A wrap-up of the best in gaming

Mortal Kombat
Warner Bros.; Xbox 360, PS3
Get over here! No seriously, come here. Does this look infected to you? Infected with awesome?! It is our professional medical opinion that the latest Mortal Kombat is indeed rife with awesome, as nearly 30 blood-thirsty combatants of the Mortal Kombat universe return to the timeline of the original three games from the ’90s (the three best) in an effort to change events in the present—which apparently is not going so swimmingly. While the game will retain the 3D environments of the recent installments, gameplay itself will revert to an old-school 2D plane with a much deeper fighting system than the series has employed to date. Mortal Kombat will also introduce two- and four-player tag-team matches along with plenty of online action and even a new Challenge Tower mode that includes hundreds of various trials and tribulations that will certainly test your might—and unlock valuable secrets should you succeed. Of course, this wouldn’t be Mortal Kombat without gore and fatalities, both which have been majorly upgraded to gruesome new levels of gross.

Brink
Bethesda; Xbox 360, PS3
Several years after the world’s attempt to finally go green, a self-sufficient “ark” floating off the coast of San Francisco has become the last, overcrowded bastion of civilization in a now flooded world as two well-armed factions vie for control in Brink. After choosing to violently overrun the city or to bring peace (violently), you can then choose from one of four unique classes, including soldiers and engineers, who must then all work together as a cohesive unit to successfully complete objectives towards your goal of ultimate dominion. With nearly endless character-customization options—ranging from the size of your gun to the prison-osity of your tattoos—Brink’s exaggerated art style creates a distinct atmosphere in which your team can run, leap, and destroy in any which way both online against other teams and off. As your team gets through missions, experience is gained and you are able to unlock even more ways to enhance your weapons, increase your health, or even steal your opponent’s identity as you wage war towards the center of the dystopian capitol. See what happens when you don’t recycle?!

LA Noire
Rockstar; Xbox 360, PS3
The free-for-all that was the post-war 1940s United States is one of the more interesting times in this country’s history, yet it has fewer games made about it than the five years prior. What gives? Oh, right— fewer slimy Nazis. However, classic-point-and-click-game déjà vu notwithstanding, even fewer games have been able to capture the somewhat less slimy underworld that was Los Angeles during this period (which may or may not have ended—we’re still fact-checking that one) until this month’s LA Noire. This serious take on cinematic murder mysteries puts you in the gumshoes of a war vet turned cop, played by Mad Men’s Aaron Staton, as you use interrogation, instinct, and a whole lot of good old-fashioned police work to solve a grisly string of La La Land slayings. Read a perp’s reactions to your line of questioning the wrong way and they could get off scott-free. Don’t do your homework and you could nail the wrong guy. Luckily, everyone has a tale, and LA Noire has gone to great lengths to create the most elaborate facial animations ever seen in a game, so at least you have something to work with before getting busted down from detective to meter maid. With plenty of sex, drugs, and soothing jazz, LA Noire is a unique slice of pulpy pleasure for those looking to get their Mike Hammer on.

Infamous 2
Sony; PS3
When I was 12, some friends and I found a gaudy piece of costume jewelry that we decided should grant elemental powers specific to its wearer. Mine was to harness the power of lightning. We called ourselves the “Power Group” and went around blasting things at school with our ring. For this, we were made fun of quite regularly until we ourselves decided that it was indeed mock-worthy. However, if I did have the ability to shoot lightning, they would certainly rue the day! Rue the shit out of that day! Such is the allure of Infamous 2. Imbued with the ability to control electricity, you play as Cole MacGrath, a one-time courier duped into becoming an unwilling pawn in a super-powered game as you traverse a New Orleans-inspired city that is also highly destructible. To that end, morality plays a big part of Infamous 2, as being pretty good or pretty bad with your gifts leads you down various paths—most importantly, more awesome powers! User-generated feedback and content will also come into play, as the most popular missions created by fans will get implemented into the actual game.

Duke Nukem Forever
2K; Xbox 360, PS3
Better late than never, they always say. But is 14 years well beyond the statute of limitations on that old chestnut? If we are talking about Duke Nukem Forever, then the answer is “Hell to the naw!” Originally slated for release in 1997, Duke Nukem Forever went through more versions and more unfulfilled release dates than any other game EVER until finally being ditched by its original developer a couple of years ago. Thankfully, it was picked up by dudes who had the balls to finish what was started back when Bubba was in charge, known as Gearbox Software, whose last effort, Borderlands, was a pretty unfuckwithable RPG/shooter hybrid. While fixing up what is essentially an ancient game to compete with the likes of today’s shooters may seem foolhardy, Duke Nukem Forever does just that, albeit in a very tongue-in-cheek manner, rife with dick jokes, strippers, and all manner of toilet-humor-infused gore. In other words, everything fans have come to expect from Duke… and them some. Hail to the king, baby!

