California producer Grenier (pictured above) has made a name for himself exploring a range of expansive, bass-driven styles over the last few years, having released on Pinch’s Tectonic imprint and offering his series of Voids releases via Bandcamp. Said to be one of the artist’s favorite tracks from The Knife’s latest album, the XLR8R Pick’d Shaking the Habitual, “Networking” recently got the bootleg remix treatment from Grenier, who wrangles the blistering cut into more manageable DJ fare. Each of the original production’s scattershot vocals are employed with the central dance rhythm in mind, and the remixer makes sure to reign in the noisy chaos of the climax before his whole tune loses control.
After images of never-before-seen pedals leaked last week, Moog has officially announced that its new series of affordable analog FX pedals, called Minifoogers, will hit stores soon. The Minifooger series features five new stompboxes—the MF Delay (pictured above), MF Drive, MF Ring, MF Boost, and MF Trem—each of which feature a “100% analog signal path, true bypass design, optional battery power, and a single expression pedal input that can also be controlled via CV.” Furthermore, all five pedals are promised to land with a price tag below $200, making them some of the most affordable Moog products around.
Though the Minifoogers’ accompanying press release states that the compact units are aimed at guitar and bass players, we doubt synth freaks will be able to keep their hands off these new devices. No exact release date has been shared for the Minifooger series, but we do expect them to drop sometime very soon, most likely before the holiday shopping season. In the meantime, the individual specs of each Minifooger pedal can be found here, and a promo video showing off the new products can be watched below.
Following the free download of Rival Consoles‘ “Voyager” tune, the London-based producer is now premiering a clip for the title cut from his upcoming Odyssey EP for Erased Tapes. Where “Voyager” was a rather fragmented and discordant track, “Odyssey” slowly and eloquently unfurls its spacey synths. And the accompanying video compliments “Odyssey” with blurred and kaleidoscopic imagery reminiscent of both 2001: A Space Odyssey and the visual work of Brooklyn artist Aurora Halal. The vintage technology and techniques used by director Michael Zoidis in his piece mesh perfectly with Rival Consoles’ minimalist, hardware-specific sound, both striving for a closed system of possibilities while pushing analog equipment to the limits of their retro-futuristic aesthetics. And for anyone in or around London on Friday, October 18, Rival Consoles will be performing alongside labelmates Nils Frahm and Kiasmos at the Village Underground in Shoreditch.
After performing at the 10th edition of MUTEK.MX last weekend (read our full review here), Spanish quartet Delorean fell prey to a “virtual kidnapping” scheme while in Mexico City. Fortunately, the band is now reported as being safe following the incident.
The details of exactly what happened are still a bit unclear. Spanish-language newspaper El Pais reports, “After 48 hours of turmoil for the band members’ families, owing to the lack of news, the police have determined that the musicians are in good shape and at liberty after having suffered a virtual kidnapping. Nevertheless, as of 3 p.m. their whereabouts are still unknown, as are any details regarding their movements over the past two days.” And Resident Advisor reports, “It’s believed the kidnappers called Delorean purporting to be Mexican authorities, telling them to leave their hotel room for security reasons. They then placed a call to members of the band’s families and demanded a ransom. When the band reached the location they were sent to, they had their phones taken.”
The resounding take away, though, is that the four members of Delorean are now safe and have apparently made it through the ordeal without any physical harm. As a result of the incident, however, fellow Barcelona artist John Talabot took to Twitter to announce, “We are canceling our tour in Mexico for security reasons. We are happy that our friends Delorean are OK.” Delorean was forced to cancel its own show in San Francisco last night, and it is unclear what other upcoming performances of the group’s current North American tour may be cancelled as a result.
Back in August, budding East Coast producer The Range announced that his debut LP, Nonfiction, would drop on October 14 via the Donky Pitch imprint, and now, with less than a week before its release, that album is available to stream in full. Much like the wildly eclectic mix that The Range recently dropped, Nonfiction‘s 11 tracks blur the lines between percussive dance genres to create ethereal cuts which present familiar ideas in fresh ways. Along with the album stream comes a list of the artist’s upcoming New York performances for the CMJ festival, the dates of which can be found below.
