The Lowdown – This Week’s XLR8R Top 10 with Jacques Greene, Moderat, Disclosure, 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. We went deep with veteran producer Mark Pritchard (pictured above), who detailed his many projects and pseudonyms from the past two decades.

2. Canadian techno enthusiasts Gingy & Bordello delivered the latest chapter of the XLR8R podcast series.

3. Youthful UK duo Disclosure was at the helm of the Essential Mix last weekend. For those who missed it, a full stream appeared online.

4. Emiliana Torrini has a new LP on the way for Rough Trade, and Andrew Weatherall has remixed one of its tracks, “Speed of Dark.” His rework is available for free download.

5. Back in July, Jacques Greene played at the Boiler Room’s Pitchfork Festival afterparty, and this week, the video and audio stream surfaced on the web.

6. Brooklyn duo Blondes invited us to check out their production lair for the latest installment of our In the Studio series.

7. We published our official review of II, the sophomore LP from Moderat.

8. This week’s contest offered XLR8R readers the chance to score a rare, imported box set from Kraftwerk. Enter now before it’s too late.

9. Busy UK house maestro Hackman contributed a gem to our Downloads section this week, a remix of “Lazy Days” by the Big Chill Allstars.

10. Curious about his recent burst of energy (and his new solo releases), we caught up with veteran Bristol producer and Skull Disco alumnus Appleblim.

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.

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Space Dimension Controller Announces New EP for Clone; Preview It Now

Sci-fi-obsessed Belfast producer Space Dimension Controller (a.k.a. Jack Hamill) has stayed busy following the release of his LP R&S Welcome to Mikrosector-50, including a diverse mix he issued for Clash back in March. Now, Hamill has announced that he will return to Clone’s Royal Oak imprint—the label responsible for releasing his first record, Journey to the Core of the Unknown Sphere—with a new EP entitled Correlation #1. Set for release sometime in late September, Hamill’s next EP is said to be the first of several in a planned Correlation series for the label, and finds the artist steering his production even more towards the dancefloor. The vinyl version is being delivered alongside prints designed by Hamill himself; five different prints have been done up, one of which will be selected randomly and inserted into every copy of the record. The tracklist and artwork for Correlation #1 are below, along with streaming clips of each tune.

1. First Glance
2. Familiar Terrain
3. Butterflies of Malaysia
4. Chemoreceptor
5. Petrichor

Mountain Range “A Silence of Three Parts”*Bad Panda*

This delicate cut comes from Leeds-based artist Stuart Thomas, who produces intricate soundscapes under the moniker Mountain Range. Prior to the release of his Adjustments EP (due on September 3), Thomas has shared “A Silence of Three Parts,” an initially calm track which sees the young producer experimenting with heavily textured sounds that bring to mind the production style of LA beatsmith Baths. While drawing inspiration from a pool of varying mellowed-out influences, Mountain Range also employs an array of thick synths and warped FX to supplement his vivid and atmospheric musings throughout “A Silence Of Three Parts.”

A Silence Of Three Parts

Video: Fhloston Paradigm “Chasing Rainbows”

Philadelphia DJ/producer King Britt has had a long and varied career over the years, but his most recent production alias, the curiously named Fhloston Paradigm, sees Britt returning to an analog-centric approach and indulging in his love of science-fiction movies and afro-futurism. Back in 2012, a few Fhloston Paradigm tracks caught the ear of ever-present Hyperdub label head Kode9, which resulted in the King Britt Presents Fhloston Paradigm EP. Now, Britt has shared an earthy, saturated video for that record’s bass-heavy, minimal “Chasing Rainbows” tune, a piece which heightens the production’s gloomy tension and adds depth to its dark atmosphere. Flipping between scenes of a dancing nomad, a gas mask-wearing woman collecting sticks in the forest, and flashes of urban imagery, the video’s subtle commentary on the potential dangers of modern life are bolstered by Britt’s ominous, slow-moving bassline and the hyperactive drums echoing into the darkness. Paired together, the visuals and music coalesce into an experience that removes the certainty of the concrete below us, reminding viewers of the primal within.

Hessle Audio to Tour North America

Boundary-pushing UK label Hessle Audio has announced that this fall its three founders—Ben UFO (pictured above), Pangaea, and Pearson Sound—will tour North America for the first time together. It’s been a busy year for all three producers: Ben UFO made a splash with his excellent, XLR8R Pick’d Fabriclive 67 mix album, Pangaea dropped an XLR8R Pick’d record the Viaduct EP, and though it wasn’t released via Hessle Audio, Pearson Sound’s REM EP has been the DJ/producer’s only solo output in 2013. Almost like a year-end victory lap, the tour kicks off in Canada at the famed Pop Montreal festival, before the trio heads west to Los Angeles. After making stops in Chicago and Seattle’s Decibel Festival, the Hessle Audio crew will finish its excursion at Brooklyn’s Output club. Before Hessle Audio’s tour gets started on September 25, the full list of dates can be found below.

The Same “Man of Dust (Cubenx Remix)”**

Polish production duo The Same last impressed us with a free download of its “Mental Disorder” track, lifted off the pair’s debut for Infiné from early this year, and has now returned with a remix of a tune from the same release by Mexican minimal techno-inclined producer Cubenx. In this remix of “Man of Dust,” the original production’s textural, cryptic beats take on a more dancefloor-oriented form, with pulsating synth stabs matched to ethereal, shoegaze-esque plucked strings.

