Actress Cancels Decibel Performance; Nosaj Thing Takes His Place

Well, we’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that Seattle’s Decibel Festival, which is all set to get started tomorrow, just announced that UK techno experimentalist Actress will not be appearing at this year’s event. The good news is that LA beatmaker Nosaj Thing, who just made his own big announcement, will be replacing him. If you caught today’s Top 10 Things to See at Decibel 2012 list, you’ll remember that Actress was scheduled to play the XLR8R showcase with Teengirl Fantasy and Gulls, so you can imagine how bummed we are that the enigmatic artist won’t be joining us. But, truth be told, we’d be hard pressed to think of anyone better than Nosaj Thing to replace him this Friday night at The Baltic Room.

!K7 Celebrates 27 Years with Free Tunes from Motor City Drum Ensemble, Apparat, and More

We’ve been hearing rumors since early this year that !K7 has big plans for its 27th birthday, and now we’re starting to see some of those things come to light. For example: The Berlin label has just unveiled a series of two-track EPs that it will offer as a free download every Tuesday from now through October 16. This first installment features a track from Motor City Drum Ensemble (pictured above) and one from When Saints Go Machine, and there will be more music from Hercules & Love Affair, Wolf + Lamb vs. Soul Clap, Apparat, and others in the weeks to come. You can stream and download !K7’s inaugural 27th Anniversary EP in the player below.

King Dinosaur “The Night (Broke One Remix)”

This week, nascent imprint Artillery released an EP from Brighton-based producer King Dinosaur, called The Night, and they’ve offered up a remix of the title track as a taste. Italian beatmaker and Red Bull Music Academy graduate Broke One (who you may remember from his collaborative tune with Krystal Klear and Ghosts on Tape) fills in the original’s empty spaces with an onslaught of rushing synths, and pitches the vocal sample down to a dopey warble.

The Night (Broke One Remix)

Jack Dixon Announces EP for Hotflush

London DJ/producer Jack Dixon, who crafted a decidedly mellow podcast for us earlier this year, is set to release an EP via Hotflush. Dixon chose two tracks to feature on his first record for Scuba’s imprint, “E” and “Find Shelter,” which are said to “sit somewhere between the early-morning techno dancefloors of Berlin and the murky sweatbox raves of late-night South London.” Before Hotflush drops the 12″ on November 5, you can check out its artwork below.

Rush Hour to Release 12″ from Braiden

London DJ/producer and Rinse FM regular Braiden has somehow managed to keep a consistent profile in the realm of UK bass music despite only having a single record to his name (we’d like to think his recent XLR8R podcast certainly didn’t hurt). But as Juno Plus reports, the artist will soon add another record to his meager repertoire. Amsterdam’s venerable Rush Hour label will drop “Belfry Tower” b/w “Paganini”—described as a “tough, dark and upfront house track” and a “rhodes laden and percussive driven piece that builds around a seductive female vocal,” respectively—sometime around mid-November. Before then, you can stream snippets of both sides of the 12″, here.

Video: Daphni “Pairs”

Today, multifaceted Canadian artist Daphni (a.k.a. Dan Snaith, Caribou) released this technicolored video for “Pairs,” a song taken from his forthcoming album, JIAOLONG. The piece serves as a colorful, five-minute break from the regular, as it delves into kaleidoscopic psychedelia while Daphni’s afrobeat-tinged house tune works out a solid groove. Look for the rest of JIAOLONG to drop on October 16 via Snaith’s own imprint, also called JIAOLONG. (via FACT)

Young Smoke “Creative Soars”

The debut full-length from rising Chicago-based footwork talent Young Smoke (a.k.a. David Davis), The Space Zone, dropped today via veteran electronic-music outpost Planet Mu. While the LP is dominated by skittering, manic beats, non-album cut “Creative Soars” shows the teenage producer’s softer side. Young Smoke splices peaceful, arching melodies into moments of rapid-fire percussion, lending his skipping rhythm a pensive quality that appears from time to time on The Space Zone, too.

Creative Soars

Top 10 Things to See at Decibel 2012

As to be expected, the 2012 edition of Decibel has a lot to offer in the way of cutting-edge and underground electronic music. Touting a truly international roster of artists to make up its five days and 30-plus showcases, the Seattle expedition of “electronic music performance, visual art, and new media” requires a bit of pre-planning for those looking to make the most of it. With that in mind, XLR8R has put together a list of the 10 most essential events to fit into one’s Decibel week—study up and plan accordingly.

