Podcast 18: Crookers

Alongside acts like The Bloody Beetroots and the Dubsided crew, Milan’s Crookers have entered the XLR8R Podcast Exclusive Mix Series in true electro-club fashion. Members DJ Phra and Bot fuse together raw B-more percussion and scratchy French touch synths for their infectious edits and remixes. Featuring a broad palate of new dancefloor killers from artists like Radioclit, Aaron LaCrate, Edu K, and Chemical Brothers, this exclusive mix will have new-schoolers salivating for days.

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Tracklisting
1. Skream! “Midnight Request Line (Switch Remix)”
2. Boy 8-Bit “The Suspense Is Killing Me”
3. Radioclit “Divine Gosa (Switch Remix)”
4. Edu K “Gatas Gatas Gatas (Crookers Remix)”
5. Don Rimini “Let Me Back Up (Crookers Tetsujin Remix)”
6. BB’s “Discommunication”
7. Chemical Brothers “Salmon Dance (Crookers Wow Mix)”
8. Cr**krs “Love To Edit”
9. Adam Sky vs. Mark Stewart “We’re All Prostitutes (Crookers Mix)”
10. Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir “Samirs Theme”
11. STARTINGBLOCKS “America (Brodinski Remix)”
12. Bart B More “Make Some Noise (Crookers Edit)”
13. Brabe “Hold You Here”
14. Peter Bjorn & John “Young Folks (Diplo Mix)”

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Podcast_Mix_2007_10_11

Dancehall 2007: Drama and Military Drums

Ask a dancehall fan what sounds and trends defined the music in 2007, and most would surely respond “drama.” It was a year of celebrity break-ups (Beenie Man and D’Angel), veteran returns (Buju Banton and Ninja Man), and intimidating new talent (Mavado, Busy Signal, Munga). Thanks to the work of production crew DASECA and Stephen McGreggor, dancehall beats took on cinematic effects and lofty classical motifs, with a number of riddims based around military drumming and choral singing–a trend not entirely unexpected as the war dragged on in Iraq. Auto-Tune pitch-correction software was also a major player.

Previous years have provided their signature grooves. In 1992, Buju Banton popularized the Bogle dance and introduced us to the throbbing beat of “Batty Rider,” while other minimalist water-drum riddims dominated. By 1995, sharp, staccato beats, like Bounty Killer’s “Suspense,” jostled with tamer tunes like Beenie Man’s bubbly, Dave Kelly-produced “Wickedest Slam“. By 1997, it was all about “Romie”, a harder, reconstituted version of the classic Punany version.

As the new century dawned, dancehall music quickened its pace with speedy, 120-BPM tempos like the Diwali and Applause riddims, while thematically, the music darkened, reflecting the spiraling murder rate in Jamdown. The past year has seen a distinct sound emerge in dancehall, signified by battle-scene symphonic swathes and other dramatic sonic accessories.

Riddims like Black Chiney’s Drumline, DASECA’s Dreaming, and Stephen McGreggor’s Power Cut and Tremor riddims each featured combinations of rolling or marching snares, bold horn and classical-string flourishes, and punchy synth stabs.

Similarly dramatic, Don Corleon’s Silver Screen riddim (the backing track for Cham’s hit “Conscience” features a bouncy minimal beat draped in velvety strings. Mavado’s “Dying” took lyrical inspiration from 2Pac’s grim-reaper reflections and put them to a mournfully slow, Southern bounce, while Busy Signal’s hardcore-rap-inspired “The Days” rails profanely against haters and “friend-enemies.” Munga Honorebel’s “Bad From Mi Born” and most of Mavado’s material definitely take the trophy for Most Liberal Use of Auto-Tune.

With a new political party in charge in Jamaica, and an election year approaching in the States, one wonders if ballot-box themes will seep into dancehall’s consciousness and onto 7” singles. More likely, we’ll hear yet another technological studio innovation that only dancehall’s forward-thinking producers could dream up.

