Âme to Release Debut Studio Album, Dream House, on Innervisions

After 15 years at the forefront of European house and techno, Berlin DJ, live act, production duo Âme (Kristian Beyer & Frank Wiedemann), will release their first studio album this June on Innervisions, the label they co-founded in 2005 with Steffen Berkhahn (a.k.a Dixon).

Featuring guest appearances from Matthew Herbert, Planningtorock, iconic German post-punk singer Gudrun Gut, newcomer Jens Kuross, and Germany electronic music legend & Eno collaborator Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Dream House is described as “the most ambitious project Âme have yet put their name to.” It also marks the duo’s first fully conceived artist album, following a career that has included EPs for Innervisions, Sonar Kollektiv, Ostgut Ton, and Rush Hour, and iconic remixes of The XX, Osunlade, Roy Ayers, and Howling.

The album is preceded by the single and official video for the Matthew Herbert-featuring album opener, “The Line.” The video is directed by emerging German filmmaker Nikias Chryssos, whose debut feature “Der Bunker” premiered at Berlinale 2015 before going on to collect several prizes on that year’s festival circuit. Blending Chryssos interpretation of Herbert’s chant-like vocals with elements of Greek mythology, it stars Anna Bullard-Werner and Sebastian Schneider.

“A ride into the woods; a dark cave; healing crystals; the power and sweetness of ecstatic moments; the conflict between breaking out and ‘staying in line,’ city and nature, light and darkness: these images and ideas came up when I listened to the chant-like rhythm of Âme and Matthew Herbert’s “The Line’”— Nikias Chryssos, director

Tracklisting

01. The Line ft. Matthew Herbert
02. Queen of Toys
03. Gerne ft. Gudrun Gut
04. Deadlocked ft. Roedelius
05. Blind Eye ft. Planningtorock
06. Positivland
07. Helliconia
08. Futuro Antico
09. No War
10. Give Me Your Ghost ft. Jens Kuross
11. Oldorado

Dream House will be released on vinyl, CD, digital, and special box set formats on June 1, with “The Line” ft. Matthew Herbert streaming above.

Aïsha Devi DNA Feelings

The music that Switzerland born, Nepalese-Tibetan artist Aïsha Devi makes is truly novel. Mystical, mostly beatless, and driven by her unearthly vocals, it’s electronic, but unmoored to genre. Like futurists Arca or Abyss X, Devi operates in a zone where sound design is paramount, and occult, haunting atmospheres, rather than songs, are the end goal.

Though Aïsha Devi is her real name, it’s also something of a musical rebirth, as previously she went by the name Kate Wax, producing techno and electronics for Border Community, Output, and Mental Groove. On her first Aïsha Devi material, such as 2014’s “Throat Dub” on her label Danse Noire, she brought her cultural heritage to the fore, employing the Tibetan throat singing technique.

Throughout DNA Feelings, her voice is an expressive instrument that she uses for spoken word monologues, speeds up into high-pitched sounds, or alters into autotuned utterances. On “Time is the Illusion of Solidity,” Devi’s voice is slowed right down, while a computerized voice delivers spooky pronouncements on the nature of immortality, and a morass of synth drifts above. “DNA” has soulful revenants of her vocal floating free in cavernous space, sometimes treated, while luminous ectoplasmic electronics ripple through the track. “Mentasm” hoover bass—a classic rave signifier—glowers in the backdrop as a ghostly reminder of Devi’s dance music history. “Dislocation of the Alpha” melds her throat-singing technique with spoken word and a moody synth tone, while fractured percussion interjects on the track. It’s theatrical, disquieting stuff.

The ethereal atmosphere of the album can be traced partly to Devi’s interest in meditation. She has said that meditation changed her life, and a new age philosophy seems to permeate the mood of DNA Feelings—especially the idea that music can have a healing function in the way sound frequencies affect the body and mind.

The album’s most exciting moments find Devi subverting the norms of dance music. “Intentional Dreams” has riffs that could have been culled from some shimmering psychedelic techno track, and looming Reese bass. But by removing the beats completely, and cloaking the lot in capacious reverb, the sound takes on a new alien dimension. “Aetherave” has oscillating trance textures intertwining with her voice, and “Inner State of Alchemy” finds thudding kick-drums and martial rhythms creating an urgent mood. The way the drums crack through the track, when they emerge from the gloom, is electric.

In her dedication to new sounds and manipulation of the voice as an instrument, Devi could be comparable to Björk (in latter-day experimental mode), but she has a singular style of her own that pays tribute to her dance music past in a vivid and original way. DNA Feelings has moments of brilliance, but its dark mood and single-minded vision become oppressive over the course of its runtime. Those fleeting rave touches combine so well with her extraordinary voice, you can only wish there were more of them.

Tracklisting

01. DNA ☤ ∞
02. Dislocation Of The Alpha
03. Intentional Dreams
04. Aetherave
05. Hyperlands
06. Inner State Of Alchemy
07. Light Luxury
08. Genesis Of Ohm
09. Time (Tool)
10. Time Is The Illusion Of Solidity
11. Cell Stems Spa

DNA Feelings LP will land on May 11 via Houndstooth.

