He’s perhaps best known as half of the surrealist hip-hop duo Heralds of Change, but for his solo work, Mike Slott prefers to incorporate heavy amounts of soul into his beats. “Knock Knock” is part of All City Records’ new seven-inch series, which begins in March and will showcase producers from Europe and the U.S. over the course of seven months.
Steven Spielberg’s Wii Game
Steven Spielberg loves games! More specifically he loves the Wii!
A couple years ago, he made a deal with EA to produce his own titles, and the first of them was revealed this past week, exclusively for Nintendo’s box. Surprisingly, the game has nothing to do with Nazis or aliens.
Titled Boom Blox, it’s part puzzler and part demolition crew as you meet over 300 challenges to create all manner of silly looking buildings out of a multitude of blocks surrounded by beavers, chickens, and grim reapers. Once built, you must figure out creative ways to make the buildings explode. And that’s about it. What else do we need really? Who doesn’t love building a sandcastle or snow fort only to tear it down in the most destructive possible way? Yay human nature!
By going with a family-friendly title on the family-friendliest console, Spielberg has inched himself one step closer to multimedia omnipotence.
Boom Blox will be available this May.
On a non-gaming, Spielberg-related note–Roy Scheider R.I.P.
New Mass Effect Content
Fans of Mass Effect and its nude, amorous aliens can look forward to all new content, named “Bring Down the Sky,” next month on March 10 for 400 MS Points ($5).
This will be the first downloadable content for the million-selling space RPG, and includes and new world inhabited by the Batarian race, who kind of resemble a cross between Webstor, the man-spider from He-Man and Walrus Man (or Ponda Baba, for the nerds) from Star Wars.
These salacious dudes have apparently hijacked an asteroid and intend on running it straight into the colony of Terra Nova. Only you can stop them! Or not. It’s your dime so what do I care?
On the upside, this little episode will provide you with about two hours of fun time in space. On the downside, depending on how far you are in the game already when you download it, you may be forced to play a few things over. Why? We have no idea, but if you love Mass Effect like we love Mass Effect, then you won’t mind wandering around the Citadel aimlessly for another hour or two.
HD-DVD Dies a Little Every Day
Okay, six months ago I would have said there was no way Blu-ray DVD could beat out HD-DVD. Blu-ray is just a stupid name that I hate saying. Not that saying HD-DVD is easier, or cooler, but at least it contains two ideas I’m familiar with and make sense. Hi-def and DVD. I got it.
But not only have most of the major studios pledged their allegiance to Sony’s proprietary Blu-ray format since then, this past week, Microsoft announced a price-cut on its Xbox 360 HD-DVD from $179 to $129. Perhaps most damning for the red-boxed titles, Netflix has announced that it will be phasing out HD-DVD by the end of the year and will carry Blu-ray exclusively.
For those keeping track, the PlayStation 3 is still the cheapest Blu-ray DVD player available. Sneaky bastards.
No one avoids a pigeonhole like Tad Mullnix. Besides collaborating with the likes of Flying Lotus and Kode 9 for a new Dabrye release, the longtime member of the Spectral Sound family has been hard at work finishing a new album under his James T Cotton guise, trading hip-hop beats for sinister techno sounds.
Like No One, which will be released in vinyl and digital formats, calls to mind the days when the genre was about energy, not emotion (or cheesy vocals). And since Mullinix likes to keep his fans thinking while they dance, he has enlisted some help from Traxx, his Saturn V counterpart, and D’Marc Cantu, who he works with as 2AM/FM. The clash of identities arrives at stores tomorrow (February 12), also the same day Mullinix’s latest Dabrye EP drops.
Like No One Tracklisting
A1. The Second Night Cycle Feat. Ellis Monk
A2. Don’t Even Try It (The Beat)
B1. The Boxx
B2. Got to Let You Know
C1. Come into My Life*
C2. Lojak Pt. 5
D1. Sensational Rhythm**
D2. Possessed Amplifier
* = Saturn V track
** = 2AM/FM track
Photo by Will Calcutt
Cadence Weapon returns, this time with his Epitaph/Anti- debut Afterparty Babies. The man born Roland Pemberton handled both MC and production responsibilities for the album, which he proclaims is a “dance-rap party epic” dedicated to “all the accidents out there.”
An interview with sunglass mavericks Dave Allison and Peter Smith of Sydney, Australia’s CoLab.
XLR8R: Who is involved in CoLab?
Dave Allison: The owners are Peter Smith and Ian Hoole, and I am the Creative Director. Our age is not so important–suffice to say that we live and breathe an artistic culture.
What were you doing before CoLab?
Dave: I have worked as a designer on various projects with Marshall Artist, Warp Records, Mambo, PAM (Perks and Mini), Rittenhouse, Ministry of Sound, TVI, UK•TV, and Victa. Peter and Ian are both from the Optical/Sunglass supply industry, with Peter being the ex-marketing/sales manager for Safilo Eyewear Group (Gucci, Dior, Armani, and Diesel).
What designers are you working with for your second season?
Dave: Perks and Mini (Australia), Geoff McFetridge (USA), Eboy (Germany), Rockin’ Jelly Bean (Japan), Neasden Control Centre (UK), DMOTE (Australia), Genevieve Gauckler (France), Josh Petherick (Australia), Marok (Germany), and Fergadelic/Tonite (UK).
What has been the biggest surprise so far?
Dave: How much time have you got? Everyday is both a surprise and inspiration. I must say that one of my personal faves is PAM’s style “Weiner”–the creation of a new frame to look old and broken. The owner has then set about a process of self-repair on the eyewear… very clever! CoLab has also been pleasantly surprised at the reaction of fellow artists, press worldwide and our customers… All is going well. “Can’t complain, no one will listen…” Ha.
