Boogie Releases New Book

Since releasing his self-titled sophomore book in 2007, Serbian-born, New York-based photographer Boogie has kept busy documenting life south of the equator.

The result of this is Sao Paulo, a new collection of photographs from the Brazilian capitol that takes a close look at the population’s day-to-day existence. If you know Sao Paulo, this isn’t the most uplifting topic to explore, but such is the nature of Boogie’s work, and we should count ourselves lucky that someone has the guts to train a camera on the realities beyond our New Era cap and blog-house existence.

Pick Sao Paulo up now from Upper Playground.

Alex Moulton “Meridians”

You don’t hear a lot of dance music producers talking about waxing poetic about classic rock and gazing deep into gatefold LPs, but that is exactly what Alex Moulton has said about working on his latest album, Exodus. “It’s a total concept album,” he explains. “I wanted to make something like a Pink Floyd record, where you put it on and you listen to the whole thing all the way through and it takes you on this crazy journey.” The album certainly hints at the powder-fueled epics of Giorgio Moroder and new age soundtracks of Vangelis, but the prog-driven concept gazes deep into the future without even a look back. Wyatt Williams

Alex Moultan – Meridians

Various Ragga Ragga Ragga 2008

Another year, another Ragga comp, right? Wrong. 2007-08 has been a blazingly innovative period for dancehall music, with new artists, producers and styles boldly emerging. Ragga 08 summarizes new dancehall talents starting with Mavado’s epic “On The Rock,” one of several tracks included on the Baby G-produced Mission riddim. Other big tunes include Mykal Rose’s number-one song “Shoot Out,” newcomer Demarco’s breakout “Duppy Know Who Fe Frighten” and Tony Matterhorn’s bubbling “This Is How We Grow.” Alongside cuts by Bugle and Vybz Kartel (whose “Money Fi Spend” and “My Scheme” are included) is dancehall’s biggest talent, Busy Signal. His hip-hop-fused hit “Jail” and uptempo joint “Wine Pon Di Edge” are highlights on a comp busting with blingy bright stars.

Lexie Mountain Boys: End of the World

Listening to the Lexie Mountain Boys makes one wonder if music just didn’t up and die sometime in the past decade. It’s as if a bomb leveled Baltimore, killing nearly everyone and their recorded music with one fell swoop, save for a small tribe of B-more club obsessives and a fading collective memory. From this post-apocalyptic scrap heap might arise something like Lexie Mountain Boys’ “future music.”

The five women that comprise the group–Lexie Mountain, Sam Garner, Amy Waller, Amy Harmon, and Katherine Hill–shuffle, stomp, and improvise sprawling, self-contained harmonic vocal arrangements that draw off what feels like the whole of American music: from club music to girl groups to post-everything avant-garde composition. Their spontaneous eruptions bridge the joyfully ridiculous with that primitive something that lies at the soul of all music. Theirs is an altogether different world, evident upon listening to an early tape of theirs that consists of 30 minutes of laughing, crying, and barfing. “We don’t actually acknowledge any vocal scale,” offers Lexie Mountain (a.k.a. Lexie McMacchi), over dinner at a neighborhood pasta bar in Baltimore.

The group’s first wide release, this month’s Sacred Vacation (Carpark), is not only startlingly listenable in a genuine pop sense, but just damn fun–like, loopy dancing and beach-bonfire fun. It makes you think of the first time you heard Animal Collective–that grin-inducing, head-clearing freedom–or, for that matter, early punk. That’s the kind of freedom that makes Lexie Mountain Boys one of the most legit, truly bold things in experimental music. “We can do whatever we can think of to do,” the lead Lexie says of the music they create from what’s been given to them naturally–voices, feet, and hands.

Sacred Vacation is based on pure improvisation, “the result of a long process of us being together and recognizing the various strains of songs, and finding familiarity [with each other],” McMacchi says. LMB recorded the album in one day in a cavernous old church hall of worn wood floors, boarded stained glass, and crumbling stone walls. The only effect on the record is an acoustic echo with so much history and personality it feels like a member of the band. “We just had confidence in freaking out; we didn’t practice at all before [recording],” she says.

