Northwestern University graduate Nguan, whose work has been featured in the likes of Vice and Arktip, grapples with what he calls “emotional globalization” in his Ordinary Fantasies show. Traveling from Beijing, to Los Angeles, to Venice Beach, he defamiliarizes images from everyday life in a big city.
See Ordinary Fantasies now, at XLR8R‘s Peepshow.
It’s sometimes hard to distinguish one artist from the next in the Ant Zen/Hymen stable. Not so Terminal 11. Fractured Sunshine takes the Arizonan’s obsession with meticulous detail to a miraculous extreme, creating a sort of OCD breakcore album-it’s composed completely out of very clean sounds but still manages to convey wild-eyed mania. His weirdly flat drums constantly fluctuate against strange samples, the whole thing feeling compressed and yet far-reaching at the same time. It’s not hard to see how Terminal 11 has earned undying praise from folks like Jason Forrest, and while the album’s about as far from “groovy” as you can get, you might end up finding it loveable.
Australian deep-funk group The Bamboos blew up the scene a few years back with their own contribution to the “Tighten Up” legacy-a breathless, flutes-and-Hammonds workout that sweetened the Kool-Aid for last year’s Step It Up. And you’d be forgiven for thinking that album was excellent if you haven’t heard Rawville. With funk-family help from the likes of Alice Russell (channeling Spanky Wilson), Ohmega Watts (“Get in the Scene” argues for a Watts-Bamboos full-length), and Quantic, who produces several tracks, The Bamboos show why they’re the golden boys of 21st-century funk. But it’s still their unilateral instrumental romps (“Happy,” “The Witch”) that make The Bamboos tick-their tripped-out funky drums, sharp organ stabs, and wicked-pick-it guitar are practically incomparable.
The Four Level is L.A.-based Pieter K, the most brilliant, thoughtful, and unique drum & bass dude America ever produced, and Amy Jacob (who?), a singer from New Jersey band Prosolar Mechanics, whom you might know from Pieter K’s track “Stars From Aircraft,” a wonderful breakbeat excursion off his 2002 full-length (inexplicably missing here). The Four Level’s production is all over the map, from the rock-guitar wash of “Collapse:Expand” to the slow drift of “Inaudible” to the tightly controlled groove of the album’s best track, “If I Land.” Sadly, through it all, Jacob is mediocre at best. Considering Pieter K is such a promising and wildly creative musician, this album is a bit of a let down.
TTC are France’s response to the cornball party rappers that the US churns out–except they’re good. Really good. Under the guidance of resident producer DJ Orgasmic, these Frenchman own raved-out hip-hop. Whether or not anyone understands what the hell these dudes are yelling about, dancefloors will go insane. “Telephone” is proof.
See TTC’s “Telephone” now at XLR8R’sVideo Section.
Black dye, 0s and 1s, cyberpunk, undercuts. Just a few of the influences channeled for my hacker mix, featuring Black Strobe, Franz & Shape, and The Hacker alongside some main sources of their inspiration: Skinny Puppy, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb. Too bad I only had an hour on this one–not even enough time to get to Ministry or Clan of Xymox, Booka Shade or Boyz Noize. Maybe I’ll have to do a follow up, but in the meantime put on your trenchcoat, pop open a can of Jolt, and prepare to get fully k-rad. Dedicated to Shark and Manuel Transmission.
Star Eyes
XLR8R editor Vivian Host (a.k.a. Star Eyes) contributes a DJ Mix to the XLR8R Podcast each month. Check out February’s “Deadline Dance Party” Mix, featuring tracks from Klaxons, New Young Pony Club, Drop The Lime, Green Velvet, and more. Download these podcasts by subscribing to iTunes (recommended) or with the RSS reader of your choice, by clicking here.
