Review: Native Instruments Maschine mkII

When it debuted in 2009, Native Instruments‘ Maschine quickly became one of the most popular beat-making setups around. Building upon the legacy of the illustrious Akai MPC, Maschine excelled with a fully realized software production environment, integrated with its fantastic 16-pad hardware controller. Throw in an excellent and ever-expanding library of sampled sounds, and it’s easy to see why it’s become a central tool for thousands of producers. But while the Maschine software has been updated a number of times since its initial release, the only hardware revision has come in the form of Maschine Mikro—a slimmed-down version of the controller for those looking to travel light or reduce its desktop footprint. Now, with the mkII version of Maschine, Native Instruments has updated its main workhorse, refining the original concept in a number of ways.

How It Looks
The most visible change on the mkII comes in the form of the new hardware’s RGB-backlit pads and buttons, which look pretty fantastic. The hardware’s layout is very similar to that of the original, with the exception of the Master section, which has been streamlined for less clutter with a nice, big jog wheel.

Native Instruments has also released the unexpectedly handy Maschine Stand (below), which sets the device at a pleasing 15-degree angle on your desk. It also comes with a die-cast adapter for mounting your Maschine like a snare drum on standard 7/8” drum clamps (it works with mkI and mkII models). Maschine is available in both white and black models, and NI is selling Custom Kits as well (which are essentially a variety of faceplates, each with nine coordinated knobs).

How It Works
In addition to looking pretty, the aforementioned multi-colored pads and buttons also go a surprisingly long way in improving the Maschine work?ow. You can use color to denote your different instruments (i.e. blue for bass, red for drums), as well as to identify individual pads within a group (blue for kick drum, red for snare). In addition, patterns and scenes can be color-codified for quick sequencing, which can make the juggling of groups, sounds and sets far more intuitive. The pads have also been enhanced slightly, with improved sensitivity. More noticeably, non-pad buttons now have a supremely satisfying click when pressed. This is much more significant than it sounds, actually, and improves the overall feel of the device a great deal. It’s the little things.

How It Sounds
Like its predecessor, the mkII sounds quite good. Maschine ships with an enormous library of top-notch kits, samples, and effects, and now comes with a free copy of Native Instruments’ own (mega-popular) soft synth, Massive. (Various other sounds and effects packs are available from NI as well.) For sample heads, the built-in sampling functionality has steadily improved over the past few years, and is now a central part of the Maschine workflow for many users.

The Bottom Line
If you’re dipping into the Maschine ecosystem for the first time, the mkII controller is clearly the way to go, with its lovely color-coded pads and buttons, improved responsiveness and various interface touch-ups. For owners of the original Maschine, however, it’s (happily) not a mandatory upgrade; if you’re not quite ready to pull the trigger on another new piece of kit, we might advise waiting to upgrade until the inevitable arrival of the Maschine 2.0 software update, which will likely endow the colorful new beat-making machine with ever more magical powers.

MSRP: $669

Podcast 278: Trus’me

When it comes to forthcoming house albums we’re excited about in 2013, it’s safe to say that Trus’me‘s Treat Me Right is currently sitting at the top of the list. Granted, it’s only January and not that many new full-lengths have actually been announced for 2013, but new music from David Wolstencroft is something worth celebrating, regardless of what page the calendar is turned to. The Manchester-based veteran and Prime Numbers boss last released a Trus’me album in 2009, so now that he’s properly revived the project, we figured it would be a good time to extend an invite for him to contribute an exclusive mix to the XLR8R podcast series. Treat Me Right doesn’t officially drop until next month, but several cuts from the LP can be heard here, along with multiple offerings from the Prime Numbers catalog. As such, it’s not a podcast that’s heavy on surprises, but it is one that’s rich with quality tunes, as Trus’me spends nearly 80 minutes stitching together propulsive bits of house that tastefully reference classic Detroit and Chicago. The sounds may be familiar, but the vibe is undeniably fresh—clearly, the layoff hasn’t affected Wolstencroft’s taste or the quality of his output as Trus’me.

