Elucid has self-released his new album, Every Egg I Cracked Today Was Double Yolked, exclusively via Bandcamp.
The Brooklyn artist describes the album as a “collection of meditations” composed in 2019 while “floating between various hotels, airport terminals, and bedroom closets with laptop mics and iPhone recordings.”
The record contains an amalgamation of sound collages, off-kilter beats, poetic passages, and experimental hip-hop. Samples are spliced in and out with a controlled sense of chaos. The ending piece, “Leviticus,” features a reading of Gwendolyn Brooks’ children’s book “Aloneness,” originally published in 1971.
The album follows 2018 solo LPs Shit Don’t Rhyme No More and No Edge Ups In Uganda, along with the Nostrum Grocers self-titled collaboration LP with milo.
Order a digital copy of Every Egg I Cracked Today Was Double Yolked HERE, and stream the album in full via YouTube below:
Tracklisting
01. Honestly, Aight 02. Spiderz 03. A Great Many Wishes 04. Careen 05. Colony 06. A Gruv 07. Visible Plus Invisible 08. Dune Dada 09. Leviticus
To celebrate, we are offering all XLR8R+ members access to the back catalog—tracks from DVS1, Tom Trago, Silverlining, SIT (Cristi Cons & Vlad Caia), Minimal Violence, Cosmin TRG, Fluxion, and many many more. Head here to our XLR8R+ Bandcamp page to join.
Here is the entire list of what you get for being an XLR8R+ Member:
The back catalog as high-quality downloads, including over 40 tracks, and every zine, sample pack, and artwork we’ve released;
Unlimited streaming of the back catalog via Bandcamp’s mobile app;
Free event and festival passes and discounts;
Exclusive access to the XLR8R+ member community—here we will post updates, exclusive mixes, content, and more;
Every XLR8R+ edition moving forward.
By subscribing to XLR8R+, you’re helping to keep independent journalism and music alive.
Monokle will release a new album on Christian Löffler’s Ki Records, coming out on August 30.
Mindperfection is the result of a collaboration with AL-90, a musician hailing from the Russian port of Murmansk on the edge of the Arctic Circle. “A few years ago we were offered to make a joint track, it turned out to be very original and suited in spirit both me and AL-90. We also got a very big feedback after its release,” Monokle says. “After that, we talked to each other for a long time about working on another joint release.”
Despite the hundreds of kilometers of land separating the artists, creating the album was a smooth and speedy process, “We did it very quickly. I’ve never written so fast, literally five months. At the time of recording, everything was done just by sharing files, samples, and projects with each other,” Monokle explains.
Sonically, the album draws on Monokle’s earlier releases and unites fragments of IDM, glitch, ambient, and drone to create a “unique mosaic of sound,” the label explains. We’re told that there is a lot going on in some of the tracks—samples with varying moods, accelerated beats, and scraps of voice heard here and there—but the overall picture is harmonic. The tracks are made cohesive by an “inherent warmth.”
AL-90’s earlier releases have a lo-fi quality to them, a fuzziness that is reminiscent of the sound of a cassette. For Mindperfection, he employed several filters on Monokle’s otherwise crisp sound to soften its edges and create something more organic. “I’m not used to such a dirty sound, because AL-90 deliberately spoiled the original, pure sound. But it gave the album a certain soft, analog and cassette charm,” Monokle adds.
Monokle released solo album Rings on Ki 2015.
Tracklisting
01. Freeze 02. Spectre 03. Dome 04. Black Marker 05. Grozdi 06. Lowland 07. Never 08. Rostki Utopii 09. Flywheel
Mindperfection lands on August 30, with “Lowland” streaming below.
Impulse!/UMe will release a previously unheard John Coltrane album, Blue World, next month.
Scheduled to launch September 27 on CD, LP, and digital formats, the new body of work has been pulled from a June 24, 1964 session, completed between the release of the LPs Crescent and A Love Supreme. Coltrane’s primary band at the time consisted of Jimmy Garrison on bass, Elvin Jones on drums, and McCoy Tyner on piano, and he took the quartet into the Rudy Van Gelder’s studios in New Jersey for a look into the past. Five previously recorded songs in the John Coltrane canon were tracked for new interpretations.
Blue World was initiated as a soundtrack project for Quebec-based filmmaker Gilles Groux and his love story “Le chat dans le sac.” Groux would only use 10-minutes of the music Coltrane submitted for the film’s musical canvas, shelving the quarter-inch analog mono tapes, and they’ve never seen the light of day until now.
Kevin Reeves at Universal Music Mastering in New York mastered Blue World from the original analog tapes, with lacquers cut at Capitol Studios by Ron McMaster.
