German producer Sven Schienhammer’s minimal dub-techno music draws from the spectral traditions of Pole, Monolake, Mike Ink, and Rhythm & Sound. And like J Dilla’s many copycat beat disciples, most recent dub-techno producers tend to sound like lame Maurizio knock-offs. Schienhammer’s recordings as Quantec, however, avoid clichés and add new ideas to the genre’s moody, muted formula. Layered ambient patterns are Schienhammer’s primary compositional tool. On “Iboga” various drifting melodies congeal like a dense fog with only a heartbeat kick drum to guide listeners through the ether. Long, decaying synth notes on “Yage” and dense, shoegazer-style tones on “Panaleous” invoke expansive natural landscapes. As electronic reverberations and pulses surge and fade, Unusual Signals will leave you pleasantly lost.
Various Jazzie B Presents School Days
Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B is mostly known for his U.K. R&B productions such as “Keep on Moving,” but dude is a serious reggae man, having run Jamaican-style sound systems for decades. School Days sees Jazzie comb through Trojan’s vaults for personal favorites, and his choices are superb. Alongside ‘70s roots numbers like Jacob Miller’s cannabis ode “Tired Fe Lick Weed in a Bush” and Gregory Isaacs “Slavemaster” (with I-Roy’s DJ version “Point Black” included) are proto-dancehall boomshots like Tenor Saw’s “Ring the Alarm” and Admiral Bailey’s lively King Jammy-produced “Jump Up.” Classic 12”-length tunes by Horace Andy and Barrington Levy share space with lovers fare by Dennis Brown and Alton Ellis. For this class assignment Jazzie gets perfect marks.
Ise Lyfe “Bad Word Bounce”
Oakland-based MC and activist Ise Lyfe cites Langston Hughes as an inspiration and raps about equally intellectual subject matters in his work. The first single off his Prince Cometh album, “Bad Word Bounce” finds him making a play on Snoop Dogg and Pharell’s “Drop it Like it’s Hot,” imitating the minimal beats and soft rhymes, but replacing lyrics about Chandon and Rolexes with issues ranging from the media to the objectification of women. For the album, he enlisted Bay Area producer Nick James to handle production duties.
Loco Dice: The Anti-Minimalist
“I didn’t put any stickers or graffiti on the door,” says Düsseldorf’s Loco Dice, discussing the tagged turquoise portal gracing the cover of 7 Dunham Place, his debut LP named after the Brooklyn address where it was recorded. “That door lived on its own, and entering that door changed my life… So I had to record the door as it happened.”
Truth be told, Dice is not much one for applying tags of any sort. “Minimal” is a word often applied to Loco Dice records, but Dice claims that unless you’re Richie Hawtin or Robert Hood, the term is likely being misused. Certainly, one single on Minus (2006’s class “Seeing Through Shadows”) shouldn’t mark you a minimalist. A more appropriate designator–if anything is to be taken from Loco Dice releases on Cadenza, Cocoon, and Ovum–is contemporary deep house, with integrants condensed from Chicago’s jackin’, Detroit’s friction, Ibiza’s tribalism, and G-funk’s lean.
Loco Dice (or just Dice, his real first name) came up in the late ’90s as a DJ enamored of intimate sunrise sessions and terrace parties (largely at Düsseldorf’s Tribehouse and Ibiza’s DC10); he quickly found himself among similarly long-form techno peers, including Sven Väth, Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos, and Hawtin. Eventually, he met his production partner, Hanover-based Martin Buttrich (who doesn’t quite get the same marquee credit). Since the pair’s first collaboration, 2002’s “Phat Dope Shit,” Dice and Buttrich have striven to imbue each single with a distinct sense of place. “I love dynamics that are not too dry, that are wet like the way you feel the sweat of the people in the air of a club,” says Dice.
To assemble 7 Dunham Place, Dice and Buttrich moved into a creaky Williamsburg loft, shipping over their key equipment in a container that was lost for a month in harbor customs. Once their equipment was recovered, the duo holed up with white wine and pasta, $2 slices, and PlayStation soccer to fuel their 12-hour days, then set about translating the flush of displacement and pleating the energy of their international travels into tracks.
