Based in Berlin since 1999, Ragnar Schmuck admits he misses the summertime and goes a little stir-crazy when the snow starts to fall. When he isn’t thinking people are looking at him strangely, he’s busy photographing the likes of Ellen Allien, DJ Koze, friends, and pretty ladies.
See his work now at Peepshow.
After dawn breaks over the quaint university town of Uppsala, Sweden, many residents find themselves sharing their morning with Erik Möller. An anchor for Swedish National Radio, he kickstarts weekdays with news, weather, and traffic, enunciating with the type of steely efficiency many assume is a national character trait.
Meanwhile, his other studio job–producing stripped-down, romantically charged techno tracks under the deliberately vague moniker Unai–gives people plenty of reasons to make it a late night. His long-delayed full-length, A Love Moderne (released in May on the resurrected Force Tracks label), is full of sparse compositions that make a massive impact, combining springy, dub-infected beats with his own elegant and wistful vocals. Self-described as a meeting between techno and pop soul, it’s a straight shot to the heart and the hips for a producer who once focused more on sonic complexity.
“In the late ’90s I was very into complicated rhythms and sound atmospheres and got bored,” says Möller. “I kept pushing the sound until it didn’t hit me in the same way. Then I underwent this evolution where I ventured from the abstract towards something more accessible and emotional.”
Growing up in a village of about 400 people outside Uppsala, Möller first heard electronic music blasting from the nearby summer homes of vacationers from Stockholm. Despite the isolated setting he started meeting like-minded music fans–a group of Uppsala producers who called themselves Audionaut–and briefly played in a synth-pop band before producing his first tracks in 1995. Making music under various aliases (including Spinform) for labels like Punkt and Raum, he realized, through enough experimentation and excess, that Unai was his true focus. And by the time he started work on his second Unai album (a follow-up to 2001’s Rebel Swing), he had honed in on a concept.
“I wanted it to be obvious to people I was making a techno record with an over-the-top love theme,” he explains. “Before I think I was too subtle.”
He cut to the chase with the 2003’s “I Like Your Style,” an inviting series of bubbling beats capped off by his coy vocals, the first time he sang without obscuring his voice into anonymity with effects. The single would have been quickly followed up by A Love Moderne, but a distributor problem temporarily disabled Force Tracks’ revival; despite the delay, the album still sounds current in the wake of bands like Junior Boys. With plans to put together more Unai tracks and talk of a new project–simply called I–with Chicago-based label Soul Dub Sounds, looks like Möller will be logging plenty more time behind the mic.
“New Unai [material] is definitely in the works,” he says definitively. “I’m a very restless person.”
Brother AliThe Undisputed TruthRhymesayers
Minnesota’s favorite Islamic MC’s latest record does nothing other than prove that the dude knows how to tell a compelling story. With indie hip-hop vet Ant in charge of production, The Undisputed Truth is one of the hottest Rhymesayers releases to date.
Franz & ShapeAccelerationRelish
Relish is faithfully guiding the next wave of future disco. Not unlike contemporaries Lindstrom and Headman, Franz and Shape churn out some dance butter like nobody’s business.
Meanest Man Contest/LanguisSplitSneakmove
Quite possibly one of the weirdest splits to come out in a while, Meanest Man Contest and Languis complement each other through an assortment of diverse tracks. While, MMC fuses jazz, hip-hop, and the spirit of rock, Languis takes a more abstract path with synth-driven textures from beyond. This record will keep us guessing for a while.
DJ MehdiLucky BoyEd Banger
If parties could talk, they’d holler with joy at the release of Paris’ new hip-house masterpiece. Lucky Boy sizzles with the heat of all Ed Banger releases, but with a Casio-induced party flair that others can’t match. Solid.
GhostIn Stormy NightsDrag City
Japan’s finest psyche-masters are back with the power of several thoroughly potent hits of acid. After forming in 1984, the composite ghosts have released a series of oddities that have influenced bands across the past two decades. Don’t take our word for it, just listen to the 28-minute track “Hemicyclic Anthelion,” and experience the bliss.
