Bok Bok “Dance Report”

In the late ’00s, Buraka Som Sistema introduced much of the world to the energetic Angolan sounds of kuduro (which translates literally as “hard ass”), most notably with the release of its seminal album Black Diamond in 2008. Since then, the Portuguese outfit has put plenty of its own spin on the genre, and has actively encouraged other producers to cross-pollinate diverse types of dance music such as baile funk, tropical bass, cumbia, and of course house, bass, and techno. Through its Enchufada imprint, the group has also released six mini compilations called Hard Ass Sessions, in which BSS recruited producers such as Douster, Dubbel Dutch, Brenmar, and Kingdom to try their hand at the kuduro sound. Next week, the best of the various Hard Ass Sessions will be available as one 21-track compilation that will also feature a mix from founding BSS member J-WOW and a previously unheard tune from Slap in the Bass. Bok Bok‘s “Dance Report,” which originally appeared on Hard Ass Sessions Volume II, is a hard-edged bit of kuduro-inspired bass/electro that will be featured on both the CD and digital versions of the comp. Take a look at the artwork for the Hard Ass Compilation, above, and check out the full tracklisting after the jump.

01. Nic Sarno – Mana Wasa
02. Savage Skulls – Marawa
03. Brenmar – Waiting On
04. Oliver Twizt & Rockid – Wanna Be Gangstas
05. Poirier – Vivendo Juntos
06. Krywolf – Shakedown
07. Melé – Kanopa Riddim
08. Kingdom – Stadium Pass
09. Seiji – Buzzcut
10. J-Wow & Toy Selectah – Mo’Chaxo
11. Slap in the Bass – Tapa
12. Wildlife – Metazoa
13. Pocz & Pacheko – Tuki Love
14. Dubbel Dutch – Dead Pool
15. Bok Bok – Dance Report
16. Douster – A Mi A Loco
17. Zombies For Money – Me Toca So*
18. Martelo vs. Canblaster – Cannibal*
19. Bert On Beats – Bassy Baile*
20. Cardopusher – Tu Bizcochito*
21. Schlachthofbronx – Backup Run*

*digital only

Dance Report

Hessle Audio Readies EP from Bandshell

The impeccable Hessle Audio imprint has announced its next release, a four-track effort from UK beatmaker Bandshell. Last year, Bandshell offered up a free EP online, but the Hessle record (artwork above), which drops on June 25, will be his first physical release. A streaming preview has been posted below, along with the EP’s tracklist.

a1) Dust March
a2) Rise ‘Em
b1) Metzger
b2) Dog Sweater

Hardhouse Banton to Return with New EP

Back in 2008, Hardhouse Banton was the toast of the UK scene. His track “Sirens” was an anthem in the burgeoning UK funky scene, and the London producer seemed poised to seize a position as one of its leaders. For whatever reason, that never really happened, as his releases slowed to a trickle and Hardhouse Banton gradually became one of those artists people referred to in the context of “whatever happened to that guy?” Apparently, that attitude was a bit premature, as Hardhouse Banton will soon be returning to the fold with a brand-new EP. Scheduled to drop in July, the three-track Re-Invented EP (artwork above) will be coming out via the Funk Butcher-helmed Houseology imprint. If the clips included in the streaming player below are any indication, it seems that Hard House Banton has drifted away from funky rhythms and now appears to be making what might be called ‘proper’ house music. Listen for yourself, and also take a look at the EP’s tracklist, which can also be found below.

1. Brooklyn
2. Love U Girl
3. Sweet Sophia

Video Premiere: Auntie Flo “I Want To Blow Your Mind”

With his new mini-album, Future Rhythm Machine, out now via Huntleys and Palmers, Glaswegian producer Auntie Flo has debuted this video for “I Want To Blow Your Mind feat. Esa.” Produced by London-based filmmaker Ling Lee, the clip depicts people dressed in tribal garb and decked in dayglo feverishly dancing to the track’s heavily percussive sounds. It’s an intense piece, something akin to a voodoo ceremony crossed with an underground rave.

