Glasser “Home”

It seems not even the indie-pop songstresses that briefly grace Southern California’s vast landscape can escape the rhythmic essence of that region’s music scene. Like on “Home,” our first peek into the much-anticipated debut album from former LA resident Glasser, Ring, the first sounds heard flesh out a rolling beat reminiscent of something from Flying Lotus’ early work before the chanteuse’s airy falsetto floats gently into the mix, nimbly executing vocal gymnastics in the most sublime of ways. And it’s no wonder singer/songwriter Cameron Mesirow, who now keeps a Brooklyn address, called this welcoming song “Home”; once those synths commandingly charge in underneath her densely layered harmonies, you immediately get the sense that Mesirow is dreaming of returning to her own native lands (wherever those may be), or is already there, celebrating its wonders. This song couldn’t excite us more for Ring‘s release on September 28.

02 Home

Mixpak Records: Head Honcho Dre Skull Updates Brooklyn’s Dancehall Collabo Blueprints.

Not since the days of Bobby Konders’ and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez’s ragga-hip-hop hybrids of the early to mid-’90s has the US-Jamaica bashment connection seemed so energized as it does with Brooklyn producer Dre Skull‘s Mixpak label. Earlier this year, Dre Skull paired hot gyaal Jamaican deejay Natalie Storm with UK producer Sticky’s Jumeirah Riddim for the single “Look Pon Me,” which became a massive UK funky hit. But in his short stint running Mixpak, Dre Skull has also collaborated with big dancehall artists from Ms. Thing to Vybz Kartel.

Dre first linked with Jamaican artists when he contacted gruff-voiced Rasta singjay Sizzla for 2009’s energetic “Gone Too Far.” The Cleveland-born producer, who was inspired by Lee “Scratch” Perry’s studio techniques and the Jamaican concept of “versions” (re-using rhythm tracks), got into dancehall via Yellowman, Sister Nancy, and Super Cat. “I think it’s cool that [Super Cat] linked up with the New York rap world,” he says.

Natalie Storm – “Look Pon Me”

But Dre is quick to mention that he does more than just dancehall-club hybrids. He has worked with Southern rappers Lil Scrappy and Sissy Nobby, produced Baltimore club jams with MC Juiceboxxx, and released his own rave-influenced tracks. Still, he plans to continue working with Jamaican acts and plans to visit Kingston this month. “If everything comes together, I’ll be working out of Shaggy’s [Big Yard] studio and recording with a bunch of folks, including Busy Signal, Elephant Man, and Natalie Storm,” he says.

So how do Jamaican artists react when he plays them his uptempo electro-dance material, which sounds more like Dave Aude than Dave Kelly? “[They] are pretty open-minded in terms of the sound palate,” he explains, adding that Jamaican music has “a long history of embracing studio technology and pushing it to its limits—whether it’s reverb, delay, drum machines, synths, or Auto-Tune.” He thinks it’s what contributes to their openness to new rhythms and tempos and keeps dancehall vibrant.

Vybz Kartel – “Yuh Love”

Another surprise has been the extended life of Dre Skull’s single with dancehall icon Vybz Kartel. The “Yuh Love” video has a million hits on YouTube and was recently licensed to Jamaican label Tad’s, bringing things full circle. So while his Jamaican productions continue to pop, he’s also starting music projects with artists from Belize, the UK, and Atlanta, all of which suits Dre Skull’s expansive styles. Or as he says, “I’m keeping it varied—I love music, not genres.”

Teebs “Personal Winter”

Apparently, this song is inspired by Teebs‘ time spent in Japan around November 2009. Expounding on that information, the producer said, “The weather was just starting to get cold [in Japan], but the sun was still out every morning around 8 a.m. … When I came home, I made ‘Personal Winter,’ and instantly got sucked back into those early mornings.” And you can feel that scene in his song, too; the bright guitar strums feel like rays of sunshine on your face, the thick atmosphere like your breath wafting from your mouth, and the rumble of the bass and beats like the sounds of the city surrounding you. The ability Teebs has to invoke those images within the passing moments of this brief track is just more evidence of his strengths as a creative and moving beatsmith. (via VTech)

Personal Winter

Girl Unit to Set Off on First North American Tour

We don’t know about you guys, but we’re still jammin’ hard on the brilliant podcast South East London’s Girl Unit just delivered to XLR8R. And it’s not just because we can’t wait for him to make it stateside this month, though it certainly doesn’t hurt. Starting August 20 at The M-Room in Philadelphia, PA, DJ/producer Philip Gamble is bringing the kind of energetically soulful future-house featured on his wonderful I.R.L. EP for Night Slugs, most likely along with some of his own personal faves and never-before-heard tracks from like-minded peers, over to the U.S.A. So, if you need to catch up on this hotly tipped tunesmith, check out his Bubblin’ feature and the stream of his debut record, then peep the upcoming tour dates below.

Aug 20 @ Subdivision, The M-Room – Philadelphia, PA
Aug 21 @ Club Infinity, Santos Party House – NYC, NY
Aug 24 @ Dim Mak Tuesdays, Cinespace – Hollywood, CA
Aug 26 @ Dance Right, La Cita – Los Angeles, CA
Aug 27 @ Fuse Fridays, Bar Smith – Phoenix, AZ
Aug 28 @ Icee Hot, 222 Hyde – San Francisco, CA

Shit Robot “I Found Love (Edit)”

Excuse the potty humor, but we’ve been more or less shitting ourselves (rimshot!) over the debut record finally coming from Dublin’s DFA mainstay, Shit Robot. We shared TBD‘s remix of “I Found Love” just last month, and now we are pleased to bring you the original version of that cut from From the Cradle to the Rave. Shit Robot’s track is a straightforward disco-leaning burner with a host of synth timbres that all harken back to the soundtracks of late-’70s sci-fi flicks. If this is just how producer Markus Lambkin’s long-awaited album gets started, we’re sure to have plenty more solid dance tunes to work with come September 21.