VariousWhite Cock 1-4Cock Rock Disco
Jason Forrest’s collection of Cock Rock Disco’s White Cock 12-inches (yeah, we get the joke) is the Euro-party mix of the century. With crazed hits from Duran Duran Duran, Sickboy, and Bong-Ra, this is a compilation that could inspire many nights of extreme indulgence and violence.
DälekAbandoned LanguageIpecac
It’s always been evident that Dälek is one of the few hip-hop acts that does not fear incorporating hazy layers of noise into their records. But on Abandoned Language, the boys up the ante with a hazardous amount of distorted atmospherics over their signature ’90s-style East Coast production. This is a fully realized, unique record worthy of continuous listening.
Ultra MilkmaidsPocket StationAnt-Zen
Somewhere in between neo-folk and traditional shoegaze exists a plane that is occupied only by Ultra Milkmaids. Dominated by minimal acoustic chord progressions, layers of feedback, and dissonant harmony, Pocket Station will grip any connoisseur of the epic.
I’m From BarcelonaLet Me Introduce My FriendsMute
Composed of Emanuel Lundgren and 28 of his closest friends, I’m from Barcelona is the pastoral pop band for the new year. Let Me Introduce My Friends glows with enough instruments and backing vocals to make any powerhouse choir envious.
SamamidonBut This Chicken Proved FalseheartedPlug Research
Following suit with lush acoustic acts like The Mountain Goats, Songs of Green Pheasant, and the like, Samamidon offers a beautiful take on a scene already bloated with extremely talented acts. With an affinity for the banjo and a charmingly discordinant voice, Samamidon is destined to dominate indie rockers’ record players for days to come.
December 4 Top Ten Album Picks
December 11 Top Ten Album Picks
Finally! The Parisian label that houses XLR8R cover stars Justice, among others, has been whetting our appetites all year with a slew of releases and EPs, and early 2007 marks the first time Ed Banger Records will gather all their mighty artists together and release a label compilation. Ed Rec Vol. 1 will be released digitally and feature tracks from Justice, Uffie, Sebastian, DJ Medhi, Mr. Flash, Vicarious, as well as others.
If that weren’t news enough, Ed Banger has also struck a U.S. distribution deal with Vice Records, who unleashed Justice’s Waters of Nazareth to the States in 2006. Say goodbye to ordering your vinyl online and waiting three weeks for it to cross the Atlantic. In addition to the aforementioned compilation, Vice will also release digital versions of 12″s from several different artists in the future. Stay tuned for the goodness.
Ed Banger Vol. 1 is out January 16, 2007 on Ed Banger.
Tracklisting
1. Mr. Flash “Rader Rider”
2. Uffie “Pop the Glock”
3. Krazy Baldhead “Crazy Mothafuckas”
4. Vicarious Bliss “Theme from Vicarious Bliss”
5. Zongamin “Bongo Song” (Jackos Remix)
6. DJ Mehdi “I Am Somebody” (Paris Version)
7. Sebastian “Dolami”
8. Justice “Waters of Nazareth”
9. Busy P “Chop Suey”
10. Krazy Baldhead “Revolution” (ParaOne Remix)
11. Sebastian “H.A.L.”
12. Vicarious Bliss “Theme from Vicarious Bliss” (Justice Remix)
This one’s for those fans of all things Jamaican. VP Records, one of the cornerstone labels of reggae/dancehall, has announced a slew of releases scheduled for 2007 from the likes of King Jammy, Morgan Heritage, Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, Lady Saw, and others. To tantalize you, here’s a few of the releases that will hit record stores early in the year.
It’s all happening at VP Records.
The legendary producer King Jammy will release eight CDs of music with his King Jammy Selector’s Choice Volumes 1-4. These tunes span Jammy’s career and offer everything from his dubbed-out riddims to some of his biggest dancefloor anthems. Not to mention, this bad boy collection was recommended to holiday shoppers by XLR8R Publisher Andrew Smith, our indisputable reggae expert here at the mag.
King Jammy Selector’s Choice Volumes 1-4 is out January 9, 2007.
Meanwhile, Richie Spice will release a limited-edition album/DVD featuring appearances from Joseph Hill (the late lead vocalist of Culture) and his brothers Spanner Banner & Pliers. The package includes singles “Open the Door” and “Brown Skin” as well as performance footage, interviews, videos, and more.
