Next week, Portuguese producer Shcuro will drop his Ignis Fatuus EP via the Circus Maximus imprint (also a Portugal-based outfit). Along with the pair of original tunes slated to appear on the forthcoming EP are a number of remixes including this one from burgeoning producer Daniel Guijarro (a.k.a. Headbirds). On his remix, Guijarro injects the original tune with a healthy dose of extra synthwork, which comes balanced by bits of precise drum programming. Preview streams of all five tracks which make up the forthcoming Ignis Fatuus EP—out on May 20—can be heard after the jump.
Last month, we reported that Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum (a.k.a. Travis Stewart)—who together operate as Jets—had launched the Ultramajic imprint, and would issue Edgar’s Hot Inside EP as its inaugural release on June 10. Today, a Yours Truly-curated clip of the pair has surfaced, one which finds Edgar and Stewart discussing the genesis of their collaborative project and the new label, while also taking the time to play a few cuts from a forthcoming Jets release. During the course of the discussion, the pair also wax amusingly about the differences between working and living in Berlin versus New York, most notably pointing to an abundance of free time and creative energy that exists in Berlin. The full clip is available to watch below.
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After first offering “I Can’t Hide” as a free download earlier this month, the sleek, garage-indebted cut from Parisian producer Evans has recieved a video treatment. Pulled from the No Way Back EP—out today via Barcelona’s Tracy imprint—the tune’s gliding chords and interlocked shuffle are set to a collection of campy horror-film footage, which loses its frightening edge as the catchy, R&B-touched club tune rolls along—though the “I Can’t Hide” title certainly rings true throughout. Preview clips for the rest of Evans No Way Back EP can be heard below.
The latest edition of XLR8R‘s weekly gear and music production roundup includes a look at Reason 7’s new MIDI functions, the Animoog for BlackBerry, Beatsurfing updates, iZotope’s new sound libraries, the newly released Arpeggionome app, and a free collection of FX racks for Live 9.
One of many substantial enhancements offered in the newly released Reason 7 software is that—for the first time—the program can send MIDI information out of the computer and into external hardware devices. Earlier this week, Propellerhead shared a video detailing the new function.
Vlek’s Beatsurfing app—a program we discussed at length with its creators when it was released last year—has updated the app with a host of enhanced features, including a quantize module, tweaks to the programmable objects, improvements to expressiveness, and fixes to a number of bugs encountered in Beatsurfing’s original version. Version 1.1 of the program is available for free in the iTunes store to existing Beatsurfing users. The full list of updated features and fixes that 1.1 brings can be found here.
No longer just an app for the iPhone and iPad, Moog’s powerful Animoog synthesizer app can now be used with the BlackBerry Z10.
App designer Alexander Randon has released his newest creation, an iPhone and iPad app which enables users to program unique arpeggio lines which can be customized and controlled. The Arpeggionome’s full details and capabilities can be read up on here, and it can be purchased for $0.99 in the iTunes store from now through the end of the month.
This week, iZotope unveiled two new sound libraries for its powerful, sample-based soft-synth Iris, created specifically for the software. Modular, built from real samples of new and vintage modular synthesizers, and Altered, built from real samples of traditional instruments being played in nontraditional ways, are profiled in the videos above. More information on both new Iris sound libraries can be found here.
Electronic musician, DJ, and sound designer Tarekith has revisited his popular Ableton Live 8 racks and updated them for use with Live 9. The racks include a few DJ-minded EQs and FX, along with unique signal processors, including the new “Lock and Key” and “Red Shift” racks. A free download of Tarekith’s Live 9 racks can be found on his website, here.
Record streams, remixes, DJ sets, unreleased tunes, music videos, and more fill out the space of this week’s Press Play, with an array of excellent artists—like Wiley, Nautiluss, Daphni, !!!, Steve Summers, Ejeca, Glimpse, Mark Fell, and others—contributing their fresh productions and well-curated selections. We think the music on offer is well worth the time it takes to start clicking those play buttons, which can be done after the jump.
This week, Border Community mainstay James Holden’s latest single, “Retana,” received a remix treatment at the hands of Dan Snaith’s Daphni project.
On Tuesday, Grime veteran Wiley uploaded a handful of new instrumentals, but by the end of the week, only one remained available to stream. Still, it’s a doozy.
To mark the release of his lastest effort for Aus this week, longstanding London producer Glimpse made his True South EP available to stream in full.
Fast-ascending Toronto techno producer/DJ Nautiluss shared a new all-vinyl mix which is said to indulge in some “late-night afterparty vibes.”
L.I.E.S. affiliate Steve Summers shared a stream of his forthcoming split 12″ with Italian producer Simoncino for the Thug label.
Dixon Avenue Basement Jams regular Marquis Hawkes let loose his remix of Ohm’s “Tribal Tone” from Unknown To The Unknown’s new reissue of classic ’90s track.
Mark Fell is set to launch a new chapter in his ongoing Sensate Focus series for Editions Mego, and shared a jagged, footwork-inspired tune from the project’s forthcoming release which features collaborator Sasu Ripatti.
Ejeca’s deep, chord-led remix of London vocalist John Newman found its way to SoundCloud this week.
San Francisco imprint Voltaire enlisted local DJ Hotthobo to put together an enticing mix of funky grooves and synthy cuts which the label is now offering as a free download.
!!! shared a video for upbeat cut “One Girl/ One Boy” from its recent THR!!!ER LP for Warp.
R&S affiliate and member of Jame Blake’s live band Airhead provided a stream of “Milkola Bottle,” a skittering track from his forthcoming debut LP, For Years.
Poet and former LV collaborator Joshua Idehen has linked up with budding UK producer Pále for a new EP, Playing Truant, from which the introspective “Dart” comes.
