P. Morris Drops New Mix, Announces North American Tour

After unveiling his debut mixtape and listing his favorite go-go tracks in a recent edition of XLR8R‘s Hi-Five feature series, P. Morris (formerly known as Morri$) has unleashed a new mix and announced an upcoming string of tour dates across North America. Featuring tracks from the likes of Drake, Justin Timberlake, Jeremih, Axel Boman, Squarepusher, Moleskin, and many more, P. Morris’ brand-new mix for FACT treks across a range of hip-hop, mainstream R&B, club-ready sounds, and beyond, and boasts an impressive knack for seamlessly meshing a large number of moods and genres together.

And for those interested in catching the rapidly rising Night Slugs affiliate on his upcoming North American tour this spring, P. Morris will showcase his talents along with performances by Baths and Young Fathers. That list of dates can be found below, where the artist’s new DJ session can also be found.

ToToro “Cats Eggs”

Aside from sporting an obvious affinity for Hayao Miyazaki’s film of the same name, ToToro has little information available online. Featured here, the producer’s oddly titled “Cats Eggs” tune starts off small, but doesn’t take long to accumulate its massive arsenal of sound. A low-muttering vocal pattern eventually turns into an ecstatic explosion of deft synth sequences which exude nothing but concentrated bliss. ToToro’s elated melody is one of many on Tings In Boots 3, a compilation of brand-new tracks put together by London label Push & Run. featuring the likes of Blacksmif, EAN, Tyde, and several others. The whole thing is available to stream and download for free after the jump.

Cats Eggs

Stream a Mini-Mix of Scuba’s ‘Phenix 1’ EP

With the first in his series of three EPs arriving on April 14, Berlin-based Hotflush boss Scuba has put together and shared a very quick mini-mix which previews all four tracks from his impending Phenix 1 EP. The nearly four minute session seems to barely break the surface of the forthcoming record, especially after we’ve already heard some of its tracks in full, and breezes by all too quickly. However, the new sounds we do hear from Phenix 1 are certainly enticing, including the soft vocal melodies that grace the mix’s opening minute and the array of almost palpable atmospherics that Scuba has woven into each of his new productions. All three minutes and 40 seconds of the Phenix 1 mini-mix can be streamed below.

Todd Terje It’s Album Time

“Ragysh,” “Inspector Norse,” “Strandbar,” and, reaching way back, “Eurodans”—Todd Terje has been responsible for a largely untouchable run of fun, floor-filling singles in recent years. For some artists, that might result in a lot of pressure once the time came to release a debut album, but as the title (and artwork, to a certain degree) of the Norwegian disco king’s first full-length suggests, Terje hasn’t attempted to compensate by taking on a more serious tone. Part victory lap, part prog-disco voyage, It’s Album Time finds Terje triumphantly unafraid to continue simply being himself, as the man’s musical ability and wealth of production personality prove to be more than capable of filling an album’s worth of listening.

“It’s album time,” the titular vocal refrain of the album’s opening effort cheekily reminds us, and from there, Terje quickly moves into more album-type songs with the jazzy “Leisure Suit Preben” and the laid-back, solo-flushed “Preben Goes To Acapulco”—two tracks that surely aren’t intended to fill the same dancefloor slots that his lauded singles have. Terje also uses the extended album form to introduce new layers of instrumentation to his production palette; lush string arrangements come in and out of the fold, while sharp guitars (both acoustic and electric), rich pianos, clavinets, and hand-played drum kits help fill out his expertly crafted constructions. There are even touches of vocals to be heard here—wordless “oohs” and “ahhs” give “Svensk Saas” and “Alfonso Muskedunder” a loungey feel that pairs nicely with their jazzy Latin rhythms, while “Johnny and Mary” enlists the airy croon of Roxy Music co-founder Bryan Ferry to lead the cover of Robert Palmer’s classic song. Standing as the record’s only true moment of introspection, “Johnny and Mary” is the LP’s biggest curveball, but the patient, intimate production is crafted far too well to even come close to derailing the album.

