To showcase talent from the 2014 edition of the Red Bull Music Academy in Tokyo, RBMA has released its annual Various Assets compilation as a free download. Recorded in RBMA’s Shibuya studios and spanning 35 tracks—almost three hours of music—the album provides a detailed look at the participants and mentors behind the month-long experience. Dorian Concept, Xosar, Palms Trax, dBridge, and a host of rising artists have contributed original, collaborative work to the extended compilation, which can be downloaded for free here.
Today also marks the opening of the application process for the academy’s upcoming edition in Paris, France. For those budding beatmakers interested in participating in RBMA’s 2015 sessions (which takes place from October 25 to November 27), the application process can be started by heading here; the official deadline for postmarked applications is March 4.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of Dance Mania Records. The Windy City imprint was instrumental in bringing the sounds of Chicago—and ’90s ghetto house in particular—to the world, which is why the label’s unexpected return last year was such a widely celebrated event. Home to the likes of DJ Deeon, Paul Johnson, DJ Funk, Jammin Gerald, Parris Mitchell, DJ Slugo, and countless others, Dance Mania was responsible for an almost absurd number of raw (and often raunchy) dancefloor classics, many of which were captured on 2014’s ‘Hardcore Traxx,’ a double LP reissue compilation put together by the Strut label. Upon its release, we noted that the compilation had only scratched the surface of the Dance Mania catalog, and apparently the folks at Strut agreed, as a follow-up compilation, ‘Ghetto Madness,’ is set to arrive next week. Listening to these vintage cuts, we found ourselves thinking about how exactly they got made; while the production was obviously rudimentary in some ways, there was undoubtedly a certain magic to Dance Mania that allowed its music to transcend its humble beginnings. Curious to find out more, we asked DJ Deeon to take us behind the curtain and explain a bit more about exactly what went (and still goes) into his speaker-rattling tunes.
Let me start off by saying that I am not an engineer in the traditional sense. I produced and recorded all of the releases on Dance Mania myself without any formal studio training and I developed my own techniques. I think I work more by feeling than anything else.
Monitors I’ll start here because this is key to the tracks I make. I was asked by Mark Richardson at Metropolis Mastering what monitors I used and the truth is, I don’t use any. I figured early that if I was going to play my tracks at a party, the only true reference for me was to use party speakers—a single 15-inch top and a single 15-inch scoop or sub—so I brought them in as part of my studio set-up at home.
[quote align=”none”]I developed my own techniques. I think I work more by feeling than anything else.[/quote]
Beats No offense to the TR-808, but nothing bangs like a TR-909 if you tune it up right. I am still an old analog fan, so the 808 and 909 are still my drums of choice. On the 909, I like to use the tuning knob for the bass component. Using my speakers, I experiment until I find the right frequency for a track so you can feel it in your chest. I don’t put effects on my beats or treat them in any way—they always sound more raw kept as they are, kept straight. I sometimes add a bit more bass to the kick sound if I need it.
Samples Back in the ’90s, I tended to use Akai samplers—my first one was introduced to me by Paul Johnson, an Akai S01. Like many before me, I fell in love with Akai. It took the work and made it easy and fun. All of my previous samples were triggered by hand via my Numark mixer, then later the Akai MPC 2000, which I used until around 2008. I would mainly use it to sample music notes, mostly bass sounds and electronic bleeps and noises.
I consider myself to be the first to flip R&B and rap tracks into house tracks by doubling the BPM of the R&B track, as I did with Jodeci’s “Freakin’ You,” which I cut up for my remix called “Every Day” on Freak Mode. I would see how the vocals on a track worked with a 130 bpm, four-on-the-floor kick, and if I didn’t have to speed it up too much without time stretch, it was a go and I would start to develop it. I didn’t treat the vocals a lot since they were already well recorded, sometimes I would maybe just add a bit of reverb. Then I’d chop the vocals in different ways until I liked the pattern. I did a few R&B tracks like that—Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, E-40, and more.
When I sample my own voice or some of my friends’ voices, I generally use them dry and flat with no effects. Nowadays, I use the MPC Renaissance for samples, but the process is still the same. I still love the analog sounds and always prefer the old keyboards too.
