Directed by Walter Robot.
Various Moods: You, the Night, and the Music
With the obscene amount of crappy chill-out compilations destined for cutout bins, one wonders what the Backdrop label, a new imprint of Germany’s ObliqSound, can do to affect the tide. Moods isn’t going to break new ground, but it’s far from being a caricature of its bastard cousins. Craig Roseberry (a.k.a. DJ Shifty) has selected an international roster of talent that trades in a variety of feelings, styles, and interpretations of chic. Some tracks, like Stateless’ “Bloodstream,” veer a tad too close to synth-pop; others, like Atjazz’s bloopy remix of Grand Pianoramax’s “Freestyle Figures,” are delightfully unique. It’s a mixed bag, but promising nonetheless.
These New Puritans Beat Pyramid
Southend, England’s These New Puritans arrive with a fair amount of NME-bestowed hype, thanks in part to a collaboration with designer Hedi Slimane, having created tunes for his 2007 Dior Homme runway show. Taking its sonic cues from acts like The Fall and Klaxons, the beat-driven indie-rock four-piece’s debut here is a fashionable but unoriginal collection of tunes. The record’s 16 tracks attempt to incorporate too many of-the-moment influences–electro, post-punk, experimental–without a unique (or coherent) vision to unify them. But there are some standout tracks: “Swords of Truth” is a fresh, DJ-set-worthy cut and the instrumental “Doppelganger” is also a winner. Taken as a whole, though, Beat Pyramid unfortunately sacrifices its shelf life for hipness.
Minilogue “Jamaica”
Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson have been releasing tracks as Minilogue for about eight years now. The Swedish duo chose wisely with their portmanteau moniker (a combination of “minimal” and “dialogue”); their songs are minimal soundscapes that mix elements of ’90s techno dramatics with dark, sparse beats. Hendrikkson knows a thing or two about techno, as he’s been spinning some of southern Sweden’s biggest parties since the mid-nineties. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that Mullaert is classically trained in piano and violin as well. This latest track, “Jamaica,” fits right in their oeuvre: a long, dark beat driven into a loud, drumming climax. Wyatt Williams
Podcast 37: Mutek 2008 Preview
With MUTEK 2008 just around the corner (the event takes place Wednesday, May 28 – Sunday, June 1), XLR8R invited Montreal-based DJ and promoter Michel Pontbriand to make a mix featuring artists on the festival bill this year. Pontbriand, who manages the Musique Risqué label and works for MUTEK, gathered tracks from the likes of dub/ambient producer Deadbeat, Berlin’s maximal masters Modeselektor, abstract composer Murcof, and many others for this hour-plus-long set of house, techno, and all things danceable. Catch him DJing every Thursday night in Montreal at his Fricoti weekly, and if you haven’t booked your ticket for MUTEK yet, do so now at the festival’s site. Photo by Birgit Kaulfuss.
Tracklisting
1. Rechenzentrum “On Return” (Weiser Music)
2. Mathias Kaden “Swahili” (Freude-Am-Tanzen)
3. Ernesto Ferreyra “Face In all Faces” (Thema)
4. Murcof “Cuerpo Celeste” (Leaf)
5. Partial Arts “Telescope (RadioSlave Prenzlauer Blur Remix)” (Kompakt)
6. Onur Ozer “Aida” (Vakant)
7. Half Hawaii “Mir Nichts” (Hello Repeat)
8. Dave Aju “Runout Feat. 101” (Circus Company)
9. Barem “Suki” (Phonocult)
10. Mossa “Caraconcara” (Milnormodern)
11. Thom Yorke “Black Swan (Christian Vogel Bonus Beat Eraser Mix)” (XL)
12. Nôze “Childhood Blues” (Get Physical)
13. Metrika “Time” (Crosstown Rebels)
14. Modeselektor “Happy Birthday” (Bpitch Control)
15. Deadbeat “Deep In Country” (Scape)
16. Quiet Village “Gold Rush” (!K7)
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Too $hort “I Ain’t Trippin (James Pants Remix)”
How does a white drum line kid from Spokane, Washington end up making a record that fits right in with the classic electro tunes of Egyptian Lover, Cameo, and Skyy? Well, according to the kid, James Pants, “It’s just the sound of really cheap equipment, listening to a lot of records, and goofing off.” He nails that ’80s sound on Welcome, his debut LP on Stones Throw, and the result is an ass-shaking success. On this brand new track, our Oak-town hero and neighbor Too $hort gets some hot remix treatment from Mr. Pants. Wyatt Williams
Dublab Launches “Hands On” Proton Drive
Los Angeles-based web radio collective-turned non-profit organization dublab launched its “Hands On” Proton Drive this week, and until May 21, the infamous Labrats (frosty, Jimmy Tamborello, Nobody, Daedelus, The Gaslamp Killer, Carlos Nino, and a ton of other artists) will be broadcasting live, working hard to collect some extra funds. Proceeds will go towards rent, design, streaming and web hosting fees, maintenance, event production, and other costs essential to the dublab mission statement of bringing the positive vibes via music to your desktop.
In addition to the aforementioned Labrats, several special guests will appear on the airwaves during this time. Thus far, those include ambient outfit Nudge, illustration team Kozyndan, Lucky Dragons, comedian Neil Hamburger, Devendra Banhart, The Long Lost (Daedelus & Laura Darling), Nobody’s Blank Blue project, and more to be confirmed.
