This Tuesday, June 2, XLR8R will observe “Blackout Tuesday,” a day of reflection and meaningful action.
In solidarity with the Black community, we will not be posting anything anywhere, and we will continue this all week, until Monday, June 8. Our weekly podcast will be delayed, with the next mix scheduled for Tuesday, June 9.
This blackout will be a time for reflection; to research, think, and plan how XLR8R can do better to promote diversity and to better support the Black community whose inspired peoples created and nurtured the very scene we all profit from and claim to hold dear.
It will be a time to reflect on the continued racism and structural oppression and violence that people of color face every day and how we can do better to stop it from happening. It will be a time to research—with a plan to action—ways in which XLR8R can help mobilize the electronic music community in this cause.
We stand with those fighting for justice and equality and we sincerely promise to do better in this fight.
For those in a position to do so, we encourage you to research ways you can support local causes and donate to Black Lives Matter and the various funds set up to support the cause, some of which are included below.
Ryan Porter will release a new live album, Live in Paris at New Morning.
Recorded at Paris’ historic jazz club New Morning on the evening of October 17, 2019, the album sees the Los Angeles trombonist exploring works from his last two full-length albums, The Optimist and Force For Good.
Porter opens the set with a homage to personal mentor Roy Hargrove, covering the jazz giant’s “Strasbourg / St. Denis.”
“The day before (October 16, 2019) was the late great Roy Hargrove’s birthday (R.I.P) and I was honored to be playing at New Morning because it was one of Roy’s favorite jazz clubs to play at in Paris,” Porter tells XLR8R. “I had never actually been to New Morning before in my life and it felt great seeing people lined up and wrapped around the corner in the cold to see us perform.”
The energy cascades with great depth across the 81-minute live album, providing ample space for extended solos from every player on the stage.
Joining Porter were Kamasi Washington (tenor saxophone), Jumaane Smith (trumpet), Brandon Coleman (piano; keyboards), Miles Mosley (upright; electric bass), and Tony Austin (drums). This was Porter’s first voyage into Europe with his own band.
Live in Paris at New Morning follows Porter’s three studio albums with Alpha Pup Records‘ jazz imprint World Galaxy, the last coming in 2019.
Mama, You Can Bet! comes after two previous Jyoti records, Denderah and Ocotea. Unlike these earlier Jyoti records, Mama, You Can Bet! contains tracks with vocals from Muldrow, including the newly-released single, “This Walk.” The album’s only guest musician is Muldrow’s long-time friend and saxophonist Lakeica Benjamin, on “Ra’s Noise.”
The album features two Charlie Mingus compositions that Muldrow remixed for the album, namely “Bemoanable Lady Geemix” and “Fabus Foo Geemix,” both of which were commissioned by Jason Moran and The Kennedy Center in 2017 for a live performance called “Muldrow Meets Mingus.”
Last year, Muldrow teamed up with Dudley Perkins for Black Love & War. Her last solo album under her birth name came in 2018 with Overload.
Tracklisting
01. Mama, You Can Bet! 02. Bop For Aneho 03. Zane, The Scribe 04. Our Joy (Mercedes) 05. Ra’s Noise (Thukubad) 06. Bemoanable Lady Geemix 07. Organ 08. Skippin And Trippin 09. Swing Kirikou, Swing 10. Quarrys, Queries 11. Ancestral Duckets 12. Hard Bap Duke 13. This Walk 14. Fabus Foo Geemix 15. The Cowrie Waltz
Mama, You Can Bet! LP is out on August 28 via eOne Music and SomeOthaShip Connect. Meanwhile, you can stream “The Cowrie Waltz” and “This Walk” below.
Alex Herman, a former tour manager for Visionquest, will launch a new livestream video series called Diaries From The Underground on Saturday, May 30.
The weekly series will focus on “music and intimate conversations with your favorite artists,” featuring musical performances and intimate storytelling, hosted by Herman. The conversation will be in English or Spanish and be open format, seeking to emulate friends engaging in banter and storytelling at a party. Each episode will be headed up by a headline artist who will curate their accompanying talent.
The series will debut this Saturday at 4pm PST (7pm EST; 12am GMT) from Joshua Tree, California with a lineup hosted by Doc Martin (Sublevel). Joining him are Seth Troxler, John Tejada, DJ T., and Tara Brooks.
The events will be free to attend, but all donations will go to charities Give a Beat and Parties 4 Peace.
You can find out more and RSVP to the first event here.
Canova began releasing music in 1999 as Mugen, working with silence, sine waves, and white noise, and influenced by his study on philosophy and eastern religions. Across Counting the Eyes, he creates contemplations on the physical nature of sound, space, and rhythm.
As the name suggests, One Instrument releases music made using only one instrument. Previous releases on the label have come from the likes of Neel and Donato Dozzy. It was founded in 2016 by Grand River, real name Aimée Portioli, who recently contributed to XLR8R‘s Artist Tips series here.
