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 time for us to present our July selections from the member submissions, and we’d like to thank those who sent them in.
In terms of productions, we received plenty of music from North America and Europe, as is to be expected, but submissions also came from Japan, Iran, and Australia. Not only are we struck by the geographical diversity, but also the stylistic; there’s music all of types, from four-to-the-floor acid techno to gentle soul and lo-fi hip-hop beats.
What’s also striking is that the featured producers are at such contrasting stages of their careers. To exemplify this: we have music from Tridact, who has featured on Ghostly and Internasjonal, in the same list as Gus la Tempête, from Paris, France, who shows off his new solo project; and Acid Coco, the duo of Paulo Olarte and Andrea, who share some sumptuous Colombian rhythms.
As for mixes, we have some broken beat, driving techno, and Night Drifter, a podcast inspired by film noir, and ’90s classic crime films. There’s once again something for everyone.
Editor note: we’ve made a point of linking each artist’s name to their social media 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, as well as exclusive editorial content, mixes, FREE passes to music festivals and events, playlists, and more. You can find out more here.
Nico Rosenberg “Brillo Oculto”
Mystery Circles has presented Music Holds Us, the debut LP from Chilean producer Nico Rosenberg. The album was intended as a document of his time in Montreal, Canada, but once Rosenberg arrived back in Santiago to finish the album, he found his country immersed in civil protest. Rosenberg headed to the studio and out of it came Music Holds Us. The album is available now, and “Brillo Oculto,” the second track, exemplifies the deeply moving, melodic full-length.
Gus la Tempête “Entre Deux Mondes”
Gus la Tempête made his name as part of Electric Conversation, a Parisian trip-hop crew. He now works as a solo artist, and just released ∆ï∆M, a collection of lo-fi beats. The project, he says, is driven by emotion and reflects on the tragic loss of his baby girl last year. “I needed to tell some stories about what we’ve been going through after this tragedy,” he explains. “I was away from music and when I got back onto the machines I needed to express myself. It made me feel better doing these beats and I’m glad today to share it.” From the release, we’ve picked “Entre Deux Mondes,” meaning “between two worlds,” but we can recommend the whole album.
Boris Hauf “Mirrorism”
Muscian and composer Boris Hauf has been active since the mid 1990s, releasing a dizzying array of albums across free jazz, experimental electric-acoustic improvisations, industrial, and pretty much everything in between. CLARK2, his latest LP, dropped earlier this year with six pieces of avant-garde electronics, pressed as a double-gatefold LP in an eco-friendly factory. From the release, we’ve selected “Mirrorism,” an extra-terrestrial minimalist synth excursion.
Jeff Buckley “That’s All I Ask” (Keyvan Dub Mix)
Keyvan Mousavi, or Kevyan, has shared a dub remix of Jeff Buckley’s “That’s All I Ask.” Mousavi, from Tehran, Iran, turned to electronic music in 2005, cultivating a party scene in his home town with some of his friends. He’s now based in Hamburg, Germany, where he plays in bars and small clubs. His remix laces Buckley’s emotive vocals over a dub bassline, making it almost unrecognizable from the original, but moving nonetheless.
Stature “Twane”
Connor Harrison, from Nottingham, United Kingdom, has been making music for over five years, taking inspiration from the likes of Bonobo, Floating Points, and Geode. As Stature, his new alias, he’s put out Stasis, a three-track EP, with fluttering electronic beats and poignant melodies. “Twane,” the closer, is the pick of the bunch—a feel-good, melodically rich piece of beat science.
PARA “Derealized” (PΛRΛ Remix)
PΛRΛ (sometimes spelled PARA and pronounced “para” ) is a project focused on musical experimentation within various genres. Magicka, or Sebastian McMasters, is a Canadian vocalist. The former, who appeared in the submissions roundup for June, has remixed the latter’s “Derealized,” the message being that it is normal to feel sad and it is normal to talk about it. It’s a deeply moving two-track EP, with dark, woozy beats and soothing vocals. We’ve featured the original remix, but check out the dub version too.
Incarnated Sound “Primitive Chant”
We don’t have much information to offer on “Primitive Chant,” a submission from Incarnated Sound, other than that it’s from Tokyo, Japan. It’s fun yet brooding, and we just suggest you press play and enjoy.
INIT 1 “Malware II”
INIT 1, from Guadalajara, Mexico, put out a new EP on Null Recs in March, and “Malware II” is the lead cut. The song is inspired by computer systems and the data failures that emerge; consider it a “tribute to error and glitch as a source of aesthetic inspiration,” INIT 1 says. The track drives between techno and acid, with high speed vibes that make it ideal for those late night parties. ATER, the EP, features three tracks that nod towards the night, the party, and the darkness.
Roubaix “Adjaco”
Roubaix, from France, has been producing electronic music in his bedroom for five years, exploring techno, ambient, progressive house, deep house. “Adjaco,” a delicately beautiful house jam, is one of his more recent productions, but we suggest checking out more of his work here.
