Youandewan (a.k.a. Ewan Smith) will deliver the Aus label’s first release of 2015. The Berlin-based producer—whose “93” house edit of a hip-hop classic was among XLR8R‘s top 10 downloads this year—debuted on the imprint back in June with a self-titled 12″, and he’s logged previous appearances on Hypercolour and Secretsundaze. His forthcoming Spiral Arms EP is said to combine “deep pads, flecks of acid, and no-nonsense house grooves,” and comes backed with a remix from Marquis Hawkes. Hawkes (an XLR8Rpodcast contributor) reportedly supplies a “rattling ’90s revision” of “Fool Be Cool” that features “stout percussion and circling vocal cuts.”
Spiral Arms is due out on January 25, and while no previews have been shared as of yet, the EP’s artwork has been included above and its tracklist can be found below. More new Aus releases from Bicep, Will Saul & Komon, Breach, Escape, and Bwana—with additional remixes from Jacques Greene and Justin Martin—are planned for the first six months of 2015.
1. Stak Poly Looms 2. Isabel 3.Fool Be Cool 4. Fool Be Cool (Marquis Hawkes Remix)
A standout track from Objekt‘s debut LP, Flatland, the lopsided “Second Witness” has been given a video treatment. The result of a collaboration between Objekt, Swiss visual artist Rachel Buehlmann, and photographer Joe Dilworth (with additional help from French-Japanese artist Nine Yamamoto-Masson), the clip is said to further expand on one of Flatland‘s main conceptual focuses, specifically “the idea of seeing a complex scene from every angle at once” as the video “explores the theme of vision and the limitations of sight, probing the desire to escape one’s own restricted point of view.” What we’re left with is a grainy collage of moving images which spiral around and amongst an array of shapeless film strands, floating spheres, and swaths of other abstract imagery.
Objekt’s immersive clip for “Second Witness” can be watched in full below; the Berlin-based artist’s XLR8R Pick’d debut full-length is out now via PAN.
When people talk about XLR8R, there’s a good chance that our podcast series is going to be part of the conversation. Simply put, it’s one of our calling cards, which is why we do our best to be especially selective when curating the mixes from week to week. It’s not easy to stand out in a world where just about everyone has a mix series, but we take pride in the fact that our podcasts continue to be some of the most popular content on the site. During 2014, we featured nearly 50 exclusive mixes, covering a wide variety of artists, styles, and sounds. Some were geared toward the club, while others offered abstract listening experiences. Some found artists digging deep in their record collections, while others consisted of nothing but unreleased material. This diversity wasn’t exactly unexpected; after all, when it comes to the XLR8R podcast, there are very few rules that we expect artists to follow. Still, it doesn’t make choosing our favorite mixes any easier. Nevertheless, we’ve gone back and selected the 10 mixes that left the biggest impression on us in 2014, and for good measure, we’ve also included a breakdown of the year’s 10 most popular podcasts. As it happens, the two lists have a lot of overlap.
Top 10 XLR8R Podcasts: Editors’ Picks
10. Roman Flügel Fresh off the release of his latest LP, the long-running German DJ/producer delivered this groove-driven mix of house, funk, disco, electro, and more.
9. Maxmillion Dunbar Co-founder of the Future Times label and one half of Beautiful Swimmers, Maxmillion Dunbar had a big 2014 as a solo artist, and this mix, which he titled Unwind Flex, proved that he’s not afraid to get weird from time to time.
8. Randomer Centered around hard, pulsing techno, this rough-edged session from UK producer Randomer coincided with a pair of impressive releases for Clone and L.I.E.S.
7. Matrixxman The San Francisco DJ/producer was seemingly everywhere in 2014, dropping a slew of releases and remixes across a variety of labels (including Dekmantel, Spectral Sound, and his own Soo Wavey imprint), and this mix found him demonstrating his love for drum-machine-centric sounds while moving through Chicago house, Detroit techno, and more.
6. Jackmaster After years of chasing the Glasgow selector for a podcast, we finally convinced Jackmaster to put together an exclusive mix for us, and he delivered this brilliant two-hour trek through various shades of house and techno.
5. Frankie Knuckles The world was saddened by the unexpected passing of house legend Frankie Knuckles back in March, and this podcast—an excerpt of a Sound Factory set from 1990—coincidentally debuted on XLR8R just a few days before his death.
4. Funkineven Building on the unique vision he’s displayed via his own releases and his curation of the Apron label, London’s Funkineven turned in this excellent mix full of crunchy, semi-distorted beats, squelchy electro-funk basslines, and soulful vocal riffs.
3. Pangaea This UK artist often takes a backseat to his Hessle Audio co-founders, but this XLR8R podcast proved that Pangaea is a formidable artist in his own right, not to mention someone with an obvious fondness for stark, driving techno.
2. Floorplan While many veteran producers are content to coast on their past achievements, Robert Hood continues to be one of techno’s brightest talents. This mix, assembled under his more house- and disco-oriented Floorplan moniker, is loaded with uplifting, soul-affirming sounds.
