Page 278 – XLR8R

DeWalta Shares New Track from Forthcoming Two-Component Album

DeWalta‘s new two-part Lyra album will drop on February 8.

Lyra marks a new direction for both DeWalta and his label, Meander, and is his most avant-garde and explorative project to date. The LP—his third solo full-length—consists of two separately available parts: Lyra, a dancefloor-focused double LP featuring six tracks in his signature trippy minimal style that includes a collaboration with long-time friend and Meander co-owner Fabian Geimer-Lorusso (a.k.a Jupiter); and Lyra π, a single LP consisting of five deep and contemplative ambient works. Lyra π will also launch Meander’s new Horizon Pi series.

The 180g vinyl version of Lyra π comes in a special package containing a handmade see-through screen-printed PVC sleeve, plus an insert card with artwork. Combined with the separately available Lyra double LP, customers can create a triple-LP box set.

Tracklisting

Lyra

01. Atralux

02. Phylae

03. Lyra

04. Vega

05. Myths

06. DeWalta & Jupiter Cabinet of Mirrors

Lyra π (pi)

01. North Star

02. Fugacity

03. Lyra Pi

04. Pulses

05. Photons

Ahead of the release next month—Lyra drops on vinyl on February 8 and digitally on February 22—DeWalta has shared “Myths,” a seven-and-a-half-minute minimal bomb, available to stream via the player below.

You can pre-order the album here.

Premiere: Hear a Low-Slung Deep House Cut From ALVA

French duo ALVA will drop their latest EP, Hétérotopies, via Pont Neuf Records on Friday, February 1.

Since launching the project in 2016, the duo have dropped a handful of EPs on Pont Neuf, Chez Damier’s Inner Balance, and Virage Records, the imprint the duo set up in 2017. Their forthcoming Hétérotopies EP, arguably their finest work to date, delivers four balanced house cuts full of inspired musical ideas and low-slung grooves. From the chunky rhythms of opening cut “Le Moulin” to the funk-filled synth lines of “Lingotto,” and the genre-bending “Social Club” (feat. Cosmonection), Hétérotopies provides a wealth of artillery for DJs dedicated to all manner of house-music strains.

In support of the release, Pont Neuf has offered up a full stream of the EP’s closing track, “Rue du Soleil,” a smooth-as-silk house groove built for the floor. You can stream the cut below, with the EP available for pre-order here.

Podcast 578: Jinjé

UK artist Lee Malcolm, professionally known as Jinjé, has been making and releasing music for over a decade, but 2018 saw him take a step into the realms of public consciousness. His attention has long been focused on Vessels, the five-man live techno band originating in Yorkshire, Northern England, but he’s now committing more time to developing himself as a solo artist, as a producer and a DJ.

Having delivered his track “Big Skies” to nd_baumecker, Malcolm was pleasantly surprised to hear that the Frankfurt artist had included the cut—with its crisp drums and expertly chopped vocal samples—in his final Panorama Bar 07 mix for Ostgut Ton. “He was in Panorama Bar whilst I was tweaking the EQ on it,” Malcolm recalls. “I was sending him a tweak and he’d play it through the rig and then suggest little changes. Awesome way of working. Not exactly something you do every day!” The track accompanied a string of others dropped through Malcolm’s Bandcamp page, among them “Solace,” which made it into our Best Tracks of 2018 list.

Malcolm will soon return with a new single, again via Messers. Kick & Drum Records. In support of the release, he’s composed a mix for our podcast series, a taster of the kind of melodic, dancefloor-ready techno that has been pricking his ear of late. “The theme is imagining a club full of happy, smiling people and making them even happier,” Malcolm explains. You can grab the mix via the button below, and stream it via Soundcloud.

What have you been up to recently?

Well, the big news is I’m about to be a father so we’re hunkering down at Jinjé headquarters. My wife, Anna, is due in the next week or two so I’m trying to write as much music as possible before those sleepless nights arrive.

