XLR8R gets ready for spring with our April issue (#106), featuring post-everything instrumentalists Battles, whose debut full-length Mirrors drops May 15 on Warp. Cranking out equally perplexing rhythms are London-based jazz artists Soil & Pimp and Oneida’s Brah! Records. We chat with the new school of Detroit hip-hop artists, including Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, and Black Milk, Friendswithyou answers our burning questions in Vis-Ed, and that’s just a fraction of this issue’s goodies.

XLR8R 106 is on newsstands now. Contact us to find out where to buy the magazine, download a PDF of the entire issue straight to your desktop, or subscribe to the XLR8RDigital Magazine Podcast. Happy Spring, from the XLR8R crew!

London’s Photographic Youth Musical Culture Archive (PYMCA) opens its latest exhibition, which features the work of British photographer Gavin Watson, who explores early ‘80s skinhead youth culture. The show coincides with the release of Shane Meadows’ film This is England, a piece that follows a similar trajectory: the story of one boy grappling with violence, race, and, unsurprisingly, masculinity.

Watson has been lauded as a cultural commentator, but his artistic approach engages viewers on a personal level as well. As opposed to merely discussing and documenting some cultural phenomenon from a critical distance, he draws from his own experiences as a youth in Thatcher’s working-class England to provides an emotional resonance audiences of his photos can relate to.

This was England runs from April 10 – April 20, 2007.

PYMCA Gallery
41 Clerkenwell Road, London

November 4, 2004 was a special day for Berlin. It’s not because of a random techno party that turned out several thousand patrons. Nor was it a monumental historical holiday. It was the day that Blixa Bargeld’s Einstürzende Neubauten, along with an accompanying 100-person choir, stormed the dilapidated Palast Der Republik (the former Parliament building of the now-defunct DDR) for what might be called the performance of the century. The concert has now evolved into Palast Der Republik: the DVD. God, yes.

Einstürzende Neubauten is beyond infamous for its standout live performances. Utilizing obscured vocal keys and instruments from all over the map (gongs, glockenspiels, and chimes), the band’s rare live performances are more like a mature, less drunken orgy of ancient Rome. And Palast is no exception.

Alongside the choir-as-army, Neubauten utilized the draping steel and oddly molded tubing of the Palast Der Republik as instruments, incorporating the surroundings so that those at home also feel immersed in the experience.

The DVD also comes with full commentary from the band, as well as unreleased audio tracks. Given the band’s German roots and passion for yielding new and gargantuan sounds from any and all sources, Palast may be the best visual insight into this incessantly evolving, iconoclastic band.

Palast Der Republik is available now on MVD Entertainment.

Tracklisting
1. Haus Der Luege
2. Armenia
3. Weilweilweil
4. Youme & Meyou
5. Perpetuum Mobile
6. Dead Friends (Around the Corner)
7. Grundstueck
8. GS:1
9. GS:2
10. Unseasonable Weather
11. GS:3
12. Vox Populi
13. Was Ist Ist
14. Ein leichtes leises Saeuseln
15. Sabrina, Alles

Encore Performence Tracks
1. Die Befindlichkeit des Landes
2. Redukt

Oakland-based rapper and producer Adam Carter (a.k.a. A-Plus) has been spitting rhymes and producing characteristically soulful tracks since the early ’80s, but he hasn’t released a solo album until now. My Last Good Deed is inspired by a conversation with his father, in which Carter delved deep into his personal difficulties.

The fact that Carter has never put out a record of his own is primarily because of his involvement with hip-hop legends Souls of Mischief, and more recently the Hieroglyphics collective and its label,Hiero Imperium. Such collaborations kept him so busy that writing as a solo artist didn’t come easily. One night, stuck in the studio and losing inspiration, Carter received a necessary dose of encouragement from a close friend. Unfortunately, that friend’s untimely death meant he would never see the completion of the album, an achievement Carter will have to process on his own.

My Last Good Deed is out May 1, 2007 on Hiero Imperium.

