Early next month, Counterchange will release Co-Ops Vol. 2, an eight-track, double-vinyl edition.
The new VA represents the label’s tenth release and features cuts from a network of producers all pushing boundaries in the greater techno landscape, including label curator Inland (a.k.a. Ed Davenport), Boddika, Cassegrain & Tin Man, Distant Echoes, Pharaoh & Yogg, Patrik Skoog, and BNJMN. Across the VA, the artists present a varied selection of modern techno, from Inland’s relentlessly galloping “Fluxus” to Cassegrain & Tin Man’s mind-bending acid journey “Opal Stare.”
You can pre-order the release, which is limited to 200 copies, here, with Inland’s track streaming in full below.
Evan Baggs is an immensely gifted and committed DJ, though also a rather undiscovered one. Among fans of minimal house and techno, the scene with which he’s most strongly associated, he’s considered one of the very finest—an exceptionally versatile and inventive selector whose lengthy sessions at places like Berlin’s Club der Visionaere and Panorama Bar have become legendary affairs for those who’ve been fortunate enough to discover his work. While he certainly fits among the “minimal” crowd, his sets stretch well beyond the confines of this realm and include tracks, old and new, that you’ve never heard and probably won’t hear again.
In truth, there’s isn’t a lot more to write on Baggs. He’s born and bred in New York but moved to Berlin in 2007 when the record store he was working in shut down. Shy, humble, and as dedicated to his craft as anyone, he politely declines media attention and maintains only a moderate release schedule, opting to work with friends rather than sharing music as a means of promotion. As a result, he sits outside the spotlight, with a growing base of loyal and well-educated music fans who’ve taken the time to dig a little deeper than the highly publicized names with PRs, managers, and long discographies. You could consider him one of house and techno’s best-kept secrets.
His contribution to the XLR8R podcast is a perfect example of his skills. It’s full of classy, off-kilter productions, another one after another—sharply mixed together in typical Baggs style.
Evan Baggs will be playing at London’s 93 Feet East on Sunday, March 11 as part of the Belong Sunday series. More information can be found here.
How was 2017 for you?
Very good, thank you.
When and where was the mix recorded?
Last week in the living room.
On what equipment did you record the mix on?
Two Technics 1200’s and a mixer.
Was there a particular idea you were looking to convey?
There’s not really a whole concept behind it; just maybe to keep it deep and make a nice flow for the listeners to enjoy.
What’s coming up on the release front?
A split E.P. will be released shortly through London-based party Art Of Dark. It will be their first release. There’s also an EP on Time Passages, Timeless, and an EKBOX EP on Cabaret.
Can we expect any of this new material soon?
Most likely all above-mentioned releases should arrive before or at the beginning of summer. There will also be a few more later in the year.
What else do you have coming up this year?
As always, more experimentation in the studio and just enjoying the music and staying balanced.
Chrome Sparks (a.k.a Jeremy Malvin) has shared a new single in advance of his self-titled debut album via Counter Records (a Ninja Tune imprint) in April.
The album arrives after a series of much-tipped singles and EPs on Future Classic. It is the product of an obsessive approach to production as much it is about a restless hunt for new ideas over several years spent between Malvin’s Navy Yard, Brooklyn studio, and a secluded cabin in upstate New York. He spent a month there to escape the distractions of the city, and to distil his process during what became an intensive period of creativity. We’re told that it “boasts” a “sparkling” sound: a euphony of hip-hop, house, and bright-beaming synth work.
On new single “Still Think,” the vocoder vocals and saccharine melodies show a predilection for straight-for-the-jugular songwriting. But there’s also a lush texture and intricacy to the synths and arpeggios which underpin the track, hinting at the studio gear—in particular, a trusty Moog synth—which was a vital part of how he made the record.
“Still Think” is available now, and streaming in full below—with the album scheduled for April 13 release.
Nauuda is a duo from Arendal in southern Norway. The duo consists of Jakob Eines (19) and Alex-André Aanonsen (18), who used this alias for their musical productions since 2014. The duo found that they shared the same interest in music in 2011, on a student night at the elementary school. Over the last four years, they have been working to find their own sound and have produced everything from hip-hop to house.
