This Week in Music Tech: Inside Toro Y Moi’s Studio and NAMM News from Moog, Korg, Akai, Dave Smith, and More

While the NAMM conference gets set to extend into the weekend, we’ve already gotten word on a number of tantalizing new products to expect in 2013, including new synths from Moog, Korg, and Dave Smith Instruments, along with a few interesting controllers set to hit stores soon.

A look inside Chaz Bundick’s Bay Area studio:

– Earlier this week, Chaz Bundick (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) invited us into his home studio to give us a look around and chat about the production techniques used on his third full-length, Anything in Between. You can check out the photos and read the full interview here.

New synths on display at NAMM:

– After first teasing its existence, Moog finally unveiled its new Sub Phatty analog synth, complete with 25 keys, two oscillators, a sub oscillator, and enough knobs to keep you busy tweaking sounds for a long time to come. Set to see a wide release in March, the Sub Phatty will come with the serious price tag of $1,099.

– Korg finally gave the official announcement of the MS-20 Mini analog synth. The compact version of the classic Korg synth is 14% smaller than its original counterpart, and is billed as a faithful recreation in terms of sound and functionality. The MS-20 Mini is set to hit stores in April for the reasonable street price of $599.

– The company helmed by the founder of MIDI, Dave Smith Instruments has added a new product to its legendary Prohpet line, the Prophet 12. The 12-voice analog synth will retail around $2,999 when it hits stores in the second quarter of 2013.

photo via Synthtopia

– Synth pioneer and living legend Don Buchla’s Musical Instruments company unveiled its new Electric Music Box, a recreation of Buchla’s classic semi-modular synth. No exact release date appears to be set, but dedicated gearheads can expect to drop somewhere around $4000 in order to add one of these to their collection.

New controllers for 2013:

– Building off the popularity of its Max 49 controllers, Akai announced a smaller version, the Max 25 MIDI/CV keyboard/controller. It features 25 semi-weighted keys, eight MPC pads, built-in arpeggiator and sequencer functions, and much more within its compact package.

– Arturia rolled out two new products for NAMM: the SparkLE—a more portable, but no less powerful, version of its Spark hardware/software hybird drum machine—and an impressively sized, high-quality keyboard/pad MIDI controller called the MiniLab.

– San Francisco-based store/blog/controller designers DJ Tech Tools have released an updated version of its popular, arcade-inspired MIDI controller, the MIDI Fighter. Deemed the MIDI Fighter Spectra, the newly redesigned controller boasts a 4×4 grid of highly responsive arcade buttons and a vast ability for customization.

Press Play: Modeselektor, Onra, XXXY, Juan Maclean, and More

It’s almost ridiculous how much exciting music has been gathered together for today’s Press Play installment. Sure, we may say that a lot, but this week has been especially gracious with the delivery of fresh sights and sounds from within the world of top-notch electronic music. You’ll find album previews, free downloads, DJ sets, videos, and more from the likes of Modeselektor, Girl Unit, Kingdom, Onra, Oneman, Matmos, Juan Maclean, XXXY, Mister Lies, Surgeon, L-Vis 1990, Druid Cloak, and so many others once you dive into the post by following the jump.

If you missed it, the inimitable Modeselektor dropped an hour-long mix on Boiler Room recently, and now it’s available to stream in all of its raucous glory.

The ’80s-obsessed French beatsmith Onra took to his SoundCloud profile to give away some “2011 unreleased r’n’b shit” called “Second Chance.”

After announcing his forthcoming Got Me So EP for Rinse with a clip of its title track, Manchester’s XXXY offered a full stream of one of its three cuts, the supercharged house of “Studio 9 (Just Like That).”

DFA stalwart Juan Maclean breaks a lengthy period of relative silence with “Love in Space,” a brand-new tune he dropped on Tim Sweeney’s Beats in Space radio show.

Here’s a preview of the forthcoming Night Slugs All Stars Vol. 2, featuring unreleased bits and handpicked tunes from Girl Unit, L-Vis 1990, Kingdom, Egyptrixx, and more.

Speaking of L-Vis 1990, here’s the debut track from his collaboration with Joakim, Jam City, and Kindness (collectively known as Everyone), which we first heard about earlier this month when Joakim announced his new Crowdspacer imprint.

