Influences 09: Magda

Magda, real name Magdalena Chojnacka, was born and raised in Poland before escaping the Eastern Bloc’s martial law with her family by fleeing to the United States in 1984. They spent two years in Texas before eventually settling in Detroit, where her fascination with music grew, firstly through hip-hop, post-punk, new wave, and bands like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Her fascination with DJing was sparked in 1994 when she attended a Richie Hawtin “Spastik” party, and no sooner was she immersed in the Detroit’s then-thriving underground scene. She first joined the city’s all-female collective Women On Wax before her minimal sounds drew the attention of Hawtin himself who recruited her to his label and took him on the road as his opening DJ. She soon moved to New York and started a weekly party called Gel & Weave, inviting artists who inspired her the most such as Zip, Daniel Bell, and Theo Parrish. In 2003 she moved to Berlin, where she continued to hone her skills under the Minus umbrella. It wasn’t until 2011 that she parted ways with the label, turning her back to start her own label Items & Things with Marc Houle and Troy Pierce. 

Today she boasts a touring schedule as busy as anyone out there. She’s a consistent yet adventurous performer, with a fine reputation for her sense of flow and eclectic, off-kilter selections. 

Collaboration has become a vital part of her studio work, most recently working with T.B. Arthur, releasing 12”s of jam-based analog modular grooves under the name Blotter Trax. The duo also perform live together. She is also part of Cornerbred with Daniela Huerta focusing on a series of eclectic mixes which highlight some of her past influences. Also grounded in the concept of collaboration is her PERM event series. It began with a string of successful events in Berlin over 2016, all exploring innovative visual and musical ideas, and is set to branch out to become a record label with the same ethos. 

Her Influences podcast reveals a very different side of Magda. Tracks come from the likes of The Pharcyde, Slum Village, Sonic Youth, and Throbbing Gristle. It’s an enthralling listen that shines a light on some fine records, past and present—all of which have shaped Magda into the artist she is today. 

“When I started to think about this mix, I thought, “How do I sum up my life into a few tracks that paint the right picture?” As I started the trip down memory lane, I rediscovered many bands I hadn’t thought of in years and decided to focus on a few genres that have shaped me the most. Growing up in Detroit, I listened to a lot of hip-hop in the late ’80s and early ’90s, as well as indie rock. One of the tracks I chose for the mix is by a Detroit hip-hop group called Slum Village whom I used to often see at the Shelter (the first club I ever went to). It’s also the place where I saw many indie shows in high school and one of the first “official” places to play techno. I chose not to go too deep into electronic music and rather focus on the foundations which led to the electronic music I like. A huge influence has been Krautrock, with bands like Can and Harmonia, as well as a lot of post-punk which I have included in the mix. There is something so incredible in the stripped-down grooves bands like ESG, Bush Tetras, and The Flying Lizards were able to create, and to this day all of that is deeply ingrained in me. Overall, I aimed to create a story and atmosphere that really shows who I am. I have to say this was truly a fun project. Thank you.” — Magda 

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can stream the mix here and download it here. 

Tracklisting

01. Harmonia & EEno ’76 “Les Demoiselles”

02. Sonic Youth “Shadow Of A Doubt”

03. Spacemen 3 “Ode to Street Hassle”

04. Tones on Tail “A Bigger Splash”

05. Tarwater “Witch Park”

06. Stereolab “Metronomic Underground”

07. Bernard Fevre “Molecule Dance”

08. DAF “Der Räuber und der Prinz”

09. Chris & Cosey “Talk To M”

10. The Flying Lizards “Sex Machine”

11. Mantronix “Who Is It”

12. Parliament “Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples”

13. The Pharcyde “Pack The Pipe”

14. Slum Village “Conant Garden”

15. Man Parrish “Hip Hop Be Bop” (Don’t Stop)

16. Throbbing Gristle “Hot On Heels of Love”

17. Portion Control “The Pressure Is High”

18. Cluster “Seltsame Gegend”

19. Ikeyard “Night After Night”

20. ESG “U.F.O.”

21. Delta 5 “Mind Your Own Business”

22. Bush Tetras “Too Many Creeps”

23. Unknown DJ “Basstronic”

Photo: Leandro Quintero 

Eliezer “No Tears”

