Travis Stewart, the restless Berlin producer known as Machinedrum, has been making various strains of electronic music since 1999, and is set to add to his prolific career with the September 23 release of Vapor City, a 10-track LP for Ninja Tune. “Eyesdontlie,” the album’s first single, has already been receiving a healthy dose of critical acclaim—it was named an XLR8R Pick just last week—and now has a stark, futuristic visual accompaniment, courtesy of enigmatic visual artist Weirdcore. To make his piece, the director sequenced the images using the track’s MIDI data and stems, the results of which feel like taking a peek into a computer’s subconscious—quick-moving pixelated imagery, neon flashing lights, and disorienting geometric patterns all coalesce into a digital fever dream. Not far removed from the disturbing world of Gasper Noe’s controversial Enter the Void, the video for “Eyesdontlie” is an intriguing piece of visual stimulation that only further heightens the anticipation for Machinedrum’s upcoming full-length.
Five Minutes with Machinedrum at MEG Montreal 2013
During our trip to MEG Montreal last weekend (for those that missed it, our complete festival review is here), XLR8R corralled a few of our favorite artists to sit down for a quick chat. One of them was Machinedrum (a.k.a. Travis Stewart), who performed on Friday night at the city’s Sociéte des Arts Technologiques alongside Rone, Jimmy Edgar, and Seb Diamond. (Technically, the event was part of Osheaga MEG Pro, a collaboration between MEG and the Osheaga festival, which was also happening last weekend in Montreal.) Although we only had to chance to talk for a few minutes, Machinedrum was happy to address a range of topics, including his thoughts on Montreal, his passion for collaboration, his plans to leave his current home in Berlin, and how he thinks the EDM boom is actually helping everyone.
XLR8R: You’ve played Montreal before, yes?
Machinedrum: Yeah, many times.
Is it a city you like to play in?
It’s a city I’ve been playing in for years. I’ve known Rob Squire (a.k.a. Prison Garde/Speakerbruiser/Sixtoo/Megazoid) for a really long time, and I’ve actually known Seb Diamond as well as Jacques Greene since they were super young teenagers and they used to book me here. Even Lunice I’ve known for a long time. I used to come up to play the Turbo Crunk parties when I was living in New York, and I would actually be more excited about playing parties in Montreal than I was about playing in New York at the time. I just saw this crazy thing going on with these young kids. They’d be small parties, but they just really went off. I knew that it was going to be something that was ongoing.
Also, it feels like I’m in Europe every time I come here. There’s the French thing and just an overall vibe—especially with understanding electronic music—that kind of reminds me of the same sort of feeling in Europe.
Over the years, you’ve garnered a reputation for working fast and being really prolific. These days, you’re doing Machinedrum, Sepalcure, Jets, and other projects. How do you manage to constantly do music?
I’m trying to figure it out as I go along, more or less. I don’t know. The things that feel right, I do, and the collaborations that make sense, I really want to make them happen. The concept of collaboration is really interesting to me, and I like to explore it with the right people because it’s something you can never really experience by yourself. So when I see the opportunity to do that with somebody, I try to follow through with that as much as I can.
When you’re working on Jets or another collaborative project, does it feel like you’re entering a completely different creative space?
Kind of. [Jimmy Edgar and I] have known each other for so long that we kind of understand each other in a different way. It’s the same thing with Praveen (a.k.a. Braille) and Sepalcure—we also go really far back. There’s a certain understanding that happens in the studio when you already know each other personally, so you can kind of get away with doing things and allow each other to [say], “Maybe you shouldn’t do that.” And you trust the person enough, because you already know them so well, that you can let that lead your decisions.
With your collaborative projects, do you only work on stuff when you’re in the room with the other guy? Or do you sometimes bring in ideas that you’ve done yourself?
I try to. It’s kind of an understanding between me and Jimmy and me and Praveen and even with Om Unit for Dream Continuum that we really try flush out stuff together as much as we can. It’s usually in the post-production stages where swapping [files] kind of begins. With Jets for instance, a few of the songs we started on our own, like years ago, and then tried to revive them in some way. But I feel like the pure essence of each collaboration really comes out of the studio experience and us being there in the flesh and seeing how a song generates.
