Young Wonder “Orange (Sun Glitters Remix)”

Toward the end of our recent Vis-Ed feature on Irish flimmakers Feel Good Lost, Brendan Canty (one of the two artists behind the video production studio) mentioned that he would soon start a new record label under the same moniker. The Young Wonder EP, producer Ian Ring’s and singer Rachel Koeman’s self-titled debut, marks the first record released via Feel Good Lost, which has arrived complete with a punchdrunk rework by Luxembourg’s Sun Glitters. The prolific producer delivers his tried-and-true formula on “Orange (Sun Glitters Remix),” as he weaves Koeman’s chopped vocal work in and out of partially quantized beats and reverb-addled synth washes over the course of about three minutes. After getting your fill of this version of Young Wonder’s tune, you can check out the video for the original track (created by Feel Good Lost, of course), after the jump.

Orange (Sun Glitters Remix)

Kuedo to Release New 12″ via Planet Mu

The mastermind behind our 11th favorite record of 2011, Kuedo has unveiled the details of a new single that we hinted at last week, which he’ll soon release via Planet Mu. The Berlin-based producer’s 12″ will feature its title track, “Work, Live & Sleep in Collapsing Space,” alongside two remixes of the tune by Brooklyn’s Laurel Halo and Scottish producer Claude Speed (of LuckyMe-signed band American Men), and is scheduled to drop on June 25. You can check out snippets of each cut, here.

Christian S “The Power of Now”

Matias Aguayo’s Cómeme imprint has been dormant for the last several months, but it’s now returned with two new releases: Cómeme 013, a compilation EP titled The Power of Now (artwork above), is out now, and Cómeme 014, an EP by Isaac Johan, drops on May 14. The Power of Now‘s title track by Christian S, featured here, draws from a marriage between industrial synthwork and eccentric house flair. For five minutes, blistering synth sequences take the song through a simple house beat, an effort reminiscent of the minimal mechanicalia turned out by labelmates Daniel Maloso and Rebolledo. The Cologne producer closes the track with a ridiculous, albeit captivating drum solo that lasts nearly two minutes. Stream the rest of The Power of Now, after the jump.

A1 Barnt – Geffen

A2 Dany F. – Chalole Batata

B1 Christian S. – The Power of Now
B2 Philipp Gorbachev and Hugo Capablanca Feat. La Muerte – Berlín Esta Helado

The Power Of Now

Podcast 243: Jonwayne

Southern California’s Jonwayne is an imposing figure. First of all, he’s quite literally a huge dude, someone who brings a sort of bearded, mountain-man aesthetic to the world of Low End Theory and the extended beat scene. Second, and more importantly, it seems like the former Bubblin’ Up producer and rapper never stops working. Shortly after signing to the venerable Stones Throw label, which recently reissued an expanded version of his Oodles of Doodles beat tape and also plans to release a proper Jonwayne album later this year, the entrepeneurial young artist dropped This Is False, a free album/mixtape he described as, “not so much a pile of songs as it is an executed concept in viewing how our surroundings change our energy and vibrations.” Now, he’s followed that up with an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. While a quick glance at the tracklist might lead one to believe that it’s simply a hip-hop mix—albeit a solid one—that would ignore Jonwayne’s inclusion of choice bits of avant funk, experimental noise, vintage synth-pop, and tripped-out soundtracks. Combined with his penchant for playful knob-twiddling, the songs coalesce into a podcast that’s highly engaging, for hip-hop diehards and novices alike.

