UK bassline boss DJ Q has posted up Sound of Violence, a digital release featuring two versions of the title track, for free download on his Tumblr. The enigmatic DJ and producer is offering the EP as a way of thanking his fans for their support, and presents us with a thumping 4×4 version of “Sound of Violence” and a more flexed 2-step counterpart. The signature strings and rolling bassline ruffage of DJ Q feature alongside breezy male vocals for a pair of tunes tailor-made for summer nights. You can download them here.
We’re all still a bit choked up from the bomb Air France dropped on us (he he, get it?) on Monday, when the Swedish duo announced it would be disbanding after nearly six years of making breezy, Balearic brilliance. And almost as a way to help us cope, Memory Tapes, a friend and labelmate of Air France’s over on Something in Construction, has let loose a remix he did of the last tune to surface from Joel Karlsson’s and Henrik Markstedt’s collaborative project, the effervescent “It Feel Good to Be Around You.” This new version employs plenty of strings and melodic atmospherics to keep the mood light, which the straightforward dance beat and funky bassline effectively do, too. Then there’s this vocal sample; it’s a bit indistinguishable, but the last couple of words stand out. Maybe it’s just our minds playing tricks on us, but we could almost swear she’s saying something like, “Are you with Air France?” And, of course, our only answer can be “Yes.”
We previewed the forthcoming white-label efforts from Bedford-based producer Lil Silva a while ago, and now we have the full details of that record. “Gobble That” b/w “Who Hurt You” will be a one-off vinyl release from the artist’s own LSWhites imprint, which preceeds his second single for Night Slugs (coming this summer) on April 13. Pre-orders are available on Boomkat now, and you can stream the brash, heavy club tune “Gobble That,” below.
Heralding from America’s third largest city, Supreme Cuts is a duo well-versed in Chicago’s traditions of house, juke, and footwork. Flickering images of those distinct dance-music ingredients swim into view on this new cut from the outfit’s forthcoming LP, Whispers in the Dark (out on June 12 via Dovecote). “Lessons of Darkness (Apology)” is no mere exercise in genre tropes, however. One could practically cough on the dense, atmospheric production Supreme Cuts exhibits; humid drums emerge from the smoke only to burst through in a sparkling display of celestial melodies and pop sensibility. The project seems to be a fully realized sum of its parts, and as legendary juke veteran DJ Gant Man said about this release, “I fucks with this. Y’all snapped.” You can take a look at the cover art and tracklist for Whispers in the Dark before it drops, after the jump.
1. Whispers pt. 1 2. Lessons Of Darkness (Apology) 3. (Youngster Gone Off That) Sherm 4. E2 5. Ciroc Waterfalls 6. Intermission 7. Whispers pt. 2 8. Belly 9. Epitome 10. 18th 11. Val Venus 12. Whispers In The Dark
Following soon after one of our favorite records of 2012 so far, Drexciya‘s Journey of the Deep Sea Dwellers I reissue compilation, Dutch label Clone has announced the imminent arrival of that series’ second installment. Journey of the Deep Sea Dwellers II, which features 12 remastered productions from the Detroit duo’s mid-to-late-’90s discography (including releases for Warp and Somewhere in Detroit), is scheduled to drop sometime in early May on vinyl, digital, and CD formats. You can check out the tracklist before then, below, and stream snippets of each tune, here.
1. Intro 2. High Tide 3. Danger Bay 4. Anti Vapour Waves 5. Dead Man’s Reef 6. Aqua Jujidsu 7. The Davey Jones Locker 8. Bang Bang 9. Unknown Journey II 10. Positron Island 11. Journey Home 12. Neon Falls
Color-drenched, tropical-tinged dance music inspired by the likes of UK funky stalwarts DVA and Roska seems to be making its way back into the fold, as evidenced by this gritty jam from British producer Beacon. With a new three-tracker set to drop on Four40, Beacon offers up non-EP cut “The World Is Quiet,” a paranoid and skittering production buoyed by ascending kettle tones and a nefarious, creeping synth line. The beginning of the tune reminds us strongly of the work of Hessle Audio’s Joe (“Untitled” and “Grimelight” in particular), hissing ominously as the beat builds into a shuffling furor. The Freakin’ U EP will be released via Four40 in the coming weeks, available exclusively on Beatport for the first two weeks and followed by a limited run of colored vinyl a month later. You can stream a preview of Beacon’s forthcoming EP after the jump.
Baile funk and global bass connoisseur Daniel Haaksman is set to release a remix album of his 2011 work Rambazamba, with the new project being touted as More Rambazamba. Literally meaning “more mayhem,” and featuring remixes from the likes of French Fries, Chrissy Murderbot, Schlachthofbronx, Kry Wolf, Jan Driver, and more, the LP will carry Haaksman’s trademark style of “eclectic and high-powered music, yet with a gentleman’s touch.” The album is penciled in for digital release via Haaksman’s own Man Recordings imprint on April 5; get those waists ready to wind to some serious polyrhythms as you peep the cover art and tracklist below.
