With a new EP slated for release on Seattle’s Car Crash Set imprint, Moscow’s Pixelord has offered up this non-EP track to give us a taste of what we can expect from the forthcoming release. “Equis (Part 2)” is a jagged beat of sorts with an ever-so-slightly swung boom-bap rhythm chugging below a set of constantly building, dramatic pads and chopped and pitched Stevie Wonder vocal samples. If this track is any indication, then Pixelord’s new EP, Puzzles, may find the Russian producer paring down the 8-bit elements often associated with his production, not removing them entirely but rather employing them more sparingly (as in the bubbling bleeps and bloops of this track) to give way to more serious-sounding elements. We’ll have to see what the Russian producer has in store for us when Puzzles drops on April 29.
Late last month, we shared a song from Kosmiche experimentalists Mandelbrot & Skyy, one half of which is analog synth explorer Jeff Witscher (a.k.a. Rene Hell). The artist just recently dropped a brand-new LP, The Terminal Symphony, under his solo moniker, from which “E.S. Des Grauens In Fifths” is taken. The song wafts about comfortably on the more lighthearted side of Witscher’s compositional work; the myriad bubbling, arpeggiated electronic tones all evoke a feeling of wonder and majesty reminiscent of any number of fantasy cartoons we spent our childhoods obsessing over. There is a video for Rene Hell’s song, but it’s not quite what we imagine when we hear “E.S. Des Grauens In Fifths.” You can see it for yourself below. (Those prone to seizures: beware.) (via Altered Zones)
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Perhaps better known for her productions under her TBA moniker, Natalie Beridze has released a new album entitled Forgetfulness and has sent along this stunning video for the LP’s track “In the White.” Beautifully animated by Nika Machaidze, the video follows the Georgian producer/vocalist through a series of abstract images that she encounters while floating effortlessly in an astronaut suit, a fitting visual companion to Beridze’s lush mixture of electronics and somber pop. Forgetfulness is out now on Monika Enterprise.
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The man responsible for such classic instruments as the MS-20, the Elect-Tribe, the Mono/Poly, and the Triton among others, Korg‘s founder and chairman, Tsutomu Katoh, passed away Tuesday morning after a long battle with cancer. Korg’s USA President had these esteemed words to say of Katoh: “Chairman Katoh was a true visionary and a personal friend, and he will be missed by everyone at Korg and indeed, the entire music industry. Over the past 20 years, I have witnessed firsthand the ways in which Korg has flourished under his and his family’s guidance and leadership. His passion and professional goals were one and the same: to provide innovative tools for musicians to help them grow their craft. And those goals remained the same throughout his life and career. He will be deeply missed.”
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New York’s Brennan Green (pictured above) delivers this delicious eight-minute journey through the land of acid disco on the instrumental version of his remix for the Italian duo Ajello‘s new single, “Chocolate Black Leather.” Although the original version of Green’s remix features the vocal stylings of disco queen Hard Ton, this instrumental version only proves the more impressive as it allows us to fully focus on Green’s tasty synth work. With a pulsing 303 line driving the track, he unleashes a seemingly endless supply of spacey, vintage synth tones that gradually multiply as they float and sizzle in various reverbs and delays. Make sure to stick this one out to the end as the seasoned producer saves the catchiest line for last, dropping an incredibly melodic lazer arp for a few sweet bars before breaking the track down to its final moments.
After the tragic events that took place in Sendai last Friday, it seems most everyone around the world is doing what they can to help the people of Japan recover from the disaster and its residual effects—including musicians and record labels, too. Among those efforts you’ll find a couple of charity releases put together by a handful of XLR8R‘s favorites. The Nihon Kizuna compilation (pictured above) features music from Hyperdub boss Kode9, Om Unit, Mux Mool, Ninja Tune, Onra, Ernest Gonzales, Throwing Snow, All-City Records, and tons of other artists and imprints, and will be available on March 18. You can find more info on that charitable release, the profits of which will go directly to the Japan Red Cross, here. Also coming together on a compilation to benefit the injured country are ambient artists Rafael Anton Irisarri (a.k.a. The Sight Below), Goldmund, Helios, and a long list of other like-minded musicians, who will all be featured on the For Nihon release. You can find more info on the upcoming digital/physical album here, the proceeds of which will all go to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.
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Following its highly enjoyable 56th mix album from house veteran Derrick Carter, the Fabric label will soon drop the subsequent edition of its series, courtesy of French techno mainstay Sébastien Devaud (a.k.a. Agoria). The InFiné label boss will drop Fabric 57—which boasts a blend of heady material from Moritz Von Oswald, Canyons, DJ Kaos, Ensemble Economique, and some artists from his imprint’s roster, among others—on April 18. On his forthcoming CD, Devaud says, “I think my mix is more about the whole spectrum of dance music, a whole panorama of what I like to play. This is more a journey into the techno landscape with all that the generic term ‘techno’ means to me: acid, house, dub, repetitive, epic, and techno!” You can check out the artwork and tracklist for Fabric 57 below.
01 Vainqueur – Ranges – Theme [Scion Versions] Ensemble Economique – Real Things [Not Not Fun] Zodiac Free Arts Club – Ein Lied Für Popol Vuh [Permanent Vacation] 02 STL – Silent State [Smallville] Blacmale – Golden Day [Static Discos] 03 Moritz von Oswald / Tony Allen – Ole Remix [Honest Jon’s] Ella Fitzgerald With The Buddy Bregman Orchestra – Night And Day [Verve] 04 Jerome Sydenham & Joe Claussell – Rhythm [Ibadan] 05 Clara Moto – Deer & Fox (539.6 East Street dOP Remix) [InFiné] Lil Tony – Treehouse (Lil Tony Remix) [Electric Minds] 06 Canyons – Blue Snake [I’m A Cliché] 07 Agoria – Heart Beating (Argy Tension Remix) [InFiné] 08 DJ Kaos – Horny Morning Loop (Drdunkskaoticmix) [Jolly Jams] DJ Tazz – Unrestrained [Underground Quality] 09 Eisbär – Subspace Two [InFiné]
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Busybody house producer Danny Yorke (a.k.a. Altered Natives) just did the dance music world a favor, and remixed four classic acid tunes to give away for free via Bandcamp. The Danny Does Acid EP (pictured above) features versions of LFO’s “LFO” and “Pacific” by 808 State, along with two other quality reworks called “Altered Jefferson” and “Strings of Altered.” You can stream and download the songs here, or just check them out below.
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London’s elusive 2-step/garage/bass auteur Deadboy is ready to follow up last year’s excellent If U Want Me EP with another 12″ slab of vinyl, to be released via Glasgow’s Numbers label. The Here EP is a three-song record dropping in April, and is said to feature “Deadboy’s trademark heartaching vocal fragments, consuming bass warmth, and skipping percussion.” You can check out snippets of the three productions, along with the artwork and tracklist for Here, below. And make sure not to miss the DJ/producer on tour in the US with the rest of the Numbers crew now.
1. Wish U Were Here 2. Here 4 U 3. Ain’t Gonna Lie
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With only a couple (excellent) tunes to his name, Guy Andrews, a newcomer to Brighton’s ever-expanding bass music scene, is already off to a solid start, as far as we can tell. Like on the subtly worked-up “Klikkr,” it’s more than apparent the, uh, guy knows exactly how to craft a perfect percussion loop, rolling sub-bassline, pattering dance rhythm, and bare-bones melody. The kind of sonic restraint and loving precision that Andrews exhibits in his work thus far seems to belie his newbie status, and effectively excites us for whatever upcoming tunes he’ll be sharing next.