01 Trus’me “Hindsight” (Prime Numbers)
02 Trus’me “War Dub (Ben Klock Remix)” (Prime Numbers)
03 Trus’me “Moonlight Kiss” (Prime Numbers)
04 Adesse “Baayi” (Prime Numbers)
05 Barker & Baumecker “No Body (Machinedrum Remix)” (Ostgut Ton)
06 Adalberto “Don’t Treat Me This Way” (Acidicted)
07 Adesse “Untitled Love” (Prime Numbers)
08 Volta Cab “Don’t Give Up (Trus’me Gotta Be Strong Remix)” (Illusion)
09 Martyn “Phone Lines” (3024)
10 Raudive “Traffic” (Running Back)
11 Trus’me “Defunct” (Prime Numbers)
12 Damon Wild & Tim Taylor “Bang The Acid (Re-Banged By Skudge)”
13 Truss “Redbrook” (Prime Numbers)
14 Trus’me “Somebody” (Prime Numbers)
15 Massimo Di Lena “You Better Hear” (Prime Numbers)
16 Adesse “Supernal” (Prime Numbers)

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A$AP Rocky “Fashion Killa (Druid Cloak Moonglade Remix)”

While there are already loads of bootleg remixes for A$AP Rocky’s new “Fashion Killa” single floating around the internet, we found this one by the ever-elusive, Symbols-signed Druid Cloak to be considerably comestible. Sent over by the nameless producer himself, this “Moonglade” remix is the artist’s fourth track to appear on XLR8R in the past few months, after we premiered a track from his debut EP and shared his remixes of The xx and Lobot’s Head & Kuno in October. A quickened tempo and some brassy synths give extra bombast to the originally lighthearted production, which—when paired with a heavily crunching beat and spastic drum breaks—is enough to warrant another version of this frequently reworked song.

Fashion Killa (Druid Cloak Moonglade Remix)

The Analogue Cops, Ryan Elliott, and Alex Picone Five EP

The members of Berlin-via-Italy duo The Analogue Cops have made a name (or names, considering their list of aliases: Lucretio, Marieu, OCP, XENOGEARS) for themselves off a very rudimentary take on dance music. Many of their releases, especially earlier editions on their own Restoration label, seem to have been jammed out in one try, reveling in the imperfection that approach brings. While this rawer take has lately become quite trendy, it has also birthed plenty of productions that simply need more work, or more artistic consideration. Perhaps to combat this problem, The Analogue Cops have become frequent collaborators, recording with Steffi as Third Side and Blawan as Parassela. Five, the pair’s first release for the diverse Bass Culture imprint, finds the duo reuniting with Ryan Elliott (who appeared on 2011’s Big Family EP) for a side, and then—somewhat surprisingly—meeting with fellow Italian Alex Picone, best known for his releases on Cadenza, on the flip. The results are still dominated by The Analogue Cops’ rough methods, but Elliott and Picone each manage to at least subtly influence their sound.

“Gentlemen,” which opens the Ryan Elliott side, is a fitting—if trying—introduction, based around a sample of a man announcing, “gentlemen please take your marks.” The track scrappily builds to a string-led crescendo, but the pervasive sample distracts, keeping it firmly in DJ-tool territory. It concludes on an oddly emotional note, as the sample shifts to a resigned, “I don’t know what to believe in anymore,” a downcast conclusion for such an insistent track. “Homeboys” also repeats a vocal sample, but it’s buried deep enough to be unintelligible. This gives its repeating organ and siren-like string motifs some leverage—at points, they’re ripe with tension—but the track’s overall effect is fairly modest.

Alex Picone may not be as precise as other artists to have released for Cadenza, but his productions are still quite polished in comparison to those of The Analogue Cops. In collaboration, Picone’s instincts for organization shine through, and the side is less muddy and more purposeful than much of the duo’s work. This means there are no accidental epiphanies, but the tracks succeed all the same. On “No Stress,” a tight interplay between layered organ and cowbell coasts along, perennially hiding and then blossoming again. “Out of Passion,” meanwhile, has a tough sense of purpose, as the trio allows corroded stabs to emerge out of rippling jack patterns. The side is still firmly in the tracky, tool category, but shows The Analogue Cops’ approach to be adaptable to smoother, seemingly more plotted-out results.

