Later this month, enigmatic producer Stephan Laubner (a.k.a. STL) will return with a three-track EP on Amirali‘s Dark Matters imprint.
Titled Nonzero Sonics, the EP will be the sixth for the label and their first release to drop this year and follows previous entries from AboutFace, Paul Valentin, and Amirali himself. Over the years, on labels such as Smallville, Echospace, Perlon, and his own Something imprint, STL has built an almost cult-like following of producers, dancers, and listeners enamoured with his idiosyncratic take on house and techno and on this latest endeavour, Laubner goes further down the rabbit hole with three deep and twisted cuts.
In support of the forthcoming release, Laubner and Dark Matters have offered up a full stream of “Smooth Selector,” a stripped-back dubby groove plastered with Laubner’s signature dubbyness. You can stream the track below, with the EP available for pre-order here.
DJ Richard will release a new EP on Dial, titled Path Of Ruin.
Path Of Ruin sees the US producer return to Dial for the first time after his debut album, Grind, which landed in 2016. It will be his first EP since 2014’s Nailed To The Floor, which arrived via White Material, the label he runs alongside Young Male.
We’re told the three-track release was inspired by the “harsh winter” in New England, where it was recorded.
Berlin’s Rødhåd (Mike Bierbach) has operated in the city’s underground as a DJ and party promoter since the end of the 1990s. A techno advocate from the beginning, he launched his Dystopian events in 2009 and built up a cult following with parties at Berlin’s best subterranean spots. Later taken under the wing of the Berghain crew, playing at the storied club regularly, his legend grew, and he began to spin at respected venues across Europe. Voted for by Resident Advisor readers, he placed highly in the site’s DJ poll in 2013 (No.38) and has been a big DJ draw ever since.
Techno lovers might be less aware of his considerable production back catalog. His 2012 debut Blindness on Dystopian was a dark, beatless miasma of sinister sound design and gothic vocals (from Sara Clarke), while the follow-up, the George Orwell themed 1984 EP —remember, the label’s called Dystopian folks—delved into groovier, dubwise Detroit techno beats (as on “Newspeak”).
His recent material, such as “Oblivion” on Modeselektor’s now kaput 50 Weapons, is a better indication of Rødhåd’s current direction: moody yet intricate, a detailed portrait painted in shades of grey. His debut album Anxious fleshes out this sound further, adding deeper melodic textures to an already compelling sonic palette.
The opener “Unleash” starts with a disturbing drone, but blossoms into a beatless ambient piece with spiraling arpeggios suggesting a shimmering neon cityscape—did he get an early screening of “Bladerunner 2049″? It suggests a hitherto unseen skill for atmospheric soundtrack material, further strengthened by the break-laden tension of “Withheld Walk,” where these dark tones—a Rødhåd trademark—are decorated by discordant metallic bleeps. “Escape” introduces a heavy 4/4 kick for the first time, yet it’s not aimed at the dancefloor; instead, a pipe organ drone starts up, melting into half-heard voices and all manner of effects. It’s an impressive, spacious sound signature.
“Awash” breaks with tradition somewhat, an IDM piece that builds with beautiful ambient pads and a high flute-like melody. “Glimmer of Light” is an acid-laced techno cut not quite as bright and breezy as its name suggests, but just as immersive as the rest of the record. “Target Line” (featuring Vril) is a highlight, built of granite kicks and a growling synth bass that circulates with diaphanous keys and trippy bells for a lost-in-the-moment dancefloor gem. Similarly, “Burst” is epic: a slow burner of majestic synth strings and heavy stop-start Amen breaks that suggests an appreciation for another techno fusionist, Shed. “Left Behind” is a dubby techno cut that doesn’t really stand out, yet “Cast a Shadow” is a masterful piece of ambient sound design that allows a few sunrays to penetrate the gloom.
Rødhåd is brilliant at crafting these atmospheric pieces, and it’s an intriguing extension of his art beyond his obvious skill as a DJ. He’s already found his musical niche, and it’s engrossing to listen to him make real the dark dreams of his imagination. His love of sepulchral sounds does make Anxious samey, but at its best, as on “Target Line” and “Burst”, it’s incredible. Tracks such as these hint that Rødhåd may have more captivating creations to come.
Lyon’s Hard Fist Records returns with its second release this November, namely Bawrut’s Drums Of Passion EP.
