London-based DJ and producer Champion, who we happened to name as one of our Best New Artists of 2012, will release his first offering of 2013 at the end of April. The new 12″ is called “Hydra Island” b/w “Prince Jammy” and follows his “Crystal Meth” release on grime label Butterz—not to mention his XLR8Rpodcast—from last year. Both tunes have been staples of his DJ sets, and continue to find him fleshing out funky rhythms with muscular grime flourishes. It’s not exactly clear why “Hydra Island” b/w “Prince Jammy” is being issued as a white label, but the record will drop through Champion’s own Formula Records on April 27; a full preview can be found below.
Samo Sound Boy’s and Jerome LOL’s Body High imprint dropped its first release of the year today, gathering six new productions from Floyd Campbell for the LA tunesmith’s sophomore effort, the Bank Walls EP (artwork above). “Catch Vapyrs” serves as one the EP’s earliest cuts, its mix of cosmic futurism and subtle bass bounce landing it somewhere between a more sinister Jam City and spacey ghetto house. Though his various sonic elements may seem at odds with each other on paper, Campbell manages to fit an array of glistening, new-age synths in the same space as menacing percussion and foreboding synth runs—all of which meet with the tune’s bouncing kicks to make “Catch Vapyrs” sound uniquely fit for the dancefloor. A streaming preview of all six Bank Walls tracks can be heard after the jump.
From his base in Atteridgeville, South Africa—an almost entirely black township located outside the mostly white city of Pretoria—Marvin Ramalepe (a.k.a. DJ Spoko) has in the past few years created and proliferated his own brand of house music, which he’s termed “Bacardi house.” A style which became popular at the township’s nighttime outdoor parties, usually attended by many “Bakakathi” (the local slang for “gangster”) with a taste for Bacardi cider—hence the name—the stripped-down productions favored raw rhythms and sharp percussion instead of the smooth and deep house crafted by many of Ramalepe’s peers. While his recent Ghost Town EP for True Panther may serve as a first introduction to many outside South Africa, Spoko is certainly not a new artist by any means; he started making tracks in the late ’90s and later studied production and engineering with Nozinja, the creator of the Shangaan Electro style. Along the way, he also became one of Atteridgeville’s premier producers and jocks. With all this in mind, we were curious to find out just how and where Spoko crafts his unique brand of house, so we paid a visit to the man’s studio, which happens to be situated in a small tin shack behind his house.
XLR8R: When did you start producing? DJ Spoko: I started around 1997, just programming with a computer running Evolution Studio LE.
And what style of music were you making then? I started out making the same stuff that I do right now, Bacardi house.
Did you come to the world of production from DJing? No, I DJ now, but back in those days, I didn’t. I was trying to be a sound engineer. I had gone to Soweto to learn to produce and do some engineering, [but] I started DJing when I moved to the township.
Do you think having that experience as a DJ now helps you when making tracks? Yeah, it helps because I always know what the people want. [When you DJ,] you are there with them and you can find out what kind of a beat they are looking for.
How do you usually start a track? With a sample, a drum loop, or something like that? No, I don’t just start a track—it has to be in the head first, you know? Once it’s banging in my head, I start to make it happen with the keyboards. I can hear the full track in my head, and then I have to separate it out—figure out what the key is, find how the bass goes. Sometimes I’ll have to leave the idea behind because I end up with something better.
And you can recall the ideas in your head with enough detail to get them down? Usually, yeah. I always carry my laptop, it’s like a mobile mini-studio, so when I hear an idea, I can just lay it down on there before I get into the studio to do the final thing.
Are there ever times when you don’t have an idea in your head and are just messing around to see what happens? Yeah, if there’s nothing in my mind, I just play around. Actually, that is when I come up with the stuff that I love the most because I had never heard it before. [laughs] Like the song “I Remember,” I was just messing with the vocal of my friend G-Dog, he had recorded an intro for a hip-hop track I was doing, and I just started messing around with that and eventually came up with a new track.
How do you get your sounds? Do you do a lot of sampling or are you recording musicians? Some instruments I play live, some are samples. Sometimes, I’ll sample a single sound into the keyboard and then play it on there.
