Third Culture Kings is the new project led by Jan Johansen (Glorybox) and Alap Momin (dälek), which looks to add a modern interpretation of acts such as The Velvet Underground or Leonard Cohen “as if they had been mixed by King Tubby and Afrika Bambaataa.” This diverse set of influences and touchstones gives the project a free-for-all launching pad, resulting in borderless fusion of post-punk, drone, metal, hip-hop, and more left-leaning electronics.
Adding to the free nature of the release, nearly every sound on the record—besides the lead vocals and guitar—was created or recorded directly to an iPhone, with Momin creating the beats, bass, and most of the synth lines on his device. Johansen would then record backing vocals, guitar, vibraphone, piano, horns, rhodes, and melodica as voice memos on his iPhone, which were eventually dropped on top of the finished tracks.
In support of the release, Momin and Johansen have offered up cassette-only bonus track “Love Come Down” as today’s XLR8R download, available via WeTransfer below. You can also check out the equally trippy video for the cut below, with the album available here.
Dubokaj has shared a deep and varied mix for download.
The mix follows July’s Dubokaj Meets Fortune Shumba album, which was recorded in collaboration between Dubokaj and the South African songwriter and vocalist over a three–month stay in Johannesburg, where Dubokaj set up a makeshift studio to record with local artists, whilst exploring the scene with Tshepang Ramoba of the mighty BLK JKS. A direct relation to the album, the mix is a collection of new and old dub styles, all stitched together with Dubokaj’s deft hand.
You can download and stream the mix below, along with the tracklisting. Dubokaj Meets Fortune Shumba can be purchased here.
Tracklisting:
1. BLK JKS “Nare” 2. Jeff Maluleke “Kilimanjaro” 3. Kajama “Lunar Moonlight” ft Tribal Rebel Ludi (Prod. Micr.Pluto) 4. IMPEPHO “TrapFunk&Alivio” featuring Morena Leraba & Mankind 5. Mashayabhuqe KaMamba “Sun City Flow” 6. Don Loyiso “Ancestral Loop” 7. Dubokaj “Trinidad Babies Dub” 8. Dion Monti “The Kid” 9. Jakinda “Coconut” 10. Sol Phenduka “Isolomzi” ft. Cama Gwini 11. TLC Fam “Baleka” (theme) 12. Fortune Shumba “OMO” 13. Busi Mhlongo “Uganga Nge Ngane” 14. Dejot “Tooshtoo” feat Radio123 15. Fever Trails “Wax Bridge” 16. Dubokaj “Nobody Original” 17. Okzharp “B U” feat. Manthe Ribane 18. RMBO “Mabu Awutswitjwe” 19. Kaang “Kaang”
His latest EP, Potatoes and Beans, follows a string of standout releases on Sound Of Vast from The People In Fog, label head Red Pig Flower, and Vid, and represents the 12th release on the Amsterdam-based Japanese label.
Potatoes and Beans is plastered full of The Mole’s idiosyncratic style, with four tracks that range from the title track’s disco-tinged, organic rhythms to the loose and swinging “Lonely Security Man” and the low-slung grooves and gritty drums of “Help.”
The EP will be available on vinyl and digitally on September 11 and can be pre-ordered here, with “Help” streaming in full via the player below.
Shlømo launched his new ambient project under his full name Shaun Baron-Carvais‘ at Berlin Atonal a few weeks ago and has now shared the entire debut set.
Shlømo is at the heart of the French techno underground. In just a couple of years he has swiftly emerged with his own distinctive sound, mostly on his own Taapion Records but also on influential labels like Delsin, Singular Records, and Arts Collective. Balancing real feeling with all important dancefloor function, his sets and productions marry stark moods with absorbing atmospheres.
His live set from Atonal perfectly captures his skills: smooth, dark, and beautifully atmospheric, grab it via the WeTransfer button below.
“This project has always been in the corner of my mind. Ever since I can remember, movie soundtracks have always intrigued me. From Eric Sierra to James Newton Howard, through to Hans Zimmer, that kind of music was always the best way to spread emotion for me.
“I’m seeing this new project as much more intimate than my sets as Shlømo. The live set I performed as the opening set on the main stage at Berlin Atonal is a piece of my life transcribed through noise and melodies.” – Shaun Baron-Carvais.
Equipment used: Korg MS-20, Nord Lead 1 Synth, microKORG, Controllers, Laptop & a bunch of plugins.
Key additions and updates on the MASCHINE Mk3 include two high-resolution color screens to aid with editing, sample-slicing, and more. The new hardware also adds more function buttons and larger pads—although, these will retain the same layout for those who have built finger drumming muscle memory. For enhanced convenience and portability, the unit will now also feature a built-in 96kHz / 24-bit audio interface, with audio ins and outs.
In regards to the KOMPLETE KONTROL Mk2 units, Native Instruments have extended the original keyboard’s workflow with 17 additional function buttons and two high-resolution color screens for browsing, previewing sounds, and more. You can also now mix, navigate, and edit projects directly from the hardware with updated DAW integration. Other key additions include new pitch and mod wheels, plus a horizontal touch strip for additional expression.
