Over the past five years, London-based musician Dario Rojo Guerra (a.k.a. Flako) has had an impressive run of releases for labels like Project: Mooncircle, R&S’s Apollo imprint, and East London’s Five Easy Pieces, who will do the honor of releasing Flako’s long-gestating debut LP this spring. Inspired by classic jazz, formative South American styles, and synth work from the likes of Greek composer Vangelis, Natureboy pulls from global influences that showcase the natural world. Featuring Guerra’s voice throughout, it marks a break from his past hip-hop-focused output, with string contributions from composer Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and a guest vocal from London artist Dirg Gerner included in the course of the record.
Until Natureboy drops on March 23, a new video fro the record’s lead single, “Kuku” (a stream of which first appeared earlier this month), can be watched below, where the forthcoming record’s artwork and tracklist can also be found below.
1. The Opening / Purple Trees 2. Shipibo Icaro 3. Gelis 4. Spice Melange 5. Kuku 6. Solo for Chloë 7. Shape of Things to Come 8. Som Da Aura 9. Twelve O’Clock Shadow (feat. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson) 10. Lyrebird 11. Golden High 12. Payaso 13. Who Do You Think You Are 14. For You (Reprise) 15. With Me Now (feat. Dirg Gerner) 16. The Odd & Beautiful
For many of us, Virginia first emerged in the last couple of years as a vocalist, contributing impassioned verses to some of Ostgut Ton labelmate Steffi’s most standout hits. Her turns on “Reasons,” “Yours,” and, more recently, “Treasure Seeking,” all proved that house music can, in the right hands, offer us more emotional sustenance than the usual cursory cries of “ooh baby” or “Detroit.” Despite that, though, and ahead of an album pencilled in for later this year, Virginia’s first proper solo EP (after 2013’s Loch & Hill, which featured additional production from Steffi) finds her pretty much abandoning vocals all together.
“There wasn’t any intention behind the use of very few voices on this 12″,” says the German producer, who far from being the relative newbie she might seem, has actually been DJing since the ’90s and even held a residency at Sven Vath’s Frankfurt club Cocoon, amongst other locales. However, rather in defiance of her deep-rooted techno influences, Virginia’s sound is, in no uncertain terms, resolutely indebted to Chicago house, particularly the dreamy, misty-eyed stuff of the late ’80s and early ’90s, and producers like Dream 2 Science.
As such, it’s not entirely surprising that the My Fantasy EP is a slavishly crafted, neo-classical ode that perhaps remains a bit too studious for its own good. Sure, Virginia hasn’t just hit go on a load of sample pack loops; this is no plastic pastiche, and there is real definition and character in the sounds, but that alone only goes so far. First cut “Fictional” features a globular bassline, swirling, far-sighted pads, and prickly hi-hats that sound just like a lost cut from Steffi’s 2011 debut album, but over the course of seven minutes they do little more than politely undulate. As a result, it feels like something is missing—a vocal perhaps, or a breakdown, or some sort of defining feature that would make it stand out from the crowd.
“My Fantasy” is similar in that it lands just about fully formed and rolls on from there, with little in the way of twists or turns. On a late-night, tripped-out, and half-tired dancefloor this may well work fine, but it likely won’t be the tune that clubbers remember most the next morning, despite the heavily effected vocal coos that shimmer deep down below. Lastly, “Never Enough” toys with a more kinetic electro bassline and some carefully smeared and perfectly doleful chords. It’s the most engaging cut of the lot; however, like everything here, it has all the ingredients of a great track, but somehow leaves you wanting more. It seems, then, like Virginia is still working to develop a production voice that’s as compelling as her singing voice. Based upon this EP, she’s not far off, and there is enough here to suggest that when she really finds herself, the results will be well worth hearing.
After garnering the attention of Flying Lotus in 2010, Stuart Howard (a.k.a. Lapalux) signed with the LA icon’s Brainfeeder label and released a series of sensual, mildly experimental hip-hop EPs. His dreamlike and collage-heavy style quickly found a wider audience, culminating with the well-received debut album, Nostalchic, in 2013. Now, Lapalux has revealed plans to return with his second full-length record, Lustmore, an effort “loosely based on the idea of hypnagogia, a kind of limbo consciousness between being awake and asleep.” Furthermore, the record is said to have been inspired by film soundtracks in the vein of Blade Runner and 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I really focused on making this album an imaginary visual experience,” Howard explains in a press release. “You can almost see these imaginary movies play in your head when you listen.”
