Last week, composer and vocalist Hanna Benn released DIVIDE Remixes, a remix pack to follow her acclaimed debut, DIVIDE.
Released in January of this year, DIVIDE presents four genre-spanning tracks that feature Benn’s gorgeous vocal work and inspired sonic experimentation—a freeform, daring debut from an exiting new prospect. Now, DIVIDE returns with four bold reworks from some of Benn’s collaborators, including Deantoni Parks, Ash Koosha, Ian Chang, and D’HNZ. As you can most likely infer from the list of artists involved, the remix EP is a wide-reaching affair, ranging from Ian Chang’s beat-driven interpretation to D’HNZ’ stoned bass outing and Deantoni Park’s ever-morphing ethereal closer.
In support of the release, Benn has offered up Ah Koosha’s remix, a haunting and textural ambient piece, as today’s XLR8R download, available via WeTransfer below.
We’re going to keep this introduction short for two reasons: there’s already been a lot written about Nastia and her journey thus far (including our recent 20 Questions feature); secondly, the music is more interesting and original than this piece of text could ever be. So, in the interests of those few who haven’t yet heard of Nastia, real name Anastasia Topolskaia, here are some key points to acquaint you.
Nastia is Ukrainian, born into a “normal” family in a small village in the east of the country that was typically disconnected from music. Her first exposure came through movie soundtracks—”I was an outsider to club music so the first introduction came from the movies,” she says—and she began DJing in 2005 while enrolled at Donetsk University, where she also worked as a dancer in one of the best clubs in the city. Her career really took off in 2009, just before she became a resident at Moscow’s now legendary Arma 17 club, and now she tours more than almost any other artist, recognised as one of the world’s most in demand DJs. Finally, she only dabbles in production; and her sound is almost impossible to pigeonhole: in any given set, you’re likely to hear industrial techno, experimental, house, drum & bass, and just about anything else.
And her XLR8R podcast is testament to this versatility. At her request, she’s compiled a set of “intelligent dum & bass” and minimal/experimental,” much less club-ready than those who’ve seen her perform but laced with that Nastia groove. It hooks you from the opening track, a gorgeous vocal-laden number, before picking up the pace with some drum & bass, and then closing sublimely. “I loved it and listened to it five times on the way to America before I sent it to you,” Nastia explains. “It’s perfect for listening on the plane, in the car, at the hotel or home, before sleep and before the party. It became one of my favorites and I am very much happy with this work.” We feel similarly, hence we haven’t been able to put it down since we received it last week!
“I don’t remember myself making the mix with music I play, like a clear techno sound. I wanted to experiment, to express myself in a different way and give an alternative sound to people to maybe discover something else together. It’s not a secret that I adore drum & bass and jungle music. I’ve been into it since 2007. Recently, I’ve even been playing drum & bass sets at some festivals and it gave me a different energy; it’s raw and fresh, as real and clear as it was in 2005 when I started to play. The coolest thing about it is that I don’t pretend to have any position in the drum & bass scene, I just do it for myself; let’s say I am filling some gaps by playing this music and it gives me a lot of inspiration. I truly love it and I like to keep it just as a passion without working in this direction professionally.
“Since I didn’t record any mix for a year, it was difficult to push myself to sit down and create it. It took longer than usual, but somehow it’s easier for me to record drum & bass mixes rather than techno, because I don’t know much about this scene and I was counting only on my feelings and intuition. I’ve always stuck to minimalistic music, because it has a lot of room for a fantasy; it’s soft, intelligent and smooth, so I definitely had an idea how this podcast should sound like.
“I checked the whole collection of drum & bass on my laptop and I selected some tracks first, then I stayed in the studio for a couple of hours checking how I can build my story up and then I recorded it at my home studio the next night before I left to my USA tour—always the last minute, just couple of hours before my flight.
