five tracks full of power and texture, on Detroit Underground.
Don Esquivel “U Got It”
Don Esquivel, otherwise known as Carlos Esquivel, is a DJ-producer from Michoacán, México. Now based in Mexico City, he’s an active DJ in the local Queer music scene. You can find his productions on labels like Amplio Espectro, Muy Muy Records, and Discos Sentimiento, but “U Got It” comes from Get Up Recordings. Expect a lo-fi jam defined by a contemplative lead and chord structure drenched in introspective moods. (Check out the full EP, For the Memories, here.)
Ses “Sundays are for… Ses”
A couple of months ago, Ses, a budding DJ-producer based in Brooklyn, New York, delivered a 90-minute mix to local platform Delayed. Featuring tracks from XLR8R favorites like Ulla, Leo Pol, Jan Jelinek, and DJ Healer, it’s a sumptuous mix for home listening, filled with twists and turns that’ll make you want to tune in again and again. And probably again. We highly recommend.