Vocals I use a lot of phrases and chants that I have heard over time in my neighborhood on my records and that often then resonates with people. My track “Where the Hoes” features this party chant that local guys would do. I just took the phrase and asked a couple of my friends to do it on the record and it really worked—that record got a lot of radio play. That track then morphed into a cleaner version, “The Freaks,” which is on the new Strut Dance Mania compilation. I like developing ideas naturally like that, just building on words and stories that you hear around you.
[quote align=”none”]I figured early that if I was going to play my tracks at a party, the only true reference for me was to use party speakers.[/quote]
Mixdown Back in the day, I used to mix quickly. It was just about making a track, recording it straight to DAT, and moving on to the next one. Now, I definitely take a little more time, separate each channel and make everything sound harder and crisper. I started out with a simple Tascam 4-track and then, later, used a Mackie board, which gave me much better separation.
London’s Oliver Jones (a.k.a. Skream) has kept a sparse release schedule over the past few years, but he’s still managed to keep himself rather busy with a new label, a Radio 1 show, a 3-month residency at XOYO, and countless DJ gigs in between. Now, Jones has shared details of two upcoming releases on the longstanding Crosstown Rebels label. First, the London imprint will release a new single from Jones, “Still Lemonade,” which will also feature a remix from masked techno producer Redshape. Riding a cosmic house bent, “Still Lemonade” appears to find Skream moving further from his dubstep origins, though the tune also diverges away from the pop and disco stylings which marked some his recent work.
Details of an eventual third Skream full-length LP have yet to be announced, but Crosstown Rebels has revealed that it will release an album from the producer later this year. In the meantime, Skream’s “Still Lemonade” single will see its official release on February 23; the record’s artwork and tracklist have been included below.
1. Still Lemonade 2. Still Lemonade (Redshape Remix)
A resident and co-founder of San Francisco’s highly regarded (and sadly now retired) [KONTROL] parties, Alland Byallo has made Berlin his adopted home in recent years where he has continued to fervently DJ, throw events, run his own label (Bad Animal), and—somewhere in between—piece together his sophomore LP, Bones, Flesh.
Set to arrive via London’s Third Ear label later this month, Bones, Flesh will serve as Byallo’s second full-length effort, with his first (Brick by Brick) having made substantial waves in the dance music community when it dropped back in 2009. On his new 10-track outing, the producer covers a wide expanse of sonic territory, often keeping at least one foot firmly planted on the dancefloor, but also taking a few moments to explore more abstract electronic landscapes. Still, Whether Byallo’s constructions are rhythmically fueled or not, each track gushes with sonic detail as waves of warmly nuanced tones fill each adventurous composition.
Byallo’s Bones, Flesh LP will see its official release on January 29. Before then, the Berlin artist’s new record can be streamed in its entirety via the player below.
Funkss is the alias of Raleigh, North Carolina beatmaker Jake Funke. Today, Funke has released his debut EP under the Funkss moniker, Radon, via Donky Pitch affiliate Tokyo Hands‘ Tomcrew label, from which the sprightly “Blue Ones” comes to us. An efficient affair, the track begins by piecing together its rhythmic components, which then are joined by a procession of airy chord stabs. As “Blue Ones” weaves its way through its brisk four-minutes, Funke slowly notches up the energy, lacing the track with choppy breaks and fast-paced percussion as it builds. “Blue Ones” can be grabbed below, while the rest of Funkss’ six-track Radon EP is out today as a name-your-price download, here.
The (somewhat) quietly prolific Delroy Edwards has today dropped a new EP via his own LA Club Resource label. After just touching down with the Can U Get With EP in December for retailer-turned-imprint Gene’s Liquor, Edwards’ playfully titled Kickin’ Butts!! EP kicks off his 2015 run with five new raw, hiss-laden cuts from the producer (who, we should point out, is a former XLR8R podcast contributor).
Out now, Edwards’ new Kickin’ Butts!! EP can be previewed below—though, the record’s A1 cut, “Say Goodnight,” is currently not included in the stream.
In addition to its upcomingLifesaver Compilation 2 collection (which includes tracks from the likes of Roman Flügel, Portable, and Massimiliano Pagliara, among others), the Live at Robert Johnson label will release an “extension” 10″ record to that compilation, featuring new cuts from Tuff City Kids and Hotel Lauer.