Now ready to release some of their music, they’ve shared “up,” a melodic house cut, now available for download via the WeTransfer button below.
Riding the waves of support for his sophomore album and Ninja Tune debut, Wallflower, Jordan Rakei has today released a new single, “Eye To Eye,” alongside a tight, soul-infused dancefloor edit produced under his Dan Kye moniker (Rhythm Section). The release is accompanied by a video conceived and directed by Tom Ewbank, featuring Jordan as the despairing protagonist.
“We shot the music video on the Welsh coast in the middle of December, which came with a few challenges, not least the temperature of the sea and the weather,” explains Tom. “This was the first bit of acting that Jordan had done and I was initially concerned that we may struggle to transform one of the nicest and most considerate people I know into a psychopath. I’m not sure what Jordan’s performance says about him as a person but his portrayal is very convincing and at times terrifying. I’ve always enjoyed working with Jordan and I feel very fortunate to have worked with him on this project, hopefully, his fans enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed making it.”
In January, Wallflower finished at No.2 in the Album Of The Year public vote at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards. The record is also shortlisted for The Australian Music Prize (the equivalent of the Mercury Prize in the UK).
Eye To Eye is available now, and streaming in full above.
By now, Geoff Kirkwood’s Man Power alias should ring quite familiar to readers of XLR8R. Since debuting in 2014 on Jennifer Cardini’s Correspondant imprint with the Kiloton EP, Kirkwood’s music has dropped on some of the scene’s premier imprints, including Hivern Discs, Throne of Blood, Optimo Trax, permanent Vacation, ESP Institute, and his own Me Me Me label, which has also been home to releases from Pale Blue, Last Waltz, DSC, and Forriner, among others. These releases presented a varied, idiosyncratic style that seemed to belong to disco, house, and techno all at once. It was a style that enamored the scene, leading to gigs throughout the world at hotspots like Panorama Bar Berlin, Fabric London, Glastonbury, Love International, Burning Man, Rex Club Paris, and DGTL Festival. Kirkwood’s music has always resonated with the XLR8R staff, too; in 2015 he landed as one of our favorite new artists and his 2016 XLR8R podcast was one of the most colorful in recent years.
For our latest Hi-Five, we welcome back Kirkwood to XLR8R‘s pages to present five tracks by artists from Newcastle and the North East of England; although, these aren’t necessarily his favorites, as he explains:
“It has to be said that I just picked five tracks almost at random, as there’s way too much good music happening in the North East (mainly based around Newcastle) to pick any clear favourites.
People outside the region can be forgiven for not knowing how healthy the scene is, as the NE has a habit of not blowing its own trumpet, which is why I’m gonna blow it now.”
Man Power will be performing alongside Charlotte de Witte, Honey Dijon, Sasha, Tiga, Lee Burridge, Amelie Lens, Mark Knight, Alan Fitzpatrick, and Patrice Baumel at CRSSD Festival, which takes place March 4-5 in San Diego. You can grab tickets to CRSSD here.
Edmondson “Flamingo Tripper” [Lissoms Records]
I’m in love with everything Sean (Edmondson) does. He’s incredibly versatile and has an amazing feel for sound design and groove, as well as a natural ear for pathos. I also have his latest release coming up on Me Me Me, you can pre-order that here.
AWOL “74.585486, -94.736499” [AWOL]
AWOL is so secretive that I’ll probably get in shit for pointing out he’s from North Tyneside, but this record is amazing. Done with no promo, and almost zero online presence or social media, it still made it into the record boxes of some of the biggest Techno DJs in the world. It’s a nice sign that quality music can still find its audience without the attendant bullshit being required.
Again, I love everything Ian Mann does. There’s a real organic and soulful element to what he touches. He really deserves to be much much much more well known.
RIP Lizards. Both James (Hadfield) and Foss (now of Forriner) have released on my label too. They’re both old friends, and this was a perfect storm moment in their brief period of working together. I’ve played this record so many times since it came out, and it always resonates with whatever crowd are in front of me. It’s incredibly emotive.
Mark sounds like he’s from Detroit. Everything he touches is sublime. He’s another unassuming guy who doesn’t ram his music down your throat, despite having releases on big hitters such as R&S records.