Man of Dust (Cubenx remix)

This Week in Music Tech: In the Studio with Blondes, Understanding Low-Mid Range Frequencies, Pioneer DDJ-SX Demo, and More

This week saw the release of several informative videos for anyone interested in the world of music technology: Resident Advisor’s Jono Buchanan explained how to get the most out of low-mid range frequencies, Ian Shepherd broke down the differences between digital and analog clipping, we checked out Blondes’ Brooklyn studio, German producer PHON.O discussed his utilization of Ableton’s Push controller, and our very own Nick Hook demoed the new Pioneer DDJ-SX controller. It’s all available in today’s This Week in Music Tech digest, after the jump.

We went into the studio with hardware-centric duo Blondes, who recently released its second full-length via RVNG. The Brooklyn duo detailed its collection of hardware synths, drum machines, and effect pedals, as well as shared its process of recording live jams into Logic and letting the system dictate the results. Our in-depth interview with the band can be read here.

A detailed interview with German producer and one-time Apparat collaborator PHON.O was featured by AskAudio magazine, in which the artist discusses his early usage of hardware, producing with Ableton Live and the recently-released Push controller, and how his live setup has mutated over the years. The full article can be read here.

Last week, legendary CDJ and mixer company Pioneer unveiled its new DJ-centric reference monitors, and this week, XLR8R affiliate Nick Hook met up with the Serato crew to demonstrate the Pioneer DDJ-SX and Serato Remote in combination.

This week also saw Resident Advisor‘s Jono Buchanan explain the intricacies of how important the low-mid frequencies are to any mix. Highlighting the importance of individual and master EQ, Buchanan takes a detailed look into that all-too-often muddy frequency range, illuminating how any producer can get their songs sounding bigger and better without overwhelming a mix. The full feature can be read here.

And finally, Ian Shepherd of Production Advice explained the differences between various forms of audio clipping in a particularly informative video. Comparing hard digital clipping sounds to soft “analogue” style clipping and how they work in a limiting context, this tutorial is an excellent introduction for any producer who finds themselves shooting in the dark when bouncing down their tracks.

Listen to the New Single from Jon Convex

Merely a couple of weeks after Jon Convex announced that he would inaugurate the digital-only arm of his Convex Industries label with a two-track offering, we now have that record available to stream in full. The DJ/producer known for his work with innovative drum & bass duo Instra:mental seems to be turning a new leaf on this single, as his “With You” tune is decidedly aimed at the vocal-led, big-room end of the house music spectrum that seems to be increasingly popular as of late. Jon Convex’s other alias, Kid Drama, also makes an appearance here, turning in a heavy remix of the effervescent lead tune. Both productions can be heard below before they’re released on September 2 via Convex Digital.

Press Play: Lee “Scratch” Perry, Todd Edwards, Huxley, Visionist, and More

Plenty of top-notch music awaits all insatiable ears within this week’s edition of Press Play. We’ve got the lively sounds of Lee “Scratch” Perry, garage veteran Todd Edwards, and UK house up-and-comer Huxley sharing the spotlight with the likes of Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, LA producer Sweatson Klank, and Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys, among others.. There are loads of streaming tunes, captivating videos, well-curated mixes, and more all waiting to be seen and heard, after the jump.

Here’s footage of Lee “Scratch” Perry performing live with Adrian Sherwood at Le Poisson Rouge during Red Bull Music Academy’s 2013 stay in New York.

LA-based veteran producer Todd Edwards shared this dancefloor-ready remix of “Cool Like Me” by UK outfit Fryars.

Before they release their collaborative record for Defected on September 30, Huxley & Shenoda have shared a preview of the two-track Chatsworth Sound EP.

Check out another moody cut from Visionist’s upcoming EP for Lit City Trax, the dark and grimy “Lost.”

One half of Junior Boys, Jeremy Greenspan posted his acid-y remix of Roland Tings’ “Tomita’s Basement” single for Club Mod.

The man behind such beautiful designs as the album cover for Gold Panda’s XLR8R Pick’d Half of Where You Live LP for Ghostly, Adam Gilmore is profiled in this quick video piece which takes a look at his creative process while the artist himself provides a bit of candid narration.

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LA beatmaker Sweatson Klank dropped his Heading East EP this week, sharing a full stream of the music, too.

Here’s the video for Joe Goddard & Boris Dlugosch’s “Step Together,” a track lifted from Greco-Roman’s recently released We Make Colourful Music Because We Dance In The Dark compilation.

Mumdance’s brand-new Different Circles – Level Seven mix feautres tracks from Beneath, Logos, Shapednoise, and the DJ himself, among others.

Here’s E.m.m.a’s Lost Encarta Tapes mix of early work “inspired by the CD-Rom Microsoft Encyclopedia from the ’90s,” as well as tracks from her recently released Blue Gardens LP for Keysound.

Four Tet-affiliated band RocketNumberNine unleashed this surreal music video for its “Lope” single this week, presenting a colorful piece which matches well with its electro-acoustic sound.

Pharaohs shared its Limited Edition mixtape for Check Yo Ponytail over on SoundCloud, an offering which features tracks from Demdike Stare, Suns of Arqa, and other esoteric artists.

ELOS “Zoltan Ship”*Alpha Pup *

Los Angeles resident ELOS comes from a fresh crop of young producers who are beginning to carry the torch for their city’s forward-moving “beat music” scene. But ELOS—as well as many of his LA contemporaries—is not simply concerned with rehashing the accepted Low End Theory formulas, instead using his productions to explore hidden corners of the genre and to inject fragments of other influences into his tracks. On August 27, ELOS will present this sound for the first time in full-length format when his Kid Him LP (artwork above) drops on Alpha Pup. Before his debut album sees a release though, the laid-back, organ-drenched “Zoltan Ship” has been offered to provide a taste of what’s to come.

Zoltan Ship

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