Turzi “Afghanistan”

“Afghanistan,” from the recently released A (Kemado), is the eerie, Kraut-psychedelia that bridges the gap between the Jesus and Mary Chain and Satan. Not unlike Faust or CAN, Turzi and his band Reich IV, write tripped-out, live music that will make any machine envious. If there was ever a time for acid, it’s now.

Turzi – Afghanistan

Extra Golden Hera Ma Nono

In a world both globalized and rife with xenophobia, some musicians need a visa just to rehearse. Such is the case with Extra Golden, the musical handshake between a few D.C. indie rockers and Kenyan benga musicians that was nearly buried with singer and co-founder Otieno Jagwasi’s death in 2005. But Extra Golden’s concept was, perhaps, too perfect to end: Kenyan dance rhythms injected with indie-guitar sensibilities. Hera Ma Nono proves they were right to soldier on. On “I Miss You,” for example, the weeping steel guitar meshes seamlessly with its sparkling hi-life counterparts. Hera Ma Nono (“Love in Vain”) is as culturally appreciative and exciting a cross of two cultures you’ll hear this year.

Poni Hoax Antibodies (château Flight Remix)

Château Flight’s “Antibodies” remix may be the best thing DJ Gilb’r and I:Cube have ever made together. A long intro full of all the dubby delays and effects you’ll need leads further and further into a killer Chicago-like piano-and-marimba break. Bass comes in after four minutes and the track turns into a great disco-house tune. A must have!

Ekler ‘o’ shock: Unusual Party

Everything you need to know about Parisian label Ekler‘o’shock is contained in this story from 27-year-old owner Matthieu Gazier. “Our second party under the Ekler’o’shock name was with Kid Koala in my best friend’s grandparents’ house in Paris,” he writes. “It was two Euros. We had sprayed and stenciled the walls, recreating the artwork from his album. My friend and associate Clément was totally high, and he carried all the money we got in his pockets. We had 200 people in this small house, sold some champagne, and by the end of the night–close to eight in the morning–a freaky dude took some Ecstasy. We tried to push him out but he was too energetic and talkative. So we proposed to him to help us clean the house. He fuckin’ swept the whole house in 30 minutes.”

Put simply, Ekler‘o’shock is the soundtrack to one wild party; it’s a bass label, but one whose artists don’t color neatly inside the lines of breaks, IDM, and house. From the broken crunk of New York space Rasta Crunc Tesla to datA’s suite of pumping, French Touch-inspired laser house, from the apocalyptic videogame rap of Léonard de Léonard to the sassy electro of Terry Poison, Gazier has certainly put together a crazy guestlist. But perhaps the most unusual attendee of all is Xerak, who makes sex-obsessed dance numbers inspired by punk and pixels.

Gazier started the label in July 2002. He had already logged quite a few hours toiling in the music business, doing PR for Ninja Tune and !K7 Records and marketing for Sony BMG. Conceptually, Ekler‘o’shock was inspired by Mo’ Wax. “It was more than just a label,” enthuses Gazier of the early ’90s indie-hop stalwart. “It was a total creative experience, with perfect artworks, groundbreaking artists, and their Headz compilation, [which inspired] our Unexpektheadz comp.”

As for the name? It’s a typically French play on words. “It sounds like the name of a French pastry, éclair au chocolat.” says Gazier. “Also, “Ekler” was my tag back in the days, and I added the “o’shock,” maybe ’cause I was a fan of a famous French [graffiti] writer called O’Clock, and also because for me music has to be a shock, an experience in itself.”

Teenage Bad Girl

Hailing from Paris and the small Northeast province of Jarney respectively, Teenage Bad Girl’s Guillaume Manbell and Greg Kazubski came together through a mutual adoration for punk rock and the brutal side of electronic sounds. “We’re not real clubbers,” says Manbell via email. “We both played in punk-rock bands with friends, making music when we should have been studying.” Although often grouped with the Ed Banger end of electro-house, the two once-punk producers thrive on a strange balance of gritty club kicks, frequent solos, and surprisingly rhythmic bursts of noise that place them outside the trenches of blog-hypery.

