Coinciding with the announcement that Chromatics have a new album in the works, group member Johnny Jewel has uploaded an extended solo track for stream and download. The 31-minute instrumental piece—called “The Other Side of Midnight”—is the latest in a series of unreleased cuts shared by the producer, in addition to a previously unheard Chromatics track, “Closer to Grey.”
Chromatics’ forthcoming album Dear Tommy (tracklist below) follows from 2012’s Kill for Love LP, and will reportedly arrive in time for Valentine’s Day via Jewel’s Italians Do it Better label. Until then, “The Other Side of Midnight” can be streamed in full after the jump, and “Closer to Grey” (which reportedly won’t make it onto the upcoming album) can be heard here. (via Pitchfork)
Dear Tommy 01 Fresh Blood 02 In Films 03 Time Rider 04 I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around 05 Cherry 06 She Says 07 Just Like You 08 4 A.M. 09 Teacher 10 Camera 11 Dear Tommy 12 Touch Blue 13 After Hours 14 Shadow 15 In Silence 16 Colorblind 17 Endless Sleep
Dutch synth specialist Legowelt has dropped a surprise new ambient LP via his own Nightwind label. Arriving yesterday as a digital release on Bandcamp, The Occult Orientated Crime Album follows from an ambient set tagged with the same name earlier this year, and looks to be the first installment of a possible series. The 11-track effort comes described by the producer (a.k.a. Danny Wolfers) as “Extremely trippy PRO ambient not just some jumbled up random chiliwave overcompressed 80s retro soggy biscuit jerkoff — this is PROFESSIONAL AMBIENT – 100% psychedelic drug music with perfectly finetuned selected frequencies to alter your state of mind and take you to complete loss of subjective self-identity: the result of years of experimentation and research.”
The Occult Orientated Crime Album is out now, and can be previewed below. (via Resident Advisor)
01. Tausend Küsse 02. Natufian Modelling Agency 03. Worship Me In The Sanctuary Of Transcendence 04. Romantik in LZH127 Speiseraum 05. Formation Of Chaos 06. Doggerland 07. Ravellian Mindmelt 08. Neolithic Computer 09. Rodrigo Syntese System 10. Ingesloten In Een Museum 11. Norwegian Raven
Soul vocalist and Eglo fixture Fatima has revealed a new video for “Biggest Joke of All.” Taken from the Swedish-born, Brooklyn-based artist’s debut album Yellow Memories, the track was produced by Floating Points and gets a visual treatment from director and photographer Sebastian Hallqvist (a.k.a. RVX). Posted below, the video casts Fatima as an under-appreciated pizza delivery person, and follows her as she makes the rounds to customers played by special guests.
After kicking off our Best of 2014 coverage with a countdown of the most popular tracks from our Downloads section, we’re now ready to jump into second week of our year-end coverage, beginning with a look back at our Features. While things like news, streams, and free downloads make up the bulk of the posts on XLR8R, the Features section is where we get a chance to dig a little deeper, whether we’re interviewing artists or examining a larger scene or trend. It’s also a place where artists often get a chance to speak at length in their own words; sometimes, that takes shape in the form of production tips or studio advice; other times, they’re telling a story or sharing opinions about issues—both professional and personal—that they care about. And while many people subscribe to the narrative that the public no longer has an appetite for long-form articles, especially on the internet, the Features section continues to be home to much of XLR8R‘s most popular content. As such, we’ve gone back and selected our 10 favorite pieces from 2014, and just for good measure, we’ve also included a list of the year’s 10 most popular feature articles.
8. Rewind: Caribou We asked Dan Snaith to trace back his own career, album by album, and provide some insight into how his music and artistic outlook have evolved over the years.
7. Record Store Week: Hard Wax Our annual Record Store Week series kicked off with an in-depth profile of Berlin’s venerable Hard Wax, one of the most respected shops on the planet.
6. 20 Questions: Venetian Snares Talks Coffee, Cats, and the Power of Love The Canadian producer has never been shy with his opinions, and this edition of 20 Questions found him expounding on his love-hate relationship with Winnipeg, how falling in love has changed his life, and much more.
3. Beats in Space: An Oral History Tim Sweeney’s long-running radio show recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, which prompted us to go back and document the program’s history by interviewing a diverse cast of characters that have been involved with Beats in Space over the years.
