Coinciding with the release of his latest album today, Caribou has revealed the video for title track “Our Love.” The effort is Dan Snaith’s sixth full-length to date, and—as he discussed in a recent XLR8R feature—it finds the Canadian producer mining a more personal vein than some of his earlier records. In putting together the video for “Our Love,” director Ryan Staake says he wanted to create “a slow, brooding film that contrasted the seeming limitless of youth with the reality of death in later years.” Posted below, the video is threaded with a strong sense of nostalgia as it trails an older woman through her sprawling estate, and was shot by Luca Ciuti in Ireland at the Lough Ine House.
Swim marked a huge shift for Dan Snaith (a.k.a. Caribou). Although the Canadian musician’s playfully opaque pop had long been the subject of critical acclaim, the release of his 2010 LP prompted a whole new level of accolades. In the intervening years, he’s toured the world several times, supported the likes of Radiohead, and has somehow also made time for his club-focused Daphni moniker, fleshing the project out with 12″s and eventually an LP on his own Jiaolong label. Jiaolong took an instinctive, off-the-cuff approach to house and Afrobeat pastiche, with less intricate (but still realized) productions than his main project. It was Snaith’s reaction to popular dance sounds, which he found “really macho” and “super-aggressive,” and this dalliance with the club world seems to have changed him. Moreover, it helps explain why Our Love is the most accessible record Snaith has ever released.
Snaith has stated that he approached the sixth Caribou album with an intention to make his fans happy, which perhaps explains the record’s largely upbeat combinations of summer house anthems, hip-hop ballads, and straight-up R&B, with a bit of UK garage thrown in for good measure. On tracks like “All I Ever Need” and “Back Home,” Snaith’s delicate voice is more accentuated in the mix than usual, and his lovesick croon takes on a newfound vulnerability. However, it’s Jessy Lanza that delivers Our Love‘s vocal standout on the breathtakingly simple “Second Chance,” which pairs her disarming coos with a queasy, step-sequenced synth. Listening to this bizarro R&B production for the first time, it’s not hard to imagine it sung by a pop superstar like Janet Jackson or, perhaps more appropriately, someone like AlunaGeorge. Throughout the LP, Snaith absorbs the essence of contemporary pop and uses his war chest of analog synths, drum machines, and effect filters to shape it as he pleases.
Opener “Can’t Do Without You” sets the bar extraordinarily high for the rest of Our Love, with a widescreen house build that doesn’t want to end. Layers of analog noise, sub bass, and percussion swell into the ether, cutting out just before the volume becomes unbearable. “Silver” follows, a moody pop gem that lays down some dystopian synth lines recalling Planet Mu artists like Kuedo. As the song unfolds, the gloom gives way to a sunny ending, as Snaith uses his synth cavalcade and hip-hop rhythms to reach a buoyant coda. This sense of newfound excitement and joy permeates much of the LP, though it does wilt a bit near the end. “Mars” starts out as a respectable Swim retread, but the annoying vocal loops (read: “I put a milli on it”) seem lazy and out of character. Similarly, “Your Love Will Set You Free” closes with Snaith repeating the title refrain, but the moment comes off more half-baked than transcendent. Our Love‘s final cut may run through an array of gorgeous sounds, but it regrettably still rests on some forgettable melodies.
In hindsight, Snaith’s public romance with club music—a process that began to bloom on Swim, flowered with Jiaolong, and ultimately led to Our Love—isn’t so surprising. More importantly, it’s been paralleled by the general public’s growing acceptance of unusual electronic sounds in its pop. With Our Love, Snaith largely succeeds in bridging the two worlds, crafting radio-friendly cuts that can’t be mistaken for the work anyone but Caribou.
At this point, it’s almost easier to talk about what Roman Flügel hasn’t done than it is to list his various projects and accomplishments from the past two decades. The veteran German producer has dabbled in house, techno, electro, ambient, IDM, and more over the course of his career, working both as a solo artist (using his own name and a myriad of aliases) and in tandem with others in a number of collaborative projects. He’s also had a hand in running a triumvirate of Frankfurt labels that includes Playhouse, Klang Elektronik, and Ongaku Musik. Still, despite all of this experience, it was only in 2011 that Flügel released a proper debut full-length, Fatty Folders, and he’s recently followed that up with a second album, Happiness Is Happening. In the midst of that, not to mention preparing for a North American tour that kicks off this week, Flügel somehow found the time to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.