1. Gerd Janson We’re certainly not alone in singing Gerd Janson’s praises, but the Running Back boss absolutely floored us with this Autumn Blouse mix, a slow-burning collection of synth- and melody-driven tunes that smartly referenced disco and ’80s dance pop without becoming mired in pointless nostalgia.
XLR8R’s Best of 2014 coverage will continue throughout the next few weeks, so check back each day for additional year-end round-ups. In the meantime, don’t forget to take a look at the other Best of 2014 pieces we’ve posted already:
Back in 2008, the venerable Ghostly label teamed up with the purveyors of twisted television at Adult Swim to issue a free compilation by the name of Ghostly Swim. Now, plans have been revealed for a second collection to be issued by the parties, with Ghostly Swim 2 set to arrive later this month. The 13-track effort will feature exclusive productions from a handful of Ghostly artists in Shigeto, Dauwd, Lord Raja, and Patricia (the last two of which debuted on Ghostly this year), while a number of other artists close to the Ghostly orbit have also been asked to contribute, including LA saxophonist/producer Anenon, Canadian beatmaker Nautiluss, and Montreal composer CFCF.
Set to arrive as a free download on December 23, the full tracklist for the forthcoming Ghostly Swim 2 compilation can be peeped below, where a stream of Babe Rainbow’s contribution to the affair, “Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong,” can also be found.
1. Pascäal – Holo 2. Shigeto – Tide Pools 3. Anenon – Grapevine 4. Heathered Pearls – Supra 5. Babe Rainbow – Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong 6. Dauwd – Kolido 7. Patricia – Spotting 8. Lord RAJA – Spilt Out In Cursive 9. CFCF – Oil 10. Feral – Mirror 11. Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler – I Only Have Eyes for You 12. AceMo – Futurism 13. Nautiluss – Lonely Planet
LA beatmaker Henry Laufer (a.k.a. Shlohmo) remained somewhat quiet on the release front in 2014—though he certainly maintained a heavy live presence throughout the year—with his collaborative EP alongside Jeremih, No More, serving as his only official release of the past 12 months. Now, Laufer has announced that he has signed to Brooklyn label True Panther, through which he has today dropped a new digital single set to be followed by a 7″ record early next year.
A collaborative effort between True Panther and Shlohmo’s Wedidit outpost, the “Emerge from Smoke” single and its accompany 12″ are said to serve as “a taste of much more to come in 2015.” Set to see a limited release of only 100 copies, the “Emerge from Smoke” b/w “Ode 2 Tha Whip” 7″ will officially drop in vinyl form on March 17 of next year, but in the meantime, the 7″ single’s a-side cut, “Emerge from Smoke,” is out now in digital form and can be streamed in full below. In addition, a flier for the producer’s extensive upcoming 2015 US tour (which will serve as Shlohmo’s first fully live tour) has also been included below.
Having served as a somewhat regular contributor to the imprint over the years, UK producer/DJ Matt Edwards (a.k.a. Radio Slave) will return to Gerd Janson’s Running Back label next week with a two-track 12″. Simply titled E.P., the record will offer two versions—a stab-heavy “South London Mix” and a more gloomy “North London Mix”—of a Radio Slave production entitled “Children of the E.” At this time, no audio previews for either track have surfaced, but the forthcoming effort’s artwork and tracklist have been included below before Radio Slave’s E.P. hits stores next week. In addition, we today deemed Running Back head Gerd Janson’s XLR8R podcast the best of the year; the entire list of our top 10 podcasts for 2014 can be found here.
A. Children of the E (South London Mix) B. Children of the E (North London Mix)
Nadastrom (a.k.a. the collaborative project of Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom) will issue its debut full-length via Los Angeles’ Friends of Friends imprint early next year. The 11-track self-titled LP is said to find the two producers (who have operated together for nearly a decade) employing their knack for hybrid club and moombahton constructions (a style the duo helped pioneer while based in DC during the late aughts) and melding them together with “a timeless concoction of organic, sultry house music.” Furthermore, the album will feature a number of guest vocalists, with Nina K, RYAT, and Jesse Boykins III all making appearances on the record.
Ahead of its release, Nadastrom have shared a full stream of “Somebody,” the record’s wistfully melodic first single. The pair’s new production can be heard below, where the full tracklist for Nadastrom has also been included; the group’s debut LP is scheduled to land on February 23 via Friends of Friends.
1. Intro 2. Fallen Down 3. Go Back 4. House Shoes ft. Nina K 5. Hide The Advisement 6. Headed Home 7. Somebody 8. Phantom Eyes ft. RYAT 9. Kids 10. In The Air Pt I ft. Jesse Boykins III 11. Medium Redeye (Bonus Track) In The Air Pt II ft. Jesse Boykins III
Ghostly International has detailed a forthcoming “deluxe version” of Awake, the most recent album from Tycho released earlier this year. The album found West Coast producer Scott Hansen enlisting a three-piece band to bring live instrumentation into his signature melodic electronics (in a process outlined to XLR8R as part of our ongoing Artist Tips series), and this latest version will include all eight original tracks alongside remixes from Com Truise, Bibio, Beacon, and fellow Ghostly affiliate Christopher Willits.