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Podcast 540: Pessimist

Pessimist is the alias of Kristian Jabs, a Bristol-based drum & bass producer who first set tongues wagging with a beautifully dark 2016 Balaklava 12” on Blackest Ever Black’s A14 sub-label. His first exposure to the genre was through more mainstream breeds, as evidenced in his early releases, but this changed when he made the move home to Bristol from Cornwall, set to enroll at the city’s university. Alongside friends Nick Callaghan, then arranging the Abstract party series, and Tom Cooper, Jabs formed the Ruffhouse drum & bass production crew in 2012. And as Jabs’ knowledge of the sub-genre began to broaden, his sound began to change—more abstract effects, ambiance, and a brooding, darker, techno(ish) aesthetic.

Later that year he debuted on Samurai Music with Canyon and returned three years later with The Woods / Lead Foot, a more refined listen—and a glimpse as to what was brewing behind closed doors. After his Balaklava 12”, Jabs sent Kiran Sande of Blackest Ever Black eight tracks which then became his debut self-titled LP—a dramatic, dark, and thoroughly captivating listen. It blends noir, smoked-out dub-scape, acidic rave, and downtempo breakbeat with a bombed-out industrial ambience, resulting in some breathtaking soundscapes that you can imagine in the club as much as you can in sci-fi soundtracks. His podcast for XLR8R follows much in the same vein, blending together over an hour-and-a-half of deep smoked-out grooves.

What have you been up to lately?

Well since my album I’ve been working on various releases for different labels. I’ve been quite busy with gigs here and there and I’m planning a new live show with my good friend Karim Maas, which we’ll be showcasing in June.

When and where was the mix recorded?

I recorded the mix at home very recently as I wanted to include as much fresh music as possible.

What equipment did you record it on?

2 x Pioneer CDJ1000 and Pioneer DJM-800. Then I’ve used Ableton to finalize and blend different sections together.

How did you select the tracks that you included?

It was very simple really, I decided I wanted to showcase a load of music made by friends of mine. There are lots of really interesting producers crossing the boundaries between techno and drum & bass at the moment and I really wanted to show how good these guys are. Unfortunately, I’ve had to keep some tracks and names unidentified but I’d imagine plenty of people out there will be able to guess who’s who.

Was there a particular idea or mood you were looking to convey?

I’ve held back a bit here and not gone for anything too heavy. It’s just the mood of music that I’m into, presented in a listenable way, I wanted to differentiate a bit from a typical club mix hence the slightly deeper selection.

You had a big 2017—how do you reflect on it now?

It was great. I was really happy to release my first album and I was chuffed with the great response it had. My intention for a while now was to break out of being pigeonholed into a particular scene and 2017 was the year that did that for me.

Can we expect some more material soon?

Yes. I’ve just completed a new EP for UVB-76 which includes a couple of remixes from some interesting artists and I’m working on a new release for Osiris Music also. I’m in the process of starting up my own imprint for my own productions which should see the light of day in not too long. So expect to see more material from me by the end of the year!

Tracklisting

01. DB1 “Unknown”
02. Unknown “Unknown”
03. Karim Maas “Zombiism”
04. FLXK1 “Out Of Food”
05. Unknown “Unknown”
06. Tensal “Santolaya” (Pessimist Remix)
07. DB1 “Unknown”
08. Skee Mask “Dial 274”
09. Pessimist “SPRTLZM”
10. Lola “Azure”
11. Unknown “Unknown”
12. Unknown “Unknown”
13. Overlook “Residual”
14. Dyl “YDNTKNW”
15. DB1 “Late Night”
16. Forest Drive West “Unknown”
17. Overlook “Down The Rabbit Hole”
18. The Untouchables “Blackout VIP”
19. Forest Drive West “Unknown”
20. Pessimist “Unknown”
21. Overlook “Former Self”
22. Holsten “Abscess”
23. Gremlinz & Jesta “Empty Promises”
24. Forest Drive West “Prism”
25. Mark “Know No Out Only In”

Lucinate ‘Universal Rhythm’

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Last week, Canadian label King Deluxe returned after a year-long hiatus with a new record from Dutch sampling whiz Lucinate.

The release, titled Big Noise, features nine cuts that act as a love letter to jazz, the genre he grew up with. Although also featuring his own bass playing, Big Noise was mostly created with samples from Lucinate’s record collection, resulting in a warm, familiar, yet highly inventive album of swirling jazz-tinged beats.

The album also lands with an engrossing video for the title track, in which nine different animators created “an exquisite corpse”—over the course of a year, each animator completed 32 bars of the song before passing it on for the next artist to continue the story.

You can watch the video via the player above, with groove-led album cut “Universal Rhythm” available as today’s XLR8R download below.

Big Noise is available here.

Universal Rhythm

Premiere: Hear a Spacey, Dubbed-Out Cut From Arcarsenal

Arcarsenal (a.k.a. Alan Mathias and Etienne Dauta) will return on May 14 with a tape release on Irrational Waves.

