Chris Tietjen Vier

Mix CDs are a complicated vehicle for music, as they can deliver a hand-picked set to a large swath of people, yet are often considered throwaways for this exact reason. The mixes put out by Sven Väth’s Cocoon imprint, however, are consistently excellent, and the label’s fourth mix from Tietjen is no exception. With a focus on selections from Minilogue’s Animals album/DVD, Tietjen moves expertly from the deep techno of Inxec vs. Matt Tolfrey to the slamming, Pounding Grooves-like grandeur of Timo Maas’ “Subtellite.” The mix concludes with Minilogue’s “Hispaniola,” a subtle journey of a track that contains shades of Dominik Eulberg. A treat to listen to, especially if you’re too poor for Ibiza tickets.

Major Lazer pon de iPhone

In case you haven’t gotten enough of the Mad Decent airhorn app for your iPhone or iPod touch (we haven’t!), Diplo and his buddy Switch (as Major Lazer) have teamed up with software developer iZotope to create iDrum: Major Lazer, a remix app that lets you have your way with Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do, either to do damage to existing tracks or take the individual parts and create your own white-boy-inna-gully cartoon symphony. The app includes 10 customizable kits, remixable rhythmic patterns, and plenty o’ lazer blasts (natch!).

GusGus Returns… on Kompakt

We weren’t sure what to make of the switch, when Icelanders GusGus went from 4AD to their own Pineapple label and now to Kompakt, but after a quick advance listen to the band’s 24/7, we’ve gotta say, we’re pretty damn pleased that the Cologne techno powerhouse picked them up. The first track, “Add This Song,” offers a nice (non-cheesy) ’90s rave vocal to set the tone, and within moments the dance/pop experimenters (who’ve since welcomed Daniel Agust back into the fold) hit the floor with some subdued 4/4 action. It’s a mere six tracks, but the album thumps for a solid 50 minutes, and features Jimi Tenor’s vocals on the darkish “Take Me Baby” and Detroit techno legend Aaron-Carl’s production assistance on the bumpin’ “Hateful.” 24/7 hits shelves September 9.

Artist to Watch: TC

Who:TC
Where: Bristol, UK

With drum & bass suffering from a perceived lack of creativity, an artist like TC (a.k.a. Tom Casswell) is a real breath of fresh air. Armed with frenetic beats and filtered synths, this Bristol producer is taking the genre back toward its rave-culture roots. TC’s tunes have been blowing up dancefloors since the 2007 release of his debut full-length Evolution, and his recent remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Nite” has taken things to another level, with even the BBC putting his version on blast. Dubstep fans should also check out the Caspa remix of TC’s “Where’s My Money.”

Watch: Kid Cudi vs. Crookers “Day ‘N’ Nite (TC remix)”

Watch: TC “Where’s My Money (Caspa remix)”

Various Artists Cocoon Compilation I

It’s easy to think of an artist like Sven Väth as just another techno veteran who’s been around forever, but when it comes picking tunes, the man remains at the top of his game. I is the ninth annual compilation from Väth’s Cocoon label (each installment is named after a letter of the alphabet), and it’s simply bursting with high-quality, big-room house and techno. The unmixed collection begins with housier selections from eMT and Lauhaus and delves into deep techno with Gaiser’s “Am I,” but it’s the energetic tribal stomp of Tim Green & Emerson Todd’s “Excerise” and the hypnotic pulse Radio Slave’s “Na Und!” that truly stand out. Lively offerings from Timo Maas and Chymera veer a little too far into cornball rave territory, but the mellower and moody cuts that wrap up the album, particularly Kollektiv Turmstrasse’s “Dead Room,” nicely reign in the proceedings.

Glimpse & Alex Jones “Bad Monday”

Powerhouse producer Glimpse (with a little help from Alex Jones) has got the skillet spiced up and fully ablaze on this jackin’ number from his upcoming EP, The Lazer Bather. Rolled up tight in a thick batter of deep techno then dipped in a light coating of jazz, the tune leaves us feeling stuffed, yet somehow craving more.

