Vancouver-based producer LNRDCROY weaves together silvery textures on “I Met You on BC Ferries,” using a soothing mix of affectionate synth melodies and understated percussive tones throughout the track. LNRDCROY’s forthcoming tape for 1080p, Much Less Normal (out May 20) is said to serve as a reflection of his “impressions of the city and surrounding natural environs,” with release cut “I Met You on BC Ferries” acutely meeting this intimate goal. Similarly, in OOUKFunkyOO‘s video for the track—available to watch after the jump—washed-out footage of vintage home recordings are accented by the sentimental sounds of LNRDCROY’s cinematic production.
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "vimeo" and source: "<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/94623315" width="530" height="298" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>".
Shortly following the release of his Sabbath Lillie Hawks EP via the fledgling White Asega label earlier this year, fast-rising Brooklyn DJ/producer Hound Scales has revealed details of the forthcoming Pinky Violence, which will see a release via his own Fifth Wall imprint. The five-track effort is described in a press release as emulating the act of “tearing down and rebuilding” structures while also conveying “the effect of world war on romantic relationships.” Slated to drop on July 8, Pinky Violence will also include a remix of EP cut “Spahnners” by prolific Sydney-based producer Dro Carey under his Tuff Sherm alias. Prior to the EP’s release, the upcoming record’s art and tracklist have been included below.
A1 Princip A2 Spahnners A3 Spahnners (Tuff Sherm Remix) B1 Youth Series B2 Superior Headwraps
After debuting last week with the first episode of its beat:repeat series, Red Bull Music Academy has unveiled a new drum machine-obsessed mini-doc which takes a few minutes to look back at the formative rhythm behind Mtume’s early-’80s classic “Juicy Fruit.”
Perhaps known better by The Notorious B.I.G.’s version of the track, a seminal hip-hop classic simply titled “Juicy,” RBMA’s five-minute film covers the creation of the distinctive Linn Drum rhythm which helped Mtume’s original version become a number-one hit. The video also catches up with veteran producer DJ Evil Dee (of Black Moon and Da Beatminerz) for a few minutes later to discuss the SP-1200’s role in the evolution of hip-hop production while he chops up “Juicy Fruit” on the heralded sampler. The full new episode of RBMA’s ongoing beat:repeat series can be watched below.
Longstanding Japanese outpost Mule Musiq will release the sixth volume in its I’m Starting to Feel OK compilation series next month in celebration of the label’s 10th anniversary. The forthcoming double-disc collection will feature 24 tracks hand selected by Mule label head Toshiya Kawasaki, including new productions from the likes of Studio Barnhus founder Axel Boman, Amsterdam veteran Tom Trago (pictured above), New York staple Fred P. (a.k.a. Black Jazz Consortium), disco veteran KZA, German up-and-comer Matt Karmil, and Hamburg-based deep house producer Lawrence, among many others.
I’m Starting to Feel OK Vol. 6 will be released on double-CD, double-vinyl, and digital formats on June 30, with the CD version joined by a download code for a mix by Force of Nature’s DJ Kent. Before its official release, Mule Musiq has provided a preview of each disc from the forthcoming comp, which can be streamed below. (via Resident Advisor)
A creative partnership between Marc David and Sylvester Meighan, Molo is a collaborative project that takes pride in being unclassifiable as a whole. On its upcoming EP’s closing effort, “Glisten,” the pair takes a few steps towards the brighter and, well, more glistening ends of the beat world, putting together a soul-washed track that focuses on a bluesy set of thick chords and an ever-evolving procession of hyper-detailed percussion. Molo’s three-track The Ghosts Are Dancing EP will see its official release on May 19 with “Glisten” joined by another original work from the duo as well as a remix from Yoggy One.
After announcing plans to embark on a brief North American tour earlier this month, Daniel Avery (pictured above) has now revealed plans to issue a new remix 12″ featuring the talents of increasingly prolific Bulgarian producer KiNK and Phantasy Sound head Erol Alkan. The upcoming remix 12″ will find both producers taking on cuts from Avery’s 2013 debut LP, Drone Logic, with KiNK reshaping “Knowing We’ll Be Here” while Alkan (under his Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve alias, a collaboration with Richard Norris) will take on “New Energy.”
Avery’s Knowing We’ll Be Here 12″ is set to drop on June 2 in vinyl form with a digital release—which will also include the original version of the London producer/DJ’s “Knowing We’ll Be Here” tune—is set to drop on June 16. In the meantime, KiNK’s rework for the forthcoming effort can be previewed below.
Kid Smpl (a.k.a. Joey Butler) isn’t a particularly outspoken artist. The low-key Seattle producer (and former Bubblin’ Up subject) maintains a relatively modest profile, quietly issuing music from his perch in the Pacific Northwest. Though his arrangements are often rather sparse, Butler’s work has always been something of a hybrid effort, combining elements of instrumental hip-hop and R&B with leftfield bass explorations and pastoral melodies. It’s the latter that became something of Kid Smpl’s trademark in recent years, especially as his music was increasingly associated with the “night bus” tag. At the same time, Kid Smpl has never been a static artist, and his most recent EP, Silo Tear, which dropped last week via Hush Hush and is streaming in full here, finds Butler exploring new sonic territory, merging his ethereal soundscapes with waves of noise and harsh distortion. It’s an intriguing step in the evolution of Kid Smpl, and one that has sparked our desire to dig deeper into his current musical headspace. As such, we’ve invited him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.
