Gabriel Stebbings, formerly of British pop outfit Metronomy, won’t unveil his debut as Night Works until later this year, but is already garnering attention around the blogosphere with woozy synth-pop teaser “I Tried So Hard.” Despite not yet having an official release, a couple of producers have already tried their hand at remixing the song, and here, we have the version crafted by UK beatmaker Gold Panda (pictured above). The remix is a shimmering bit of beatwork that roughens things up with an aggressive synthline, a more driving drum pattern, and lots of textural pop and hiss. The music video for Stebbings’ original version can be found after the jump.
The inimitable Robert Hood is prepping a new release as Floorplan, an alias that he revived last summer with the celebrated Sanctified EP after a decade-long hiatus. Hood, usually known for punishing minimalia, drives into funkier, disco-influenced territory with the Floorplan project. The new EP, titled Altered Ego, promises more along that line, and will drop on June 4 via Hood’s M-Plant imprint. Check out its artwork and tracklist, below.
Austin, TX producer Dubbel Dutch has often drawn from the palettes of dancehall, reggaeton, and kuduro in his productions. His latest work, “No Futuro,” takes those influences to a new level, incorporating a boisterous tropical beat with his crisp production, conga-led rhythms, and suggestive sampling. The producer is currently bringing these rambunctious beats to Europe on a May tour with Brenmar, Lazer Sword, LOL Boys, and more—check out those dates after the jump.
May 11 – Glasgow, La Cheetah w/ Brenmar May 12 – Leeds, Leeds University Union w/ Brenmar May 17 – Berlin, Prince Charles w/ Lazer Sword May 18 – Berlin, Flamingo w/ LOL Boys May 19 – Trondheim, Supa Klubb w/ Slick Shoota May 24 – Paris, Social Club w/ LOL Boys, Pelican Fly May 26 – Moscow, Capital Bass
As reported last month, Chicago footwork maestro DJ Rashad will soon be releasing a new LP entitled TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi (artwork above). Scheduled to drop on June 5 via Lit City Trax, the album boasts a 20-song tracklist, including a tag-team effort made with up-and-coming footworker DJ Manny and multiple collaborations with frequent partner-in-crime DJ Spinn. Speaking of Spinn, he’s also putting the finishing touches on a collaborative album with Rashad, The Manny N Rashad Show, which will also be issued via Lit City Trax and should see the light of day later in the year. For now though, the duo is in the midst of a massive European tour. The remaining dates are below, along with the complete TEKLIFE Vol. 1: Welcome to the Chi tracklist.
1. DJ Rashad – Feelin’ 2. DJ Rashad – Don’t Drop It 3. DJ Rashad – iPod 4. DJ Rashad – Bakk Off 5. DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn – We Trippy Mane 6. DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn – Trap Bakk 7. DJ Rashad – She Gonna Go 8. DJ Rashad – Fly Spray 9. DJ Rashad – Twitter 10. DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn – We Leanin’ 11. DJ Rashad – Da Life 12. DJ Rashad – Kush Ain’t Loud 13. DJ Rashad – Walk For Me 14. DJ Rashad – CCP 15. DJ Rashad – Chicago 16. DJ Rashad & DJ Manny – Over Ya Head 17. DJ Rashad – Well Well Well 18. DJ Rashad – Welcome to the Chi 19. DJ Rashad – Shoot Me 20. DJ Rashad – My Way Home
European Tour Dates: 11/05/2012 Belgium, Ghent @ De Rector (Bootyology) 12/05/2012 The Netherlands, Rotterdam @ Worm 18/05/2012 Netherlands, Utrecht @ Tivoli de Helling 26/05/2012 Germany, Berlin @ Horst 27/05/2012 France, Paris @ LA VILLETTE (VILLETTE SONIQUE FESTIVAL) 01/06/2012 Belgium, Brussels @ Recyclart 02/06/2012 Czech Republic, Prague @ Cross Club 08/06/2012 Germany, Hamburg @ Hefenklang 13/06/2012 UK, London @ Hyperdub event at Koko 14/06/2012 Spain, Barcelona @ Sonar 16/06/2012 UK @ Glade Festival 25/08/2012 Poland, Katowice @ Tauron Nowa Muzyka Festival
It may not be a new production trick, but it’s still hard to find fault with sampled baby vocals. UK beatmaker Bambooman has certainly put them to good use on “Belgium,” as the snipped and clipped vocal bits succeed at being simultaneously creepy and compelling, particularly when paired with the song’s clicky rhythms and warbling synth melodies. The song appears on the recently released Sound Healers Vol 2 (artwork above), a 14-track collection compiled by Bambooman himself that also includes a selection from Soosh. Preview the entire compilation after the jump, or simply head to Sound Healers’ Bandcamp to stream (or purchase) the LP.