“We talked a lot about how to rearrange the classic vibes and everyday new impressions to hit the fresh groove,” says Dice, a former hip-hop DJ, breakdancer, and MC. “I like when tracks can one minute refresh my memory and another make a new memory.”
The nine-track end result–self-released on Loco Dice’s Desolat label–respects true minimal’s streamlined circuits but expresses no interest in its anonymity. From the aqueous plonk of “Breakfast at Nina’s” to the Balearic chords of “La Esquina” to the resonant chatter of “M Train to Brooklyn,” 7 Dunham Place offers low-compression, high-concept art direction that maintains its own identity even as it strengthens that of Loco Dice.
Win Your Own Party with Scion Radio
Most folks have, at some point, spent time holed up in their bedrooms crafting meticulous playlists of their favorite tunes, but few have ever won anything for such efforts. Car company and marketing powerhouse Scion is ready to give obscure indie music lovers their due, with the Scion Playlist Contest.
The concept is fairly straightforward: Create a playlist, then log onto the contest’s website and submit it by September 15. After that day, a group of Scion Radio DJs will compile the lists and choose two grand prize winners from the pack.
And just what does one get for wowing the Scion Radio DJs with their top-shelf music tastes? The lucky two will receive nothing less than a party thrown in their hometown with a headlining artist of their choice. Not a bad deal for typing 15 or so track names onto an electronic form. More info on rules, regulations, and the like can be found here. Grand prize winners will be chosen on November 1.
If you’re needing inspiration for your playlist, tune into XLR8R‘s Scion Radio Show, hosted each month by members of the magazine staff.
Girl Talk is Going on a Gigantic Tour
When it comes to music, Girl Talk will settle for nothing less than spectacular. His recent album, Feed the Animals, used 300 samples in 50 minutes, was released under an extensive pay-what-you-want plan, and now the inimitable man born Greg Gillis is packing his bags for a rather epic tour.
Gillis will be on the road for nearly 40 dates this summer and fall, joined by Grand Buffet, The Death Set, CX Kidronik, and Hearts of Darkness, and will hit the major festivals like Lolapalooza, All Points West, and DEMF’s summer event. For those wondering if the live performances will maintain the standard set by his recorded work, just peep the photo above. Pick up Feed the Animals now at Illegal Art.
07/11 Boulder, CO: Fox Theatre
07/12 Aspen, CO: Belly Up
07/23 Victoria, BC: Sugar
07/24 Vancouver, BC: Commodore Ballroom
07/25 Seattle, WA: Capitol Hill Block Party
07/26 Portland, OR: Roseland Theater
08/03 Chicago, IL: Lollapalooza
08/08 Jersey City, NJ: All Points West Festival
10/09 Philadelphia, PA: Starlight Ballroom*
10/10 Washington, DC: 9:30 Club*
10/11 Baltimore, MD: Sonar*
10/13 Carrboro, NC: Cats Cradle*
10/14 Asheville, NC: Orange Peel*
10/15 Knoxville, TN: Valarium
10/16 Atlanta, GA: Variety Playhouse*
10/17 New Orleans, LA: House of Blues*
10/18 Houston, TX: Warehouse Live*
10/20 Austin, TX: Emo’s*
10/21 Dallas, TX: Palladium Ballroom*
10/23 Tucson, AZ: Rialto Theater*
10/24 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theater**
10/25 Los Angeles, CA: Henry Fonda Theater**
10/27 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore**
10/28 San Francisco, CA: The Fillmore**
10/30 Salt Lake City, UT: In the Venue**
11/01 Lawrence, KS: The Granada Theatre**
11/03 Minneapolis, MN: First Avenue**
11/04 Milwaukee, WI: Turner Hall Ballroom**
11/05 Urbana, IL: Canopy Club**
11/06 Nashville, TN: Cannery Ballroom**
11/07 Louisville, KY: Headliners Music Hall**
11/09 Cincinnati, OH: Bogarts**
11/10 Cleveland, OH: Beachland Ballroom**
11/11 Pontiac, MI: Eagle Theatre**
11/12 Toronto, ON: Koolhaus**
11/13 Montreal, QC: Club Soda**
11/14 Foxborough, MA: Showcase**
* w/ Hearts of Darkness and Grand Buffet
** w/ CX Kidtronik and The Death Set
Pon Di Wire: Buju Banton, Aba Shati-I
International Reggae Day was Tuesday July 1, but continues online as a “virtual festival.” Visit the site to check out past and present IRD events, pictures, and artist profiles. Hear audio and see video on IRD’s MySpace page. Several veteran reggae artists praised IRD for recognizing the genre’s impact and contributions to Jamaican culture.