Although Flügel continues to experiment with an assortment of styles, much of his production work in recent years has centered around slow-burning, groove-driven house, and that sound is at the center of his podcast. Over the course of an hour, Flügel weaves in bits of funk, disco, electro, and more, but there’s a steady pulse at the center of the proceedings that maintains a steady sense of momentum throughout. As such, the session has more of a gradual build than a series of peaks and valleys, but that’s more of a testament to Flügel’s steady hand than anything else. At this stage in his career, he doesn’t need to rely on flash or theatrics; he’s simply focused on building and maintaining a quality vibe, and is happy to do so at his own pace.
01 Robag Whrume “Polch Dutto” (Pampa) 02 Jackal’s Doom Disco “The Smell of Fear” (Tigersushi) 03 Soylent Green “Camera Obscura” (Playhouse) 04 DJ Nori “Spaceg” (Running Back) 05 A Made Up Sound “What Preset” (A Made Up Sound) 06 LoSoul “Soul Down” (Playhouse) 07 Vermont “Macchina (Prins Thomas Version)” (Kompakt) 08 Session Victim “Bison” (Delusions of Grandeur) 09 I:Cube “Falling” (Versatile) 10 Vakula “Track 2” (Unthank) 11 October “HD-189733B” (Misericord) 12 Willie Burns “Fast Times at Long Island City High” (Unknown to the Unknown) 13 William Kouam Djoko “Behind Closed Doors” (Rush Hour) 14 Roman Flügel “Tense Times” (Dial) 15 C.A.R. “Idle Eyes (Roman Flügel Remix)” (Kill the DJ) 16 LFO “El Ef Oh” (Warp) 17 Simian Mobile Disco “Blake’s Hitch” (Anti-)
Brooklyn’s Software outpost—overseen, in part, by Oneohtrix Point Never—will launch the Mixware mixtape series later this week, with budding LA beatmaker Napolian set to deliver its inaugural edition. The forthcoming series aims to present “new, old, and unreleased material alongside remixes, edits, and archival material” from a host of Software artists over a number of releases, with each edition seeing a free digital release as well as appearing in “limited cassette form with a screen-printed, hand-numbered case.”
For its inaugural installment, Software has tapped former Bubblin’ Up artist Napolian, who issued his debut LP, Incursio, via the label earlier this year. Dropping later this week, the SoCal producer’s forthcoming Road To Incursio mixtape pieces together 30 tracks including collaborations with Dro Carey and Airbird as well as a number of previously unreleased cuts such as the G-funk-laced “Wow 11,” which can be streamed in full below. Napolian’s contribution to the Mixware series will drop this Friday, October 10. in the meantime, the collection’s full tracklist has also been included below.
01. King Christ – O, The Blood Of Jesus 02. Napolian – Always Hope 03. Oneohtrix Point Never – Zebra (Napolian Edit) 04. The Renaissance – Remember Me 05. Tairiq & Garfield – Found It 06. Tairiq & Garfield – Playin’ Around 07. Napolian – Walk 08. Oneohtrix Point Never – Ships Without Meaning (Tairiq & Garfield Edit) 09. Dro Carey & Napolian – Up Nex 10. Napolian – Mike 11. Kry$hun (Feat. Napolian) – Ocean View 12. Tairiq & Garfield – My Conspiracy 13. The Renaissance – Wow 11 14. Napolian – Walk III 15. Dezo – Organic 16. Napolian – IARPA (Letters To Earth) 17. Napolian – Walk II 18. The Renaissance – Wow Man 19. Napolian – Congrats 20. Tairiq & Garfield – Problems 21. Tairiq & Garfield – Slice It (Devil’s Pie) 22. Oneohtrix Point Never – Up (Renaissance Edit) 23. The Renaissance – Wln 24. Napolian – 444 25. Napolian & Dro Carey – Silicon City 26. Napolian – TX16W 27. Napolian – Shaw 28. Oneohtrix Point Never – Parallel Minds (Tairiq & Garfield Edit) 29. Napolian – Jaded 30. Airbird & Napolian – 136 N. Pass Ave
Seasoned Berlin producer and co-founder of the Natch label, Audiolouis has taken to a new alias for his latest effort, crafting the six-track Lost in the Instability mini-LP under the name Ruhig. Set to appear on the fledgling Midgar imprint, the record is accompanied by “Sister Ray,” a digital bonus track which serves as a fine introduction to the brand of atmospheric techno Ruhig is after. Spanning six minutes, “Sister Ray” in unwavering in its aims, as the track remains acutely focused on its deep-reaching four-on-the-floor while it methodically unrolls vast sheets of static-laden pads and airy atmospherics across the production. Out this week via Midgar, the rest of Lost in the Instability can be previewed after the jump.