Historically, the album provides insight into a hugely significant period in Coltrane’s musical evolution, set in between two of his most transcendent recordings, Crescent and A Love Supreme.
Ahead of the release on September 27, Impulse!/UMe has shared the title track, “Blue World,” streaming below.
Tracklisting
01. Naima (Take 1) 02. Village Blues (Take 2) 03. Blue World 04. Village Blues (Take 1) 05. Village Blues (Take 3) 06. Like Sonny 07. Traneing In 08. Naima (Take 2)
Church will welcome Colombian producer Julio Victoria with his new EP, titled Astrolabe.
The release is Victoria’s debut on the South East London label, and his first ever on vinyl. It’s inspired by an elaborate old fashioned instrument, historically used by astronomers and navigators to identify new stars and planets. We can expect three immersive deep house gems that take us into a celestial state of relaxation and contemplation.
Astrolabe follows outings from Julius Steinhoff and Rai Scott on Church this year.
Tracklisting
01. Astrolabe 02. Evasion 03. Tres
Astrolabe is released via Church on August 23, with the title-track streaming below.
Loscil has just released his 12th full-length album, Equivalents.
Released with Kranky across CD, 2LP, and digital formats, the album finds its conceptual theme revolving around the works of late 19th/early 20th-century photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Kranky tells us, “The name Equivalents referred to Stieglitz’ notion of the photographs as being equivalent to his ‘philosophical or emotional states of mind’; the same could be said of these eight weighty, shivering chiaroscuros of sound. Each piece unfolds and evolves enigmatically, adrift in low oxygen atmospheres, shifting dramatically from pockets of density to dissipated streaks of moonlit vapor.”
Like past works in the Loscil catalog, Equivalents produces a hazy and enveloping listen. Every track was planned and recorded in direct correlation to the devised theme, with the exception of “Equivalent 7,” which first came to life as a dance score for frequent collaborator Vanessa Goodman.
The LP version of Equivalents was reworked with Vancouver-based musician Amir Abbey (a.k.a Secret Pyramid), with the cloud photography that produces the album cover/package design provided by Scott Morgan.
Loscil adds: “May I suggest you listen in comfort, preferably in darkness.”
The album follows the Vancouver artist’s 2018 Bannockburn LP, a self-release.
Equivalents is available now, with streams of singles “Equivalent 5” and “Equivalent 7” below.
Hard To Say / Tournesol is the UK artist’s first original music to be released since the Portrait With Firewood album in 2018. Both tracks see him exploring his more dancefloor influences keeping the tempos high and the emotions heightened.
While “Tournesol” takes in a characteristically broad set of influences, from braindance to Shaangan electro, “Hard To Say” focuses on “ambient-gabber,” a genre of music coined by the UK artist himself. Combining the fast and boomy kick drums of gabber with pads from the ambient realm, Djrum has time-stretched chopped vocal hits into huge lead-sounds to draw out the harmonics and make them sound robotic—a production technique that’s been utilised in gabber and hardcore since the early ’90s.
Tracklisting
01. Hard To Say 02. Tournesol
Hard To Say / Tournesol is out September 13, with clips streaming below.
Susan Macdonald (a.k.a. Leah Floyeurs) left Brisbane, Australia for the United Kingdom in April 1993 intent on pursuing a career as a journalist in London. A trained pianist, after only a few months she found herself playing piano five nights a week in a 4-star hotel and working at HMV Records on Oxford Street during the day.
Celebrating her first New Year’s Eve away from home, she attended Steve Bicknell’s club Lost at The Vox in Brixton, having been invited by a friend she met at work—”the only person in the record store who was into electronic music and techno,” Floyeurs recalls. At the time, she had no idea what the music would be like other than the tracks played to her by her friend at the pre-drinks, one of which was Red Planet “Stardancer,” the first electronic record Floyeurs ever recalls hearing. Later that night, she saw Jeff Mills, then a Lost resident, for the first time, and was “blown away.” Opting to remain in the UK to explore electronic and DJing, she cancelled her flights home and prepared herself for an adventure.
Progress was fast. Through clubbing, she met many friends who owned records and decks, all inspired by clubs such as Vapourspace, Analogue City, Final Frontier at Club UK, Hardware, and of course Lost. Her work, temping with advertising and PR agencies, became less of a priority, so much so that in 1995 she decided to focus full-time on music, without even knowing how to mix records. “My flatmate had 1210 Technics and I practised with his records, playing solidly for about five hours a day for a whole month, until I got it,” she recalls. In March 1996, she played out in public for the first time, opening for Claude Young at a club called Choice in Belfast, and within three years she’d played around Europe, heavily influenced by the Detroit sound of the mid-late ’90s.