Temples “II”

Ecstasy Records, the Portland-based imprint run by party-starting house outfit Miracles Club, has just released the label’s first full-length record, a seven-song LP from Temples (a.k.a. Avalon Kalin, pictured above). The track titles are nothing more than ascending Roman numerals, with the entire work having been dubbed I-VII. Here, we have “II,” a floating bit of spacey four-to-the-floor with polyrhythmic percussion and a complex arrangement crafted with what sounds like a xylophone. I-VII was released on Monday, and is available on either limited-run vinyl or digitally with two bonus tracks. After the jump, you can take a look at the record’s artwork and view the subtly trippy video for the song “III.”

II

Chaos in the CBD Dusty Sundays EP

Somehow, the fledgling Amadeus imprint is already on its fourth release since its launch earlier this year, and despite this rapid-fire output, the label has managed to keep its aims rather focused, showcasing burgeoning artists from the deep and more cerebral side of house music. In that vein, Chaos In the CBD—a pair of brothers from New Zealand—has delivered Amadeus’ latest effort, an EP with three lengthy originals and a remix from rising Londoner (and recent XLR8Rpodcast contributor) Jack Dixon.

When a few tunes from Chaos in the CBD first started appearing on the XLR8R radar last year, the duo seemed more aligned with a UK-indebted sound, utilizing skittering rythms and bouncing basslines that landed its productions somewhere between house-informed bass music and smoothed-out slices of UK funky. However, on the Dusty Sundays EP, Chaos in the CBD’s London-linked inclinations are reigned in, resulting in a wider snapshot of house music that incorporates as much from the UK school as it does classic Detroit and Chicago. Across all three original tunes, the brotherly pair shows an increased skill for remarkably clean production—all of the sounds appear to have been finely combed, with not one element jumping out of place, resulting in tracks that move as solid blocks of heavy, loaded house. Still, the overall sonic picture is subdued, with no one part taking the lead as chords, melodies, and vocals are all rendered distant by layers of processing.

For the most part, the EP has a laid-back feel, and with a tempo that steadily simmers just above 120 bpm, the songs here are perhaps most appropriate for mellower dancefloors—possibly in the early hours of the evening or much later on, when one needs to wind down to less anthemic pieces of four-on-the-floor. The title track and “Girl Like You” are the most driving efforts to be heard here, employing garage-like swings and strong basslines. But even these cuts come off a bit too stoney, as the silky chords and reverb-washed vocals and melodies have trouble sinking in. The final original to appear on the tracklist, “In Between,” digs even deeper into a world of subdued house, lacing the expansive, rolling tune with ghostly pads and a rich combination of lush tones.

Jack Dixon closes out the affair with a seven-plus minute rework of “Dusty Sunday,” and from the onset, it’s apparent that Dixon’s talent is a step above that of his remixees. The London producer injects the title track with a welcome dose of energy and polish, dancing around the tune’s modest chord progression with a new sense of playfulness, largely thanks to some deliciously tuned and rearranged percussion. Dixon’s rework serves as the EP’s highlight and also a reminder that it takes time to hone one’s skills as a purveyor of sophisticated, subtle house music. Chaos in the CBD certainly appears to be off to a good start, but the duo still has a ways to go.

Onra to Drop EP via Fool’s Gold; Stream New Track

Parisian beatmaker Onra has a new EP in the works for Brooklyn’s Fool’s Gold label, a five-song record called Deep in the Night. The ’80s funk- and hip-hop-referencing tunes, some of which feature vocal contributions from the likes of Slum Village’s T3, will arrive on June 12, but you can hear one of Onra’s new cuts now. Check out “L.O.V.E.,” along with the EP’s artwork and tracklist, below, where you can also peep some of the producer’s North American tour dates.

1. After Hours (feat. T3)
2. L.O.V.E.

3. Somewhere (Deep In The Night)
4. V.B.B. (feat. Jay Kin & Amalia)
5. Hold Tight

Thurs 5/24 – Chicago @ Beauty Bar
Fri 5/25 – San Francisco @ 1015 Folsom
Wed 5/30 – LA @ Low End Theory
Sun 5/27 – San Diego @ Kava
Thurs 5/31 – Dallas @ Dallas Contemporary Museum
Fri 6/1 – St. Louis @ Lola
Sun 6/3 – Upper Lake, CA @ Raindance Festival
Wed 6/6 – Calgary @ HiFi
Thurs 6/7 – Toronto @ Supermarket
Fri 6/8 – Montreal @ Underworld
Tues 7/17 – NYC @ Santos Party House
Wed 7/18 – DC @ U Street Music Hall
Sat 8/4 – Maui @ Loft in Space
Fri 8/10 – Vancouver @ Waldorf Hotel
Sat 8/11 – Seattle @ The Crocodile
Sun 8/12 – Portland @ Mississippi Studios