It follows that the shows are uniquely fuck everything experiences, from the “hairy rain-bro” show (painting rainbows on a club’s walls with paint-dipped hair) and the “golden ball” (kicking a gold spray-painted ball for percussion) to human pyramids and surfing (then collapsing) on a dining room table in Boston.

The latter was a total accident, but accidents don’t mean quite the same thing in the Lexie Mountain Boys universe. “[With] every one of our shows, you never really know if it’s going to fall off a deep end,” says McMacchi, listing off a litany of assorted near catastrophes. “If you have a song, it’s never really a failure, unless your equipment fails.”

More on Lexie Mountain Boys
MP3: Sweet Potato Sugar Tot
Feature: Live with Lexie Mountain Boys

Pole “Alles Klar”

Electronic pioneers Stefan Betke and Barbara Preisinger founded ~scape in 1999, and over the years have released records from the likes of Jan Jelenik, John Tejada, and others. For just about as long, Betke has also been recording and releasing music as Pole. As the story goes, Betke decided on the name after dropping a Waldorf 4-Pole filter and proceeding to make music with the newly fractured hardware. “Alles Klar” comes from Round Black Ghosts, a recent compilation on ~scape that takes a peculiar spin on the ever-shifting dubstep genre.

Pole – Alles Klar

Podcast 42: Zizek Urban Beats Club

Argentina’s Zizek collective has spent the last few years spreading the gospel of cumbia, electro reggaeton, and mashups to all corners of the globe via its energy-fueled club nights, and for the latest installment of the XLR8R Podcast, the crew has brought the beats of South America to your headphones with this mix.

Ringleader Villa Diamante gathered and mixed tracks from the likes of production duo Fauna, microsampler extraordinaire El Remolón, and Argentina-based DJ Joven, for an hour’s worth of grime, funk, hip-hop, ragga, and, of course cumbia, the undisputed star of the Zizek crew’s musical doings and highly danceable form of music.

Catch members of the Zizek crew on the road this summer, when they embark on a U.S. Tour.

Tracklisting
1. DJ Joven & Lindsay Welsh – Babasonicos vs. Marcelo Fabián
2. Villa Diamante – Emisor (Diamante Cumbiastyle)
3. El Remolón – Cumbia Guajira
4. Villa Diamante – El Remolón vs. Detroit Grand Pubahs
5. King Coya Ft. PG13 and Axel K – Petrona Martinez (Diamante Edit feat. Princesa)
6. Villa Diamante – Chancha Vía Circuito vs Calle 13
7. Fauna – Piola Boy
8. Sisqo Hit a.k.a. Arkd – Rastrishop
9. Villa Diamante – Chancha Vía Circuito vs. Nelly
10. Villa Diamante – Marcelo Fabián vs. Dante
11. Villa Diamante – Surtek Collective vs. Modeselektor
12. Tremor & Villa Diamante vs. Don Chezina & Tony Touch
13. Sonido del Principe – Cartagena
14. El Nosotros – Ragga Intro
15. Surtek Collective – El tebeo feat. Peter Rap
16. Disque DJ – Pedacito de Mi Vida
17. DJ Panik – Like This, Like That
18. Santogold feat. Spankrock – Shove It (Toy Selectah Cumbia Refix)
19. Dj Not I – Deuce Eclipse vs. Skream (Diamante Cumbiastyle)
20. Aldo Benitez – Rota de Nuevo (Daleduro Cemix)
21. Villa Diamante – Tonolec vs. Kromestar
22. Villa Diamante – Daleduro vs. Lady Tigra
23. Luisao – Plasticians vs. Todos Tus Muertos
24. Intoxicados – Comandante (Diamante Cumbiastyle Edit)

Subscribe to this podcast: iTunes or mp3 format. For help, click here.

