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Back in November we posted producer Henry Maldonado’s “Till It Hurts” track from his newest project, Native Underground, and now we’ve got the accompanying video for your viewing pleasure. Director Brion Paul takes Maldonado’s club-friendly late-night-disco track somewhere completely unexpected—the suburbs—to do something completely unexpected—play tennis. The result is a healthy mix of disturbing and hilarious. The Till It Hurts EP is out now on NY’s Wurst imprint.
Like many producers, Leeds native Tom Wrankmore took to beatmaking at a young age, saving up from his “awful call-center job” to buy an MPC and start making music. His first productions were strongly influenced by hip-hop, garnering comparisons to artists like Madlib and other LA experimentalists based on his Out of Phase and Made Seasons EPs. Now residing in London, he’s broadened his sound palette and has begun mucking about with house and garage, getting a track signed to Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Electric compilation, and most recently dropping the Undivided Whole EP on the somethinksounds label.
Listen: “I Just Can’t” from the Undivided Whole EP
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Nashville isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of funky sounds or electro beats, but that is the place the duo known as Jensen Sportag calls home, and if this track is any indication, these guys have got a good amount of dance-friendly sounds coarsing through their veins. “Everything Good,” from the duo’s forthcoming Pure Wet EP (artwork above), is a deliciously smooth endeavor incorporating some retro-inspired slap bass with the bells and whistles of a modern electro track. Percussive synths and guitar pop and swirl along with reverb-washed melodies and layer upon layer of sweet and sultry vocals. The vintage vibe of “Everything Good” isn’t so much like stepping into a time machine as it is like stepping into a time-combining machine and the results have us thinking this would be a much more useful invention. Pure Wet is set to be released on February 15.
Oakland-based Jordan Dalrymple (a.k.a Antonionian) has announced the release of his debut self-titled album on Anticon. Although this may be his first solo record, Dalrymple is no stranger to the Anticon imprint, being a part of the label’s family for years as a member of Subtle and co-producer of 13&God (the collaboration between Themselves and The Notwist). The multi-instrumentalist’s own music, however, differs greatly from the Kraut and stoney-indie rock of his associated groups, as the Antonionian debut is comprised of nine electro-funk-leaning avant-pop tunes that are said to find him “bending voice, electronics, and various acoustics to his unique ends.” Dalrymple is also a seasoned musician, having played along with early Anticon group cLOUDDEAD, Reaching Quiet (a proto-WHY? outfit), and, most recently, the French-pop act General Elektriks. Antonionian will be released on March 15. You can check the album artwork and tracklist below.
Tracklist: 1. The Desert 2. Another Mistral 3. My Mind’s I 4. Vanquished 5. The Ride 6. Into the Night 7. Fate’s Not Particular 8. The Desert pt. 2 9. Pull True
LA-based MC Juakali begins this track off with a message for its listeners claiming they’ve been asking for “some more of that space, some more of that spirit, some more of that dub” and calmly letting us know the lyrics to the chorus before the track even begins to kick in. Whether or not we asked for it, Juakali delivers on his promise to bring the space as this Plastician production relies heavily on dark and distant tones that crawl like NASA’s Mars Rover, exploring every nook and cranny of the vast, dubbed-out world the track inhabits before returning us to the steady, tribal beat that’s been its driving force since the beginning. “Freak You Back” is the title track of Juakali’s forthcoming EP (to be released February 4), which will also include remixes from Tes La Rok and fellow LA resident DLX along with one more original tune.
The Spokane, Washington-based James Pants has a new album coming in April on his long-time label, Stones Throw, which, if the two released so far tracks are any indication, is sure to find the singer/songwriter/producer exploring new sonic territories. The forthcoming self-titled LP is said to be partially inspired by the fictional Washington town and David Lynch creation Twin Peaks, which, in Pants’ words, means the new album will contain “more noise and wailing guitars” than his previous releases. It sounds like somewhat unfamiliar stylings for the life-long jazz drummer whose previous outings were characterized by heavy beats and healthy doses of electro-funk, but we’ll be curious to hear the results when the LP drops April 19. You can listen to “Darlin'”, a track from Pants’ forthcoming album, here and check the album artwork and tracklist below.