01 Sun Ra “We Travel the Spaceways” (Saturn Research)
02 Tim Hecker “Radio Amor” (Mille Plateaux)
03 cLOUDDEAD “Rhymer’s Only Room & Velvet Ant” (Mush)
04 Notorious B.I.G. “Suicidal Tendencies” (Bad Boy)
05 Dimlite “Unknown” (Now Again)
06 Defari “Unknown”
07 Quasimoto – “Broad Factor (Jonwayne Remix)”
08 Jeru the Damaga “Perverted Monks in tha House (Theme)” (PayDay)
09 Les Visiteurs Du Soir “Je T’Ecris D’um Pays” (Born Bad)
10 Big L “All Black” (Columbia)
11 Bruce Haack “Unknown”
12 Company Flow (Def Jux)
13 Busta Rhymes “Survival Hungry” (J)
14 Lootpack “Episodes” (Stones Throw)
15 J-Live “Braggin Writes” (Raw Shack)
16 Passion “As The…” (Interscope)
17 Dr. Octagon “No Awareness” (Bulk)
18 De La Soul “Dog Eat Dog” (Tommy Boy)
19 Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon “The Faster Blade” (Epic)
20 Jeru the Damaga “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (PayDay)
21 Edan “Mic Manipulator” (Lewis)
22 Kitaro “Dawning” (Canyon)
23 Kitaro “Tienshan” (Canyon)
23 Steven Wright “Entire b-side of I Have a Pony” (Warner Bros.)
24 KRS One “Ah Yeah” (Avatar)

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XLR8R_Podcast_Jonwayne_2012_04_17

Halp “Chop Chop”

The Netherlands’ Halp just dropped an EP on Lowriders a few months back, but he’s returned today with this bomb of a track. Naming a vocal sample-laden, UK garage-influenced cut “Chop Chop” might be the 2012 equivalent of naming a Steve Vai song “Shred Shred,” but the Dutchman handles the affair with care and dignity. The four-minute jam revolves around a luscious, rubber-band synth loop that modulates in texture throughout the song—we believe the Dutch term for it is lekker. There is also a raw, organic component the production, and an attention to detail that is reminiscent of Scuba’s Triangulations-era work.

Chop Chop

Vessel Standard EP

It’s precisely halfway into “Standard”—the lead cut and title track from the new EP by Bristol’s leftfield-techno mad scientist, Vessel—when the full extent of its gritty, machine-funk groove is revealed. That he takes his sweet time getting to the point is no surprise; Sebastian Gainsborough deals primarily in the mystery of half-fleshed-out ideas and tends to favor atmosphere and mood over outright beats. When the producer does actually bring his deft abilities with drum-machine patterns and their bulbous counterparts into the forefront, however, his tracks toe the line between tech-noise experiments and total dancefloor heat. As the climax of “Standard” comes to fruition, what just might be the best example of Vessel’s strange balancing act is fully realized, and the record’s remaining two tracks are practically forced to live in its shadow.

But that’s not to say the rest of the Standard EP pales in comparison to its first tune. “Merge” is a solidly straightforward production that deploys a commanding four-by-four rhythm into a dense fog of queasy synth pads and disorienting electronics, all of which jumps up into a clear and bubbly airspace at its midpoint before quickly descending back into Vessel’s beloved aural miasma. It’s an engaging enough track, but the following head-scratcher, “Zero,” makes for a more worthy contender against the namesake of Vessel’s 12″. Clocking in at just under three minutes, the unhinged arrangement strikes like a bolt of lightning rendered in slow motion. Listening more closely to “Zero” reveals Gainsborough’s handcrafted world of miniscule electronic synapses, obscured melodies, churning rhythms, clattering percussion, and momentary flashes of incandescent light. It’s made with the same kind of attention to detail that the artist applies to all of his shadowy music, so even if it does take Vessel several minutes to bring the whole thing together, there’s more than enough enigmatic sonic dazzle and substance to last the whole journey.

Watch an Interview With Maya Jane Coles

The usually camera-shy Maya Jane Coles has just appeared in an online video interview, talking about her emergence into the DJ/production world and the sheer love for music that drives her brand-new contribution to !K7‘s DJ-Kicks series. Take a gander at the interestingly abstract piece up above, and make sure to check out the house-loving mixmaster when she hits the road beginning this week.

