Podcast 208: MK & Scottie Deep

When it comes to early-’90s house music, there are few artists who rival the influence of MK (a.k.a. Marc Kinchen, pictured above). Seminal singles such as “Burning,” “Always,” and “Love Changes” helped shape the sound of the era, and his remix work was even more important, as Kinchen reworked tracks from an incredibly diverse array of artists, including the Nightcrawlers, Moby, Jodeci, The B-52’s, Tom Tom Club, Masters at Work, Bobby Brown, Bizarre Inc., Jodie Watley, Brandy, Pet Shop Boys, Blondie, and countless others. The man has been employed by people like Pitbull and Will Smith as a producer; he’s even remixed Celine Dion, but he also released a new single on Omar-S‘ FXHE label this year, so his badman credentials are pretty much bulletproof. Over the years, MK has often collaborated with his brother and frequent partner-in-crime Scott Kinchen (a.k.a. Scottie Deep). Together, the two have continued in their love of high-quality, big-room house music, a passion evidenced on this exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. The booming DJ session finds the brothers Kinchen both rinsing new cuts and digging into their vaults to unearth some vintage gems, including more than a few MK remixes and dubs. This Saturday, the pair will be headlining the Icee Hot party in San Francisco, where they’ll hopefully be serving up even more of this dancefloor magic.

01 Masters at Work feat. India “I Can’t Get No Sleep (MK Dub)” (Cutting)
02 Liam Vizzle “Paris Dusk (Max Morrell Remix)” (Venga)
03 Hardrive “No Cure” (Strictly Rhythm)
04 ZXX and Paul Anthony “God Loves Thugs (Original Mix)” (Nocturnal)
05 Tiger & Woods “Love In Cambodgia” (Editainment)
06 4th Measure Men “The Keep” (Area 10)
07 The Martinez Brothers “The Causeway” (Objektivity)
08 Bah Samba “Have You Got Your Bootz on (Jkriv’s Brooklyn Boogie Mix)” (Favouritizm)
09 Wattie Green “Don’t Stop (Original Mix)” (Flapjack)
10 M.S.K. “K-Jee (Original Mix)” (Roc Trax)
11 Creep feat. Nina Sky “You (MK’s Flaxxy Hot Tub Rub Dub)” (Creep Intl.)
12 Craig Hamilton “Work It (Original Mix)” (Flatpack Traxx)
13 Galactik Knights “Falling In Love” (Club Femme)
14 R Tyme “Use Me (MK Mix)” (Trance Fusion)
15 Weekend Players “Rock The Disco (Original Mix)” (Tasty)
16 Dualton “Face Off” (Systematic)
17 The Black Project “Wonder (Original Mix)” (Kucs Sound)
18 Fire Flowerz “Over (Nightriders Remix)” (OMG!)
19 DJ EQ “4eva Summer (Original Mix)” (Beatism)
20 Trescem “Turn On The Music” (Defected)
21 Scottie Deep “Exclusive Edit”
22 Turntable Mafia “Forbidden Groove (Original Mix)” (Nocturnal)
23 Drop Out City Rockers “International Track” (Drop Out US)
24 Atmosfear “Motivated Respect (Dimitri From Paris Remix)” (Mr Bongo)
25 DJ Gregory “S2 (Main Mix)” (Defected)
26 Chez Damier “Can You Feel It (MK Dub)” (KMS)

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Solvent “Curtains”

Now, here’s something particularly interesting that just dropped into our inbox: Canadian hardware obsessive and synth-pop veteran Solvent has a brand-new EP ready to drop on September 6 via his recently resurrected Suction label, which he made using one very special piece of gear. Producer Jason Amm took it upon himself to craft the aptly titled RDJCS5 EP solely from the sounds of a Yamaha CS5 monosynth that was once owned by Richard D. James and actually has the liner notes from the monumental Selected Ambient Works Vol. II album etched into its bottom. “Curtains” is one of those four tracks (five if you buy the vinyl edition), and is possibly the most lighthearted of the bunch; it’s immediately obvious that Solvent feels right at home writing music with even just a single piece of vintage analog hardware. If you want to learn more about the process that went into making the RDJCS5 EP, check out this in depth piece on Modyfier, here.

Curtains

Curtains

Dark Sky Radius EP

It didn’t take long at all for South London trio Dark Sky to rise to a place of notoriety in the bass community. It was less than a year ago that producers Tom Edwards, Matt Benyayer, and Carlo Anderson caught XLR8R‘s attention, and only months before then that the outfit’s brand of brooding club music was first released via Black Acre and Pictures Music. This quick ascent could be attributed to any number of things: the fact that Edwards and Benyayer had worked together for years before as part of Boogaloo Crew, the fact that Dark Sky arrived seemingly knowing exactly what it wanted to sound like, the fact that the trio has released a non-stop slew of remixes and originals (not to mention DJ mixes) since its debut, the fact that the UK club scene in general is constantly on the lookout for ‘the next big thing,’ or the fact that Dark Sky is just damn good.

