Greeen Linez “Palm Coast Freeway”

Sometimes it’s a bit baffling how inexhaustible the sounds of the ’80s can still seem 30 or so years after they took place. Like on the appropriately titled “Palm Coast Freeway” by the Cambridge/Tokyo-based Greeen Linez project, where funky slap-n-pop basslines groove along with big Dâm-Funk-esque drum-machine beats, soulful Rhodes tickles, new-age flirtations, and an inherently blistering Balearic vibe. It sounds like how Miami pool parties look, or how cruising in a white Chrysler LeBaron convertible on a summer night feels. Inadvertently proving our point, Greeen Linez made a video for its smooth tune out of (shocker!) archived VHS footage, which you can check out after the jump. And if you’re down with these kinds of slick sounds, make sure to look for the outfit’s forthcoming five-track EP, which will be released on July 25 via Diskotopia.

Palm Coast Freeway

Palm Coast Freeway

Ben Westbeech Announces New Album Featuring Productions from Motor City Drum Ensemble, Midland, and More

Multi-talented UK producer/singer Ben Westbeech has announced that he will release his second solo LP, There’s More to Life Than This, through Strictly Rhythm on September 12. Said to be an effort that is “house-inspired, rather than straight-up house,” the album features a variety of producers (or maybe co-producers, it’s a little unclear at this point) over its 11 tracks, most notably toting contributions from Motor City Drum Ensemble and Midland. There’s More to Life Than This, will also feature the track “Falling,” which was released as a single in the early part of the year (along with Westbeech solo LP rumors that ultimately proved to be a little premature). You can watch the video for “Falling” and take a look at the complete tracklist with producer credits below. (via FACT)

Tracklist:
1. The Book (produced by Georg Levin)
2. Something For The Weekend (produced by Danny J Lewis)
3. Falling (produced by Lovebirds)
4. Same Thing (produced by Chocolate Puma)
5. Justice (produced by Motor City Drum Ensemble)
6. Stronger (produced by Midland)
7. Inflections (produced by Henrik Schwartz)
8. Sugar (produced by Redlight)
9. Let Your Feelings Show (produced by Georg Levin)
10. Butterflies (produced by Rasmus Faber)
11. Summer’s Loss (produced by Rasmus Faber)

Butterz to Release New Trim EP

Former member of massive London grime crew Roll Deep, MC Trim is set to release a brand-new EP via Butterz. The record will feature two original tunes, “I Am” and “Notice Now” (produced by TRC and D.O.K., respectively), along with a remix of the a-side by up-and-coming tunesmith Preditah. Look for the I Am EP 12″ and digital download on August 15, but before then, you can stream a preview of the whole thing below.

Grimes “Crystal Ball (Babe Rainbow Remix)”

Just when you thought we couldn’t come up with any more downloads from Montreal’s preeminent purveyor of icy dream-pop, this little gem surfaced just before it was too late. In our defense, this take on Grimes‘s “Crystal Ball” from Babe Rainbow—another Canadian producer of somehow simultaneously dark-yet-sparkling tunes—is really good, we promise. Mellowing the tune out quite a bit, it almost sounds like Babe Rainbow (pictured above) shoved the entire original track into a Casio keyboard before chopping up Grimes’ pixie-ish (not the band, the mythical creature) vocals and piling layers of glorious noise atop the delicately percolating toms and claps. Just as enchanting as the original, but in an entirely new fashion—what more could you ask for? (via FADER)

Crystal Ball (Babe Rainbow Remix)

Brian Eno Drums Between the Bells

Even for a respected artist and pioneer of electronic music, mixing original productions with spoken-word poetry can prove problematic. Such is the case with Drums Between the Bells, Brian Eno’s collaborative album with poet Rick Holland and his second release for the Warp imprint.

In all honesty, Eno probably has a spotty relationship with most XLR8R readers—yes, he’s rightfully considered a godfather of ambient music and has consistently been an innovative mind for decades now, but one would be hard pressed to find an avid listener of contemporary electronic music who enjoys every effort to his name. In his simplest role, Eno is a sonic adventurer, but not all adventures yield the same results, and this particular outing has returned with little that resonates in the current musical landscape. It’s a shame, especially considering that the individual elements—that is Eno’s music and Holland’s words—can be strong statements on their own. Eno’s productions show flashes of sonic brilliance and Holland’s poetry is at times striking and moving in its simplicity. Yet somehow, when put together, the artists’ individual strengths are watered down, resulting in a mixture of the benign and the over-the-top, depending on the particular song.

For all that, there are a few shining moments to be found on Drums Between the Bells, particularly in the album’s sole instrumental (and most ridiculously titled) contribution “as if your eyes were partly closed as if you honed the swirl within them and offered me the world,” whose pillowy soft melody and beautiful ambiance brings to mind a less triumphant M83 (who in turn was undoubtedly influenced by Eno at some point). The LP’s other standout, “multimedia,” takes a completely different form, finding a peculiar place between middle-aged-hip-hop-funk and epic synth work, which sounds crazy but actually works rather well. The most succinct collaborations between the two artists can be found on the album’s closing tracks, “cloud 4” and “breath of crows,” which mark the only efforts where the two artists move in a cohesive mood and direction.

