Living up to its name, Brooklyn duo Mind Dynamics delivers a proper brain fuck with “Praise Hi,” a cut from the outfit’s forthcoming EP for Canadian label 1080p. On this particular outing, the pair pieces together more of a sound composition than an outright tune, uncovering a dense world of modulating electronics, buried vocals, and abstract rhythms which all ooze and shift in order to culminate into one beautiful, uncompromising mess—or as the label so finely puts it, “an all out distrodian [Ed. note: ??] frenzy.” “Praise Hi” is set to appear alongside five other efforts full of similarly melted electronics when Mind Dynamic’s forthcoming Precision Instruments cassette drops on December 3.
The latest This Week in Music Tech covers essential production tips from Objekt, takes a virtual tour around Mathew Jonson’s incredibly hardware-filled studio, and rounds up a few product updates—including Steinberg’s new USB audio interface, the Faderfox DJ44 controller, and the Touch Board, an electrical board that combines with conductive paint to allow users to essentially draw whatever MIDI controller they want.
Berlin-based producer/DJ Objekt (a.k.a. TJ Hertz) offered up a few tips for fellow tunesmiths on XLR8R this week, laying out some sound advice on monitor levels, room treatments, and more steps to help get one’s tracks to, well, sound good. The Hessle Audio veteran and Native Instuments developer/programmer’s five gems of wisdom can be read here.
This week, controller developer Faderfox unveiled the DJ44 MIDI controller, a comprehensive, DJ-minded unit which is designed with its own case, allowing for extreme portability to match with Faderfox’s reputation for high-quality design. More information and pricing for the DJ44 USB controller can be found here.
Steinberg‘s new USB audio interface, the UR44, was introduced this week. The six-input, four-output interface features high-quality audio converters capable of 24-bit, 192-kHz audio, four Class-A mic preamps, MIDI in/out, iPad connectivity, and more. Steinberg’s UR44 will be available to purchase very soon; in the meantime, full details on the new units can be found here.
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The Kickstarter campaign for Bare Conductive‘s Touch Board has raised almost five times the amount it had originally aimed to, most likely due to the fact that what it presents is just a damn cool—almost magical—idea. Combining the company’s conductive paint (which allows for electrical paths to simply be drawn) with the Touch Board, users can essentially draw the circuits they want to create, and in particular, the points at which the human touch interacts with these circuits. The best part about the Touch Board, though, is that it is possible to use with MIDI, potentially giving owners of the unit (and a good deal of conductive paint) the ability to draw their own MIDI controllers. To check out more details and potentially donate to the campaign, those interested should head here.
And lastly, Attack Magazine had a chance to peak around the synth-covered studio of dance music veteran Mathew Jonson (whose Her Blurry Pictures LP recently dropped via Crosstown Rebels). Clearly a connoisseur of hardware, Jonson’s studio is full to the brim with drum machines, synths, racks of FX, and the like—but not a computer in sight. Jonson’s sonic laboratory is certainly a sight to behold, and one that can be taken in over on Attack Magazine’s site, here.
After slyly leaking the artwork for his upcoming mix album last week, Hessle Audio co-owner Pangaea has sent over the full details of Fabriclive 73. The London DJ/producer will deliver his 27-track offering on January 20 via Fabric, with a selection of music ranging from “the confrontational palettes of Psyk and Shifted” to “the gauzy textures of Lee Gamble and distressed junglism of Pev & Kowton.” Artists like Hodge, Pearson Sound, MGUN, Drum Cell, and Mumdance also appear throughout the mix, as well as an unreleased track from Pangaea himself, and the resulting 76-minute experience is described as being “as visceral as we’ve come to expect from the prodigious youngster, and one that exemplifies the fiercely unique approach he’s taken towards his work thus far.” A launch party for the mix album is scheduled for February 21 at Fabric. Ahead of its release early next year, Fabriclive 73‘s artwork and tracklist can be found below.