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "vimeo" and source: "<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38746611" width="530" height="298" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>".
This kaleidoscopic piece from Irish filmmakers Feel Good Lost, which was apparently inspired by fellow Vis-Ed-featured artist Leif Podhajsky, was crafted for the effervescent “Even Though” from producers Giraffage and XXYYXX. Though we’re plenty fond of Teen Daze‘s upbeat remix of this cut, the more slow-grooving original version matches just a tad better to Feel Good Lost’s saturated bucolic visuals.
Though the flamboyant 29-year-old artist is currently based in Berlin, Jimmy Edgar is probably best known for his strong Detroit roots, which have been fully apparent in all of his work since Warp released his first record in 2004. Fast forward through eight years and two full-length albums, and not a whole lot has changed; Edgar’s recent LP for Hotflush, Majenta, reps the vintage vibes of stripped-down Motor City techno and electro as strongly as ever. We thought it’d be cool to find out exactly which classic cuts inspired his record’s era-specific sound.
What Edgar turned in to us is more or less a Who’s Who from the late-’80s/early-’90s Detroit music scene, with a few notable outsiders also thrown in the mix. The sizeable list is broken into two parts: one featuring five big old-school techno cuts and the other boasting a mix electro and funk records from that significant period in dance music, all of which is matched with interesting anecdotes and musings from the DJ/producer. It makes for a solid companion piece to Edgar’s new 11-track full-length, as more than a few direct parallels can be drawn between these timeless jams and the artist’s fresh material.
Techno:
Mr. Lee “I Can’t Forget”
There’s no way I could remember the first time I heard this song. If I had to venture a guess, it was either from my mother’s record collection or on the radio, proper from the early ’80s. All of us in Detroit were up on this stuff one way or another. The name alone invokes some kind of cosmic reaction. This was probably the second or third record I bought as a DJ to play [out]. The first was Trax Records’ Adonis “No Way Back,” and looking back, I’m surprised the condition it was in; the drum-machine workout is stellar. We spent so long trying to figure out what drum machine he used… We didn’t think that he’d be using three or four different ones.
Frankie Knuckles “Baby Wants to Ride”
These were the days when electronic studios were around, so you will find many versions of this song. One way that you can tell how amazing a song is written is by listening to different produced versions, and they are all good. Kraftwerk was amazing at this, too; their songs were real songs and could be played live and recreated. Times have changed. I’m putting this song on this list because anyone that knows me knows that I love this song, and if you hear my single from two years ago, “Hot, Raw, Sex,” then it all makes sense. No shame, I’m inspired.
Mr. Fingers “Beyond the Clouds”
Larry Heard’s catalog is ultra to say the least. That bass sound. There’s nothing more that I want in my life than to one day have a studio and produce all my friends’ music like Trax did. They probably all got together, shared ideas, and created a genre; a pretty simple formula. Today, we have lost all communication with our peers. This next year, I’m going to give my all to bringing back that community feel of sharing ideas and revolutionizing music. It’s a big goal, but I think it could be really amazing. Sometimes, I’m not satisfied always doing everything creative alone.