Kid Fiction has released a new genre-bending, slow groove single, “Silence Is Golden.”
Accidentally deleting the song before it was finished forced Kid Fiction to improve on what he could remember resulting in the uplifting electro gem which oozes with groove and flow. Kid Fiction describes: “I’ve never found these types of personal songs about real people and actual events to be all that easy to write, but when you’re in the throws of high emotion sometimes the songs just write themselves.”
Finding influence from all corners, the sonic architect pulls from the darker shades and heavy electronics of the UK underground to lush melodic soundscapes, soulful pop aesthetics, and the rowdy polyrhythms of his Afro-Caribbean roots.
After two decades of musical experimentation, Kid Fiction is now releasing his first body of work with a collection of sprawling trans-genre electronic music. His debut track “Damn 3,000ft” struck a chord with many and he’s set to release a seven-track self-titled EP later in the year.
“Silence Is Golden” is out now, with a stream available below.
The annual event aims to present alternative and unique art forms and creative engineering. The organizers focus on projects that go beyond an explicit lineup, with multiple galleries, installations, modular synthesizer workshops, landscaping, and organic decorations mixed with scientific experiments. The crew is gathering creative builders and artists from almost all corners of the planet, and mixing these collected artistries and craftsmanships with Berlin’s urban art forms.
With regards to the music, the organizers base their booking “purely on their love of electronic music and search for quality.” There are five festival floors, each dedicated to different electronic music styles. The ‘Kreuz&Quer Floor’ is a charming beach like environment within a little forest, hosting a mixture of atmospheric techno in the likes of Rrose, Kangding Ray, Matrixxman, Mike Parker, Peter van Hoesen, Cio D’Or, Takaaki Itoh, Shifted, Abdulla Rashim, Dasha Rush, and more. Many of the artists playing on the ‘Kreuz&Quer Floor’ will also play a second set on the ‘RelaXperimental Floor, with a lineup announcement scheduled soon.
The Groove Floor, meanwhile, combines minimal techno, tech house, and similar styles with the “hottest exports” from the psychedelic trance scene. Elsewhere, the ‘Forst Floor’ combines organic art with craftsmanship, science, and engineering. It will host the most “experimental and extreme” side of psychedelic trance. Finally, the ‘Bass Playground’ will present dub, bouncy glitch-hop, vibing half-step, drum & bass, breakcore, and everything fitting in between. Matrixxman, the first name to be announced for this stage, will play a drum & bass set.
Lineup—Kreuz&Quer Floor
Air Protection Office Alekzandra Antenes Anthony Linell aka Abdulla Rashim Asphalt Pirates AWB Blazej Malinowski BLNDR Cio D’Or CNCPT Cristal Distortion Dasha Rush Edo Etapp Kyle Florian MSK Jessica Kert Kangding Ray Liziuz Luigi Tozzi Matrixxman Mike Parker Naty Seres Peter Van Hoesen Rrose Sharad Sood Shifted Sofus Forsberg Takaaki Itoh Val Vashar ZV_K
This year’s event takes place from July 4 to 9 in Berlin, Germany, with more information available here. Meanwhile, you can view a gallery of last year’s edition below.
Early next month, DOKTA will release “London Nights”, the third single taken from his forthcoming album, Metronomic, via 2020 Vision.
The new single, a heady concoction of minimalistic grooves and instrumentation, follows on from previous 12″s “Baby Powder” and “2nd Nature” and arrives backed by remixes from Burnski, Jason Heath, and Ralph Lawson, all who turn in stellar interpretations.
Every Thursday night in the lead up to the album’s April release date, DOKTA will be presenting live streams via his Facebook page in which he performs tracks from the album live on his enviable collection of analog gear—so far, three of these have dropped and can be watched via the players below.
“London Nights” will be available on February 26 and can be pre-ordered here, with a full stream available below.
Legendary UK artist Luke Vibert will drop a new solo record on the Belgian De:tuned label.
The four-track release will be Vibert’s first solo release of 2018, and is said to show off his ablity to “produce funky yet quirky acid tracks that will put a smile on your face.” “Balath” and “Worry Ledge” are “intense uptempo electro workouts with enough 303 squelch to melt your brain.”