Eliezer, or “Leiz” as he’s known, is a club owner, DJ, and producer from Israel. Eliezer has been working his way across the Tel-Aviv electronic scene for almost a decade, most recently releasing tracks with Middle Sky Boom on labels such as Eskimo and Days Of Being Wild.

Now he is about to reveal his debut solo EP The Man From 94, due for release on the new Israeli label Unterman, an imprint brought to life by Josef Lamion (a.k.a Middle Sky Boom) and art director Sara Lamion (a.k.a Cookie Moon). 

We’re told that Eliezer gives his take on the present and future sound of Tel Aviv on his two original tracks, namely “Frani” and “No Tears,” bearing the punk attitude and hallmarks that he dearly upholds, with DIY recordings of guitars, murky samples, and clear-cut drums. Argentinian producer Gabriel Ferreira then edges “Frani” closer to the dancefloor with a tense, stomping rework, and Tel Aviv’s Naduve cranks his effects on his remix of “No Tears.” 

In support of the release, out now, you can download “No Tears” in full via the WeTransfer button below.  

EU readers can stream here and download here, due to temporary GDPR restrictions. 

Tracklisting

01. Frani 

02. No Tears 

03. Frani (Gabriel Ferreira Remix) 

04. No Tears (Naduve Remix)

Nils Frahm Surprises with ‘Encores 1’ EP

After releasing All Melody earlier this year and setting off on a global tour, Nils Frahm has today dropped a new EP, titled Encores 1. 

The five-track release is intended as a companion to All Melody, and focuses on an entirely acoustic pallet of sounds with solo piano and harmonium. We’re told that “The Dane” even became a live favorite on the current world tour. 

“I think the idea of Encores is like musical islands that compliment All Melody,” reveals Frahm, suggesting the story of All Melody is not yet over. 

“The idea behind Encores is one we had from before All Melody: to do three releases each with their own distinct musical style and theme, perhaps even as a triple album. But All Melody became larger than itself and took over any initial concepts.“— Nils Frahm 

With only twelve out of sixty initial sketches forming All Melody, we’re told that there was so much more music that needed to be heard. 

Tracklisting

01. The Roughest Trade

02. Ringing

03. To Thomas

04. The Dane

05. Harmonium In The Well

Encores 1 is available now through Erased Tapes. 

XLR8R’s Top 10 Downloads of April

Every month a wealth of tunes are released via XLR8R‘s ever-popular downloads section. Embodying the magazine’s ethos, the MP3 section is full of quality music produced and released by emerging artists, respected veterans, and everyone in between. The genre offering is highly diverse, too—you’re as likely to find a bass-heavy grime track as you are a heads-down techno stomper. And as is custom, at the end of every month we tabulate the previous month’s downloads and announce the 10 most popular tracks released the month prior. 

Interestingly, April’s top 10 was filled entirely with original cuts, with the majority of them arriving from little-known artists. Taking the top spot this time was LA-based artist Wendy Bevan, who’s entrancing left-field pop track “Falling” proved to resonate most with our readers. Bevan was joined in the top three by AL-90 & DX2OV‘s trippy “Vechnaya Bol” and M.A.N.D.Y.‘s “Tonite,” with Lapis‘ debut single, “Within All Things,” and Danish producer CÉCI‘s “Heartbeat” rounding out the top five. 

April’s 10 most popular XLR8R downloads have been assembled into a list below and can be grabbed for free by following their respective links. In addition, all 10 tracks have been compiled into one convenient file, which can be downloaded via WeTransfer below.

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the zip file with all 10 tracks here. 