“All my mixes I’ve ever done in my life were recorded live in real time without using any programs or a laptop, just with my little friend Sony PCM-M10 recorder. Somehow I have never recorded any of my mixes twice, they’ve always been made on the first take. And this time, I even tried to mix this podcast in an alternative way, but I stopped on minute 21—I felt I shouldn’t. But I wasn’t sure about the quality and perfection of this mix, I had a lot of doubts and stress before I listened to it for the first time. Actually I was surprised how good it is in the end and basically I found it really perfect. The way I built it up and told my story is real and flowing, it’s unpredictable and eclectic, soulful and futuristic, dubby and dynamic, all in the same time. I loved it and listened to it five times on the way to America before I sent it to you. It’s perfect for listening on the plane, in the car, at the hotel or home, before sleep and before the party. It became one of my favorites and I am very much happy with this work. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to release and express myself in this beautiful way, I really appreciate it. ❤️
“Now I feel free and on my horizon I can only see two months off from January to March. I am super excited to live a normal life for a while, because I don’t remember how it feels. Since 2009, I’ve been touring non-stop and it’s only in the last year that I’ve been home for longer than 1 month. I am planning to do a Vipassanā course in February and my intuition says it will change my life, so no serious plans until and after that, I want to leave my space open for any kind of spontaneous decisions. Also I am having a long wish list of different things to do and I am planning to change my life style a little to make them all happen.”—Nastia
Due to issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the podcast here.
Silk Road Assassins, a trio consisting of Tom E Vercetti, Chemist, and Lovedr0id, will return to Planet Mu with their debut full-length, State Of Ruin, two years after their first EP, Reflection Spaces.
The trio recorded the album over two years, working together to start with, then across different studios and via the internet when their lives became more separated. They finessed the album at Abbey Road studios, making use of some short time to add in extra layers.
The three producers day jobs are in production music, music designed and created specifically for film and games, and we’re told that thE album sees them use these skills to explore the musical forms that they love. “The album explores how trap and grime’s minimalist form can be built and curved into musical architecture: elegant, opaque, and layered, turning the sound into lush, melodic world-building,” the label explains.
The album also features two Planet Mu alumini: Kuedo, who features on “Split Matter,” and Russian producers WWWINGS.
Tracklisting
01. Overgrown
02. Split Matter (ft. Kuedo)
03. Armament
04. Vessel
05. Familiars
06. Bloom
07. Pulling The String
08. Bowman
09. Shadow Realm (ft WWWINGS)
10. Taste Of Metal (Instrumental)
11. Saint
12. Feeling Blu
13. Thorns
14. Blink
State Of Ruin will land on February 8 with “Bloom” streaming below.
Efdemin’s upcoming album, New Atlantis, will be released via Ostgut Ton on February 15 on 2×12”, CD, and digital formats. This record will mark the Berghain/Panorama Bar resident’s fourth full-length and his first solo release on the Berlin label, and follows his previous albums on Dial.
Over eight tracks, we’re told that New Atlantis oscillates between fast, kaleidoscopic techno, multilayered drones, and acoustic instrumentation, fusing for the first time Efdemin’s deep dancefloor productions with his sound art and experimental music projects as Phillip Sollmann.
The album draws inspiration from Francis Bacon’s unfinished 17th century novel of the same name, which describes a fictional island devoted to social progress through the synthesis of art, science, technology and fashion. In the story, Bacon imagines futuristic ‘sound houses,’ which contain musical instruments capable of recreating the entirety of the sounds of the universe.
Like previous Efdemin albums on Dial, New Atlantis veers off the techno path to explore other musical territory. Here however, Sollmann occasionally “abandons the club entirely, returning only to push its boundaries with other instruments, mythologies and psychedelic story telling,” we’re told.
RIP Swirl, known amongst his peers as Luka, is a Berlin-based producer working with the more solitary ends of hazy R&B and lo-fi dance music. Most recently, he released an EP of B-Sides called B-Sides_001 via his own Paradise House, and in support of the release he’s shared unreleased cut “”Shoulda Been U” as a free download, available now via the button below—or here for EU readers due to temporary GDPR restrictions.
Following recent outings by Western Versions, Phork, and Jónó Mí Ló, Digital Mystical explores “themes of technology induced loneliness, psychic phenomena, internet spy paranoia, and parallel worlds—Digital Mystical is the rhythmic expression of a self proclaimed spiritual futurist, living in the poisonous dust of the last vestiges of civilization.” The nine tracks on the album are wildly eclectic sonic excursions that touch on jungle, breaks, garage, house, and techno whilst retaining a recognizable thread throughout. Digital Mystical is Oso’s first release since last year’s Mind/Body/Science EP, and is a noticeable step up in technical proficiency and delivery.