When compared to fellow robot-rock outfits like Soulwax or Digitalism, TBG’s need for speed is especially apparent. While the duo puts to use the same grinding synths and frequent breaks of their European contemporaries, they also employ an underhanded eeriness that snakes through their consistently harsh debut, Cocotte (Citizen). “Ghost House” is full of melodies reminiscent of Cut Copy’s “Hearts On Fire,” but with enough hypnotic minor-key layers to make John Carpenter devotees smile with subversive glee. “Aviateur” is a nearly beat-less trip-out, with effected vocals and delayed drums à la Throbbing Gristle. “We try to destabilize the listener as much as possible,” Kazubski chimes in. “We’d rather tell a story–even though we’re making techno, exposing emotions is the most important.”

It’s obvious that there’s more to the TBG brand than just sonics. Incorporating the profoundly suggestive artwork of Dutch artist Parra for their album cover–and unleashing an absurd Godard-esque video for the single “Cocotte,” in which a woman gives birth to a giant egg–Teenage Bad Girl offers a taste of Paris that strays into far weirder territory than the follow-the-leader line of electronic acts. “When we were filming ‘Cocotte,’ we rented chickens from a pet store and carried them around with a giant egg,” Manbell recalls. “Everybody thought we wanted to spread the bird flu. Now that is a very nice memory.”

Stones Throw and 2K Sports Bounce, Tour

New Era cap aficionados and college students, take note–your dreams are about to come true with the 2K Sports Bounce Tour. Featuring Stones Throw icons Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, J. Rocc, Percee P, and special guests, this hip-hop super-tour is hitting North America in support of the forthcoming Peanut Butter Wolf Presents 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War (Stones Throw), a 20-song compilation featuring a series of tracks licensed for 2K Sports. Common, Aloe Blacc, CX Kidtronik, Quasimoto, and many others make appearances here.

Compiled by Stones Throw labelhead Peanut Butter Wolf, the collection and tour will also showcase new additions to the roster, including Madlib’s new Supreme Team project and the recently signed synth-hopper, James Pants. With several exclusive tracks that see MCs like Q-Tip and MF Doom rapping over the late J Dilla’s beats, this promo-esque sampler may become one of the most interesting hip-hop releases this year.

Peanut Butter Wolf Presents 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War is out now on Stones Throw.

Tracklisting
1. Supreme Team “See (Suite)”
2. MED “Break It Down”
3. Guilty Simpson “Make It Fast”
4. J Dilla Feat. Q-Tip & Talib Kweli, “Lightworking”
5. Percee P Feat. J-Rocc “Legendary Lyricist Pt. 2”
6. J-Rocc “Super Sound”
7. Madlib “The Wigflip”
8. J Dilla Feat. MF Doom & Guilty Simpson “Mash’s Revenge”
9. Oh No “Action (Rap Version)”
10. Beat Konducta “Trouble”
11. Quasimoto “Hydrant Game (Jaylib Remix)”
12. Aloe Blacc “Find A Way”
13. Dam-Funk “Sidewayz”
14. Baron Zen “Electronic (Koushik Remix)”
15. James Pants “Ka$h (Peanut Butter Wolf Remix)”
16. Niko & DJ Babu “Now You Know”
17. Koushik “Basketball Beat”
18. Arabian Prince “Professor X Saga”
19. Jonathon Brown “Bass Creator’s Groove”
20. CX Kidtronik Feat. Tchaka Diallo “Big Girl, Skinny Girl”

Tour Dates
11/08 Los Angeles, CA: El Rey Theatre
11/16 San Francisco, CA: The Independent
11/17 Portland, OR: Berbatis Pan
11/18 Seattle, WA: Neumo’s
11/19 Vancouver, BC: Richards On Richards
11/29 Minneapolis, MN: Foundation Nightclub
11/30 Chicago, IL: The Abbey Pub
12/01 Toronto, ON: Opera House
12/02 New York, NY: Highline Ballroom
12/03 Philadelphia, PA: Starlight Ballroom
12/04 Boston, MA: Paradise
12/06 Washington, DC: Black Cat
12/07 Baltimore, MD: Sonar

Klaxons Bug Out!

