On June 6, the debut, self-titled solo album from Swiss producer Crowdpleaser will see the light of day via Tiga’s own Turbo imprint. The LP’s 10 productions are described as “deep and easygoing” with strong elements of “world music” throughout. The first single of which, “Nenekri,” will be available in May. You can check out the artwork and tracklist for Crowdpleaser below.
1. Together We’re Strong 2. Spinelli 3. Nenekri 4. Jewel Self-Dribbling Basketball 5. My Grandmother Could Tell You That 6. Emilie 7. Jonx 8. DSG 9. Was? 10. Hang Out (For Paul)
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Just yesterday, an intimate video surfaced of San Francisco resident and rhythm experimentalist Shlohmo speaking to local videographers Yours Truly in and around his home. The wonderfully shot clip—which you can watch here or after the jump below—was also soundtracked by a fresh remix the producer made for one of his latest tunes, “Places.” On this new version of the song, Shlohmo mixes his wavering vocal coos high above the jangly guitar strums, herky-jerky synth melodies, and molasses-slow beats, which all work towards giving it a more personal and oddly soulful vibe compared to its predecessor. Then things grow even more intense with distorted vocals, fuzzy atmosphere, and more percussive elements as “Places (Yours Truly Remix)” plays out, and we start to question which version of Shlohmo’s song we enjoy more. It’s probably a tie.
German techno label Tresor is set to drop a new EP from Berlin-based DJ/producer Sleeparchive (a.k.a. Roger Semsroth) next month. The Ronan Point 12″ includes four separate parts of the title track, all of which were apparently “born on the dancefloor.” Speaking on the dark, distorted techno record’s creation, Semsroth says, “The tracks developed from parts and loops I had created for my live set, and always wanted to make tracks from. After a little break I took from the Sleeparchive project, the record for Tresor was a great opportunity to make these tracks.” Tresor will release the Ronan Point EP on May 16.
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The fourth release to come from Southern California’s My Hollow Drum crew/label—which, incidentally, boasts the talented beatmaker and XLR8R fave Teebs as a member—is an eight-track LP by LA producer Co.Fee, called Easy Listening (pictured above). As you might have imagined, the record is anything but, which is evidenced here by the hyped-up “Spark Plug.” The song is a bit grimy and distorted, a bit ramshackle, and, truth be told, a little harsh on the ears, but those rough aesthetics suit Co.Fee’s brash drum-machine beats and overblown synth tones to a T. You can check out more of the young artist’s sounds when his record drops on April 12.
Germany’s house- and techno-loving Traum sub-label Trapez is just over a month away from dropping its 100th release, a two-part, 17-track 12″ series featuring remixes from the likes of Butch, Keno, Remerc, Italoboyz (pictured above), Worthy, Blind Minded, Lucio Aquilina, Crowdkillers, Marcus Sur, and many others. The first installment, Anniversary Edition Pt. 1, will drop on May 25, and will be followed soon after by Pt. 2 on May 30. Before then, you can check out the full tracklists and labels for each 12″, below.
1. Butch – Muskatnuss (Remerc Remix)
2. Mihalis Safras – Interafrica (Roland M. Dill & Mozambeat Remix)
3. Ryan Crosson- Gotham Road (Deep´a & Biri Remix)
4. Butch – Earth (Mihalis Safras Remix)
5. Italoboyz – Rosa Fresquissima
6. Worthy – Ah Chord (Marcus Sur Remix)
7. Blind Minded – Vu Le Vous Parle
8. Lucio Aquilina – Disco Bus (Fabrice Lig Remix)
1. Mihalis Safras – Interafrica (Amir Remix)
2. Lucio Aquilina – Disco Bus (M.in Remix)
3. Butch – Reshef (BNZO Remix)
4. Red Robin & Jakob Hilden – Snapdragon (Sebastian Porter Remix)
5. Mucky Pups aka M.in & Jonas – Ambam
6. Keno – Alive
7. Roland M. Dill – I’ll be There (Sam Ball Remix)
8. Amir – Rocky Mountain (Crowdkillers Remix)
9. Marcus Sur – Down with the Ship (Shane Berry Remix)
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On April 12, the excellent NY-based imprint Dutty Artz will release a limited-run 12″ on behalf of Austin bass patron Dubbel Dutch. The producer’s white-label record will feature two completely original productions, called “Fem Pressure” and “MadLoopz,” along with three refixes of hotly tipped R&B jams by R. Kelly, Ciara, and Deborah Cox. Dubbel Dutch’s forthcoming tracks are said to be influenced by “synth-heavy house and late ’90s golden era UK R’n’Garage,” which sound like some choice touchstones to us. You can check out the full tracklist for the 12″ below.