The three-track EP is the Italian-born, Madrid-based producer’s third release and his debut on the French label.
We’re told that the three tracks “are built on the foundations of French, African, and Italian songs, which shows its richness and singularity.”
The EP name is borrowed from an album of Babatunde Olatunji, released in 1959. It’s a manifesto that is reminiscent of the idea that music is a universal heritage with unknown origins, fed by the influence of our ancestors.
It will be the Hard Fist label’s second release.
Tracklisting:
01. Chien De Temps 02. Pregamell 03. Conga
Bawrut’s Drums Of Passion EP is out on Hard Fist Records on November 24, with “Chien De Temps” available for exclusive download below.
The Hague’s Danny Wolfers is a polymath wizard, one who seems to have a boundless supply of energy and an ingrained need to create. He’s published zines, he’s made Ableton plug-ins, he crafts graphic novels, he reviews vintage gear, he runs the Nightwind Records label…we must be forgetting something. Oh, that’s right—he’s also an exceedingly prolific, extremely talented producer of electronic music, a skill he’s been perfecting since got his first Amiga computer and a free copy of his trusty OctaMED software as a kid. Over the years, he’s worked under a ridiculously large array of names (the Psychic Stewardess, Dickie Smabers & the Moerwijk Crew, and Calimex Mental Implant Corp. are a few of the odder ones) for a score of labels. But he’s most known for his work as Legowelt, and he returns to that moniker for his latest album, Legendary Freaks In The Trash Of Time, a release that sees him back on the Clone label for the first time since 2012’s The Paranormal Soul.
The hardware-loving artist’s music is generally defined by handmade, slightly lo-fi aesthetic, along with a vaguely hallucinatory vibe—but beyond that, Wolfers’ always been a hard artist to pin down. Just in recent years, he’s tackled moody ambience (under his Saab Knutson alias), dramatic gaming soundtracks (2013’s Just A Clown On Crack) and earlier this year, something he’s described as a “lo-fi minimal-wavish version of cosmic space jazz” on Unfolding The Future With Amateur Space Jazz.
But, as Legowelt, he’s demonstrated a knack for welding ironworks-tough rhythms and sawtooth-laced low end to spiraling, celestial synths in a way that feels natural and seductive. Tracks don’t really build in the traditional sense; instead, they tend to unfurl and expand, both in terms of arrangements and of sound design. It’s visceral music, with roots in the kind of acid, house, and techno that first found an audience at early-’90s warehouse parties in both the American Midwest and in the north of Europe.
That aesthetic is plain to hear on a track like “My Life in a Bush of Spaceweed” (the man has a way with nomenclature): aqueous gurgles and trilling chirps weave through a circular synth pattern and steady kick, with an ebb and flow of intensity that’s nearly subliminal yet hugely effective. On “It’s Midnite & You Are Lost,” heaving synths are punctuated by a tweaked 303, as the orchestral strings hovering in the background add an elegant uplift to what otherwise would be an unadulterated jack track.
Speaking of jack tracks, ‘Trips In Polarius” is just that—a driving Detroit-esque chugger, defined by tough syncopated chords and rumbling bass, that’s pure momentum. Another of the album’s Motor City–tinged tracks, “New Stories,” sees Wolfers lacing serpentine trills around droning organ chords, while the fluttering keys that hover above the syncopated kick of “Legendary Freaks” ingrain the song with an exultant aura.
Elsewhere, Wolfers tinkers with the tempo and mood. “Axumisia V S612”—defined by a plodding 4/4 rhythm, addictive four-note bassline, and suppressed melodicism nearly buried in echo—sees Wolfers honing in on spectral version of synthpop; “Revenge of the Nerds” feels like the basis for a gothic slow-march hip-hop cut, its ominous, buzzing synths giving it the feel of something lifted from an ’80s horror flick. The album’s fitting denouement comes with the introspective “La Guerre Aux Reves,” a song that layers lullaby chords over a cavernous and crunchy bassline. It’s that contrast—a tough core enveloped by uplifting ornamentation, forcefulness laced by grandeur—that serves as the real strength for many of these tracks.