17 Oct TBC 18 Oct Cameo Gallery showcase, ‘Nonfiction’ album launch party with Blue Sky Black Death & Sister Crayon 19 Oct Pitchfork showcase, 285 Kent with Ryan Hemsworth, Kelela, Traxman & Huerco S.
Anonymous DJ/producer Slow Magic‘s output has thus far shown a reverence to both shadowy and tropical styles, with a particular taste for weaving those sounds into dense, intricate tapestries. On this remix of current tourmate Gold Panda‘s “Brazil”—a highlight from the Ghostly artist’s recent, XLR8R Pick’d Half of Where You Live LP—Slow Magic starts small, letting a demure reversed loop and swooping synth belie what the track has in store. Without warning, “Brazil (Slow Magic Remix)” finds itself caught in a wind tunnel of resonant bubbles and bleeps before erupting into a decadent, funk-laden groove that bounces with an inescapable energy. The remainder of Slow Magic’s tour dates, both with and without Gold Panda, can be found after the jump.
Oct 08 – Toronto, Canada – Lee’s Palace w/ Gold Panda Oct 09 – Montreal, Canada – S.A.T. w/ Gold Panda Oct 10 – Cambridge, MA, USA – The Sinclair w/ Gold Panda Oct 11 – New York, NY, USA – Webster Hall w/ Gold Panda Oct 12 – Washington, DC, USA – Black Cat w/ Gold Panda Oct 13 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – Union Transfer w/ Gold Panda Oct 16 – Burlington VT, USA – Signal Kitchen Nov 01 – Reikjavik, Iceland – Iceland Airwaves Festival Nov 02 – London, England – Proud Galleries Nov 03 – Vilnius, Lithuania – Loftas w/ Araabmuzik Nov 04 – Dresden, Germany – Altes Wettbüro Nov 06 – Kiev, Ukraine – Malaya Opera Nov 07 – Warsaw, Poland – 1500m2 w/ El Ten Eleven Nov 08 – Amersfoort, Netherlands – IAMTHECITY Festival Nov 09 – Heerlen, Netherlands -Poppodium Nieuwe Nor Nov 10 – Berlin, Germany – Introducing Festival Nov 11 – Paris, France – Espace B Nov 12 – Kortrijk, Belgium – De Kreun Nov 13 – Roma, Italy – Circolo Degli Artisti Nov 14 – Bologna, Italy – Senza Filtro Nov 15 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Rust Nov 16 – Le Mans, France – Bebop Festival Nov 17 – Hasselt, Belgium – Muziek O Droom Dec 05 – Vancouver, Canada – Electric Owl w/ El Ten Eleven Dec 06 – Seattle, WA, USA – Neumo’s w/ El Ten Eleven Dec 07 – Portland, OR, USA – Wonder Ballroom w/ El Ten Eleven Dec 13 – San Francisco, CA, USA – Slim’s w/ El Ten Eleven Dec 14 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – El Rey Theatre w/ El Ten Eleven Dec 19 – Miami, FL, USA – Bardot
Bristol’s Borai (a.k.a. Boris English) was October’s shadowy partner for years, contributing something intangible to the pair’s records on Apple Pips, Never Learnt, and BRSTL. On a solo tip, though, it seems he’s found a home in Little White Earbuds founder Steve Mizek’s Tasteful Nudes/Argot stable. Those labels can seem like a US-based Running Back or Live At Robert Johnson, as they’re focused on what might be termed “pure DJ” tracks, with seemingly every release containing an assured floor-filler or two. “Moonlight on the Malago,” Borai’s prior record for Tasteful Nudes, moved with a boisterous, garagey flex. “Last Time Out” is no less resounding, but it has less swing and is more focused on big-room aesthetics.
The title track opens with some punchy kicks and hi-hats that sound like coins being shaken before a rumbling bassline, brash open hi-hats, wispy effects trails, and, most prominently, high-drama piano stabs take over. “Last Time Out” comes on strong, but it’s a testament to Borai’s prowess that it never feels disordered, or too over the top. The motorway-themed “Midnight Run,” meanwhile, is indebted to vintage Carl Craig, as its rattling rhythm is underlined by a croaking bass motif and soaring pads (and, as revealed toward the end, what appears to be a sample of a revving engine). It’s also more melodic than its predecessor, with its crystalline tones lending it a slightly mysterious air. In just two tracks, Borai covers both the peak of the party and the winding drive after.
