Octo Octa “I’m Trying”

100% Silk seems to have found just the right balance between adventurous disco-tinged house tunes and slightly retro-oriented dance music with a series of impressive releases from the likes of Ital, Magic Touch (both of whom we had chat with each other for a recent feature), Maria Minerva, Innergaze, Cuticle, and more—marking the label’s first year of output. Now you can add Octo Octa, the alias of one Michael Morrison, to the list with his recent “Let Me See You” four-track maxi-single (artwork above). Here, we have “I’m Trying,” a cut from that record’s second side, which presents a crisp take on classic house sensibilities and, in the end, may prove to be one of 100% Silk’s most sweat-inducing tracks. With it’s chopped vocals, ever-evolving synth blurps, and rolling bassline, it’s certainly hard to resist the urge to move. But throw in the sly use of a classic break (think cardboard battles in the park), and Octo Octa pretty much has us shaking from head to toe. The 12″ maxi-single is unfortunately already sold out in its physical form, but can still be copped digitally. (via Altered Zones)

I’m Trying

ASAP Rocky “Purple Swag (Jim-E Stack Bootleg)”

New Orleans-by-way-of-San Francisco producer Jim-E Stack (pictured above) passed along this syrupy bootleg of ASAP Rocky‘s recent Southern-styled homage to all things purple (and intoxicating), appropriately titled “Purple Swag.” From the onset, we step into much more futuristic territory than the original, thanks to a handful of slippery chords and club-appropriate drums of the modern garage/2-step ilk. Deftly burying the Harlem rapper’s words below his own slow-motion futurism, Stack weaves in and out of a verse and two choruses before ostensibly leaving ASAP Rocky behind, and breaking us off with almost a minute of gloriously sleek garage before the track is out. While waiting for Jim-E Stack’s debut EP to drop via the Good Years imprint, this bootleg and his “Lemme” tune will have to whet our bass-hungry appetites.

Purple Swag (Jim-E Stack Bootleg)

Check Out a New Mix From Contakt & Mayster

Two of the mixmasters behind Brooklyn’s monthly TURRBOTAX® party and the producers responsible for the Dutty Artz-released Korak EP, Contakt and Mayster, unveiled a fresh DJ set of bass-driven tuneage over on URB just yesterday. The energetic 10-track mix features cuts from the likes of Bok Bok, Instra:mental, and Martyn, along with a few unreleased jams from Contakt and Mayster themselves. You can check out more info on the pair’s mix here, and stream/download the whole thing below.

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F23420755" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

01. Bok Bok – Charisma Theme [Night Slugs]
02. Jon Convex – Order Into Chaos [3024]
03. Martyn – Viper (London Arches Edit) [Brainfeeder]
04. Contakt & Mayster – Korak [Dutty Artz]
05. Mayster – Kanapki – [Unreleased]
06. Instra:mental – Pyramid [3024]
07. Contakt & Mayster – Exact [Unreleased]
08. Mayster – 7 or 10 [Unreleased]
09. Lamin Fofana – Brokedown City (Mayster & Contakt Rebuild) [Dutty Artz]
10. Contakt & Mayster – Opar [Dutty Artz]

Check Out DJ Dodger Stadium’s ‘Stadium Status’ Mix

The up-and-coming LA-based duo of Jerome Potter (of LOL Boys fame) and Samo Sound Boy (who we recently profiled in our Bubblin’ Up feature), DJ Dodger Stadium, may not yet have a proper release under its collective belt (we have to wait until the Body High imprint drops that on October 4), but the pair did just drop an excellent DJ set for DIS Magazine. You can stream and download the Stadium Status mix, an eclectic, 77-minute excursion into the realm of lighthearted and playful club music (which, we should say, has no tracklist), below.

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http://soundcloud.com/dismagazine/dj-dodger-stadium-stadium/s-VcD6m&amp;show_comments=true&amp;color=6ba112" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

XLR8R x Beatport: Todd Edwards

The Beatport sales charts are often dominated by the latest international club smashes, but its vault of music runs deep and covers a wide variety of artists and sounds, which is why XLR8R has been asked to curate a special two-week series of Beatport charts by some of our favorite DJs and producers. New Jersey garage godfather Todd Edwards is known for the litany of classics he’s created over the years, but here he’s assembled a list of some of his favorite new dancefloor weapons.

1. Falty DL “Large Flash” (50 Weapons)
2. Kingdom “Take Me feat. Naomi Allen” (Fool’s Gold Records)
3. Viadrina “All I Want (One Dark Martian Remix)” (Top Billin)
4. Viadrina “Back To The City” (Top Billin)
5. Canblaster “Air Totem” (Marble)
6. Thunderball “Runaway featuring Miss Johnna M (Ghosts on Tape Remix)” (ESL Music)
7. Cosmic Kids “Reginald’s Groove” (Kompakt)
8. Joe Goddard “Gabriel feat. Valentina” (DFA)
9. Para One & Das Glow “Pulsar” (Marble)
10. TWR72 “Simple (Tom’s Version)” (Sound Pellegrino)
11. Craze “Dance Alone Feat. Wrekonize (Kastle Remix)” (Slow Roast Records)

Listen to each individual track by clicking the song titles above, or go here to check out the entire chart. To see the rest of the charts in the XLR8R x Beatport series, click here.

