Mr. Mitch “Skittles (SRC Remix)”

Working on a somewhat grimier side of UK house permutations, up-and-comer SRC delivers this fresh remix of “Skittles” by fellow burgeoning UK producer Mr. Mitch. The Birmingham native holds tight to the hyperactive synth melodies and infectious dancefloor energy of Mitch’s original track on his re-worked version, but tosses in an extra helping of percussive sounds and one sinister-as-hell bassline that’s sure to incite as many smiles as it does grimaces whenever it drops in a club’s soundsystem. For those of you still hungry for 8-bit-flavored bass rhythms after devouring SRC’s five-track Gold Coins EP for Numbers, this remix will certainly help tide you over until his next official release. (via FACT)

Skittles (SRC Remix)

Friends of Friends Release Free ‘Pop Massacre’ Compilation

Los Angeles’ Friends of Friends label is giving the holiday gift of free this week with a new compilation entitled Pop Massacre. Call it a massacre, call it a reinvigoration, Pop Massacre features 13 pop favorites remixed, refixed, and refurbished by beat-scene affiliates like Daedelus, DNTEL, and Shlohmo. Each artist chose a pop song near and dear to their hearts (or perhaps fiercely hated) and stripped nearly all of what was familiar about the original. Chosen songs include Soulja Boy’s “Pretty Boy Swag” as remixed by Shlohmo, Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” as remixed by DNTEL, and even Katy Perry’s stomach-wretching “Teenage Dream” as re-imagined by Big Spider’s Back. Check the rest of the tracklist below and download the entire collection in exchange for your email address over at FoF’s Bandcamp.

Tracklist:

01 Anenon – Wannabe (Spice Girls)
02 Strangeloop – Wouldn’t It Be Nice (Beach Boys)
03 Shlohmo – Pretty Boy Swag (Soulja Boy)
04 DNTEL – Paparazzi (Lady Gaga)
05 Asura – Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)
06 Daedelus – I Would Die For You (Prince)
07 Sahy Uhns – Pieces Of Me (Briitney Spears)
08 Loden – Gimme Gimme (Abba)
09 Mexicans With Guns – La Bamba (Ritchie Valens)
10 Groundislava – I Bet I Do (Supa Blanco)
11 The One AM Radio – Take on Me (A-ha)
12 Big Spider’s Back – Teenage Dream (Katy Perry)
13 My Dry Wet Mess ft. Amir Yaghmai – I Want Her (Keith Sweat)

Watch the Final 2010 Episode of ZZK TV

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Marking the final episode of ZZK TV in 2010 is episode five, documenting the final leg of ZZK’s blistering North American tour, which spanned 11 shows in 13 days. Directed by Mariela Bond, the video features ZZK artists Chancha Via Circuito, El Remolón, Tremor, and El-G and their trek down the West Coast. If one thing is clear from this last episode, it’s that the Buenos Aires label and collective has reached a dynamic array of listeners in a very short period of time, attracting radio and festival attention that certainly bodes well for their future.

Ecstatic Music Festival to Kick Off Next Year with Owen Pallet, So Percussion, Dan Deacon, and More

An ambitious music festival is set to start its first year this coming January at New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall, the first ever Ecstatic Music Festival. From January 17 to March 28, Merkin Concert Hall and New Amsterdam Records will bring together more than 150 musicians, producers, and composers to perform 14 concerts of unusually large scope. Artist pairings such as Dan Deacon and So Percussion, Alarm Will Sound playing a piece by Ben Frost, and Nico Muhly with the Chiara String Quartet will be featured at each event, the first of which is a free, seven-hour showcase featuring Buke & Gass with a handful of other artists appearing later in the festival opening the concert. You can find tickets for the events here, and check out a full list of performances below.

Sunday, January 16, 2011 7 pm @ Apple Store on Broadway at 67th Street, FREE
Panel discussion with Ecstatic Music Festival artists—moderated by Nadia Sirota, featuring panelists Dan Deacon, Nico Muhly, Valgier Sigurdsson, Missy Mazzoli, and Tristan Perich.