German trio Moderat has teamed up UNICEF to release a music video in support of the #ENDViolence Initiative, a moving short film set to the band’s “Gita” single from its brand-new II LP. Split between live-action footage and simple animations, the piece—directed by award-winning Paraguayan filmmakers Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori—tells the story of a young boy who experiences domestic violence firsthand, and speaks out about the abuse to help his family survive. Moderat said this about its involvement with UNICEF: “When UNICEF asked us if they could use ‘Gita’ for a video for their campaign against domestic violence, we agreed immediately. Working together with UNICEF means being part of something for the greater good. We are very happy to be involved and hope that we can help to make a change.” The video for “Gita” can be seen below; the single itself is out now in digital formats, and will be available as a 10″ on October 25 via Monkeytown.
On the first spin through Cupid’s Head, the latest LP from Axel Willner (a.k.a. The Field), one doesn’t immediately get the impression that he’s been listening to a lot of Fela Kuti. Yet that’s exactly what the Swedish producer has been doing lately. “It’s funny, because that’s something you absolutely cannot hear on the album,” he says. While that might be the case, what does come through is still interesting—it’s a dark record, one that was born from a period of emotional tension and extreme burnout caused by touring in support of Looping State of Mind, his critically lauded third LP.
“Yeah, there’ve been a lot of things going on, but also nothing really. I’ve been going all over the place and coming home and taking it easy—taking it real easy,” he tells us via Skype from his home in Berlin. There’s a weariness in his voice that comes through in the way he trails off after his sentences. Willner has spent much of the past two years performing around the world, something that he’s enjoyed, though it’s taken a significant mental toll. Not only that, but the past two years haven’t been particularly kind to him personally. Though he doesn’t go into specifics, he says he’s been dealing with, “Just the normal personal drama that everyone has in their lives. Nothing bigger than that. But [those emotions] can really fuck you over from time to time.”
As a result, he found himself briefly divorced from music, unable to listen and unable to record. “I felt so drained,” he said. “I’d been into music since my [youth], listening to Motley Crüe and Black Sabbath. And now, being 35, I was like, ‘Fuck, I can’t listen to music right now, it doesn’t do anything [for me].’ I really thought that was it, that I [couldn ‘t] make music as The Field anymore.” This frustration lasted a while, but didn’t keep Willner away from music altogether. Shortly after the release of Looping State of Mind, he offered up And Never Ending Nights, Willner’s first LP under his Krautrock-leaning Loops of Your Heart alias. Simultaneously, he also regrouped with the members of his live touring band to form Black Fog, a separate project inspired by the synthy, ’80s-horror-soundtrack music of John Carpenter and Goblin. The darker direction of these side projects would later inform the character of Cupid’s Head, once he finally got around to recording it.
According to Willner, the path leading to the new album was full of doubts and false starts. He needs to feel inspired when he records as the Field, as it’s not the kind of music he can simply sit down and churn out. “It takes a lot of creativity, and that is nothing I can force.” he says. “When it comes to The Field, I can’t be like, ‘Woooo, now it’s time for The Field.'” I’ve tried to squeeze out a few Field tracks in my life and they were not the best. I love making music, but with The Field it’s special—if I don’t have the feeling for doing it, then it’s best to not bother to try.”
What finally brought him the inspiration he needed was the hardware in his studio, specifically when he found himself experimenting alone with some of his Elektron gear. “It just happened that I was sitting here in my studio, by myself, and I just kept going on,” he explains. In fact, the whole of Cupid’s Head was recorded on hardware, which makes it a departure from his previous three records, all of which were recorded using a lesser-known piece modular music software called Buzz. “It’s been mostly Elektron stuff. The Octatrack can totally replace the computer; I use it to manipulate the samples,” he says before rattling off a long list of vintage Roland synthesizers that are also in his arsenal. Though Willner previously enjoyed making tracks with his computer, he feels as though the change to physical equipment has been positive. “I’m just very happy I’m not using software anymore, because it was very limited,” he explains. “Buzz is a very fun program—I love it, I’ve used it since the late ’90s—but quality-wise, sound-wise, it’s not the best. With hardware, I don’t even need to mix [the sounds] because they already felt a bit more rich versus the old productions.”