Download MP3
Download M4A (iTunes enhanced)
Subscribe to Podcast (RSS)

Podcast_Mix_2008_07_03

Baltimore Hosts Whartscape 2008

The folks over at Wham City have put a lot blood, sweat, and caffeinated soda into making Baltimore a haven for unabashed weirdness and sweaty parties. With a style that seems to both venerate and eviscerate the popular culture icons of the ’80s and ’90s, the art collective makes and promotes music that usually sounds like an old video game strung out on energy drinks and psychedelics. In between the torrential output of both visual and auditory projects, along with a regular schedule of events, they also put together the annual Whartscape event.

The four day extravaganza boasts too many bands to count including the newest Baltimore residents Matmos, party mastermind Dan Deacon, weirdo kings Black Dice, and more playing at a scattershot spread of warehouses and other somewhat more official venues. Surprises will certainly be in store for anyone who attends, as the website calmly notes, “SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO INCOMPREHENSIBLE CHANGES AT THE DROP OF A HAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

No matter what happens, you can count on some exhaustingly good times happening July 17-20 in Baltimore. Just don’t forget the soda.

Confirmed Lineup
Matmos
Nautical Almanac
Ultimate Reality
Adventures in Illegal Art with Mark Hosler of Negativland
Leprechaun Catering
Teeth Mountain
Blue Leader
Ben Heresey
Ric Royer
Beach House
Jana Hunter
Golden Age
Arbouretum
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez
Wheatie Mattiasich
Santa Dads
Matteah Baim
Andy Abelow
Eagle Ager
A Murmered Tale
Oxes
Thank You
Celebration
Killer Whales
Deathset
The Mae Shi
DDMMYYYY
Eyeball Skeleton
Bird Names
Ecstatic Sunshine
Lexie Mountain Boys
The Creepers
Dufus
WZT Hearts
Facts
Ed Schrader
Air Waves
Benny Stoofy
Smarts
King Cloud
Video Hippos
Nuclear Power Pants
Blood Baby
Human HOst
Food for Animals

Bass Reaction: Benga, The Bug, Appleblim

Bass Reaction’s theme this month: Enter the Technodrome. Lately, dubstep has been infiltrated by interesting IDM and dub techno elements. For evidence, check out completely superb new recordings by 2562 (Aerial, on Tectonic), Scuba (A Mutual Antipathy, on Hotflush), iTAL tEK (Cyclical, on Planet Mu). and Appleblim’s standout mix compilation for Tempa, Dubstep All-Stars Volume 6. All of the above mentioned titles excel and explore dubstep’s spatial possibilities, with clicks, pulsing melodies, and synthetic dreamscapes that drive the music. These albums are techy, dubby, refreshing.

Kode 9 and Hatcha are touring the U.S. in July. Dates include Tuesday, July 8 at Chop Suey in Seattle, Wednesday, July 9 Rotture in Portland, Thursday, July 10 at Mezzanine in San Francisco, Friday, July 11 at the Roxy in Los Angeles, and Friday, July 18 at Love in New York.

Hotflush Recordings has a big night called Sub:Stance happening July 11 in Berlin. The event takes place at one of the city’s most renowned venues, Club Berghain, and features sets by Mala (Digital Mystikz), Shackleton, Appleblim, Distance, Scuba, and more.

BBC1 Radio’s Mary Anne Hobbs announced a special one-off radio broadcast called Generation Bass she’ll host August 18-19, featuring sets by new artists chosen by the original Dub Warz 7: Mala, Skream, Kode 9, Vex’d, Hatcha, Loefah, and Distance. The show will be recorded, filmed, and posted on YouTube. Hobbs recently compiled the diverse dubstep-to-techno Evangeline CD compilation.

Digital store and label Sonic Boom will air an exclusive video interview with Antisocial producer Silkie, available for viewing starting Monday, July 14.

Benga breaks down his production wizardry for Future Music in a scintillating video series! Essential viewing!

Matty G’s “West Coast Rocks – Glitch Mob Remix” is available as a free download. Nice one!

