All of the artists involved in the creation of this tune are relatively new to electronic music production. Bonnie Baxter (a.k.a. ShadowBox, pictured above) fronted a rock-oriented outfit before trading in her guitar for a drum machine, while Luke Welsby and Olly Howells (a.k.a. Bodhi) played in bands in their native Cardiff before diving into electronic production just six months ago. On the pair’s remix of the budding solo artist, Bodhi brighten up the dark and dystopian synth-pop of the original with major chords and sunny summer vibes. Bodhi also pitches down the vocals and makes them rather prominent in the mix, turning a tune that was once rough and gothy into a drifting bit of vocal-based disco-pop. The original version of “AM” will appear on ShadowBox’s forthcoming Haunted by Colors EP, which will drop on July 24 through Pictures Music. And for interested parties in and around NYC, you can catch a live performance from ShadowBox tonight, free of charge, at Tammany Hall in the Lower East Side.
We discovered at the very start of 2012 that dubstep stalwart and XLR8R podcast contributor Mala was working on an album based on music he recorded whilst staying in Cuba, and now, the details of that auspicious project have arrived. The record will be called Mala in Cuba, and will be released via Gilles Peterson‘s Brownswood label on September 10. Speaking about Mala’s new album, Peterson says, “This is the record that re-evaluates and re-aligns the dubstep movement within sound system culture”—something we can all likely agree is much needed at this point in the genre’s history. Preceding the LP is a two-track 12” featuring the tunes “Cuba Electronic” and “Calle F,” which will be released on August 6, but can be previewed now in the players below.
LA bass-and-beats-centric label Friends of Friends is launching a new imprint called Young Adults, and has unveiled the details of its first release, a four-song compilation of house music. The label takes its name from the DJ duo Young Adults, composed of Deep Body (a.k.a. David Fisher) and FoF label boss Lazy Brow (a.k.a. Leeor Brown), who also co-run the new imprint. The compilation is simply titled YA001, and will feature tunes from Suzanne Kraft, Urulu, The Dead Rose Music Company, and a collaborative production from LOL Boys and Grown Folk. Look for the record to drop on vinyl on June 19, with a digital release to follow at an undetermined date. Until then, you can get your first taste of Young Adults from the recently posted DJ mix, which kicks off with Urulu‘s entry on the comp, below.
The NYC-based online music production school Dubspot has announced that, for the month of June, it will be offering a free 30-part series of instructional videos intended to serve as a crash course for new and existing Ableton Live users. Put together to coincide with Ableton’s current 30-day software trial offer, the 30-video course was designed by Dubspot instructor (and noted expert Live user) Thavius Beck, who broke the schooling into four parts: “DJing with Live,” “Beat Programming,” “Simple Sound Design,” and “Producing a Remix.” Although it appears these lessons are more aimed towards the beginner crowd of Ableton users, Beck is perhaps the most knowledgeable stateside Ableton user, and is therefor likely to parlay gems of wisdom that even the most seasoned Ableton junkie could stand to hear (and potentially benefit from). You can check the video below, which more fully explains the aim and benefits of the courses, and once you’re done, head here to sign up for the free 30-part series.
Vlsonn has made a name for himself in his home city of Toronto as a DJ and a frequent remixer, putting his own spin on tracks by names such as Wiz Khalifa, Pharaohe Monch, and James Blake. He’s recently been added to Vancouver-based label Aufect, which released his Black Sea Influence EP on June 4 exclusively through Beatport. On EP closer “Sing2049,” Vlsonn crafts a throwback tune that delves into the recesses of deep, dark techno, featuring percussion that lumbers along laboriously as it grows dense and heavy with layers of cavernous atmospherics. Vlsonn’s record, which you can stream after the jump, also features a remix of the title track by label boss Cure with HxdB and Sleepyhead, and will be released worldwide on June 19.
For a certain population of electronic-music listeners, Jimmy Tamborello’s 2001 album as Dntel, Life Is Full of Possibilities, is a seminal record. In the over 10 years that have passed since its release, Tamborello has taken on a variety of forms, hitting on some unpredictably huge successes (mainly, as the production force behind the adored Postal Service), as well as delivering a few lukewarm releases under his Dntel and James Figurine monikers. Through it all though, the producer has never appeared insincere—for better or worse, each record has sounded like Tamborello, touched by his keen sense for melancholy and an ability to conjure up gorgeously emotive sounds. On Aimlessness, Tamborello continues in this vein, revealing a record that is nowhere near as monumental as Life Is Full of Possibilities, but nonetheless shows a producer who has gracefully matured, and is able to fit into the context of the ever-evolving electronic music scene without compromising his musical personality in the process.
