MC Gringo Gringão

If the car commercials, U.S. club play, and the flood of media stories didn’t prove that baile funk had gone worldwide, Gringão surely does. MC Gringo, a white native of Stuttgart, Germany, is the only non-Brazilian to make waves in the Rio favela funk scene. His debut album–a raw take on baile’s now-ubiquitous twist of Miami bass, samba, and primitivist hip-hop–proves why. On the one hand, Gringão is purist: Tracks like “Alemão” are like blueprints for the bass-shattering sound of the Rio ghettos. (This German ex-punk even raps almost exclusively in Portuguese.) But Gringo’s sampled Forro accordions and carnival cowbells, combined with an obvious affection for American hip-hop on tracks like “Berimbal,” give him his own sound. And it’s one that could easily translate back into the Western culture that spawned the MC, making baile’s globalization just about complete.

The Out Circuit Pierce the Empire With a New Sound

The Out Circuit is the shoegaze/hardcore project of Frodus bassist Nathan Burke. Pierce the Empire With a New Sound is his first record since 2003, and boasts collaborations with members of Thrice and Roadside Monument. Opener “Come Out Shooting” attempts to do just that, adding synths to a Refused-style jam, while “Across the Light” utilizes layers of ambient sounds with dreamy keyboards. Due to inconsistency in sound and slickly produced vocals, however, much of the album comes across cheesy, particularly the near-goth “Passchendaele” and the adult-contemporary-feeling “We.” Despite a handful of solid ideas, Pierce the Empire is ultimately a pet project for a select indie audience.

Hood: Brothers Gonna Work it Out

British post-rockers Hood create beautifully evocative music that eschews rock’s usual clichés–lyrically, it’s as likely to advocate waking up early to absorb the beauty of suburban daybreak as it is to encourage sabotaging local train lines to stop a lover from returning home. Initially inspired by post-rock illuminati such as Bark Psychosis and Disco Inferno, the group subsequently drew influence from cavernous dub, corrupted hip-hop, and contemporary micro-house, sampling Robert Wyatt and working with anticon.’s DoseOne and Why? The band’s sibling-nucleus of Richard and Chris Adams has now put Hood on hiatus, separating into The Declining Winter and Bracken, respectively. Below, they talk about each other’s current projects.

Richard Adams
(The Declining Winter) on Bracken

XLR8R: How would you describe your brother’s project?

It’s the sound of a ghost clattering around in a big old house, knocking pots and pans about and falling down the stairs.

What do you think of Bracken?

It’s fantastic. Now I get to hear Chris’ songs without actually doing any work [on] them. And he’s prolific! Three albums in one year is more than Hood ever managed.

Do you listen to Bracken?

I just whack all [the songs] on iTunes and flick through until I find one I like the first five seconds of, and ignore the rest.

How would you improve or change Bracken?

Just by changing the words, replacing all the music, sacking the singer, and altering the cover art.

Is this the end of Hood?

Well, playing in front of 10 people at shows was becoming a bit wearing. I’m happier doing something where I have low expectations and I don’t have to get involved in the horrors of the music industry. But if someone offers us a million pounds to perform Cabled Linear Traction in its entirety, then we might think about it.

Chris Adams (Bracken) on The Declining Winter

XLR8R: How would you describe your brother’s band?

The sound of cassette tapes spilling out of the glove-box of a 1970s Datsun Sunny somewhere in the north of England, captured on Super 8 film.

What do you think of The Declining Winter?

Great. It’s not as fiddly as the stuff I’m doing. (I don’t mean the instrument, as I think there is a fiddle on there.) I mean, it’s not… as fiddly.

Do you listen to them?

Yes, they’re rehearsing in my basement as I write this.

How would you improve or change what they’re doing?

I’d get them to turn it down–Curb Your Enthusiasm is coming on in a minute.

Is this the end of Hood?

By me and Richard releasing records you mean? How does that work?

New Jack Hustle “All City Anthem”

Alex Newman and Shawn Jackson combine their talents (as well as names) to comprise New Jack Hustle, a two-man musical team that hails from Los Angeles. Newman might be more known for his work with Giant Panda, but this project leans more towards that throwback, sample-heavy sound that earned them a reputation. The record is, a bit surprisingly, out on a new Irish label called All City Dublin, but there isn’t a doubt that this is coming from the West Coast.