London DJ Oneman follows up last week’s “119 House Edit” of The xx with this wild mashup of TLC and Dro Carey.

After announcing his upcoming LP for NNA Tapes, Anthony Child (a.k.a. Surgeon) shares a heavily atmospheric excerpt from The Space Between People Things.

Here’s yet another taste of the eighth LP on the way from the Baltimore sound manipulators of Matmos, The Marriage of True Minds, the playfully beat-driven “Teen Paranormal Romance.”

Diamond Version will continue its onslaught of punishing techno sounds with the release of EP3 next week via Mute, and shares its opening track in this flickering video.

Still a month from releasing his debut LP Mowgli, young Bubblin’ Up producer Mister Lies lets loose with a stream of the disarming “Hounded.”

This free remix EP for Funerals‘ “Boo Sra” tune offers productions from the likes of Druid Cloak, Mikix the Cat, and Hissy Fit, among others.

The latest record to bubble up from the dark depths of Manchester’s Modern Love label is this offering of sinister beat work from Massachusetts producer Jack Dice.

“Prauge Spring” is an infectiously rhythmic selection from the forthcoming reissue of Leven Signs’ 1985 LP Hemp is Here, arriving next month via Tulsa’s Digitalis label.

Parisian “Sean”

Parisian hails from St. Louis, and “Sean” shares the same space as Brooklyn-via-St. Louis producer Phaseone on an upcoming split-7″ for Lefse. We’ve already spoken about Phaseone’s instantly beautiful contribution to the a-side, “It’s Not Forever,” but there’s good reason to mention “Sean” as well. It’s subtle and teasing, propelled by a screwed two-step beat and the tasteful layering of feedback with choral blankets. The clencher is the skittering synth that busts out of the mix after the three-minute mark, anchoring the track to the ground while raising up the layers underneath. Taken back to back, Parian’s and Phaseone’s tracks comment on their native town while weaving together some solid beat work. You can nab their collaborative 7″ when it drops on January 29.

Parisian-Sean

Santiago Salazar Rise EP

There’s a moment in the middle of “Gaffs Theme,” the second track on this EP from LA’s Santiago Salazar, where an overarching synth line starts to sound very much like a burnished trumpet mournfully lost in the mix. The unhurried melody it describes is suggestively forlorn; even after Salazar reveals its synthetic origins, digging it out of whatever filter gave it that brassy warmth, he’s managed to confuse the listener about whether this EP is as straight-ahead as it seems on the surface.

An affiliate of Detroit’s Underground Resistance who has worked closely with Mike Banks, Salazar’s solo productions are likewise purely DJ focused, shunning personality in favor of utility, although they’re never austere. Despite living in Detroit for a number of years before returning to LA, Salazar’s vibe hews closer to Southern California house party than Motor City futurism, and Rise is one of his warmest releases to date. Soaring over crashing surf and easygoing 16th-note hi-hats, the yearning riff from “Gaffs Theme” hints at a deeper soulfulness that only makes the techno architecture more impressive—there’s a lack of flash on both sides that speaks to the quality of his education.

It’s also a way of indicating that Rise is a no-frills affair which also delivers on headphones. This is apparent from the opening moments of “Caramelized Biotics,” where a warm, sepia-tinted Rhodes-and-sax loop is introduced and remains the focus throughout, a move that’s more in the vein of Andrés‘ “New for U” than Salazar’s previous work would have suggested. “Stress Valve” is distinct from the EP’s other two tracks in that it puts one of those flicking, icily restrained Robert Hood arpeggios at its center, but a bucking bassline, fine mist of choral pads, and an indistinct rattle of chimes keeps the track decidedly toasty.

Hush Hush Pony “1 Wants 2”

Polish production trio Hush Hush Pony sent over “1 Wants 2,” an aggressive dance track fit for just about any salacious, underground club. A strong and straightforward beat drives the outfit’s new tune, while the remaining space is used to chop up yearning vocal melodies and imbue the production with the tense vibes of icy, fidgeting synths. “1 Wants 2” is taken from Hush Hush Pony’s recently released Pony Tales EP, which you can stream after the jump.