Donations are tax-deductable. Head over to the proton drive site to find out more about donations and some of the cool dublab items you will receive for contributing.
Proton Drive Live Broadcast Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
May 20 10 a.m. – May 21 10 a.m.: 24 hr “No Sleep” Session
Cosmic Rapp
Top Bands Again Flow Into Helsinki
The Roots, Múm, Caspa & Rusko, Robert Hood, and Senor Coconut are just a few of the artists confirmed for the diverse Flow Festival, set to take place August 15-17 in Helsinki, Finland’s Suvilahti. Now in its fifth year, the event is organized by the Nuspirit Helsinki collective, who have expanded the show to an area three times larger as the previous year and added a fourth stage.
Flow showcases music from jazz to soul, indie to electro, techno to dubstep, electronic and freak folk. Headliners for this year’s event include Philadelphia’s The Roots, U.K. singer Jamie Lidell, French pop sensation Sébastien Tellier, and Canada’s indie darlings Crystal Castles. Get Physical and Sonar Kollektiv label showcases, as well as Chicago’s DJ Funk, will wow fans of electronic music. Another highlight: a new group featuring Basic Channel’s Moritz von Oswald, with Vladislav Delay on metal percussion.
All in all, Flow Festival presents 62 acts on four different stages during three days:
Friday August 15
Main Stage: Múm, Jamie Lidell
Tent Stage: Crystal Castles, Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson, Le Corps mince de Francoise
Club Voimala: M.A.N.D.Y., Sebo K, Ame
Club Tiivistämö: Caspa, Rusko,Tesla-Rok & Dead-O, DJ Randall, Del & Boj Lucki
Saturday, August 16
Main Stage: The Roots, CSS, Sébastien Tellier
Tent Stage: Detektivbyrån, Borko, Huoratron
Club Voimala: DJ Funk, DJ Eli Escobar, Massive B
Club Tiivistämö: Robert Hood, Mr Velcro Fastener, Jori Hulkkonen
Sunday, August 17
Main Stage: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Senor Coconut and His Orchestra feat. Argenis Brito, The Five Corners Quintet
Tent Stage: Moritz von Oswald trio feat. Vladislav Delay, Ane Brun
Bitter Bastard’s Book of XLR8R Firsts
BJ “Bitter” Bastard’s not one for navel-gazing. And he certainly didn’t care to trawl through the annals of this rag’s history to find for you our finest moments of the past 15 years. But we made him do it anyway. One might think that he’d come away with a veritable history of electronic music culture from ’93 ’til the present. He did, but he also surfaced with tired drug references, sore eyes (from staring at the worst fractal graphics ever), and God knows how many disses on Moby and prog house. Here he lays bare 10 monumental firsts in XLR8R’s early years.
First interview: Issue 1
“Bloody Heck! It’s 808 State,” by publisher Andrew Smith.
XLR8R: “What do you think about rave in America?”
Andrew Barker: “I like it, it’s quite good. But it’s quite commercialized. With like the illuminous bangles what you wear around your neck and stuff like that, it’s a bit hippiefied.” Yep, that’s a pretty fair assessment.
First diss on trance or progressive house: Issue 2
Goldie: “Progressive house, in relation to the name, isn’t that at all!” Too bad we covered it for the next six years anyway.
First interview with RuPaul: Issue 3
We actually interviewed RuPaul? Just so you don’t think I’m lying, here’s a choice quote:
Ru Paul: “You can call me ‘he,’ you can call me ‘she,’ you can call me ‘Regis and Kathy Lee.’”
First live show review: Issue 4
From the “Oppressor of the Month” page: “The Pigs!!! Your friends and mine, the boys and girls in blue, showed up earlier this month at Seattle’s first successful full moon rave. Despite attempts to scare away the throngs with searchlights, the event went off well with good vibes all around.” Thank God, lest this spark a thousand more police vs. rave stories. Oh, wait, it did.
First “city” feature: Issue 4
Certainly this page prefigured our now-annual city issue, with exacting reportage like the following: “Portland’s scene, while smaller and less sophisticated than Seattle’s or Vancouver’s, has the look and feel of any decent scene anywhere.”
First “clever” cover line: Issue 5
“Inside: James Brown, Psychic Warriors ov Gaia, Spelling Mistakes.” Hey, we warned you!
First “herb” ad: Issue 7
On the back cover, an ad for Cloud 9: “The next level of consciousness. Not a new drug, a new reality… Beware: Not an illegal drug or a smart drug, this is a new scientific breakthrough in herbs.” Uh, sure.
First coloring contest: Issue 8
Keoki’s Kreativity Kontest, in which contestants had to write a haiku about bass and color in a Keoki sketch. Third-place prize was a pack of Rave cigarettes. Funny, right?
First “internet” story: Issue 8
We covered the internet as a phenomenon, in a story entitled “Internet: What It Is and What It Will Mean.” “On a computer network, your posting can instantly be read by millions of people–and any one of those people can instantly respond.” Dear Mr. XLR8R. My name the honorable bitter bastard. I is live in Djibouti and has many moneys for you. Send me your bank reccords and you will get many lentghs to add to your peepee.
First goat-themed issue: Issue 9
We asked The Orb’s Alex Paterson how he felt “about goats and other animals.” “I don’t have any problems with them… I think every house should have them. I don’t have a goat, but I have some terrapins.” In a Richie Hawtin feature, our designer manages to morph the Plastikman symbol into Hawtin’s face and then into a goat head in just 10 moves. Goats!
