Kevin McPhee, Nautiluss, and More to Feature on New 3024 Compilation

Martyn‘s 3024 label has announced that its first offering of 2013 will arrive in the form of a four-track compilation called Dovercourt. The EP will boast new tracks from Canadian producers Nautiluss (who is all over our Best of 2012 lists), Kevin McPhee (pictured above), Gingy, and Bruce Trail, and is scheduled to arrive on January 28. Before then, you can check out the artwork, tracklist, and snippets of all four tracks below.

1. Nautiluss – Zero Gravity
2. Kevin McPhee – Version 5
3. Gingy – Swirlie
4. Bruce Trail – Beatrice

Ossie “Ossie Baba”

After closing out 2012 with the exceptionally funky Ignore EP for Hyperdub, UK producer Ossie recently offered up a new EP for free download through his SoundCloud. As Ossie Baba‘s title track shows, the Londoner is still as keen as ever to of weave together intricate patterns of shakers and various sorts of hand percussion. The tune elicits all sorts of body movement, as its sumptuous procession of dusty electric piano chords, bouncy bass, and tribal vocal samples plays out over the course of five minutes. Follow the jump to stream/download the rest of the free, three-track Ossie Baba EP.

Ossie Baba

Video Premiere: Barker & Baumecker “Schlang Bang”

From last year’s excellent Transsektoral LP for Ostgut Ton—which accounted for one of our top 10 releases of 2012—comes this video for Barker & Baumecker‘s “Schlang Bang,” a shuffling tune full of whirling synths which some may recognize from the recent XLR8R’s Best of 2012: Tracks list. While the video isn’t exactly chocked full of eye-popping visual material, it certainly fits the track it accompanies, as both evolve slowly over time and gradually entice the viewer/listener deeper into the proceedings at hand.

Mike Paradinas’ Heterotic Project Preps Debut LP for Planet Mu

Planet Mu head honcho Mike Paradinas (a.k.a. ?-Ziq) and his wife Lara Rix-Paradinas have joined musical forces under the name Heterotic, and are set to release their debut album later this year. Paradinas describes the eight-track album, appropriately called Love & Devotion, as “hazy, dreamy, ’80s-influenced electronic-pop shot through with the dynamics and space of modern electronic dance music.” Half of the tracks also include vocals from Warp artist Gravenhurst (a.k.a. Nick Talbot), who is best known for his dark folk music. Though there are clearly darker numbers featuring Talbot, such as “Wartime,” it seems that the duo has instead used Talbot’s voice to help lift its foggy tunes out of the shadows and into the light. At the very least, the album presents fresh material from all three of the artists, all of which you can preview here; you can also check out the artwork and tracklist for Heterotic’s forthcoming Love & Devotion LP below.

01. Bliss
02. Blue Lights (ft. Gravenhurst)
03. Wartime (ft. Gravenhurst)
04. Robo Corp
05. Devotion (ft. Gravenhurst)
06. Knell
07. Slumber (ft. Gravenhurst)
08. Fanfare

Nils Frahm “Re (Modiac Rework)”

You may remember Argentina-based producer Plasma Rüby‘s rework of “Si” by German composer Nils Frahm from back in November (and then again last month as a part of our Best of 2012: Top Downloads list). Apparently, Frahm’s Screws collection has inspired a great number of remixes of the album’s nine songs from producers all over the globe, as an entire website dedicated to these alternate versions has been constructed for your perusal. One of those many tracks arrives from German production duo Modiac (pictured above), who delivers a rework of “Re” that enjoys all of the same delicate keyboard melodies of the original composition. The addition of weightless electronic drums helps add to Modiac’s somewhat arid vibe.

Re (Modiac Rework)

Download a New Edit from Jamie xx

Jamie xx, the beatmaking brainchild behind UK sleep-pop darlings The xx, has just released an edit of one of his band’s new tracks, “Sunset.” The edit is essentially an extended mix of the tune from Coexist (an album that XLR8R didn’t exactly fall in love with), albeit one backed with a more club-ready groove. Though it may be the last organization you would expect to release free music, iTunes is actually sharing the track as part of its free download series. The release, aptly titled The xxmas, also includes live videos of “Angels” and “Chained,” all of which you can download for free for the next 72 hours or so, here. Take a listen to “Sunset (Jamie xx Edit)” below.

XLR8R’s Top 20 Downloads of December

We’re sure you’re all absolutely tired of reading over lists after the barrage of ranked countdowns that arrived with the close of 2012, but seeing as how XLR8R is officially back to business as usual in 2013, it’s time for us to share the top 20 most downloaded tracks from last month. December’s most popular tunes are undoubtedly a mixed bag in terms of artists and styles, with sounds from heavy hitters like Oneohtrix Point Never (pictured above) and Shigeto rubbing up against the likes of Synkro, Urulu, and Gang Colours. Of course, top-quality music remains the common thread in this list, so be sure to check out each of the freebies that made it in our Top 20 Downloads of December, after the jump.

