Labels We Love: Mr. INTL

In August of last year, Hercules & Love Affair mastermind Andy Butler (pictured above) unveiled a collaborative single produced by himself and San Francisco DJ Jason Kendig, the vintage house-inspired “And I’m (So In Love With You).” That 12″ was the first record to drop from Butler’s Mr. INTL imprint, and set the groundwork for a fresh dance music hub with one strict rule: Nothing can sound “pre-’85 or post-’94.” Mr. INTL has since remained true to its ethos—releasing stellar club-specific music like Kim Ann Foxman’s “Creature” and two industrial-tinged tracks from Mark Pistel, Ben Stokes, and Jack Dangers (of Meat Beat Manifesto). We stopped Butler in the middle of his hectic schedule to pick the multifaceted artist’s brain on his lovely new label, its self-imposed limitations, and, of course, its brilliant display of classic house.

XLR8R: Tell us a bit about how Mr. INTL came to be.
Andy Butler: I decided that I needed a release for my strictly club-oriented music, and realized there were a bunch of really great artists that wanted to make music inspired by the same era of classic house that I grew up on.

How do you juggle the work of running a brand-new label amidst the recording, touring, and everything else with Hercules & Love Affair?
I don’t know. It is hard. I have some help from management in London, but I have to procure remixes and reach out to talent on my own. I have been so honored to have artists like Faze Action, KiNK, Deetron, DHS, Jack Dangers, and James Curd (from Greenskeepers) doing remixes.

Mr. INTL is renowned for not releasing anything that “sounds pre-’85 or post-’94.” Why focus solely on such a specific time in dance music?
This was the music that in some ways woke me up in terms of my identity, even my spirituality in a way. It is very house- and techno-focused, but remember, dance music during this era also included industrial, EBM, new beat, and ambient, so it is potentially a very fertile and diverse era to explore.

Tell us a bit about the artists Mr. INTL has worked with, and why you want them to be heard.
Kim Ann Foxman is an emerging talent with a strong appreciation for house of the deep and trancey kind—really soulful, but also mesmerizing. Mark Pistel is a veteran of dance music, and his collaborations with Jack Dangers from Meat Beat Manifesto and DHS [a .k.a. Ben Stokes] mark a potentially really fun return to four-on-the-floor for those guys. Wolfram is a more Euro-influenced producer, great at producing bangers. Why should they be heard? Pretty simple: immense talent.

The latest Hercules & Love Affair album sounds informed by much of the same era of house that Mr. INTL aims to recapture. For you, what separates your work on Mr. INTL from that music?
There are a couple of pieces that are directly influenced by that period. But, for instance, the mid-tempo and slower, experimental side of my songwriting would not show up on a Mr. INTL release. Hercules is an opportunity to express myself more as a formal songwriter.

What’s on the horizon for Mr. INTL?
An amazing new solo track from Hercules singer Shaun J. Wright, with really banging remixes. It is something quite special. Plus, another great Kim Ann Foxman EP, as well as some new stuff from my project with Jason Kendig.

Shaun J. Wright “Forever More”

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16821429" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Machinedrum “TMPL”

With a new album from Machinedrum just over a month away, the NYC-based producer has dropped this bonus track for the forthcoming Room(s) LP (artwork above) as a little taste of what’s to come from his first full-length for Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu imprint. Along the lines of what we’ve come to expect from the producer in recent years, “TMPL” sees Machinedrum deftly existing between a few genres, carefully hinting at the drum programming of Chicago footwork/juke while gathering select pieces of UK bass and futuristic R&B to go alongside. About the only thing that even resembles Machinedrum’s now long-ago works of ADD hip-hop beats (mostly found on the now-defunct Merck imprint) is his penchant for incredibly detailed, shape-shifting soundscapes, which serve as a curiously enjoyable contrast to his percolating take on the footwork-style drums which push “TMPL” along for almost all of its four-minute duration.