Alongside the announcement, Howard has shared the melancholic lead single “Closure,” a slow-burning, R&B-streaked showcase of his production talent and London artist Szjerdene‘s arresting, sultry vocals. Lustmore arrives on April 7; in the meantime a full stream of “Closure” can be found below, along with the upcoming LP’s complete tracklist.
1. U Never Know (feat. Andreya Triana) 2. Sum Body 3. Closure (feat. Szjerdene) 4. Midnight Peelers 5. Push N’ Spun 6. We Lost 7. Autumn (Tape Interlude) 8. Puzzle (feat. Andreya Triana) 9. Bud 10. Don’t Mean A Thing 11. 1004 12. Make Money 13. Funny Games
If someone were to simply read the list of big hitters on display at this year’s NAMM show without any additional context, they might be left wondering exactly what year we were living in. After all, the 2015 edition of the massive conference and exhibition—which sets up shop in Orange County every January and provides a platform for music-related gear and software companies to show off their new products—was essentially dominated by nostalgia-inducing throwbacks. Korg’s Arp Odyssey and Moog’s full-size System 55 were just a couple of the retro pieces making waves, but thankfully, there was plenty more on offer for DJs and electronic music producers to get excited about. Describing everything we saw while wandering the halls of the Anaheim Convention Center would be impossible, but we have compiled a list of things—good, bad, and outright weird—that caught our eye.
Arturia BeatStep Pro Released last year, Arturia‘s $99 BeatStep USB MIDI controller serves as a simple, handy-as-heck hardware step sequencer, particularly with its CV and MIDI outputs. BeatStep Pro ups the game significantly by combining two melodic sequencers with one drum sequencer and allowing the user run them independently. Changes to the sequences can be linked, or independent of one another, and displays help with navigation and precision. There are now touch-sensitive knobs, plus a Randomizer to mix up patterns, and a real-time looper/roller touch strip. Priced at $299, the BeatStep Pro is slated to arrive in April.
Moog Modular Synths This news has already been all over the web, but Moog was showing the limited-edition remakes of its 1970s modular beasts: the System 35, System 55, and Model 15. Only 55 units of the System 55 will be offered, and each one will cost $35,000; Moog will also make 35 copies of the System 35, for $22,000 a pop, and 150 of the Model 15, each one priced at $10,000. Some optional extras are also being built to go along with these modular classics: a five-octave duophonic keyboard, a sequencer extension cabinet, and a dual 960 Sequential Controller for the System 35 and System 55.
Korg SQ-1 The SQ-1, Korg‘s new, super-compact step sequencer, is a spiritual successor to the SQ-10 that’s roughly the size of a Korg Volca. It’ll keep synths and drum machines in sync by sending clock, and also allows users to make various rhythmic or melodic patterns to send to them. Even better, it should connect to almost anything: with dual CV trigger and gate, analog 1/8″ sync, a specific connection for Korg’s own littleBits, a three-pin MIDI connection, and a USB port for MIDI connection to a computer, the proof is in the portage. The SQ-1 will be priced at $99 when it ships in the coming months.
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators Some of the biggest news out of this year’s NAMM came in its smallest packages: Teenage Engineering‘s trio of Pocket Operators, which include the Factory melodic synth, Sub bass synth, and Rhythm drum machine. Each one uses a 16-step grid of 16 sounds (with layers of parameters for each), and the synthesized output sounds outrageously good. There’s a second minijack that allows users to chain and synchronize tempo between units, as well as some other machines. All three models have various effects and tweakable parameters. Plus, they look great, whether they’re in the nude or placed inside the optional rubberized case. The Pocket Operators are all available now for $59 a piece.
Quicco Sound Mi.1 Merging analog hardware with digital software can be difficult, but the Quicco Sound Mi.1 (which was funded via Indiegogo) does it—effortlessly and wirelessly. The tiny device can simply be plugged into the MIDI in and out ports of a synth (or any other MIDI instrument), and it will make said device wireless over Bluetooth LE. Once an iOS device or Mac is fired up with an app that can make the other end of the Bluetooth connection, the user is good to go. There are dozens of great iPad sequencers and arpeggiators out there, meaning that the Mi.1 provides loads of cool new ways to control hardware, wirelessly. It’s shipping now for $45.
