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Known for his lunchtime videos with indie rock favorites and music videos for the likes of Sufjan Stevens, filmmaker Jon Casey is now pointing his lens at Chicago’s juke and footwork community. Rashad’s and Spinn’s “Space Juke” is the second of two music videos for juke productions with hopefully more on the way. Casey’s visual aesthetic captures the frenetic dance and music styles of footwork with a pastiche of epileptic stills and otherwise woozy frame effects that mimic the delightful chaos of the music. Make sure to check out Casey’s Vimeo for a video mash of Rashad’s masterpiece “Ghost,” DJ Manny’s “Trees,” and DJ Spinn’s “You Blow My Mind, Baby.”
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The first video to surface on behalf of Boxcutter‘s forthcoming LP for Planet Mu, The Dissolve (released April 25), is for a quick little production called “TV Troubles.” The tune is a strange number from the Irish producer, as it flexes a serious ’80s-funk vibe compared to his usual UK bass-inspired sounds, and is paired with a healthy amount of psyched-out VHS footage. Montreal’s Sabrina Ratté directs the clip, which is essentially a colorful experiment with video feedback, and a pretty one at that. With “TV Troubles” being so brief, it certainly leaves us wanting a bit more from Boxcutter’s fresh arsenal of tracks, so thankfully a brand-new single for “Allele” and “Other People” will drop via the aforementioned label on March 7. You can check out the vinyl label for that little release below.
2010 was a good year for French producer Canblaster (a.k.a. Cédric Steffens), as the Club Cheval resident and former Bubblin’ subject debuted with the Jetpack EP and also dropped a string of hyperactive, genre-hopping remixes for the likes of Spoek Mathambo, Drop the Lime, J-Wow, Teki Latex, and others. Many of those efforts appear on this exclusive mix he’s put together for the XLR8R podcast series, an absolutely stacked DJ session that somehow squeezes in more than 50 tracks, the majority of which are unreleased. It’s the first salvo in what promises to be a frantic 2011 for Canblaster, who next month will be releasing his second EP, Master of Complication, on the Nightshifters label. Whether he’s experiencing sonic ADD or simply allowing his youthful exuberance to run wild, Canblaster’s DJ stylings appear to be just as schizophrenic as his production work, as his podcast bounces between hip-hop, R&B, house, rave, juke, electro, tribal guarachero, and more. Considering that the guy used to compose video game music for a living and cites Basement Jaxx as a major influence, it’s not exactly surprising that fun is always a major component of his musical equation.
01 Trey Songz “I Want You” 02 DJ MikeQ “Transform Ya” (Qween Beat) 03 Eccy “Old Snake Rapier (Myd & Sam Tiba Remix)” (Slye) 04 Lucid “Bukake Ballroom” 05 High Powered Boys “Work” (Sound Pellegrino) 06 Marcus Price “Bubblegum (Sam Tiba Remix)” (Palms Out Sounds) 07 Jam City “Magic Drops” (Night Slugs) 08 Myd “Victoria II” 09 Dr. Gonzo “Bust Dem Up” 10 Blackwax “Airway” 11 Drop the Lime “Hot As Hell (Canblaster Remix)” (Trouble & Bass) 12 Myd “Octodip Futurolook” 13 Myd “Pistolet (Sam Tiba Remix)” 14 Mumdance “Don’t Forget Me Now (Douster Remix)” (Mad Decent) 15 Mr. Vega “Planisfear (Bandulu Remix)” (Rot10 Musik) 16 Bambounou “unknown” (Young Gunz) 17 Spoek Mathambo “Mshini Wam (Canblaster Remix)” (BBE) 18 French Fries “Charlotte (Canblaster Remix)” (Young Gunz) 19 Out One “Foggy Road” 20 Shaun D “Spanish Fly (Kingdom Remix) (Canblaster Tribal Edit)” 21 DJ Javier Estrada “Danza Del Fuego” 22 Yeah! Woho! “Pushing (Canblaster Remix)” (Top Billin) 23 Confield “Polaroid (Luckybeard Remix)” 24 Klipar “Imperial March (Myd Remix)” (No Brainer) 25 Mr. Tweeks “Money (DEMO)” (Pelican Fly) 26 Myd “Hee Head” 27 Jay Weed “Dazzled” 28 Seiji “More of You” (Seiji) 29 Mu-Gen “Fizzdom (Sam Tiba Remix)” (Scattermish) 30 Gregg Evisu Feat. Jay R “Bitch Who Are You ???” (Qween Beat) 31 Toasty “Reflect” (Distance) 32 R1 Ryders “Just A Feelin'” (Royal One) 33 DJ Cobra feat Javier Estrada “Gatla Tlao (El Veneno de la