And then you arrange the tracks using your computer? Yes, when I’m sequencing the music I use Fruity Loops as the main program, but I use Cubase to record and edit vocals.
What’s the workflow like when you work with vocalists? Many times, I’ll have a vocal line in my head, maybe without any music—just a vocal banging in my head. Then I’ll try to translate that idea onto a track with the help of the artist. Other times, if they have a specific style or gimmick, we just go with it. On the track “Azange,” I had thought of everything in my head and then I had Magaula and Puzuzu come into my studio and sing it all for me.
Do a lot of your peers’ studios look like this or is yours unique? Mine is one of the smallest ones around. I actually like the size because I don’t have to plug in too many things and I know it really, really well. In big-time studios, there is just so much stuff there and you work hard to use it all and to try to convince yourself that everything is sounding okay. If I could, I’d just use a laptop and no mixer, but that’s not possible right now.
What do use the mixer for? Everything comes through the mixer—my keyboards, the computer running Fruity Loops—and then into my laptop [where it all gets recorded]. From there, I’ll start editing and go play out what I’ve recorded. If everything is not right, I’ll come back and edit again and again until it’s good.
So how long then does it take you to finish a track? It’s amazing because it usually only takes me 10 to 20 minutes.
And that includes the mix? When I program, I mix at the same time. When I am putting the snare and kick in the right positions, I’m adjusting the levels at the same time.
You must have a lot of tracks lying around then? Yeah, I have a lot. [laughs] Ain’t nothing else I can do but make music everyday.
Would you say you have a signature sound or some element that ties together all the music you make? My synthesized strings—you can’t miss them in my music—and my sub snare. That snare is a sample that I made—it’s actually a combination of snares. I tried to combine them all so that they had this really deep sound, so you can feel it. I use that snare in all of my songs. Even the young producers who come up through me, they know that without that snare, you ain’t going to be next to Spoko. You have to have it. That’s why you’ll hear it in so much Bacardi house, because I distributed that snare sound to the young guys who wanted to make that style [of music].
Do you help a lot of younger producers get their start? Yeah, I do a lot of mentoring, a lot of teaching. I’ve got a solid line of DJs that have come through me. I’m just trying to build my township. DJ Mujava was one of my students—still is one of my students. Those I believe can make it, I try to help out. Guys like Mujava, who used to come to my crib everyday in the morning and wake me up. That shows that they have potential and are serious about what they’re doing.
And you’ve done that for years now? Yeah, that’s why they call me the Emperor Spoko—I’m the first one to do this, the number one, you know? [laughs]
All right, last question. Say you had all the money in the world to build a studio, what’s the one thing you would absolutely need to have? If I had a bunch of money, I’d make sure my studio was completely digitally equipped—to get that real clean sound. If I had that, I’d just lock myself in there and throw away the key.
Like many members of the UK’s current crop of up-and-coming producers, Bobby Champs has a style that’s hard to pin down. Falling somewhere between house, techno, and the increasingly nebulous terrain of bass music, his tunes are frequently marked by their propulsive drive and chunky low end. After making a splash in 2012 with releases such as Moonlight, Drag Queen, and the Steve Martin EP, the young, Brighton-based beatmaker recently kicked off his 2013 with a four-track effort for the excellently curated West Norwood Cassette Library imprint. Arguably Champs’ finest release to date, the record indicates that he’s poised to do big things in the months and years ahead, which is why we’ve enlisted him to put together a mix for the XLR8R podcast series. Nearly an hour in length, the mix seems to fly by, as Champs’ penchant for full-throttle sonics apparently extends to his work as a DJ. Moving quickly through 20 tracks—many of which are new and/or unreleased—Champs keeps the kick in the forefront; even during the occasional respites, one can’t shake the feeling that thunderous rhythms are lying in wait just around the corner. Taken as a whole, the podcast may not be relaxing, but it certainly is thrilling, and we suspect that’s the point.
