Page 162 – XLR8R

Tresor Welcomes Minimal Violence for Three-EP Series

Tresor Records will welcome Minimal Violence to the label, starting with the first chapter in a series of three records entitled DESTROY —> [physical] REALITY [psychic] <— TRUST, to be released over the next 12 months.

The Vancouver, Canada duo released an album on Ninja Tune offshoot Technicolour last year, following outings on Lobster Theremin and 1080p. We’re told that their Tresor debut sits “at the furthest edges of their idiosyncratic brand of ferocious hardware techno,” and that this first EP, Phase One, mirrors the explosive cut and thrust of their live sets.

“Throughout, Ash Luk and Lida P cut their cinematic melodies into a clattering rave hole, unceasingly revising the gravitational pull in each direction,” Berlin the label adds.

You can read more about Minimal Violence in their XLR8R studio feature here.

Tracklisting

A1. Ravebomb (Original Mix)
A2. Ravebomb (Fire Mix)
B1. Perfect Rendition
B2. The Next Screen Is Death

Phase One will release on April 24 on 180g. 12″ vinyl and digitally. Meanwhile, you can stream “The Next Screen Is Death” in full below. The second and third phases will be announced soon.

Brooklyn Noise Jazz Trio GRID Announce Second Album, ‘Decomposing Force’

GRID, the Brooklyn noise jazz trio comprised of Matt Nelson on sax, Tim Dahl on bass, and Nick Podgurski on drums, have announced their second album, Decomposing Force.

The 39-minute LP follows the group’s standalone single from November 2019, Stranglehold : The world according to Herbert Huncke (feat. Lydia Lunch), as well as their 2017 self-titled debut album, both released on NNA Tapes. With their debut pressed solely on cassette, Decompsing Force presents the group’s first vinyl release, offered in a limited edition run.

Decomposing Force was recorded with no overdubs and mixed directly to 1/2 inch tape, captured by Jason LaFarge at Seizures Palace. The technical process and the methods GRID used to record the album define the overall tonality.

“With Dahl’s bass-amp angled directly into the microphone Nelson uses for his saxophone, the improvisational sounds of the entire band are fed through Nelson’s pedals and monitor to create a continuously interactive and variable feedback loop that comes to define the visceral immensity of GRID’s soundscapes,” NNA Tapes explains.

The album was mixed by Michael Coleman at Figure 8 and mastered by Carl Saff. Decomposing Force will also be met with a run of US and European tour dates this spring, which will be announced soon.

Tracklisting

01. Brutal Kings
02. Nythynge
03. The Weight of Literacy
04. Cold Seep

Decomposing Force LP is out on April 24 via NNA Tapes. Meanwhile, you can pre-order here and stream opener “Brutal Kings” below.

American Composer Rafael Anton Irisarri Signs to Dais Records with Tempestuous New Album

Rafael Anton Irisarri will release his tempestuous new album on Dais Records.

While Irisarri’s compositions typically thread through oceanic symphonies with tape loops, bowed electric guitar, and vast washes of overdriven sound, Peripeteia incorporates metal and classical influences that emphasize Irisarri’s melancholic tendencies. These overtures, coupled with his signature layers of distortion, conjure complex environments of dissonance and harmony.

“My previous works internalized exterior forces or circumstances, trying to make sense of the world,” Irisarri says. “Peripeteia reverses that approach, focusing on the personal in order to tell a wider human story.”

Over the years, Isarri, an American composer, has become ubiquitous within the spheres of ambient, drone, and electronic music. He’s put out several albums on Room40 and Umor Rex, the last, Solastalgia, coming last year.

Tracklisting

01. I Still Have The Sun To Cast A Light
02. Between The Negative Voids
03. Mellified
04. Arduous Clarity
05. Refuge_Refuse
06. Yearn
07. Fright And Control
08. Vanishing Points

Peripeteia LP is out on May 22 on vinyl and digitally. Meanwhile, you can stream “Arduous Clarity” below, and pre-order the album here.

Whities Welcomes JASSS for Two Killer, IDM-Influenced Jams

JASSS will release her next record via Whities later this month.

Whities 027 is JASSS’ first solo record since 2017’s Weightless, out via iDEAL Recordings. The label describes it as “an unapologetic ode to rave,” influenced by JASSS’ initial experiences of dance music as a teenager—”a release for those that must imagine world’s unseen and a projection of what it felt like to experience a new reality for the first time,” the label continues.

JASSS, real name Silvia Jiménez Alvarez, began releasing music in 2016. She originates from the northern coast of Spain.

The release follows Minor Science’s debut album on Whities.

Tracklisting

A / 1. Turbo Olé
B / 2. We Solve This Talking

Whities 027 EP is out March 20 on limited edition vinyl and digitally. You can pre-order here, where you can also stream opener “Turbo Olé.”