1. Wendy Bevan “Falling”

2. Al-90 & Dx2ov “Vechnaya Bol”

3. M.A.N.D.Y. “Tonite”

4. Lapis “Within All Things”

5. CÉCI “Heartbeat”

6. Loya “Ti lélé” feat. Menwar

7. Dirty Culture “I Feel Like The Feelings Are Changing” (Original Mix)

8. Croft “Alone”

9. Tensal “Zomb”

10. Bolam “Notsu”

The Flip “Convex/Concave”

Cure Music recently released a four-track EP from The Flip, titled Discipline, the label’s sixth release.

Cure Music is the label helmed by Chilean Felipe Valenzuela and Argentinian Momo Trosman, founded in 2015 and with a discography that includes Afriqua, Zendid, Omni A.M., Federico Molinari, and now The Flip—an unknown and unidentified producer. 

In support of the release, The Flip has shared an unreleased off-kilter minimal track titled “Convex/Concave,” available for download below, with the full release available here. 

Due to temporary GDPR restrictions, EU readers can stream the track here and download here. 

 

Kiefer Lines Up Stones Throw LP

Los Angeles musician Kiefer Shackelford (a.k.a Kiefer) will release a new album on Stones Throw, titled Happysad. 

Kiefer began playing piano as a child and producing beats at around age 12, moving from San Diego to L.A. to study under renowned jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell at UCLA’s Jazz Studies program. There, he started thinking about the connection between the jazz piano he studied and the beats he was creating outside of school.  He has already lent his production talents to an array of musicians including Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak, and his debut record KickinIt Alone (released in 2017 via Stones Throw’s experimental Leaving Records imprint) earned a Best Jazz Album nomination from A2IM. 

Happysad is a 13-track collection of standalone instrumentals that are said to “showcase both Kiefer’s piano chops and knack for improvisation.” He describes the album as “my emotional journal of the last year.” 

“I struggle emotionally a lot, and yet I feel pretty damn good much of the time. This album is focused on both joy and sadness, and how they are always intertwined,” he says. 

Whereas Kickinit Alone was “90% focused on all types of sadness,” Happysad is more complex. The track titles are deliberately left open to interpretation; opening on a confident, blissful note, then segueing into a more dynamic mood before entering a deeper, darker, and more ethereal place. 

The inspirations range from label mates Karriem Riggins and Knxwledge to jazz titans Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans, illustrating how his music straddles the worlds of jazz and beats. “I’ve loved the sense of responsibility that comes with being a jazz musician,” he says, “The responsibility to study and understand its history, to respect the discipline of an instrument, and to dedicate your career to positively changing the direction of the music.” 

Tracklisting

01. Dope Nerd

02. What a Day

03. Highway 46

04. Highway 41

05. Magnetic 

06. Socially Awkward 

07. Memories of U 

08. Thinkin of

09. Agoraphobia 

10. FOMO 

11. Temper

12. Upwards

13. AAAAA

Happysad LP will land on June 8, with “AAAAA” streaming in full below—or here for EU readers due to temporary GDPR restrictions. 

Watch Point Blank’s Sound Engineering Students Take on Re-recording an Amy Winehouse Classic

Point Blank‘s latest video gives a look at the music school’s Music Production and Sound Engineering course, following students as they re-record Amy Winehouse’s classic “Love Is A Losing Game.”

Every term, final-year students studying the course are tasked with re-recording a classic track as part of their assessment. With the help of Point Blank’s staff and a range of musical talents—this time featured a string quartet from the Royal Academy of Music, professional singer Valerie Etienne, and Point Blank’s Advanced Composition instructor Claud Ruelle—the students break down the elements of the track and how they were recorded, from micing and recording drums and vocals to specific effects and rooms used. The video also features interviews with students, musicians, and instructors, all who give insight into the study experience and course.

You can watch the video in full via the player below, with more on Point Blank’s Music Production and Sound Engineering course here. 

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can watch the video here. 