The Tuff City Kids duo (consisting of recent XLR8R podcast contributor Gerd Janson and Phillip Lauer) will deliver the record’s a-side cut in the form of the bouncy, melody-striped “Wooden Dreams.” Phillip Lauer will also appear on the b-side, working together with his brother Jacob Lauer (together known as Hotel Lauer) on “Shank (Overdose Mix).” Both cuts can be previewed below before the Lifesaver Compilation 2 Extension 10″ officially lands on March 30.
Following in the path of the XDJ-1000—the company’s recently revealed CD-less digital deck—Pioneer has today introduced the XDJ-RX, an all-in-one DJ system (that means no laptop required) featuring two CD-less digital decks.
Expected to arrive in stores late next month, the XDJ-RX is also partially an update of the company’s XDJ-R1 unit (though, that system does feature full CD decks), boasting a performance mixer with “high-quality Sound Color FX and Beat FX,” live loop/slicing functionality, and a large, full-color screen at the top of the controller for displaying track information and waveforms. Audio for the XDJ-RX can be provided via USB, with the system optimized to be used with tracks prepared for DJing using Pioneer’s rekordbox software. Additionally, the XDJ-RX features a number of analog inputs so that external audio devices (such as turntables) can be ran through the mixer as well.
The XDJ-RX’s full specifications can be found here, while many of its features can be seen in action in the demo video below.
After releasing his debut LP as Les Sins in 2014, Bay Area-based jack-of-all-musical-trades Chaz Bundick will return his focus to Toro y Moi in order to deliver the project’s fourth full-length record, What For?, in April.
Said to have been recorded at Budick’s home studio in Berkeley, California (which was the subject of a past In the Studio feature on XLR8R), the 10-track LP appears set to find Bundick exploring sonic territory new to the Toro project. “I’ve done electronic R&B and more traditional recorded type R&B stuff. I just wanted to see what else was out there,” he explains in a press release for the record. “It’s all coming from the same mindset and point of creativity. It’s just me trying to take what I already have, and then taking it further.”
Slated to see an official release on April 6 via Carpark, the artwork and complete tracklist for Toro y Moi’s upcoming What For? LP have been included below, while the record’s phaser-heavy first single, “Empty Nesters,” can be streamed here.
1. What You Want 2. Buffalo 3. The Flight 4. Empty Nesters 5. Ratcliff 6. Lilly 7. Spell It Out 8. Half Dome 9. Run Baby Run 10. Yeah Right
When we reviewed Steffi‘s second album, Power Of Anonymity, late last year, we singled the record out as an XLR8R Pick, praising its deft brew of artfulness and floor-suitability. One of the album’s highlights was an irresistibly poppy-yet-louche track called “Treasure Seeking,” which featured collaborators Dexter (on co-production duties) and Virginia (on vocals). That track is now getting its own 12″ single release, with the original version of the tune set to be joined by a “130 BPM Version” and “Diep Version” of the track.
Ahead of its release on February 16 via Ostgut Ton, all three tracks from the forthcoming Treasure Seeking 12″ can be previewed below. In addition, Steffi has a slew of tour dates lined up for the next four months, which include stops in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the US; the complete list has also been included below.
January 30 AU, Perth, The Velvet Lounge w/ Virginia January 31 AU, Brisbane, Woolly Mammoth w/ Virginia February 7 AU, Melbourne, Out of Focus w/ Virginia February 7 AU, Melbourne, The Deck w/ Virginia February 13 NZ, Auckland, Ink Bar w/ Virginia February 14 AU, Marrickville, Marrickville Bowling and Recreation w/ Virginia February 28 US, New York City, Output March 06 US, San Francisco, Mighty March 07 US, Chicago, Smart Bar March 20 FR, Rennes, Antipodes March 21 NL, Maastricht, Timmerfabriek March 27 DE, Berlin, Panorama Bar March 28 GB, Liverpool, mUmU April 3 FR, Paris, La Machine April 4 DE, Berlin, Berghain (FC Snax United) April 5 GB, London, Autumn Street April 11 IT, Porto Sant’Elpidio, Harmonized April 24 IE, Dublin, District 8 April 25 DK, Copenhagen, Culture Box
