The multi-faceted UK producer behind one of our top 10 favorite releases from 2010 and recently featured artist in XLR8R’s print magazine, Matthew Cutler (a.k.a. Lone), just delivered a brand-new mix on behalf of Bleep and the online music retailer’s showcase at the upcoming Bloc Festival. Along with the likes of Aphex Twin, Jacques Greene, Ikonika, Shackleton, Ramadanman, Four Tet, Untold, and many other XLR8R favorites (check out the full list here, Cutler will take over the Bleep stage March 11, 12, and 13, and his mix offers us a taste of what to expect. Lone’s Bleep x Bloc Promo Mix 2011 features a wide variety of excellent tunes from Black Dog Productions, VHS Head, Kashif, and even a couple unreleased and unheard productions from the mixmaster himself. You can get more info and listen to the DJ set over here (keep checking that link for forthcoming mixes from Kyle Hall, Jacques Greene, and others), or check it out in the embedded player below.
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Over the past few years, Dutch producer Dave Huismans (a.k.a. 2562) has carved himself a solid niche in the murky territory that sits between the worlds of dubstep and techno. While he’s best known for his heady, low-end explorations, he also indulges a love for (slightly) clubbier sounds under his A Made Up Sound moniker. His upcoming album, Fever, finds him delving into yet another genre—disco. Well, sort of. Although every sound from his new full-length originated from a vintage slab of disco vinyl, Huismans still manages to sound like himself. He’s also set to embark on a lengthy North American tour this week—the dates are posted below—so we figured that now would be a good time to solicit his participation in the XLR8R podcast series. As one might predict, the mix isn’t easy to pin down, as Huismans bounces between various house, techno, and post-dubstep sounds, although his preference for subtlety and detailed production shines through regardless of genre. Things do get darker and crunchier as the podcast proceeds, but the quality never wanes.
01 Yoav B “Wisdom Bop” (Meakusma) 02 M. Pittman “East Side Story” (7th Sign) 03 Panash “Cheval” (Atavisme) 04 Domu “Quarantine” (New Religion) 05 Kerri Chandler “Get Up” (Madhouse) 06 Blawan “Getting Me Down” (Unreleased) 07 Nutmeg “Oscar’s Shed” (Neroli) 08 DJ Koze “Mi Cyaan Believe It” (Pampa) 09 Julio Bashmore “Batty Knee Dance” (3024) 10 Boddika “Rubba” (Forthcoming Swamp 81) 11 2562 “This is Hardcore” (When In Doubt) 12 Nacho Patrol “Solomonic Dynasty” (Creme Organization) 13 Paperclip People “Floor” (Planet E) 14 Kirk Degiorgio “Nairobi” (New Religion)
2562 North American Tour Dates 16-Feb – Boston, MA (Bassic) – Goodlife 18-Feb – Atlanta, GA – The Sound Table 19-Feb – San Juan, PR – Red Shield 25-Feb – Los Angeles, CA (Muse vs Smog) – Medusa Lounge 27-Feb – San Francisco, CA (Bionic) – Club 222 01-Mar – Santa Cruz, CA – Cafe Mare 02-Mar – Seattle, WA (Decibel Presents) – Baltic Room 04-Mar – Brooklyn, NY (Blkmkt Membership) – Underground Event 06-Mar – Montreal, QC – Salon Daome
The past few years have seen an explosion of techno’s sonic boundaries, with more leftfield and jazz influences creeping into a world more known for its sweaty four-to-the-floor workouts. Perhaps no other group has been more responsible for this sea change than dOP, the Parisian trio that has brought organic textures, live instrumentation, and a playful irreverence to the post-minimal landscape. Joining the group on the Circus Company label for his first solo full-length, Nicolas Jaar appears to be following in their sonic footsteps.
Though the 21-year-old wünderkind has previously produced genuine tech-house tracks, most notably on Brooklyn’s Wolf + Lamb imprint, this album is more of an exercise in atmospherics than surefire club hits. Sure, “Too Many Kids in the Dust” has a nice dub-techno feel, and “Balance Her in Between Your Eyes” could fit in with LA’s nascent beat scene, but much of Space Is Only Noise betrays an appreciation of sonics beyond the dancefloor. The title track could almost fit onto a Legendary Pink Dots record, and “Keep Me There” has echoes of African jazz and pop music. Even Ennio Morricone and Angelo Badalamenti are referenced on pieces like “Variations” and “Almost Fell,” what with the former’s twanged guitar and the latter’s disembodied female vocals riding above cool, watery synths.
There is only one misstep on this otherwise perfect record, and that is “I Got a Woman.” Yes, Jaar is young, so mistakes are excusable, but sampling the vocal line from Ray Charles’ most famous song is a bit much. Otherwise, though, Space Is Only Noise might be one of the most ear-opening techno records in recent memory.