Rhythm is Rhythm “Feel Surreal”
I found this song way late, like maybe 10 years ago. I heard Derrick [May] drop it somewhere in Detroit. I actually asked him what it was because I was certain I knew all his music. That’s funny, but I also have that egotistical side of me that loves when people ask what I’m DJing and I can reply with, “Oh, that’s mine.” Derrick was the funkiest producer from Detroit in my opinion. He just has that personality. I love his music. The first time I met Derrick, he was drunk, and pretended his name was “Geraldo,” or something. The next time, he was picking my track for the first DEMF compilation. He said, “Jimmy, that white boy is baddd.” Bragging rights, I guess.
DB-X “Electric Shock”
I can’t imagine not growing up in Detroit, I must say. I suppose we’re all biased in this way. I can’t imagine not being six years old, coming home from school, watching “The Scene,” and practicing my dance moves with my sister. We all hated the ’90s from 2000-2010, some people still aren’t getting it yet. Fucking hell, watch this video, and you will see why the ’90s were incredible. Of course, we’ll always look back 10 years and say, “Damn, what the fuck?” And 10 years ago, I was saying that about the ’90s, and so were all of you. Well, we’ve hit 12 years [since then], and I admit it: screw the ’80s, the ’90s were great.
Moreover though, retro is out. I’m on this future kick now. We can always look back and get inspiration, but it’s come full circle upon full circle in a bigger circle. I’m fully into creating something new these days, pulling out from the galaxy and looking amongst the changes in the world and consciousness to see what uniqueness it [all] has to offer.
Electro / Funk:
DJ Assault “Shake it Baby”
This was one of the super-early records that I bought, too. Mr. De, who produced it, is an amazing guy and amazing musician. DJ Assault on the other hand, yeah, well… DJ Assault. He has a lisp, which is funny. Nah, he is a cool guy. Loves chicken and pussy, from what I know. Anyways, I remember playing this tune at Terror Town. It was a haunted house in Detroit, and I got hired at 15 to DJ inside the S&M room. Yes, so just to clarify: During Halloween, they would open an attraction where you walk through and, somewhere in the middle, I would be DJing a little club setup where dominatrix girls would whip you into submission. The funniest part is that it was in a children’s water park owned by some Italian mafia bullshit. After it closed, they would have leather parties and shows inside the park lobby, and I would play mostly booty music. One time I played “Come to Daddy,” and the doms really loved that song.
Aux 88 “Direct Drive”
Aux 88 are some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. Coincidentally, I met them at that same water park. Now that I recall, they did a few raves there. We ended up becoming friends. All I gotta say is, when middle-aged black men are befriending 16-year-old white boys, that is such a beautiful thing when you think about it. We spoke the language of music. I mean, let’s be real: If I was approaching 40 or whatever, I couldn’t imagine what I would have in common with a teenager that wasn’t a relative. Anyways, that’s real and honest.
I still see Keith from time to time. They still travel and stuff. Tommy will read this, too: Hey, I want those dance lessons! (He’s a well-known footworker.)
Kleeer “Tonight”
West Coast boogie and funk: These are the kind of records you could find about 10 years ago in the $1 bins. I used to search those bins for interesting stuff, that’s probably how I really got into underground funk. I loved Prince and stuff, but nothing ever did it for me. I started finding records like this and Change “Change of Heart,” which I bought because it had amazing artwork. I remember honestly not liking them when I first heard them. I just happened to sample them because they had nice kits, and I really started liking this kind of music again. I’m not a nostalgic person at all, but the feelings and emotion from these songs were real. Lyrics were terrible mostly, but the production and all else was dope.
Patrice Rushen “Feels so Real”
I used to DJ this song way too much. Patrice Rushen has some of the best musicality, production, and vocals on anything I’ve ever heard. Her music is mostly why I started playing slap bass.