1 Wants 2

Jason Short Low Down Dirty Shame

Although he has very few physical releases to his name, San Francisco’s Jason Short has an extensive digital discography—he runs the Auralism label and records under a variety of aliases, both solo and in collaboration. Low Down Dirty Shame, his debut for the also primarily digital Thoughtless Music label, offers a range of tracks, and shows the producer gingerly embracing experimentation. Moreover, Thoughtless has thoughtfully collected a few additional talents to remix the title track, not least of whom is Toronto’s lauded Stuart Li (better known as Basic Soul Unit).

Short’s title track is a tidy tech-house mover led by a buoyant arpeggio, and while the producer incorporates some squirrelly tinges, the track tends to maintain its straightforward groove. Li essentially puts Short’s track on a coarse grind, adding his trademark overdriven stomp and breaking up the groove with strained, entrancing jack patterns and wailing synthesizer flourishes. Blue Soul‘s take is less distorted, but still a bit more daring than the original. Like Short’s track, it falls back on an arpeggio, but it’s deployed in a dirtier and more spontaneous fashion. Moreover, the glassy, resonant tones that dot the track recall some of Chicago’s finest leftfield house operators. Sepehr‘s “Shameless” remix swings the EP back toward clean tech-house, its brisk rhythm seeming vaguely UK-derived, if only for the sub-bass and rimshot-infused skip. It’s a far cry from the other remixes, though, as its other accoutrements fail to culminate. Short’s next original, “On the Sharp Edge of Possibility,” doesn’t fare much better. It builds off field recordings, but the arrangement—particularly the plastic-like kick drum—is oddly slick in juxtaposition. In spite of an emotionally orchestrated final section, the track sounds preset, and one wishes Short would revel more in his dusty, natural backdrop. The EP’s final two tracks, “Short Zone of Middle Dimensions” and “Eidolons in Aquariums,” exist in more interesting realms. The former is highlighted by circular, double-time percussion, with wavy subs and trippy backwards effects lending a rite-like mood to proceedings. The latter is a spacey, electro-esque track, its drums puttering alongside quirky effects and elastic bass, and ending just as a scatterbrained melody begins to emerge. It’s clear from Short’s titles and offbeat approach that he has aspirations for a psychedelic brand of dance music, perhaps in the mold of Mathew Jonson, but he often leans upon typical tech-house motifs and builds-and-peaks structures. While he doesn’t reach that sort of creative apex here, he is ably backed up by the turns from Basic Soul Unit and Blue Soul.

Submerse to Release New EP

It seems that, since the inception of his Submerse moniker roughly four years ago, the Tokyo-based producer born Rob Orme has churned out an unstoppable string of 12″ singles, EPs, remixes, and beyond. Last year saw him contributing to both Apollo‘s and Project: Mooncircle‘s catalogs, including the extremely popular freebie he offered on XLR8R, “Pressure.” Now, he’s set to start his 2013 release schedule with the Algorithms and Ghosts EP. Once again arriving courtesy of Project: Mooncircle, Submerse’s seven-track record is scheduled to appear on March 15 as a digital package and limited-edition 12″. Talking about his upcoming release, Orme says, “I took a lot of inspiration from three main points of Tokyo City. There are traditional parks and shrines/temples that really take you away from the high-rise buildings and make you feel like you could be in the countryside. Next, there are typical shops, neon lights, offices and general city life, and lastly, there is the red light area which is a great place to see all walks of life, from gangsters, working girls and strange things behind closed doors. I’m fascinated by this place. It seems like another world to me. I’m always drawn to it out of curiosity, and the feeling I get while passing though is really inspiring.” You can preview exactly what came from that inspiration in the player below, where you’ll also find the tracklist for Algorithms and Ghosts. You can also pre-order your vinyl copy of Submerse’s upcoming EP, as well stream/download its title track, here.