The ill Grime City collective is offering its third multi-DJ mix, featuring Cyan, Munk, SamSupa, 100 Spokes, Enzyme, and hosted by the brapped-up Emcee Child.

Big respect to Dusk & Blackdown who drop their debut album, Margins Music (Keysound), July 14. The heavy disc features established grime MCs Durrty Goodz, Trim, Farrah, Target, and more. A launch party takes place July 13 at FWD featuring Blackdown, Dusk, Oneman, and Joker. Blackdown’s blog and monthly Pitchfork columns are also essential reading!

Sub Swara’s Coup d’Yah (Low Motion Records) is 100% fire. No exaggeration. The 12-track album, available now as a MP3 download, features vocals from Zulu, MC Coppa, Napoleon Solo, and Juakali

Jackhammer dubstep producer Kevin Martin, a.k.a. The Bug, drops his Ninja Tune debut, London Zoo, on July 29. The album features Warrior Queen, Tippa Irie, Ricky Rankin, Flodan, and more. Watch the video for “Poison Dart,” featuring Warrior Queen.

A Bass Reaction underground hero is the mysterious Mr. Forensics, who’s pumping out the fresh DJ mixes (the Adventures In Death Star Valley series) and original plates with a quickness. His style is dark, fractured, and slightly IDM-influenced, but weighty nonetheless.

Fixations: Series One is the new compilation from Seattle‘s Insectmind that dropped April 20 and features new business from Hatcha, MKS, Struggle, and others.

Support BareFiles, the site for exclusive DJ mixes and new releases. New mixes and profiles are up now of Deapoh, Incyde, and Alien Pimp.

Other new and forthcoming releases:
–Joker‘s “Gully Brook Lane” (Terrorrhythm) drops July 7.
-Los Angeles’ Edwin Mendoza and Graham Dye introduce their new LA Dubstep Nostra label with a debut label-titled EP featuring Nebulla & Dore, 6Blocc and Parson.
–Hyperdub’s next release is by King Midas Sound with remixes by Flying Lotus and Dabyre.

Above: Appleblim.

Matty G “West Coast Rocks (The Glitch Mob Remix)”

Here comes another remix courtesy of The Glitch Mob. This time around, the four-man laptop powerhouse has gotten ahold of dubstep producer Matty G‘s “West Coast Rocks” anthem, which is currently spinning on the turntables of many a DJ and getting love from the likes of Caspa and Jeep. For this remix, Glitch Mob delivers a track that jumps between slow, slinky hip-hop beats and pounding, glitch-heavy mayhem as only these boys can do. A few melodic interludes, light piano notes, and layered synths complete the track. Photo by Rennie Solis.

Matty G – West Coast Rocks (The Glitch Mob Remix)

Alias Readies New Album

In the five years since we last heard from him, Brendon Whitney has kept busy with a move back to his hometown of Portland, Maine, collaborating with Ehren and Tarsier, and working on Resurgam, his latest release under the Alias guise.

Whitney had a couple guests stop by for appearances on the disk, including anticon. labelmates WHY? and L.A.-based songwriter The One AM Radio. The combined efforts of all these parties make for a pleasantly melodic collage of avant-hop and electro that retains a dream-like quality throughout its 13 tracks. But what else is there to do in the dead of winter in Maine besides meticulously craft songs that, from their titles, appear to be obsessed with death and Oakland?

Resurgam will be out September 2 via anticon. Vinyl copies are limited to a run of 1500, so scoop ’em up while you can.

01 New to a Few
02 I Heart Drum Machines
03 Well Water Black feat. WHY?
04 Oakland Morning
05 M.G. Jack
06 Prelude to a Death Wish
07 Death Watch
08 Autumnal Ego
09 Place of No More Question
10 Resurgam
11 The Weathering feat. The One AM Radio
12 Justamachine
13 Oakland in the Rearview

More on Alias
MP3: “Well Water Black feat. WHY?”
Feature: Alias in the Studio

Photo by Morgan Howland.

Page 2906 of 3781
1 … 2,904 2,905 2,906 2,907 2,908 … 3,781