Speedy J Launches Label and Sound Library

Dutch electronic producer Jochem Paap has made a career of reinvention. Recording as Speedy J since 1990, the Rotterdam-born musician has had several pioneering moments, including his break-through 1992 single, “Pull Over,” on Richie Hawtin’s Plus 8 label, and headlining the 2008 DEMF Festival in Detroit. Paap’s albums, G Spot (1993), Ginger (1995), Public Energy No. 1 (1997), and others have elegantly mapped dance music’s changes over the years, incorporating minimal, ambient, acid, and other techno motifs in approachable compositions.

Paap is now launching several new creative endeavors, including a tour, new label, single, and sound library. His new digitally released single, “Red Shift,” indicates his latest musical phase and introduces the Electric Deluxe imprint, which Paap describes as “a platform for artists operating within any conceivable genre in the broad spectrum of techno who wish to fully explore and embrace the ever-expanding technological possibilities.”

To these possibilities, Paap has officially released a vast sound library for Native Instruments users in conjunction with Fixed Noise software company. Paap’s Kreate sound library (MSRP $199) includes drum kits, individual hits/tones, loops, sequencer-based instruments, effects, and 500 instruments mapped out in Native Instrument’s Kontakt Player 2. Paap sees the collection as another way to collaborate with other DJs and artists, as well as add to the creative pool.

Paap has collaborations with Chris Liebing, George Issakidis, and more coming up, as well as tour dates throughout the summer and fall.

Dates
08/14 Calabria, Italy: Vecchia Fattoria
08/31 Florence, Italy: Mugello Dance Festival
10/06 Malta: TBA
10/07 Heerlen, Netherlands: Enorm Festival
10/12 Milan, Italy: Amnesia Club
10/20 Cremona, Italy: Cosmo Night
11/29 Amsterdam, Netherlands: Electric Deluxe Presents 3
12/27 Nijmegen, Netherlands: Planet Rose Invites

Luomo Announces New Full-Length

Sasu Ripatti’s back, with a newly announced full-length from his Luomo moniker, under which he makes dreamy, dubby house music. Convival will pick up where 2006’s Paper Tigers left off, with guest appearances this time around from Robert Owens, Cassy, Apparat, and Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears.

The album will be released via Ripatti’s own Huume Recordings. No word on the tracklist or specific release date yet, but we expect these items soon from the sprightly Berliner.

Photo by Dirk Merten.

Las Malas Amistades Patio Bonito

If this album sounds haphazard, there’s a reason for that: The Colombian art students that meet to play music together as Las Malas Amistades make up their music at those sessions, using a charity-shop synth, a grab bag of percussion, and a few other instruments to record their bright lo-fi electro-acoustic pop. As a result, the album feels unrehearsed and fresh, raw and intimate. But it also feels, in some ways, lazy. A little structure, some revision, and a willingness to craft songs over the long haul would have made a world of difference here. For every head-turning snippet, there’s at least three eye-rolling twee moments. Sporadically interesting at best.

The Juan MacLean Readies Tour Dates

The future is nearly here for The Juan MacLean, in the form of a new full-length, The Future Will Come, slated for an early ’09 release, and a couple of singles to whet fans appetites in the meantime. “Happy House” was released earlier this year, and the producer, DJ, and longtime DFA family member will drop “The Simple Life” on September 15 in the U.K. and September 16 in the U.S.

Before that though, he’ll hit the road this month and tour until mid-October with a live band that features LCD Soundsystem’s Nancy Whang, Holy Ghost!’s Nick Hillhiser, and Gerry Fuchs of !!!.