British reggae fans will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Jamaica’s One Love Peace Concert with their own event, to be held August 15-17 in East Sussex. The U.K. concert will feature Smith and Mighty, Iration Steppas, Vibronics, Nick Manasseh, Earl Gateshead, Cry Tuff, and others. The original Peace concert, April 22, 1978 in Jamaica, saw Bob Marley bring political rivals Michael Manley and Edward Seaga on stage to shake hands.
Word just arrived that Buju Banton is completing a new roots album titled Rasta Got Soul. Can’t wait for that! In the meantime, Banton will be on tour this summer, with dates that include July 26 in Toronto, Aug 9 in Freeport, Bahamas, August 22 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and August 23 in Ft. Lauderdale.
American singer Keyshia Cole has been confirmed for Sumfest Jamaica’s International night, July 18.
The New York Times has described Jamaica’s 8th annual Caribbean Fashion Week in Kingston as “a major success.” Other bloggers praised the event’s variety and inventive tailoring, including the designs of Bembe street-dance promoter Biggy.
The U.K.’s premier dub soundsystem, Aba Shanti-I, is profiled this week at United Reggae. Along with British foundation roots sounds Jah Shaka and Jah Tubby’s, Aba has maintained a popular draw, spinning strictly cultural roots reggae and dub.
New riddims this week (courtesy Ernie B’s Reggae Distribution): The hybrid dancehall/one-drop Strong Grain riddim on Weedy G features Capleton, Burro Banton, and Black Ice. Don Corleon’s ’90s throwback Double Joint riddim is popping off with tunes by Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, and Pressure. Big League’s Paradise riddim is a melodic one-drop with vibes from Sizzla, Collie Buddz, and Lutan Fyah.
Our hearts are with dancehall artist Tanto Metro (“Everybody Falls In Love”), whose sister, Michelle Wolfe, 34, recently lost her seven-year battle with cancer. Metro says he plans to take a break before returning to the studio to record with his artistic cohort Devonte. Honey-voiced singer Anthony Cruz also recently experienced a major loss, and Pon Di Wire’s thoughts and best wishes go out to Cruz’s relatives and friends.
The Northern California-based Reggae Rising concert has finalized its line-up for the Aug 1-3 event. Highlights include:
Friday August 1: UB40, Beres Hammond, Tanya Stephens, Cham, and Mr. Easy
Saturday August 2: Sly & Robbie, Sizzla, Junior Reid, Turbulence, Mr. Vegas, Lexxus, and Black Judah
Sunday August 3: Don Carlos, Gentleman, Julian Marley and Collie Buddz, plus a nightly dancehall soundsystem tent
Richie B HOT 102 FM Top 20 Reggae Singles
1. Terry Linen “Mood For Love (Missing You)” (Uplifting Music)
2. Black Judah feat. Warrior King “Mercy Please” (Teflon Blood)
3. L.U.S.T. “Just As I Am” (Born Music)
4. Queen Ifrica “Choppa Grade” (Nice Time)
5. Capleton, Bobo Zaro and Contractor “Pain” (Tad’s Intl)
6. Tony Rebel “Love Fire” (Taxi)
7. Fyakin “My Lady” (Fearless)
8. I-Octane “Different Page” (Rated R/Arrows)
9. Patriot “Looking For Love” (Hill Side)
10. Etana “I Am Not Afraid” (No Doubt)
Above: Tanto Metro and Devonte.
Lexie Mountain Boys “Sweet Potato Sugar Tot”
Five women make up the Baltimore-based outfit Lexie Mountain Boys, and together, these ladies make avant-garde tracks hint at everything from punk to pop. “Sweet Potato Sugar Tots” is off the group’s first Carpark release, Sacred Vacation, and features a strange amalgamation of rhythmic handclaps, fractured vocal harmonies, and ghostly echos, all of which is proof that one doesn’t need a huge arsenal of instruments to make compelling music. Photo by Liz Flyntz.
