UK duo Walls dropped its sophomore album at the end of last month via Kompakt, and has just followed up the release of Coracle with this clip of digitally tweaked footage for lead single “Sunporch.” Director Dan Tombs matches the pair’s krauty, psych-tinged jam with dense layers of moving images from a live performance at Bristol’s Take 5 Cafe.
AK Kids & 1000 Names “Pop Girl”
Edinburgh-based eclectic bass producers AK Kids will soon be releasing a series of collaborative EPs on Rotterdam-based label Lowriders Collective. Kicking things off is the GassAKu EP, which features guest spots from 1000 Names, Argyle Pimps, Slugabed, and Coco Bryce. As a teaser for the release, the label slipped us the mind-warping “Pop Girl,” a collaborative track from AK Kids and 1000 Names. The tune features an insane broken rhythm that broaches on sounding like a tasteful trainwreck, and twists through bizarre synthesizer modulations, moebius strip-like melodies, and ghostly vocal samples. The GassAKu EP comes out on October 7 as both a limited-edition vinyl 10″ and digital download.
Gui Boratto III
Do you like Gui Boratto? If so, then you’re going to like III, as the Brazilian producer hasn’t modified his musical formulas much on his third album. Granted, Boratto doesn’t seem like the sort of artist who would suddenly change course radically. Although his music is often noted for its nostalgic quality and celebrated for its injection of ’80s vibrance and color into a minimal techno and microhouse template, it has never been particularly groundbreaking. Boratto prefers evolution to revolution, and that process continues on III.
In that vein, album closer “This Is Not the End” is the obvious successor to Chromophobia‘s “Beautiful Life” and Take My Breath Away‘s “No Turning Back.” Like those Boratto classics, “This Is Not the End” features an alluring vocal turn from his wife, Luciana Villanova, along with some New Order-esque guitar lines. Yet while “Beautiful Life” and “No Turning Back” were both bombastic dancefloor cuts, “This Is Not the End” is compartively restrained, functioning more as a slice of new wave-influenced techno-pop.
Nevertheless, III does have its fair share of club-ready tunes. First single “The Drill” features thick, muscular synths, distorted melodies, and a stomping beat. It might be the brawniest piece of music Boratto has ever done. “Stems from Hell” is similarly dark, and highlighted by intense crescendos of arpeggiated synths between the song’s relatively serene remainder. “Striker,” reportedly a leftover from the Take My Breath Away era that was finally completed and included here, is one of the album’s most effective cuts, powered by a potent rhythm, pulsing synths, and Boratto’s own vocals, which smartly stay out of the way and let the track work its magic. Another highlight is “Flying Practice,” a lighter, more trance-inflected tune that offers soaring synths over a simple techno skeleton.
The album’s second half is somewhat weaker, although it would be wrongly described as bad. Songs like “Trap” and “Soledad” contain all of the signature Boratto elements, but their pensive nature occasionally give the impression that the producer is noodling about. Similar problems appear on “The Third,” a wispy tune with nice guitar tones that nonetheless struggles to walk the line between club track and thoughtful headphone music.
In all, III is a perfectly solid album. It’s just that Boratto’s repertoire is well-known at this point, which limits the impact that the album can really have. While Chromophobia was a game changer in 2007, III is a pleasant—although occasionally forgettable—listen from a seasoned artist who is playing to his strengths. There’s nothing wrong with that, but one can’t help but wonder if Boratto has the capacity to produce another landscape-altering effort.
Listen to Plaid’s Exclusive Rdio Playlist
Continuing with our celebratory playlist curation on behalf of social music service Rdio‘s first birthday, we’ve got some track selections from seminal IDM duo Plaid. The Warp-signed outfit is merely days away from dropping its sixth studio LP, entitled Scintilli (pre-order here), but the guys took some time out of their busy schedules to share some tunes they’ve been listening to lately and answer a few questions. You can check out Plaid’s playlist and Q&A below. (You can also stream the music on Rdio, here.)
XLR8R: Tell us a little about your playlist.
Plaid: This playlist is really just what we have been listening to recently, and is in no particular order. We DJ occasionally, and try to mix old and new music together. There is such a fine history of electronic and dance music now.
What are some of your favorites on the playlist?
Blawan’s “Lavender” is great because of the distinctly powerful production and lovely skip in the groove. It is so well mixed. It does all it needs to do. Just Ice’s “Cold Getting Dumb” has so many good memories attached. Mantronix’s roughest stuff, really. Makes us want to uprock, if only we still could…
What has Plaid been up to in the eight years between Spokes and your latest LP, Scintilli?
We have scored two feature films in Japan, Tekkon Kinkreet and Heaven’s Door. We have worked with the South Bank Gamelan, Felix Machines, London Sinfonietta, and Ross Adams. We have also tried to learn a bit more technically and musically.
How’d you guys come up with the idea of releasing the CD of Scintilli as a “Muda na Mono puzzle pack”?
It was to honor the CD, and to provide some physical interaction with the packaging. However, we also recognised that it is ultimately functionless.
What can fans expect from your upcoming live performances?
We are planning to deconstruct and remix the album.