1. Robots Don’t Sleep “So Bad (Synkro Dub Mix)”
2. Bodhi “Don’t You Know”
3. James Zabiela “Healing (Gang Colours Remix)”
4. Oneohtrix Point Never “Blue Drive”
5. Jessie Ware “Sweet Talk (Urulu’s Works for Me Dub)”
6. Shigeto “Friends and Lovers”
7. 96Wrld “Pirmas Rudeninis”
8. Max Cooper feat. Braids “Automaton (Ghosting Season Remix)”
9. Lazy Flow “Ogazma (DJ Sliink Remix)”
10. Kött & Wellbeck “Dropman”
11. X-Press 2 “Down”
12. Detroit Swindle “Guess What”
13. Jason Burns & Brent Still Life “Right Here”
14. Jubilee “Dis Time”
15. +verb “I Want Some”
16. Yumi and the Weather “Not Again (Manni Dee Reimx)”
17. Sub Focus “Last Jungle (CL Moons Edit)”
18. Justin Velor “Flameout (Psychemagik Remix)”
19. Orthy “E.M.I.L.Y (Baio Remix)”
20. La Boum Fatale “Snalle (Glenn Astro’s Snaller Remix)”

Hi, Doctor Nick! – Free Download Etiquette and Getting DJ Gigs When You Live in the Middle of Nowhere

We’ve flipped the calendar to 2013 at XLR8R, and while the new year is bound to bring some changes, finding Nick Hook anywhere else but right here on Thursday mornings isn’t going to be one of them. For the uninitiated, Doctor Nick is a sort of modern-day renaissance man, and each week he fields questions from our audience and doles out wisdom about music, gear, DJing, travel, production techniques, romance, and whatever else our readers are clamoring to know about. Don’t believe us? Drop him a note at doctornick@xlr8r.com and find out.

Happy New Year.

Hope it was fun and safe for everyone. I had the pleasure of playing with Onra, Nick Catchdubs, and Samo Sound Boy. They were all dope.

I know we have taken a few weeks off, but we NEED questions. No you = no me, it’s as simple as that. doctornick@xlr8r.com!!!!!!!!!!

Since it’s the beginning of the year and we all have resolutions in mind, I just wanted to share something I like to do every year: set goals. Open a note on your phone, or get out a piece of paper and a pencil—whatever works for you. Be broad, dream, reach for it all. I think writing it down and looking at it keeps these things on your mind. I always do life goals, musical goals, whatever. I didn’t reach all of them last year, but they are still goals this year, and I have new ones. It keeps you thinking forward. Try it.

Anyways, on to the questions. And remember, send more!!!!!!!!

Hi Doctor Nick,
I lived in Leeds, England for two years and got fully into the house/techno scene there after a few years away from clubs. I have always followed and attended local nights of good dance music, but now I find myself living in the middle of nowhere. I literally live 600km from a city in the Australian outback (Kalgoorlie), as I am working in mining. What are the best ways you would say I could get involved in the Perth DJ scene even though I only spend two to three days there a month? Would it be easy to get gigs from afar and how do I go about it?
Jake

Hey Jake,

Shout out to mining. Be careful down there.

I guess the key is just to take your time, meet everyone, and see how you fit in. I’d make a mixtape and throw them on some USB keys or CDs to give to people while you are down there. I’m sure you have probably been to the good parties, so toss them to the door person, the DJs, or the club owners. Buying them a drink wouldn’t hurt either. Just be gentle with it, you don’t wanna turn anyone off. Offer to play early or late and for free. I’d also try and find smaller spots, or underground radio stations you could guest on. You never know who’s gonna show up where, so just try and play. Worst-case scenario, you have a mixtape you can put up on SoundCloud and share with fans/friends/blogs/etc.

Good luck my friend.

Hi Doctor Nick,
This is a question about free download etiquette. I’ve produced a track that sounds great and I want to get it out there. If I send it to labels, is it cool for me to have the track available for download online somewhere (like SoundCloud or a blog)? Or does that essentially defeat the purpose of getting the track signed in the first place? I can see how this could be an issue with regards to distribution. But it would also be an issue with me sharing the love.

I look forward to your words of wisdom.
Tavis

In the interest of giving the best answer, I humbly defer to my friend Nick Catchdubs from Fool’s Gold. Thanks Nick!