Where do London’s Klaxons find their influences? The Chemical Brothers? Wu Tang Clan? Well, guess no more. For the band’s next release, bassist Jamie Reynolds has teamed up with New State Records to collect two discs of Klaxons’ favorite tracks. Bugged Out (a.k.a. Disc One) is comprised of varied club-friendly cuts and Bugged In (a.k.a. Disc Two) is filled with some of the outfit’s most cherished sources of inspiration. Featuring everyone from Luke Vibert and Pedro Campos to Liars and Roy Orbison, these 27 tracks may freak out even the most fluorescent-clad fans.

All this comes packaged with an unreleased remix of Klaxons’ “It’s Not Over Yet” by Brodinski, which features vocal samples from one Aleister Crowley (Ooooh, spooky). If listening to the trio’s favorite songs doesn’t seem that interesting, you may want to check Klaxons on yet another tour rampage, sharing the stage with the likes of Justice, Apes, and Simian Mobile Disco.

A Bugged Out Mix by Klaxons is out now on New State.

Bugged Out Tracklisting
1. Luke Vibert “Breakbeat Metal Music”
2. The L Bit “Tasty”
3. Pedro Campos “Butterfly”
4. Markus Lange & Daniel Dexter “Shooting Tigers (Play Paul Remix)”
5. Johannes Hell “Artology”
6. Overnoise “Dry”
7. Blende “Breaking Bones”
8. Friendly “Ride Baby Ride (Strip mix)”
9. Da Boogie Boys “Audiotonique”
10. The Chemical Brothers “It Doesn’t Matter”
11. Justice “Stress”
12. Mogg & Naudascher “Moon Unit Part 1”
13. Klaxons “It’s Not Over Yet (Brondski Remix)”

Bugged In Tracklisting
1. Zager & Evans “In the Year 2525”
2. Wu-Tang Clan “Shame on a Nigga”
3. Fad Gadget “King of the Flies”
4. Liars “They Don’t Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids”
5. United States of America “The Garden of Earthly Delights”
6. Josef K “Sorry for Laughing”
7. Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers “I’m Not a Juvenile Delinquent, ‘Rock, Rock, Rock'”
8. Todd Rundgren “Zen Archer”
9. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons: “The Night”
10. Cluster “Caramel”
11. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti “For Kate I Wait”
12. Blur “Me, White Noise”
13. 90 Day Men “We Blame Chicago”
14. Roy Orbison “It’s Over”

Tour Dates
10/10 Toronto, ON: Opera House
10/12 New York, NY: Webster Hall
10/14 Mexico City, MX: Vive Guervo Salon
10/20 Melbourne, AU: The Forum
10/21 Adelaide, AU: HQ Complex
10/23 Perth, AU: Capitol
10/25 Sydney, AU: The Enmore Theatre
10/27 Brisbane, AU: Tivoli
11/09 Paris, FR: Zenith
11/10 Ghent, BE: I Love Techno Festival
11/11 Berlin, DE: Columbia Club
11/12 Hamburg, DE: Grunspan
11/15 Cologne, DE: Gloria
11/16 Amsterdam, NL: Paradiso
11/17 Zurich, CH: Rohstofflage
11/18 Munich, DE: Kleine Elserhalle
11/20 Rome, IT: Qube
11/21 Torino, IT: Hiroshima Mon Amour
11/22 Strasbourg, FR: La Laiterie
11/23 Lille, FR: Le Zenith
11/25 Dublin, UK: Ambassador
11/26 Manchester, UK: Apollo
11/27 Edinburgh, UK: Corn Exchange
11/28 Newcastle, UK: Academy
11/29 Bristol, UK: Clockwork (DJ set)
11/30 Southampton, UK: Guildhall
12/01 Leeds, UK: University
12/02 Cardiff, UK: University
12/04 Birmingham, UK: Academy
12/05 London, UK: Brixton Academy
12/06 London, UK: Brixton Academy
12/10 Tokyo, JP: O East
12/11 Tokyo, JP: O East
12/12 Osaka, JP: Club Quattro
12/13 Nagoya, JP: Club Quattro

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