That said, Drums Between the Bells has just has too many missteps to overlook, with tracks like “sounds alien” and “dow” being almost unlistenable. Perhaps there is a community within which this kind of artistic statement can really make an imprint, and, who knows, maybe they know something we don’t.

Cubic Zirconia to Release Debut Album on Fools Gold

The genre-defying New York based outfit known as Cubic Zirconia will finally be releasing its debut album on A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold label. This comes as welcome news since, as readers of XLR8R will recall, the album was originally slated for release—but ultimately never materialized—on Scotland’s LuckyMe imprint. We’re not sure exactly what happened, but you’ll for sure be able to pick up a copy of Follow Your Heart on September 20.

Brenk “Predido”

If the picture above wasn’t enough of a tip, Vienna-based producer Brenk Sinatra (alternately referred to simply as Brenk) is a purveyor of stoney sounds—stoned-out, jazzy hip-hop beats to be more exact—and he’s gone ahead and offered up “Predido,” a track from his forthcoming full-length, Gumbo II. The LP, which drops September 2, not only marks the man’s third album in three years, but comes with an astonishing 23 instrumentals to its name, and has even been gathering accolades from the likes of DJ Premier, who’s been quoted as saying, “Brenk Sinatra, he’s got the funk.” We’re certainly not ones to argue with a legend of his stature, and as “Predido” proves with its swirling, jazz-infused funk, there really is no need to.

Predido

Sun Glitters “The Wind Caresses Her Hair”

Everything surrounding this new single from Luxembourg’s Sun Glitters, entitled “The Wind Caresses Her Hair,” might mislead you into thinking its some kind of bucolic folk tune. The artwork is colorful and sun kissed, the song title is earthy and romantic, and, well, Victor Ferreira’s production moniker doesn’t invoke much other than all things bright and shimmery. So, you can imagine we were a bit surprised to find this tune is full of brooding bass tones, ephemeral vocal snippets, and thumping, textured beats—instead of, say, acoustic guitars and sing-a-long vocal hooks. It’s a subtly powerful and entrancing song, and provides an enticing glimpse into Sun Glitters’ full-length album, which is purportedly due in the months to come.

The Wind Caresses Her Hair

Dark Sky to Release New EP on Modeselektor’s 50Weapons Label

Next up on the release docket from Modeselektor’s 50Weapons imprint is a fresh, four-track EP from London bass trio Dark Sky. Called Radius, the record follows a string of solid productions the outfit has dropped on labels like Blunted Robots, Pictures Music, and Black Acre, and will be available towards the end of July. You can check out the artwork and tracklist for Dark Sky’s new EP, as well as stream a snippet of its first track, below.

1. Speeding Blue

2. Neon
3. The Lick
4. Be Myself

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Tensnake “Something About You”

The past, it’s a bitch. Successful artists of all stripes have always had a problem following previous achievements. Now, it seems as though Marco Niemerski (a.k.a. Tensnake) has found himself in just such a conundrum by having to live up to the success of his 2010 smash “Coma Cat”—a pretty tall order considering the popularity of that record. Nevertheless, his just-dropped “Something About You” strives to best that previous effort, albeit with varying results. Utilizing a similar strategy of playful appropriation, Niemerski turns his eye away from the mid-’80s, garage-meets-freestyle sound of “Coma Cat” and towards various stripes of early European house music: Italo house, piano house, UK rave, and Belgian new beat.

Starting with an orchestral hit, “Something About You” rolls into focus on a bassline similar to that of Steve Hurley’s “Jack Your Body.” Over this rhythm, he layers sudden detuned samples and constructs a groove that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Junior Vasquez mix from 1993. Eventually dropping away from this, the song goes into a breakdown, loses its original idea, and comes out the other side with a generic piano-house riff complemented by a breathy singer repeating, “Something about you baby/something about your lovin’.” It’s not terrible, but it’s notexactlyinnovative either, particularly given the current prevelance of pianos in post-nu-disco-house music.

Fortunately, the single does have its saving graces. While the original track isn’t a huge departure, the “Jas Shaw Alt. Mix” executes an interesting concept via the lost art of Belgian new beat. Dropping the tempo down a rather noticeable six beats per minute, Jas Shaw’s mix is the equivalent to playing “Something About You” at minus eight on a turntable. The track chugs along, complete with a new pitch and some freaky disharmonious effects on the vocals. Somewhere along the way, the slow tempo and bizarre pitch sets the remix apart to stand on its own as an interesting experiment that will probably rock its share of early-morning dancefloors.

Rounding out the package is the complete and welcome departure of Italo-disco b-side “You Know I Know It,” which bounces along with live bass, Chic guitar, shimmering synth arpeggios, and disco string hits. With a paranoid and rapid-fire female vocal hook, the song maintains the best qualities of New Wave Italo tracks like Bagarre’s “Lemonsweet.”

All told, “Something About You” is a pretty good record. While the titular single isn’t Tensnake’s best work, the novelty of Jas Shaw’s version coupled with the Italo funkiness of “You Know I Know It” helps to maintain the overall consistency of the release to reveal a solid effort.

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