Dates
08/16 Monterrey, Mexico: Aura Club (DJ set)
08/23 Denver, CO: Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom (DJ set)
09/01 Cambridge, MA: Middle East Downstairs
09/02 Providence, RI: The Living Room
09/03 Montreal, Quebec: Studio Juste Pour Rire
09/04 Toronto, Ontario: Hart House
09/05 Chicago, IL: Empty Bottle
09/06 Minneapolis, MN: 7th Street Entry
09/09 Vancouver, British Columbia: Richard’s on Richards
09/10 Seattle, WA: Nectar Lounge
09/11 Portland, OR: Doug Fir Lounge
09/12 San Francisco, CA: 1015 Folsom
09/13 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theatre
09/14 Costa Mesa, CA: Detroit Bar
09/15 San Diego, CA: Casbah
09/17 Phoenix, AZ: The Brickhouse
09/18 Tucson, AZ: Club Congress
09/19 Albuquerque, NM: Launchpad
09/20 Juarez, Mexico: The Hard Pop
09/22 Austin, TX: The Mohawk
09/23 Dallas, TX: Palladium Loft
09/24 New Orleans, LA: One Eyed Jacks
09/25 Atlanta, GA: Masquerades
09/26 Chapel Hill, NC: Local 508
09/28 Baltimore, MD: Ottobar
09/29 Washington, DC: Black Cat
09/30 Philadelphia, PA: Johnny Brenda’s
10/18 New York, NY: Bowery Ballroom

Esau Mwamwaya, M.I.A., Santogold, and Radioclit “Get It Up”

A couple weeks ago, everyoneon the internet collectively lost their minds when the Diplo/Santogold Top Rankin mixtape surfaced, and now it’s time for the aftershock. The Radioclit-produced track “Get It Up”–a percussion-heavy, tribal anthem, that originally featured both M.I.A. and Santogold–gets a special guest appearance from Malawi-born, London-based singer Esau Mwamwaya, whose melodic additions to the track work notably well alongside the original verses. Esau, who runs a second-hand furniture store just down the street from the Radioclit studio, apparently has an album in the works, so hopefully more collaborations like this are on the horizon.

Esau Mwamwaya, Santogold, M.I.A and Radioclit – Get It Up

Get It Up

Neckface Readies Violent Exhibition

The press release for Neckface‘s latest exhibition came with a warning that read, “due to the shocking and violent nature of this art show, absolutely no one under 17 will be admitted.” We’re not sure if New Image Art Gallery or was just taking advantage of our pre-coffee haze, but Cannibal Carnival, from the sounds of it, will to contain plenty of blood regardless. The California-born graffiti artist turned gallery darling has given us everything from hanging witches to defaced Batman ads in the past, and for this, his latest show, he’ll display a collection of new works whose subjects range from she-monsters to Satanic skateboarders.

Cannibal Carnival will run August 16 – September 20 at L.A.-base New Image Art Gallery, with an opening reception on August 16 at 7 p.m. Pack those IDs and a strong stomach.

High Places: Escaping the City

Brooklyn duo High Places came alive in the summer of 2006 when solo musicians and email friends Rob Barber and Mary Pearson decided to go on tour together. Almost immediately, the Philadelphia native and the girl from Kalamazoo, Michigan began fusing themselves into one band. “We just realized our songs fit together really well,” Barber states from a café in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

As it turns out, theirs is a rare, fruitful collaboration that harmoniously balances each bandmembers’ musical skill and aesthetic approach. Both make visual and aural art–Barber with formal art training under his belt and Pearson with a background in orchestration. “It’s refreshing to work with someone who’s not trained,” Pearson says of the pair’s dynamic. “People that don’t have [musical training] often have more creative ideas, because [they ’re not] burdened by over-thinking things.”

The notion of assembling found materials is key to High Places’ sound. Taking its cues from the field-recording techniques of global pop ethnographers Sublime Frequencies, the band uses humble tools–the laptop’s built-in microphone is their main recording device–to create reverb-heavy sound collage. Calling this process “audio scrapbooking,” the group tweaks their mixes–which might include the crumpling of paper or the hum of a garbage truck–into melodies above which Pearson sets her lilting vocals. The result, which simultaneously recalls dub and the primitive indie rockisms of Beat Happening, is at turns haunting and cheerful; the band’s use of non-traditional instruments and ethereal qualities often draw comparisons to Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox is a fan) and Panda Bear.