You have a new Machinedrum album, Vapor City, coming out in September. Does its release mean that you will be focusing on your solo work exclusively for a while?
After the album comes out, there’s definitely going to be a focus on touring and all of that. But I’m trying to take a break from [doing constant shows] and focus on the studio. There is going to be a focus on my own stuff, but also a lot of focus on collaborations that I’ve been wanting to do, because I really enjoy the experience of collaborating with different people. There’s just something about it. I’ve spent so long making songs on my own, so I kind of know how that is. There definitely is an unpredictable quality to it, but it’s even more so with collaborations. I want to focus on that as I get off the road more often and head into the studio.
How long have you lived in Berlin now?
For two years and a couple of months.
How are you feeling about the experience?
It feels good. I love the people there. I love the music scene there. I feel like I got to experience it more when I first moved there, and now that things have been taking off a bit more with shows, it’s harder to really relish that experience. Every time I go back now, I’m basically just holed up in the studio, trying to get as much work done as possible… At that point, you’re like, “Why even live in one of the biggest club cities in the world?” I feel like I’m being gravitated back towards the US. [Moving to Berlin] was never really a permanent decision. I was seizing the moment, because I saw an opportunity to play a lot of shows in Europe and milk that for what it was. I could still do that, but like I was just saying, I’m trying to get back more into the studio realm of things, and I don’t need to be in Europe for that. Also, my German is shit. [laughs]
Does that mean you’re going to be moving back to the US?
I’m moving back. I’m ready. I’ve never even told anybody that I planned on living in Berlin for the long haul. It’s always been known that I was just trying to figure out this shit and really, like I said, take advantage of what’s been going on in Europe. And to see how things have changed [in the US], just since I’ve left, has been crazy. Literally, within the year that I left, this whole… like, Skrillex wasn’t even really known two-and-a-half years ago when I moved. And to see that whole shift with EDM happen within the States, it seems like a resurgence of the whole “electronica” thing in a way, where people are understanding electronic music as a common thing, a household name. I think it’s great what’s going on, and I’ve always had faith that it would happen again.
So, in your opinion, does the whole “EDM”—we hate that term…
Yeah, I hate it too. Just like “electronica,” it’s an inevitable thing. It’s a name that you give to a mass understanding of electronic music. Because electronica at the time meant a lot of things, and so does EDM.
Do you think that the push of artists like Skrillex and that world has risen all boats, so to speak? Do you feel like it has trickled down?
Totally. I feel like there’s a very big trickle-down effect. Even if people don’t completely understand [artists] that are trying to push certain sounds or be a bit more leftfield or experimental, at least there’s an understanding of what’s going on [with electronic music] that is more within the pop spectrum. When I was doing laptop shows 10 years ago, people had no clue. [People would say,] “You have a laptop on stage? Are you just checking your email?” That was a constant thing. Now, people don’t really ask that. They’re like, “Yeah, you’re just rocking this rave. It’s dope!” So, that’s cool with me. Even if it’s a basic understanding [of electronic music], at least there’s some sort of momentum leading towards a forward-thinking kind of movement and it’s not just rock bands anymore.
Podcast 307: dBridge
Drum & bass doesn’t get a ton of attention on XLR8R these days, but certain artists’ work is simply too good to ignore. dBridge (a.k.a. Darren White) is one of those artists. The UK producer has been turning out quality tunes since the mid ’90s, and was also a member of seminal drum & bass supergroup Bad Company, but these days, he keeps busy as a solo producer. He continues to make drum & bass under the dBridge moniker, but also experiments with the 130-bpm range as Velvit. Somehow, he also finds the time to head up essential D&B outpost Exit Records, which remains a must-listen imprint. Next week, dBridge will be issuing the Move Way EP via R&S, a two-track effort that finds him still operating in top form. Given that, we figured that now would be a good time to hear a bit more of the UK veteran’s musical vision, so we invited him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. As expected, the mix has its fair share of drum & bass—it’s also worth noting that the vast majority of the tunes have been pulled from the Exit catalog—but the 50-minute session finds dBridge going well beyond the genre he’s most often affiliated with. Like many artists working with faster tempos, he’s discovered the potent possibilities that arise when footwork and D&B are brought together, and the podcast also includes several forays into half-time, hip-hop-esque rhythms. It’s a hectic listen, albeit an orderly one, as dBridge’s mixes are precise, to say the least. More importantly, they’re compelling, which is why we’ll have this mix on repeat throughout the week.