It’s Album Time doesn’t just serve as a platform for new and more eccentric explorations from Terje, as a number of his past triumphs find new homes here too. “Strandbar”—without a doubt, one of 2013’s best tracks—has its “Disko” version retooled into a more condensed package early on, while “Swing Star Part I” and “Swing Star Part II” (from 2012’s It’s the Arps EP) help launch the LP’s final push while reminding listeners of Terje’s more synth-obsessed side. Of course, “Inspector Norse,” the man’s crowning dancefloor achievement, makes an appearance here too, closing out It’s Album Time because, really, what other Terje track could?

For those that come to It’s Album Time simply seeking a new dancefloor jam or two, Terje does offer up a pair of unapologetically party-minded productions that easily could have led their own single packages. The first, “Delorean Dynamite,” carries on the lineage laid by “Inspector Norse” and “Strandbar,” its six-plus minutes allowing ample time for Terje to flawlessly piece together a driving, synth-streaked voyage into motorik disco. Appearing later on, the methodically elongated “Oh Joy” finds Terje taking on a bit of Patrick Cowley-indebted hi-NRG disco, lacing the pulsing tune with drifting chords, stringed stabs, restless synths, and an bevy of percussion. Together, the songs prove that the Norwegian producer’s dancefloor dominance is in no danger of waning.

In the months leading up to It’s Album Time‘s release, it seemed difficult to conjure up very many concrete expectations for the LP, other than that it would be, well, good. In many ways, Terje’s debut long-player exceeds that simple prediction: It’s Album Time is not just good. It’s great. Adventurous but not selfish, intelligent but not difficult, a victory lap of sorts but hardly congratulatory, Terje’s first album is astoundingly balanced and astonishingly broad, a wider serving of the man’s artistic vision that ultimately proves just as satisfying as his single servings have in the past.

Brian Eno and Karl Hyde Share Latest Single for Warp

The forthcoming collaborative album from iconic artist Brian Eno and Underworld co-founder Karl Hyde, Someday World, is just under a month from issuing via Warp, so bits and pieces of its music have been gradually appearing. We heard the record’s opening cut about a month ago, and for the duo’s latest single, Eno and Hyde have unveiled the second track from Someday World, “Daddy’s Car.” Focusing on a propulsive and skittering drum-and-synth groove, the unexpectedly upbeat song is chock full of eclectic instrumentation and jubilant melodies, which is quite a large departure from the more spacious and experimental sounds of Someday World‘s opener. Eno’s and Hyde’s new single can be streamed in full before it drops on May 6, below.

Ableton Profiles Pantha du Prince and the Bell Laboratory in New Mini-Doc

Catching up with Pantha du Prince and his Bell Laboratory outfit in London before its performance of Terry Riley’s flagship minimalist piece, In C, Ableton‘s new mini-documentary chronicles the creative challenges and intersections between technology and musicianship which fuel the ensemble’s work.

The roughly 15-minute clip finds Pantha du Prince and his collaborators beginning rehearsal, and follows them all the way to the performance of the piece, breaking down the technological and artistic components of the production along the way. Furthermore, an additional set of shorter videos provides a more in-depth look at the individual instruments and Pantha du Prince’s Ableton Live set-up used for the performance. All three videos can be watched in full below.

The Wolf “Mr. Invisible (James Welsh Remix)”

Having just dropped his “The Wolf’s Hour” 12″ via the newly founded Silver Bear label, The Wolf has sent over a remix from that record by Hypercolor affiliate James Welsh. Removing most of the growling vocals from the original track, Welsh’s soothing house production brings droning loops to the forefront, creating a sense of mind-numbing euphoria. “Mr. Invisible (James Welsh Remix)” progresses across a wide range of chromatic synth-scapes, which helps make it a track perfect for keeping on repeat.

Mr. Invisble (James Welsh Remix)

Listen to the Upcoming Compilation from Pinch’s Cold Label

Featuring tracks from budding UK producers Batu, Acre, Ipman, Elmono, and the Cold label head himself, Pinch, the forthcoming CO.LD compilation can now be heard in full ahead of its release on Friday.