Korg Arp Odyssey Another remake from Japanese legend Korg, the Arp Odyssey is being designed with authentic Arp circuitry. The original Arp shipped with different filters at different times, but Korg is now allowing customers to choose, as circuits from each generation are being included. The case has been trimmed down, as the new Odyssey is just 86% of the size of the original, and it’s being sold in three different colorways. There’s even a Drive switch for analog overdrive distortion. Availability is TBA, but an MSRP of $1400 has been announced.
Dave Smith Sequential Circuits Prophet-6 The Prophet-6 is Dave Smith‘s homage to the legendary polysynth that started it all, the Sequential Prophet-5. The Prophet-6 takes the best qualities of the original Prophet-5—true voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers—and adds enhancements, including high-quality effects, a polyphonic step sequencer, an arpeggiator, and much more. The Prophet-6 will be out in the second quarter of 2015 for $2799.
Logic Pro X 10.1 The latest wave of interest in electronic music has not escaped Apple’s notice, and Logic Pro X 10.1 is the company’s answer to the craze. The free update is aimed at the electronic music producer, with 10 new “beat programmers” added to its AI-driven Drummer feature. As with the acoustic players, users can direct the program to play different patterns based on the position of the XY slider, and further customize once they find something they’re happy with. The new Drum Machine Designer makes it so each individual drum sound can be tweaked, as pitch, length, envelope, distortion, body, presence, pan, and volume can all be adjusted. Furthermore, Logic now offers new Note Repeat and Spot Erase features—and plenty more. The software’s latest version is available now.
Roland Aira MX-1 Following the release of the AIRA TR-8 and SYSTEM-1, the MX-1 is Roland‘s attempt to rethink the mixer. It functions as an audio interface for a computer (up to 18 channels of audio come via USB), and users can plug in Roland AIRA devices via USB as well, over the same USB cable. There are traditional analog inputs for other hardware, and a single coax digital jack that’s either an input or output. The mixer is designed for live use: scenes can be set up, and there are loads of tempo-synced step-sequencer effects, along with a cue feature for previewing a track before taking it to the masses. Pricing and availability on this one are TBA.
Elektron Overbridge Elektron‘s Overbridge was announced last year, and was finally up and running at this year’s NAMM. It’s a technology that allows newer Elektron instruments—Analog Four, Analog Rytm, and Analog Keys—to transmit their audio and MIDI over USB, into a host plug-in that will run inside a host DAW (Ableton Live and Logic, for now). Users can route discrete inputs and outputs, as well as MIDI, and the ability to automate the machines’ parameters inside a sequencer is a godsend in terms of usability. It’ll be free to all users when it’s released in the first quarter of 2015.
Novation Launchpad Pro Designed for live performance, Novation‘s Launchpad Pro is the most desirable model to date of the ubiquitous grid controller. New RGB pads light up to match the color of the user’s clips in Ableton Live, and its Push-like Note Mode automatically switches the layout for drum or instrument devices (for drums, all sounds are available, and with instruments, the grid illuminates as a chromatic keyboard). Unlike Push, the Launchpad Pro can also be used with any of the user’s music software and external hardware in Standalone Mode. It will be available in Spring 2015 for $299.
Rane MP2015 Rane is describing its new MP2015 rotary mixer as a “no-compromise music-mixing performance instrument,” and at a price of $3,500, that only seems fair. It features gorgeous design, including laser-etched wood side panels, classic spun-aluminum knob caps, 16-segment level peak-hold meters, and backlit push switches. The internals are similarly lust-worthy, with Audio 4 Pro delta-sigma modulator converters by AKM.
Downstairs Modular NAMM’s basement was once again populated by various small stringed instruments, obscure Chinese gear manufacturers, and a turnt-as-hell modular synthesizer community. Highlights included booths by big hitters like Make Noise and Muff Wiggler, as well as newcomers like Lysandre Follet (a.k.a. Minigorille) whose CV Graphic Module and GeometrySynth (pictured here) continue to push the boundaries of what modern-day modular synthesizers are capable of.
Pioneer vs. Ghostbusters Pioneer never fails to impress with its flights of turntable fancy. This (working) Ghostbusters CDJ was designed by artist Jesse Graves.
An artist who has highlighted during the course of our recent Bubblin’ Up Week of content (and a frequent collaborator of XLR8R‘s most recent podcast contributor, Anthony Parasole), NYC producer/engineer Phil Moffa has turned in a new remix for free download. Here, Moffa has taken on “Follow,” a cut from Vancouver duo Humans‘ upcoming NOONTIDE LP, turning the active production into a much more subdued piece of techno. Dark and dense, Moffa’s rework stretches ambient textures and a bouncing delay sequence across a chugging six minutes, which methodically build steam as additional cymbals and chopped snippets of the original track are added to the procession. Phil Moffa’s remix of “Follow” can be downloaded below before Humans’ NOONTIDE LP lands via the Hybridity label on February 24.