You had a big 2018, with “Big Skies” on nd_baumecker’s recent Panorama Bar 07 mix. What’s the story behind it?

Ah yes, this was a cool thing to be part of. Baumecker is one of my favorite DJs and I don’t know if you’ve heard Barker & Baumecker’s EP Turns, but it’s a great record. Anyway, I met him a while back whilst I was playing a Vessels show at The Kantina. He’s been really supportive of us for ages and I tend to throw tracks at him every now and then just to get his opinion really. “Big Skies” was one of those tracks. He was in Panorama Bar whilst I was tweaking the EQ on it. I was sending him a tweak and he’d play it through the rig and then suggest little changes. Awesome way of working. Not exactly something you do every day!

When and where was this mix recorded?

I recorded this last week at home. I have a half decent DJ setup in my front room so I smashed it out whilst my heavily pregnant wife danced around.

Is there a particular theme or idea behind it?

The balance for me is always “good on headphones and good on a dancefloor.” Beyond that, the theme is imagining a club full of happy, smiling people and making them even happier.

How did you choose the tracks that you included?

I spent last week wandering around listening to a shortlist of about 40 tracks on my headphones trying to figure out the vibe. Some of them are things I kept reaching for in DJ sets at the end of last year and some are recent finds. There was a couple I just had to get in there. Max Graef’s “Itzehoe” for one, and Lindstrøm’s “Closing Shot” for another. Massive tunes. Sometimes two or three tracks are enough to anchor a whole mix and, in this case, once I knew they had to be in I knew where I was going.

What’s next on the horizon?

I’m preparing my live set for the Panorama Bar show in March which I’m hugely looking forward to. I’m trying to incorporate my modular rig in a way that adds a unique flavor to the vibe. Apart from that, I’m putting the finishing touches on the debut Jinjé album and gearing up for the festival season. Good times ahead.

Due to issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the podcast here.

Tracklisting

01. Cocktail Party Effect “Black Snow”

02. Zepherin Saint “Take You There” (feat. Diviniti)

03. Max Graef “Itzehoe”

04. Frits Wentink (feat. Loes Jongerling) “Nevertheless” (club edit)

05. Jitwam “WhereYouGonnaGo”

06. Hugo Massien “Alien Shapes”

07. Audiojack “Turya”

08. Hot Toddy “In The Genes”

09. Mathew Jonson “Typerope”

10. Goshawk “Get Up To Get Down” (Art Of Tones dub)

11. Lindstrøm “Closing Shot”

12. Kink “Teo Techno”

13. Avalon Emerson “One More Fluorescent Rush”

14. Jinjé “Childish Hope” (unreleased, from forthcoming album)

The Bug & Roger Robinson Announce New King Midas Sound Album

Kevin Martin (a.k.a The Bug) and poet Roger Robinson will release a new album as King Midas Sound on February 14 via Cosmo Rhythmatic.

Solitude, with 12-tracks, is the duo’s first release since 2015’s Fennesz collaboration Edition1 via Ninja Tune. It’s described as a meditation on loss, “a loss that has been enforced and unexpected.” It’s about processing the irrational and incessant feelings of rejection and loneliness, like listening to the tenderness of love disappear and it being replaced by skewed logic.

Kevin Martin provides a predominantly beatless musical backdrop, simultaneously minimal and menacing, but periodically beautiful. It stalks the isolated characters created by Robinson’s haunting vocals, as the poet shapes the protagonists’ troubled lives into increasingly desolate narratives.

The artwork is a collaboration with Japanese contemporary photographer Daisuke Yokota. His mastery of monochrome tone and texture is said to perfectly match the word/sound power of KMS, mirroring the same obsession with atmosphere, density, and finish.