Though the purely platonic duo resides in Brooklyn, their music sounds decidedly non-urban. Barber says the rural, perhaps even beachy vibe is intentional. He concurs that High Places’ songs like “Head Spins” and “Banana Slug/Cosmonaut” are escapist, and says he “loves getting out of the city as much as possible.” And while the band’s initial recordings might come off as precious–“Someone might say, ‘My girlfriend would really like this!’” jokes Pearson–their live show is a different animal altogether. Taking inspiration from acts like Black Dice and Lightning Bolt (with whom the group are friends), High Places strives to funnel all of its multilayered sounds into one swell of noise. “[We’re] usually three times as loud as the other bands we open for,” Barber tells us.

Having found increased exposure after critical acclaim for 03/07–09/07, an online collection of vinyl-only releases, the band has a jam-packed fall ahead of them. Following recent appearances at France’s Midi Fest and the Pitchfork Music Festival, and dates with L.A. bands No Age and Abe Vigoda, they recently hit Europe, opening for Deerhunter. And after going label-less up until now, Barber and Pearson have signed with Chicago avant-rock imprint Thrill Jockey, who will release their debut LP in late September. What better time than autumn to drench yourself in sunny reverb?

The Kills “Cheap And Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)”

London-based post-punk band The Kills are no strangers to hype, and getting the remix treatment from Sebastian–Ed Banger’s famed distortion king–can only add to the excitement surrounding both parties involved. Tearing the original bassline to a grimy pulp, SebastiAn transforms “Cheap and Cheerful” into a dancefloor crusher, complete with multiple breakdowns and a triumphant piano outro. This should find a nice place in every electro-house DJ’s Serato playlist, right beside the five hundred other successful SebastiAn remixes.

Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)

Jamie Lidell “Little Bit of Feel Good”

Different, but in the same vein as his previous album, Jamie Lidell manages to hit the ’60s vibe, but you can still sense that it was produced in the modern day. “Little Bit of Feel Good” sometimes sounds like Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions but the beatboxing is a dead giveaway that this song is from the future. Still, he knows how to use his influences and doesn‘t try to hide it.

Deerhoof Plots Giant Tour

Deerhoof is set to hit the road, for a tour that’s rather titanic in its proportions. The trio will hit the road shortly before their latest album, Offend Maggie, drops on Kill Rock Stars October 6. In the meantime, occupy yourselves with the many fun activities the band has for fans in support of the upcoming release, be it remxing the track “Rrrrrrright,” downloading some covers, or submitting your own interpretation of “Fresh Born.”

Dates
10/03 Los Angeles, CA: Avalon
10/04 San Francisco, CA: Great American Music Hall
10/06 Portland, OR: Wonder Ballroom
10/07 Seattle, WA: Neumo’s
10/09 Salt Lake City, UT: Urban Lounge
10/11 Denver, CO: Bluebird
10/13 Omaha, NE: The Slowdown
10/14 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue
10/15 Milwaukee, WI: Turner Hall
10/16 Bloomington, IN: Buskirk Chumley Theater
10/17 Chicago, IL: Metro
10/18 Pontiac, MI: Crofoot Ballroom
10/21 New York, NY: Speigeltent
10/22 New York, NY: Irving Plaza
10/23 Cambridge, MA: Middle East
10/24 Northampton, MA: Pearl Street
10/25 Philadelphia, PA: Starlight Ballroom
10/26 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club
10/28 Carrboro, NC: Cat’s Cradle
10/29 Asheville, NC: Grey Eagle
10/30 Nashville, TN: Mercy Lounge
10/31 Athens, GA: 40 Watt Club
11/01 Orlando, FL: The Social
11/02 Tampa, FL: Crowbar
11/05 New Orleans, LA: House of Blues
11/06 Houston, TX: Numbers
11/07 Dallas, TX: Granada
11/08 Austin, TX: Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/10 El Paso, TX: Club 101
11/12 Tucson, AZ: Club COngress
11/13 Tempe, AZ: The Clubhouse
12/05 Antwerp, Belgium: Trix
12/06 Amsterdam, Netherlands: Melkweg
12/08 Le Havre, France: Cabaret Eletrique
12/09 Rennes, France: Antipode
12/10 Lyon, France: Ground Zero
12/11 Paris, France: Sonic Festival

Photo by Daisuke Shimote.

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