Soon thereafter, Floyeurs married Young but their divorce in 1999 led to a “traumatic time,” for her, and so she retreated into her insurance job, where her focus remained until 2011 when she finally plucked up the courage to play records again. Central to this decision was a chance meeting with an old friend who invited her to join his internet radio station, Timeline Music.
Quitting her job once again, she become Leah Floyeurs, an anagram of “Heal Yourself,” and began playing records on the station in May 2012, launching her two-hour show, “Leah with Sound.” She quickly gained a reputation for skills in effortlessly switching genres, touching on techno, house and electronica, with strong references to Detroit. It didn’t take long for Freerotation’s Steevio to take note and invite her to play his annual event in 2013—a “major turning point for me,” Floyeurs reflects. She’s now a resident at Freerotation and London clubs 50arc and Pink Elaphant, and has played all around the UK and throughout Europe.
Floyeurs’ XLR8R podcast is actually a recording of the last set she’s played, Freerotation 2019. It’s slick and hypnotic—the soundtrack to a sweaty and highly memorable evening at Baskerville Hall. Changes are fast and abrupt; it’s not easy to squeeze 27 tracks into 90 minutes, but Floyeurs has achieved this without ever feeling rushed. It goes without saying that it’s as high in energy as it is in tempo. Grab it now below.
What have you been up to recently?
I have taken a bit of a break from regular gigging this year to immerse myself in a Hellenistic Astrology course, so recently I have been knee-deep in ancient texts instead of records.
How did you get into music?
I was born musical I think, because when I was about four I got up to the family pianola to hit a few notes, and started making up patterns and copying what I heard on the radio. I played piano all through school but was useless at sight reading—I play by ear—so I only reached grade 4. Although I played piano as a job in London about 25 years ago, I’ve only owned one since the end of last year, and I am enjoying composing and playing every day. As a teenager in Australia, I was into hard rock and heavy metal. I must confess soul music passed me right by! Perhaps that is why I was instantly drawn to hard techno when I first heard it.
What can we expect with this podcast?
This podcast is my live DJ set at Freerotation this year, kept on hold especially for you. I played in the smaller sweatier Room 3, with brilliant sound, as always, ahead of a live set by Kerrie, and DJ sets from Blasha & Allatt and Tasha and Alex Downey. The room went off.
What’s next on the horizon musically?
Producing music is next on the agenda at 50Arc’s studio, Arc Studios in West London and we, 50Arc, have a gig at Eastern Bloc in Manchester at end of November. I have also joined a new DJ agency called brainsurgeryhq which is a collective of experienced, wise, and super-talented DJs who are proper heads, which is exciting. But first I need to get a major birthday out of the way next month and go travelling with my dear Mum. Then I am going to start all over again, again.
XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.
Reach The Endless Sea is a collaboration with keyboardist Takumi Motokawa and vibraphonist Raphael Meinhart, “whose symbiosis with the producer generates a truly beautiful and multi-directional flow of energy,” the label explains. Vocalist Heather Leigh also sings on the first two songs.
The album title, inspired by a poem by 13th century mystic Jalalu’l-Din Rumi, is a description of what Shackleton himself hopes to achieve with the music: “aid transmutation and enter into the light.”
We’re told to expect a “meditation on the non-finitude of life and spirit, and the limits of perception in dealing with it.”
Tunes Of Negation’s first live appearance will be at Berlin Atonal at the end of August, where Heather Leigh will join.
Shackleton last released in September with Furnace Of Guts via own Woe To The Septic Heart.
Reach The Endless Sea arrives on October 17 and is available for preorder here. You can stream “Nowhere Ending Sky” below.
In support of XLR8R+ and independent music, we’re compiling 10 of our favorite Discogs gems into an easy-to-digest list each month; all submissions come from independent labels. You’ll perhaps know some but you’re unlikely to know them all—but these are some of the tracks that are on repeat week after week in the XLR8R offices.
XLR8R+ is a monthly subscription service to complement the main XLR8R site. By subscribing, you’re helping to allow us to continue doing what we’ve been doing for over 25 years: finding, curating, and serving the best electronic music out there, without paid influence. Each month, we share three unreleased tracks from three different artists that we feel are pushing the scene forward in inspiring ways. These tracks will be available for download in high-quality WAV format, alongside a range of other content. Join our movement to keep independent journalism alive. You can find information on the latest edition of here.XLR8R+ 013 features tracks by Fluxion, Silverlining, and Redeyes, plus a sample pack from Keita Sano.