Tracklisting

01. You Disappear

02. Zeros

03. In The Night

04. Too Late

05. Alone

06. Who

07. Lies

08. The Lonely

09. Bluebird

10. Missing You

11. Her Body

12. X

Solitude LP lands February 14 via Cosmo Rhythmatic, with “You Disappear” streaming below.

The Bug & Roger Robinson Announce New King Midas Sound Album

Kevin Martin (a.k.a The Bug) and poet Roger Robinson will release a new album as King Midas Sound on February 14 via Cosmo Rhythmatic.

Tracklisting

01. You Disappear

02. Zeros

03. In The Night

04. Too Late

05. Alone

06. Who

07. Lies

08. The Lonely

09. Bluebird

10. Missing You

11. Her Body

12. X

Solitude LP lands February 14 via Cosmo Rhythmatic, with “You Disappear” streaming below.

Waking Life Festival Confirms More Names for 2019 Edition

Portugal’s Waking Life Festival has confirmed more names for its upcoming 2019 edition, adding to the likes of Edward, Maayan Nidam, Masayoshi Fujita, Powder, Roman Flügel, and more, all of whom were announced earlier.

Among these new names are Ateq, Ben UFO, Four Tet, Levon Vincent, Forest Drive West, Move D, and Re:ni, among many others.

The program will start on Wednesday, August 14, at midnight with the opening show, to be announced later on, and will continue continuously until Monday, August 20.

The second wave of names is as follows, with more information here.

A. Brehme

Ateq (live)

BeatPete

Ben UFO

Berllioz

Bruno Pronsato (live)

Dbridge

Deadbeat (live)

DJ Dustin

DJ SO

E/Tape

Efdemin

Enkō

Forest Drive West

Four Tet

Funkamente

Gems Under The Horizon

Gigi Masin (live)

Leafar Legov (live)

Levon Vincent

Move D

Nathan Fake (live)

natural.electronic/system.

Naty Seres

Nosedrip

Oren Ambarchi

Pandilla Ltd

Paquita Gordon

Portable (live)

RAMZi (live)

Rasmus Fisker

Re:ni

Robohands

Seth Troxler

Stavroz (live)

Tren Go! Sound System

V.I.V.E.K

Wata Igarashi

Young Warrior

ZoZo

Premiere: Hear a Warm, Fluttering House Track from Mia Lucci

Mia Lucci will release a new EP on her Kindisch label next month, titled 8 Pounds.

Over the past decade, the Australian-born DJ-producer has become renowned for mesmerising house and techno grooves. “For me, it’s about fun, excitement and energy,” she says. “I want to create an environment where people can let go, forget about any issue they might have in their life, and be completely consumed by the music and the moment.”

Opener “Liv” is a track inspired by creation itself, and floats along its tech-house roots as it gradually blossoms into a warm bath of pad and emotion. “Melon Clouds” breaks the trance and delivers a deep and housey groove, and for the last part of the journey, Lucci delivers “Sleepless,” where an air of experimentalism flutters through the tones as a thick percussive line drives the energy further.

The three-track release is Kindisch’s first of the year, and comes direct from Lucci’s new home of Barcelona. “The last 10 years of my life has been one big circus. Always on the move. Settling in Barcelona with my own studio where I can produce and create makes me feel great about what I am doing,” she says. “I’m enjoying making harder styles of music at the moment, with a greater focus on drums. My experience in the studio is constantly changing and developing which keeps life interesting and fun.”

Ahead of the release, out on February 8 on digital and via a limited pressing of 100 vinyl, you can hear “Liv” in full via the player below, with pre-order here.

Tracklisting

A. Mia Lucci “Liv”

B1. Mia Lucci “Melon Clouds”

B2. Mia Lucci “Sleepless”

Jubei Teams Up with Total Science for New Single

Jubei has collaborated with Total Science on new Metalheadz single Reality Check / Redemption.

Total Science is the collaborative project of Paul Smith and Jason Greenhalgh, two long-standing and prolific names in contemporary drum & bass. Jubei, real name Paul Ager, is also a Metalheadz regular, with a slew of EPs and an album on the label. This is the first time they’ve teamed up in the studio.