Portal 2
EA; Xbox 360, PS3
By now, we are all aware that there is, in fact, no cake to be had at the end of 2007’s sleeper hit, Portal. But perhaps even better is that now we get the sweet, sweet taste of Portal 2 to sink our dimension-bending teeth into. As she stated so clearly in song at the end of the first game, hilariously evil super-computer GLaDOS is in fact still alive and ready to torture your brain once again since you’ve been revived from stasis hundreds of years after the first adventure. Equipped with a gun that shoots only entrance and exit portals, you must outthink the traps laid for you in the once great halls of Aperture Science, now overrun with flora and the aforementioned still-active devices of death. Co-op multiplayer also figures in this time around, as you take on the role of one of two unnervingly adorable robots to unravel puzzles totally different than the single-player campaign. While it certainly is no cakewalk, with clever design and priceless dialogue from the likes of Stephen Merchant and JK Simmons, it’s certainly one of the more charming games you’ll ever have the pleasure of being perplexed by.

Shift 2: Unleashed
EA; Xbox 360, PS3
If you’ve somehow managed to avoid the Need for Speed franchise over the past decade, then now would be the time to just cut it out, because the series’ latest, Shift 2: Unleashed, will have you cruising in a daze of thunder (or whatever 200 mph does to you)! While still a Need for Speed title, Shift 2 aims for simulated realism a la Gran Turismo instead of the usual balls-out arcade action of previous entries. The result is perhaps the most realistic racing title to date, with realistic physics affecting the nearly 150 real-life cars featured from 36 manufacturers. As you tear around dozens of tracks all over the globe you earn experience and upgrades that help pit you against worthy competition both on and offline. Precision and style are rewarded as you avoid smart AI drivers, battle road deterioration, and even take on the darkness while weaving through tracks in the dead of night. The amazing sense of speed and realism makes this a shift in right direction.

SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs
Sony; PS3
As if the US Military doesn’t have enough to keep them busy these days, here comes SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs . As the leader of an elite squad of America’s finest, you must team up with a couple of South Korean operatives as you take on some Southeast Asian nasties known as the Naga. Playing Cesar Millan to your team of highly trained attack dogs, you command them to sit, stay, or perforate accordingly through 14 nail-biting missions that involve stealth infiltration, air strikes, and straight-up firefights. Helping to ramp up the realism, SOCOM 4 is compatible with 3D televisions as well as Sony’s Move motion controller, which can be attached to the recent Sharp Shooter peripheral for even more gun-slinging action. With nearly 40 weapons and online matches with up to 32 players, SOCOM 4 will satisfy your patriotic bloodlust.

Yoostar 2
Yoostar Entertainment; Xbox 360, PS3
Let’s be real: From Inigo Montaya’s tale of the six-fingered man to Mr. Miyagi’s cryptic car-detailing instructions, your rote memorization—and subsequent regurgitation—of cinema’s finest scribblings has not won you as many kudos in life as you may feel you so deserve. Despite the Academy’s blatant snub of your obvious De Niro-esque talents, Yoostar 2 now offers you the opportunity to get your demo reel out into the world so it can finally sample the genius of your masterful Norbit impression. Ranging from beloved classics like Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz to more recent hits like Tropic Thunder and Shaun of the Dead, Yoostar 2 uses the Kinect or PlayStation Eye camera to place you in any of dozens of famous movie scenes as it grades you on accuracy and movement, sort of like movie karaoke, and then allows you to upload it on the likes of Facebook and YouTube for the rest of the world to pass judgment on. No matter if you’re an Olivier or an Olivia Newton-John, one thing is for certain—it’s not a toomaahh!

FaltyDL to Drop New 12″ Via All City

Hot on the heels of his second LP for Planet Mu, the excellent You Stand Uncertain, comes a brand-new 12″ single (pictured above) by Brooklyn producer FaltyDL. Dublin’s All City label will release the two-track record—which features the tunes “Make It Difficult For You” and “Jack Your Job,” and is described as “fast-paced house with a distinctly ’90s US influence”—on June 21. Before then, you can stream the a-side of FaltyDL’s 12” below.

