Someone in the A&R department of New Line Cinema’s nascent label is thinkin’ with this one. Downtown NYC duo Echo (crooner Joy Askew and trumpeter/Organic Grooves regular Takuya Nakamura) get some quality re-rubs. San Fran house hero Jay-J caresses Nakamura’s trumpet with deep beats and a Chicago-esque bassline, while UK downtempo macs Rae & Christian put jazz-soul voodoo on the flip’s “Sparks From a Wheel.” Solid.
Transformer Man Groove Based Technology: Part 1
Producer Ed Budd debuts as T Man with a simmering three-track EP of electro-breaks fusion. Wading in aqueous electronics, the rhythm of his a-side, “Invalid Command,” emerges from its breakdowns with epic basslines and whooshing synths. The flip’s slightly more downtempo “Evil Eye” and “Breaks in Disguise” keep it in crouch-and-growl mode, contrasting the other tune’s vicious spring. Great start.
Fusion Holdd Me Down
Pure defiance from these snappy MCs, slightly on the Elephant Man tip, over an edgy riddim that switches from vertical jump to breaky stretch-out, with those ubiquitous high-register string stabs. Bangin’ it out.
Xerodefx Earth Existence
On the third release from upstart Miami electro imprint Tekmind, your boy Xerodefx gives you some of that classic-style boom. “Diverse Life” smears tweaky high-register melody lines and apocalyptic chanting over the machine-beats, and that slight acid feel on the synth-centered “Elektronik Interior” gets a nicely distorted re-rub. Trust Miami every time-the future keeps beepin’ at you from the beach.
Amen Andrews Vol. 1
Andrews is none other than Luke Vibert, unleashing the first in a five-EP junglist revival. Over four tracks, Vibert delivers the chaotic-yet-funky madness that once thrilled us about jungle as he lets the drums ricochet, the bass bounce and the atmospheres warp in the format’s best tradition. Be sure to check the dread styles on “10000001 Style,” and watch yr bassbins.
Duplex Overdue
Straight outta Holland, techno hero Duplex continues to roll out some wonderful Detroit-style 4/4 innovation. “Entropia 03 mx” lands a jaunty, clap-laden thump and soaring keyboard melodies, contrasting “Subconscious”‘s more swirling synth ballet and “quaoar LM 60″‘s stealthy, melodic, breakbeat-ish romp. Superb.
T. Raumschmiere Monstertruckdriver
Working as T.Raumschmiere, Marco Haas-our favorite soft-spoken techno-punk bastard from Berlin-has hijacked the major-indie world, and here’s his pre-album manifesto. The title track’s grunting, buzzy and severely infectious uptempo 4/4 instrumental arrangement gets the flip-hop remix from Dabrye, while Miss Kittin brings the vocal pain on the stomping b-side, “The Game Is Not Over.” Still catapulting shit at your stupid rave culture, bless him.
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra Che Che Cole
Brooklyn Afrobeat kings go the Latin route by saluting Fania Records singer Hector Lavoe with this remake of his top moment, 1969’s “Che Che Cole” with Willie Colon. It’s all about razor-sharp horn section lines, giant percussion and the capable vocals of the lovely Mayra Vega. The flipside rocks a Dibango-ish makossa version of the same tune. Both versions are solid-don’t hesitate on this.
Algoritmo Indus
New York City’s Ilana Ospina and Chris Kelly (a.k.a. GoodandEvil) hand over the good good minimalism for ol’ Ricky Hawtin’s imprint. While detached, the four tracks here hardly come off as typically clinical: among other things, you’ll find warm, round basslines, distant piano plonks, shaker sounds, and-who’da thunk it?-a chanting female voice. Recommended.
Kid Acne Council Pop
When he’s not busy drawing screaming dinosaurs and bong-smoking gods, London’s Kid Acne is adding another face to the dodecahedron that is millennial British hip-hop. On Council Pop, our Kid teams up with fellow graffist Req One (of Warp Records) for 12 tracks that owe a lot to the classic boom-bap of old school hip-hop but fuzz up the formula with electronic funk, glitchy editing, and cartoon touches. Kid’s rapping is pretty straightforward, but the lyrics are clever and the end result sounds not unlike a UK equivalent of some Def Jux runners. Get out your markers, your backpacks and your knit hats, and get it on.