Los Angeles DJ and Friends of Friends associate Jazner’s house-focused set from a recent Bolier Room LA session is now up for stream/download.
Tracks like Marco Faraone‘s “Lesson” really cement the fact that house music and jazzy piano chords were just simply made for each other. Across its warm six-minute run, “Lesson” finds Italian producer Faraone and collaborator Piegaja piecing together a simple-but-effective house cut. Built on a slightly swung piano loop, the tune comes reinforced with clever drum programming which lets the glowing sample breath while the four-on-the-floor rhythms chug below. Taken from Faraone and Piegaja’s recent I Will Wait LP, “Lesson” is just the kind of tune DJs are beginning to look for to finally start turning spring into summer.
At one point during the mid ’90s, radio legend John Peel bestowed upon Dave Clarke the title of “The Baron of Techno.” The nickname has stuck ever since. And though the aughts weathered his legacy some, Clarke and his contributions to the genre during the decade prior have proven to be integral in dictating the current landscape of UK techno; his output from the period rivals that of grandfathered icons like Luke Slater and Surgeon. As such, fledgling Fabric offshoot Houndstooth seems like a curious choice to release the debut from _Unsubscribe_, a duo comprised of Clarke and studio partner Mr. Jones. Despite some history with the seminal London club—particularly, his 2011 entry into the Fabric mix series—Clarke doesn’t seem like the obvious choice to follow up Call Super’s inaugural release for Houndstooth. Whereas that EP was amorphous and understated, Spek Hondje is truly anything but.
Until now, _Unsubscribe_ had only dabbled in remix work. A quick scan of those tracks foreshadows the sound of Clarke’s new project—most notably, the knob-abusing nature of Erol Alkan’s and Boys Noize’s collaborative tryst and Ben Sims’ spinal-tap severity. Every aspect of a-side “Vox Spek Hondje” begets that kind of peaktime mania. Bulging from the jump, the production’s momentum pushes at the inseams, stuffing a glut of “techno sounds” into the mix with each escalating bar. The initial bruising bassline is present from the start, used as a constant throughout the ensuing combat zone of mistimed explosions, overhead spasms, and a detached robot forever counting “10.” A vocal contribution from Bear Who? tops the carnage, informing us that he is “the rhythm rider.” If this all sounds convoluted, that’s because it is. Taken as a standalone listen, it nears absurdity. But there’s nonetheless a lingering sense that—when placed in the hands of a DJ who revels in this grave lunacy, such as Clarke himself—it could cause absolute damage.
The flip offers a bit of reprieve. With less cacophony to crowd the ascension and no vocals in the mix, “Inst Spek Hondje” feels more pronounced, remorseless even, allowing the aforementioned bassline to do all the talking necessary. A “Bassapella” version is available in the digital package, but it’s a rather non-essential addition to the tracklist, as it mars the original production into a frayed haze while burying its propulsion. In the context of Houndstooth’s brief catalog, the release broadens the barriers—a wise move if it hopes to avoid solidifying listener expectations this early into its existence. And in relation to Clarke’s quarter-century-spanning cannon, _Unsubscribe_ feels like a proper shot in the arm, not to mention a reminder that Peel’s tastes still reign supreme.
SFV Acid‘s debut LP, The Dwell (artwork above), will see a release at the end of this month, and after first sharing a stream of album cut “Misto,” the West Coast producer has offered up a track from the forthcoming record for download. “PT Sex” is a brief but enchanting beat, one that pairs a head-nod-worthy drum-machine trot with miniature synth gurgles and swells of fuzzy chords. Judging from the two bits of audio the man has so far decided to float from his debut full-length, The Dwell—out on May 28 via UNO—is shaping up to be a pleasantly unpredictable outing.
Colonized, Paula Temple‘s first release since 2006 and her debut EP for R&S, finds the producer, DJ, and hardware engineer exploring the starker, more punishing edges of powerful warehouse techno. It’s an effort that finds her diving fearlessly into aggressive percussion and arresting industrial instrumentation, resulting in some effective, no-holds-barred dancefloor monsters.
The title track is the fiercest original, a storm of distorted kick drums, crashing cymbal flashes, and unnerving squeaks and screeches. It’s a savage and straightforward track whose every component is so big that the sheer might of the production tends to overwhelm. Temple’s other EP cuts are composed of similar elements, but are slightly more subdued. “Cloned” and “Decolonized” pit dark, intense percussion against jagged, razor-sharp rave synths to make for a couple more apocalyptic bangers. For the most part, Colonized doesn’t reach beyond that territory for inspiration, which does make everything feel a little generic. For instance, the monosyllabic female vocal, zooming FX, and glitchy beat on “Cloned” are engrossing on their own, but as a whole, the track is a by-the-books burner hewn from booming drums and clipped samples.
Similarly, UK stalwart Perc (a.k.a. Ali Wells) colors within the lines of the warehouse-techno format on his two remixes of “Colonized,” though his “Metal Mix” does kick the blinding intensity up a notch. Blasts of ear-splitting noise make for an enormous break roughly four minutes into the track, momentarily halting its momentum with blaring shrieks before the driving beat sets in again. The “Bubble Mix” is, for the most part, pretty similar to its sibling, but the shrill sounds are scaled back and instead bathed in wavering pads.
Following its Call2Call 12″ for Turbo earlier this year, Finnish duo Renaissance Man have announced it will launch its own label, Black Ocean, with the release of a new EP from the pair next month. Black Ocean is said to serve as the main outlet for Renaissance Man’s productions going forward, but will also release work from other producers and projects down the line. The label’s inaugural EP, Early Man, will come from the label heads themselves and wil see a release on June 24; its artwork and tracklist are included below.
