UK DJ/producer Michael Dodman (a.k.a. Huxley) has announced that he’ll soon release another two-track EP via Hypercolour. Set to drop on March 11, the forthcoming 12″ includes dancefloor-ready cuts “Bellywedge” (which George FitzGerald dropped in his Essential Mix for Radio 1 last month, not mention Huxley’s own Little White Earburds podcast) and “Little Things.” In related news, Dodman is set to start his own monthly Rinse FM show on February 18, the inaugural airing of which he will showcase both cuts unreleased track alongside more fresh tunes and classics from across the spectrum of electronic music. You can check out the artwork for Huxley’s Bellywedge EP below.
Brian Foote, who is making his 100% Silk debut on February 11 as Leech, has been a noble fixture in left-field, ambient IDM projects: He had a long stint as Nudge, has done production work for both Zola Jesus and Grouper, and helps with operations at the longstanding Chicago indie label Kranky. Now, Foote transitions to an acid-soaked project that throws all of his influences at the wall, damned if they stick or not. Feature here, “Tusks” is the lead cut and title track from his upcoming four-track EP, a production which refuses to settle into the pocket of any one genre. Combing the edges of deep house and acid jazz, Leech’s tune is united by a string of thumping kicks and propulsive ride cymbals, making for a psychedelic whirlwind of house and techno that feels all too brief despite its eight-minute runtime.
John Talabot—the man responsible for our favorite album of 2012 and a number of our favorite tracks of 2012—has announced a handful of forthcoming tour dates that will see the Spanish artist gigging around the US and Canada this spring. Bookending his North American plans with festival performances at the Pacific Northwest’s Sasquatch Festival and the annual Mutek gathering in Montreal, John Talabot has seemingly squeezed as many dates as possible in between. You can check out the full list of the lucky cities set to feature one of the Barcelonan’s top-notch live shows below.
May 25 Sasquatch Festival May 26 Chicago, Lincoln Hall May 28 New York, Music Hall of Williamsburg May 29 Miami, Bardot Miami May 30 Los Angeles, Echoplex May 31 Toronto, The Hoxton June 01 Montreal, Mutek Festival
While we wait for Dirtybird DJ/producer Justin Martin and burgeoning Bristol artist Eats Everything to drop their collaborative 12″ next week via Hypercolour, we’re treated to another preview of its title track. The pair’s ebullient house tune “Feather Fight,” which gives the forthcoming two-track EP its title, is set over a video of a massive pillow fight in the streets (not unlike the one happening later this month), and gives us a taste of the energetic dancefloor sounds which are set to be released on February 11. You can stream the clip for Justin Martin & Eats Everything’s “Feather Fight” track below.
Inimitable UK producer Four Tet (who gave away a free track just yesterday), experiemental techno patron Actress, and the Berlin duo of heavy hitters Modeselektor and Apparat, Moderat (whose forthcoming sophomore album was recently announced), have all been confirmed to perform later this fall in Croatia at a festival collaboratively put on by the folks at Hideout Festival, The Warehouse Project, and Field Day. Taking place between September 10 and 14, the Unknown festival boasts a serious lineup—including recent XLR8R podcast contributors Disclosure (pictured above), UK producer Jamie xx, Bristol’s Julio Bashmore, and Hotflush label boss Scuba, among many others. Earlybird tickets for the event can be scoped out now, here, and you can check out the rest of announced lineup here.
Cardiff producer Cayne Ramos (a.k.a. The Organ Grinder) built a solid body of work for himself last year, flying just under the radar and dropping mostly vinyl-only releases. Now that those records have had time to marinate and find their way into Boiler Room mixes and YouTube streams alike, Ramos seems likely to excel in 2013—which explains why we picked him as an “Artist to Watch” during our Bubblin’ Up Week—especially when he can let go of one-off freebies like “Black Microdot.” Its patient shuffle, glassy chords, and appropriately sparse synth work make for perhaps the best argument yet as to why we’re expecting an even more solid run of tunes from The Organ Grinder over the next 12 months. If he’s willing to give this one up for free, who knows what other quality bits the burgeoning UK tunesmith has up his sleeve?
Bubblin’ Up, Netherlands-based artist Applescal dropped his 11-track Dreaming in Key LP through his own Atomnation label today, also giving everyone with an internet connection the chance to listen to it in full. You might recall the album’s slow-burning and gritty opener “Boys (Feat. David Douglas),” which we premiered back in November, as well as the glittering dancefloor production “Spring and Life” from last week. Now, the remaining nine tracks which help comprise Applescal’s Dreaming in Key are available to stream via the player below; you can also grab your own copy of the LP here.