01. Pangaea – Recreational Slumming 02. Lee Gamble – Plos 97s 03. Reeko – Momentum 04. Hodge – Resolve 05. Shifted – Untitled B2 06. Mystica Tribe – His Temple 07. Manni Dee – Romantic Self 08. Tripeo – Untitled #5 09. MGUN – Blunt Run 10. The Sun God – Maum 11. Stenny & Andrea – SEA (The Time Gate) 12. Psyk – Arcade 13. Mumdance & MAO – Truth 14. Adam Jay – Refraction 15. Pearson Sound – Starburst 16. Kobosil – Osmium 17. Pev & Kowton – End Point 18. Forward Strategy Group – Clean Neckline 19. Speedy J – Something For Your Mind (Exposure Remix) 20. Bleaching Agent – 37ml 21. Truncate – Bodega V2 22. Marco Shuttle – I Wanna Dance… In Outer Space 23. Drumcell – Disturbance (Pfirter Remix II) 24. Imaginary Softwoods – Crystal Pond 25. Alex Falk – PTR 26. Oscar Mulero – 46 (Antaganists Mix) 27. Astronomical Telegram – Near-Heart Object (Stanislav Tolkachev Heavy and Unusual Remix)
We’ve got quite the selection of sights and sounds in today’s Press Play feature, including DJ sets, fresh remixes, videos, original productions, record streams, and more from the likes of M83, Delorean, Nicolas Jaar, Daniel Avery, Disclosure, Om Unit, Heatsick, Jamie Jones, and E.m.m.a., among others. The whole lot of interesting pieces is available to experience by simply clicking on of a handful of play buttons, after the jump.
M83 “Ali & Matthias”
Nicolas Jaar’s Darkside project performs on a New York rooftop for Boiler Room.
Since Daniel Avery’s podcast for Resident Advisor was recently archived, he uploaded the mix to his own SoundCloud for free stream and download.
Om Unit picks out 10 influential records from his collection.
Disclosure got in the studio with singer Sam Smith, disco legend Nile Rodgers, and London artist Jimmy Napes to write and record “Together.”
Jamies Jones Planets, Spaceships EP
Delorean “Destitute Time (Slow Magic Remix)”
Heatsick “Clear Channel”
Live mix recorded at Mister Saturday Night’s Mister Sunday party on September 8, 2013.
Xeno & Oaklander announced its signing with Ghostly by sharing the shimmering title track from its forthcoming Par Avion LP.
London producer Otik proved himself adept at creating house tracks that fall on the silky side of the spectrum when he sent over his “Thugluv” tune as a free download early this year. His latest, an eight-track EP entitled Persist (out on November 25), shows that he’s equally capable working with a palette of raw, gritty sounds. Pulled from that release, “Green Tea” finds Otik juxtaposing a one-note, portamento synthline and chopped sample against a dirty hi-hat pattern. Its arrangement takes some unexpected detours, at times flirting with the type of underwater, modulated synth sounds that have become de rigueur recently, while nonetheless maintaining a steady flow.
Italian producer Ste?v—who appeared on Project Mooncircle’s Uprisingcompilation earlier this month—takes a patient 90 seconds to build up an intro for “Winter Train.” To his credit, this first movement proves a strong enough listen in its own right, as soft melodies mix with subdued pads and the loose strums of guitar strings. Eventually, Ste?v laces the track with a simple-but-inviting groove while continuing to shape a rich tapestry of atmospheric, often reversed elements and miniature melodies—sounding somewhere along the lines of a more bubbly Tycho. “Winter Train” will also appear on the producer’s five-track Elsewhere EP, set to drop via the Portland-based Loci imprint on December 10.
Pearson Sound (a.k.a David Kennedy) has never been shy about putting rhythm ahead of melody. His previous releases are a testament to this drum-centric approach, as he’s made careful, nuanced maneuvers while figuring out how to strip back any unnecessary elements so that only a bare backbone is left behind. His most recent offering for Hessle Audio, the label he co-runs with Ben UFO and Pangaea, is the three-track HES026, a short but substantial EP that finds Pearson Sound experimenting with the density of his tracks.