01 Beastie Respond “One More Second” (Exit) vs. Instra:mental “Watching You (acapella)”
02 Om Unit & Sam Binga “Triffidz” (Exit)
03 Fracture “Sick Wid It” (Exit)
04 Chimpo & Deesee “Dumb”
05 Chimpo “Haymaker”
06 Stray feat. Fracture “Bounce That” (Exit)
07 Stray “Professor Popper” (Exit)
08 Chimpo & Deesee “Bun It”
09 Kromestar “Purple Cloud” (Nebula)
10 Elek “Want You to Know” (Exit)
11 Stray “Matchsticks” (Exit)
12 Om Unit & Sam Binga “Electribe Riddim” (Exit)
13 Rockwell “*)* [808]” (Exit)
14 Stray “Dropping Bombs” (Exit)
15 Consequence & Fis “Cultural Trauma” (Exit)
16 dBridge & Skeptical “Move Way” (R&S)
17 Marcus Intalex “Gripped” (Exit)
18 Stray “LA Zoom” (Exit)
19 Kid Drama & Om Unit “Grind” (Exit)
20 Kid Drama “One 6 Eight” (Exit)
21 Nitri “Against Our Will (J:Kenzo Remix)” (Horizons)
22 J:Kenzo “One Drop” (Exit)
23 Philth “Nightmare Box (J:Kenzo Remix)”
24 Loxy & Resound “Residual Movement” (Exit)
25 Marcus Intalex “Qwer Key” (Exit)
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813 “Village (Obey City Remix)”*Apothecary Compositions*
Moscow beatmaker 813—who earlier this year dropped the sparkling Recolor EP via Slugabed’s Activia Benz label—is set to release his follow-up, a record which will mark the inaugural release for Apothecary Compositions. The Espoir Voyage EP features three original productions, as well as three remixes from bass-minded producers Obey City (who just dropped his Champagne Sounds EP via LuckyMe today), LiL TExAS, and DZA. Obey City’s version of “Village” beefs up 813’s already busy production, adding plenty of drama and dynamism to the track’s rolling, syncopated beats and taut vocal snippets. Espoir Voyage will be released on August 12 on red vinyl and digital formats, but in the meantime, it can be streamed in full after the jump.
Bobby Draino “Crux”*1080p*
Vancouver’s Bobby Draino has been steadily refining his brand of raw, blown-out house for some time now. Today, the producer is premiering his undeniably beach-ready track “Crux,” a rough, hardware-obsessed slice of bright, tropical house. There are hints of Omar-S‘s more jovial, synth-heavy moments in Bobby Draino’s latest, as well as a back-to-basics approach similar to the ethos of the L.I.E.S. label, a link further solidified by the production’s razor-thin tape hiss. “Crux” is part of a split release with fellow Vancouver artist Xophie Xweetland, called Chrome Split, which will be out as a cassette and digital package on August 20 via 1080p.
Hodge Holographic Prose EP
Bristol-based Hodge kicked off 2013 with a bang, collaborating with Pev to deliver hallucinogenic wind chimes on “Bells.” Though his sparse prior output hadn’t suggested a taste for such muffled psychedelia, he’s continued this vein of experimentation on Holographic Prose. Meant to showcase some of Hodge’s more unconventional ideas, and purportedly inspired by science-fiction novels, the EP doesn’t fully deliver on the three-dimensional promises of its title, although it does manage to capture some brief moments of interplanetary wonder.
“Holographic Prose” shuffles over brief bunches of white noise, with twinkling vibraphone breaking up the watery foundation. One can hear echoes of “Bells”‘ oscillations, but they sound aimless here, as though they’re shimmering towards an uncertain destination. “Pressure” fares better, with a squealing introduction that slowly fades beneath cavernous claps. It’s the most spacious production on the record, with subtle sub-bass movement that calms the track whenever it begins to feel like it might become too hectic. The song actually skitters to a halt in its last minute—it’s almost like the disjointed vocal sample simply becomes too tired to carry on.