Tycho “Hours (Teen Daze Remix)”
Full disclosure: We’ve been spinning Tycho‘s forthcoming LP, Dive, in the XLR8R office more or less every day since it was sent over to us by releasing label Ghostly. And while we still can’t seem to get enough of its sun-bleached synth melodies and buoyant drum rhythms, we don’t mind hearing another take of the stellar “Hours” single from Canadian producer Teen Daze. It seems that the remixing artist might feel the same way we do about his tune’s source material, as this unofficial rework of Tycho’s track doesn’t stray too far from its original state. (via Pitchfork)
Flowers and Sea Creatures “The Sitting Room (Mano Le Tough Remix)”
Berlin-based producer Mano Le Tough is an artist we’ve been seeing a lot of lately. With a few releases in the bag and a record on Buzzin’ Fly in the works, Tough’s just been tapped to provide a remix for Montreal-based alt-rock trio—and fellow Buzzin’ Fly signees—Flower and Sea Creatures. “The Sitting Room (Mano Le Tough Remix)” sees the producer moving into moodier territory than we’ve previously heard from him, with a dark soundscape evoked by atmospheric drones, digital chimes, echoy tech-house clicks, and a percussive bassline made of detuned toms. The track hits its stride halfway through, gaining momentum with the addition of a deep kick drum and the spooky vocals of Flower and Sea Creatures’ singer, Graham Baxter. Mano Le Tough’s Stories EP is out on September 19, and Flower and Sea Creatures’ Flower and Sea Creatures LP is set to follow on September 26.
Sepalcure Announces Debut Album
The Brooklyn-based duo of Travis Stewart (a.k.a. Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma (a.k.a. Braille), Sepalcure, has announced it will soon follow up two previous EPs with its self-titled debut LP. The 10-track Sepalcure is scheduled to drop on November 22 via the pair’s longtime label home, Hotflush, and is described in the press release as, “Sophisticated, yes, but accessible too. Emotional, yes, but fun as well.” Before Stewart and Sharma unveil their first album together, you can check out its artwork and tracklist below.
01. Me
02. Pencil Pimp
03. The One
04. See Me Feel Me
05. Eternally Yrs
06. Yuh Nuh See
07. Breezin
08. Hold On
09. Carrot Man
10. Outside
Gold Panda to Mix Final ‘DJ-Kicks’ of 2011
Hitting us like a one-two punch, !K7 follows its announcement that Scuba will contribute the next installment of DJ-Kicks with news that UK beatmaker Gold Panda is the artist behind the series’ final release of 2011. The 22-track DJ set exhibits the producer’s penchant for the whole spectrum of electronic, beat-driven music, and includes tunes from Bok Bok, 2562, Matthewdavid, LV & Untold, Drexciya, and even a brand-new cut by Gold Panda himself. You can check out the full tracklist before the mix drops on November 8, below.
1. Gold Panda – An Iceberg Hurtled Northward Through Clouds (DJ-Kicks)
2. Melchior & Pronsato – Puerto Rican Girls
3. Bok Bok – Charisma Theme
4. Drexciya – Andreaen Sand Dunes
5. Muslimgauze – Uzi Mahmood 8
6. Pawel – Coke
7. Ramadanman – Revenue (Untold Remix)
8. SND – Palo Alto
9. Zomby – Godzilla
10. Closer Musik – Maria
11. Gold Panda – Back Home
12. Christopher Rau – Do Little
13. Jan Jelinek – If’s, And’s And But’s
14. Nao Tokui – Monolith
15. Sigha – Shake
16. Opiate – Amstel
17. 2562 – Dinosaur
18. Matthewdavid – Like You Mean It
19. Brainiac – The Turnover
20. LV & Untold – Beacon
21. Autistici – Heated Dust On A Sunlit Window
22. Giuseppe Ielasi – 2
XLR8R x Beatport: Lazer Sword
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. Today’s offering comes from the boys of bicontinental bass duo Lazer Sword, who took time out from working on a new album—and their respective solo work as Lando Kal and Low Limit—to compile this list of 10 of their favorite jams, both new and old.
1. Martyn “Masks” (Brainfeeder)
2. Lunice “I See U (The Blessings Remix)” (LuckyMe)
3. Breton “RDI (Girl Unit Remix)” (Hemlock Recordings)
4. Cosmin TRG “Samiska” (50 Weapons)
5. Rustie “Ultra Thizz” (Warp Records)
6. Derrick May & Long Ago “A Relic” (Rush Hour)
7. Frankie Knuckles “Baby Wants To Ride” (Trax Records)
8. Scuba “Feel It” (Hotflush Recordings)
9. Machinedrum “Youniverse” (Planet Mu)
10. Aux 88 “Alias” (Puzzlebox 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.
Surkin Announces New Single, Debut LP
Parisian party starter Benoit Heitz (a.k.a. Surkin) has a couple releases coming down the pipeline via his Marble imprint before the year’s end, a three-track 12″ and his debut long-player. The “Ultra Light” single (pictured above) will be available, along with two versions of non-album cut “Orbital Motorway” on the flip, on September 30, followed by the producer’s 16-track USA LP, on October 26. Before either records drop, you can check out the tracklist for Surkin’s debut album below.
1. Let’s Ride
2. Lose Yourself (ft. Ann Saunderson)
3. Love Shot
4. I.N.Y.N
5. Fireworks Hotmix
6. Silver Island
7. White Knight Two
8. Rock It
9. Harry (ft. Bobmo)
10. Never Let Go (ft. Kevin Irving)
11. Fan Out
12. Gold Island
13. Ultra Light
14. Quattro (ft. Bobmo)
15. Silver Springs Anthem
16. UK Morning