10. Demdike Stare Live Re-Scoring of La Vampire Nue
Wednesday, September 26

Decibel’s opening day is set to kick off with a healthy dose of the weird and abstract, as the British sonic spellcasters of Demdike Stare will give the festival its first performance with a live re-scoring of Jean Rollins’ twisted cult classic, La Vampire Nue. Although the pair will also be making an appearance at the Modern Love showcase (alongside labelmate Andy Stott) the very next night, something about hearing Demdike Stare’s warped, textured compositions alongisde a 1970 erotic horror film just sounds like too perfect a pairing to miss.

9. DB Conference
Wednesday, September 26 – Sunday, September 30

While partying for five days straight to a bounty of cutting-edge dance music is surely the focus for much of Decibel, attendees will also have the opportunity to balance that out with a bit of educational nourishment courtesy of the DB Conference. From tutorials and demonstrations on essential pieces of music-making gear to roundtable discussions with lofty subjects such as “Getting Coverage in Media, Festivals, and Retail Outlets” and “Working with Forward-Thinking Labels,” there is plenty to soak in over the conference’s three-day run (Wednesday through Friday). Aspiring producers, label heads, and those just curious about the gears which churn inside the electronic-music community will have an unstifled opportunity to glean some very useful insight from a host of presenters and panels.

8. Friends of Friends Showcase w/ Shlohmo, Salva, and Groundislava
Sunday, September 30

Almost every beatsmith associated with the Friends of Friends crew/label will be present at the Baltic Room to help close out the festival on its final day. By now, many of us have witnessed the madness Shlohmo and Salva are capable of inciting, and on this night, they’ll be joined by Groundislava (pictured above), who will be strutting his stuff live, and Jerome LOL, whose early DJ set is sure to deliver some quality vibes.

7. Robag Wruhme and Peter Van Hoesen at Global Selektors 2
Thursday, September 27

Decibel’s Global Selektors series is touted as the festival’s homage to the DJ, one which aims to highlight “some of the finest house and techno jocks on the planet.” The Thursday edition of the series features a headlining set from techno vet DVS1, but it’s really the earlier talent—Robag Wruhme and Peter Van Hoesen—that has us excited for what should be a spellbinding night of synth-driven techno.

6. Roman Flügel and Beautiful Swimmers After Hours
Saturday, September 29

Decibel has plenty to offer in the way of after-hours events this year (even our own SF cohorts at Icee Hot have been tapped for an official after-hours shindig with Terrence Parker and xxxy), and the most intriguing of them all pairs German house adventurer Roman Flügel with DC’s cosmic tunesmiths Beautiful Swimmers (pictured above). Both outfits are known for being a bit hard to pin down, as well as having penchants for deep, synth-based explorations—all of which should make for an enthralling post-2 a.m. dance party.

5. Sepalcure, George FitzGerald, and Braille at the Hotflush Showcase
Saturday, September 29

This one is kind of a no-brainer. Hotflush has gathered up some of its most dependable outfits as of late for this Decibel showcase, bringing George FitzGerald out West for a rare appearance and also lining up a Sepalcure live A/V set. And with the Braille half of that duo opening the night, this one’s bound to be full to the brim with slippery chords, infectious skitters, and—of course—plenty of bass.

4. xxxy, Kuedo, and Objekt at Surefire Presents
Thursday, September 27

Anyone who’s had a chance to catch an xxxy (pictured above) DJ set—either online or, better yet, in person—is already well aware of the fact that the UK producer is a badman behind the decks, capable of weaving vibrant paths through house, techno, bass, and all the points in between. That alone seems worth the price of admission, but this bill also includes an opening DJ set from Objekt and a live set from the incomparable Kuedo, all of which adds up to one of the most stacked line-ups of the entire festival.

3. Carl Craig (as 69) and Octave One at Motor City Masters
Friday, September 28

As part of the year-long celebration that has marked Planet E‘s 20th anniversary, Carl Craig (pictured at top) has revived his 69 moniker for a series of live performances over the past few months. After first appearing with the 4 Jazz Funk Classics EP in 1991, Craig’s 69 project has always leaned a bit more towards the weird and unexpected, and though we’re not quite sure exactly what to expect from a 69 live performance, with C2 at the helm, we know we’re in good hands. Oh, and get there on the earlier side so as to not miss Octave One, the recently reformed brotherly pair of Detroit veterans whose live set is sure to serve as an apporpriate precursor to 69’s twisted synth exploraitons.