I Found Love (Edit)

I Found Love (Edit)

I Found Love

I Found Love (Edit)

Watch El-P’s New Video for “Time Won’t Tell”

Rapper, producer, Def Jux label head, and occasional Justin Bieber remixerEl-P recently dropped a new, all-instrumental album called Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3, and now he’s unveiled the record’s first video. “Time Won’t Tell” is set in the decay of a post-industrial urban landscape, but celebrates a few kids’ ingenuity and ability to make the most of their surroundings. The whole thing is beautifully shot, and it’s hard to argue with the idea of going nuts on a bunch of mattresses.

The Count & Sinden “After Dark feat. Mystery Jets (C.R.S.T. Remix)”

Four-piece production outfit C.R.S.T. (pictured above) has been getting its fair share of spins in the XLR8R offices lately (maybe you caught the Girl Unit remix of the quartet’s “The Bells” track in our Celebration of Curation mix?), so we were pretty excited to see that the Welsh music makers were included on the remix EP for “After Dark” by The Count & Sinden. Preceding the release of that duo’s debut full-length, Mega Mega Mega, which you can actually stream in full right now over on FACT, C.R.S.T. re-oriented “After Dark” from disco-inspired house-party music to a burning UK funky number built almost entirely of bass and bounce and demanding the finest in nightclub soundsystems. More remixes of the track from Buraka Som Sistema and Oliver Twizt are also featured on the After Dark Remixes EP, out now.

After Dark feat. Mystery Jets (C.R.S.T. Remix)

Reviewed: Caribou, Toro Y Moi at Trailerpark Festival 2010

No stranger to awesome music festivals, Copenhagen added the Trailerpark Festival to its ranks, which include Roskilde, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Distortion, and Strøm, four years ago, and it’s been going strong ever since. Held the first weekend of August, Trailerpark is a refreshing antidote to huge corporate-run festivals, long lines, $5 bottles of water, and enormous ticket prices.

Caribou

Chimes and Bells

The festival was founded in 2007 by the ArtRebels, a conglomerate of multi-disciplined artists and musicians, and has grown successfully without any support from the Danish government (seemingly a rarity in the arts). Upon arrival to the festival grounds, it was apparent that everything about Trailerpark was different from any other festival we have attended. Set at Copenhagen’s oldest skatepark, the festival and the park become one, fans sat everywhere, on rails, lips of half-pipes, and smaller ramps. ArtRebels commissioned customized trailers from Danish artists, and they were set up through the grounds for attendees to relax in and drink Jägermeister), which added to the feeling of being transported into a surreal world.

Chimes and Bells

Round Table Knights

Round Table Knights

Musically, the festival covered an incredible amount of territory, with performances from Caribou, Chllngr, and Round Table Knights, along with Danish artists We Have Band, 2000F, and Pattern Repeat. The careful curation of talent from around the world was evident, as the pacing of all three days of the festival was spot on, with known artists and local heroes impressing the audience one after the other.

Friday’s highlights were Made to Play’s Round Table Knights, whose anthemic “Calypso” was only one of many amazing tunes that sent the crowd wild. German techno legend DJ Hell was in rare form, and Denmark’s Pattern Repeat closed the night out in style.

The next day started out strong with Palms Out Sound’s Boody B playing an impeccable set spanning several of the loosely defined genres from the current UK underground. Live performances from Chimes and Bells, and Prinzhorn Dance School made for an incredible evening.

Prinzhorn Dance School

The third and final day was by far the biggest. Toro Y Moi and Caribou captivated the crowds with their outstanding musicianship, and Denmark’s own new nu-disco superstar, Vinnie Who, closed out the festival with music so magical it would give the Bee Gees at their peak a run for their money.

Fallulah

Toro Y Moi

House of Moves

After three days of beautiful weather, amazing music, and surreal décor, it’s impossible to not understand how special the Trailerpark Festival is to the attendees, performers, and the staff who make it happen. Needless to say, we are already looking forward to Trailerpark Festival 2011, and hope that the rumors of bringing the festival to New York City are true.

Stream Matthew Dear’s New Album

Ever since the news broke about Matthew Dear‘s new album, we’ve admittedly been gripped by a touch of Black City fever. We’ve offeredup MP3s, nerded out over the limited-edition Black City totem, and now we’ve got the entire album streaming for your listening pleasure. The album has been officially released today via Dear’s own Ghostly International label, so feel free to buy yourself a copy after giving the tracks a spin below.

The XLR8R Music Player requires Adobe Flash Player version 9 or later. Click here to install.

King Midas Sound to Release 7″ Single on Hyperdub

London’s King Midas Sound recently shared a brand-new video for the latest Waiting For You single, “Lost,” and just announced that the group’s label, Hyperdub, will be releasing the same song on a 7″ record. The soulful and lovelorn single comes out on September 7, and will be backed with the equally haunting b-side “Frequencies.” The Lost/Frequencies single will also stand as the first 7″ to make it into the discographies for both King Midas Sound and Hyperdub. You can check out the record sleeve below.

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