“Make It Difficult For You”

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Brennan Green and Andy Butler to Collaborate on New Kid Creole Album

No wave-affiliated, tropical-funk veteran Kid Creole apparently has a new album in the works for the patently nostalgic Strut imprint, which is scheduled to drop on September 13. I Wake Up Screaming follows 10 years after the now Swedish-based artist’s last studio record, Too Cool to Conga, and features collaborations from DJ/producer Brennan Green, Hercules & Love Affair’s Andy Butler, and his trusty backing trio, The Coconuts, among others. The album will be preceded by the single “I Do Believe,” in July, which gets the remix treatment from Green, Faze Action, 40 Thieves, and The Emperor Machine. Before it’s all released, check out the artwork for Kid Creole & the Coconuts’ I Wake Up Screaming below.

Five Minutes at MUTEK with Floating Points

Amidst the hustle and bustle of this year’s MUTEK festival in Montreal, we snagged a few of our favorite artists for a quick chat about their impressions of the festival, the city, and, of course, some chatter about their music. Here, London producer and Eglo Records boss Floating Points breaks down his musical evolution, discusses his big-band aspirations, and sounds off on the myth of good poutine.

XLR8R: Is this your first time in Montreal?
It’s my second time in Montreal. The first time was with the Night Trackin’ guys at Velvet. It’s nice, really nice. Beautiful place.

What are some of your favorite things about the city?
It’s a matter of hours that I’ve spent here, but it’s definitely not poutine. People keep saying, “This is the best poutine,” but it’s never good. I’ve never had good poutine. I’d like it if someone one day would show me decent poutine. Kid Koala has provided Four Tet with a map of where to go record shopping. So we had this map this morning, and we just were looking all over it. We went to some record shops and then went to the place that does poutine—baked. It’s not good! It’s really not good. And then there were some people behind us, who heard us complaining about the poutine and suggested some other place. So, I’m going through this cycle of poutine places until I find a decent poutine. By that point, I’ll have to have three British Airways seats.

Apart from poutine, it’s a very beautiful city. It’s very green, beautiful architecture, and the sort of mix of languages I always find amazing. It’s a bit embarrassing that my French is so bad that every time that someone talks to me in French—and I live so near France!—I always sort of respond with a “sorry.” What else… record shops are amazing. Record shops are really, really good here. It’s a very vibrant city, beautiful people.

It seems like jazz, funk, and soul plays a really important role in your musical perspective. How did that come about?
My appreciation of music, the stuff I listen to, has been really linear with the progression of Western music itself. When I was a kid, I was brought up on classical music and played the piano. I was playing classical music. I was also a chorister at cathedral and was really into European choral music—church music. When I got older, I started getting really into jazz. One of my teachers gave me three records. Chick Corea, [his band] Return to Forever, the Light as a Feather album, which I still think, to this day, would be one of my desert island discs. It’s just an incredible record. Then, Music for Small and Large Ensembles, by Kenny Wheeler. It’s amazing, I gave my copy away actually. There’s another one… but basically, there are these three records he gave me, and that was the beginning of my obsession with jazz. And where I lived in Manchester was really near record shops. Manchester back then was so good for buying jazz records. It was the cheapest way I could get the music—on vinyl. It’s not like I was well into vinyl or anything like that; it was just the cheapest format that I could get hold of jazz. My mom gave me a bit of pocket money or whatever when I was 12, 13 and I spent it all on jazz records. Dead cheap.

Then I got into soul and really into electronic music, but more from the Stockhausen, musique concrete guys and then into a lot of the British synth stuff. Then I got into techno and house music, but I was really late to all that stuff, like maybe 18 by the time I was really into house. I was even quite into drum & bass. I used to go to Black Market every day. When I moved down to London for university, the first gig I ever had, I won a competition to DJ at The End with Andy C. I won a competition, based on a mix. It was a baptism of fire. Suddenly I had gone from playing in my bedroom to playing at one of London’s most important clubs. It’s shut down now, but it was incredible. Then I started doing my own nights.

Do you have any plans to take the Floating Points Ensemble, the big band, on the road?
If someone pays for it, yeah. It’s expensive. There are 14 of us. And not only is it really expensive, it’s really hard to get them all in the room at the same time. They’re all professional musicians. They’re all really good friends from a long time ago. They really want to do it, as much as I do, but they’re all, like, super pro. They’re doing shows in London and running the jazz scene in London, basically. I’ve known them, some of them, since I was 11 years old.