Sex Judas “Camera”

Earlier this month, Optimo Music released Go Down Judas, the wild new album from Sex Judas, the project of Norwegian producer Tore Gjedrem of Ost & Kjex fame.

Bookended by the project’s freewheeling ideals—Tore wanted to “create a world where any musical idea is possible”—the album featured a collection of tracks inspired by the excess of ’80s New York, Norweigan new wave, and acid house, while also touching on post-punk, IDM, and funk. The album also features contributions by DJ Pål Strangefruit Nyhus, composer Ole-Henrik Moe, jazz pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, Sidiki Camara, and multi-instrumentalist Ivar Snuten Winther.

In support of the release, Sex Judas has offered up a bonus cut titled “Camera” as today’s XLR8R download. The track gives a glimpse into the weird and warped world of Sex Judas via five minutes of funk-filled post-punk.

You can grab the track via WeTransfer below, with the album available here.

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the track here and stream it here. 

Voigtmann Details Debut Album, ‘Sublunary’

Claus Voigtmann, better known as just Voigtmann, will release his debut album next month, titled Sublunary. 

The UK artist has operated on the fringes of house music for quite some time now. He works with a refined-yet-playful ethos, which is then channeled into the sophisticated, groove-led tunes he makes and plays. Since debuting on the production front in 2013, his records have landed on some of the scene’s most sought-after imprints, including Hello?Repeat, Assemble Music, Yumé, and Toi.Toi.Musik, the label arm of his conceptual underground London-based party—with which he is no longer affiliated. 

We’re told that the LP “draws on unique experiences” in his life and him struggling to find balance amidst all the chaos, using the studio as a sacred place to re-adjust his thoughts and using composing as his meditation. “The result is what happens when gentle craziness, selfishness, and honesty meet with unrestricted freedom of producing,” he explains. 

“I decided to write the album about one year ago when I felt really comfortable in my studio. I had the best setup I could imagine and gave it a go. It is a very interesting process of self-finding and also of letting go. Letting go of all worries about the outcome. Halfway through writing it, I realized that I literally don’t care if people like it or not. I fell in love with the process. As an artist, you are ideally maneuvering outside your comfort zone, and I wrote many tracks that were so far out, they would never make onto the album but the process of writing showed me that the result isn’t the main focus. For me, the beauty is in the process of writing and the amount of thought and concept that went into it. Along the way, my sound changed from the minimal artist that I used to be to something wider, more grown up, more solid, more technical. I tried to really establish a very own body of work.” — Voigtmann 

Tracklisting

01. Tons of Tones

02. The Fall 

03. The Silence After 

04. Straight No Chaser 

05. Particularly Wayward 

06. Ibrahim Alfa “Follow Your Light” (Voigtmann Remix)

07. Perpetuity 

08. Confessions of a Time Traveller 

09. Anti Gravity Space Taco 

Sublunary LP will land late June/early July via Subsequent, with more details yet to be revealed. 

Premiere: Hear a Sultry House Cut From Icarus Traxx

The latest release on Belgium’s Ensemble imprint arrives early next month from the mysterious Icarus Traxx.

The six-track EP, titled Commandment, is “aimed at dancefloors in sleazy bathhouses, seedy basements, and soiled warehouses,” harking back to the days when anonymous artists delivered muscular house cuts for pure dancefloor moments. The 12″, which is Icarus Traxx’s debut offering, provides a range of varied floor-ready tracks, including three versions of the EP’s title track, which also features the sensual vocal work of Jesse B. Simple and Charlotte B. Good—you also get two acapellas. From the energetic “Jack 88 Tape Mix” to the acid-drenched “Get Your Life” and the sultry and sleazy “Spanish Fly Reprise,” Commandment is a perfect fit for the sweat-covered early-morning dancefloors.

Ahead of the release, Ensemble has offered up a full stream of the title track’s “Spanish Fly Reprise” via the player below, with the EP available for pre-order here. 

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can stream the track here. 

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