01 Truth
02 Algorithms and Ghosts
03 This Combo Could End Us
04 Here’s Looking At You
05 Dim Lights and Meteorites (feat. Sorrow)
06 Monochrome
07 Blips In December

Bonobo Announces New Album for Ninja Tune, Shares First Single

It’s been three long years since Bonobo released his Black Sands LP, an album that cemented his reputation for putting out forward-thinking, largely organic electronic sounds (not to mention a top-notch live set). Today, Ninja Tune announced that Bonobo has finally returned to unveil its follow up, The North Borders. Ahead of the full-length record’s release on April 1, Ninja Tune has pressed 250 white-label 12″s featuring an undisclosed track from the album. The vinyl will be hidden throughout random record shops around the world in the weeks leading up to The North Borders‘ release, with each piece containing a unique code that can be entered into Bonobo’s website to win a top-secret grand prize. Below, you can watch the video for Bonobo’s brand-new single, “Cirrus,” and check out the upcoming dates for his North American tour this spring.

APRIL
10th Black Cat Washington DC
11th Theatre of Living Arts Philadelphia, PA
12th Webster Hall New York, NY
13th Paradise Boston, MA
14th Higher Ground Burlington, VT
16th Telus Theatre Montreal Canada
17th Babylon Ottawa, Canada
18th Danforth Music Hall Toronto, Canada
19th Crofoot Ballroom Pontiac, MI
20th House of Blues Chicago, IL
21st Majestic Theatre Madison, WI
24th The Granada Theatre Lawrence, KS
25th Fox Theatre Boulder, CO
26th Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
27th Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
30th Commodore Ballroom Vancouver Canada

MAY
1st Showbox at Market Seattle, WA
2nd Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
3rd Warfield San Francisco, CA
4th The Fonda Los Angeles, CA
6th Belly Up Solana Beach, CA
9th Emo’s Austin, TX
10th House of Blues Dallas, TX
11th Tipitinas New Orleans, LA

Phon.o “Black Boulder (SCNTST Remix)”

The original version of Phon.o‘s “Black Boulder,” the title track of his 2012 LP for 50Weapons, is a skeletal slowburn, a series of whirring synths slowly flickering to life one by one. Berlin-based producer SCNTST carefully picked over the bones, hiding the original tune in every corner he could manage while creating a forward-thinking piece of pummeling techno. What’s most appealing about this take on “Black Boulder” is how almost all of the original pieces are here, but SCNTST only lets them peak out for a second before swallowing them up in either a wash of reverb or a precise kick. After getting your fill of this remix, be sure to check out the video for Phon.o’s original track, after the jump.

PHON.O-Black Boulder(SCNTST-Remix)

Crosstown Rebels Celebrates 10 Years with Global Tour

Crosstown Rebels frequently drops the phrase “cosmic magnitude” when describing its upcoming celebration of 10 years spent as an outpost for house and techno. The phrase is appropriate, and to scale, too, as Crosstown Rebels has announced a global tour spread across 18 countries, five continents, and four months. The tour will be part of the label’s Rebel Rave brand, a series of concert films and festivals that began in 2009. Throughout the aptly titled Rebel Rave Global Tour 2013, fans can expect appearances from many of Crosstown Rebels’ friends and affiliates—including Art Department, Carl Craig (pictured above), Damian Lazarus, Eats Everything, Jamie Jones, Lee Curtiss, Maceo Plex, Roska, Seth Troxler, Tiga, and many others. You can check out a promo video for the worldwide event and all of the upcoming tour dates below, and peruse the full list of performers and ticket information here.

JAN 25 SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO
JAN 26 EL ROSARIO LIMA
FEB 16 SYDNEY AUSTRALIA
FEB 17 MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
FEB 22 TOKYO JAPAN
FEB 23 HONG KONG CHINA
MAR 01 CHICAGO US
MAR 02 NEW YORK US
MAR 08 MONTREAL CANADA
MAR 09 TORONTO CANADA
MAR 14 SAN FRANCISCO US
MAR 16 LOS ANGELES US
MAR 23 MIAMI US
MAR 30 AMSTERDAM HOLLAND
MAR 31 BASEL SWITZERLAND
APR 07 BARCELONA SPAIN
APR 12 BRUSSELS BELGIUM
APR 13 MUNICH GERMANY
APR 19 ROME ITALY
APR 20 BOLOGNA ITALY
APR 21 MANTOVA ITALY
APR 26 LEEDS UK
APR 27 LONDON UK
APR 28 MOSCOW RUSSIA
MAY 04 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN
MAY 07 PARIS FRANCE
MAY 08 BERLIN GERMANY
MAY 11 MEXICO CITY MEXICO

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