Following an LP and an EP in 2014 for Ghostly’s Spectral Sound label, Birmingham DJ/producer (and former XLR8R podcast contributor) Mark E will next land on the ESP Institute outpost with the two-track Emergency 12″. Set to arrive on February 16, the record will serve as Mark E’s debut for the label, who were also responsible for one of 2014’s most memorable releases, having issued Young Marco‘s elegant Biology LP in June of last year.
On Emergency‘s a-side cut, “Laurentian Abyss,” Mark E is said to “trudge through an array of rhythmic pulses, percussion, and arpeggiation that resemble the inner workings of a grandfather clock, based on a disorienting 5/4 timing yet culminating in a singular stroke, ” while the flipside offering “begins with the formula for which we know Mark E best, the ultimate tease winding us up for the big payoff.” Ahead of the record’s release next month, we have been treated to a preview of Mark E’s new pair of productions, with clips of both “Laurentian Abyss” and “Emergency” currently available to stream below.
A somewhat enigmatic producer whose discography includes a 30-track package of Drake edits, DJ Paypal has today dropped his vinyl debut via the LuckyMe label. Entitled Buy Now, the six-track affair is said to find the producer “flipping obscure disco tracks into pummeling footwork tracks,” a feat that can be heard in action via the record’s preview stream included below.
DJ Paypal’s cleverly titled, vinyl-only Buy Now EP starting today via LuckyMe (and the artist’s own website). Along with the aforementioned EP preview stream, Buy Now‘s full tracklist has also been included below.
1. I’m Ready 2. You Got Me 3. Sonnade 4. Don’t Stop 5. bEbay 6. Fire
A former member of the Studio production outfit, Dan Lissvik has signed to Norwegian label Smalltown Supersound for a string of releases which will begin next month with the Shuvit! 12″.
Said to be the first of an ongoing 12″ series which will culminate with the release of a solo LP from Lissvik in late 2015, the three-track Shuvit! effort appears to find the Swedish producer crafting somewhat oddball disco hybrids where the line between programmed audio and live instrumentation is pleasantly blurred. “Airwalk” serves as our first example of such, a seven-plus-minute voyage into spacey, understated funk which presents an array of bright and airy melodies across its elongated run. The track can be streamed in full below before Lissvik’s Shuvit! 12″ officially lands on February 10.
Andy Butler, the creator and musical driving force behind Hercules & Love Affair, has announced that he will release his debut solo EP via his own mr.intl label next month. Ahead of the two-tracker’s full release, Butler has shared the record’s a-side cut, “You Can Shine”, which features a soulful vocal from New York singer Richard Kennedy (that will sound stylistically familiar to HALA fans) paired with a croaky, pounding techno backing. On the b-side will be “Personality Track,” a production which is billed as “a whiplashing techy instrumental pounder.”
Butler’s “You Can Shine” can be heard in full on via player below before the artist’s first solo EP sees a vinyl release on February 23, with a digital release to follow in March.
US singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Meluch (a.k.a. Benoît Pioulard) has announced his latest in a long line of albums for Chicago’s Kranky imprint. Meluch explains that the basis for his upcoming fifth long-player, Sonnet, is “a series of field recordings of tones and unintentional harmonies that I made in the summer and fall of 2013—whistling industrial air conditioners, bird songs, locust drones, washing machines—that I mimicked or interpreted on the guitar, making loops that developed into fuller compositions.” In addition, the album originally had a fairly heavy vocal element that Meluch eventually stripped away, leaving behind a spare, pastoral atmosphere in which only what he felt was “absolutely essential” was kept.
A teaser video for Sonnet has been included below, where a stream of LP cut “So Etched in Memory” and the album’s full tracklist can also be found ahead of the record’s official release on March 30.
1. With No Advantage 2. The Gilded Fear That Guides the Flow 3. Of Everything That Rhymes 4. Is in Its Clearest Form 5. An Image Apart from Ourselves 6. Whose Palms Create 7. As Would a Weaver 8. A Shade of Celadon 9. So Etched in Memory 10. Upon the Break Arch 11. That Wounded Weathered 12. Shut-ins on Sunday See 13. The Very Edge of Its Flame 14. And Relent