Glasgow’s Koreless may have a couple solid tunes, a remix for Jacques Greene, and a good number of high-profile and online fans to his name, but the producer still has yet to release his first official single. Though on March 21, he can slip that under his belt, too, as the wonderful Pictures Music label will drop the “4D”/”MTI” 12″. The subtle and entrancing “Up Down Up Down” tune won’t be on that record, but is offered here (and via Bandcamp) to whet the interests of those who remain unaware of Koreless’ mystical soundscapes. This unreleased number is a quiet song that showcases tunesmith Lewis Roberts’ deft ability to write intoxicating melodies and mix them with vibrating rhythms that unobtrusively propel the moods rather than overtake them. This is our first time listening to anything from the up-and-coming artist, but we’re already hoping to hear a lot more Koreless very soon.
Very few of the UK-bass brethren have frog-hopped labels like Matthew Walker (pictured above) a.k.a. Julio Bashmore. First for San Francisco’s renowned Dirtybird label, then on remix outings for Night Slugs, PTN, and Tres Cool, Bashmore is now releasing his next EP, Batty Knee Dance, on Martyn’s 3024 imprint on March 28. Considering he just released his Everyone Needs a Theme Tune EP in January, it’s easy to see that Bashmore’s studio work ethic is resulting in an intriguing variety of soundscapes. Check clips of the EP’s three tracks (the third is a digital exclusive), and the eye-popping cover art is featured above, designed by 3024’s in-house artist/creative director Erosie.
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Back in August, XLR8Rdebuted a remix of Los Angeles-based composer Ana Caravelle by Brooklyn beatmaker Shigeto, in support of Caravelle’s debut album for Non Projects, Basic Climb. During the months that have followed, there has been a growing interest in re-working Caravelle’s idiosyncratic harp music, prompting the label to release Basic Climb: Re-Imagined, featuring remix work from folks like Dntel, Take, and yuk. This version of Caravelle’s “Where Have You Been?” is from Non Projects founder Brian Simon (a.k.a. Anenon). With drums lifted out of a boozy late-night conga session, and what could be Caravelle’s harp chopped into a thousand tinseled pieces, Anenon’s fully realized remix jumps another level about three quarters of the way through when a lilting, chant-like sample of Chavelle’s voice takes the song to church. Basic Climb: Re-Imagined will be released on March 1.
Former Bubblin’ all-stars L-Wiz (pictured above) have been among dubstep’s finest since 2006, when the Swedish duo released their first 12″, “Girlfriend,” on Caspa’s Dub Police. Now L-Wiz is prepping a single for Joker’s Kapsize imprint for February 28. The release will feature the tracks “Straightjacket” and “4.42 OZ,” and if past Kapsize records are any indication, there will likely glassy synths and Prince-worthy panache. Peep the artwork and short clips of each track after the jump!
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We’re not entirely sure what to make of producer Physical Therapy. We know he’s one of the residents at Ghe20 Gothik, but little information is available on the man outside of that. We think the guy is from somewhere in New Jersey, it seems like he is pretty into Top 40 hip-hop, and he apparently has a penchant for tweaking those kinds of tunes into slow and strange compositions that are more about shady moods than pulsing club vibrations. In that same vein, the musicmaker re-worked “Supersymmetry” by NYC tunestress Laurel Halo (pictured above), delivering an eerie and dub-heavy track that sounds nothing like its source material. In fact, the looping sample of Timbaland that finishes off Physical Therapy’s remix squeezes in far more syllables than the miniscule blips of Halo’s croon that are fired off repetitiously. If the track info didn’t credit the burgeoning singer/songwriter’s track, we’d have had no idea “Supersymmetry” was even an inspiration for the screwy number, but that’s not to say we love it any less. (via FACT)
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It was just the beginning of this month when we let you in on the not-so-secret announcement that German DJ/producer and Gomma label head Mathias Modica had a new single dropping under his Munk moniker on February 11, called “Keep My Secret.” Now that the record is released, we’ve got this classic-film-inspired music video to share with you, as well. The black-and-white footage portrays Modica driving in a slick convertible with an array of different women, à la vintage James Bond or a sleazy Humphrey Bogart, singing the lyrics from his ode to maintaining any number of clandestine relationships. The women shuffle through the passenger seat as Munk changes outfits accordingly and “drives” around various locales, which are archaically projected directly behind the ever-changing couples.
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You may recognize the name Lady Chann (a.k.a. Chanelle Williams) from her 2010 party anthem, “Sticky Situation” (a remix of which we posted last May), and now we see Ms. Chann returning with another party jam, “Treble To Your Bass.” Here we’ve got the remix of her latest track courtesy of the UK’s Marcus Nasty, who replaces the hyperactive synths and drum programming of the original with a dark, subdued soundscape made of deep bass, sparse piano chords, and shuffling percussion. Nasty also does away with quite a bit of the original tune’s lyrics, cutting out the songs’ verses entirely in favor of Lady Chann’s club-friendly chorus. The Paula Abdul-esque chorus lyrics (“I’m the treble to your bass” is just another way of saying, “opposites attract,” right?) only make two appearances throughout the remix, spending the rest of the time dubbed out beneath Nasty’s sinister house creation. The “Treble To Your Bass” single, which contains both the original and the remix, is set to be released February 21st.