With the release now on the shelves, Pastel Voids has offered up a full stream of
In support of XLR8R+ and independent music, we’re now compiling 10 of our favorite Discogs gems into an easy-to-digest list each month; all submissions come from independent labels. You’ll perhaps know some but you’re unlikely to know them all—but these are some of the tracks that are on repeat week after week in the XLR8R offices. For our fourth edition of 10 Discogs Gems, we’ve gone for a deep, soulful, and groove inspired list.
XLR8R+ is a monthly subscription service to complement the main XLR8R site. Each month we share three unreleased tracks from three different artists—both known legends and lesser-known pioneers—that we feel are pushing the scene forward in inspiring ways. These tracks will be available for download in high-quality WAV format for the duration of one month; only subscribers for that particular month will have them. They will not be available anywhere else and there will be no access to archived material. You can find information on the latest edition of XLR8Rplus here. XLR8Rplus 006 features cuts from Varg, Lapien, and Deadbeat.
Canadian twin brothers Mark Thibideau and Matthew Thibideau were originally part of an early 90’s indie band named Wax Bean Orchard, however, upon moving to Toronto their love for minimal house and techno grew and led to the formation of Repair. Released on the label Dumb-Unit in 2001, “Black Line Display” showcases the stripped-back grooves that rose to prominence in the late ’90s and early noughties, featuring a funky bassline and melodic synths that work in unison for a slice of dancefloor bliss.
UK house was at its peak around the late ’90s and Remote Kontrol was very much a part of that. Made up of Mark Elsey and Jason Pearce, who had been friends since the age of 11, they soon got their hands on an Atari ST and Emu sampler and started making tunes. “Words” was released on the various artists Deeperground EP through the iconic label Organised Sound. An example of quality over quantity, they distributed six records from 1998 to 1999 with each one becoming highly sought after, which explains the high prices on Discogs. A lot of the tracks are not even available to listen to on youtube. “Words” has to be a contender for one of our favorite UK house tracks with its smooth bassline, bouncing drums, and elegant samples. Remote Kontrol are set to release some new material in the upcoming year so keep your eyes peeled.
In 1977 James Mason recorded his debut solo album, Rhythm of Life, for Chiaroscuro, a small independent label based in New York. Originally a member of the legendary Roy Ayers band, he was a specialist on the keyboard and guitar. Mason never recorded another album but he certainly went out on top with this record full of soul, funk, and jazz elements. In 1999 Soul Brother records acquired the rights and it was reissued in 2000.
Scott Monteith (a.k.a Deadbeat) is a musician, sound artist, and music-technology educator whose live sets are known for their dark and deep twisted beauty. Since 1999, the Canadian-born, Berlin-based dub techno producer and DJ has released on a ton of labels including Cynosure, owned by Mike Shannon, who released “The Heckler” in 2008. With its warped samples and heavy underlying synths, it’s a track perfect for the dancefloor of a small club at the peak of the night. Deadbeat also delivered a cut to the latest edition of XLR8R+, which you can hear below and pick up here.
One of the main heads of the German and international house and techno scene over the last 20 years, the name Steve Bug is synonymous with dance music. From sharing lineups with techno DJ Chris Liebing to house and groove wizard Zip, Bug can transcend genres due to his deep collection and wealth of experience. This track is one that could be played on the same bill as the latter. Released on Bug’s own label Raw Elements in 1997 under his alias Superlova this is a funky house track to get you moving.
Kettenkarussell is made up of Leafar Legov (real name Rafael Vogel) and Herr Koreander (a.k.a. Konstantin). Geigling started as a club and venue in Weimar, an East German city and shortly after the group of friends began pressing their own records and Giegling was born. It’s more of a collective, a tightly knit group of friends and musicians including Prince of Denmark, Matthias Reiling of Session Victim, and Vril, amongst others. “New York City Blues” was released on the album Insecurity Guard, an emotive and soulful journey through minimal techno, ambient, and house.