Rah Band “Messages From the Stars (Astro Mix)”
The “Astro Mix” is a good version of this song. I like how dub mixes were just that, turning the song into a dub version with space echoes and beat drops. I found two versions of this one time, years ago. I’ve also heard Dâm-Funk play this almost every time I’ve seen him. This song was very inspirational to me with the way the bass would slide. It made me realize how I have to treat every synth/instrument that I play as if it’s a member of my virtual band. Then I would assign an attitude to each member and create relationships between them, that’s how I created my songs for a long time. Most of the time, I had a bass player who was weird and liked to slide everything, he had an attitude and would fight with my virtual synth player. They wouldn’t let each other play at the same time. The drummer, though, he was always playing with the bass player. That was my pretend band.
This unusual bit of avant pop is arguably the most straightforward cut from the upcoming debut record from FAY (a.k.a. Fay Davis-Jeffers), who also serves as the frontwoman of experimental indie project Pit Er Pat. The song’s vocal hook, “Hands off my cookies boys,” is rapped/sung over heavy bass and a hyphy-like drum beat to create a strangely engrossing bit of not-quite-hip-hop. The tune incorporates rapid-paced bongo and pitched cowbell in its percussive musings, and is punctuated by a series of single synth notes and vocal bits pitched into chords. The song will appear with nine other tunes of an even more experimental nature on Fay’s upcoming record, DIN, which is set to be released on June 12 through Time No Place. The artwork for that album is above, while its complete tracklist and a streaming version of the tune “What’s The Use” can be found after the jump.
1. How It Feels Good 2. Talk With My Body 3. That’s The Part 4. What’s The Use
5. Use 6. Shadow I 7. Let It Go 8. Between 9. Shadow II 10. Time To Die
Take, one of the Los Angeles beat scene’s earliest producers of note, has re-emerged with a new handle, Sweatson Klank, along with an updated style which he displays across five tracks for his first EP under the new name.
If the Elevate Me EP had been cut down to its two strongest tracks, the opening “Always You” and the woozy “I Can’t Explain,” we may have thought Sweatson Klank was up to something worthwhile. But, as the other three tunes reveal, Elevate Me is a beats for beats’ sake kind of affair and not much more. Where before, Take’s productions folded their share of grit, subtleties, and—dare we say—artsy inclinations amongst its kicks and snares, Klank’s productions do not. The resulting tunes are instead precisely polished pieces of head-noddery, ones where conceptual depth and emotional quality are much lower on the priority list than big beats and rumbling bass. The dub-influenced “My Love Is Here” accounts for the record’s most questionable example of such inclinations, chopping a soulful vocal sample over a shuffling half-time beat (complete with an almost-obnoxious amount of hat and kick rolls) and lacing the tune with a shameless helping of low end, left to growl and rumble for the track’s entirety.
The aforementioned saving graces, “Always You” and “I Can’t Explain,” are held up only by the strength of their musical qualities, as each manages to land on a combination of irresistible notes that lure you in enough to forget about the questionable aesthetic choices upon which they appear. “Always You” floats along with an airy procession of vocal samples and cascading arpeggios, meeting up with heaping low end and skittering percussion for a spacey slice of modern R&B-influenced beatwork. “I Can’t Explain” takes a jazzier path to land in a similar place, although the tempo noticeably changes here to a cool 85-plus bpm. Between the bit-crushed chords and simple, steady drum pattern, “I Can’t Explain” comes off like a Madlib-reminiscent piece of modern hip-hop, except cleaner and less lazy.
How Take landed on the sound for his new Sweatson Klank project is a bit of mystery. Perhaps these sorts of beats are intended to win over hat- and hoodie-donning beatheads in their late-night habitats, but—quite frankly—these tracks lack the dimensionality to make them anything more than momentary eclipses of unnecessarily visceral boom-bap.
2012 marks a quarter century since Kevin Saunderson launched his seminal KMS imprint back in 1987. To celebrate the influence and accomplishments of the storied label, KMS will be releasing an enormous compilation that spans the entire lifetime of the imprint, and essentially, the genre of techno itself. The 54-track collection includes classic hits and influential jams from the likes of MK, Inner City, Chez Damier, and, of course, Kevin Saunderson himself. A 21-track vinyl version will also be available, and will contain several songs that do not appear on the CD/digital version. The release date for the collection is June 25, and the artwork and tracklisting for both versions can be found below.
