Swedish house producer Linus Eklow (a.k.a. Style of Eye) should be fairly well known to XLR8R readers due to his prolific and generally solid output. Responsible for dropping some serious heat on labels like Dirtybird and Fool’s Gold, Style of Eye keeps up the pace with his recently released Wet/Dry EP for Sound Pellegrino, a label that likely owes its creation largely to the artist’s influence. In celebration of that release, Eklow has offered up Zombie Disco Squad‘s remix of “Dry.” While the original version boasts an over-the-top acid-house-meets-electro-house sound, the Zombie Disco Squad remix takes the track into more classic territory—resulting in a tune that sounds more like ’90s-era Strictly Rhythm singles in contrast to the original’s “Rollin’ and Scratchin” similarities. Layering samples from “Dry” over a swinging four-on-the-floor, Zombie Disco Squad cleverly works in and around the wild rave vibes of the original, and creates peaks that rise high into euphoria and drop down into the deep.
Going strong for over two years now, A Club Called Rhonda has fully acquainted LA club goers with the antics of an anthropomorphic discotheque. The monthly revelry of “polysexual hard partying” has gained more notice outside of its SoCal home with the launch of the Rhonda International label and its first single, B.C. X Delivery’s “Return to Me.” Now, Rhonda is leaving the nurturing bosom of Silverlake’s El Cid to spread the madness with tour dates in four US cities. Featuring sets by Metro Area, House of House, and resident DJ Goddollars (pictured above), the travelling party is set to show select portions of America how LA gets down. Check out the dates and the flier below to see if Rhonda will be making an appearance near you.
6.27.11 – New York @ Santos Party House 6.28.11 – Miami @ Electric Pickle 6.29.11 – Chicago @ Berlin 6.30.11 – San Franicsco @ Public Works
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The good folks at Intruders TV have sent over this interview with Hessle Audio co-founder and all around bass-music badman Ben UFO. Throughout the 14-minute interview, the DJ briefly discusses the history and future of his Hessle imprint, and waxes philosophical on his approach to DJing—which is marked by his love for vinyl and its inherent “forced limitations.” Speaking of DJing, Ben UFO is set to touch down and burn some dancefloors on our side of the pond next week, along with fellow UK mixmaster Oneman. They hit Brooklyn on June 24 for TURRBOTAX®, and SF the following day for what should prove to be an irresistible edition of Icee Hot.
Our resident stylist Andrew Porter waxes casual on men’s and women’s must-haves.
Croakies I always break and/or scratch my sunglasses. This is usually due to the fact that I put them in my pocket and sit on them. For this reason, I think it’s time to bring back Croakies (pictured above). In 1988, at the age of six, I thought Croakies were really cool. I also thought zinc sunscreen was cool… Maybe it’s a California thing. Anyways, I came into one of these the other day, and I have been loving it ever since. I can’t really decide where I stand on the Croakie, fashion-wise, as of yet. I was hoping it would give off some Jeff Spicoli energy. However, I think other people look at them as the pocket protector of the face, or an accessory best celebrated by professional baseball players and “rad dads.” At the end of the day, my sunglasses are still intact, and I’m happy. Croakies are real cheap, so go ahead and test drive a set.
Baxter of California Combs Baxter of California is a company that makes fancy-dancy men’s grooming products. I’m pretty sure John Wayne would have nothing to do with this place, but James Dean might. You make the call. Baxter recently introduced a new line of Swiss handcrafted combs. If this doesn’t grab you, then you must not comb your hair. Apparently, these fine tortoise pieces are created from a cellulose acetate, and go through a 12-step manufacturing process all done by hand—Swiss hand—before making their way through your hair. To be totally honest with you, I’m not sure if this comb is going to outperform a comb from the dollar store, but it’s a great small-talk piece should you find yourself caught in an awkward social situation.
Clothing Care I don’t trust other people to do my laundry, so once every few weeks, I walk a mile to the 24-hour Atlantis Super Wash Center to TCB. If you read this column, I assume you care about your clothing. If such is true, I have two clothing-care recommendations for you. The first is Oxi Clean. I’ve sworn by this stuff for years, but, until last night, I had no clue you could throw it in with your laundry, as opposed to just soaking your clothes in it. Use this with colors and cold water at your local Atlantis Super Wash, and your clothes come out looking brilliant. Adios, yellow collar. Bonjour, bright colors. Oxi Clean is a miracle worker. My second recommendation is the Tide Pen. This is a gimmick that really works. Enjoying a delicious hot dog is a summer must, but spilling mustard on one’s shirt can ruin even the most positive man’s day. Fear not! Hit that mustard with a Tide pen and the stain disappears. The only problem is that the Tide Pen has to be used pretty soon after spillage. So, if you don’t want to introduce a new item into your pocket, I recommend avoiding spills. In other words, go easy on the mustard.