Tracklist: 01. Beta 02. Every Night I Dream 03. Clouds Over The Pacific 04. A Little Bit Closer 05. Strange Girl 06. Screams Of Passion 07. Incantation 08. Kathleen 09. Body On Elevator 10. Darlin’ 11. Alone 12. These Girls 13. Dreamboat 14. Epilogue
The duo of Travis Stewart (a.k.a. Machine Drum) and Praveen Sharma, better known as Sepalcure (pictured above), are set to follow-up last year’s excellent Love Pressure EP with a new effort entitled Fleur and have sent along this remix of fellow NYC beatsmith FaltyDL—who has a new album of his own coming in March on Planet Mu—to remind us of why we’re excited for the forthcoming release. The remix is a sizzling slow mover at first, one in which chopped vocals pop and chirp amongst bouncing drums. Around the 1:45 mark comes the party: a luscious, side-chained pad floats around the 2-steppin’ snare and percussion, leaving you no choice but to move one of your extremities along with the track. The only real decision you have to make is which rhythm to move along to. If merely one tune isn’t going to satisfy your Sepalcure fix in the few days before Fleur drops on January 31, then make sure to check out the duo’s XLR8Rpodcast from last September in the meantime.
LA-based blog Passion of the Weiss caught up with grime heavyweight Terror Danjah before his performance at the Igloo Festival in Montreal, Canada and was able to get quite an insightful interview with one of the kingpins of the genre (who we featured back in our November/December issue). If you’ve got about 15 minutes and even just a remote interest in grime, this is definitely worth viewing. (via Butterz)
Our resident stylist Andrew Porter waxes casual on men’s and women’s must-haves.
Henri Lloyd Jackets I’ve been logging some serious time looking into old sailing jackets on eBay these days. With a foot of snow outside my door and no end to winter in sight, all’s I can think about is getting back on the yacht…naturally. That said, for the individual that likes to look stylish, both on and off the deck, I present you with two Henri Lloyd jackets from Oi Polloi of Manchester. Great colors; fresh cuts. Kudos to Oi Polloi for bringing these coats back to life. Unfortunately, they are a bit on the pricey side. I recommend the more frugal seamen join me on eBay.
Nike Lunar Elite Trail Mid I recently found a picture of myself from about 10 years ago. I looked past the 10 extra pounds on my face and the Benetton hat on my head to discover that I was wearing one hell of a teal-and-purple Nike ACG coat. I loved that stuff—the ’90s Nike ACG line was top shelf. These jammers strike me as a modernized return to that time. Very retro-future-mountaineering with a splash of “I don’t want to be that bearded guy in Red Wings” kind of vibe. Two thumbs up!
Opening Ceremony for Gitman Brothers Leopard Print shirt This is exactly the kind of thing I would buy and never wear. Perhaps I lack the animal magnetism it takes to pull off leopard print. Maybe I’m afraid of making a bold Nick Nolte-Hawaiian-shirt-in-the-mug-shot type of move. Who knows? Me aside, this shirt is something special. Opening Ceremony brings youth to stuffy old Gitman Bros. If you can wear this well, then wear it for me—I’m jealous.
Panamanian-born MC Zulu is in the midst of an ambitious multi-release project entitled Crowd Control, on which he is set to release an EP and album comprised of tracks featuring guest producers from around the world with a variety of musical leanings (artists such as Poirier, South Rakkas Crew, Lion Dub, Kush Arora, Mochipet, Radiohiro, Top Billin, and Knight Riderz are all said to make an appearance). The first effort from this project, the Mad Crowd EP, is where you’ll find “Crowd Control,” an intense anthem that showcases Zulu’s MCing abilities on top of production from the UK’s The Bumps. The track’s dancehall groove is enhanced with frantically moving synth bass and rave stabs that are only overtaken by Zulu’s forceful vocals, which jump effortlessly from moments of call-and-response to self-harmonizing, all while keeping the proverbial “crowd” in check, and ensuring that they are indeed paying attention by the time the chorus comes asking, “Are you listening?” Yes, yes we are.