2. Actress, Teengirl Fantasy, and Gulls at the XLR8R Showcase
Friday, September 28

Yes, we do have a little bias when it comes to this showcase, but let’s be honest here—it’s Actress. Likely to land somewhere between his cerebral ambient inclinations and proven dancefloor prowess, the enigmatic London producer’s live set seems primed to simultaneously move bodies and expand minds. Furthermore, we’ve filled out the line-up with Oberlin graduates Teengirl Fantasy and burgeoning Portland producer Gulls (not to mention our own editor, Shawn Reynaldo, on DJ duties) for a night of ceaselessly adventerous dancefloor grooves.

[Editors Note: Unfortunately, news has just come in that Actress’ performance has been cancelled due to visa issues, but we’re not all that sad considering that Los Angeles stalwart Nosaj Thing has been recruited to headline the night instead.]

1. John Talabot Live Set at DB Finale
Sunday, September 30

In keeping with the idea of saving the best for last, the Northwest premiere of John Talabot‘s live set has rightly been chosen to headline the official closing showcase of this year’s Decibel festival. With fellow Spaniard Pional serving as his partner-in-crime, Talabot will lead onlookers through the nooks and crannies of his glistening disco, sun-kissed house, and vibrant electronics. Though the live-set concept is still fairly new to Talabot’s repertoire, the man’s track record speaks for itself and has us feeling confident that Talabot and Pional will be responsible for the festival’s most captivating hour of boundary-pushing live electronic music.

Podcast 266: Max Cooper’s Decibel Mix

As most XLR8R readers are likely aware, the annual Decibel Festival is descending upon Seattle this week, and bringing with it a stunning array of electronic artists. Given our excitement about the festivities, we’re running a special series of Decibel-themed content throughout the week, and have elected to include our weekly podcast as part of that. Making that choice was easy; much harder was actually choosing an artist to do said podcast, as the festival line-up literally features dozens of producers and DJs whose names have appeared on XLR8R over the years. In the end, we decided to go with someone who might seem a bit unexpected—Max Cooper. Admittedly, the UK producer isn’t someone whose name loudly rings out. Much like his music, the man’s profile is understated, to say the least. Yet he’s also a seasoned artist who continues to turn out quality music; his lengthy discography is full of releases that can ostensibly be categorized as techno, albeit a melodic, cinematic strain of techno with hints of glitch and a quiet elegance that’s unique to the genre.

Cooper will be performing at Saturday’s Cerebral Vortex showcase, and this podcast provides an excellent window into what one of his live sets might entail, at least sonically. Over the course of an hour, Cooper frequently lays down a steady beat, but isn’t afraid to move away from pounding rhythms to indulge in a melodic detour or a pop-minded impulse. Favoring sounds that are clean, even pristine, there’s occasionally a sort of delicate feel to the proceedings, a sensation that’s only strengthened by the producer’s precise mixing. Cooper’s persona may be low-key, but he’s clearly an artist who’s comfortable in his own skin. Perhaps that’s why he simply lets his music do the talking.

01 Abyss “Birdsong (Flowers and Sea Creatures Remix)” (Buzzin’ Fly)
02 Halls “Roses For The Dead (Max Cooper Remix)” (No Pain in Pop)
03 Jimmy Edgar “Black Neon Dancefloor” (Items & Things)
04 Vaetxh “List of Lists” (Tigerbeat6)
05 Ambivalent “Rumors” (Minus)
06 Agoria “Panta Rei (Max Cooper Remix)” (Infine)
07 Max Cooper feat. Braids “Automaton (Ghosting Season Remix)” (FIELDS)
08 Elef “Tales of 88 (Huxley Remix)” (Murmur)
09 Nils Frahm “For (Max Cooper Remix)” (Erased Tapes)
10 Ólafur Arnalds “Poland” (Erased Tapes)
11 Vaetxh “Unfolding Mechanism” (Detroit Underground)
12 Dan Cat “Winterslow (Max Cooper Remix)” (Playtime)
13 Pleasurekraft “Corpse Reviver No 2” (Brandnewvibe)
14 Nils Frahm “Peter (Max Cooper Remix)” (Erased Tapes)
15 The Slow Revolt “Dark Matter (Max Cooper Remix)” (Pavilion)

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XLR8R_Podcast_Max_Cooper_Decibel_Mix_2012_09_25

Gary Beck “Hopkin”

Prolific Glasgow-based label Soma released its 100th record this week, a 10-track LP called Bring a Friend by Glaswegian producer Gary Beck. The tunesmith has been a regular contributor to the label for years, but this record marks his first full-length on Soma, and to celebrate, Beck has offered up album cut “Hopkin.” The thundering techno track flickers like a camera’s shutter, chattering with stomping percussion that grinds as deep as the guttural vocal sample.

Hopkin

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