Tridact “Redwood Haze”
Tridact is Brandon Johnson, an electronic music producer based in Southern Oregon, United States. Originally from the Californian coastal city of Santa Barbara, Johnson played in several bands in his youth, ranging from punk rock to dub reggae, before discovering the endless possibilities of music made with synths, samplers, sequencers, and drum machines. After debuting on the 2009 Ghostly compilation Ghostly International Presents: Moodgadget, Johnson caught the ear of Norway’s Prins Thomas, who released his debut full-length album and two singles on his Internasjonal label.
Johnson’s music bursts with color and melody and its common thread
is a mixture of dense, catchy, and rhythmic sonic layers. In June, he returned with Unknown Planes, eight new tracks on his own imprint, Raydiata Music. Across the release, the essence of his style remains, with its lush strings, soaring leads, and bass lines that bounce over drum machines and lo-fi samples. “Redwood Haze” is taken from that release.
Double Precision “The Path”
Double Precision is Andrea Vaghi, an emerging DJ, producer, and beatmaker originating from Como, Italy. Following his first public work, a remix of the Marcio McFly’s “Mentre Dormi,” “The Path” is the lead track of his first full release, available now. Double Precision’s tracks are characterized by gloomy atmospheres and heady chord progressions. Vaghi recently moved to Berlin, Germany, hoping to take a step forward in his music career.
Meljoan “Business Card”
Meljoan has been releasing music since 2009, beginning with Tour Guide, which she followed with Squick, her debut album. Now based in Brighton, United Kingdom, Maleney has put out “Business Card,” a new digital single of twisted, enchanting pop that is stylistically alouf.
Acid Coco “Yo Bailo Sola”
Acid Coco is the Colombian duo of Paulo Olarte and Andrea, both influenced by rhythms of cumbia, porro, bullerengue, and champeta.
Olarte has been a known name in electronic dance music for many years, with releases on Diynamic. Andrea began singing in school, and performed with Colombian reggae band DonKey Records before leaving to Berlin, Germany, where she sings in world fusion band Hinsetzen Pause. Acid Coco is the pair’s first recorded collaboration, aiming to give us a “journey through the beautiful colors of music. “Yo Bailo Sola” takes inspiration from 1950s cumbia, music that speaks of spirituality and solemnity but that is filled with mischief, and it’s available now on El Palmas Music. It forms part of the album Mucho Gusto, out in October.
Anechoic “Ellipsoidal Harmonic Function”
Anechoic, a Parisian producer and hybrid live performer, first came to our attention with a slice of dark techno he submitted in May. “Ellipsoidal Harmonic Function” is from a recent compilation on Faut Section, and can be filed next to the wormhole techno of Hyperspectral, his latest EP. This one is perfectly suited for heady, psychedelic dancefloors.
OKAT “Look Away”
OKAT first entered the Copenhagen, Denmark music scene with Something Better, an R&B- and soul-inspired EP, which led her to perform at various Danish festivals. Since then, OKAT, real name Katja de Neergaard, has gravitated towards an intimate, electronic pop-inspired universe and developed from vocalist to songwriter and producer. While creating her new EP, Always In/formation, she has educated herself with information technology, and she will be starting her PhD in the fall. She is the co-founder of Copenhagen-based label un_ceramics.
Always In/formation has been in the works for four years, and the recent lockdown provided OKAT with the opportunity to finalize its seven tracks. The result is a collection of songs that explore vulnerability with soft vocals over beat-driven productions. It features contributions from songwriters Berrin Bas and Clara Sofie, plus production work from Tobias Adomat, Frankie Motion, and CHLLNGR. “Look Away” is taken from that release, which is available now.
Teresa When God Talks Techno
Teresa Ferreiro, or Teresa, is PhD student, techno DJ, and a founder of Ruido de Fondo, an agency for cultural events and musicians. Last month, she put out When God Talks Techno, a three-hour mix featuring tracks from Surgeon, Nthng, Dense & Pika, and more. It’s dense, driving, and delicious, and, most importantly, well worth your time.
Lost Fx Night Drifter
Night Drifter is the second episode of Lost Fx‘ Short Stories series, which he launched in our March roundup. Night Drifter is a fictional film running throughout the mix. The story involves a master criminal who has to complete one final job. Influences for the story and mix come from the ’80s, film noir, and ’90s classic crime films. Just like last time, it’s rich in music from XLR8R.
Luke Thomas Frequency Ratio 052
Luke Thomas, from Brighton, United Kingdom, has been part of the music industry for over 20 years with releases on labels such as Bush Records, Boo Records, Reverberations, and his own label, Frequency Ratio. His weekly radio show on Code South FM covers a wide range of electronic genres, from ambient/downtempo and electronica to left-field bass, techno, and breaks. We’ve picked a recent mix, recorded last month, to feature here. It features tracks from An Avrin, Slikback, Cruel Boyz, and is an exercise in flow, expertly darting from bass-heavy techno to subtle groovers and speaker-rattling steppahs. Check it out here.
Elon Skum Zebra’s Secret Tape
Julien Txbck, or Elon Skum, has recored Zebra’s Secret Tape, a new mixtape filled with broken beats and warped-out techno. The French artist, who works on French radio show radio Deepline, is the head of Venus Crush, where he focuses on “undanceable and danceable music for clubs, plants, and pets.” Featuring tracks from his circle of musical cohorts, this mix demonstrates the Lyon musician’s enviable skills in curation.