Specializing in a sound that combines aspects of Kate Bush and Fleetwood Mac, Canadian pop duo New Look have been getting a lot of attention recently. The group, comprised of Sara Ruba and Adam Pavao, recently released the video for its upcoming single, “The Ballad,” and now, in anticipation of that release, the pair has also offered up a remix by youthful UK bass producer Koreless. Taking the original’s retro sensibilities and throwing them into a blender along with a heavy dose of vocoder effects, Koreless diverges towards an ambiance that combines aspects of the soulfully unintelligible vocals of James Blake with touches of Bjork and The Knife. Keep your eyes peeled for “The Ballad” single, which is out digitally on June 27.
In the age of guaranteed album leaks, music streaming services, and flash-in-the-pan blog hype, EPs are no longer just precursors to something bigger, merely a teaser of what’s to come. These smaller releases can very much be the “main event,” if you will, and should be treated as such. That said, the follow-up release to Chad Valley‘s debut, a well-received, self-titled EP, is yet another summery extended-player, but one which fully exhibits the range of producer Hugo Manuel’s synth-pop capabilities.
Equatorial Ultravox offers seven cuts from the UK artist, smoothly and evenly oscillating between Balearic dancefloor burners (“Now That I’m Real (How Does it Feel?)” and “Fast Challenges”), funky slow jams (“Reach Lines” and “I Want Your Love”), and more contemplative pop sounds (“Shell Suite,” “Acker Bilk,” and “Shapeless”). No matter which angle he takes, Chad Valley’s love for ’80s AM radio pastiche, white-hot synth filters, quasi-tropical sounds, and infectious robo-vocal hooks permeate the music to its core. This record may be an EP in name, but it’s certainly a long-player in scope.
Though we’re still over week away from the release of Clams Casino‘s proper debut, the five-track Rainforest EP, via the Tri Angle imprint, those blown-out hip-hop tunes have made their way onto the internet. Courtesy of producer Michael Volpe’s brand-new SoundCloud account, you can now stream the Rainforest EP before it drops on June 27, below. Interested parties should look into pre-ordering the record here. (via Pitchfork)
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Maybe Com Truise‘s New Jersey bedroom also serves as a time machine or transporter of sorts to an alternate universe where the ’80s were less marked by Scarface-style mountains of cocaine and more by blunted synth explorations—but probably not. Still, the mystery remains as to how the Princeton-based designer/producer can tap into such a vivid world where harrowing Twin Peaks-esque synths can harmoniously exist alongside rich electro bass tones, über-compressed drum machines, and an unabashedly ’80s sheen. Perhaps the clues lie in his forthcoming LP, Galatic Melt (artwork above), from which this cut comes to us. After the scrambled intro sample, “Brokendate” unfolds into a mid-tempo chug that carries the track through a dense jungle of analog synths and bubbling arpeggios resulting in an intriguing slice from Com Truise’s debut album. Galactic Melt is available for purchase now in digital format, and will drop physically on July 5.
London-based French artist Franz Kirmann will soon self-release a full-length album under his given name, called Random Access Memories. This lush production, “Little Baby Eyes,” falls near the end of that LP’s 11-song tracklist, and finds the producer hard at work crafting airy, poignant melodies and textural atmospheres to shroud his slow-bouncing rhythms. The music certainly has a chilled-out, Board of Canada vibe to it, but sounds a lot more like other artists inspired by the Scottish duo, such as Tycho or Ulrich Schnauss. You can hear how the rest of Kirmann’s album stacks up when it drops on June 18.
Following on the heels of his debut full-length, Stone Breaker, slow-house producer Mark E has another release up his sleeves for Spectral in the form of a 12″ single for “The Day.” Originally only found on the CD and digital versions of Stone Breaker, “The Day” will now be available on vinyl, along with an 11-plus-minute rework of the tune from the always imaginative Prins Thomas and a brand new track from Mr. E himself, called “Special FX.” Although the title track is a futuristic jaunt of sorts, the single’s other offerings playfully flirt with some retro-futuristic ’70s vibes that seem to call back to Mark E’s early days of crafting slow-motion disco edits. You can check out the artwork and tracklist, along with a stream of “The Day,” below.