Monkeytown to Drop eLan LP With Remixes From Modeselektor, Lazer Sword, and More

Monkeytown, the burgeoning imprint helmed by German bass-bringers Modeselektor, is set to drop the Next2Last LP (pictured above), a double-disc collection of originals by San Diego, CA artist—not to mention WeDidItCollective acolyte—eLan and remixes of his productions from the likes of Modeselektor, Cosmin TRG, Lazer Sword, and more. The record follows three previous EPs on Monkeytown’s sister imprint, 50Weapons, and will be released on October 21. Before then, you can check out the full tracklist, and stream some tunes from Next2Last, below.

01 I Can’t Breathe
02 Benson Bridges

03 Bleep Bloop Brrrrmmp

04 Dry Lemons

05 Good High
06 Alligator Snaps

07 Hunting Season

08 Saccharin on Top

09 Shoot The Beam

10 Next2Last
11 Benson Bridges (HeRobust Remix)
12 Bleep Bloop Brrrrmmp (Byetone Remix)
13 Bleep Bloop Brrrrmmp (Lazer Sword Remix)

14 Alligator Snaps (Cosmin TRG Remix)

15 Bleep Bloop Brrrrmmp (Modeselektor Remix)
16 Saccharin On Top (Anstam Remix)

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12541432" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12541571" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12541640" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21471974" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17615767" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18010211" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F18582924" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12541803" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19809203" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Pinemartin “Why (Does Your Love)”

Have you ever sat around wondering how to improve Carly Simon’s 1982 single “Why”? No? Neither have we. Yet British producer Pinemartin seems to have been thinking along those lines when he covered the classic song for his recent free EP, Come Around Again, Again. It’s a high bar to meet, but Pinemartin manages to excel by creating a nostalgic chillwave homage with all the right hallmarks. He strips out the vocals and lets the track envelope the listener through a barrage of warm analog synthesis. The Come Around Again, Again EP is out now, and available for free download on Bandcamp, here.

Why (Does Your Love)

All City to Release New xxxy 12″

Continuing with his relentless string of releases, London’s xxxy (who just did a podcast for XLR8R) has announced that “Kerpow” b/w “Down Wit U” will be his next 12″ to drop. The single features a mixture of ’80s electro-tinged rhythms married to powerful basslines and a clean production aesthetic, and sees the artist creating two dancefloor friendly cuts that broach on house, techno, and UK garage. The record drops October 3 on Dublin’s All City imprint, but you can check out the artwork and tracklist, along with a snippet of each track, below. Also, be sure to check out Adult Swim‘s website on September 26 for a full stream of both songs.

1. Kerpow
2. Down Wit U

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F23422960" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Rain Dog “One to Love”

Newcastle-based producer Rain Dog is the latest up-and-comer to be tapped by what has become one of the most consistently good labels for (almost) free music, the DFRNT-run Cut imprint (also responsible for releases from Essáy, Great Skies, and more). “One to Love” falls somewhere within the blissed-out realm of post-dubstep beats, but also harbors some echoes of the mellow dub found years ago on Pole’s now-defunct~scape label. This gloriously peaceful endeavor can be found alongside three similarly lush pieces of detailed beat work on the See Hear EP (artwork above), available here as a “name your price” download.

One to Love

Sully Carrier

It’s not so often that a debut album arrives surrounded by as much backstory and legitimate anticipation as that of London-based DJ/producer Jack Stevens (a.k.a. Sully), and actually manages to deliver practically 100% on its preceding hype. Nearly four years and 12 or so records—such as the excellent “Phonebox” single from 2009 and the more recent “The Loot” b/w “In Some Pattern” 12″—after Stevens first appeared on the UK dubstep/garage scene as a solo artist, he’s crafted a 10-track LP of brooding club productions. Half of the cuts stay within the tunesmith’s usual realm of melancholic 2-step, but the remainder find Sully infusing his bass-driven music with elements of the all-too-popular skitter of footwork. The different styles explored throughout Carrier produce varying sonic results, but never fail to assure the listener that they are listening to one of the most emotionally rich electronic records of this year.

As he exhibited just this week in his moving XLR8R podcast, Sully is fully adept with moody soundscapes, particularly those of a dark and sullen nature. Even when he’s in the thick of breakneck kick and hi-hat patterns, Stevens can’t seem to stop himself from dousing what might otherwise be a buoyant or playful track with the downtrodden soul of, say, a rickety piano melody or a pitched-down vocal refrain. This apparent love for all things introspective becomes more or less a rule on Carrier; the album’s emotional highpoints—”2Hearts” and “In Some Pattern”—are just as equally wrought with swinging rhythms and iridescent rave stabs as they are vibes of tension and uncertainty. Sully’s woozy melodies never quite settle into his mixes, his basslines sound oversized to the point of bursting the tracks apart, and the elements of his beats all feel at odds with one another—it’s as though each sound is constantly vying for the spotlight. It makes not only for unique dancefloor tuneage, but enriching home listening as well.

Comparisons to bass music royalty could and probably should be made, but Sully is no doubt operating on his own terms. He just about flaunts this fact once he starts toying with the tropes of juke. “Scram,” “I Know,” and “Trust” are among the highlights of Carrier‘s forays into frantic rhythms and repetitious sample dropping, though his use of these footwork trademarks is far more refined than that of Steven’s contemporaries. Call it inauthentic if you must, but matching a somber piano or a wavering synth tone up against the incessant knock of 160-bpm drum patterns is a fresh sound that can’t help but be admired. Maybe Sully doesn’t uncover anything earth-shattering or out-and-out game-changing, but on his debut LP, he does present a fully developed sound that remains rooted in the history of UK dance music while eagerly looking for its next development—leaving his bleeding heart on prominent display throughout.

Page 2206 of 3781
1 … 2,204 2,205 2,206 2,207 2,208 … 3,781