Whether you’re chained to a desk all day and have to rely on digital retailers or you remain one of the rare and commendable types who visits physical record stores, XLR8R has the scoop on some noteworthy new releases about to come your way.

Josh Wink
When a Banana Was Just a Banana
Ovum
Release Date: Out Now

Philly native and electronic music stalwart Josh Wink has finished his fourth full-length via the Ovum imprint he founded with King Britt over a decade ago, and there’s plenty of fine house and techno for dance fans here. On the album’s odd title, Wink has this to say: “In a nutshell, it speaks of the loss of innocence of music. Music was just music when I was growing up. I miss the innocence of how it was… like when you were younger, ‘A Banana Was Just a Banana’.”

Banana:
01. “Airplane Electronique”
02. “Counter Clock 319”
03. “What Used to Be Called Used to Be”
04. “Jus’ Right”
05. “Dolphin Smack”
06. “Minimum 23”
07. “Everybody to the Sun”
08. “Hypnoslave”
09. “Stay Out All Night”

Various
Rekids Revolution
Rekids
Release Date: Out Now

This week, the Rekids crew unveils a three-CD compilation of original tracks and remixes that should educate new fans and function as the equivalent of Christmas morning for longtime enthusiasts. Discs One and Two are unmixed, focusing on original material and remixes, respectively, while Disc Three finds label signee Spencer Parker mixing some of the most popular releases in the Rekids catalog.

Rekids:
Disc One – Originals/Unmixed
01 Radio Slave – “Bell Clap Dance”
02 Kenny Hawkes & David Parr – “Gemini”
03 Mr. G – “U Askin’”
04 Runaway – “Brooklyn Club Jam”
05 Spencer Parker – “Improvised Minotaur”
06 Veinte Tres – “Serpiente Cosmica (Revolution Edit)”
07 Spencer Parker – “YOGOTO”
08 Luke Solomon – “Martin, A Cello & Me”
09 Toby Tobias – “Eleven (Revolution Version)”

Disc Two – Remixes/Unmixed
01 Radio Slave – “Bell Clap Dance (Slam Paragraph Remix)”
02 Luke Solomon – “Space Invaders (Andomat 3000 Remix)”
03 Mr. G – “U Askin’ (Marcel Dettmann Remix)”
04 Jjak Hogan – “Devo (Cristian Vogel’s PMP Engine Remix)”
05 Radio Slave – Grindhouse Feat. Danton Eeprom (Dubfire Terror Planet Remix)”
06 Luke Solomon – “Spirits (Prins Thomas Disko-Tek Miks)”
07 Radio Slave – “Screaming Hands (WINK Interpretation)”
08 Radio Slave – “Tantakatan (Boola Remix)”
09 Toby Tobias – “The Feeling (I:Cube Remix)”

Disc Three – Spencer Parker Mix/Mixed
01 Radio Slave – “Tantakatan”
02 Radio Slave – “Grindhouse Feat. Danton Eeprom (Accapella)”
03 Veinte Tres – “Serpiente Cosmica”
04 Spencer Parker – “Romantic (D’Julz Remix)”
05 Radio Slave – “Bell Clap Dance”
06 Matt O’Brien – “Serotone”
07 Spencer Parker – “YOGOTO”
08 Radio Slave – “Secret Base”
09 Radio Slave – “Grindhouse Feat. Danton Eeprom (Dubfire Terror Planet Remix)”
10 Radio Slave – “My Bleep”
11 Radio Slave – “My Bleep (Roman Flügel Remix)”
12 Toby Tobias – “The Feeling (I:Cube Remix)”

Fidel Nadal
Crucial Cuts
Nacional
Release Date: February 17

A founding member of Argentine rasta-punk outfit Todos Tus Muertos, Fidel Nadal has become known—over the course of 20 albums and countless collaborations—as a Latin reggae star in his own right. Surprisingly then, Crucial Cuts marks his first proper solo full-length to reach the U.S., and, fittingly, introduces the Stateside population to some of his most acclaimed dancehall- and reggae-driven tracks.