Monday, January 17th, 2011 2-9 pm, FREE
Ecstatic Music Festival Marathon
Featuring headliners Buke & Gass, and sets by some of the artists appearing later in the festival along with performers TBA.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Creator/Curator, vol. 3: The Chiara String Quartet and the Music of Nico Muhly & Valgeir Sigurdsson

Thursday, January 20, 2011 at 7:30 pm
So Percussion & Dan Deacon

Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Craig Wedren, Jefferson Friedman & ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble)

Sunday, January 30, 2011 at 2 pm
Alarm Will Sound & Face the Music

Thursday, February 10, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Bang on a Can All-Stars 2011 People’s Commissioning Fund Concert

Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Roomful of Teeth & tUnE-yArDs: The Music of William Brittelle, Caleb Burhans & Merrill Garbus

Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Newspeak & Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society: Works by Darcy James Argue, Vijay Iyer, Nicole Lizée & David T. Little

Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Judd Greenstein (The Yehudim) & Olga Bell (Bell)

Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Timo Andres & Gabriel Kahane
An Evening with Charles Ives

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Nadia Sirota & Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) with Owen Pallett

Saturday, March 12, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Clogs & Brooklyn Youth Chorus

Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Sarah Kirkland Snider & yMusic & Special Guest TBA
So Percussion & Bobby Previte with Zeena Parkins, John Medeski, DJ Olive & Jen Shyu

430 West to Release Remixes of Octave One From Sandwell District and Aril Brikha

Legendary Detroit techno duo Octave One (pictured above) had begun reviving its material early this year in a series dubbed Revisited, on which the two Burden brothers reworked two of their classic tracks, “Meridian” and “Dema,” to bring them up to speed with the contemporary techno scene. Now we’ve gotten word that the second in the Revisited series will be released in January with remixes from burgeoning location-less label/collective Sandwell District and Sweden’s frequent Kompakt and Peacefrog contributor Aril Brikha. The 12″ finds Sandwell District adding their spin to Octave One’s vocal anthem “I Believe” (which was originally released on Derrick May’s Transmat imprint back in 1990) and Aril Brikha breathing new life into Octave One’s 1998 track “Daystar Rising.” Given that both of the tracks are well over a decade old, it is remarkable how fresh and relevant these “revisits” sound, due in part to the talents of the remixers as much as the merits of the original tracks. Both the remixes will be available in 12″ and digital formats from Octave One’s long-standing label, 430 West, on January 31, as well as on the forthcoming Octave One retrospective album, Here, There, and Everywhere, to be released in early 2011 along with remixes from Ken Ishii, Luke Slater, Alter Ego, and more. You can brush up on some techno history and get re-familiarized with the two original classics below.

Octave One “I Believe”

Octave One “Daystar Rising”

Check Out Our 2010 Elements Wrap-Up

For the year’s end, we had Elements compiler Andrew Porter create a must-have list of gear for 2010. Check back later in the week for his men’s and women’s style features.

Muji Passport Notebook
I try to carry a notebook with me at all times so I can take down these genius ideas. A Moleskine doesn’t fit in my back pocket and those Field Notes notebooks always fall apart. I use these Muji Passport Notebooks—compact and durable.

Canon S90 Digital Camera
Hands-down the best compact digital camera I’ve ever owned. Tons of manual settings and great for low-light/night photography. Honestly, you could take a picture of that ghost in your closet sans flash and it would come out looking like dynamite.

Gucci Card Holder
In 2010, I was informed that I’m near diabetic and suffering from sciatica. I’m 28 going on 60. I started going to physical therapy for my sciatica and Fabrizio, my Brazilian physical therapist, told me to ditch the George Costanza wallet for something slimmer. This Gucci card holder fits everything I need and saved my back. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

L.L. Bean Signature Zipper Duffle
This was a year full of reproduction clothing and gear. The L.L. Bean Signature line did some really nice stuff. I always wanted one of these bags, but they were a bit too expensive on eBay. Needless to say, I was quite pleased when they were reissued. A great, affordable alternative to Filson’s luggage collection. Perfect for all the traveling I don’t do.