CD Format 1. Kreem – Triangle of Love 2. Reese – The Sound 3. Reese – Just Want Another Chance 4. Blake Baxter – When We Used to Play 5. Keynotes – Let’s, Let’s, Let’s, Let’s Dance 6. Reese & Santonio – Bounce Your Body to the Box 7. Kevin Saunderson – Groove That Won’t Stop 8. Reese & Santonio – Truth of Self Evidence 9. Symbols & Instruments – Mood 10. Reese – Rock to the Beat 11. Nexus 21 feat. Donna Black – Still LIfe (Keeps Moving) 12. Kaos – Definition of Love 13. MK – Somebody New 14. C & M Connection – Another Night 15. The Reese Project – Direct Me 16. Tronikhouse – Smooth Groove 17. Tronikhouse – Speaker Punishing (The Dirty Mix) 18. Reese – Station of the Groove 19. Tronikhouse – Spark Plug 20. Reese – Bassline 21. Karen Joy – Talk to Me 22. Tronikhouse – Straight Outta Hell 23. Tronikhouse – Uptempo 24. The Reese Project – Colour of Love 25. Chez Damier – Can U Feel It 26. Fix – Flash 27. Chez Damier – I Never Knew Love 28. Manix – Feel Real Good 29. Inner City – Back Together Again (Reese Dub) 30. R-Tyme – Use Me (Carl Craig R-Tyme Groove Remix) 31. Urban Culture – The Wonder of Wishing 32. Kreem feat. Jennifer Kendall – Now is the Time 33. Chez Damier – Untitled 049 34. Members of the House – Party of the Year 35. Esser’ay – Forces 36. Inner City – Share My Life (Chez N Trent’s Vocal Dub) 37. Kosmic Messenger – Soundscape 38. Inner City – Ahnongay (Dave Clarke Remix) 39. Darlene Lewis – Let the Music (Life You Up) (Reese Inner City Club Mix) 40. Inner City – Hiatus (Mr. C Vocal Mix) 41. E-Dancer – World of Deep 42. E-Dancer – Feel the Mood 43. E-Dancer – Velocity Funk 44. E-Dancer – Heavenly 45. Inner City – Good Life (Re-recording) 46. Heath Brunner – Spring 47. Gary Martin – Cosa Cougat 48. Inner City – Big Fun (Simian Mobile Disco Remix) 49. Inner City – Good Love (Luciano’s Remix) 50. Inner City – Rise (Kwaku Saunderson’s Vocal Dub) 51. Phil Agosta – Tribute to Detroit (Agent X) 52. Brandon de Carlo – Forever and a Day 53. Kwaku Saunderson & Kevin Saunderson – Roll On 54. Kwaku Saunderson – The Orb Vinyl Format 1. Reese – The Sound 2. Intercity – Groovin Without a Doubt 3. Black Baxter – When We Used to Play 4. Reese – Just Want Another Chance 5. Kevin Saunderson – The Groove that Won’t Stop 6. Nexus 21 feat. Donna Black – Still LIfe (Keeps Moving) 7. MK – Somebody New 8. Tronikhouse – Smooth Groove 9. Reese – Station of the Groove 10. Chez Damier – I Never Knew Love 11. R-Tyme – Use Me (Carl Craig R-Tyme Groove Remix) 12. Urban Culture – The Wonders of Wishing 13. Chez Damier – Untitled (049) 14. Inner City – Ahnongay (David Clarke Remix) 15. Esser’ay – Forces 16. E-Dancer – World of Deep 17. E-Dancer – Feel the Mood 18. Reese – Bassline (Joris Voorn Remix) 19. Reese – Rock to the Beat (Christian Smith & John Selway Remix) 20. Inner City – Good Love (Luciano’s Remix) 21. Inner City – Till We Meet Again (Carl Craig Remix)