Mike Gao “Comin’ Off That High”

It’s been a while since West Coast programmer/producer Mike Gao appeared on XLR8R; his last mention was in our Gear section, when we checked out the Polyplayground app for iPad. However, his musical chops sound has honed as ever, and are in full effect on his latest self-released record, Beta World Peace. “Comin’ Off That High” is a tune lifted from that album, one that aptly sums up Gao’s playful, beat-driven sound. For someone who has to constantly work within the rigid confines of coding, the producer’s new track is anything but rigid: “Coming Off That High” is a ghetto-tinged, bass-heavy jam filled with payful 8-bit FX and Brotha Lynch samples. And if you’re feeling this one, be sure to check out the rest of Beta World Peace over on Gao’s Bandcamp page, here.

Comin’ Off That High

Philipp Gorbachev Hero of Tomorrow EP

Russian producer and regular Cómeme affiliate Philipp Gorbachev delivers the label’s first effort of 2013—a conceptual EP that vaguely follows the story of a fictitious character known as “Rony Douglas,” who hails from a place Gorbachev calls “The District” and is assumedly our “Hero of Tomorrow.” Given this, it should come as no surprise that the six-track record is unabashedly heavy on the weird, but still finds an ample amount of room to have fun and lay down some unmistakably tantalizing basslines.

Matias Aguayo‘s Cómeme label has always been an imprint which operates without borders—not only in terms of its truly international roster, but also musically. Gorbachev certainly epitomizes the adventurously transcontinental, cross-genre spirit with which Cómeme operates. Based in Moscow, the tunes he offers on Hero of Tomorrow are part machine-born disco, part lo-fi techno, and part darkwave-geared pop. As the EP runs its course, it’s easy to hear how the Russian producer fits into the label’s lineage, especially on songs like “I Want You So,” “Sweet Regina,” and “Last Days of the District,” where Gorbachev’s own voice wraps bizarre—but not off-putting—phrases atop heavily compressed drums for a sound that is perhaps a more peculiar cousin to Matias Aguyao’s 2011 I Don’t Smoke EP.

On this EP, Gorbachev freely explores the weirder ends of dance music while utilizing crunchy drums—a mixture of low-end analog machines and roomy, overblown samples—an assortment of Casio-esque keyboard tones, and playful touches of toy-like synths and percussion. The record does deliver its share of moments that are at least interesting, if not wholly unique, but the strangeness with which the artist fearlessly works here is likely to turn off those who prefer their dance music precise and digitally rendered into a hyper-real fullness. Still, whether it’s the slow swing and irresistible bassline on “I Love You So” or the spooky cool and—again—delicious bass of “Last Days of the District,” it’s hard to deny that these tunes are primed to make for some uniquely fun and immersive dancefloor moments.

Jacques Renault “Back to You”

Production-wise, Jacques Renault has kept pretty quiet for the past couple of years. As such, “Let’s Play House” is not only his first solo release on Let’s Play House, the youngish New York label he co-runs with Nik Mercer, it’s also the source of his first new original material since 2010. The a-side continues in the carefully calibrated disco style Renault is associated with, but adds more depth to his usual approach, thanks to some subtle production techniques. Introducing itself with a scrappy cluster of hi-hats, the track gradually brings in a familiar-sounding disco horn riff, its bleats given a dub-techno feel by a filter that slips off in tantalizing increments with every jerky return. Like Andrés’ 2012 consensus hit “New 4 U,” “Back to You” seems instantly familiar. As congas, guitar strokes, hoovering bass, and a mechanical cough thread their way through the mix, the listener can look on with a sense of inevitability or predestination, enjoying the path that’s been carefully laid out.