States Of Impermanence is the duo’s first full-length release since debuting back in 2012 on their own Bass Cadet Records, and is made up of eight tracks jammed and recorded by Mathias and Dauta between 2013 and 2016. Following on from last year’s Alter-Realities EP on Inner Balance, Sates Of Impermanence finds the duo once again blurring genre boundaries with a set of live psychedelic tracks that touch on dub, house, ambient, and krautrock.

Ahead of the release, Irrational Waves has offered up a full stream of “Floral Rain Hallucination,” available via the player below.

Drumcode Announces Enrico Sangiuliano LP, Shares Track

Drumcode has announced a new concept album from Italian artist Enrico Sangiuliano.

The LP, titled Biomorph, is designed to take the listener on a musical journey through the four stages of evolution, and consists of nine tracks that are separated across four sections: Organisms, Cosmic Forces, Metamorphosis, and Two Probabilities. Reportedly, the album describes “how biological and technological advances over numerous generations of time have all started from the same first step in our own biological journey.” Like its concept, the music is in constant evolution, flowing from synth-driven ambience to breakbeats and the more driving, progressive techno that Drumcode has built its name off.

With the announce, Drumcode has shared “Symbiosis,” the first taste of the album pulled from the Metamorphosis section, available to stream via the player below.

Maelstrom Releases New Video with Director Piotr Matejkowski

French producer, DJ, and label owner Maelstrom has revealed the video for his single “Snow Falls Across The Border.” It follows the success of his 2017 album Her Empty Eyes, and the release of a remix package for the single featuring PTU, Interchain, and Clatterbox.

The new video was directed by Piotr Matejkowski, an award-winning director. Echoing the ominous tones of Maelstrom’s production, the director has put together a “story about a blind date, sexual desire, and the human body,” taking place in a dystopian dark infinity lit up only by single lasers. Using contemporary dancers to communicate his vision for Maelstrom’s “strong, dark and intense music,” Matejkowski cites the early work of Luis Bunuel and other early surrealists as the inspiration behind the video.

Her Empty Eyes and Snow Falls Remixes are out now on RAAR, with the video streaming above.

Sami Baha Lines Up Debut Album Feat. Yung Lean, DJ Nate, and More

Sami Baha will release a debut album via Planet Mu next month.

Baha is a Turkish producer based in South East London. His music was introduced to the world via his 2016 Planet Mu EP Mavericks, and he released “Discreet” (ft. Dimzy) last month. He found his way into producing through being a rapper himself, working with local rappers in Turkey and producing beats for them, before setting his sights outside the country.

Free For All features MCs from all corners of the globe: UK drill squad 67’s Dimzy, Stockholm’s Yung Lean, and Chicago rapper and singer DJ Nate (a.k.a Flexxbabii). The record also features Egyptian MCs Dawsha and Abanob.

Tracklisting

01. Cash Rain
02. Discreet (ft. Dimzy)
03. Aliens
04. Gambit
05. Thugs (ft. DJ Nate)
06. Free For All
07. NAH
08. When The Sun’s Gone (ft. Yung Lean)
09. Path Riot
10. Glory (ft. Kufura)
11. Ahl El M8na (ft. Dawsha & Abanob)
12. Limbo
13. Cold Pursuit

Free For All will land on June 1 via Planet Mu, with “Thugs” (ft. DJ Nate) streaming here.

Andrew Reynolds ‘Summ(oth)ertime’

Andrew Reynolds is a London based, award-winning producer, composer, DJ, and instrumentalist who has been making a name for himself in London recently. Reynolds was classically trained in composition at both the Royal College of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music and has since spent his time writing hard-hitting electronic music as well as music and sound design for a range of different visual media projects.

The exciting young producer’s distinctive sound has earned him forthcoming releases on Mall Grab’s Steel City Dance Discs, MoodFix, and gained him licensing representation from Blue Raincoat Music—a company which manages the likes of Kevin Saunderson and Francesca Lombardo.

Andrew now returns to XLR8R with “Summ(oth)ertime,” another one of his sparkling, jazz-infused house cuts which features the recomposition of a certain well-known melody from the mid-1930s. Andrew says of this track: “I’ve always found this melody interesting. I decided that I would do a sort of recomposition of it. In doing so I found an interesting way of shifting the melody’s harmonic context. I mixed all of this in with some electronic elements and found that it produced some nice results.”

You can grab the track now via the WeTransfer button below.

Summ(oth)ertime

Les Points Looks to Fight Neo-Liberal Nightlife Frameworks With New Music Video

Zurich-based artist collective Les Points—comprised of Audino, Barbir, Louh, and Nicola Kazimir—has released its first music video for Occult Anti-Neo-Liberal Acid Squad Vol.1.

Occult Anti-Neo-Liberal Acid Squad Vol.1. is the label’s 10th release, and stems from a desire to “make a solid EP devoted to rave culture.” It consists of “dark ambient, experimental interludes, and obscure acid tracks made for free minded clubbing.” The release’s accompanying video follows suit and looks to provide critical discourse on today’s nightlife-culture while raising awareness against top-down nightlife-interdependencies and neo-liberal clubbing frameworks.

You can watch the video in full via the player above, with the EP available here.

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