Late ’90s tech-house is not a sound you would initially associate with Spain. However, in 1997, Frogmen (a.k.a Leandro Gamez and Toni Rox) from Madrid released an album full of groove-laden slammers, with “New Home” being the pick of the bunch. You can pick the album up for $60—well worth it for the number of gems across the double vinyl package.
Although originally released in 1970, it wasn’t until 1997 that Tesfa Maryam Kidane’s “Heywete” got a global release on Éthiopiques 1—Golden Years Of Modern Ethiopian Music 1969-1975. In the dying years of emperor Haile Sellaisse 1, and at the first stirrings of a brutal military dictatorship, soul groups and jazz bands started to join forces by playing in underground venues and forming collectives with a unique sound based on classic American jazz. Tsefa Maryam Kidane was a key member in this movement and became globally known for his saxophone skills and endless amount of quality recordings. “Heywete” is a mesmerizing piece of jazz straight from the heart, and knowing that it was created during a period of turmoil and oppression makes it all the more special.
The Council Estate of Mind LP, released 15 years ago, may be readily available on CD and via streaming, but this genre-defining UK hip-hop masterpiece is definitely worth having in your vinyl collection. Skinnyman, the artist behind it, used it as a platform to speak about the struggle of living on council estates and surviving poverty amongst the worst-hit areas of London during the rise of New Labour, led by Tony Blair; it’s a documentation of the hardships that remained ever-present for the neglected areas of society. We could have picked any track on the album but we’ve gone for “Day to Day Basis,” mainly because of its lyrics: “The dreams we used to have are gone, for those hopes are basic needs, we’re in the bottom of the barrel, tryna fight for life’s necessities.” One of the best UK hip-hop albums ever.
DJ, producer, and label owner Ewan Smith was born in Scotland but raised in Yorkshire, and has been living in Berlin since 2013.He has a plethora of top releases under multiple aliases and you could spend a very enjoyable few hours going through his back catalog unearthing quality gems. “Sofa Surfa” is taken from the outstanding Pinger EP—although an honorable mention must go to “Bad Orb,” as it could just have easily of made the cut. “Sofa Surfa” is a track that I come back to more regularly than the others, as it’s one for any mood or generation—plain and simple.
Turkish techno-wizard Onur Özer is one of the most well-respected DJs and producers in the business. Now based in Berlin, he is known for his distinct electro grooves and trippy melodies. “Maze,” released on the Envy EP in 2005, is a perfect mix of wiggy and intense techno, ideal for dark dancefloors in the early hours. Look out for the incredible drop around three minutes and 50 seconds in.
American trio Gee Crew (made up of Steve Gronback, James L. Garrett Sr., and John D. Mitchell) only released one track, “Freakenstein,” an electro/hip-hop orientated banger that dropped in 1983. With only one for sale at £157, it’s not easy to get your hands on it, but if you do, you’ll be keeping it in your collection for a lifetime.
Silverlining is one of the finest house and techno producers in the game with an almost countless number of timeless records under his belt. One of his tracks has already featured in our gems series, but considering that his most recent single, “Kewakagroove,” dropped on the latest edition of XLR8R+, we thought it only right we add another classic into the mix. “Stolen Baggage” is a euphoric masterpiece, released on one of the most iconic labels in electronic music, the UK-based Euakahouse.
You can get “Kewakagroove” by subscribing to XLR8R+ here with a snippet below.
LSDXOXO (a.k.a Rashaad Glasgow) is a Brooklyn-based producer who transcends genres with his own brand of diverse and raw, high-energy club music. “Burn” was released on his Softcore mixtape in 2014, and has a hypnotic hook and hip-hop/bass groove which isn’t dissimilar to some of Galcher Lustwerk’s work. Catch the extremely talented LSDXOXO on the upcoming XLR8R+ edition.
Michael J. Mani and Colin Brown make up Relative Progress, a duo who released one record in 1996, an LP full of deep house and techno bangers. From the album, we’ve gone for the A1, “New Horizons,” a dreamy cut with floating pads and a dancefloor-ready beat. Through a friend, I was lucky enough to hear the LP in full and can tell you that it’s a timeless record that you won’t ever want to stop playing.
This Australian electronic group formed in 1990 in Melbourne, made up of Davide Carbone, Josh Abrahams, and Steve Robbins. FSOM stands for Future Sound Of Melbourne, which is also the name of their label. FSOM had a string of releases from 1992 to 1995 but we’ve gone for “Meglamania.” With its acid house piano chords and euphoric vibe, it’s a track that wouldn’t sound out of place if it were dropped at the Hacienda back in the day. It recently featured in Craig Richards and Ben UFO’s b2b set at Glastonbury—a stone-hard classic.
