Following yesterday’s announcement that Addison Groove has an EP in the works for Modeselektor’s 50Weapons imprint, we discover that fellow UK tunesmith Benjamin Damage will drop a 12″ for the same record hub. “Swarm” b/w “Headache” is slated for a release on October 5, and is said to reference the “heydays of techno,” as well as precede Benjamin Damage’s 2013 solo album. Before it’s released, you can stream a clip of the record’s a-side, below.
Jeremy Rose (a.k.a. Zodiac) is the young Canadian artist better known as the guy who was ripped off by The Weeknd after he produced standout House of Baloons tracks “What You Need,” “Loft Music,” and “The Party & The After Party” and wasn’t credited (or compensated) on the release. Now, the 23-year-old has announced a forthcoming self-titled EP for Jacques Greene’s Vase label. Though there is no artwork or tracklist currently available for Rose’s five-track Zodiac EP, we do know that it will be released digitally on September 24, with vinyl dropping on October 8.
Last time we checked in on Mark E, the UK-based producer was dropping last year’s Stone Breaker LP via Ghostly‘s sister label, Spectral. Now, the tunesmith is back with Project E, a collaborative endeavor featuring classical pianist and keyboardist Nat Woodcock of British bands Arch Stanton and The Nat Franklin Trio. The outfit’s forthcoming three-track 12″, titled Megacity, is slated for a September 24 release through Mark E’s own MERC label, and is said to be an Italo disco- and Detroit techno-tinged departure from the label’s usual output of sample-laden deep house. Megacity will also be the producer’s first productorial collaboration since 2008’s Good Times EP, which featured Dragon. After you stream Megacity‘s individual tracks and check out its artwork below, listen to Mark E’s recent podcast for Louche, which features a non-album cut from Project E, called “Another Night.”
Insects on your record player? That can’t be good for the vinyl, but that’s precisely what we’re dealing with in this bugged-out video for Bobby Champs‘ title track from his forthcoming Drag Queen EP for Pictures Music. After we shared the Brighton producer’s “Charlie” tune (also lifted from the as-yet-unreleased EP), director Bryan Stewart delivers this bit of footage with a depth of field almost as small as its scurrying subject matter. The music video reminds us a bit of the piece for Clark’s smashing “Ted” track from 2007, but instead pairs Bobby Champs’ punchdrunk house grooves with its insectoid obsession.
At the beginning of summer, Finnish producer Applescal launched his Atomnation label with a record by Netherlands beatmaker David Douglas. Now, the imprint’s sophomore release, AnimalZOO‘s six-track All Together EP, has seen the light of day. AnimalZOO is the alias of Germany’s self-proclaimed “dance hippie” Lanny May, who also plays in the band Hypnotic Lights and runs the Maripoza imprint. The title track of his solo effort deals in swirling melodies and a soft, hip-hop-leaning beat that flickers on and off throughout the tune’s eight or so minutes. After checking out “All Together,” you can stream AnimalZOO’s EP in its entirety, after the jump.
2 Bears, 1 Love is the forthcoming double-disc mix album from—you guessed it—Joe Goddard’s and Raf Daddy’s The 2 Bears project. The offering is said to mark the first time that either of the duo’s members have tried their hands at creating a mix album, and will include gems from the likes of Toddla T, Paperclip People, Metro Area, Mosca, Matias Aguayo, Todd Terry, Horse Meat Disco, Zed Bias, and others within its 29 tracks. Speaking on 2 Bears, 1 Love, Raf Daddy says, “We didn’t want it to be just two hours of banging club tracks,” to which Goddard adds, “You want it to be something that people listen to for quite a period of time… a mix that becomes part of someone’s life and stays with them.” Before the mix drops on October 8, you can check out the tracklist below.
CD1
1. Intro
2. Débruit ‘149 Dalston Airline’
3. Toddla T featuring Timberlee ‘Body Good’
4. Asphodells ‘The Lonely City’
5. Fun Boy Three ‘Faith, Hope And Charity’
6. Heartbreak ‘Blaze Up’
7. Arttu ‘Peace Will Follow’
8. The 2 Bears ‘Birds & The Bees’ (X-Press 2 Remix)
9. Rebolledo featuring Matias Aguayo ‘Pitaya Frenesí’ (Vocal Version)
10. Metro Area ‘Dance Reaction’
11. Mike Dunn presents The MD X-Spress ‘Na Na Na (I Walks With God)’ (Mike Dunn Main Vocal Mixx)
12. Kim English ‘Learn 2 Luv’ (Mood II Swing Club)
13. Ossie ‘Set The Tone’
14. Nneka ‘Shining Star’ (Joe Goddard Remix)
15. Zed Bias feat. Robbie Rue ‘Boomerang’
16. Four Tet ‘Sing’ (Mosca Remix)
CD2
1. Intro
2. Sweet Exorcist ‘Testfour’
3. Crowdpleaser ‘Nenekri’ (Mickey Moonlight Remix)
4. Wiley ‘I’m Skanking’ (The 2 Bears Dub)
5. The 2 Bears ‘Ghosts & Zombies’ (Todd Terry Dub)
6. Iz & Diz ‘Mouth’ (Pepé Bradock’s Ureleased Remix #1)
7. The 2 Bears – Be Strong (Ratcliffe lil whistle remix)
8. Paperclip People ‘Throw’
9. Braille ‘A Meaning’
10. Knights Of The Hunted ‘X The Beat’
11. Ashley Beedle – Run The Track
12. Black Devil Disco Club featuring Nancy 13. Sinatra ‘To Ardent’ (Horsemeat Disco Remix)
13. Isolée ‘Beau Mot Plage’ (Original)
Throughout the week, XLR8R posts all sorts of stuff online—news, MP3 downloads, podcasts, artists interviews, gear information, album reviews, and whatever else we think might be pertinent to our audience. We’d like to think that some of this content is actually helpful (not to mention interesting) for our readers, but until now, it’s rarely been designed specifically to assist the members of the XLR8R faithful with their day-to-day lives. Beginning next month, that’s going to change, as NYC jack-of-all-trades Nick Hook will be taking the helm of our brand-new advice column, Hi, Doctor Nick!