Every label wants to be Columbus. So sure, I definitely want first crack at music that is genuinely unreleased (especially if it’s being pitched to me as such).

That said, there’s no hard and fast rule to signings. We’ve released tracks picked up off SoundCloud, and we’ve given official release to songs that have been “out” but were never snagged by another label. Honestly, outside of a couple “first!” internet types, no one cares all that much. If music is genuinely good when it’s put up for free, it will still be good when we give it a proper retail release to a wider audience. Most music is still “new” to the vast majority of people out there, and most music sent in for demo consideration isn’t getting signed anyway! In regards to etiquette though, my biggest gripe isn’t SoundCloud freebies. It’s people sending “personal” emails with 20 different label demo addresses in the cc field. Or those charmers who cap things off with a p.s. to the tune of “other labels are interested in it, but I wanted to offer it to you” – why, so we can sign a social climber? If being signed is that important to you, you can learn to be patient enough to wait a bit after sending your tunes to labels before offering it up to the public yourself. In the meantime, there’s no reason why you can’t give away dope tracks that aren’t signable in the first place (bootlegs, tracks with crazy samples, etc.). Or throw up a snippet of an original if you’re just that anxious. But it’s better to breathe.

Be original, make good music, don’t be a dick. Repeat steps one through three. You’ll be fine, whether you’re signed or not.

Hi, Doctor Nick! appears every Thursday on XLR8R. Do you have a question for Doctor Nick? Please submit your inquires to doctornick@xlr8r.com. Nick Hook can help you.

Derek Piotr “Hutan”

Next month, Polish-born, New England-based sonic adventurer Derek Piotr will self-release a new LP called Raj, and has offered up album track “Hutan” to sereve as the upcoming record’s first taste. Beginning with a bit of electro-acoustic sound manipulation, Piotr presents a pattern of bell-like hits, which he occasionally breaks up with a single chord and doses of manipulated static before locking into a driving, machine-led beat. While “Hutan” is not exactly a guaranteed floor filler, the track is an intriguing teaser that explores the more abstract and adventurous side of electronic dance music. After giving the tune a listen, interested parties will find the full tracklist and artwork for the forthcoming Raj LP after the jump.

01 Spine
02 Amendola
03 Grave
04 Karakum
05 Defilada (Clubhook)
06 Hutan
07 Deforester
08 Open
09 Sand Defacing All Surfaces
10 Flow Through Light

Hutan

Levon Vincent Stereo Systems

There is a lot to respect about Levon Vincent, but one of the main things is his keen sense of quality control. Over the years, he’s stayed conservative and uncompromising when it comes to the music he presses and distributes. That said, while his output is usually pretty sparse, 2012 was a particularly silent year for him in terms of new 12″ releases. Instead, his new material came in the form of short previews and teasers on mixes like his recent Fabric 63. Though not all of these anticipated bits have seen a proper release, some of them now appear in fully realized form on Stereo Systems, his latest EP.

Put simply, Vincent makes tracks for DJs. Streamlined and muscular, his is music that’s designed to be placed in a larger set. This is immediately obvious with a-side “Stereo Systems,” a stripped-down workout built over a pounding, kick-drum-only rhythm that conveys a feeling of travelling long distances. It’s not a peak-time anthem, but instead something for a lull, with an inevitable forward motion that glides beneath the song’s clouds of space echo and clusters of sharply arpeggiating melody. Like much of his discography, it’s good, but by his own standards, it’s too uneventful to be his best. The most interesting part comes at the end, when the song has finished. Silence is replaced by an entirely different piece, one composed of classically arranged analog chords playing without any rhythmic accompaniment. It’s a strange but welcome bonus.

The record’s real action is on the two b-sides. It begins with “Together Forever,” a powerful and genuinely scary techno track. Like the a-side, it creates a huge environment from only a few well-placed elements. Here though, the rhythm is a little more dynamic, with rapid hi-hats and a white-noise snare thrown in for movement. The central element of the song is a heavily reverbed wash of delay that phases in and out of focus to occasionally consume the entire spectrum in its totality—it’s dark and affecting in a way that’s specific to his sound.

Less bleak and more developed is “Speck’s Jam,” the easy highlight of the EP. The rhythm is the most complex, with a New York-house shuffle that relies on swung hi-hats, noodling guitars, and live-played double bass to construct its weird jazz. The organic elements are left dry, a decision that creates a wide-open space for him to ease in watery pads of dub techno. Yet it never gets overbearing, instead maintaining its drive for the entire duration. Like the best of his catalog, its play of dynamics effortlessly combines aspects of house and techno into a unique whole. As the last song on the EP, it ties everything together and makes Stereo Systems another essential release from Levon Vincent.

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