The 12-track effort gathers a handful of new productions along with vinyl-only tracks previously released by Pinch’s fledgling label, which was launched last year with the goal of expanding on the sound palette that the Bristol artist’s well-established Tectonic imprint has become known for. Across its hour-long run, the CO.LD collection delves into a number of bass-focused hybrids, offerings tough rhythms, deep low end, and otherworldly sonics which are all finished off with appropriately icy atmospheres.

The entire CO.LD compilation can be streamed below before it sees an official release on April 11; the digital collection is available for pre-order here.

The Lowdown – This Week’s XLR8R Top 10 with Frankie Knuckles, Tycho, Todd Terje, and More

Throughout the week, a whole lot of material gets posted here on XLR8R. And while we know—and love—that some hardcore readers will eagerly pour over every single news story, interview, podcast, video, and MP3 download that appears on the site, we also realize that for most people, it’s impossible to see everything, which means that some quality XLR8R content is likely to get missed in the hustle and bustle of everyone’s daily lives. In the interest of making it easier for everyone to catch up, every Friday we present The Lowdown, a weekly wrap-up of the top 10 tidbits from our site.

1. Unfortunately, this week’s top item was a sad piece of news. On Monday, house legend Frankie Knuckles (pictured above) unexpectedly passed away. In the aftermath, many fans have taken solace in last week’s XLR8R podcast, a recently unearthed recording of a Knuckles set at the Sound Factory in 1990.

2. Next week, French producer Rone will be releasing a new EP, Apache. Ahead of that, a stream of the entire record premiered exclusively on XLR8R.

3. The latest edition of Artist Tips found laid-back synth maestro Tycho describing—in detail—how he creates quality tones without the use of an amp.

4. John Talabot and Jamie xx teamed up for a lengthy B2B session on this week’s Beats in Space program, and a stream of the show was posted online.

5. FACT’s Against the Clock series has proven popular with both aspiring and established producers, and the most recent episode documents UK producer Tom Demac churning out a tune in 10 minutes.

6. Todd Terje’s debut LP, It’s Album Time, will soon see the light of day, but a full stream of the record was offered online this week.

7. Berlin-based producer Noah Pred put together a Drum Rack of sounds from his Elektron Machinedrum, and offered it up as a free download.

8. Brainfeeder affiliate Teebs was the subject of our latest 20 Questions feature, which found him talking about Street Fighter, Dracula, and Flying Lotus.

9. Barcelona duo Downliners Sekt will issue its debut LP, Silent Ascent, on Monday, but the pair premiered a stream of the record exclusively on XLR8R this week.

10. Buraka Som Sistema’s Branko has a new EP dropping next week, and he gave away one of its tracks, “Broken,” in our Downloads section.

An expanded version of the The Lowdown is also available via a weekly email newsletter. Those interested in an even more in-depth round-up of XLR8R content, including a complete listing of all the free downloads we’ve offered in the past seven days, should sign up by entering their email address below.

Subscribe to the XLR8R Lowdown

Pantha du Prince Announces Brief US Tour

Performing with his new “triad” lineup, Pantha du Prince has announced an upcoming US tour which will find the artist unveiling currently unreleased material alongside musicians Scott Mou and Bendik Hovik Kjeldsberg. Known for having a diverse range of setups, including one featuring a six-member band armed with hundreds of bells, the longstanding German producer’s brand of organically inclined techno will be heard in conjunction with Mou’s “gauzy guitar textures” and Kjeldsberg’s percussion during the upcoming string of performances this May. It’s also worth noting that apart from his duties in the triad, Mou will be opening all of the shows, apart from the date in NY. The complete rundown of Pantha du Prince’s quick US jaunt can be browsed below.

May 1st San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
May 2nd Los Angeles, CA @ Roxy Theatre
May 3rd San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
May 6th Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
May 7th Seattle, WA @ Neumos
May 8th Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
May 9th New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

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