I’m still doing my PhD. I’m so busy, so busy with university. I had to go from university to the airport to come here. It’s mega-stressful. But yes, eventually. I’m still doing my PhD and once I finish that, then yes, definitely. That’s what I want to do an album of, that [Ensemble] stuff. But before then I’m going to release an extended EP of my electronic stuff. I basically want to get them out of the way. They’re just tracks. I just want to get them out.

The Ensemble is the most important thing to me. We’ve been recording. A lot of the time, we record in my house, in my little studio. We try to get string players in there. We’ll put some of them in the kitchen, a couple of brass players in the corridor. It’s got a certain sound to it, but I really like the idea of recording an album in the kitchen. Homemade.

Do you have any plans to come to the US at some point?
It’s difficult for UK citizens. It’s very expensive to get a work permit, and very difficult. I really want to [come], but again, it’s university, and transatlanic flights. I’m in uni. I’m at the lab on a Sunday, and if I’m not doing a gig, I’m in the lab on Saturday. It sounds really dry, and sometimes, it really is. In a year’s time, when my PhD is over, bloody hell, I’ll move to LA. Or Chicago, Chicago’s got better records. [laughs]

For more about Floating Points at MUTEK, check out Part 2 of our festival wrap-up.

The Miracles Club “Light of Love (The Whendays Ecstasy Remix)”

This thumping tech-house offering from Swedish production duo The Whendays is apparently a remix of “Light of Love” by Portland-based house revivalists The Miracles Club (pictured above), though we can’t exactly suss out how. Maybe the ghostly vocal samples that call out from beyond the discordant groove of bass, synth, and percussion loops are cut from singer Honey Owens’ original performance, but beyond that, this sounds like an entirely original track with its own kind of woozy bounce. And it’s pretty damn good, so we’re okay with that.

Light of Love (The Whendays Ecstasy Remix)

Light of Love (The Whendays Ecstasy Remix)

Watch Trouble & Bass Interview Canblaster

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Parisian party-starter Canblaster meets up with NYC club lovers The Captain and Star Eyes of Trouble & Bass for this informative little video interview. The French producer talks to the T&B compatriots about his work with the Club Cheval crew, his late-night production habits, how he started out making tunes for Dance Dance Revolution (!), and much more in the three-plus-minute piece. Check it out up top.

Grown Folk “U Know The Time”

Montreal producers Drew Kim and Brendan Neal (a.k.a. Grown Folk)—who you may remember from a tune we posted about two months back—have decided to give away another gem, this one an admittedly “ravey” track of their own creation. Hailing from a city becoming more and more renowned as a hotbed for up-and-coming bass music acts, this duo continues the steadily growing tradition of quality house-flavored sounds arising from the area. “U Know The Time” is one for the club, a production built around a progression of ’90s house stabs and driven by an uptempo, straight-forward rhythm. In short, labeling this track “ravey” is categorically perfect, as the song’s flowing chords and playful melodies dance wonderfully with the cut-up classic house vocal snippets. Grab this rave throwback below and be on the lookout for future works from Grown Folk.

U Know The Time

Video Premiere: Max Romeo “Protest to M1 (Pacheko Remix)”

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This animated piece of visual psychedelia comes to us courtesy of director/creator Igor Bastidas and Caracas, Venezuela-based producer Pacheko (a proponent of his city’s so-called “raptor house” scene), who remixed veteran reggae artist Max Romeo‘s “Protest to M1” for the accompanying track. The spacey, dubwise sounds of the tune prove to be an ideal soundtrack for Bastidas’ surreal visuals; the slow groove matches the video’s hypnotic pace, the heavy delay and reverb compliment its otherworldly look, and the underlying political tension of Romeo’s vocal track lyrically illustrates the dystopian story of the clip. This is a solid piece of work all around. If you dig Pacheko’s track, look for it on Senseless Records.

Tectonic to Drop New Pursuit Grooves LP Next Month

On July 4, one of Bristol’s homes for next-level bass music, the DJ Pinch-run Tectonic label, will release a brand-new LP by DJ/producer/MC Pursuit Grooves, called Frantically Hopeful. The NY-based artist’s album is 11 tracks long, all of which are said to “[fuse] elements of hip-hop, house, and broken beats with sensual melodies and vocals,” and will also be released on vinyl as a six-song EP. Below, you can check out the details of Pursuit Grooves full-length album, and preview two of its tracks.

1. Revolutionaries
2. Type Send Universe
3. I Sink
4. Transformation Of Consciousness

5. Peace Talks

6. Mars Is Rising
7. Clueless
8. Bedazzled
9. Attention
10. Bailouts
11. What About?

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