Aesthetically speaking, the hardware influence is prominent from the first song of Cupid’s Head onwards, as the LP opens with a burst of obviously synthetic percussion that doesn’t let up until the album reaches its final beatless finale. Tracks like “They Won’t See Me,” “Black Sea,” and “A Guided Tour” all feature a machined, ’80s-house groove that contorts and hisses beneath his impressionistic sampling.
Of course, Willner’s switch to an entirely hardware-based set-up shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In past interviews, he’s expressed his dislike of computers as performative tools, which was one of the reasons why he expanded The Field’s live show to include a touring band. Recounting his time in rock bands, he says, “There were a lot of people playing live with laptops when the third wave of electronic music came to Sweden in the late ’90s. It never really worked out for me to see that. Coming from the background that I’m coming from, a band was always more appealing. I think it’s a primal instinct of man to see a band stand and sweat on stage.” But with that said, when it comes time to tour for Cupid’s Head, he says he plans on performing it solo, albeit without a computer. “I really like to do the live shows with the band, but at the same time, with the gear, the sky is the limit. I can do it live by myself and still enjoy it, and I hope people [in the audience] enjoy it too.”
There’s little question that hardware is having an impact on Willner’s musical output, but Cupid’s Head is also an album that finds him tapping into a new source of inspiration—his own body of work. To begin with, some tracks find him pulling sounds from his various side endeavors. Take “Black Sea,” which begins in an airy fashion that’s typical of The Field, but eventually channels Willner’s Black Fog project with its usage of thick, ’70s synthesizer arpeggios, plunging the tune into a deep feeling of heavy paranoia. Elsewhere on the LP, other songs have motifs that remind Willner of works he recorded years ago, before his music had found a broader audience. He mentions “They Won’t See Me,” the record’s opener, and how its droning organ is reminiscent of an ambient track he recorded very early in his career but never released. Considering the creative rut he was once mired in, it’s somehow heartening that Willner’s new album helped him find a way out by drawing so heavily upon these assorted bits and pieces from his past. He recognizes this, looking at the record and saying, “Every track has pieces [of things that have] come back in different shapes. It’s like a little bit of a revival of my own music for myself. It’s been very nice to hear that.”
The release of the fifth album from UK artist Simon Green (a.k.a. Bonobo), The North Borders, launched a number of extensive tours for the producer and his traveling ensemble throughout 2013, and that busy year will soon be capped off with a brand-new mix album for the longstanding Late Night Tales series. Green’s 21-track set will mark the 33rd installment of Late Night Tales when it drops on November 17, and features a wide range of sounds and styles from the likes of Floating Points, Lapalux, Nina Simone, Shlohmo, Airhead, Dorando, and Bonobo himself, among others. Speaking on his mix, the curator said, “The way I approached this mix was very different to how I would normally do a mix. I wasn’t thinking of it as a DJ mix so much as a selection… The criteria for choosing the songs was really music I’ve been playing at my house over the past 15-20 years.” Well before it’s released next month, Late Night Tales: Bonobo‘s tracklist, video trailer, and SoundCloud preview can all be found below.
01. Dustin O’Halloran – An Ending, A Beginning 02. Khruang Bin – A Calf is Born in Winter 03. Bonobo – Get Thy Bearings (Exclusive Donovan cover version) 04. Dorando – Didn’t I 05. Nina Simone – Baltimore 06. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Flipside 07. Menahan Street Band – The Traitor 08. Andrew Ashong – Flowers 09. Romare -Down The Line 10 Shlohmo – Places 11 Lapalux – Gutter Glitter 12 The Invisible – Wing (Floating Points mix) 13 Badbadnotgood – Hedron 14 Matthew Bourne – IIV. Juliet 15 Airhead – South Congress 16 Matthew Halsall – Sailing Out To Sea 17 Dorothy Ashby – Essence of Sapphire 18 Peter and Kerry – One Thing 19 Eddi Front – Gigantic 20 Bill Evans – Peace Piece — 21 Benedict Cumberbatch – Flat Of Angles Part 3 (Exclusive Spoken Word Piece)