The Dntel name has never really been one associated directly to dance music. Granted, boiled down to their simplest form, his songs are essentially techno, but the kind of techno that is more focused on the listening experience than the club experience and—especially by today’s standards—is heavily populated by melodic elements. This LP is no different, as it runs through ambient textures, controlled four-on-the-floor, and light skitters with the constant presence of floating melodies. Fortunately, Tamborello’s melodic concoctions are usually at least tasteful, if not infectiously alluring. Tracks like “Jitters” and the closing “Paper Landscape” appear along the lines of classic Dntel fare—gliding synths meet with crisp runs of bell-like sounds or rich pad accompaniments, making for pleasantly heartfelt processions.
There are some genuine highlights to be found on Aimlessness: the aforementioned ambient closer “Paper Landscape,” the surprisingly DJ Koze-reminiscent “My Orphaned Son” (which also happens to feature a nice layering of Tamborello’s own voice), and the unexpectedly jazzy/Kraut-indebted “Trudge” are especially strong, while Will Wiesenfeld (a.k.a. Baths, operating here under his Geotic handle) morphs “Jitters” into a heavy-handed yet spell-bindingly blissful beat which accounts for the record’s most repeatable listen. Still, the rest of the LP may take its title a bit too seriously, presenting songs that are pleasant enough with their spiralling melodies and detailed production, but in the end seem to move in no tangible direction of interest. In particular, two songs which feature guest vocalists—Will Wiesenfeld again serves as a collaborator, this time contributing vocals to “Still,” while Nite Jewel‘s floaty voice piles upon itself for “Santa Ana Winds”—stick out as the biggest missteps, possibly because the vocal contributions actually replace Dntel’s usual melodic content and ultimately sound a bit out of place in the context of the record’s flow.
Despite its hiccups along the way, Aimlessness still leaves the listener with a warm feeling upon its completion, an effect no doubt made real by Tamborello’s dedication to heartfelt, melodic compositions. With a bit of playfulness, and the absorption of new musical influences over the past few years, Dntel’s latest LP is a far more rewarding listen than the last full-length to bear his name (2007’s Dumb Luck), and although it may not represent a complete return to form, it’s still a welcome stop on a production career that appears to have a lot of life left in it.
Read our recent interview with Jimmy Tamborello here.
Veteran Finnish techno artist Vladislav Delay (a.k.a. Sasu Ripatti) is set to release a new 12″ record later this month through long-running German imprint Raster-Noton. This summer is shaping up to be a busy one for Ripatti, who released a live set last month, has a full-length record called Kuopio currently in the pipeline, and is set to release an EP as part of the Moritz von Oswald Trio in two weeks. This month’s Raster-Noton 12″ is titled Espoo, and contains two conceptual, rhythm-intense tracks. Purportedly, the unusual tunes eschew techno’s typical 4/4 time, instead veering toward the spacey experimentalism of Terry Riley‘s minimalist tape loops. The record will be available on June 24 on both vinyl and digital formats, with the digital version of the record including an alternate version of each track. Before then, you can preview Vladislav Delay’s Espoo EP, below.
Portugal-based electronic pop producer :papercutz (a.k.a. Bruno Miguel, pictured above with vocalist Melissa Veras) is sharing this remix of “Rivers,” the lead single from his forthcoming sophomore album The Blur Between Us. The dreamy bedroom pop of the original becomes more esoteric after going under the knife with London’s Nowa Huta, who renders Veras’ vocals unintelligible through further processing and elongating, while also ramping up the track’s bass and adding skittering hi-hat percussion. (Interesting side note: The Blur Between Us was made with the help of acclaimed producer/engineer Chris Coady, who has worked with artists such as Massive Attack, Gang Gang Dance, Beach House, and current XLR8Rpodcast contributors Lemonade, among many others.) Look out for :papercutz’s new album when it drops on July 10 through UK imprint Sound of a Playground.
Just under a month after we discovered that UK DJ/producer Mickey Pearce had a two-track 12″ in the works for Doc Daneeka’s Ten Thousand Yen imprint, we can listen to those very same tunes. Rich Attley’s second record of 2012 is as hard-edged and bass heavy as we hoped, with enough atonal percussion and gnarled synth tones to satisfy most lovers of grimey club productions. You can listen to “Tempted (F+ck Tonto Edit)” b/w “Softly Softly” before it’s released on June 11, below.
Prolific Berlin-based producer and Tigerbeat6 label boss Kid606 (a.k.a. Miguel de Pedro) has announced the impending release of his new EP, LSDMTB303, and made it available to stream in full. Record opener “Everything is Business” expands on the glitchy vibes of his last release, Ejaculazer Tag, though that link is severed over the rest of the new EP’s reverb-addled, synth-laden course. Below, you can listen for yourself to the genre-bending offering, a track from which we premiered last month, before Kid606 releases it on June 18 via Tigerbeat6.