Nitemoves “Challenger”

Oakland-based musician Rory O’Connor (a.k.a. Nitemoves) began composing his debut solo effort while serving as the touring drummer for recording artists Tycho and Com Truise. His nine-track LP, titled Longlines, was released earlier this week through Moodgadget, and it’s a wide-ranging, synth-heavy effort that touches on easy-going pop, experimental cacophony, and various points in between. As one might expect from a record written largely while travelling in the backseat of a touring vehicle, the songs are drenched in introspection and wanderlust, taking cues and inspiration from various locales while harnessing a feeling of isolation. “Challenger,” the second cut from the album, is a straightforward bit of nostalgia-inducing pop that stacks layers of synths over manipulated vocal snippets before melting away into the next track on Longlines. After the jump, take a look at the LP’s artwork and full tracklisting.

1. Port Au Prism
2. Challenger
3. Broken Cub
4. Tertre Rouge
5. Maynelyne
6. AMRAAM
7. BVR
8. 1903
9. Grinder

Challenger

Jon Convex Lied to Be Loved

The history of production duo Instra:mental starts with some well-received drum & bass singles at the start of the millenium, and includes a fallow period of six years prior to their reemergence in 2007. Since then, Alex Green and Damon Kirkham have had a lot to say, both together (with last year’s Resolution 653 album) and apart (the former as Boddika and the latter as Jon Convex, among other guises). Their collaboration mirrors the tectonic evolution of UK dance music, and their timing—knowing when to hold back and when to burst forth—has granted them an uncommon longevity.

Kirkham continues the run of Jon Convex EPs he started last year with his latest for Martyn’s 3024 imprint, Lied to Be Loved. The title track, featuring vocals from longtime associate and D&B overlord dBridge, is the clear highlight here, foregoing UK bass’ predilection for intricately pitched and smeared vocal samples for a full-fledged, integral vocal. Granted, dBridge only has four lines to sing, but he pulls them off with a disconnected aplomb that fits with the lyrics’ elliptical portrait. The track itself is similarly pared down to the essential: led by the interaction between a stepping drum pattern and a six-note sequence somewhere between bassline and lead, it’s a dose of comfort food for the type of person who drops the term “hardcore continuum” on a regular basis.

“Zero” follows, releasing some of the energy that the title track purposely held back. While we’re still nominally in UK bass territory here, its jerky beat unambiguously calls to mind Nina Kraviz’s brand of deep/ghetto house—due in no small part to the sexy cyborg Sprechgesang vocals, chopped into a collage of inarticulate transitional sounds. Jon Convex rounds out the EP with another track featuring dBridge, “Stay.” Its nondescript tech house is flawlessly produced if tepid, with dBridge’s voice swathed in perfect synth-pad gusts, nudging you out the door.

This EP is the most restrained of Convex’s releases thus far. It might also be his most varied, underneath the surface. The laid-back vibe just obscures the subtle experimentation here—and shows that he still knows when to lay out and when to join the conversation.

Madegg “Kamera”

“Kamera” brings a strangely cuddly end to Japanese beatmaker Madegg‘s upcoming Teach EP. Hoots, clinks, and the twangs of an acoustic guitar bob in and out of the stoney haze like an off-kilter choir of emoji singing over a half-time beat. The 11-track record is slated to drop on May 28 via Flau (check the artwork and tracklist after the jump), and will be followed by a full-length album from 19-year-old producer in July. As if to underscore the ephemeral nature of Madegg’s sound, Flau will also be offering t-shirts embossed with download codes to people who purchase his debut LP.

1. New Heads
2. Jaha
3. Aaaas
4. Naviea
5. Thalassa
6. Zudon
7. Gold
8. Penguin
9. Filmatra
10. Flashbackerr
11. Kamera

Kamera

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