Okay, so maybe Nick Hook isn’t actually a doctor, but he is a seasoned musician, DJ, traveler, and man of the world. Perhaps you know Nick’s work with his band Cubic Zirconia, or saw him perform as part of El-P’s live band back in the day. In the studio, he recently helped produce music by artists such as L-Vis 1990 and Azealia Banks. Last fall, he was one of the participants at the 2011 Red Bull Music Academy in Madrid. Simply put, Nick Hook is one of those music guys who seems to know just about everyone and has been just about everywhere. More importantly, he knows all about music—different genres, different scenes, different eras, different labels, different production techniques, different equipment… the man dabbles in almost everything.
As such, we couldn’t think of a better candidate for XLR8R readers to pepper with questions. Looking for production tips? Nick Hook can help you. Want to know how to get better DJ gigs? Nick Hook can help you. Want to talk to some cutie you always see at the club, but don’t how to approach them? Nick Hook can help you. Need advice about what to wear? Nick Hook can help you.
Seriously, any and all questions are welcome. In September, Hi, Doctor Nick! will begin appearing on XLR8R each and every week, so we need our readers to start submitting questions now. Start sending your inquiries to doctornick@xlr8r.com, and let us help Nick Hook help you.
Sentel, the duo comprised of Kracow’s Sylwia Kopys and Bartek Baran, will drop its Shut Your Eyes EP on August 27 via the newly-founded Granholme label. The release offers three original tunes from the production pair, with the third track, “Jupiter,” getting a remix from Melbourne’s Kloke. Compared to Sentel’s hard-hitting and spacey cut, Kloke’s version is a more atmospheric take on the song, amplifying its lighter side. The rattling cut opens with the incessant pulse of its bassline as distant drum hits pick up the groove and slowly building synths float atop the mix.
With two new sides of vinyl, Untold‘s Change in a Dynamic Environment singles trilogy comes to a close even further out than it began. The arrival of the final piece has left no concrete clues as to what possible conceptual aim may have bound these three releases together, save for the fact that each 12″ has progressively moved into stranger and more unexpected territory than most ever thought would come from the Hemlock boss. (That being said, Untold did shed a little bit of light on his artistic intentions in our most recent Chatterbox feature.) Most importantly though, creative motives aside, these voyages into uncharted waters have yet to disappoint, and Part 3 is no different.
For the first 30 seconds of a-side cut “Kane,” the listener wouldn’t be crazy to think they had put a record from Smaltown Supersound on by accident. The tune opens with a mellow four-on-the-floor beat, which is joined by a loose, lightly distorted, and almost post-punk electric bass. Quickly though, Untold widens out the song, adding dark and distant strings that grow louder in volume as they spread further across the stereo spectrum. “Kane” is the kind of song that builds in movements. Its initial groove piles on club-ready drums as the stringed melodies and drones become more present. Then, just after the three-minute mark, it all boils over into a deeper bassline and swirls of distortion, both of which push the track forward in a slightly sinister fashion. Over the course of two or three minutes, a reprise of the earlier strings slowly begins to take control, and “Kane” enters a dense final phase that gradually deconstructs into more melodious territory.
The b-side “Overdrive” is much more straightforward. Again, pulling out a disco-/post-punk-reminiscent bassline for its initial moments, the song takes more than a minute to introduce its elements before diving headfirst into crunchy, propulsive madness. Where “Kane” distorted strands within its textures, “Overdrive” is one solid block of, well, overdrive. Layer upon layer of machine-made percussion churns while unidentifiable tones squelch and squeal in between, and a heavy, bouncing kick holds it all together. Every so often, the tune spreads out, but only for brief moments when D&B-style drum fills roll into the next bar (albeit at a slower tempo, as Untold operates somewhere in the mid-120-bpm range here).
If one were to put either of these tunes alongside a track from Untold’s better-known, 2009-era works, there would be almost nothing recognizable between the two. Nevertheless, Untold’s entire Change in the Dynamic Environment series has proven a rewarding change of course, not just for its continually top-notch production value, but also for its experimental boldness. Where he’s bound to go next is anyone’s guess at this point.
Prolific Berlin-based DJ/producer Steve Bug has announced the impending release of his sixth full-length album, Noir. As the title suggests, Bug’s LP packs a lot of darkness into its 10 tracks, as well as a fair share of references to film noir, from the classics to more obscure works in the genre. The video for “Tell Me Why” has already dropped, and hints at the kinds of shady vibes that will be available on October 1. Like his last three LPs, Bug’s upcoming album will see a release via his own Poker Flat label, which will also compile eight of Noir‘s songs on the double-LP vinyl version of the album. You can find the aforementioned music video for “Tell Me Why,” along with the tracklist and artwork for Noir, below.
01. Tell Me Why
02. Poison Of Choice
03. Serve Your Mistress
04. No Adjustments feat. Foremost Poets
05. The Spiral Staircase
06. Moment Of Ease feat. Emilie Chick
07. Those Grooves
08. Somewhere In The Night
09. Farewell Friend
10. The Seventh Victim
