Back in August, we previewed several selections from the upcoming Roots of Chicha 2 album, the second compilation of the unique psychedelic strain of cumbia that first sprung up in Peru during the late ’60s and early ’70s. The record is set to hit shelves next week, so the Barbès camp has liberated one of the songs for download, the trippy “Agua” from Manzanita y su Conjunto. At times more like a jam session than a proper song, “Agua” features tribal percussion, wonky guitar solos, some organ flourishes, and some pretty “out there” vocal refrains. Why can’t modern cumbieros make music this druggy?
Based on their music, the members of UK duo Kid Gloves don’t seem like particularly violent individuals. Nevertheless, just a few weeks after quietly releasing their debut EP, Bare Knuckle, via Fool’s Gold, they’ve unveiled a new podcast of fight-themed tunes called Lovers Not Fighters. Apparently, the Kid Gloves dudes spend their days making tunes for pop starlets like VV Brown, Ladyhawke, and Little Boots, but we honestly don’t care too much about that. It’s the pair’s own energetic, loop-heavy disco-house that gets our hearts racing. As for the mix, Kid Gloves has managed to include Four Tet and Todd Edwards alongside Talking Heads, The Cure, and The Isley Brothers. Download the mix here; we’re not sure if it’s supposed to build or relieve tension, but we can’t argue with the tracklist, which is posted below.
Lovers Not Fighters 1. Four Tet – She Just Likes To Fight 2. Fela Kuti – Fight To Finish 3. Talking Heads – Born Under Punches 4. Fuzz Against Junk – Born Under Punches (Harvey’s Punch Drunk Mix) 5. Kid Gloves – Bare Knuckle 6. Primal Scream – Don’t Fight It, Feel It 7. Bag Raiders – Fun Punch (XXXChange Remix) 8. Nigel Godrich – Fight! 9. The Rolling Stones – Street Fighting Man 10. Trevor Loveys & Affie Yusuf feat Spoek – Bitch Fight 11. The Isley Brothers – Fight The Power 12. Public Enemy – Fight The Power 13. Kicks Like A Mule – Funky 4 (Martin Brothers Donkey Punch Remix) 14. Todd Edwards – Stop The Fighting 15. The Cure – Fight 16. Unklejam – What Am I Fighting For? (LA Priest Remix) 17. Kid Gloves – Brand New Dance 18. Deize Tigrona – Injecao 19. Brand Nubian – Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down
Whoever supposed that technology can do nothing for street art must not have an iPhone yet. Released today, Kreuzberg is a short film and photo essay created by San Francisco-based artist, film director, curator, The Sads singer/guitarist, and integral part the Beautiful Losers exhibit/book/film Aaron Rose, and made entirely on an iPhone 4. The multi-talented man was commissioned by tech-gear outfitter Incase to make three short pieces throughout a few international locales, using only the built-in HD camera on the smart phone. The three-minute Kreuzberg is the first of those films. Apparently, it is a tribute to Brian Eno and David Bowie (who recorded Bowie’s Berlin trilogy there), and features black-and-white footage shot around parts of the city, a couple of monologues in both English and German, and a fairly lo-fi electronic soundtrack. You can watch Aaron Rose’s short film below, and learn more about the artist and his project here.
One of London’s premiere post-dubstep outfits Mount Kimbie just announced it will release a follow-up to its widely acclaimed debut album, Crooks and Lovers. The Blind Night Errand EP is comprised of four songs from the forward-thinking production duo, including the title track and “Before I Move Off,” which are taken from Mount Kimbie’s full-length record, a new mix of Maybes cut “William,” and a live version of the “Maybes” tune itself, from a performance recorded at Berlin’s Berghain club. Scuba’s Hotflush imprint will release the new EP on November 29. You can check out the record’s label, along with some UK tour dates, below.
5th October – Jam, Brighton 6th October – Hare and Hounds, Birmingham 7th October – Cockpit, Leeds 8th October – Bungalow and Bears, Sheffield 9th October – Stealth, Nottingham 14th October – Band on the Wall, Manchester 16th October – Airwaves Festival, Iceland 17th October – Optimo Club, Glasgow 18th October – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh 27th October – Cardiff Arts Institute, Cardiff 28th October – The Shipping Forecast Club, Liverpool 29th October – Heavyweight, Newcastle 30th October – Mountain of 9 @ Amolfini Gallery, Bristol 20th November – Warehouse Project, Manchester
2010 has been one of those years where the press likes to revive the notion that bands have made electronic music and dancing cool again… as though electronic music and dancing ever stopped being cool on some grand scale. We’re just guessing here, but it’s a safe bet that Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss of Oberlin duo Teengirl Fantasy were never confused about these matters. The pair has just released its debut full-length, 7AM, on the True Panther label, and although the album offers much more than just four-on-the-floor dancefloor cuts, it does sport an abundance of vintage synth sounds, drum-machine beats, and nods to classic ’80s and ’90s dance music. If that’s not enough proof that the boys have a keen ear for the club, then this exclusive mix they assembled for the XLR8R podcast should eliminate any lingering doubts. The guys may not be professional DJs, but they sure can pick quality tunes, as they adeptly pair vintage rave and Chicago house with new-school cuts from UK post-dubstep luminaries (Actress, Mount Kimbie) and US contemporaries (Nguzunguzu, Blondes, Magick Mountain).