Tracklisting
1. Intro
2. The One
3. A Plus
4. A Beautiful Thing
5. Patna Please
6. Whats Hatnin
7. My Last Good Deed
8. My Dub Song
9. Nothin Fake / The Ultimate
10. Goodtime Charlie
11. Kiss The Sky
12. Javelin
13. Far Away From Here
14. Right Quick
15. Outro

Although solo on the record, no hip-hop artist travels sans crew. Check out A-Plus and other Glyphics on tour.

Tour Dates
04/13 Nashville, TN: The Rutledge
04/14 Atlanta, GA: The Loft
04/15 Johnson City, TN: The Hideaway
04/18 Brooklyn, NY: Southpaw
04/19 Ottawa, ON: Heaven
04/20 Killington, VT: Tabu
04/21 Hamilton, ON: Pepper Jack Café
04/22 Ann Arbor, MI: Blind Pig
04/23 Chicago, IL: Abbey Pub
04/24 Milwaukee, WI: The Stonefly
04/26 Asheville, NC: The Emerald Lounge
04/27 Wilmington, NC: The Soapbox
04/28 Chapel Hill, NC: Cat’s Cradle
04/29 Greenville, SC: The Handlebar
04/30 New Orleans, LA: The Howlin Wolf
05/01 Jacksonville, FL: Thee Imperial
05/02 Fort Lauderdale, FL: Roxanne’s
05/03 Orlando, FL: The Firestone
05/04 Tampa, FL: The Orpheum

Marxism rarely finds a home in hip-hop albums these days (with the exception of Brooklyn militants Dead Prez and a few Anticon. MCs). But Seattle-based rising academic duo Blue Scholars isn’t afraid to dispel a poetic, highly politicized lyrical front that exceeds their comparisons to A Tribe Called Quest, Jurassic 5, and Gang Starr.

Set to release its sophomore long-player Bayani on the highly acclaimed Rawkus imprint (Mos Def, The Procussions), Blue Scholars has perfected its soulful, hard-hitting boom-bap styles. But Bayani is far from a simplistic backpack-friendly record for graff heads and suburban skaters. MC Geologic and DJ/producer Sabzi push lyrical and production boundaries to new heights, citing influences as dense as Aphex Twin and Marvin Gaye (a stellar concept, given the duo’s futuristic, yet soulful beats and provocative lyrics).

It’s been four years since the Scholars released their self-titled debut album, and it’s obvious the group has been impacted dramatically by the Iraq war and political tumult rising from the yet-to-be ousted American administration (tracks on Bayani range from topics of immigration to the WTO protests in Seattle).

In keeping with their political beliefs, Blue Scholars has set the tempo for a dynamic resurgence of conscious rap that transcends cheesy preaching and false insights. It’s about damn time.

Bayani is out June 12 on Rawkus.

U.K. digital-dub enterprise Universal Egg Recordings, home to Zion Train (pictured below), is back with a series of releases on a variety of formats. Over the past decade Universal Egg has introduced high-tech roots reggae from the likes of Bush Chemists, Centry, Power Steppers,and Vibronics. The label, which has been active since 1993, now rolls onward with dub hatchings from several new artists.

The first week of March saw Manchester’s Nucleus Roots drop a new four-song 10” single, “Irie Meditation.” The EP features silky vocalist Dan Hartley and excellent roots-dub arrangements. Both the title track and “Step It Up Rasta” are followed by dub versions.

Universal Egg’s partner label for 7” vinyl singles, Deep Root, has two March offerings as well. First, Amsterdam’s Slimmah Sound sees its heavy “Judgment Come” get pressed. Sista Omi’s vocals lick out with a strong anti-war message, while the dub version is an echo-filled steppers journey. Fans of Mad Professor collaborators Aisha and Kofi will hear similarities in this skillfully produced track.