All City Anthem

Podcast 33: Top Billin

Finnish DJ/production/remix outfit Top Billin gathers everyone from Bounty Killer to Holy Ghost! and Jesse Rose together, for what’s likely to become our ultimate party soundtrack of 2008. The trio, which consists of Fiskars, Sir Nenis, and Flipperi, are self-proclaimed makers of fun-loving music and have proven this again and again with their performances alongside Justice and Tittsworth, remixes for the likes of Trouble & Bass, and support from Diplo, Sinden, A-Trak, and dozens of others. Check out their new EP, just released on their own Top Billin Music imprint.

Tracklisting
1. Bounty Killer “Top Billing” (K-Licious)
2. Red Foxx “Dem A Fight” (StepSun)
3. Cutty Ranks “Next Reggaesode” (Breaks R Us)
4. Tiger Ranks “Party With Me” (Soul Jazz)
5. Kenny Dope “Supa (Can I Kick It?)” (Atlantic)
6. Teddy Pendergrass “Believe In Love” (Elektra)
7. George Michael “Father Figure” (remix) (Crooklyn)
8. The Police “Voices Inside My Head” (A&M)
9. Keyshia Cole “Shoulda Let You Go” (Eli’s echo mix) (white)
10. Holy Ghost! “Hold On” (DFA)
11. Aeroplane “Pacific Air Race” (Eskimo)
12. Good As Gold “Waiting For You” (Top Billin)
13. Andy Caldwell “Warrior (Claude Vonstroke mix)” (OM)
14. Vukasin “I Feel” (Jack Union)
15. Jesse Rose “All Over My Head” (Dubsided)
16. Huoratron “$$ Troopers” (Downtown remix) (New Judas)
17. Sharkslayer “I’ll Be Around” (white)
18. Basement Jaxx “Jump N’ Shout” (XL)
19. Phoenix “If I Ever Feel Better” (club mix) (Source)
20. The Doors “People Are Strange” (club mix) (white)
21. Human League “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (club mix)” (Hooj Choons)
22. Alan Braxe “Addicted” (Kitsune)
23. DJ Sega “Fuck Um!” (Hollertronix)
24. A-Town Players “Wassup Wassup! (DJ Icee mix)” (Premeditated)
25. Lionel Ritchie “All Night Long (Rico Tubbs remix)” (white)
26. KW Griff “Fascination” (Unruly)
27. Curses! “What I Need (Sharkslayer remix)” (Trouble & Bass)
28. Top Billin “Hoes & House” (Top Billin)
29. Count Of Monte Cristal “Bounce Dat Ass “(Cheap Thrills)
30. Rusko “Cockney Thug” (Sub Soldiers)

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Podcast_Mix_2008_04_03

Bogdan Raczynski in the Studio

When an artist compares making rhythms to cooking beef-stock cubes, it’s a surefire sign to not take his music too seriously. And that’s exactly producer Bogdan Raczynski’s charm. On his latest album, Alright! (Rephlex), he cross-breeds gabber, drill ‘n’ bass, and breakcore into a caffeinated, constantly mutating strain of electro-pop. The Polish-born Canadian has been a longtime regular on the Rephlex label, and his work has even attracted Icelandic pop icon Björk, who collaborated with him on the 2005 single “Who Is It?” Unlike many bedroom studio artists who’ve passed through our In the Studio feature, Raczynski keeps his gear very simple: Just a worn-out laptop and headphones. XLR8R probed him about his studio (or lack thereof), his production techniques, and his new album.

XLR8R: If I walked into your studio, what would I see?

Bogdan Raczynski: I use a dead-tired laptop [Fujitsu Lifebook T2010] and a pair of clunky headphones. Typically, you can find me in the kitchen, as I’m always working on new recipes. I don’t have a studio per se.

What’s your secret weapon?

My tea kettle. My special boiled-water-and-honey combo in the morning revs me up and warms me up so I can let my mind wander.

Are there any new studio techniques and gear that you used on Alright!?

With each successive album my process and technique gets simpler and simpler. I spend less time looking for samples and more time just trying to please my mind. Ultimately, that’s what my music boils down to: enjoying myself. On earlier releases, I would actually hunt down samples, sample my own sounds, use software synths to make sounds, filter, etcetera. Now I just use stock sounds. I have my five to six trusted spices and a variety of ingredients that I use on a regular basis and I stick to them.

