Out of Orbit’s first label compilation, Restructure Layers, aims to please the casual listener and the sweaty club patron alike. Mixed, chopped, and edited by label boss Martinez, this disc takes 37 tracks and mixes them flawlessly into a thrilling, 76-minute ride. From a shuffling and minimal groove to a full-on, peak-hour electro-tech stomp session, this flavorful mix constantly brings the excitement through a rollercoaster of moods and emotions. Featuring tracks from Trentemøller, Lowtek Soundsystem, Cantrip People, and Martinez himself, this hefty production will attract schooled techno aficionados.
Various Artists Kerri Chandler: Coast2Coast
Kerri Chandler entered his teen years spinning wax on the decks of house clubs in New York, and has never looked back. Coast2Coast, the second installment in a new mix series from NRK, allows the renowned house don to lay down some deep house science. Leaning heavily on the groove-infused, soulful tip, straight-ahead movers (Nu Life’s uplifting “My Joy”) happily dance alongside some edgier fare (Phil Hooten’s melodic and bouncy “Epichoregeo”). It’s a journey, and an after-hours mood enhancer for the house-loving teen in all of us.
Various Artists Fabric 32: Luke Slater
U.K. techno icon Luke Slater’s DJ mix is best played softly in the car, and not while you’re driving. Its eerie smoothness might induces drowsiness, no matter how loud the house and minimal techno beats smack your face. Slater makes the freeway lights dance in the fog with chosen cuts from Jurgen Driessden, Basic Channel, and Putsch ’79, who proffers lysergic disco on “Doin’ It.” The jittery Super Mario electro of Audion’s “Mouth to Mouth” and Slater’s wobbly riffs on “Organ Bender” also yank ears.
Now Playing At Peepshow: XLR8R Does NAMM
You last saw the Dankman and Ken Taylor causing mischief at the Consumer Electronics tradeshow in Las Vegas. From there the duo went to Anaheim, CA, to the annual NAMM conference, where they checked out the latest music gear, the freaks, and the hot ladies mingling around the convention center.
See it now, only at Peepshow.
Ken Taylor, rockin’ out with the latest from Sennheiser.
The Week In Music, Jan 26
XLR8R reviews the week’s events, projects, rants, crimes, and strange occurrences in the music world.
This week:Screw the label mergers and all that corporate bullshit that goes with them. We’ve got more important things to ponder from the week past.
On Sunday, the New York Timesjumped into the Is Rave Back? debate, now in full swing and getting a decent amount of backlash. The Times obviously took a more objective stance on the subject, but doesn’t the fact that the largest paper in the country covered it truly mean we’ve at least got a mini-movement on our hands?
Klaxons: Sitting at the center of the new rave debate.
His hair–a magnificent afro that would make rave kids neon-green with envy–may be a fashion statement, but The Coup’s Boots Riley has little to do with new rave. Instead, the outspoken MC/political activist will head to academia, where he’s been selected as the keynote speaker for the UC Berkeley Black Graduation ceremony. Fortunately he won’t have to don one of those stupid four-corner hats, which probably wouldn’t fit over his ‘do anyway.
Boots Riley ponders what he’ll say to those eager undergrads.
Festivals like WMC, SXSW, and Coachella are fast approaching. Be sure to keep those bank accounts beefed up so you can afford the $200+ ticket prices.
Finally, on a much more somber note, the XLR8R crew sends its sincerest sympathies to the family and friends of David Shayman, known to fans as Disco D. Shayman unexpectedly took his life on Tuesday, ending a longtime battle against bipolar disorder and depression. Anyone wanting to pay their respects can do so by leaving a message at myspace.com/gringolouco.
RIP David Shayman, a.k.a. Disco D.
Now Playing At Peepshow: Mark Hartman
XLR8R‘s latest addition to Peepshow features the work of Boston-born photographer Mark Hartman as he travels the globe snapping portraits of local characters. Often caught on camera in pensive or longing states, his subjects are the result of Hartman’s ongoing quest to isolate moments in time through the camera lens.
Hartman currently lives and works in New York.
Murs To Host Paid Dues Festival
The indie hip-hop community joins forces for the second annual Paid Dues Festival in San Bernardino, CA, and they mean business. “It’s not just an event,” says Murs (Living Legends), who will be presenting festivities alongside lifestyle company Guerilla Union. “It’s an experience, a family reunion of sorts for the independent hip-hop community.”
With that in mind, Murs is joined by fellow hip-hoppers Sage Francis, Brother Ali, Blackalicious, Jean Grae, Visionaries, Mr. Lif, Cage, Zion I & The Grouch, Pigeon John, Devin the Dude, Evidence with Alchemist, Los Nativos, Hangar 18, and some undisclosed surprise guests. It’s an all-ages extravaganza, which means it’s time to get the kids out and school them on all things indie-hop.
Paid Dues takes place March 24, 2007 from 4pm – midnight.
Tickets go on sale through Ticketmaster February 2, 2007. General admission is $30, and a limited number of VIP passes are available for $100 each.
Capitol and Virgin Merge
Restructuring. It’s a favorite word of the majors, used to soften the blow when two powerhouses decide to join forces. And while it might be nice to give people the benefit of the doubt, yesterday’s announcement that Capitol and Virgin are to merge sounded a tad too cheerful, which means a lot of folks are about to lose their jobs over this joyous union.
EMI Group Chairman Eric Nicoli released a statement about the merger, explaining that the parent company “must re-think [their] operations, not only to make them more efficient, but also more effective.” Capitol and Virgin will now share the name of Capitol Music Group, sort of like two people lose their own identities and wind up sharing the same last name when they get married.
As expected, Nicoli went on to explain the changes, citing workforce reductions aplenty and the plan to focus on the digital market as the future changes. In the meantime, Capitol Records president Andy Slater has stepped down, and Virgin CEO Jason Flom takes the helm. The new label will be “a front line pop, rock and urban label group.”
Various Artists The Topography of Chance
In homage to the Fluxus artist Emmet Williams’ book, An Anecdoted Topography of Chance, British curator Stewart Lee handpicked these fine, cross-genre gems to highlight works that might represent chance operations (a favorite of John Cage’s). What results is a beautifully packaged book and CD full of maps and off-the-wall sounds from weird Americana (The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and pscyh folkie Rodd Keith) to Derek Bailey’s avant take on the British folk tradition. The highlight, though, is The Fall’s Mark E. Smith reading football scores recorded from BBC Sport last year. So where’s Jandek and Richard Youngs?
Various Artists Under Mi Sleng Teng: The Dawning Of Digital Reggae
The mid-to-late 1980s was an exciting time in Jamaican music as reggae made the irreversibly futuristic shift from analog to digital musicianship, resulting in the birth of contemporary dancehall. This two-disc set selects 40 of the most momentous releases of the period from its outstanding figures, including Admiral Bailey, Nitty Gritty, Tenor Saw, Tiger, Chakademus, Half Pint, Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Ninjaman, Beres Hammond, and the Blood Fire Posse. Curated for thematic continuity and maximum aural impact, the compilation is a winner from start to finish and the liner notes provide good background context. Play loud!