01 Teengirl Fantasy “Make the Move (Version)” 02 Inner City “Inner City Theme” (Virgin) 03 Demdike Stare “Conjoined” (Modern Love) 04 Actress “Maze” (Honest Jon’s) 05 Armando “Don’t Stop” (Trax) 06 Hieroglyphic Being “Machines For Lovers” (Ghostly) 07 Blondes “Moondance (Oneohtrix Point Never Sundial Mix)” (Merok) 08 Patrice Scott “Excursions” (Sistrum) 09 Mount Kimbie “Field” (Hotflush) 10 Nguzunguzu “Strut” (Silverback) 11 Magick Mountain “One For My Ego (June Mix)” (Pop Manifesto) 12 Ryuichi Sakamoto vs. Guido “Forbidden Sax (TGF Edit)” 13 Rockers Hi-Fi “Push Push” (Great Stuff) 14 Rhythim is Rhythim “Kaotic Harmony” (Transmat)
NY-based shoegaze trio Kordan‘s (pictured above) “Mirror” is a driving dreamscape of guitar fuzz, plinking synths, and hushed vocal delivery. LA-based producer Take‘s “Mirror” is an equally heavenly production, albeit one driven by the soul of dark synth-funk and Southern California’s ever-changing beatscape. The differences between the two versions of the East Coast band’s cut—off its debut album, The Longing—are obvious, and yet Take manages to convey the same pensively resilient ethos of the original with a wholly different sound palette.
In the spirit of vintage authenticity, the Italians Do It Better label has repackaged Chromatics‘ stunning 2007 album, Night Drive, with an analog remastering of its 10 tracks and a small handful of unreleased Johnny Jewel Italo jams. Obviously, the Portland outfit’s vintage-sounding instrumentation and production aesthetic drive the sterling “Circled Sun,” but it’s Ruth Radelet’s sublime vocal performance that radiates as the star of the song. Her voice quietly calls out through rolling drum-machine sounds, chilly synth twinkles, and barren guitar strums—providing the song with the only sound more glowing than its analog warmth as she sings, “Circled sun, you are not the only one.” (via Gorilla vs. Bear)
We’re still getting to know UK producer Huess and his soulful Dilla-referencing beat tunes, but from what we’ve heard so far, like the title track from his recent Broke EP, we’re excited for more. Apparently, he has another EP in the works for the Inaudible Answer imprint, which is preceded by this fresh podcast Huess shared today. Huesscast 3 is a whole mess of groove-heavy electronic tunes from the likes of Lorn, Mount Kimbie, Slugabed, James Blake, yuk., and Fulgeance, along with an unreleased tune from the mixmaster himself. You can check out the tracklist and stream Huess’ mix below, and download it here.
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Deerhunter – Cover Me (Slowly) Edit Architeq – Bird of Prey (Fulgeance’s Emotronical Mix) Huess – Gak (Fulgeance Remix) Comfort Fit – Snare Wars (KenLo Craqnuques Remelange) Lorn – Brainwaves (Samiyam x Lorn) yuk. – ofwildernesstheme CRUMBS – Crouching Otter Stance Kelpe – Margins Huess – How Close Do You Think is Appropriate? Jneiro Janel – N.A.S.A Benedek – Laser Forest Thriller – Freak For You [insert] Milyoo – Like a Fool Knall Scharf – Sidekicks Mount Kimbie – Before I Move Off Stellar Om Source – Island Best Slugabed – Here you Are Ill Blu – Dragon Pop James Blake – CMYK Joao Gilberto – Valsa (Como Sao Lindos Os Youguis)
Berlin beat maestro and Jahcuzzi member Robot Koch has just made yet another splash in 2010 with the release of his brand-new full-length record, Songs for Trees and Cyborgs. The producer’s 14-track LP just dropped on the Project: Mooncircle label, and follows the Death Star Droid Remix EP and Listen to Them Fade 12″ he released earlier this year on the same imprint. Songs also features contributions from the likes of Doshy, Boxcutter, and Graciela Maria, among others. And let’s not forget about the split release Robot Koch is dropping tomorrow on Friends of Friends along with Mexicans with Guns, Friends of Friends Vol. 3. You can check out more about that record here, and get all the info on Koch’s Songs for Trees and Cyborgs album here.
This one sort of slipped under our radar before we were off for the weekend: Skull Disco and Apple Pips acolyte Appleblim dropped this well-crafted and eclectic mix of tunes for UK dance-music hub Burlington Project. The podcast is a great mix of slick, grooving dancefloor numbers from all appropriate niche genres within the electronic music spectrum, though we can’t say whose songs appear exactly, as there is no tracklist available. Try to decipher the spacey jams yourself when you listen to Appleblim’s mix here.