01 Blur “Jets” (Parlophone) 02 Martyn “Horror Vacui” (Brainfeeder) 03 Shifted “The Cold Light (Sektor D)” (Avian) 04 Anthony Naples “Bun Dem Out” 05 Trikk “Midnight Sequence” (Hypercolour) 06 xxxy “Progression” (Ten Thousand Yen) 07 Laszlo Dancehall “Flute Worx” 08 Severn Beach “Stitches” (Audio Culture) 09 Bobby Champs “Krenshaw” (WNCL) 10 Mr. Tophat & Art Alfie “I Want to See (That You’re in Luv with Me)” (Karlovak) 11 Percussions “Rabbit Songs” (Text) 12 Matthew Dear “Fighting Is Futile (KiNK Extended Dub)” (Spectral Sound) 13 Unknown “Untitled” 14 West Norwood Cassette Library “We Have to Live in the Future” (Hypercolour) 15 Will & Ink “First Fermat” (WINK001) 16 Unknown “Untitled” 17 Palace “Amnesia” 18 South London Ordnance “Transmission Funk” (Hotflush) 19 Leon Vynehall “Brother” 20 Latecomer “Cosmic Cart” (MCDE)
XLR8R first posted about the release of the “Rashad (Loose Pace)” single by Guerre (pictured above) late last year, and now the Australian producer has sent over this remix of the effort’s title track from Melbourne duo Forces. Where Guerre’s Shlohmo-esque original slowly inched its way along, Forces has added a messy, multilayered jumble of dancefloor-ready beats, all while keeping the original’s dreamy vocals intact and repeating throughout. Forces’ remix has sufaced alongside another rework of Guerre by US producer Parisian, which can be grabbed for free here via the Sydney-based Yes Please imprint.
Hyperdub has long been known as a forward-thinking outpost, yet the label hasn’t really delved into juke and footwork, even after the initial waves of new attention to those genres swelled up around 2010. One could come up with a multitude of reasons as to why it hasn’t released more of this kinetic, futuristic music, from industry competition to compatibility with the label’s sound. In any case, Hyperdub has now changed course and contracted scene kingpin DJ Rashad for Rollin’, an EP which proves that the producer and his collaborators—two of whom, DJ Manny and DJ Spinn, appear here—have not let a rise in profile go to their heads.
Still, Rashad and his Teklife crew have at times been charged with making a streamlined, formalist sort of footwork, especially compared to the rebellious young producers showcased on Planet Mu’s Bangs & Works compilations. Rollin’ is not dissimilar to his recent efforts, as it’s been finished with a crisp fidelity and is laced with samples of rap and R&B. On the title track, Rashad pans crystalline softness amid halftime drums before he cautiously teases out footwork’s signature stumble. The pitch-shifted vocal sample is initially about lost love and “rolling back” to someone, but soon a male interjects, after “rolling,” with “off the molly,” shifting the tenor of the track to the druggy. It’s a disorienting switch in focus, and coupled with twinkling, transposed arpeggiations, it’s plain to hear why Hyperdub signed it. “Let It Go,” meanwhile, makes a fine case for the furthering of footwork/jungle crossover, as Rashad implements breaky, rolling drums, elegiac pads, and a wailing, melancholy vocal. It’s almost harder picking out the parts not influenced by UK rave music, but the Chicagoan influences, particularly in the track’s stuttering drum patterns, eventually reveal themselves once the tune’s second half drops the breaks. “Drums Please,” Rashad’s collaboration with DJ Manny, does what its title asks. It’s an absolute onslaught of snares, complemented by minor organ chords and cut down the middle by a shrill, plastic synth melody. For all its excitement, it is perhaps the most even-keeled, symmetrical track here, a true showcase of the duo’s dexterity. DJ Spinn, as may be expected, lends “Broken Hearted” some of his trademark soul flavor. There’s good reason to believe the swirling melodies and vocal samples are his doing, as they convey a heartfelt sensibility scarcely found on the other tracks. Its presence is so pronounced, however, that Rashad’s drums feel like something of an afterthought. If any more proof was needed of Rashad’s flexibility, however, it, like the other tracks on Rollin’, serves as a fine testament.
Shortly after the release of his well-received House of Woo LP, FACT has recruited Future Times label boss Andrew Field-Pickering (a.k.a. Maxmillion Dunbar) for the latest installment of its ongoing mix series. The mix offers several unreleased tracks from Field-Pickering’s various projects, including Beautiful Swimmers, Maxmillion Dunbar, and his newest venture for the L.I.E.S. imprint, Dolo Percussion. Also featured are tracks from veteran producers Gemini and Marcellus Pittman, as well as plenty of bits from the L.I.E.S. roster. The whole thing is available to stream and download here.