A1. “Fem Pressure” – Dubbel Dutch A2. “It’s Over (Dubbel Dutch RMX)” – Deb Cox B1. “MadLoopz” – Dubbel Dutch B2. “Dueces (Dubbel Dutch RMX)” – Ciara B3. “Be My # 2 (Dubbel Dutch RnG Mix) – R. Kelly
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Southern Californian beat maestro Daedelus recently took a trip to a certain Room 205 to record a live performance for the ongoing series curated by Incase. Donning his finest Victorian garb, producer Alfred Darlington performs with his custom-made controllers a new version of his 2004 track, “Scaling Snowdon.” Daedelus envisioned his live set in Room 205 as follows: “I would like to perform at a seance in a Victorian parlor accompanied by ghosts. Conjuring the music, so to speak,” which is precisely how it appears. Candelabras, lace curtains, skull paperweights, and a particularly creepy Beethoven lamp all add to the mood brought on by the ghostly sounds of “Scaling Snowdon (Slow Climb Version).”
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Twenty-three-year-old London house producer Maya Jane Coles might seem to have appeared out of nowhere, but it looks like she’s not going anywhere for a while. Her 2010 single, “What They Say” (Real Tone), exploded upon release, topping DJ charts worldwide and attracting critical and public adoration. It was simple, riveting, and classic: an infectious vocal sample riding a descending organ riff padded with snapping drums, it’s the kind of subtle tune that gets stuck in your head for days. “It was definitely a surprise,” Coles says about the traction it received. “I’ve made music that’s a lot more personal and special to me, but as an artist you can’t really control the success of your tracks, unfortunately!”
The track’s basic construction and trilling organ marry a classicist ideal to a modern UK house sound preoccupied with techno’s clean lines. However, Coles claims she’s “not looking specifically to make retro sounds,” but you can’t help but notice the richness of the sounds and their chunky drum beats. Her influences—Radio Slave, John Tejada, and Steve Bug—are discernible in her penchant for subtly powerful drum programming, brilliant chord progressions, and smooth, accessible textures. Her refreshing simplicity is the earned product of eight years of practice, and her releases so far showcase her diverse, confident take on melodic house.
Coles’ mature sense of refinement extends itself to her other endeavors—she’s not just a house producer. She’s also one half of live bass-music duo She Is Danger, a collaboration with singer Lena Cullen that Coles calls “completely free thinking.” She says the fruitful partnership has resulted in “loads of live shows and an album in progress,” but even more promising is her Nocturnal Sunshine alias, which emerged last year with a much-lauded release on Lick My Deck. Under that moniker she makes reflective, subtle dubstep, influenced by her sharpened house sound—”All the [types of] music I make kind of bounce off each other,” she explains—and retaining her knack for unforgettable vocal hooks. Nocturnal Sunshine earned support from scene stalwarts like Scuba and Skream (“I’ve always been heavily influenced by dub,” she admits), and Coles promises that “there will definitely be some more in 2011.”
As for other future plans? An album, of course. “My album will be the release that fully represents me the best so far… Not following any specific genre, it’s just electronic music the way I want to make it,” she says proudly. “It will feature tracks with my vocals, some instrumentals, and some really cool guest vocalists, which I’m super-excited about.” She’s playing it careful right now, so there’s no release date planned for the album, but with a string of recent and future releases on Dogmatik, Real Tone, Hypercolour, and now Mobilee, we’ve got plenty to tide us over.
If there’s one thing NYC’s Brenmar can do with the utmost style and grace, it’s find a perfect vocal sample (usually from a choice vintage R&B cut, like, say, Shai’s “If I Ever Fall in Love”) and make it completely his own. Luckily, the DJ/producer also crafts excellent club sounds, and deftly pairs those punchy dance beats and skittering rhythmic noises with his expertly retooled vocal bits. “Be the One” bounces and booms with an enviable 808 drum pattern, and boasts no other melody outside of the quartet’s sampled croons—giving Brenmar’s track a strangely thuggish soul that we think suits today’s dancefloors quite well. You can watch him try out more of those sounds at any of his upcoming tour dates, listed after the jump.
4/8/11 – Lights Down Low @ SOM – San Francisco 4/9/11 – MJQ Concourse – Atlanta 4/15/11 – Avalon Hollywood – Los Angeles
First of all, yes, you are reading that headline correctly; Paula Abdul has officially made it onto XLR8R.com (she must be so excited). Secondly, the famous pop star makes a surprise appearance on the brand-new single by Finnish duo Shine 2009, “So Free” (pictured above), which was just released by the burgeoning Cascine label. The vintage-minded synth-pop outfit’s new song—which was apparently inspired by “long taxi rides, the end of a sharp winter, and doing things differently”—comes from its forthcoming debut full-length, Realism (out on May 3). You can stream Shine 2009’s “So Free,” watch a fuzzy, VHS-shot video of the pair playing their single (sans Paula), and check out the LP’s tracklist, below.
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Realism 1. Graduation 2. So Free (feat. Paula Abdul) 3. Public Exposure 4. One 5. Realism 6. New Rules 7. World 8. Naturally 9. Modern Times
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