Despite its many charms, despite its moments of beauty and dynamism, Legendary Freaks In The Trash Of Time is probably not an essential Legowelt album. It’s more straightforward than much of his work, lacking the inherent weirdness and shaggy appeal of Unfolding the Future With Amateur Space Jazz or the otherworldly beauty 2015’s Swan Song Of The Skunkape. Still, despite the man’s frenzied level of output, his attention to quality control is as strong as ever—and really, even a lesser Wolfers record has more personality and charm that most producers could hope to match.
Savage Bucharest continues the line of collaborations on GFD, following on from a prior joint release with Guti and bringing to life a number of impromptu jam sessions between Guy From Downstairs and artists that either live or have spent time in Bucharest.
Savage Bucharest will be the fourth release on the vinyl-only GFD label and can be purchased on Decks and Juno now.
Guy From Downstairs has also shared “Zularic Tree,” his track with Faster, available to stream below.
The massive eight-track EP finds the UK producer in fine form, teaming up with good friend and longtime collaborator Rider Shafique—the pair also enlist Stush, Irah, and Tiffanie Malvo for vocal work—to create a forward-thinking collection of cuts that fuse Binga’s dancehall influences with the modern, bass-heavy sound he is known for, as he explains:
“I’ve said it before, but dancehall and its influence on UK music has been a massive inspiration for me, going way back to hearing Chris Goldfinger on Radio 1 playing music that was like nothing else I’d heard before. I love that fundamental rhythmic pattern, and I love how within the same world you can have some tunes that are built around the sweetest melodies and harmonies, and others that are built around super-tuff minimal drums and crazy squeeks and bleeps.
When it came time to build another EP for Critical, I decided to link up with my good friend and long-time collaborator Rider Shafique, who has a much deeper knowledge of this music than me, and together create something that references both old and new dancehall, while still being playable in the kinds of sets I’ve become known for. There’s no ‘halftime’ and no chopped-up jungle breaks here – we wanted to make something really focussed and even ‘disciplined’ – and hopefully we’ve succeeded.”
Ahead of the release later this month, Binga and Critical have offered up a full stream of Alix Perez‘s remix of “Highly Blessed,” available via the player below.
When meeting Cinthie in person, as XLR8R did just a few months ago at a charming cafe along the river Spree in Berlin, you are immediately greeted with a beaming smile and a conspicuous ray of positive energy. It’s not difficult to understand why this veteran German selector has become somewhat of a figure in the vast electronic music landscape of Berlin; her strength and confidence can be seen not just in her character, but also in her music and journey as a producer and DJ.
Although she was born in Berlin, Cinthie spent much of her early years in Saarbrücken just outside of Frankfurt, where she began her career as a teenager in the mid-’90s. Her love of vinyl and digging—a passion inherited from her parents—lead to a job at a local record store, her first gigs at clubs around Frankfurt, and several releases in the early 2000s on Low Spirit sub-label Electric Kingdom. Despite these early successes, the Cinthie we know today did not fully emerge until 2013 when she started her vinyl-only label Beste Modus, which she continues to run alongside friends and fellow Berlin-based artists Diego Krause, stevn.aint.leavn, Ed Herbst, and Albert Vogt. This delayed breakthrough is in part due to Cinthie staying true to her own personal sound, which emphasizes a commitment to vinyl, Chicago house influences, and a stripped-back approach to production.
Remaining authentic seems to have finally paid off for Cinthie. The Beste Modus project quickly gained momentum via the label’s characteristic no-frills house aesthetic, which has made it a reliable source for dancefloor-oriented DJs from the likes of Paolo Rocco, Julien Sandre, Ryan Crosson, and Cinthie herself, who continues to use the label as a platform for her own tracks. The launch of sub-imprint Beste Freunde in 2015 marked a new chapter of success for Cinthie and her crew; in just four releases, the VA series has already racked up a slew of banging four-to-the-floor cuts, including contributions from legends like Franck Roger and Subb-an. And earlier this year she recruited rising UK duo The Willers Brothers to start yet another sublabel we_r house, which aims to highlight a more minimalistic and contemporary take on deep, funky house music.
Aside from her label pursuits, Cinthie continues to gain international recognition for her diverse taste and skill behind the decks. Her involvement with Berlin’s famous Watergate Club has boosted her profile considerably, resulting in more and more gigs at top venues worldwide and further production opportunities (her remix for pioneering house artist Kerri Chandler dropped on Watergate Records last month). And even with all these achievements, Cinthie remains a grounded and approachable presence, still finding time to raise her young daughter and chat with XLR8R over a long Berlin breakfast.