2. In the Studio: Surgeon The veteran UK producer is one of techno’s most respected names, and while’s he’s often been shy about revealing too much about his process to the press, he kindly let XLR8R into his studio and told us about his set-up and production approach.
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:
DC-based imprint PPU are set to release new records from prolific West Coast artist Moon B and longstanding boogie producer/vocalist Robbie M next week. Slated as a mini-LP, Moon B’s III is said to be a “varied affair,” with its two a-side tracks described as “a semi-muted yet chuggy number” and “an ode to forgotten spaces and places,” respectively, while the flip side will present the producer’s most “instro-spective” offering to date in “Art Direction,” along with two more new Moon B efforts. Set to arrive alongside III will be Robbie M’s Friends LP, an eight-track record which is described as a “late-night affair” featuring classic boogie sounds and plenty of vocals from the man himself.
Both Moon B’s III and Friends will see their official releases via PPU on December 15. (As it turns out, Moon B is also scheduled to release a tape via 1080p the following day). In the meantime, both records can be previewed below, where each album’s full tracklist has also been included; in addition, a video for Robbie M’s “Thanks for the Love” track can also be found below.
A1. Realms A2. Neither Here Now Where B1. Art Direction B2. Moonda B3. Polywarp
A1. Hype A2. Wake Up Call A3. Whose Lovin’ A4. Friends B1. Thanks for the Love B2. Sweeter Love Grows B3. Searching B4. Daydream (Dub)
New mixes from Stateside producers Helix (a.k.a. DJ Vague, pictured above) and Phil Moffa (an increasingly regular collaborator of Anthony Parasole) have surfaced today.
First, the latest mix for Resident Advisor‘s ongoing podcast series finds NYC-based producer and engineer Moffa delivering a live techno jam, which was recorded in his Buchla Sound studio using “hardware samplers, synth modules, and pedals that are routed to a mixing board, where the arrangements and effects are performed.” Spanning over an hour, Moffa’s crisp and patient set for RA can be streamed and downloaded in full here.
Secondly, Miami-based producer and Night Slugs affiliate Helix has stepped up for the latest FACT mix, piecing together a fast-paced set of raw house and techno, heavy on chords and pulsing rhythms. Helix’s 50-minute mix for FACT can be streamed and downloaded in its entirety below, where the set’s (somewhat incomplete) tracklist has also been included.
1. dj dove – illusion 2. on 33 break 3. farley 4. horns & bass 5. neana 6. ??? 7. silq 8. obsession scratch 9. volar a través del espacio (orbita 3) 10. making headway 11. let it be house (loud as hell) 12. martatrax2 13. i cant remember 14. soul m8 15. lvis 16. soundhack 17. helix al hype dikk trak 18. wax loop 19. i can feel it in the air 20. clap mambo 21. ??? 22. frankie bones 23. i cant remember 24. vjuan allure helix rmx 25. scratcha DiVA 26. percolator remix 27. massacooramann 28. dream boy dream girl 29. ???
London producer/DJ and Eglo imprint co-head Floating Points (who last week revealed details of his upcomingNuits Sonores 12″) has shared plans to launch a new label, Melodies, which will reissue classic soul, disco, and boogie records. As Resident Advisor reports, the new imprint will “celebrate anthems” from the You’re A Melody nights Floating Points has thrown at London’s Plastic People club for just over a year (a five-hour recording from a You’re a Melody gathering earlier this year can be streamed here).
Though it does not have an exact release date, the Melodies label’s first record will be a reissue of Taxie’s “Rock Don’t Stop” single, which saw its original release in 1979. For now, the tune can be heard via the player, and the next You’re a Melody party is scheduled to go down at Plastic People this Thursday, December 11.
Jokers of the Scene have unveiled a new video to accompany the digital release of their latest EP, Endless Scene. Arriving as a companion to the Toronto-based duo’s debut full-length End Scene—jointly released earlier this year via New Kanada and Throne of Blood—the six-track effort was first issued as a limited-edition cassette exclusive to Los Angeles record store Mount Analog (who we highlighted during 2013’s Record Store Week feature series), but has since been made available in digital form. In the video for “Endless Scene 6,” director Ferenc Stenton pairs the track’s cinematic synthscapes—representative of the overall nature of the EP—with a series of expansive aerial shots. The Endless Scene EP can be streamed in its entirety here, while the video premiere of “Endless Scene 6” can be watched below. Jokers of the Scene also took the helm in a recent edition of XLR8R‘s podcast series; their 70-minute mix is still up for stream and download here.