TMPL

Bicep “Silk”

Globe-trotting, Irish-born duo Bicep has offered up a track from its new EP, which came out earlier this week on Throne of Blood. “Silk” is a throwback house tune with toned-down percussion and thick, driving 808s pulsating under a soft-square bassline reminiscent of traditional acid squelch. The song—which owes no small debt to such classic offerings as Mr. Fingers’ “Can You Feel It?”—builds patiently as reverb swells to fill the silence between the syncopated rhythms. Progressing swiftly, this floor-oriented track is geared toward the early-morning crowd with its intricately modulated synth work that seems to effervesce between and behind the underlying beats. Apart from turning out top-shelf house productions, it’s worth noting that the pair also helms the excellent Feel My Bicep blog. Give it a read, snag “Silk” below, and be on the lookout for the new EP.

SiLK

Matias Aguayo I Don’t Smoke EP

Out of all the musical contributions Matias Aguayo has made throughout his prolific career—whether as himself, through his Cómeme imprint, or as one-half of the fabled, but short-lived, duo Closer Musik—he has always managed to inject his sophisticated productions with an undeniable element of fun and his latest EP is no different. I Don’t Smoke may be Aguayo’s most obvious foray into house music territory to date (although he’s arguably been found toying with the genre many times before), as this latest effort sees the Chilean-born, German-reared, and constantly globe-trotting producer utilizing a more straight-forward sonic palette, implementing potent drum machines and almost toy-sounding keyboards into the four infectious tunes that make up the new EP.

The Latin-influenced, organ-lead title track takes a good minute to slyly brew before kicking in with an inescapable rhythm and the familiar, layered whisperings of Aguayo himself, along with frequent collaborator Rebolledo. From then on, the energy never deflates but instead shifts from the playfully simple instrumental “Cómeme Rhythm” to the aggressively syncopated, retro-sounding drums of “Niños.” The truest house moment comes courtesy of the EP’s closer, “Dance Machine,” which somehow manages to bring an astonishing amount of dancefloor heat despite sounding like it may have originated from some lowly Casio-esque keyboard. Considering his history with sonic experimentation, it may come as a surprise that Aguayo isn’t solely responsible for the intriguingly vibrant aural treats of I Don’t Smoke, as he reportedly tapped Scott Monteith (a.k.a. dub-techno veteran Deadbeat) to help with the mix-down process. Delightfully ever-so-slightly outside of his usual fare, I Don’t Smoke is another solid piece of work from a producer that continues to impress with every twist and turn his experimentation takes.

Four Tet, SBTRKT, Gang Gang Dance, Matthewdavid, Holy Other, Nguzunguzu, and More to Play PS1’s Warm Up 2011

An impeccably curated string of live performances and DJ sets will soon take over New York City this summer, courtesy of MoMA PS1 and just about all of your new favorite bands. Every Saturday between July 2 and September 3, you can join in the festivities of the 14th annual Warm Up outdoor music series with DJs and live acts such as FaltyDL, Four Tet, Gang Gang Dance (pictured above), oOoOO, Nguzugnguzu, SBTRKT, xxxy, Matthewdavid, Clams Casino, The Miracles Club, Laurel Halo, Simian Mobile Disco, Pictureplane, Grimes, Holy Other, Sun Aram, Omar-S, The Juan MacLean, and many, many others. Art and video installations will also be present throughout the summer concerts from Thunder Horse Video, CONFETTISYSTEM, Fort Makers, and more. The full list of performers, as well as ticket information and other details, is available here.

Warrior One “Bullring Riddim (Chaos in the CBD Remix)”

This smooth take on Warrior One‘s “Bullring Riddim” comes from an up-and-coming pair of New Zealand brothers operating as Chaos in the CBD (pictured above). Virtually absent of anything remotely resembling the original instrumental, the duo seems to have simply lifted the track’s original dancehall-flavored vocal contribution (courtesy of Serocee) and laid it on top of their own slow-brewing production. Sure, there’s not much to Chaos in the CBD’s instrumental, but that’s because it doesn’t need much. They get the chord progression just right at the onset, along with the infectious beat that gradually builds into a skittering, half-time stepper. Throw in a few tasty fills here, the occasional shaker pattern there, and some distant organ stabs throughout and you’ve got yourself a tasty slice of down-under beat work.