Do you usually stick to a few particular synth models for performing your songs’ lead melodies?

Absolutely. I don’t muck about too much. If it pleases my ear, I go with it. I’m not interested in focusing on finding weird sounds because I don’t want people to focus on the technique of the music; I want them to just enjoy the music very immediately. It’s like food or anything else sensually pleasurable–the more you think about it or are taken back into reality, the less sensual or pleasurable that thing is.

Did a lot of DSP work go into Alright!? Do you program your synth patches from scratch?

Not at all. I’m an absolute technical dunce. I’d fail any music-technology tests. I don’t explore techniques or technology. But I can rock the rave like you wouldn’t believe.

Do you usually mix tracks using headphones or do you prefer listening to the monitors?

I try to mix with the most absolute shit set-up I can find, because when I was growing up I didn’t have the best amount of cash for speakers in my car or home. I want it to sound proper on any crap set-up.

What are some “shit set-ups” you’ve mixed with in the past?

The first tracker [an old form of sample-based music software, in which a typing keyboard is used for notation] I composed with was absolute dog shit. Rather than the standard vertical grid, it was notation-based. So you were able to load in whatever samples you wanted but had to plonk down actual notes on a scale and work out tracks that way. It was a nightmare and everything sounded as such. But it’s hard to complain too much with freeware. It’s like saying I hated that I had access to cheap noodles when I was borderline broke and starving.

What advantage is there to sticking with a simple laptop as opposed to working in a full studio?

I think most people mistakenly feel that they need more gear or software to complete their sound. They’re constantly damning their own music because, “Oh, if they only had this expensive plug-in or mixer or…” It’s like saying you need a professional kitchen with all the latest copper pans and expensive Japanese knives in order to make a family-pleasing dish. The truth is that simple is always better.

Do you prefer software synths or hardware synths?

I’m strictly software. I find hardware to be too time-consuming. I can’t dedicate the time to tweak knobs and play with wires when my delicate stock is simmering away in the kitchen. One minute too long and your stock pot is burnt on the bottom and you have to start over.

Beatwise, how did you create the rhythms for your new record?

Sometimes, I make my own stock; sometimes I use stock cubes. But only the organic stock cubes–the other ones have way too much sodium.

Tha 4orce Mind the Gap Anthems V2

London’s multi-tasking hip-hop act Tha 4orce collects a pack of his affiliates for this album, which falls somewhere between hip-hop and soul. For the most part, this MC/DJ/producer thrives in the company of his guests. His solo offerings, like the mildly braggadocious “Do This Well,” aren’t bad, but they lack the potency of the collaborations. The jazzy soul and smooth back-up vocals of Pete Cherry on “Precise Precision” make for a good combination with Tha 4orce’s fast raps. Then when he puts the mic down on “Magnificent,” he treats his fellow Brit rhymer Poynt Blak with some classic crunchy drums. As a collective effort at least, Mind the Gap Anthems V2 hits the spot.

Pacifika Asuncion

Using flamenco sensibilities with tasteful electronics, Ascuncion, from Canada-based Pacifika, employs a rhythm of palmas and congas to hold a sweet midtempo groove on opener “Me Cai.” Vocalist Silvana Kane’s breathy whispers carry the melody for a few minutes, until a deep and dubwise bass rearranges the landscape of the song. Toby Peters handles the low-end, while Adam Popowitz completes this Latin-based trio fueled by pop sensibilities. Peruvian native Kane is strong and interesting enough on vocals to keep this debut coasting smoothly, while her backing team is diverse enough–including rumba, jazz, reggae, and synthesized Andean flutes–to create a refreshing and light electronic breakthrough.

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons

Originally an outlet for GYBE! founder Efrim Menuck’s piano compositions, A Silver Mt. Zion has grown in name and scope over the last 10 years. 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons expands on Menuck’s apocalyptic vision. Opener “1,000,000 Died to Make This Sound” has all the elements of a classic ASMZ epic: guitar and violin crescendos, choir vocals, and Efrim’s trademark yelp. Elsewhere, the 15-minute title track breaks new ground for the band with Black Sabbath-esque guitars, while “Black Waters Blowed/Engine Broke Blues” hits a few heavy, dark climaxes. All of this builds to the moving perfection of “Blindblindblind,” where layered guitars build a symphonic funeral march.

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