The EP kicks off with “Lola,” which finds Kennedy slowing his militaristic rhythms down below 120 bpm. Despite the slower tempo, they’re still slotted into a tightly syncopated web of flanged movement, while a moody, UK funky-esque melody loops overhead. “Lola” creates distinct spaces for each of its elements, yet it ultimately feels more like a club tool than a fully realized track. (Perhaps that’s the point.) The same could be said for “Power Drumsss,” which clearly has some sub-worthy sonics, but lacks any sort of convincing arc and instead comes across as an intriguing exercise in drum programming. “Starburst,” the EP’s final song, breaks from this tendency, combining harsh, metallic drums with emerging synth chords and discordant percussion punctuations to great effect. This variance in texture is further complemented by a more dynamic structure, and it’s encouraging to know that Kennedy can create such an engaging track when he wants to reach beyond his drum machine.
Yes, veteran UK producer and Hyperdub affiliate Cooly G has in fact produced a new track utilizing the collaborative talents of her very own mother, and the resulting tune can now be downloaded for free. As seen in the Vine clips below, Cooly G and her mom had some fun messing around in the studio, and as it turns out, the silly experiment wasn’t completely in vain, as the acid-flecked “Hurt Me” actually isn’t half bad. Best yet, the collaborative effort of both Mrs. G and Cooly G can be grabbed as a free download, here. (via FACT)
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LA art/design/photography crew and label Hit+Run has made a name for itself in the world of Southern California beat music over the years, most recently issuing a series of limited-edition 7″ singles featuring handmade, screen-printed artwork and original productions from the likes of Kutmah, Jeremiah Jae, Ras G, The Gaslamp Killer (pictured above), Knxwledge, and Gonjasufi, among many others. And now, Stones Throw will help commemorate those releases and celebrate Hit+Run’s seventh anniversary with a vinyl-only compilation which brings together all 29 exclusive tracks from the series. HIT+RUN 777 will be packaged as a double-LP pressed on “one-of-a-kind” red/blue and bone/gold vinyl, with a collage of all 14 sleeves from the 7″ series as the release’s artwork. Only 800 copies of the compilation will be available when it drops on December 17. Pre-orders can be made here, and HIT+RUN 777‘s tracklist and artwork can be found below.
A1 Mono/Poly – Triad A2 Shas’u – Boogie Buster A3 Crimekillz – Cocaine Problem A4 Jeremiah Jae – New Day feat. Isreal A5 Zeroh – Legacy A6 Kutmah – Black Myth feat. Holy Smoke B1 Gonjasufi – Fish Bite / The Synagogue B2 J Rocc – Andreti’s Theme B3 Zackey Force Funk – Force Funk Sound B4 Jeremiah Jae – Rawmoney Shit feat. Franklin Tabasco B5 Dibia$e – Plasma B6 Ras G – Daal… Garlic Naan B7 Kutmah – Sacred No More C1 The Gaslamp Killer – He’s Watching You C2 Dibia$e – Hotboxin’ C3 Crimekillz – Your City Here C4 Computer Jay – The Renaissance Rising C5 Ras G – Beta Isreal C6 Dibia$e – Good Deeds C7 Knx – Urluhv C8 Knx – Drt C9 Kutmah – Changin D1 Ras G – Dealing Wit Urflings D2 Shash’u – Summer Time D3 Computer Jay – The Death Wish Harmony D4 Crimekillz – Wolves D5 Zackey Force Funk – Pump feat. Reggie Blount D6 Knx – Kerfew D7 Knx – Dntkry
Intentionally lacking much detail on his various internet portals, A Theory is a London-based newcomer who is set to drop what appears to be his debut EP early next month via the Zang Tuum Tumb label. Serving as the forthcoming effort’s ghostly opening cut, “Elevens” takes a solemn path through dubwise electronics, using dimly lit piano chords and lush synths to create the swelling bed on top of which A Theory constructs the song’s intricate and propulsive percussion patterns. With A Theory’s first EP set to drop on December 1 (and, from what we can gather, bearing the title One Point One), the impressive “Elevens” is a somewhat haunting introduction to this new UK talent. Those interested in hearing the man’s full EP before it drops can do so using the stream included after the jump.