But perhaps the biggest news from Universal Egg headquarters is the return of flagship artist Zion Train. The group will see its first album in five years, Live As One, slated for release in September. For those who can’t wait, “Life That I Choose,” on Deep Root, will tide us over. This 45 features emerging U.K. singer YT, author of “England Story”–a Brit take on Cham’s “Ghetto Story.” YT’s rising talent strikes again on “Life That I Choose,” a song detailing the working class and its “survival mission” in his hometown of London. If Universal Egg continues issuing new music at this pace, it’ll seem like Easter every day this year. 

Sally Shapiro Disco Romance Klein
Disco hasn’t been this poppy since Cerrone crushed clubs with hits like “Supernature” and “Hysteria.” Swedish representative Sally Shapiro, alongside producer Johan Agebjorn, offers italo-electro-pop, rekindling the spirit of Sylvester and the almighty New Order. Reverberated drums + chunky synths x effortless vocals = mega-club jams galore.

Tim MaiaWorld Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever: the Existential Soul of Tim MaiaLuaka Bop
Brazilian psyche-master Tim Maia is a fucking warrior. This dude tried to make it in the US music biz during the early ‘70s, but was deported for drug trafficking. Shortly after, he joined a cult that believed humans descended from aliens who would eventually save the purified believers. Oh, and he recorded this collection of soulful tracks that make our hearts flutter.

September Collective All the Birds Were AnarchistsMosz
September Collective is Stefan Schneider (Mapstation), Barabara Morgenstern, and Polish born Paul Wirkus. Collectively (no pun intended) they produce ambient downtempo, taking brushed percussion and piano scores to new heights. Like Mogwai for adult contemporary radio, All the Birds Were Anarchists soothes and disturbs.

Various Compost Black Label Series Vol. 2Compost
Put simply, Compost’s Black Label series is the best shit they put out. Don’t get us wrong. Ben Mono is killer, and every once in a while a jazz or soul track is critical, but this is disco/tech-house bliss. Featuring tracks from Zwicker, Move D, and DJ Enne, this dance-heavy mix cooks.

Artanker Convoy Cozy Endings The Social Registry
Artanker Convoy has come out of its improv-shell on its second record for The Social Registry label. With the band’s minimal percussion and dark synth leads paving the way, indie-jazz will never be the same. Does indie-jazz even exist? Looks like it.

Allesandro SteffanaPoste E Telegraffi Important
Italian guitarist Allessandro Steffana makes ambient kraut rock with extreme precision. Not unlike the atmospherics of Eno and Robin Guthrie’s resonating guitarlines, Steffana’s compositions flow through space with like an astronaut on Xanax. Film music lovers, prepare to be swept off you feet.

Fisk Industries EPs and Rarities Mush
Boards of Canada should probably seek cover, because Fisk Industries is ready for war. Sound designer Mat Ronson makes glitchy, atmospheric beatscapes that induce paranoia and head nodding (usually a byproduct of banging hip-hop tracks). This collection includes a few obscure vinyl-only releases and two full-length albums from back in the day. We couldn’t think of a better intro into this British composer’s world.

Dev/NullLazer Thrash Cock Rock Disco
In typical Cock Rock Disco fashion, Dev/Null is the culmination of pent up aggression and rave fever. While there’s 12 times more beats than a grindcore band could ever pump out, Lazer Thrash is doomy hip-hop/metal-breakcore for psychopaths and club kids. In other words, it’s r-a-d.

Skeletons and the King of All Cities LucasGhostly
Pop keeps getting more and more fucked up, but SATKOAC are hard to compete against. Lucas is an ambitious concept album revolving around a beauty obsessed king and hair (don’t ask). Don’t let the obscurity fool you. Skeletons and the Kings of All Cities is a novel project with as much pop accessibility as any other weird-pop oddity.

Heiroglyphics Over Time Heiro Imporium
Oakland is a beautiful place–mostly because of Hieroglyphics. This collection of B-sides, remixes, and unreleased tracks is a reminder that Oaktown’s indie heros Del, Casual, Domino, Pep Love, and Souls of Mischief still own shit. Seriously.

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