Listening to his selections, it quickly becomes clear that Kid Smpl’s newfound love of crackle and crunch isn’t limited to his own work. The 43-minute session almost perfectly encapsulates his current sound, as snippets of hip-hop and R&B sit comfortably alongside the likes of Tim Hecker, Lee Gamble, and Burial. From start to finish, there’s a lot happening, yet things never feel claustrophobic or overcrowded, even when the music is at its most intense. It’s not a dance mix, or even something that seems particularly aware of the dancefloor. Kid Smpl’s podcast is purely meant for listening, and in that respect, it’s a clear success, as there’s something truly alluring about Butler’s ability to piece together seemingly disparate bits of sound.
01 Fieldhead “An Arrow” (Ginzeh) 02 Kid Smpl “Silo Tear” (Hush Hush) 03 Tim Hecker “Apondalifa” (Room40) 04 Kevin Gates “Get Up On My Level” (Bread Winners Association) 05 Burial “Rival Dealer” (Hyperdub) 06 Kid Smpl “Protect” (Hush Hush) 07 Sage the Gemini “Swerve (Slowed)” (Universal) 08 Shogun “Save Me feat. Emma Lock (Loop Edit)” (Armada) 09 Iamsu! “Only That Real feat. 2chainz & Sage the Gemini)” (Heart Break Gang) vs. Lee Gamble “Pandemonium Institute (Loop Edit)” (PAN) 10 Kid Smpl “Far Light” (Hush Hush) 11 Evian Christ “Salt Carousel” (Tri Angle) 12 Belong “I Never Lose, Never Really” (Carpark) 13 Blue Sky Black Death “Casualties feat. Bolo Nef & Caz Greez (Slowed)” vs. Burial “Rough Sleeper (Slowed)” (Hyperdub) 14 Kid Smpl “Ja (Slowed)” (Hush Hush) 15 FKi, Natasha Mosley & Key “Win It” 16 Enduser “End of A Beginning” (Mirex) 17 Actress “Don’t” (Ninja Tune) 18 Body Boys “Unknown” 19 Emptyset “Disperse” (Raster-Noton) 20 Austin Cesear “Travellers in Faith Dub” (Public Information) 21 Slow Year “Deep Water” (Hush Hush)
Swedish duo Gidge (a.k.a. Jonatan Nilsson and Ludvig Stolterman) have passed along “I Fell in Love,” the second track to surface from the outfit intended to serve as a preview to the pair’s upcoming debut LP, which will appear via Applescal’s Atomnation label later this year. Similar to “You”—the first production Gidge shared back in March—”I Fell in Love” is a lush and emotive tune, one whose airy melodies and icy structure mirrors the group’s “Scandinavian surroundings of native forests and snow,” from which Gidge is said to gather much of its inspiration. Spanning over six minutes, the track moves at a patient pace, gradually adding melodies and new layers of miniature percussion to the song’s somber bounce as it builds towards its climax.
After releasing his Abandoned City LP via City Slang/Temporary Residence LTD. in March, experimental German pianist and electronic composer Hauschka has shared a snowy new video for album cut “Agdam.” Accompanying Hauschka’s frantic piano piece is a somewhat peculiar video which focuses on two dancers that move with impressionistic force amongst a snowy landscape. As the tension tightens in the composition, so does the intensity of the movement increase, as the pair of dancers move from the forest to the street, trading in their simple white dresses for more artistic garbs. The full video for Hauschka’s “Agdam” can be watched below, where a handful of upcoming UK tour dates for the pianist and composer—who recently offered some advice on setting up prepared pianos as part of XLR8R‘s Artist Tips series—have also been included.
May 10 Leeds – Howard Assembly Room May 13 Brighton -Brighton Festival May 14 Reading – South Street Arts May 15 Bristol – Colston Hall @ The Lantern May 16 Manchester – Burgess Foundation June 06 Cork – Triskel Christ Church June 07 Dublin – National Concert Hall (Kevin Barry Room)
After issuing over a dozen EPs, Pennsylvania trio Pittsburgh Track Authority has made the jump to the full-length format, delivering its debut album this week. Named after the outfit’s own studio, Machine Age, the eight-track Enter the Machine Age LP is now available to stream in full exclusively on XLR8R.
In the album’s original announcement, Pittsburgh Track Authority had promised a diverse record which covered “a variety of rhythms, from breakbeats to African.” Enter the Machine Age clearly delivers on that promise, with the percussion-flushed breaks of opening cut “Genta” balanced by the cool house of “Give Me a Chance” and “Visions of Serengeti,” which come accompanied by further voyages into synth-led techno, crisp electro, chopped disco, and analog house. Across the album’s eight productions, the trio sounds unfalteringly confident, as each track finds a different place to settle between the hardware tools, generous FX, and subtle live instrumentation which make up the LP’s impressively dense production scope.
Out now via Pittsburgh Track Authority’s own Pittsburgh Tracks label, Enter the Machine can be streamed in its entirety below.