In the Streets to Africa is out February 13, 2007.
Queen of dancehall Lady Saw will release her sixth album, Walk Out, next year. Saw is known for her numerous awards, compelling live performances, collaborations with the likes of Beenie Man (“Healing”), and short stature (5′ 5″), all of which make her the genre’s leading lady.
Walk Out is out March 13, 2007.
I Think We Better Split Up, an exhibition built around the theme of–you guessed it–breakups, tears, and betrayals, opened earlier this month at San Francisco’s Receiver Gallery, and artwork from it is now available for sale online.
Work by Ryan Jacob Smith, Nathalie Roland, Caitlin Keegan, Stella Im Hultberg, Tim Gough, Mark Todd, John Casey, and others includes ink drawings, oil paintings, mixed-media pieces, covering a wealth of interpretations of the themes at hand. Individual works range from $50 to $500, though some of the pricier ones are well worth getting your hands on if you can afford it.
I Think We Better Split Up runs until January 6, 2007 at Receiver Gallery.
“And You Broke My Fucking Glasses Too!” by Ryan Jacob Smith.
Quannum’s charismatic performer raps an ode to the ladies while in the club, rides around in his GMC Suburban, and dons an interesting mask.
See it for yourself, and over 200 more music videos at xlr8r.com’s Video Section.
Anticon experimental folk star Dosh hits the road in early ’07, following on the heels of his soon-to-be-released EP, Triple Rock, featuring four live tracks recorded in his hometown of Minneapolis.
Also included will be a four-part suite of tracks titled “Henderson,” a tribute to Dosh’s cat killed by a car earlier this year.
Andrew Bird, Mike Lewis, JT Bates, and others will make appearances on the EP, which will be sold as a physical CD in limited quantities but will be available for download via Anticon’s website and iTunes.
Triple Rock is out January 30, 2006 on Anticon.
Photo by Cameron Wittig.
Tour Dates
12/23 Minneapolis, Triple Rock Social Club
01/24 Des Moines, Vaudeville Mews
01/25 Springfield, Randy Bacon Studio
01/26 Denton, Rubber Gloves
01/27 Houston, The Proletariat
01/28 Austin, Emo’s
01/30 Tucson, Solar Culture
01/31 Phoenix, Modified
02/01 Los Angeles, The Echo
02/02 Santa Cruz, The Attic
02/03 San Francisco, Bottom of the Hill
02/04 Eugene, Sam Bond’s Garage
02/05 Portland, Holocene
02/06 Seattle, Chop Suey
02/07 Boise, Neurolux
02/08 Salt Lake City, Kilby Court
02/09 Denver, Hi-Dive
02/10 Lawrence, Jackpot Saloon
By now, your gift-giving idea bank should be brimming with possibilities thanks to the XLR8R staff and crew handing out suggestions over the last several days. We’ve recommended clothes, toys, music, beer, and even salt shakers, but all these items would come up lacking if you didn’t pair them with a subscription to the mag.
For less money than any other item in our 12 Days of Christmas series, you can buy an XLR8R subscription for yourself or a friend at half the price, for a limited time only. Write us a check for 10 bucks and you’ll get a year’s worth of issues all packaged with our exclusive INCITE CD, featuring music, videos, and software demos from the pages of XLR8R. Or live a little and fork over $17 for two years of such goodness.
The offer is good for domestic US subscribers only, and expires on December 19, 2006. But no matter where you live or what month it is, there’s never a bad time to buy XLR8R.
Enjoy the holidays, and we’ll see you all in 2007.
The Other Days of Christmas
Day 1, Kids in the Hall DVD Megaset
Day 2, Eye of the Hawk beer
Day 3, Sad Ghost salt & pepper shakers
Day 4, This Heat’s Out of Cold Storage Boxed Set
Day 5, Dustin Dollin’s Project 8 No Skool Vans
Day 6, Toys from Kid Robot
Day 7, Gama-Go bird satchel and wallet
Day 8, Official Tourist Rave Hoods
Day 9, M-Audio IE-10 earphones
Day 10, King Jammy’s Selector Choice Boxed Set
Day 11, Madvillain Action Figure