Serpiente ID)” 34 Erick Rincon “Tetris Tribal” (Tribaleros) 35 AraabMUZIK “Whistle (Instrumental)” 36 DJ Assault “Bangapella” (Jefferson Ave) 37 Salva “Issey Miyake” (Frite Nite) 38 Richelle “Mascotte” (Pelican Fly) 39 Richelle “Mascotte (Mr. Tweeks Remix)” (Pelican Fly) 40 Jimmy Edgar “Midnite Fone Call” (Warp) 41 Damu “Flibberdiflobberdifloo” 42 Jukes of Hazzard “Pumpz in the Bag *VIP*” 43 DJ Spinn & DJ Rashad “Bob it Low” (Ghettophiles) 44 DJ Assault “Big Knots (Dub)” (Jefferson Ave) 45 Canblaster “Lost in the Shell” (Nightshifters) 46 SebastiAn “H.A.L. (Munchi Bootleg Remix)” 47 Rude Kid “Winter Remix” (Are You Ready) 48 Brey “Dilligaf” 49 Canblaster & Panteros666 “Blue DJinn” 50 Canblaster “Triple Ring” (Nightshifters) 51 Klever “It Gets Hot (Canblaster Remix)” 52 DJ Jonty “Grindin (Kastle Edit)” 53 Crystal Kay “Girl’s Night” (Sony Japan)
Unusual and enigmatic to be sure, Hype Williams skirts direct categorization at every turn of its brief-but-interesting music career, and this brand-new mix the duo just completed for FACT is certainly no different. The outfit’s FACT Mix 216 features no less than four Steely Dan songs, some spoken word pieces from Lenny Bruce and Chris Morris, Burzum, The Fall, a bit of UK grime from Ruff Sqwad and So Solid Crew, a couple of unreleased Hype Williams numbers, and many other enjoyable oddities. You can stream and download the whole hour-long thing, as well as read quite a lengthy write-up on the pair’s work, over here. And make sure to keep an eye out for Hype Williams’ forthcoming LP for Hippos and Tanks, One Nation, coming March 15.
Nearly six years after the unlikely crossover success of his last for the Playhouse label, We Are Monster, Rajko Müller’s third album as Isolée is coming out on DJ Koze’s Pampa Records. “Paloma Triste” opens the album with layers of synths that would sound wistful if they weren’t mixed to sound almost unrelated. So far, so good, but it takes an intrusive, out-of-tune bassline—so fumbly it might have been recorded directly from a teenager’s practice amp—for the listener to be sure they’re in the right place. Rug-pulling moments like this remain a big part of Isolée’s sound on Well Spent Youth, but they also underscore a serious lack of memorable tunes.
It’s not that the new record pales in comparison to We Are Monster. Technically, Well Spent Youth is the equal of almost anything Isolée has done in the past, with the exception of standout Monster cut “Schrapnell.” That album struck a nerve because it made a point of sounding different and drew attention to Müller’s efforts to play with the conventions of house music. For rock listeners with internet connections, this idiosyncrasy offered a nice introduction to a music culture where albums weren’t the benchmark. In retrospect, Monster‘s reputation seems inflated.
Six years is a long time in the world of 12″s and even longer in web time, but the reasons that Well Spent Youth fails to make a lasting impression have nothing to do with sounding dated. As associated as he is with the genre blip of microhouse, Isolée still sounds fresh, with the exception of the obligatory bad vocal track “Transmission.” While it’s playing, it’s easy to hear Youth‘s appeal, but there isn’t much to take away once it’s over.
Following last year’s reissue of its classic and sole long-player, pioneering Chicago house duo Virgo (a.k.a. Virgo Four) will drop another record of its vintage recordings, although this new batch is all previously unheard and unreleased material. Rush Hour Recordings will release Resurrection—a 15-track CD or 30-track vinyl box set, featuring songs produced in various home studios in Chicago between 1984 and 1990—on March 1. On the forthcoming collection, the press release states, “Resurrection really shows the the rich, diverse, and unique quality of Virgo Four, which leaves you wondering what impact they would have made on the (Chicago) house scene if they would have gotten released back in the day.” Maybe the chance to make an impact is not completely lost. We’ll know for sure once Resurrection is released, but until then, you can check out the artwork and CD tracklist below.