Awake (Deluxe Version) sees an official release on December 16, and the album’s artwork and complete tracklist can be found below, where Willits’ remix of “Montana” and a fresh batch of Tycho tour dates in Asia and Australia have also been included.
Dec. 30 Marion Bay, AU @ The Falls Music & Art Festival Dec. 31 Lorne, AU @ The Falls Music & Art Festival Jan. 01 Sydney, AU @ Field Day Jan. 02 Byron Bay, AU @ Falls Festival Jan. 04 Busselton, AU @ Southbound Festival Jan. 08 Melbourne, AU @ The Hi-Fi Jan. 10 Sydney, AU @ The Hi-Fi Jan. 14 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia @ Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center Jan. 15 Singapore, SP @ Victoria Concert Hall Jan. 16 Hong Kong, HK @ Music Zone Jan. 17 Shanghai, CH @ Mao Live House Jan. 20 Beijing, CH @ Yu Gong Yi Shan Jan. 23 Taipei City, TW @ The Wall Livehouse Jan. 24 Seoul, KO @ Rolling Hall Jan. 29 Tokyo, JP @ Shibuya O-East Jan. 30 Nagoya, JP @ Club Quattro Jan. 31 Osaka, JP @ SOMA Feb. 03 Manila, Philippines @ The Theater At Solaire Resort And Casino
Like all distinctive labels, PAN imprints its music with a particular grain. Even with its diverse roster of artists—only Lee Gamble could be described as a PAN regular—the Berlin-based label can regularly be counted upon to hold up distorting mirrors to familiar-sounding styles. It’s especially effective in the album format, with recent efforts like Objekt’s Flatland and Lee Gamble’s Koch proving to be particularly potent. The label’s fifth LP of the last 12 months comes from Afrikan Sciences (a.k.a. Eric Douglas Porter), who makes his PAN debut with Circuitous.
It’s hard to argue that this album goes to the same lengths as the aforementioned records to twist and bend its source material, but to do so would not be in this album’s nature. Based on organic jazz forms and following the ancestry of musical forebears Sun Ra and Miles Davis, Circuitous is an immersive record that’s content both to lull and gallop, all while welding together its loosely structured grooves to bundles of knotty drum programming. Many of these tracks have a casual, free-flowing vibe to them, refracting an exploratory jazz sensibility through a 4/4 frame. As a result, it occasionally feels like the time signature is caging rather than carrying the melodic debris floating atop it, a compositional trick that lends these tracks some nice nuggets of dramatic tension.
For instance, “The Image” features bits of live-sounding drum percussion poking rapidly in and out as instruments swirl, arpeggiate, and swell, as if they’re trying to escape the track’s shackles. The song’s busy rhythmic elements meet but never congeal, meaning that each new listen is likely to reveal another aspect of the music’s individual parts. Elsewhere, however, Circuitous is a bit more orthodox in its interplay between melody and rhythm. Toasted bass notes and stringy synths coat a rapid, bongo-like thrum of hand drumming and shakers on the LP’s title track, which is typical of Porter’s agile compositions.
Still, Circuitous rarely sounds conventional. On “Swash,” the impression left is that of a live jazz band jamming together rather than an individual holed up in a basement studio, and much of the album riffs on this playful feel. At other times, the LP steers into more abrasive terrain, using mutilated drums and droning analog swooshes to conjure a sense of unease (on “Group Home Reality” and “I’m Asking You KB,” his airy rhythms are crunchier and condensed, as though he’s feeding them through a meat grinder).
Even Porter’s history as a hip-hop DJ reveals itself now and again on Circuitous. “Tell Me Who Like That (Bedside Manner)” bears the mischievous mark of a Def Jux production, while “Transient Authority” features a complex weave of melodies, samples, and thumping snares that recalls a typically trippy Flying Lotus record. That said, Afrikan Sciences’ grasp on Circuitous is singularly his own, and the album undoubtedly stands apart from the more austere machine music that populates many of PAN’s other releases. Still, it’s not quite as fun or as innovative as it aspires to be—the LP has its bland moments, it’s a little too long, and occasionally feels like it’s a little lost in itself—but on the whole, it’s a quietly compelling fusion of classical jazz foundations and experimental electronic music.
Following the release of his most recent album, Our Love, Dan Snaith (a.k.a. Caribou) has shared a remix of LP cut “Your Love Will Set You Free” by Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig (pictured above). “I’ve dreamed of having him remix one of my tracks for ages,” Snaith says of Craig, who appears here under his C2 alias. “He was one of the first people to publicly mention how much he liked Swim when it was released and we’ve been in touch since then. Before I’d gathered up the courage to ask him to remix a track on this album he got in touch and suggested it himself.” The resulting rework can be streamed below, where an updated listing of Snaith’s West Coast tour dates has also been included.
Feb 26 The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles Feb 27 The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles Feb 28 The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles Mar 1 The Fillmore, SF Mar 2 The Fillmore, SF Mar 3 Wonder Ballroom, Portland Mar 4 The Showbox, Seattle Mar 5 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver Mar 5 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver
