Our friends at FACT magazine have got a great 10-piece primer on the elusive Detroit electro-tech force known as Drexciya. Mssrs Gerald Donald and James Stinson kept their identities close over the many years that they were extent. After Stinson’s passing in 2002, tons more music emerged from the Drexciyan archive (including releases from their countless aliases like The Other People Place, Lab Rat XL, and Shifted Phases) and it’s likely that more tracks will still surface in the years to come. For now, enjoy this little buyers’ guide to the best that the duo had to offer.
Leftfield U.K. dancehaller Toddla T, already an XLR8R Artist to Watch, is no stranger to meshing a multitude of sounds into one solid, genre-bending style; elements of house, bassline, hip-hop, and world beat meet on the eclectic playing field of his productions. With the attention that the youngster known to mum as Tom Bell has been receiving as of late, we’re hardly surprised he’s been chosen as artist #47 in the illustrious Fabriclive mix series. The hardworking club star has described his mix for the massive London club as if “a sweaty Sheffield basement was deported to Farringdon for the night.” We’d be lying if we said the tracklist below didn’t make us sweat. Fabriclive 47 comes out on September 8th.
Tracklisting:
01 Philly – Love Action 02 Duffy – Stepping Stone (Cavemen Remix) 03 Monkey Steak – Tigris Riddim – Steak House 04 Backyard Dog – Baddest Ruffest (Pipes & Slippers Mix) 05 Toddla T ft Mr Versatile – Fill Up Mi Portion RMX ft Afrikan Boy & Batty Rymer 06 Stone ft Roots Manuva – Amen 07 Toddla T ft Trigganom Vs Clipz – Boom DJ From The Bristol City Toddla T – Boom DJ From The Steel City Clipz – Offline VIP 08 Toddla T ft Serocee – Manbadman (Andy George Refix) 09 Toddla T ft Serocee – Shake It (Martelo Megashake) Fish Go Deep – Cure And The Cause Geeneus & Zinc – Emotions [Geeneus Mix] La Silva – Funky Flex 10 Shake Aletti – The Way He Does (Toddla T RMX ft Serocee) 11 Bart B More & Diplo Vs Bashy – Millionaire Bingo Bashy – Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Bingo Players – Get Up [Diplo Mix] 12 Drums Of Death – Lonely Days (DOD’s Glasgow to Sheffield Nightbus Version) 13 Alex Mills – Beyond Words (Wittyboy Remix) 14 Skream – Toddla T Special 15 Toddla T ft Tinchy Stryder & Mr Versatile vs. Untold Toddla T – Safe Untold – Anaconda VIP 16 Busy Signal Vs Pulse X – Tic Toc (J Needles Driver Blend) Busy Signal – TicToc Youngsta – Pulse X 17 Sticky Ft Lady Chann – Sticky Situation 18 Toddla T & Oneman Ft Mr Versatile – Right Leg Shuffle 19 Oris Jay – 4 Real 20 Toddla T Ft. Benjiman Zephinia & Joe Godard – Rebel (Skream Remix) 21 Deadmau5 – I Remember (Caspa Remix)
“All that money/Still ridin’ the bus.” With a little bit of contemporary panache and a whole lot of mid-‘70s throwback neologism, NYC hipsters The Phenomenal Handclap Band have solved the soundtrack riddle for today’s juxtaposition of economic terrorism and unfounded optimism. Bolan-esque glittering guitars (“Dim the Lights”), proto-rap à la Missy Dee (“15 to 20”), and the cult-like sounds of psychedelic Aquarian-age rare groove (complete, at times, with flutes) combine to create a new sound birthed of ‘70s cultural disarray. It’s not always successful—see the six-minute Crazy Horse guitar workout on “The Martyr”—but at its finest glam-disco moments, PHB is as flowery, rump-shakin’, and secretly cynical as the world it inhabits.
It’s been a more than a decade since Oneida dropped its debut, but this Brooklyn collective’s unshackled, invigorating psychedelic rock has only become more vital, splitting into sections both refined and carefree. Rated O—a triple album, the second in a planned triptych—seemingly begs for quality control. Oneida’s jams and circuit-bending riffs aren’t always revelatory, but the trip proves worthwhile. Disc One starts with the brusque, suborbital soundclash of “Brownout in Lagos” and continues to grind and buzz, building towards the fractured release of “The Human Factor” and the second disc’s freak-outs and stoner haze. By Disc Three, which exudes a cosmic vibe, it’s clear that Oneida is still cutting interesting paths in multiple directions. They should always have this much space to stretch out.
In the world of European producer Fukkk Offf, rave is king, and things haven’t changed a bit on his new album Love Me Hate Me Kiss Me Kill Me. Here, Coco Machete labelmates Disco of Doom give the title track the royal treatment on their brooding, buzzing rave-up of a remix.
Back in May we ran a story on L.A. boogie revivalist Dam-Funk’s upcoming debut album, Toeachizown, an epic body of work being released in separate volumes. The first of these installments, a thick-yet-smooth combination of analog synths and vintage drum machines called LAtrik, is available now through Stone Throw’s website. We highly suggest you drop your hard-earned dollars on the solid release produced, recorded, written, and sincerely funked-out (without any loops or samples) by Mr. Damon Riddick.
Referring to musicians as “genius” is becoming more and more difficult these days, but if and when they surface, it’s nothing short of glorious. So you can imagine the joy rippling through XLR8R when news broke that Tyondai Braxton, frontman for math-rock masterminds Battles, is releasing a new solo album, Central Market, on Warp Records on September 15. While the music itself is a collaboration between Braxton and New York’s Wordless Music Orchestra, all compositions are the brainchild of Tyondai alone. Thankfully, we need not wait for a taste of his future-classical sounds. Warp.net is showcasing the album’s details along with a peak into the seven-track record via the track “Uffe’s Woodshop.” Check out the LP’s tracklisting below.
Tracklisting: 1. Opening Bell 2. Uffe’s Workshop 3. The Duck and the Butcher 4. Platinum Rows 5. Unfurling 6. J. City 7. Dead Strings
One part Austin and one part Brooklyn, Neon Indian creates lush, psychedelic disco-pop that plays like a teenage Daft Punk writing songs for their first girlfriend. Their wonderfully titled first single, “Terminally Chill,” is just a sweet taste of the bedroom ballads to come on their debut LP Psychic Chasms.
After beating cancer, the Russian-born, London-bred producer is a track-releasing machine.
When DJ Vadim suddenly went blind in April 2008, he had no idea he was about to face a months-long ordeal with ocular cancer. His operation was a success and he has a new burst of energy, which is apparent on his new album, U Can’t Learn Imaginashun. Here, he talks about staying current, shortening attention spans, and coming through the other side.
To celebrate the recent release of his latest LP, Immune, for Spectral Sound, we tapped Berlin-based house head Bodycode (a.k.a. Alan Abrahams, a.k.a. Portable) for his favorite tracks from his native South Africa.
1. Brenda Fassie & The Big Dudes “Weekend Special”
Brenda Fassie was one of the first South African pop stars. In a country rife with apartheid and black inequality. this was quite a fete. It was reassuring to know that someone from such a deprived background could become a household name and a huge hit in the clubs just before the onset of Chicago house. She later went on to become a huge star all across Africa. Sadly she passed away recently due to a heroin overdose, and will be sorely missed.
2. Durban’s Finest “Tira’s Boots”
A band I only recently became acquainted with, and who seems to be flying the flag high back on the SA club scene. They’ve won several awards, including an award by popular radio station Metro FM. Rumor has it they’ve parted ways.
3. Yvonne Chaka Chaka “I’m in Love With a DJ”
This is another track that was a type of burning light for us during the dark apartheid times, because, like Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka also became a household name, overcoming all obstacles that an apartheid government laid before her. And she became, in a sense, a role model for everyone across not only South Africa but across the continent. She’s quoted as saying, “Those were the days. We were such a close-mixed family; your father was my father, my mother was your aunt. Things have changed now; everybody is minding their own business.”
4. DJ Teakay “Ngifuna Wena”
Another big star on the S. African kwaito scene DJ Teakay. As some of you night know, kwaito is a hybrid of Chicago house music mixed with African elements. It’s been hybridized so much that it’s now a type of sound all its own.
5. DJ Mujava “Township Funk”
This went on to be signed by Warp Records and has garnered a lot of international attention for DJ Mujava and kwaito music.
6. Alaska “Fokol”
This is one of the longest-running kwaito groups, and I discovered them while living in Lisbon, when I heard a DJ play it at a party. Lisbon is so close to Africa that it has a lot of African influence, particularly Angola.
7. DJ What What “What If”
No comment.
8. DJ Cleo Bleksem “Sis Ngihamba Nawe”
DJ Cleo is famously known as starting his DJ career at 10. He runs an underground label in South Africa called Wheels of Steel. I was also introduced to this track while in Lisbon.
9. Abashante “Senzanje”
No comment.
10. Miriam Makeba “The Click Song”
Miriam Makeba garnered worldwide attention in the ’60s with this track. During the apartheid years, she was forced into exile to the U.S. by the South African government, due to her active involvement against the apartheid regime. While in exile her mother passed away in South Africa, without her being able to return to bury her, and while she was in the U.S., her daughter passed away, too. Sadly the great Miriam passed away a few months ago and will be sorely missed as well.