Glimpse and Alex Jones – Bad Monday – Glimpse Recordings

Jahdan and Shadetek at it Again

The last time we checked in with Jahdan Blakkamoore, the Brooklyn dancehall MC had just paired up with his Dutty Artz sidekick Matt Shadetek to unleash some serious tropical bass action on the Jahdan Blakkamoore Full Hundred for our XLR8Rpodcast. Well, it looks like the first time was a charm in this case because the two are teaming up once again for Blakkamoore’s debut LP, Buzzrock Warrior, and the rest of the Dutty Artz posse—that is DJ /rupture and Geko Jones—are coming along for the ride. Luckily, the guest list doesn’t stop there, because heavy-hitters such as Modeselektor, Jammer, 77Klash, Durrty Goodz, and Maga Bo will also be dropping in for a little one-on-one with the Guyana native. Look for the album to arrive via Gold Dust on September 15th.

Buzzrock Warrior
01 “Get Hustlin”
02 “What You Know About This”
03 “Let’s Go”
04 “The General”
05 “Mesmerized”
06 “Dem A Idiot”
07 “Runaround”
08 “Earthshaking”
09 “Come With Me”
10 “She Said”
11 “Broken in Brooklyn”
12 “Dollar Van (Skit)”
13 “Go Round Payola”
14 “Rise Again”

39 Clocks Pain It Dark

The Bureau B imprint mines deep into the murk and strikes gold with this reissue of the 1981 debut from Germany’s self-crowned “Psycho Beat” combo, 39 Clocks. Oozing out shock waves of bad acid trips, decayed guitar, and the dull stomp of a tiny beatbox, the 39s honed in on the ragged, garage-y stumble of Loaded-era Velvets with some crusted synths à la Suicide thrown in for sturdy backbone. “A Look Into You” sounds like an offshoot of a new-wave single with its faded, slothful rhythms, barbed lead riffs, and ghostly deadpan vocals, while “Shake the Hippie” and “Test the Beat” have got just the right mix of fuzz and shamble. A definite keeper.

Five Star: Move D

Heidelberg producer/DJ Move D (a.k.a. David Moufang) tells us about a few of his current favorite house imprints.

Workshop
This obscure German label, run by my good friend Jens Kuhn (a.k.a. Lowtec), stands out, both in terms of slinky sound and the label’s policy of keeping it on a very personal level. All artists are their friends, or at least friends of friends, and they include Lowtec, Even_Tuell, Kassem Mosse, Benjamin Brunn, and myself. Keep an eye out for Workshop’s first full-length, the reappearance of Reagenz (Jonah Sharp [a .k.a. Spacetime Continuum] and me).

Uzuri
Uzuri is run by Lerato Khati (a.k.a. Lakuti), and she is also responsible for the amazing Südelectronic parties in London, which she puts on with Alan Abrams (a.k.a. Portable and Bodycode). This is the true core of the new British deep house movement, with artists like Lerosa, Cassy, Vakula, DJ Aakmael, Jitterbug, Jus Ed, and others.

Philpot
This label is synonymous with state-of-the-art German deep house. Michel Baumann is a top-notch producer. Apart from his own productions as Soulphiction, Jackmate, ManmadeScience, and a collaboration with me (the first release is due soon), Baumann releases a wide rage of excellent artists like Break SL, DJ Koze, Reggie Dokes, Tim Toh, and MXM.

Underground Quality
Jus Ed’s UQ was the first label in years to reestablish my belief in the current U.S. deep house scene. Ed is not only a truly great DJ/MC doing his weekly internet radio show on Myhouse-Yourhouse, but he is also a unique and gifted producer. UQ is also a home for some of the finest deep house artists around, like Fred P, Jenifa Mayanja, Anton Zap, and Levon Vincent.

Aesthetic Audio/Sistrum
Two more extraordinary deep house labels run by Keith Worthy (Aesthetic Audio) and Patrice Scott (Sistrum). The Underground Anthems series on both labels, and the artists involved, are not to be missed: Leonid, Rondenion, Juju & Jordash, XDB, Ksoul & Ra.H. Basically every release on both labels is a must-buy. Go and check for yourself!

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