The two-tracker will be the fourth release of 2019 from Metalzheadz, and follows the debut album from Agzilla. We’re told to expect “first-class drum & bass cuts, both primed for the dancefloor and brimming with essential flavours.”

Tracklisting

01. Reality Check

02. Redemption

Reality Check / Redemption lands February 15.

Premiere: Hear a Head-Spinning Remix by M.E.S.H.

Next month, Infiné will release Deena Abdelwahed‘s Tawa Remix EP, featuring reworks of “Tawa,” a cut from her debut album, Khonnar, by M.E.S.H., Karen Gwyer, Basile3, and Clip.

Released in November of last year, Khonnar caused quite a stir throughout the electronic scene with its immersive and inspired take on ambient, bass, techno, and Arabic influences—it also landed on end-of-year lists for Resident Advisor, The Quietus, and Vinyl Factory. Now, Abdelwahed is embarking on a tour to present the LP as a live set throughout Europe, including stops at Berlin’s CTM festival, Hopeworks in Sheffield, Retextured in London, Sónar Istanbul, and Sónar Barcelona, among others.

Ahead of the tour and the release of Tawa Remix on February 22, Infiné has offered up a full stream of M.E.S.H.’s remix, a propulsive, head-spinning interpretation of Abdelwahed’s deep and dark original.

You can stream the remix in full below, alongside Abdelwahed’s upcoming tour dates.

Tour dates:

January 31—Khonnar live set—La Gaîté Lyrique—Paris, France

February 2—Khonnar live set—CTM Transmediale—Berlin, Allemagne

February 9—Khonnar live set—Festival Astropolis—Brest, France

February 15—Hopeworks presents… —Sheffield, UK

February 19—Uncloud Festival Ekko—Utrecht, Netherlands

February 22—Club Marabu/Apolo—Barcelona, Spain

March 1—Elevate Festival—Grazer Schlossberg—Graz, Austria

March 9—Sonar Istanbul—Zorlu Center PSM—Istanbul, Turkey

March 19—Flash Cocotte—Nuits Fauves—Paris, France

March 23—Khonnar Live Set—La Bam—Metz, France

March 29—Khonnar Live Set—Retextured Festival—Village Underground, London, UK

May 4—Les Electropicales Festival—Reunion Island/France (Indian Ocean)

July 20—Khonnar Live Set—Sónar Barcelona—Barcelona, Spain

XLR8R Launches the Eighth Edition of XLR8R+ With Tracks From Levon Vincent, Bruno Pronsato, and Lawrence

The eighth edition of XLR8R+ features exclusive and unreleased tracks by Levon Vincent, Bruno Pronsato, and Lawrence, plus artwork by Tombo.

New York-raised, Berlin-based producer Levon Vincent opens this month’s edition with “Dance With Me,” an old-school classic-flavored house tune built for the dancefloor. (Levon has also offered up the track’s stems/samples for further insight into his work and for use in your own productions.) Vincent is joined by Perlon-affiliate Bruno Pronsato with a trippy, low-slung minimal track, with Dial founder Lawrence rounding out this month’s edition with “Central Park,” a deep and sleek groover. The artwork for XLR8R+008, an eerie drawing of the above producers, was supplied by Tombo, a Barcelona-based illustrator most known for his work with Nina Kraviz’ Trip label.

Every month the offering now includes a 50-track Spotify playlist, featuring tracks inspired by this month’s offering and arriving from all areas of the sonic spectrum.

XLR8R+008 is available to download as a package to XLR8R+ subscribers for one month only, featuring the three tracks in both WAV and MP3 formats, a dedicated zine, and wallpaper artwork for both desktop and phone.

Subscribe to XLR8R+ here, with snippets of XLR8R+008 streaming below, where you can also find information on the previous editions.