The Swatch Watch
I’d love a Rolex but, alas, I have to pay rent, so I take a more affordable route. Swatches are classic. Always unique and really creative. If you’re not into the current collection look here for Swatches at an affordable price.

Timex Camper/Brooks Brothers Watchband
The plastic watch isn’t always my thing. The Timex Camper watch is a great alternative. It’s also a great-looking classic and the $20 price tag is unbeatable. Want to dress it up a notch? Buy a Brooks Brothers nylon watchband for $14.50.

Kaweco Sport Pens
I bought one of these in Berlin, and it is the perfect pen. Compact, refillable, and reliable. As of yet the Kaweco Sport has not exploded in my pocket.

Bubblin’: Dark Sky

Who:Dark Sky
Where: London, UK

Just when London’s post-dubstep scene seemed like it couldn’t possibly spawn any more talent, Tom Edwards and Matt Benyayer of Boogaloo Crew hooked up with classmate Carlo Anderson and started dropping quality tunes under the name Dark Sky. 2010 has seen the trio unleash the classic rave worship of “Something to Lose,” the 8-bit stomp of “Ghost Notes,” a killer 2-step remix of The xx’s “Crystalised,” and the darker, bass-loaded Frames EP, the debut offering from the upstart imprint Pictures Music. A Dark Sky track was also included on the recent Ninja Tune XX compilation, and a future release on Blunted Robots is in the works.

Listen: The xx “Crystalised (Dark Sky Remix)”

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Listen: Dark Sky “Something to Lose”

Listen: Dark Sky “Night Light” from the Frames EP

Download this track

Photek “Slowburn”

Well, it certainly has been a while since we’ve heard from UK jungle pioneer Photek. (Seriously, we really haven’t heard anything from him since his 2007 collection Form and Function II.) Now Photek is ready to make his 2011 resurgence with a new EP, Avalanche, set for release in February of next year. “Slowburn” is the first track released from said EP and, well, it’s not exactly what we expected over here at XLR8R HQ. There is definitely a new Photek at work here, one that’s not sounding much like his early jungle output or even like his later dabblings in house, as “Slowburn” instead presents itself as the veteran producer’s step into new territory, one defined by slower tempos, heavy bass, and aggressive drums. We won’t know the full extent of this transformation until Avalanche is released on February 28, but we figured you’d be curious to hear this first offering in the meantime.

Slowburn

Watch Recent Interviews With Gang Gang Dance and Animal Collective’s ODDSAC

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Two of indie rock’s most maniac and psychedelic bands recently appeared in Intel’s and Vice’s ongoing Creators Project to discuss their latest work. Each band has long employed a visual element in their performances, though Animal Collective has taken a year to focus on it more intently. Collaborating with visual artist Danny Perez, ODDSAC is the name of his and the band’s “visual album,” the result of which is likely as demented and unnerving as many of Animal Collective’s past music videos. After learning about ODDSAC, join Gang Gang Dance in rural New York (featured above) where they are recording their fifth album, and learn more about their unconventional approach to both visual and musical styles.

Tiefschwarz “Home (Soul Clap Remix)”

Over the last eight months, Germany’s Tiefschwarz brothers, who have long been combining house, electro, and techno into their own uniquely potent brew, have released two out of a scheduled three remix EPs titled Melted Chocolates on their own Souvenir imprint. The third installment, which comes out later this month, will finish the duo’s “chocolate” year—which also included the Chocolate and More Chocolate albums—by enlisting artists like Bruno Pronsato, Reboot, and Marcus Meinhardt for remixes. To celebrate the final chapter of Melted Chocolate, Souvenir is giving away a free remix from part two by Soul Clap, whom you may remember as the guys who put together the Beantown edition of our City Guide podcast series. For their remix of Tiefschwarz’s “Home,” the Soul Clap boys play fast and loose with the song’s 4/4 beat, turning in a remix that stumbles as much as it chugs, adding even more disorientation to a track whose vocals are already about losing one’s way home.

Home (Soul Clap remix)

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