Mixing records since the age of ten, Jus-Ed has been DJing professionally since 1981. One of the modern-day fathers of house and techno, he started the globally respected Label Underground Quality, which has released records from artists such as Omar-S, Steffi, Levon Vincent, Nina Kraviz, and long-term collaborator and B2B regular Move D. Jus-Ed continues to play out regularly all over the world and played one of the highlight sets of Freerotation in early July. “Yo This Shit Is Hot” is an old school deep house track with a hypnotic sample released on the Small Oak EP in 2006.
Lapien has been making music all his life. His first release came in 2012, after moving to Berlin, dividing his output between three aliases: Metropolis, Nepal, and Lapien. It was a set of his at Panorama Bar that sparked our interest with the dutch artist, eventually leading to him appearing on our most recent edition of XLR8R+. “Vexed” was released on the A Change Is Gonna Come EP in 2016 and his most recent record under the name Lapien. He teamed up with the highly respected label REKIDS, which is owned by Radio Slave, and has released with artists such as Nina Kraviz and Mr G, amongst others. You can stream his contribution to XLR8R+ below, with the track available here for one more week only.
Jonas Rönnberg’s is known for his brooding techno tracks and outspoken nature making him one of the most alluring personalities in contemporary techno. As Varg, an alias he adopted with 2013’s Misantropen LP, Rönnberg has produced a huge amount of tracks within such a short space of time. He’s put out almost a dozen full-lengths and a similar number of 12”s. “Västra Skogen” was released on the Gravrösens Bortglömda Band EP in 2014 and is an atmospheric slow-burning techno masterclass, much like “nti nti,” which features on the sixth edition of XLR8R+and can be streamed below.
UK Garage producer Antonio released six EP’s from 1997 to 1999 and it’s his track “Hypefunk” that he is most known for. “Closer” was released on the Closer EP in 1998 by the legendary garage label “Fifty First Recordings, which was started in 1994 in a small studio in London. As soon as “Closer” starts you know you’re in good hands with its euphoric piano keys, beautiful vocals, and soothing sax riff.
Germany’s Bureau B has reissued two seminal Richard Pinhas albums from the ’70s and early ’80s, namely his sophomore solo LP, Chronolyse, and his fourth outing, East West.
Influenced by a variety of artists in classical, psych, prog, and more, Richard Pinhas applied a vivid range of music to records he produced under his own name. Chronolyse and East West are critical windows into this journey and stand as defining works in the first wave of electronic music.
Chronolyse takes its name from a book of the same name by sci-fi writer Michel Jeury, with many of the track titles referencing Frank Herbert’s Dune. Pinhas primarily recorded Chronolyse on a Moog synthesizer, shelving the music for two years before it was released in 1978 by Cobra. 1980’s East West is a much different record, taking synthetic textures, rhythms, and harmonies to even more unique terrains than its predecessors.
Richard Pinhas is an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist from France, critical in the development of fusions between progressive rock music, electronic, and more. His imaginative and technical scope in music has produced an extensive collection of works over the last 40+ years, including collaborations with Pascal Comelade, Merzbow, Oren Ambarchi, and many more.
To end the year, Jonwayne has released new instrumental hip-hop collection Yuletide Bangerz.
The 17-track release was produced on the Elektron Octatrack and the Akai MPC Live, and tracks sample a wealth of Christmas-themed music and film, underpinned by the classic sounds of ’90s-influenced hip-hop drum breaks and soulful melody loops.
Released exclusively on Bandcamp through Jonwayne’s Authors Recording Co., Yuletide Bangerz follows up his inclusion of “Last Last Fall” in the Adult Swim Singles series.
Tracklisting
01. Seasons Greetings 02:55
02. Mistletoe 01:24
03. The One Everyone Does 01:52
04. Xmas Diva 01:38
05. Stuck In Chimney 00:42
06. Eggknock 01:42
07. Sticky Bandits 02:46
08. Holly Jolly 01:52
9.’Tis The Season 00:56
10.Bright Christmas 01:38
11. Son of Turboman 01:40
12. Carol 01:50
13. Purple 00:43
14. The Christmas Song pt. I & II 03:04
15. Silent Night 02:16
16. No Santa 01:23
17. Hula Hoop 01:37
Yuletide Bangerz is available now, with a stream here.