“Monster” and “Slowing Behavior” both trundle on past their effectiveness, drifting into the wallpaper with casual percussive shifts. The latter moves with a hesitant menace without delivering on the sense of incoming impact, settling on a metronomic woodblock, a plucky synth line, and another remote and cooing vocal sample. “Monster” is content to revolve in place over a boom-bap rhythm drenched in reverb, supported by faded pads and a muffled radio transmission. They’re not completely bland, but given Hodge’s past work, one would expect works of such declared experimentation to be more unhinged. Here’s to hoping that Hodge’s future experiments are infused with the same focus he’s previously displayed while working in his comfort zone.
Native Instruments Introduces Drum Lab
German music-making hardware and software company Native Instruments recently unveiled its latest product, an intriguing software instrument called Drum Lab. With the tagline “Instant Bionic Impact,” NI’s new production tool is said to be a “first-of-its-kind sonic laboratory” in which producers can design their own sounds by implementing the organic resonance of acoustic drum kits with the punch and precision of electronic synthesis. Resident Advisor points out that Drum Lab comes complete with “on-board EQ, compression, and convolution reverb,” in addition to the “extensive groove library, with MIDI drum patterns derived from performances by professional drummers.” All of the program’s finer details can be perused here, where it can also be copped for the price of $99.
Daniel Avery Details Debut LP
Breakout UK DJ/producer Daniel Avery has been riding a steady trajectory into prominence on the back of quite a few EPs and 12″s for a handful of various labels, and has just unveiled that he will soon add to that sizable discography his debut full-length album. Drone Logic is a 12-song record from the London-based artist, and is said to “draw influences from beyond the dancefloor via My Bloody Valentine, NEU! and Chris Carter while still having the techno pulse to scale the walls of any club.” The LP’s title track and lead tune were featured on last year’s Water Jump EP (available to stream here) for Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label, who will also issue Avery’s forthcoming album. Before Drone Logic is released on October 7, its artwork and tracklist can be perused below.
1. Water Jump
2. Free Floating
3. Drone Logic
4. These Nights Never End
5. Naïve Response
6. Platform Zero
7. Need Electric
8. All I Need
9. Spring 27
10. Simulrec
11. New Energy (Live Through It)
12. Knowing We’ll Be Here.
Watch Deadboy’s Guide to Making “Hit Records”
Despite issuing his XLR8R Pick’d Blaquewerk EP, catching up with us in a Chatterbox feature, and launching his Total Fantasy label this year, London dancefloor hybridist Deadboy hasn’t exactly been prolific in 2013. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing, as it has given him enough time to put together this essential tutorial on “how to make hit records in, like, five minutes.” Clad in little more than a robe and sunglasses, Deadboy breaks down the basic keys to producing a winning tune in this four-minute video—tips which include the utilization of both kinds of snare drums and looping the pitched-down vocal hook “a bunch of times” because “everyone is gonna be drugs [and] they don’t remember the last time [they heard it].” The video might be useful primarily for producers who are just getting started (Deadboy explains how to go about getting a computer from “your Mem Mem and your Pep Pep”), but it wouldn’t be surprising if even the most seasoned of artists are able to walk away from this step-by-step guide of “how to make your beats funky and relevant” with some fresh insight into the world of hit-making. (via FACT)
Body High to Tour North America with Juan Atkins, DJ Pierre, and Anthony Shakir
The Los Angeles-based Body High label—which is jointly run by DJ/producers Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy—has announced that its next North American tour will take place in October. The spate of performances are set to be structured a little unconventionally, and will see Samo Sound Boy and Jerome LOL playing a run of nine dates over three weekends, each weekend enlisting a different guest to share their bill. The first weekend will see the pair playing alongside Detroit icon Juan Atkins, the second with Chicago acid pioneer DJ Pierre, and the third with techno legend Anthony Shakir. Body High’s fall tour will coincide with a free compilation from the label which will feature each of the artists involved in the tour—Samo Sound Boy’s cut was recently featured in an installment of Press Play. While we wait for both the tour and the compilation, the complete run of dates can be viewed below.