If you could get any person/thing/design house to design something for you, who would it be?
Dave: Damien Hirst can you please design my island home? Please also include inside it some artwork and sculptures… I would like it to be located in Sardinia. Andy Warhol and Basquiat would also contribute to the art collection.
Peter Smith: I want Banksy’s art all over the outside of my house.
What do you listen to while you work?
Dave: Mostly the radio, but my iPod is as eclectic as the CoLab collection itself. I have just finished reading the Jimi Hendrix biography, Room Full of Mirrors, by Charles R. Cross. As much a history lesson on Seattle in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s as it was about the short but energetic life of arguably the world’s greatest guitarist. Also on high rotation include artists Eagles of Death Metal, Z-Trip, Mos Def, The Cat Empire, Silversun Pickups, Hot Chip, and Justice.
Where are you located?
Dave: In a secret undisclosed scientific laboratory… it has all the mod cons, like a scientific version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, somewhere in Sydney, Australia.
What’s your favorite thing in your studio?
Dave: My computer and unlimited sweet biscuit supply.
Peter: My Eboy posters of New York, London, and Venice.
Why is Australian design so great right now?
Dave: CoLab is an international brand working with international artists. But the reason for Australia’s success may be its demographic isolation… Australians are generally known for being high achievers at most sports, good drinkers, professionals on the “Barbie,” and many other uncrowned talents. Why should its success in design and the arts be queried? Australian design is great, just because!
What is your favorite fashion item that you have ever owned in your whole life?
Dave: My Griffin (U.K. designer) wool jumper. I bought it online about five years ago. I get comments on it all the time, when it’s cold enough in Australia to wear it. It has soft fleece-lined pockets, and abstract printed art on the back… and it looks cool and warm.
Peter: I’m almost embarrassed to say that I have a full denim suit from the ’70s. with flared cuffs and flared pants. It looks ridiculous but I love it!
Name your favorite monster.
Dave: All the monsters in the children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are. It was an imaginary relationship when I was young about keeping your enemies close. I am Max.
Peter: Godzilla!
These giant-eyeballed San Franciscans were once rock iconoclasts who brought back animal trophies and tall tales from alien worlds. Today, The Residents are a cute cult attraction that hides under the bed. The Voice ofMidnight is a schlocky send-up of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale about the Sandman monster. It’s pure melodrama and The Residents are there to drop in tacky synthesizer strings and Aqua Net-huffing metal-guitar solos. Besides the Sandman’s guttural threats, the camp grows unbearable. Midnight could’ve had the sinister aura of last year’s Tweedles (a tale about a sexually depraved clown… don’t ask), but The Residents still play it too safe this time.
A continuously mixed, 36-track trolling through the oceans of Blaxploitation ephemera, Blaxploration finds NYC producer/DJ The Crystal Pharoah in full-on crate-digging-geek reverie. Though often poorly parodied and mimicked, the art and culture of these movies and their symbiotically linked soundtracks contains some of the most regal and dramatic moments in latter-20th-century pop culture. The Pharoah successfully captures and manipulates some of these jewels on tracks like the epic throwdown “Blacula vs. The Crystal Pharoah.” However, his goal of producing a work with “no outboard gear, no mastering, straight up raw” doesn’t always serve the music fully, as some of the songs lose some of their majestic power to audio mud.
A collaborator with artists ranging from Mos Def to 50 Cent to (reportedly) Dr. Dre, Hi-Tek has proven one of the most diverse and capable producers of the past decade. Regrettably, as is true with many of his peers, he has thus far been unable to produce a consistently powerful album on his own. His new third installment in his Hi-Teknology series contains some excellent moments, as on the dramatically ornamented collaboration with British soul singer Estelle (“Life To Me”) and the fierce, focused pairing with eternal comrade Talib Kweli on “Time.” However, a glut of MCs from Tek’s hometown of Cincinnati fail to really thrill over his spacious arrangements, and the record frequently loses steam.
Berlin-based DJ Daniel Haaksman furnishes XLR8R with an exclusive mix of baile funk tunes from his Man Recordings imprint. “This is Funk Berlinioca!” matches Brazilian producers like Edu K, Deize Tigrona, and Sandrinho with international artists, like Crookers and Switch, who have integrated the baile sound into their own work. The result is a 45-minute-plus primer on the many directions the genre has taken since its inception.
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“This is Funk Berlinioca!” Tracklisting
1. DJ Haaksman Intro
2. DJ Edgar “Be Goes On”
3. Grandmaster Raphael “Tipo Assim”
4. MC Gringo feat. MC Binho “1 Real”
5. DJ Edgar “Coraçao Do Funk”
6. DJ Amazing Clay “Favela Funk Samba”
7. MC Buiu “Ela balança mas não pára”)
8. Freestyle “Don´t Stop The Rock – Haaksman Remix”
9. MC Maluco feat. Princess Superstar “Licky Tamborzão”
10. Scottie B feat. MC Bil “Mais Ela”
11. Edu K “Gatas Gatas Gatas – Scottie B Remix”
12. Crookers feat. MC Dandão “Soca Ali Baba – Edu K Refix”
13. Switch feat. Veronica Costa “Glamourosa Champion Sound”
14. Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse “Valerie – Remix Funk Mashup”
15. Zombie Disco Squad “Dick Like A Zombie – Edu K Remix”
16. Crookers feat. MC Leka “Para De Graçinha – Ghetto Tec Mix”
17. Edu K feat. Marina “(Edu K) Me Bota Pra Dançar”
18. Ku Bo feat. Joyce Muniz “Rebola”
19. DJ Sandrinho “Funk Bossanova”
20. MC Gringo “Alemão”
21. Robson Robson “Funk-Funk-Là”
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