Maymind has shared a new 45-minute live performance, available to download via WeTransfer below.
Recorded in Downtown LA earlier this year with three synths and a drum machine, it’s a meditative mix full of deep, low-slung grooves and warm ambience, and a perfect representation of the live improvisational methods Maymind has employed on this year’s Wait For Me Out Front EP and Cheap Storage album for DC label Atlantic Rhythms.
Ahead of a new LP for Kid606’s Tigerbeat6 imprint, we sent Maymind a handful of questions to find out a bit more on the mix, his recording processes, and what’s on the horizon.
You can stream and download the mix below.
When and where was the mix recorded?
While DJing has been a big part of my life in the past five years, making music live and in the moment has been a part of my daily activities for much longer. This mix is actually a live show I played in Downtown LA, earlier in the evening. I tried to follow the advice of one of my mentors long ago—keep it raw, keep it funky.
Can you describe the atmosphere and vibe of the party?
It was a warm, late summer night. I distinctly remember the smell of tacos hanging in the air. At one point, I looked up and a group of children were dancing in front of me. It was a very joyous moment.
What equipment did you record the mix on?
Whenever I see an artist I admire mention a piece of gear, I have the tendency to immediately research that tool and see what it’s all about. Because I also write about and review gear as part of my day job, I’m constantly inundated with new music but also new musical tools. It’s very easy to become convinced you need the latest “thing” to make music, whether it’s a drum machine, sample pack, or plugin, and I must admit I have been a victim of that mindset in the past as well. So I’ll just say that this was recorded with one drum machine, one FM synth, one analog monosynth, and one analog polysynth, all running to a 12 channel mixer. Use the tools you have!
Your recording process favors a limited set-up focused on live and improvised performances—what led you down this path and what draws you to this way of working?
At first, I started working this way out of necessity. I had moved to LA from NY, and in the process sold most of my old analog synths that had lived in my studio, including a Sequential Circuits Pro-One that had an amazing custom purple case, a Roland SH-101, a Korg Polysix, and others. Shortly after arriving in LA, my main recording computer died, and I was left with an old Macbook and a few cheap drum machines. I decided to take a completely different approach than the Ableton-centric approach I had been taking, and bought an MPC-1000 on a whim. Using just the MPC as my main sequencing and sound tool really focused my recording sessions.
Ironically, the recordings that became Illumina, Cheap Storage, and Wait For Me out Front were all made around the same time, more so as just sonic explorations while I was biding my time till I could get back to producing more “proper” house and techno. One thing I quickly learned in LA is that the walls are very thin! Making anything with a big kick was really tough in my living situation, so I naturally gravitated towards making more ambient and experimental tracks. It wasn’t till I went back and listened to a bunch of bits I recorded that a new world appeared to me.
How was 2018 for you?
It was a really eventful year. I must admit that I’ve been making music for a very long time, but it wasn’t until the past year or two that I’ve really figured out how I want to say what is inside of me. The distractions of social media and the careerist approach of many made me think I had to make a certain kind of music, and those fears and doubts have been pushed aside as I’ve gotten a little older. My album Cheap Storage and a follow-up EP, Wait For Me Out Front, both came out on Atlantic Rhythms, a label in DC that is doing some great things and that I’m happy to be a part of. I know they have a few pretty exciting things coming out in the months ahead as well.
What’s on the horizon for 2019?
The pendulum has swung back in the other direction, and I’m finally back to working on tracks with a bit more focus in the box. I’m going to be going out to Joshua Tree in a few weeks to finish up a more club-focused EP. My next full-length album, Contoured Euphoria is finished and waiting to be mastered; that will be out on Kid606’s Tigerbeat6 in Spring 2019. Besides that, finding time to connect with my friends and family, devoting more time to design work, and stepping further away from the distractions of social media. And practicing my jazz chords.
Due to issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the mix here.