To mark its 50th release, Keysound has shared details of an upcoming label compilation. Comprising 14 exclusive tracks, Certified Connections follows from last year’s likeminded This is How We Roll compilation, and reportedly reflects the range of bass and grime mutations coming from members of the UK-dominated Keysound camp. “Keysound is home for me, and listening through the compilation the doors are wide open to welcome edgy new talent to the family,” says Wen, a returning artist who features on the compilation alongside artists such as Logos, Sully, and label heads Dusk + Blackdown.
Keysound Recordings presents… Certified Connections is out on November 24 in CD, 2xLP and digital formats (with certain editions to be accompanied by a special mixed version by Parris), and we’ve included a full tracklist below.
01 Logos “Metropolis” 02 Parris “Pressure” 03 Dusk + Blackdown “Wot Do You Mean?! (dub)” 04 Aphix “Sin King” 05 Caski “Tunnel Music” 06 Etch “Champion Dancehall” 07 Wen “It’s Alot” 08 Balistiq Beats ft. Riko “Rise The Machine (Yardman Riddim, Sully remix)” 09 Murlo “Broken Arrow” 10 DLVRY “Guilt” 11 E.m.m.a. “Light Years” 12 Facta “Quince” 13 Epoch “Aerospace” 14 Luke Benjamin “Asha”
Breach (pictured above) and Cinnaman have shared details of a collaborative two-track EP, due out via the former’s own Naked Naked label on December 1. Over the past two years, Breach (the more house-inclined alias of Ben Westbeech) has been steadily growing the imprint with 12″s from Midland, Dusky, and the Dark Sky trio, while also releasing his own work through outside channels like Dirtybird, Aus, and a DJ Kicks compilation. The forthcoming “Liberty” b/w “Avocado” finds him teaming up up with Cinnaman (a.k.a. Yuri Boselie), a crewmember at Amsterdam’s famed Rush Hour record store and resident at Trouw nightclub. Though previews have yet to emerge, a-side cut “Liberty” is billed as a “skipping vocal house track that retains a solid and weighty bass line,” while on the flip, “Avocado” offers “a textured and slightly moodier exploration into house music.” Artwork for the release is on view below.
‘Real Talk’ is a series of artist-penned essays that appears on XLR8R from time to time, and our latest installment features Locked Groove (a.k.a. Tim Van de Meutter), who recently released the ‘Thesseus’ EP, his debut outing for Permanent Vacation. Like many of us, the Belgian-born, Berlin-based artist has noticed the rising tide of electronic music in mainstream culture—and the subsequent backlash from fans who predate the EDM era—and wanted to take the opportunity to talk about how pop crossover and increased exposure doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
To start off, I’d like to say that everything in this little piece is just my own opinion. I realize there’s no real right or wrong on this topic. Everyone has a different take on this and that’s how it should be. Music has or should have the power to stimulate discussion and force people to interact with each other, be it in a constructive or destructive way. Again, this is how I see it.
The Here and Now
Recent years have seen a significant increase of electronic music acts in the mainstream, acts that were generally unknown before, but suddenly became appealing to a wider audience. Some will say they sold out, but did they? And is it such a bad thing that electronic music is suddenly a lot more present in the everyday musical landscape?
No.
At least not from my point of view. The only thing I see is a lot of chin stroking and self-righteous keyboard warriors. Just because an act that was relatively unknown before found a way to make their product more interesting, it’s not as though they suddenly turned into the musical equivalent of the Antichrist.
Obviously, there will always be exceptions to the rule. A lot of people are in this for the money, but the same can be said about any art form or job. Ultimately, it boils down to what you want from it as a person, from a creator’s perspective. If that something is making a lot of money over a short period of time, then so be it.