If pressed to choose a reason, we’d have to go with the last one on that list, and Dark Sky’s latest release, the Radius EP, for Modeselektor’s 50Weapons imprint, is yet more evidence why. The record hosts four solid cuts of dynamic, soundsystem-specific production work that deftly straddles the line between hard-edged and touching. Each track justifies its space on the wax with a variety of angular dance grooves, smooth synth pads, huge sub tones, and creative sound design. “Speeding Blue” is an ideal opener, a propulsive jam full of skittering beats and grimey hooks, and “The Lick” is an overwhelmingly powerful, punchy-as-hell cut that updates dubstep standards—speaker-frying bass hooks, eerie vocal samples, reverb-addled sound effects, rolling drum patterns, et al—with impeccable style.

“Neon” and “Be Myself,” however, stand a notch or two above the other offerings. On them, Dark Sky blends contrasting moods and soundscapes to make some of the best bass-centric music we’ve heard all year. Deep spectral soul and a couple massive basslines make “Neon” an unstoppable tune, one that should undoubtedly wind up with a respectable position in everyone’s lists come December. “Be Myself” is an atypical closer that jumps between a mysterious hip-hop swagger and booming 808 riddims that rival some of Ramadanman’s best work on the drum machine. Dark Sky has certainly made waves during its short time on the scene, but as the Radius EP indicates, these guys are only just getting started.

Ayshay “WARN-U (Nguzunguzu Remix)”

Yesterday, Brooklyn’s Tri Angle label announced it will release the debut EP by New York-via-Kuwait resident Fatima Al Qadiri, who produces music under the name Ayshay (meaning “whatever” in Arabic). WARN-U will drop on September 26 with three tracks of the artist’s strange, vocal-driven music in addition to a “Megamix” by LA global bass duo Nguzunguzu. According to the press release, this remix is a part of the larger “Megamix,” which finishes out Ayshay’s record. The tune tweaks with the main vocal melody from “WARN-U” and overlays some clattering beat work that could rightly be an homage to Richard D. James’ AFX or The Tuss projects. In fact, the whole thing doesn’t sound terribly unlike fellow acid/jungle experimentalist Venetian Snares, which is an interesting addition to Nguzunguzu’s already expansive sound palette.

WARN-U (Nguzunguzu Remix)

Catch Up on Pearson Sound’s Current Favorite Tunes

UK bass-lovin’ badman David Kennedy (a.k.a. Pearson Sound, formerly Ramadanman) recently spoke to XLR8R scribe Andrew Ryce about the tunes he’s been getting down to and playing out as of late for the most recent installment of Resident Advisor’s Playing Favourites feature series. During the sizable interview, Kennedy talks at length about music from DJ Shadow, The xx, Beastie Boys, Pendulum, Burial, and more. You can read the whole piece here.

Watch Intruders TV’s Interview With Motor City Drum Ensemble

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Cologne-based house DJ/producer Danilo Plessow (a.k.a. Motor City Drum Ensemble) is the latest contemporary musical figure to be interviewed on camera by Intruders TV. The talented young artist, who just recently released his excellent contribution to !K7‘s DJ-Kicks series, sat down with the UK web TV show, and chatted about getting into music production when we was 11 (!), his love for the Warp label, the reception of electronic music in Europe versus the US, and loads more. You can watch the illuminating, 15-plus-minute interview with Plessow above.

Throwing Snow & Py “Wallow (PhOtOmachine’s Underground Haus Mix)”

It really should come as no surprise that most anything coming down the pipeline from burgeoning UK producer Throwing Snow has no trouble getting our attention, but add to that the fact that the man has a collaborative EP in the works with London vocalist Py (due August 1, artwork above), and we’re pretty much hooked. Ahh, if only that was all to the story, then maybe we’d stop gushing, but the folks at Super have really put together a nice release here, tapping the talents of Lapalux, Rafferite, and PhOtOmachine to deliver three very different remixes of the EP’s lead track, “Wallow.” Here we have last remixer’s take, which dips the original track’s lush tones and sultry vocals into everything from floating pads, acid synths, and blistering drum machines to produce this tantalizing piece of future house.

Throwing Snow & Py – Wallow (PhOtOmachine’s Underground Haus Mix)

Wallow (PhOtOmachine’s Underground H

Check Out Axel Boman’s and Petter’s Stockholm Studio

Last week, Resident Advisor posted up a nice piece on Stockholm-based electronic music producers Axel Boman (pictured above), Kornél Kovács, and Petter, whose workspace is collectively known as Studio Barnhus. As you’ll find, the three of them have quite a fascination with old synths, but they all also dig hard on Ableton. Read the whole thing here.

Elephant & Castle “I Will”

Burgeoning Bay Area-based producer Elephant & Castle has just released a new single (artwork above) for the Plug Research imprint, and has passed along the b-side, “I Will,” to help spread the word. Beginning with a series of blissfully reversed chords, E&C implements a few choice samples of incomprehensible female vocals and gently strummed guitar, gradually revealing the shape of things to come. Joined by an ever-so-slightly off-kilter drum pattern and a sparse, glistening melody, the initial layers build and mold themselves into a vast, enveloping chorus of melancholy electronics. With a slow-brewing core and a host of reversed sonic treatments, “I Will” can at times feel akin to watching a hazy film, playing backwards, in slow motion, if you’re stoned. The single comes with word that the label will be issuing an Elephant & Castle LP in the not-too-distant future, but for now we’re happy to savor tracks like this until that day arrives.

I Will

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