French producer Elize will officially be adding her name to the roster of UK-based label Tenth Circle later this month, and “All These Ices” actually marks her first appearance here on XLR8R. Though Mercier was raised practicing piano, this cut flaunts some of her more dancefloor-minded passions. The delectably polite house track comes embellished with a pitch-shifted hook that’s rendered mostly indiscernible save for a few R&B-esque refrains. “All These Ices” comes packaged as part of the three-track About This Girl EP (artwork above), which is scheduled to drop on March 25.
Following several months of gestation, Eglo Records—home to artists like Floating Points (pictured above), Funkineven, and Fatima—has announced a forthcoming double-CD compilation, Eglo Records Vol. 1, to celebrate four years of the label’s existence. Presented in chronological order, the compilation kicks off with Floating Points’ inaugural 7″, “Radiality,” and proceeds through the imprint’s entire catalog. The record will finish off with four previously unreleased tunes from Fatima, Shaunise, Gifted & Blessed, and the Floating Points Ensemble. Given that, the collection functions both as a retrospective and an introduction to the label’s output in 2013, which will include upcoming releases by Floating Points and Fatima, as well as singles from new signees Dirg Gerner and Strange U. In addition to all the tracks, the compilation will feature a 20-page booklet, with a foreward from label boss Alexander Nut and photography from Vent Fury. Eglo Records Vol. 1 is out April 29. The artwork and full tracklist are posted below.
It isn’t fair to paint Scottish producer Lockah‘s productions strictly as trap. Just as likely to incorporate juke, bass, R&B, or the supersonic instrumental hip-hop of geographic neighbors like Hudson Mohawke or Rustie, Tom “Lockah” Banks’ modest catalog often goes beyond much of the trendy genre’s more stereotypical—and often cheesy—elements, even if it is still heavy on low-slung crunk beats and ravey synths. The same is true of his Only Built 4 Neon Nites EP.
After a brief intro teases out the EP’s ’80s Italo theme, lead track “Young Neon Countach” asserts Banks’ skill at crafting epic synth melodies as well as his fondness for vintage electro and boogie. The strongest contender on the EP, it is a rollercoaster of fuzzy triplets, padded drum rolls, the chattering teeth of Southern hip-hop beats, and the plucky funk of slap-bass, all led through a series of build-ups and breakdowns by a powerful and poppy lead melodic line. It’s this swirling of influences that has reviewers mashing up genres into hashtags like “progstep” and “drum & juke” as they attempt to sum up his synth-heavy and rhythmic work.
While the Frankensteining of these genres may be misguided, the sentiment is accurate. “Guards Red Carrera” sees a juke framework pushed into new musical territory as a manic footwork rhythm breakdances over the staccato punch of a wobbly 8-bit bassline, delicate stabs of digital strings, and the piercing brightness of yet another dominating refrain, one that glows with the neon din of the retro cityscapes from which he’s drawn influence. In contrast, mellow EP closer “Platinum Blonde” serves as a ride-off-into-the-sunset sendoff, as scuzzed-up and beefy chords are offset by squeaky-clean piano counterparts and a syrupy R&B pace.
“Let the Cool Air Breeze” entices listeners in with the same warm promise of vintage drum-machine claps, buoyant toms, and more boogie synth melodies laid on top of one another. But the turn it takes into a stripped-down trap version of Adam Sandler’s “The Longest Pee,” complete with samples of water dribbling into a pool, is the type of sophomoric and cheeky production move that assures its disposability. Particularly in the wake of Baauer’s “Harlem Shake,” any artist attempting to maintain a sense of higher artistry within the trap scene should be actively seeking ways to separate his or her work from what could easily prove to be a short-lived fad. Banks may suffer slightly from his single-minded approach to the ’80s motif on Only Built 4 Neon Nites and a taste misstep or two, but his ability to maintain a unique voice within a dangerously confining sound and remain creatively consistent across his efforts go a long way toward elevating him above the fray.