Ever-active Brooklyn trio Archie Pelago have turned in a new remix for fellow NYC artist Gabriel Garzón-Montano. The new rework finds the one-time Bubblin’ Up ensemble (who also released a collaborative LP alongside Grenier earlier this year) taking on the jazzy “Pour Maman,” pulled from Garzón-Montano’s Bishouné: Alma del Huila EP, which served as the singer/composer/multi-instrumentalist’s adventurous debut when it arrived via the Styles Upon Styles label earlier this year.
Spanning over five minutes, Archie Pelago’s remix of the track keeps the soul-swept, jazz-touched vibes—and D’angelo-esque vocals—of the original intact, adding extra layers of lush violin chords, airy saxophone melodies, and, eventually, a rush of choppy, muffled rhythms to the proceedings. Arriving to help mark the release of Garzón-Montano’s Bishouné: Alma del Huila EP in CD form, Archie Pelago’s remix of “Pour Maman” can be streamed and downloaded in full below.
Prosumer (a.k.a. Achim Brandenburg) is among that rarified class of DJs that can breathe new life into a forgotten record. Take the Mike Dunn-produced “Love Injection,” the Fingers-style jam that closed out Prosumer’s 2011 Panorama Bar 03 mix. Almost immediately, the record shot up in price on Discogs and was eventually reissued on vinyl this year. As such, the trainspotters are already excited about Fabric 79, and are surely anticipating the gems he’s pulled out of his 12,000 strong collection. Still, the mix’s appeal won’t be limited to the digger crowd. The deliriously joyful and odd tunes Prosumer has chosen to include can be appreciated by novices and diehards alike, as Fabric 79 feels like a love letter to the charming amateurism at the heart of much of the best house music.
An early example is A Black Man, A Black Man and Another Black Man’s “I Believe,” which acts as a sort of de facto mission statement. The 1987 tune, penned by Farley Jackmaster Funk, treads a line between the deadly serious and comic, with stream-of-consciousness lyrics explaining why house is the only music that matters. “I am the creator of house,” it says. “I will make you feel the rhythm to jack your body. Do you believe in house?” The call-and-response vocals sound like first or second takes, making for a track that’s a lot of fun, despite (or possibly even because of) its unpolished nature. The next tune, The Traxxmen’s “Emergency (Original 9-1-1 Mix)” maintains this feeling, sounding like “Percolator,” only made on busted gear with a lo-bit sample of a police siren as its only melodic source. Prosumer has a real a knack for finding these historical oddities, and showcases how the original Chicago house sound was a slapdash, ebullient affair.
Fabric 79‘s first half is warm and soulful, featuring the aforementioned tracks alongside cuts from US greats Pal Joey, Titonton Duvante, and Chez Damier. The mix’s second half, however, begins with a detour into 3 a.m. territory with some dark, introspective material. Prosumer begins this leg of the journey with Norweigan electro-pop group Kaptein Kaliber, and follows it up with the icy vocals of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson before dropping into I-F’s storming electro. It’s a strong tonal shift, and one that’s handled deftly by a DJ who’s used to marathon sets—if only the constraints of the compact disc didn’t limit these asides to a mere three or four tracks.
As the session hurtles on toward its conclusion, it becomes more of a Prosumer-by-numbers set, focusing on top-notch, disco-infused sample house. The selections are still excellent—for instance, Mike Dunn makes another appearance, this time with his short-lived Jass Man alias. But Fabric 79 isn’t merely a collection of vintage gems. Prosumer includes some newer heat as well, and “Nature of the Soul,” from Gifted & Blessed project The Steoples, is an especially notable highlight. The mix comes to a close on a utopic note, first with Axel Boman’s beatific “Fantastic Piano” and then with 1982 boogie oddity “She’s Got Her E.R.A.” by Tommy McGee & E.R.A. The latter track comes in unmixed, an anthem of feminist agency which can be seen more broadly as a plea for equality both on and off the dancefloor. As a DJ, Prosumer’s actions can only do so much, but there’s no question that he’s doing his part to unify a diaspora of traditions into his own love language. Do you believe in house?