Articulation follows 2018’s Persona LP, also on Erased Tapes. Unlike the London producer’s previous work, it’s produced with a visual way of thinking, which is to say that during the writing process he drew structures, shapes, and patterns by hand to try and find new ways of thinking about music, giving himself a way to problem-solve away from the computer.
“Articulation,” the album’s lead track, connects the record with 2016’s Night Melody, with its varying time signatures and complex structure of notes, which create an expression of a moving structure.
“The title track is about articulation and playfulness with shape and time,” Rival Consoles, real name Ryan Lee West, explains. “Its structure is very machine-like, but I was really interested in how melody and sense of story could develop out of this, and it became an exploration of mathematical structures—patterns and shapes having a conversation. I love that something on paper can appear rigid and calculated, but then take on new meaning based on the context that surrounds it, or how it changes over time.”
The drawing for “Articulation.”
Since’s Persona, West has put out a number of singles, including “Them Is Us” for Adult Swim’s Singles series and “Winter’s Lament” for Piano Day. He put out Howl on Erased Tapes in 2015, and you can read all about it in his interview here.
Tracklisting
01. Vibrations on a String 02. Forwardism 03. Melodica 04. Articulation 05. Still Here 06. Sudden Awareness of Now
Articulation LP is scheduled for July 31 release via Erased Tapes. Meanwhile, you can stream the lead single below, and pre-order the album here.
Home is the third album Romare, real name Archie Fairhurst, has put out on Ninja Tune, and his first since 2016’s Love Songs: Part Two. It marks a new chapter in his life, with a move out of London to the countryside and starting a family, which has “given me peace and quiet,” he comments.
In contrast to the themes of love and romance on Love Songs: Part Two, Home explores spirituality, identity, and belonging. “Identity and a sense of belonging is something I’ve been searching for more since becoming a father,” he explains, “growing up I was always around lots of people from different backgrounds, my own identity sometimes felt lost.”
The album sees Fairhurst pulling from the more unusual records in his collection for inspiration, delving into American gospel and traditional Irish folk through to country, religious hymns, and classical. He also moved away from sample-based music, developing his use of instruments and experimenting with different tools, old and new. These include a vintage organ he found in a local charity shop, his dad’s old 12-string guitar, and his childhood drum kit from the ’90s.
Tracklisting
01. Gone 02. Dreams 03. Sunshine 04. The River 05. Deliverance 06. High 07. You See 08. Heaven 09. Home
Home LP is out on vinyl and digitally on July 31 via Ninja Tune. Meanwhile, you can stream “Sunshine” below and pre-order here.
Both Of Us / Are U Down is the first new music Jayda G, real name Jada Guy, has put out since her debut album, Significant Changes, in 2019. It arrives with a great deal of anticipation, as clips floating around online of “Both Of Us” led to an influx of messages requesting more information and pleading for an official release.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” she says. “I really wondered if releasing the record right now was the right thing to do. Things can feel really fucking depressing at the moment, but the amount of messages I’ve been getting about the track, even during lockdown when people are unable to even be in clubs or at festivals, that really convinced me that now was the right time.”
“Both Of Us” is an upbeat throwback to the dancefloors of the past, drawing on Jayda’s love of classic, uplifting house. In contrast, “Are U Down” presents a slightly grittier and more sombre side to Jayda’s sound. Both tracks were made in collaboration with Fred again.., and the EP is completed by two remixes.
Tracklisting
01. Both Of Us 02. Are U Down 03. Both Of Us (Jayda G Sunset Bliss Mix) 04. Are U Down (Remix)
Both Of Us / Are U Down is available on 12″ and digitally on July 3. Meanwhile, you can stream “Both Of Us” below, and pre-order the EP here.
Wu Hen brings groove back to the forefront, oscillating between celestial jazz, funk, rap, and R&B, reinforced with the rugged beat-heavy attitude of grime, jungle, house, and garage—a fusion Kamaal describes as “Wu Funk.”
“This is a revolution of the mind,” Williams says. “A spiritual rebellion: to reach new heights requires separating ourselves from the material world and finding power in what’s intangible. That’s what music and art is for— whether it’s a primitive emotion or something deep, you feel it. And there’s a subliminal element that resonates throughout my work. If you’re painting, it’s what you’re feeling as you’re painting. And the person looking at that artwork or listening to that music, they can feel it too, because it’s sincere.”
The album’s title refers to the the nickname Williams’ grandma gave him as a child. The Taiwanese side of his family are originally from the Wu Dynasty, and the name Wu translates as “Gateway to Heaven.”
Sonically, we’re told that transcendental moments of sheer beauty combine with musical evocations of the rowdy energy found in (pre-lockdown) streets, with these contrasting tensions colliding and exploding in “beautiful, exciting ways.”