18/04/12 – Milan, Italy @ Elita Festival
17/05/12 – Lyon, France @ Nuit Sonores
24/05/12 – San Francisco, CA @ Monarch
25/05/12 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Morgan
26/05/12 – Detroit, MI @ Verboten Presents
27/05/12 – Detroit, MI @ Detroit Movement Fest
01/06/12 – Brighton, UK @ Big Beach Boutique
02/06/12 – London, UK @ Field Day
04/06/12 – Newcastle, UK @ Evolution Festival
10/06/12 – Manchester, UK @ Parklife Festival
16/06/12 – Barcelona, Spain @ Sonar Festival
30/06/12 – Novalja, Croatia@ Hideout Festival
11/08/12 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @Loveland 2012
07/09/12 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Bestival

Youngstar “Pulse X (Elsewhere Remix)”

The London-based Liminal Sounds crew couples each of its parties with a free EP—some past offerings can be heard here and here—featuring artists slated to perform at that particular event. For its fourth club night/EP bundle, the label has tapped three producers to remix Youngstar’s seminal 2002 grime production “Pulse X.”Elsewhere‘s remix, featured here, takes the original into crisper territory, infusing Youngstar’s massive bass punches with garage percussion, all while stripping the tune of its original vocal line. You can check out the rest of the “Pulse X” remix EP by downloading this package from Liminal, which also includes snippets of a limited-edition zine created specifically to celebrate the release. The event celebrating LS004 takes place this Friday at London’s Rhythm Factory, and will feature sets by Elsewhere, Pedro 123, and Slackk (the EP’s remixers), as well as Youngstar, Slimzee, and others. Check out a poster for the party, in addition to the EP’s tracklisting, after the jump.

1. Youngstar – Pulse X (Slackk Remix)
2. Youngstar – Pulse X (Pedro 123 Remix)
3. Youngstar – Pulse X (Elsewhere Remix)

Pulse X (Elsewhere Remix)

Fantastic Mr. Fox Readies New EP for Black Acre

Manchester/Wolverhampton’s Stephen Gomberg, who produces restless house beats under the probably copyright-safe moniker Fantastic Mr. Fox, is prepping a new record for UK label Black Acre. The San’en EP is scheduled to drop on June 4, and holds four of his club-ready productions, three of which feature vocal work by Black Acre comrade Alby Daniels. Before Fantastic Mr. Fox’s new record is released, you can check out the artwork and tracklist for San’en, below.

1. Pascal’s Chorus (feat. Alby Daniels)
2. Speak Nuh
3. San’en (feat. Alby Daniels)
4. Yesterdays Fall (feat. Alby Daniels)

Lando Kal “Rhythm Sektion” b/w “Inquisition”

Over the past year or so, Lando Kal has dropped an impressive series of releases, but “Rhythm Sektion” b/w “Inquisition,” his latest 12″ for Hotflush, is without question the finest thing he’s ever done. While the Berlin-via-New York-via-San Francisco producer continues to build a solid discography as one half of Lazer Sword, he’s also done an excellent job establishing his own voice as a solo artist, an effort that really blossoms on this new single.

“Rhythm Sektion” is absolutely the star here, a sleek piece of techno accentuated with ghostly vocal bits, some of which are borrowed from 1991 rave classic “Feel the Rhythm” by Rhythm Section—hence the song’s title. It would be easy to say that Lando Kal moved to Berlin and started turning out techno like the rest of his new neighbors, but that really fails to capture what’s happening here. Yes, his sound has “matured” and techno is certainly a bigger part of his musical formula than ever before, but there’s nothing rigid or particularly “Berlin” about a track like “Rhythm Sektion,” especially given the song’s uniquely undulating rhythm. If Lando Kal’s production is channelling any one place, it’s Detroit, as his brand of techno is muscular, soulful, and undeniably bright, even if it’s not particularly melodic. It also takes a few cues from a little further back in the Motor City’s musical history, utilizing some vintage drum samples and synth sounds plucked from the old-school electro playbook.

On the b-side, “Inquisition” finds Lando Kal going deeper, crafting a methodical stormer with chunky bass tones, whispery vocal snippets, and almost alien synth melodies. It’s impeccably constructed, its sonic elements twisting and turning with a subtly maniacal flair. “Inquisition” isn’t a tune that gently glides into a listener’s ears; it’s a dark and ominous number that burrows its way into the subconscious and settles in the psyche, gleefully reveling in whatever damage it wreaks in the process. “Rhythm Sektion” might be the big tune, but “Inquisition” is the track that will keep you up at night.

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