1. Silence 2. In The Valley 3. Sex 4. Crayon Box 5. Let The Music Play 6. Moskaw 7. It’s A Crime 8. White Smoke 9. The Mop 10. Lost Inside Of You 11. Boing 12. Look Into Your Eyes 13. Sexual Behaviour 14. Forever Yours 15. I Have Always Wanted
About six months ago, French techno legend Laurent Garnier decided to shelve his typical role as DJ, seeking a new audience relationship by performing live, improvised sets as L.B.S. (Laurent, Benjamin, Stephane) with keyboardist Ben Rippert and Stephane “Scan X” Dri on machines. Incorporating on-the-fly song construction as well as Garnier’s usual record collection, the trio hopes to create a seamless musical experience like that of Garnier’s DJ sets but with the constant air of adventure and risk. Having spent the fall and winter touring Europe as L.B.S., the three will make their North American debut beginning in March. Check out the initial dates below as well as a tour video of the three from their fall tour.
March 24 Montréal – Telus Theatre March 25 Miami – Ultra Festival March 26 New York – Le Poisson Rouge
Brooklyn producer Slava (pictured above) put out a record last month on Washington, DC-based Future Times with the songs “Dreaming Tiger” and “World of Spirits,” titles indicative of the halcyon soundscapes and sonic spiritual journeys Slava likes create. Recorded during a recent live performance of Slava’s, this version of “Dreaming Tiger” adds a significant amount of color to the original’s more subtle melodies, launching the track into an even more defined celestial space than the release version. Thankfully, the drums still sound as ancient as the original and the bass swells with analog delight despite an unfortunate bit-rate for the kbps-specific DJ community. If this doesn’t inspire you to upgrade to 320, check out the video accompaniment to Slava’s performance of “Dreaming Tiger” made by VJ Galina Shevchenco.
Detroit techno legend and Planet E label head Carl Craig has announced that the first release from his imprint in 2011 will be a compilation called 20 F@#&ING Years – We Ain’t Dead Yet. The 25-song release commemorates the two decades Planet E has been releasing music with choice track selections from the likes of Carl Craig himself (also a tune from his Paperclip People moniker), Urban Tribe, Moodymann, 4th Wave, Recloose, and Tres Demented, and among many other producers both new and old. 20 F@#&ING Years drops digitally on February 22 with a limited-edition vinyl box set available later in June. A tour of the world, featuring the likes of Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos, Dubfire, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice, Seth Troxler, Psycatron, Paul Woolford, Radio Slave, Chris Liebing and many others, will follow the digital release in March. Before all of that goes down, you can check out the compilation’s tracklist and artwork, along with some streaming audio, below.
1. Moodymann – Dem Young Sconies
2. Attias – Analysis 3. Martin Buttrich – Full Clip 4. Lazy Fat People – Club Silencio 5. Recloose feat. Dwele – Cant Take It
6. Quadrant – Hyperprism 7. Jona – Altiplano 8. Gemini – A Moment of Insanity 9. Paperclip People – Clear & Present
14. Innerzone Orchestra – Bug in the Bassbin 15. Urban Tribe – Repeating Decimal 16. Future/Past – Clinically Inclined 17. Flexitone – Pulse of Revolution 18. Carl Craig – Dominas 19. Niko Marks – Chune 20. Naomi Daniel – Stars (DJ Dos Mix 2) 21. Tres Demented – Demented or Just Crazy
22. Ican – Pa Mi Gente 23. Tres Demented – Shez Satan 24. Kenny Larkin – You Are (C2 Remix) [previously unreleased] 25. Tribe – Living in a New Day (C2 Remix)
NYC’s premiere bastion of the art of classic house and disco, Andy Butler’s Hercules & Love Affair outfit, is just about a week from releasing its second full-length offering, an 11-song record called Blue Songs. Before that record drops on January 31 via Moshi Moshi, fans can stream Hercules & Love Affair’s new record over on The Guardian, now. On the new album, the hosting website wrote, “Butler explained that the titular theme refers to the ‘blue period’ of his adolescence, before music made him realise there were other people just like him out there.” An interesting theme, and one that sounds quite gorgeous, too. You can listen to Blue Songs on The Guardian, here, or in the player below.
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