With over two decades of experience as producer and DJ, Cinthie’s first ever exclusive mix for XLR8R is long overdue, but truly reflects an artist at the top of her game. At just under two-hours, the mix has a raw and totally accessible feel, venturing through classic house, disco, funk, techno, and minimal. You can hear the mix in the player below and continue on to read Cinthie’s full XLR8R interview.
Describe your journey into electronic music—when and how did you get into DJing and production?
Everything happened a bit by accident, I guess. I’ve always been into music and collecting records, just like my parents. One of my friends was a DJ and showed me a few tricks and when I went record shopping at the age of 16, the shop owner asked me if I wanted to work in his shop every weekend. That was back in 1996. Of course, I said yes, and it was from him that I got my first gigs when I was 17. It was funny as they thought I was much older, but I was just very tall for my age.
I quickly was offered a residency in one of the clubs and played with a lot of big names, and then got signed to a label called Low Spirit / Electric Kingdom in 1999 where I released my first tracks and played my first international gigs. I had an Atari and Cubase 2.0 in black and white which was good fun. When I left the label it ended up being pretty hard for me to get noticed or booked as the label was pretty commercial, and people thought I was either playing commercial music or my booking fees were expensive. It was when I started throwing illegal parties in Berlin that I really made a name for myself as a very experienced DJ with good taste in music. But the international breakthrough came only after the launch of Beste Modus with my crew.
You’ve been involved with Berlin’s famous Watergate Club since 2014. How has this affected your career as an artist?
Being part of the Watergate crew is absolutely amazing. I love the club, the crew, the staff etc., and especially the Waterfloor downstairs. But I also have to admit that some people still don’t understand why I joined them as my music is completely different from what Watergate usually stands for. But since I never went the easy way in my life, I’m happy to bring a fresh breeze into the roster and the club. I’m also happy that they trust my taste more and more and even give me the opportunity to host my own nights regularly, where I host my beloved old-school legends along with some well-known artists and, of course, always keeping an eye on the fresh blood in the underground house scene. Overall I can say that it helped my career a lot, but I’ve also had to work a bit harder to get into in the right clubs when playing abroad and convince people that my music is a bit different.
You recently had the opportunity to remix the legendary Kerri Chandler on his Checkmate EP for Watergate. How did this opportunity come about? Was it challenging to work on material from a pioneer of the genre?
After I joined the Watergate booking agency and became a resident, they asked me if I wanted to contribute some music to the label. Alex, the label manager, came up with the idea to remix one of Kerri Chandler’s tracks cause it’s no secret, I’m a big big fan. I almost shit my pants and wasn’t sure if I could handle the pressure. But no risk no fun…all I could do is do my best and try, and if it all went wrong, at least I’d be able to learn something from it.
You’ve been running the Beste Modus label alongside Diego Krause, stevn.aint.leavn, Ed Herbst, and Albert Vogt since 2013. How has the label changed since your first release?
First and foremost we started our sublabel Beste Freunde (Best Mates) as well as we_r house with the Willers Brothers. The family is growing and so is the label. I’m always pretty shocked when I get the statement from our distributor and see how many and how fast we are selling records. I’m pretty proud about it as we are still kind of underground. In terms of music, I guess we all found our own sound. Stevn.aint.leavn likes it a bit more techno; Diego is the master of the rolling basslines; Ed loves the deep vibes; Albert is our wonky pop singer, and I always love it a bit more raw. But all tracks are still aimed at the dancefloor and that will never change.
Overall the productions have gotten more professional. We also have gotten more attention by some big players who also send demos to us now, and that’s definitely something we never thought about when we started. It feels like yesterday when we stamped the first 300 copies and were really scared if we would be able to sell…but the next day they were sold out.
What’s next for Beste Modus and Beste Freunde?
We have two amazing new Beste Freunde EPs in the making and I can’t wait to share the snippets. Two great packages with tracks for every time of the night, including some well-known producers and some fresh blood. And soon we will have another listening session for our eighth Beste Modus release. I can’t wait to put that together as it will be another VA with all of us.
Can you tell us about your recent collaborations with The Willers Brothers and the start of your new we_r house imprint?