Friends of Friends-affiliated house label Young Adults is set to expand its fledgling discography with an eclectic compilation called House Slippers. The eight-track release is said to “[soundtrack] the progression from dusk till dawn, complete with warm up burners, peak-time jammers, and comedown chuggers,” comprising tracks from the likes of Montreal duo and recent Icee Hot signees Grown Folk, techno veteran Mark E, SoCal upstart Suzanne Kraft (pictured above), and more. Before the compilation’s release on April 23, the Young Adults label heads (a.k.a. Lazy Brow and Deepbody) have crafted a lengthy mix for all who care to listen, one which features—among other choice tunes—a track lifted from House Slippers. You can stream that DJ set, as well as check out the compilation’s artwork and tracklist, below.
1. The Socialites ft. Tesla Boy – “Only This Moment (Sasha Anastasov Remix)” 2. Closed Paradise – “The Daulphin” 3. Suzanne Kraft – “Maybe Snakes (Permanent Vacation Remix)” 4. Chamboche – “Into The Murk” 5. Mark E – “Fake Bitches” 6. NYCPARTYINFO – “Mr. Everything” 7. Ben La Desh – “Let Us Down” 8. Grown Folk – “Just Wear It”
1. Satin Jackets – You Make Me Feel Good 2. Suzanne Kraft – Maybe Snakes (Permanent Vacation Remix) 3. Dan Croll – From Nowhere (Ben Gomori’s Staring You In The Eye Remix) 4. Crazy P – Heartbreaker 5. Ben La Desh – 27 Degrees 6. Chasing Kurt – In The Air (Raw Cut) 7. Mario Basanov – Damn Girl 8. Hot Chip – How Do You Do? (Todd Terje Remix)
Leon Vynehall only released two records last year, but the Brighton-based producer undeniably made his presence known in 2012, even as he refused to reveal his true identity. His last record, “Gold Language” b/w “Don’t Know Why,” had quite an impact—it prompted us to profile Vynehall as part of our Bubblin’ Up series—and now he’s followed it up with another strong effort, the three-track Rosalind EP, which is currently streaming in full on XLR8R. Given Vynehall’s ascendant trajectory, we figured now would be a good time to invite the UK beatmaker to participate in our podcast series, and he responded with a mix that quite possibly raises more questions than it answers. Don’t get us wrong; the mix is good—very good even. The surprise is that it finds Vynehall digging a lot deeper than we expected, as much of his podcast consists of vintage funk, soul, and disco. He does find his way into house territory eventually, but even then, the cuts are deep and the sounds largely eschew the sound palettes currently dominating the UK landscape. Furthermore, Vynehall doesn’t stop at flexing his skills as a selector, as the man also displays some serious mixing chops over the course of this hour-plus podcast. It seems that there’s a lot more to Leon Vynehall than we initially suspected, but we’re happy to sit back and listen as he continues to reveal himself, one bit at a time.
01 Malcom Cecil “Gamelian Dawn” (Unity) 02 Sabu Martinez “Hotel Alyssa-Soussie, Tunisia” (Grammofonverket) 03 Elijah John Group “Keep a Little Love for Yourself” (Key) 04 Nightlife Unlimited “Peaches & Prunes (Ron Hardy Re-Edit 1)” (Muzic Box Classics) 05 Willie Hutch “Easy Does It” (Whitfield) 06 Mike Dunn “Da House Spot Edits 1” (white) 07 Gisele Jackson “Love Commandments (Goya Beats)” (Waako) 08 Laszlo Dancehall “Manley Harrison” (ManMakeMusic) 09 Appointment “Track 1” (Appointment) 10 Roger S “Deep” (Narcotic) 11 Palace “Touch Me (Rough)” 12 Leon Vynehall “Brother” 13 Laszlo Dancehall “Flute Worx” 14 Bleak “Down” (Deeply Rooted House) 15 Unknown “Unknown” 16 Doc Severinsen “Be with You (DJ Harvey Edit)” (Doc84) 17 Odyssey “Don’t Tell Me, Tell Her” (RCA)
UK-based newcomer Last Japan (a.k.a. Marco Giuliani) just sent over a free download of his most recent undertaking, “Roughed Up,” which has been bobbing around the internet since December. The light-hearted, chirping synth of the track winds skyward until it drops into a crunchy bassline and fades out altogether—only to wind back up and repeat itself for a second dose of mind-numbing, catchy beatwork. You can also check out the visual accompaniment for the rounded bass tones and industrial-leaning grooves of Last Japan’s single after the jump.