Tracklisting
1. White Rose Movement “Girls In the Back” (Independiente)
2. The Cure “Fire In Cairo” (Digitalism Remix) (white)
3. Yoshimoto “Du What Yu Do” (Trentemøller Remix) (Unorecordings)
4. Depeche Mode “Something To Do” (Black Strobe Remix) (Mute)
5. Anthony Rother “Luzifer” (Datapunk)
6. Front 242 “Headhunter” (Wax Trax!)
7. Franz and Shape “Angel’s Gate”
8. Nine Inch Nails “Sin”
9. Black Strobe “Nazi Trance Fuck Off” (Black Strobe)
10. Microchip League “New York New York” (Westside Music)
11. Nitzer Ebb “Join in the Chant” (Mute)
12. The Prodigy “Smack My Bitch Up” (Sony)
13. Nitzer Ebb “Control I’m Here” (The Hacker Remix)
14. The Knife “Marble House” (Rex the Dog Remix) (Mute)
15. Dirt Crew “808 Lazerbeam” (Dirt Crew)
16. Clock DVA “The Hacker” (Wax Trax!)
17. Ellen Allien “Down” (Bpitch Control)
18. PTP “Rubber Glove Seduction” (Wax Trax!)
19. Zombie Nation “Talks” (UKW)
20. Sweet Exorcist “Testfour” (Warp Records)
21. Grauzone “Eisbaer” (Welt-Rekord)
22. Skinny Puppy “Assimilate” (Nettwerk)
Sub Pop, the label responsible for releasing classics from the likes of Earth, Modest Mouse, and The Postal Service is offering one Washington or Oregon high-school senior a chance at their first ever “Loser Scholarship.”
Said lucky senior will receive $5750 to apply toward college tuition. Naturally, the label is looking for the artistic-minded kids of the world, and those with enough self-awareness to understand why they’d prefer to spend their days in an indie-rock band (or doing some other form of art).
Students have until May 1 to prove their creative ambition. Applicants simply need to send over a hard- or digital copy of their portfolios, write a one-page essay, and pray for some fiscal indie-love.
XLR8R had its hands full at this year’s South by Southwest festival, shooting loads of pictures and video footage for XLR8R TV, throwing parties with labels like Hydrahead and Tigerbeat 6, and wandering aimlessly through the back roads of Austin in search of the after parties. See the madness, fully documented through the camera lens, at Peepshow.
It’s always a little strange when an artist, band, or producer can hold their own when sharing the stage with acts like LCD Soundsystem, New Order, and The Buzzcocks. In the case of the Whitey though, shit just makes perfect sense. After completing his second long-player, Great Shakes, for 1234 Records, this genre-defying, remix-rendering Englishman (alongside a thorough accompanying band) is going to destroy the West Coast and parts of Mexico.
But the term multi-instrumentalist only goes so far when discussing Whitey’s recording history. He did write, program, sing, and play a bounty of instruments on his 2005 debut The Light at the End of the Tunnel, but Great Shakes and his live set are now filled with the energy of live instrumentation–an awesome shift from the world of solo production and bedroom remixing.
Great Shakes remains on the same electro-indie wavelength that’s become synonymous with N.J. Whitey, but this time around he’s having (now unnamed) guests come through, adding some serious collaborative flair. Even though Klaxons may reign as England’s live hype-masters, Whitey may take the crown for most bitchin’ performance.
Great Shakes is out in October on 1234 Records.
Tourdates
3/3 Los Angeles, CA: Echo Lounge
4/4 San Diego, CA: Beauty Bar
4/5 Santa Cruz, CA: Rio Theatre
4/6 San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
4/7 Sacramento, CA: Blue Lamp
4/9 Vancouver, BC: Media Club
4/10 Seattle, WA: Chop Suey
4/11 Portland, OR: Dante’s
4/14 Las Vegas, NV: Beauty Bar
4/16 Denver, CO: Bluebird Theatre
4/19 Tijuana, Mexico: Tentaculo Bar
4/20 Guadalajara, Mexico: Teatreo Estudio Cavaret
4/21 Mexico City, Mexico: La Tirana