Crucial:
01 “Puerta de Oro”
02 “Tus Recuerdos”
03 “Emocionado”
04 “Motin Antibabilonia”
05 “Amenazados”
06 “Quiero Ser el Cantante”
07 “Luanda”
08 “La Puerta Negra”
09 “La Balanza”
10 “Te Amo”
11 “Nena Te Amo”
12 “Ikule-leleet”
13 “Brown Skin Girl”
14 “Nobody (Remix)”
15 “Balanza (Dub)”
16 “Te Amo (Dub)”
17 “Combinación”

Spyro
Rinse 07
Rinse
Release Date: Out Now

Spyro is often touted as one of the most technically adept DJs currently making the rounds in the dubstep and grime scenes, and he’s prepped the latest edition of the Rinse series to prove that point. Here, Dizzee Rascal meets Joker, grime, garage, and bass-heavy tracks from the likes of Terror Danja and Ruff Sqwad crop up, and it’s all available now exclusively over at dubplate.net.

Rinse:
01 J Mixer – “Dem Dem Feat. Badness”
02 Lil Silva – “Seasons”
03 Sway – “F Ur X Feat. Stush”
04 Skepta – “D.T.I.”
05 Ruff Sqwad – “RSMD”
06 Reservoir Dogs – “Buddha Fingah”
07 Dizzee Rascal – “I Luv U”
08 Joker – “Retro Racer”
09 JME – “Standard”
10 D.E.A. – “So High”
11 DVA – “I’m Leaving Feat. Alahna”
12 Maniac – “Ouch”
13 Deekline – “I Don’t Smoke”
14 DOK – “PS Feat. Lauren Mason”
15 DND – “I Will Never Leave”
16 DOK – “Rapid Speed”
17 R1 Ryders – “Rubberband Feat. Karnak”
18 Terror Danjah – “Interested Feat. Badness, Bruza, and D.e.velopment”
19 Lost In Vegas – “Some Treat”
20 Tinchy Stryder – “I Wanna Be Your Man (Bless Beats Remix Instrumental)”
21 Lil Silva – “Funky Flex”
22 Most Wanted – “Last Man Standing”
23 Sticky – “Tales From The Hood Feat. Tubby T”
24 D1 – “Ongie Bongie”
25 Menta – “Sounds Of The Future”
26 Teebone – “Fly Bi Feat. Sparks & Kie”
27 P Jam – “Unknown”
28 Terror Danjah – “Scotch Bonnet”
29 Scratchy – “Shangooli”
30 Spyro – “Shadow Boxing”

Featured Artist
Various
Watergate03 – Konrad Black
Watergate
Release Date: March 2009

Wagon Repair label boss Konrad Black (alongside Mathew Jonson) has held a monthly residency at Berlin’s famed Watergate club for some time now, so it only makes sense he would eventually be approached to participate in the Watergate mix series. Watergate03 coincides with Black’s debut U.S. tour, but despite his hectic schedule, the Vancouver-born, Berlin-based electronic musician managed to take a few minutes and chat with XLR8R about the new release.

XLR8R: How did you initially link up with Watergate?

?Initially, it was by going there and playing. Because I live in Berlin, I had the opportunity to play there often and we got to know each other well over the last couple of years, so I was honored when [Watergate] asked me to do the mix for them.

What qualities set Watergate apart as a club?
?
Well, first off, I would say that there are many great clubs in Berlin, all with their own unique qualities. What I would say is special about Watergate is that the room is amazing: The lighting they have in the upstairs is excellent. In the summer, the outside deck on the River Spree and the floor-to-ceiling windows downstairs are also other amazing features. The guys that run the club are also really great to work with.

What sorts of musical styles can we expect to find on the compilation? What inspired you?

?I wanted it to reflect the feeling of Watergate on a Saturday, so it is mostly house and techno, but varying degrees of it.

You’re currently on your first-ever U.S. tour. What are you most excited about with these dates? How do you think Europe compares with U.S. audiences?

I’m mostly excited to play in some cities I haven’t played in or visited yet. It will be interesting to see how they differ to what we’re used to in Europe.

As far as playing here vs. there, in Europe, house and techno clubs are staples, not based on trends or suffering from the back-and-forth of rock vs. electronic that I have seen in my experience in North America. Due to this, you find much bigger clubs that are cool and not commercial and that stay open late with late liquor licenses. As far as the people, well, it all depends on who shows up and why. That’s the same no matter where you are!

Any weekend weapons you’ll be dropping on the tour you care to share with us?

Well, new material from Cobblestone Jazz, Seth Troxler, and Matthew Dear, Mike Shannon, [and] a whole host of bombs. The list of ordinance is long!?

What’s next for Konrad Black?

A solo album and a project I’m doing with Martin Buttrich.

Remaining Dates:
02/26 Atlanta, GA – Bazaar
02/27 Boston, MA – Rise
02/28 New York, NY – Save the Cannibals

Pictured above: Konrad Black.