MJ Cole Transitions into a New World of Piano-Based Ambience on New Album

MJ Cole has unveiled his new album, MJ Cole presents Madrugada, out Friday, April 3 on Decca Records.

As its title suggests, the album is inspired by madrugada, meaning those strange, seductive hours before sunrise in Spanish. It marks a personal interlude for MJ Cole, real name Matthew Coleman, that transitions him from his electronic music past into a new world of piano-based ambience led almost entirely by his intimate piano playing, accented by subtle electronics and luxurious string arrangements.

“I’ve made hundreds of records and had albums out before, but this record has always been brewing in the background,” Coleman says. “It’s been gestating my whole life, but the execution of it has been very quick.”

Coleman adds: “I really feel like a new artist. This isn’t just me sitting down at the piano and writing something nice and ambient, I’m coming at it as a hardcore manipulator of sounds. You can hear my breath, you can hear the pedal, you can hear the piano as a living instrument. It’s all about expression. When I play the piano I go into a meditative state, other thoughts don’t come into my head.”

Dropping alongside this news is the release of the album’s first single, “Cathedral,” a cinematic blend of gentle piano playing and ethereal, resonant strings accompanied by a Henry Dean-directed music video. Shot in Kiev, Ukraine, it’s a snapshot into the mystical hours of the madrugada and the people that operate in them.

It’s been 17 years since Coleman last released an album. In 2019, he claimed co-writing and co-producing credits on Stormzy’s Heavy Is The Head album single “Crown” and unveiled his Waking Up EP.

MJ Cole presents Madrugada will make its live debut at EartH Hackney on Wednesday, April 29. Tickets are available from March 6 here.

Tracklisting

01. A Visit To Lolita
02. Far Closer
03. Cathedral
04. Knocking
05. Sonoran
06. 90 Miles
07. Solo Waltzer
08. Strings For Jodie
09. Reimagination
10. Psalm 892
11. Dizzy New Heights
12. Resolution

MJ Cole presents Madrugada LP is out April 3 with pre-order here. Meanwhile, you can stream “Cathedral” in full below.

Henrik Schwarz and Bugge Wesseltoft Share Live Piano Improvisation from Berlin’s Radialsystem

Between Buttons has released a live piano collaboration from Henrik Schwarz and Norway’s Bugge Wesseltoft, titled In Spite of Everything.

At the heart of the record, which spans one track at five minutes in length, is improvisation—”technology and the joy of playing often meet and beautiful creations are formed,” the label explains.

The pair recorded it during a live concert at Berlin’s Radialsystem, playing opposite each other on two grand pianos. Wesseltoft played one of these, and the second is a so-called player piano, in which the keys are driven by motors and which Schwarz controls in real time with a computer program written especially for this piece. The program is highly reactive and sensitive, creating a sparkling piano duet of pulsating energy and wild dynamics.

Following the record on March 6 will be a club version with extra bass, kick drum, and strings, coming via Sunday-Music, the label Schwarz runs with Klas Lindblad. Pre-order is available here, and there is a full stream below.

Schwarz launched Between Buttons in 2017 as a platform for his neo-classical sounds.

Tracklisting

01. In Spite Of Everything

The acoustic version of In Spite of Everything is available now. Meanwhile, you can view a video of the live performance below.

Lorenzo Senni Unveils Debut Album for Warp, ‘Scacco Matto’

Lorenzo Senni has unveiled Scacco Matto, his debut album for Warp.

Scacco Matto is Senni’s fifth album, following 2014’s Superimpositions, and it comes nearly four years after his Persona EP, his Warp debut.

Musically, it’s a continuation of the Milan-based multi-disciplinary artist’s distinctive “pointillistic” style,” where gated, taut sounds are arranged as relentlessly as drumless rhythms and melody.

The album’s title means “checkmate” in Italian, a reference to the constant “opponent” within the tracks—”like I was playing a chess game with myself,” Senni explains. “I was really trying to bring the music to a certain place and then switch advantageously to another approach. I wanted to see how far I could push the ideas I’ve been developing since Quantum Jelly and in order to do that, I needed to force self-imposed limits and rules.”

When recording, such rules saw him countering his own last move, “as an opponent whose every turn causes a disruption which requires a reaction,” the label says.

The artwork is an image from American photographer John Divola, which shows a picturesque Californian view shot through a dilapidated window frame dotted with pointillistic globs of black paint. Senni sees his own practice reflected in Divola’s work—he is not destroying dance music, but vandalizing it. “He’s smashing it to pieces and playing chess with shards—creating tension and ultimately finding resolution,” the label adds.

Tracklisting

01. Discipline of Enthusiasm
02. XBreakingEdgeX
03. Move In Silence (Only Speak When It’s Time To Say Checkmate)
04. Canone Infinito
05. Dance Tonight Revolution Tomorrow
06. The Power Of Failing
07. Wasting Time Writing Lorenzo Senni Songs
08. THINK BIG

Scacco Matto LP is out on April 24. Meanwhile, you can stream opener “Discipline of Enthusiasm ” below, and pre-order here.