Of course, there are people who will misinterpret the previous statements. I’m not a lobbyist for the massive machine they call EDM. There’s a lot of bad music on the market, made solely for monetary gain. And this is not only the case in mainstream music.
In a time where everything is instantly available through a multitude of platforms, there is no real underground. There’s good music and bad music, and that’s how it always was in my opinion. Again, this is open for interpretation.
What frustrates me the most is that “pop” or “mainstream” has such a negative meaning these days. Let’s go back a couple of decades.
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Prince was and is a full-on mainstream act. It’s pop, but I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who refused to listen to Prince because it was too ‘mainstream.’ Yet this is exactly the mindset a lot of people seem to be in now with the current wave of pop music. The minute there’s a housey beat injected into a pop track, there’s generally an internet wave of hate that follows it.
The ability to place music in perspective and take it for what it is seems to have been lost along the way. Let’s fast forward again to the here and now. Let’s take an act like Disclosure.
Disclosure is an electronic pop act in its purest form. The pair has undergone a transformation from a house duo to an act with significant mainstream appeal. Is that a bad thing? Again, I don’t think so. It’s pop music, a product, intended for an audience ranging from your seven-year-old niece to your grandmother. And that’s a beautiful thing, I think. These guys have taken electronic elements and skillfully managed to inject it with pop sensibility.
I can already hear some hearts breaking while I’m sitting here typing this. Music, a product?
Yes, music is a product in a lot of ways. It’s the product of an industry where a lot of money changes hands, so at the end of the day, it has to have a certain market value. That doesn’t mean you can’t put a lot of love, passion, and hard work in your craft. But it still is a product. This is, of course, only one side of the story. Music is also an artform, something that can be free of any restrictions. Money being one of those restrictions.
Still, why is it even a bad thing to like a pop song? Why should we even have this discussion?
We shouldn’t.
Everyone should decide for themselves what they like. Even if that means listening to gabber at 120 dB every day from nine to five, so be it. It’s your call. Trying to force something on people that isn’t their thing is a battle lost, before it’s even begun.
Music is and will always be a personal thing, just like food or art. It’s something you like or don’t. Judging people for the music they like is like judging someone because they don’t like broccoli. These daytime-radio pop tracks may not be to our liking, but maybe, just maybe, if we can get 1% of the people listening to them to become genuinely interested in electronic music and its culture, then that would be something to celebrate.
While keeping themselves busy on the release and gigging fronts over the past few years, UK pair Waze & Odyssey (pictured above) has also spent time developing its W&O Street Tracks label, the imprint through which the duo will issue the W&O Street Tracks Volume 1 compilation next month. The simply titled collection is said to “neatly reflect modern house music” while documenting “the sound of the label in one package,” tapping the likes of Ejeca, xxxy, Eliphino, Bodhi, and Citizen to contribute exclusive productions to the effort. In addition, a number of budding talents have been invited to contribute, including recent Bubblin’ Up artist Sage Caswell, as well as expats Steve Huerta and Urulu, who have turned in a collaborative tune for the collection.
The unmixed W&O Street Tracks Volume 1 compilation will arrive on November 24. Before then, the record’s artwork and complete tracklist have been included below.
A1. Adrian & Sake – Midnight Stagger A2. Chamboche – Swatch B1. Street Tracks – Don’t You (Get Away) B2. New Jack City – Feeling You Girl C1. Steve Huerta & Urulu – Hypoxia C2. Ejeca – Bamp D1. Sage Caswell – Nothing Stays The Same D2. Mediman – Games E1. xxxy – TPW E2. Eliphino – Marcus Dupree F1. Bodhi – The Oakland Chinwag F2. Citizen – Jaded
After stepping up for the latest edition of our Ask the Experts feature series last week, LA beatmaker Daedelus has shared a new video for “Onward,” a lush, vocal-heavy track from his recent The Light Brigade LP for Brainfeeder. One of the album’s more spacious efforts, “Onward” is accompanied by a similarly stark set of visuals, as the melancholic production serves as a soundtrack to a variety of images of an empty house illuminated only by the presence of neon-colored projections.
Daedelus’ new video can be watched below where the dates for the SoCal artist’s current US tour have also been included.