Bullring Riddim (Chaos In The CBD Remix)

Shlohmo to Drop Debut LP This August, Shares Free Remix EP

The music of young SF/LA resident Henry Laufer (a.k.a. Shlohmo) has been a constant part of XLR8R‘s coverage more or less since it surfaced. We reviewed his first EP, Shlomoshun Deluxe, profiled him in our Bubblin’ section, and even enlisted him for a podcast, so you can imagine that we’re especially pleased to tell you Laufer will at long last be releasing a proper LP this August via Friends of Friends. The 14-song Bad Vibes is the full expression of the kind of herky-jerky, R&B-touched beat music that Shlohmo’s ethereal “Places” hinted at, and is described as “new ‘rhythm & blues’—one that swings and sways under the backbone of Laufer’s own take on modern electronic music, augmented with delicate slide guitar playing, homemade synth sounds, and lilting, tuneful melodies.” Along with the announcement of his forthcoming full-length, the producer has offered another collection of remixes, which is available for free download on the Wedidit Collective website, here. Make sure to grab those tunes, and check out the artwork and tracklist for Bad Vibes before it drops on August 9, below.

1. Big Feelings
2. Places
3. Anywhere But Here
4. It Was Whatever
5. Parties
6. Just Us
7. Sink
8. I Can’t See You I’m Dead
9. Trapped In A Burning House
10. Get Out
11. Your Stupid Face
12. Seriously
13. Same Time
14. Places (Shlohmo Remix)**VINYL ONLY

Orca to Release New xxxy Single Next Month

Manchester DJ/producer xxxy has just announced his latest single will be dropping sometime in July via the up-and-coming London imprint Orca. The 12″ record will feature two low-end-laden tracks, “Open Your Eyes” and “You Gotta Do,” both of which have clips you can hear ahead of their release. Check those out below.

“Open Your Eyes”

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16574326" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

“You Gotta Do”

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16574219" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Joakim “Forever Young (Discodeine Remix)”

Braxe and Falke, Bengalter and Homem-Christo, Augé and Rosnay. Looking back on the history of recent French house music, it seems as though the best stuff is the fruit of collaboration. Case in point, take Discodeine’s (a.k.a. Pilooski and Pentile) remix of Joakim’s soon-to-be-released single, “Forever Young.” Heartfelt and funky, Discodeine shears off the original‘s wall of sound and strips it down to a Loose Joints-style workout. Joakim’s sad lamentation of the passage of time is accompanied by the off-kilter oscillation of a hot-weather-tuned analog synthesizer and the uncertain tempo of a live-disco drummer. Check below to download the track, you can grab the single June 20, and keep your eyes peeled for Joakim’s forthcoming album, Nothing Gold (album artwork pictured above), out September 20.

ForeverYoung_DiscodeineRemix

Bubblin’ Up: Guy Andrews

Who:Guy Andrews
Where: Brighton, UK

XLR8R has always been partial to new artists, particularly in the Bubblin’ Up section, but 23-year-old Guy Andrews is really taking the newcomer tag to another level. Although his production displays a level of remarkable restraint and maturity, the young beatmaker has only been making this style of music for a couple of months, combining modern techno and bass with washy synths and organic percussion influenced by Afrobeat, jazz, and electro-acoustic sounds. Later this year, he’ll be releasing his debut EP, Your Notion, on the Discobelle imprint.

“Your Notion”

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13264110" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Spring Break DJ Mix by Guy Andrews

XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "soundcloud" and source: "<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16423719" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%">".

Download “Klikkr”

Page 2278 of 3781
1 … 2,276 2,277 2,278 2,279 2,280 … 3,781