Australian Hip-Hop Collective Superego Enlist Sampa The Great for New Single

Western Australia hip-hop collective Superego have released their fiery new single, Outer Body Stranger, in collaboration with Sampa The Great.

Outer Body Stranger is a personal coming of age story produced by Superego member Faoul Duke and written by Sampa The Great with band frontman POW(ER)! Negro, who describes it as an “attempt for a deeper connection to his African heritage, while coming to terms with being a person of mixed race living in Australia.”

Formed in 2017, the five-piece collective deliver experimental, electronically-influenced, drum-driven tracks with thoughtful and often aggressive bars and glitchy sax lines. They were brought together through their love of hip-hop production and unique live music, and have gained a reputation around Australia for their energetic live show. Together, they speak to the black experience in a predominantly white Australia, as well as the unique social and individual challenges we face in the modern world.

Superego’s first EP, Jasmine & Liquorice, surfaced in 2017, and they’ve since returned with digital-only tracks Flesh Off The Bone and Caller ID, which spoke to the inner turmoil we face when dealing with feelings of inadequacy, helplessness, and self loathing.

Outer Body Stranger forms part of the collective’s second EP, Nautilus, which drops on March 25. You can stream it in full below with a video directed, shot, and edited by Matsu Photography. Meanwhile, the EP’s first single, Burn, is available here.

Tomás Urquieta’s New EP is a Reaction to Chile’s Recent Social Protests

Tomás Urquieta will release his new record on Colombian label Insurgentes.

Síntesis de Fricción showcases Urquieta’s fierce and riot-infused style across three stinging tracks. It’s a reaction to Chile’s recent social protests, and aims to induce a space for rebellion, liberation, and freedom on the dancefloor.

“The EP is completely cognitive with the situation happening in Chile, but it lives within my imagination,” Urquieta says.

“Dopamina,” the opener, is built upon percussive carnage and stabbing subs. On “Síntesis de Fricción,” Urquieta pays homage to Argentine musician Ricardo Iorio. Finally, “Céfiiro” introduces a somber melancholy in which “happiness and chaos coexist under one same roof,” the label explains.

Urquieta, originally from Chile, is a regular on Infinite Machine, recognised for his gritty, punk-infused electronics. You can read more about him as part of his XLR8R podcast here.

Tracklisting

A1. Dopamina
B1. Síntesis de Fricción
B2. Céfiro

Síntesis de Fricción EP is out digitally and on limited edition vinyl on April 2. Meanwhile, you can pre-order the record here, and stream clips below.

https://soundcloud.com/insurgentesco/tomas-urquieta-sintesis-de-friccion-ins-7

We Are Giving Away Over $10k Worth of Packages to Lake Tahoe’s Altus Festival

XLR8R is offering current and new XLR8R+ subscribers a range of packages to the upcoming Altus Festival in Lake Tahoe, taking place from March 18 to 22.

We will be giving away five GA double passes ($700+), five VIP double passes ($1000+), and one four-night double lodging package, including full festival and lift passes, worth over $1,600.

For anyone that isn’t a current XLR8R+ member, all you have to do is SUBSCRIBE HERE for $5 a month and email [email protected] with your name and “Altus Festival” as the subject. If you’re already a subscriber, simply email in your name. The winners will be selected using a random number generator and notified on March 9. Please note: entries close at 8 am PST on March 9. You and your guest must be current XLR8R+ subscribers to win and attend the festival. You can find out more about XLR8R+ here.

Announced this year as a key event of Tahoe South’s Spring Loaded campaign, Altus Festival is a four-day, multi-venue, slope-to-club music festival taking place across the renowned Heavenly Mountain Resort—the only ski resort in North America to span across two states (California and Nevada). With over four unique stages on offer spanning house, techno, old-school hip-hop, and more beat-driven styles, Altus is not one to be missed.

The inaugural year will host performances and showcases from over 50 international artists, including Rhadoo, Derrick Carter, Sugarhill Gang, Lee Burridge, Mr. G (Live), Bonobo, WhoMadeWho, DJ Three, Behrouz, Atish, Ryan Crosson, Jason Kendig (a.k.a. Honey Soundsystem), Shaun Reeves, Ricoshëi, Robag Wruhme, No Regular Play, Jay Tripwire, Doc Martin, Doormen On Vacation (John Aquaviva, Roland Leesker & Phillipp Jung), Droog/Culprit, Mr. C, and many more.

XLR8R will also host an XLR8R+ stage, alongside a selection of internationally recognized brands, including Visionquest, Dialogue, Sunset Sound System, Do Not Sit by Behrouz, Pink Mammoth, Listed + Flash, and more.

You can find out more information about the festival, including accommodation, ski/snowboard, and festival packages, here.

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