I can’t really remember where and when we met for the first time but I think it was somewhere in London. Well, I thought they were lovely guys, and then we would meet here and there and I booked them once for my “we_r house” party in Berlin. We ended up becoming really good friends and soon I created the idea of another imprint for the more stripped back side of house music. The Willers sent me a couple of great tracks and we decided to run the label together with them producing the first release. The next EP will hopefully be a split EP between them and myself.
You’ve been touring more than ever in 2017. Have you played in any new places that have been particularly special?
Yes. I especially fell in love with Vietnam. The scene is rather small there but a lot is happening right now. My beloved Asian booking agency Cliche is based in Hong Kong and Hanoi and they also have their own club there with Savage. It feels funny to travel around the globe and find so many like-minded people. That seriously blew my mind and continues to inspire me a lot. Vietnam is just beautiful, the food is amazing and people are so lovely. I could easily live there eventually.
How do you prepare/select your music for a gig?
I usually go to the record shop every week or buy a lot of stuff online or from Discogs. I’m constantly digging for new music via blogs, Facebook, SoundCloud etc. as I’m always hungry for new stuff. Luckily, I always get a lot of promos sent to me, especially since I started my own radio show at the beginning of the year. I never prepare the order of my sets but I try to organize my bag a bit by genre.
Has it been challenging to balance a more intense touring schedule with running multiple labels and raising a child?
To be honest, yes. I almost gave up twice. My situation is maybe special as I’m divorced from the father of my child and also my Mom died three years ago. Otherwise, it would have been much easier. But there is always a solution for everything. We now have a lovely au pair who is taking good care of my daughter while I’m away. Some things just need a bit more planning, but overall I can say it got a lot easier since we hired our au pair. But I also try and keep everything balanced. I don’t play on her birthday, on Mother’s Day, or on Christmas, for example, and I try to keep a weekend off every now and then. It’s important to fill the kid’s brain at this age with very good memories and not bad ones being away all the time. It has worked out pretty well so far. But hopefully, she will want to come with me sometimes when she is older. I’m so excited to show her the world.
Where, when, and how was this mix recorded?
I recorded the mix in my studio last week, but I needed to record it a second time. Usually, I go with the first take and I don’t mind if you hear me pitching the records here and there. It’s just natural. But when I started for the first time, I had a bit of a busy and stressful day and wasn’t able to focus. The second try was great!
Did you have a specific vision or mood in mind when creating this mix?
For me, it’s always important that people discover new and unreleased tracks as well as some old or rare goodies. I also love a good transition from a more deep opening towards a bit more banging end.
What else do you have coming up for the rest of 2017?
A lot of gigs, some releases, and remixes, improving my production skills, improving my radio show, hosting my own nights at Watergate, and helping one of my friends with his label Second Base while he is living on another continent. The sound of the label is a bit more techno. And last but not least, we will form a label supergroup, which we are all very excited about it. I’ve been thinking about this project for a while and now we will finally start combining the power of a few labels here in Berlin such as stevn.aint.leavn’s Certain Circles, Nick Beringer’s Rubisco, we_r house, Beste Modus, Beste Freunde, Second Base, Unison Wax, Walker’s Käse Kool, and hopefully a few more that could fit into the label group. I can’t wait to tell everyone more about it!
Steffi has released a new white label 12″ featuring two exclusive tracks created in the same album session—and with a similar intricate rhythmic sensibility—as her recent World Of The Waking State album.
The morphing, upbeat, 4/4 club-oriented vibe of “Exit The Ego” on A stands in stark contrast to Side B’s pad-heavy, atmospheric electro of “The Big White Bang.”
It’s available in special edition black or violet vinyl, both in runs of 300. Your color will be selected at random, but buy two copies and get one of each color as long as stocks last.
Tracklisting
01. Exit The Ego 02. The Big White Bang
Waking States is out now, with clips streaming below.
Clark is set to return with a new 12″ single, Honey Badger / Pig.
The two-track release lands on the tails of the British producer’s eight studio album, Death Peak, which dropped earlier this year. This itself was preceded by numerous EPs and LPs on the Warp label.
We’re told to expect some “cavernous kicks” and “hardcore techno,”
Tracklisting
01. Honey Badger 02. Pig
Honey Badger / Pig will land on December 1 via Warp, with the title track streaming above.