The record features Greg Paul, of Kalayst Collective, on drums, Rick Leon James on bass, Quinn Mason on saxophone, and guest harp from Alina Bzhezhinska. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, who has worked with Ray Charles, Flying Lotus, and Dr. Dre, contributes signature strings. There’s also guest features from cult rapper Mach-Hommy and rising R&B artist Lauren Faith.
Williams released The Return LP in 2018, following his work with drummer Yussef Dayes in 2016 as one half of the short-lived London-based jazz group Yussef Kamaal.
Tracklisting
01. Street Dreams ft. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson 02. One More Time 03. 1989 04. Toulouse 05. Pigalle 06. Big Rick 07. Save Me ft. Mach-Hommy 08. Mr.Wu 09. Hold On ft. Lauren Faith 10. Early Prayer
Wu Hen LP is out on July 24 via Black Focus. Meanwhile, you can stream “One More Time” below and pre-order here.
Shaytoon, available now via Dark Entries, is a milestone in Sepehr Alimagham’s young music career. Comprising eight tracks of left-of-center electro and sludgy psychedelia, it’s a debut album compatible with the dancefloor but cerebral in nature, paying homage to the 1970s Iranian albums that soundtracked Alimagham’s youth in San Jose, California. It follows Body Mechanics, Alimagham’s debut on the San Francisco label, in 2018.
The son of Persian immigrants, Alimagham discovered electronic music through psychedelic trance and hard house, but he developed his palette through high school when he’d travel to Berkeley and sneak into local club nights. He later became a regular at Compound, a San Francisco event that took him deep into the city’s historic music scene, driving him to relocate up the coast several years later. He now calls the city home, fitting in music around his work as a real estate agent.
DJing was the natural progression, firstly at local parties in San Francisco, and production came too. With time, his early “tech-house/booty-bass and wanna-be minimal hybrids” evolved into something resembling the sound he presents today, and the earliest incarnations appeared on Germany’s No Brainer Records in 2014. Through all his work, he finds himself drawing on the unalloyed joy of those early clubbing experiences.
He connected to Dark Entries at a time when a deepening affection for psychedelic acid techno was becoming more pronounced in his work. He sent a bunch of fresh tracks to label founder Josh Cheon, then on the lookout for contemporary dance music with a distinct nostalgia for San Francisco’s musical beginnings, and these become Body Mechanics, opening the door for Shaytoon.
Celebrating his debut album, Alimagham has compiled an XLR8R podcast that better resembles a live set rather than a DJ mix. At just over an hour in length, it kicks off with some low-slung beats before the pace picks up around the half-hour mark, and it’s sure to have you moving from there on in. What’s more is that the entire mix is made of unreleased Sepehr tracks, produced during lockdown and ranging from warped house and techno to heady electro, classic acid, and non-conformist atmospherics, unified by that Sepehr edge.
01. What have you been up to recently?
I’ve been trying to keep my mind off of the collapsing in real-time of society by making lots of new music, cooking, reading, and prepping my label imprint.
02. How has lockdown been for you?
The beginning of it was terrible, throwing away all the plans you had, etc., but it was a blessing in disguise for my creativity. I’ve been making more music than I ever have before. I’ve also been learning new skills like programming, design, and finally learned how to read and write Farsi. I really miss hanging out with all my mischievous friends. Also, there are people who deliver black market Micheladas in San Francisco, and I have been very much enjoying at least having those to look forward to.
03. Which artists, labels, or releases have you been listening to?
I have been listening to a lot of experimental/avant-garde/Musique concrète stuff and been really drawn to weird psychedelic and tribal music in general. As far as dance(ish) music, I’ve been really into labels like Ghost Zvuk, YOUTH, and a lot of late ’90s drum & bass.
04. You just released your new album. How are you feeling about it?
I am over the moon about it, and the feedback it has received. The concept I had been wanting to do for a long time now, and Dark Entries as a medium was a perfect harmony. It’s unfortunate that it came directly at a time where people can’t play the music out in clubs but I think it’ll stand the test of time. The album is a precursor for what is yet to come, and I am really excited to continue the name Shaytoon as a label of my own.
05. When and where did you record this mix?
I recorded this mix last month at my partner’s home in San Francisco.
06. These are all your own tracks: tell us about them?
I decided to go with one hundred percent unreleased originals since I have been having a creative renaissance lately and have so much unreleased material that I feel needs to be heard. The tracks are a really good snapshot into my musical mind as of late, mixing influences from all paths of my musical journey thus far. I’m excited about them.
07. How does it compare to what we would hear you play in a club?
I think it is a pretty good snapshot of the types of directions I would go in during a set at a club or an underground party. Parts that get slow and wonky move into some more accessible yet psychedelic dance music and then go into high bpm oblivion, if the mood is right and the drugs are strong.
08. What’s next on your agenda?
Try to weather this storm of the world as best I can, and take things day by day. I will be starting a label called Shaytoon in either late 2020 or early 2021. I’m really excited about it as it will be a vessel for all my unreleased music as well as a focus on Iranian/Middle Eastern artists in underground music.
XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.