On the other side, French duo Paradis turns in a zoned-out remix that at times seems to improve upon the original, primarily by adding a hypnotic vocal hook that sounds like Sebastian Tellier hang gliding over the proceedings. As that voice crests over muffled horns, the dubby, ducking feel implied by the original is made more explicit with aggressive sidechain compression that puckers the open-throated vocals like a tufted-leather armchair. As with the main cut, it’s an accommodating place to be, but after six minutes, this swooning, airborne remix starts to wear out its welcome. Reminiscent of Studio remixes, the song’s final, eventless three minutes stretch the barefooted vibe beyond its natural lifespan.

Matmos Announces North American Tour, Shares Live Video

Longstanding sound manipulators Drew Daniel and M.C. Schmidt (a.k.a. Matmos) have announced an upcoming North American tour in support of their soon-to-be-released The Marriage of True Minds LP—an album conceived by the Baltimore-based duo telepathically sending concepts of its music to sensory-deprived subjects, then interpretting the subjects’ illusory account into the record’s nine tracks—for Thrill Jockey. After having teased us with its video for the “Very Large Green Triangles” single and releasing The Ganzfeld EP last year, the duo is set to unleash its new material live throughout February, mostly with support from frequent backing band Horse Lords. To get a taste of the new album, as well as the upcoming live experience, Matmos has released a live performance video of its cover of Buzzcock‘s “ESP.” You can stream that video, as well as check out the dates of the pair’s upcoming tour, below.

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Mon. Feb. 11 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge *
Tue. Feb. 12 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
Wed. Feb. 13 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
Thu. Feb. 14 – Toronto, ON @ TBA *
Fri. Feb. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
Sat. Feb. 16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center *%
Tue. Feb. 19 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir ^
Wed. Feb. 20 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s ^
Thu. Feb. 21 – Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *
Sun. Feb. 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Public Works *
Mon. Feb. 25 – Los Angeles, CA @ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery *
Thu. Feb. 28 – Austin, TX @ TBA

* w/ Horse Lords
% w/ Josef Van Wissem
^ w/ Mouse on Mars

Matpat “Everybody Rise”

Up-and-coming Philly DJ/producer Matpat recently unveiled his second EP, Everybody Rise, a collection of four deep, jacking house tunes for New York’s Plant label. Here, we have that effort’s title cut, one in which a revolving organ pattern and matching bassline churn below the diva-fied vocal sample that gives the song its namesake. “Everybody Rise” is clearly intended for the movers and the shakers, and with just the right touch of upbeat swing, it’s hard to deny Matpat’s dancefloor potency on this particular outing. In celebration of his new EP, the East Coaster has put together a mix of similarly floor-filling cuts, all of which you can stream after the jump.

Everybody Rise

Moodymann, Tony Allen, Omar-S, Ben UFO, Model 500, Mala, Ben Klock, and More to Play Dimensions 2013

Although last year’s Dimensions Festival left XLR8R feeling somewhat underwhelmed with the Croatian festival experience, the Outlook Festival team—who also organized last year’s event—has just announced the 2013 edition of Dimensions and unveiled a massive list of the festival’s top-notch performers. Stationed in the same abandoned 19th century fort in the coastal city of Pula, this year’s festival will take place across four days starting on September 5, and showcase its talent in the location’s moat, ballroom, courtyard, and dungeon—as well as plenty of nearby, off-site boat parties. Performing artists will include Juan Atkins’ pioneering techno outfit Model 500, seminal afrobeat founder Tony Allen (pictured above), Dan Snaith’s dancefloor-centric Daphni project, recent bell-composer and minimal technoist Pantha du Prince, and a list comprised of the always exciting Moodymann, Ben UFO, Theo Parrish, Mala, Omar-S, Hype Williams, Kode 9, Benji B, Vessel, Machinedrum, Bicep, Mark E, Pearson Sound, and Ben Klock, among loads of other DJ/producers. While the list is still incomplete, you can spend a plentiful amount of time gawking at the line-up on the Dimensions Festival website, here, and check out tickets for the event here.

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