1. Carnival (Kry Wolf Remix) 2. Din Daa Daa (Bert On Beats Remix) 3. Rap Da Silva feat. Bani Silva (Big Dope P Juke Remix) 4. Bomba feat. Roxxxy Bione (So Shifty Remix) 5. Dubcheck feat. Shantel & Boban Markovic (El Dusty Remix) 6. Hands Up feat. Seguindo Sonhos (French Fries Remix) 7. Copabanana (DJ Punish Remix) 8. Bomba feat. Roxxxy Bione (Neki Stranac Remix) 9. Hands Up feat. Seguindo Sonhos (Jan Driver Remix) 10. Jesus feat. Tati Quebra Barraco (Schlachthofbronx Remix) 11. Din Daa Daa (Boogaloo Remix) 12. Jesus feat. Tati Quebra Barraco (Chrissy Murderbot Remix) 13. Rap Da Silva feat. Bani Silva (Urbs Remix)
Modeling analog hardware into the world of music software isn’t an uncommon practice, as there are plenty of apps and DAWs emulating throwback synths and drum machines out there today. But a music-making app that allows the user to draw their own instruments onto a blank canvas? With MIDI capabilities, to boot? Vlek, the locally sourced Belgian imprint that Bubblin’ Up artist Cupp Cave/Ssaliva calls home, will introduce an app for the iPad that does just that, later this spring.
Developed along with Herrmutt Lobby, Beatsurfing allows the user the freedom to create their own playable MIDI interface by drawing “instruments” onto a sketchboard, and then sliding (or “surfing”) their finger across the screen in order to play them. The real ingenuity of the app lies in your ability to link instruments to each other for an integrated, more human feel that produces a richly layered, full sound.
Take a look at the videos below to see how Beatsurfing works, from its basic functionality to the more intricate connections between instruments that Vlek calls “behaviours.” You can also apply to be a BETA tester, here; demand is high for this trial, so get surfing while you can!
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For house and bass producers, the ever-present need for tracks to be danceable can put serious constraints on creativity and experimentation. Apparently, Montreal’s Henry Goury-Laffont has been bumping into this limiting factor recently while producing music under his HGLDT moniker. To allow for the creation of more abstract and spontaneous tunes, Goury-Laffont is now debuting a second moniker, Assent, under which he will create rawer tracks that capture more ephemeral moments and feelings. “The Dream” is an atmospheric bit of beatwork with fast-paced percussion and interplaying synth lines. It’s a touch more erratic than his other productions, but it’s also more personal and emotive.
After two years of releasing music, both as a solo artist and with his good friend Ramadanman (now more commonly referred to as Pearson Sound), Midland (a.k.a. Harry Agius) has yet to release a disappointing record. With Placement, the Leeds-based producer continues with his streak of high-quality releases, adeptly blending elements of techno and garage into subtly emotional house on his return to Will Saul’s Aus Music imprint. Although Midland doesn’t delve into especially unique territory on the four-song EP, his genre-bending compositions expertly encapsulate current trends from various corners of forward-thinking electronic music. As such, his tunes are not only well-suited for late nights at the club, but are also informed by indie-oriented acts, with obvious similarities to chillwave and the popular cinematic slow jams of Nicolas Jaar. Accordingly, Placement isn’t simply a house record itching to be squeezed into a DJ set, but also something that offers a pleasant and contemplative at-home experience.
Placement kicks off with “Tape Burn,” a lushly building track that serves well as the EP’s warm-up number. Midland’s intricate production work is on full display here, with extremely detailed textures creating a warm and palpable backing to his drifting melodies. For example, rather than employing a more traditional snare or clap, Midland uses quiet finger snaps to keep time for most of the track, waiting until the song is nearly over before bringing in a more conspicuous beat.
The second and third tracks on the EP are the release’s legitimate dance jams. The title track begins with a rollicking bit of percussion and piano chords, gradually adding more layers of synth and percussion, and eventually hitting its stride after an extended buildup when a simple synth melody moves to the forefront. The song is dreamy and detailed, but still heavy enough for club play. “What We Know” follows “Placement” and moves into even denser realms with its layers of synths, bass, and chopped vocal snippets. Again, Midland’s mastery of percussion is notable, with the track’s introductory mid-range kick showing off a sort of squishiness that blurs the line between the song’s various sounds. “What We Know” also contains the EP’s standout bassline, which mirrors the song’s backing synths and interplays terrifically with the vocal snippets and effectively uncomplicated melody.
“Tail Ender” closes the EP with a major departure from the straightforward house of the previous two songs, diverging from four-on-the-floor into a syncopated garage rhythm. The tune is the EP’s spaciest, featuring elongated synth notes behind an arpeggiation of an unusual chord. The drum work on the track doesn’t move the song forward, but instead meshes with the background hisses, echoes, and stretched-out notes to create a rich atmospheric coda. It provides a fine finish to Placement, the latest entry in Midland’s excellent stream of records derived from the haunting and beautiful borderlands of electronic music.