All new units will be available at the NI online shop and retailers from October 5, with pre-orders starting today. Pricing remains the same as the previous versions in all markets:
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Paris-based record shop, agency, label, and distributor Yoyaku has lined up four new releases.
Yoyaku, a mother to various sub-labels, has developed quite a reputation through a string of strong releases over the past few years, and these next few months will Roger Gerressen, HOSTOM, Vincen, and YYY. all return.
The upcoming releases are as follows:
AKUVA01
The first various artist release of AKU, with Roger Gerressen, Difid, Boniface, and Robert David.
47 is a regular event run by Tommy Four Seven. The 47 label showcases original tracks by past guests, both established and emerging, released on a series of solo and various artist EPs.
47012 lands after 47010, Watts’ first solo four-tracker for the label released earlier this year, and VSK‘s 47011 EP.
We’re told to expect “percussive heavy background to influence his take on modern dancefloor material with bone rattling rhythms with stirring overtones and ruptured drum patterns.”
Tracklisting
A1. Psi A2. Post Numer B1. Crackerjack Cacophany B2. Tranq’d
47012 EP is scheduled for September 21 release, with “Psi” streaming below.
Uwe Schmidt has long been recognized as one of electronic music’s most respected and versatile artists. A man of many talents, projects and identities including Atom Heart and Señor Coconut, Uwe’s playfully ironic and acid-tinged Atom™ moniker is perhaps the identity that most speaks to the New York dancefloors where The Bunker makes its home. Several Atom™ releases are much-loved Bunker classics and his latest EP, Future Nights, “offers a heady experiment in what happens when a track takes you so far inside your own head that you’re in danger of losing your way back,” the label explains.
Meanwhile, J. F. Burma is a new analog synth project of Jeremy Berman, a longtime friend of The Bunker who we met via the forums of I-F’s Cybernetic Broadcasting System internet radio station in the early 2000s. While living in Brooklyn, Jeremy spent many hours each week searching for undiscovered gems among the piles of records at notorious Greenpoint crate-digging spot The Thing. Inspired and educated by the music he was finding, he purchased his first modular and started building synthesizers and modules in spite of his lack of training in electrical engineering. Currently, about half of his current Eurorack rig has been DIYed via trial and error.
Jeremy put out his first EP on Shaddock Records under the name Factory Aire in 2013. After a move to Los Angeles and the birth of his daughter, Jeremy’s music production took a bit of a back seat and The Bunker New York will now release the Nomadic EP, his first record produced under the influence of a toddler. All three tracks have a very live feel as Jeremy draws most of his inspiration from interacting with the music machines during late night jam sessions: “When I’m jamming out I tend to gravitate towards trippier vibes, which is just a reflection of my personal affinity for acid and psychedelic music.”
Pneumatics is, after releases at Innervisions, Die Orakel, and his own label Sound Mirror, the debut album of Orson Wells (as long as you don’t count in Jupiter – Wells’ first LP which was released in 2014 with 48 copies on cassette). He has previously released on the Frankfurt label before, with a 2013 EP and another in 2014. He also appeared on that label’s compilation in 2015.
The label describes Pneumatics as “post-retro futuristic,” uniting electro, downtempo and ambient over the course of 12 tracks.
Ahead of this year’s edition, Semibreve has announced a Lawrence English “Radical Listener” workshop.
Lawrence English is composer, media artist, and curator based in Australia. Working across an eclectic array of aesthetic investigations, English’s work prompts questions of field, perception, and memory. He investigates the politics of perception, through live performance and installation, to create works that ponder subtle transformations of space and ask audiences to become aware of that which exists at the edge of perception.
Over the past 10 years, he has been one of the leading international voices in field recording. Working extensively across the world, from Antarctica to the Outback and the Amazon to Japan, his recordings display a personal approach informed equally by technique, theoretical investigations, and aesthetic interests.
It is these unique approaches to field recording that form the basis of this masterclass. The “Radical Listener” sees Lawrence English guide participants through the specific techniques of field recording and listening he employs in his work.
The Radical Listener has been presented at numerous festivals and universities including Unsound (Poland), Resonant Forms (Los Angeles), Substrata (Seattle), Brown University (Rhode Island) and as a lecture at the University of Porto (Portugal), Harvard (Boston) and many other locations.
It will arrive at Semibreve festival for this edition, taking place from 27-29 in Braga, Portugal, with more information available here. Meanwhile, a Q&A with Luis Fernandes, Semibreve Artist Director, is available below, with a Christina Vantzou x Ensemble Harawi performance video streaming above.
In an overly saturated festival marketplace, what do you think it is that makes Semibreve unique?
I believe a conjunction of factors make Semibreve a pleasant and special experience. Apart from the quality of the lineup, which is our main concern, the festival has a reduced amount of shows with no overlap, which allows people to properly “digest” each show. We also care about the way we present each content to the audience, from the venues, which are truly unique, and the choice of artists for each venue to the tech specifications thought to improve the experience as much as possible. Then, of course, the context is a small city with a strong historic heritage where you don’t feel the tension of a big city.
What’s the story behind the festival — why did it start all those years ago?
Semibreve started as an idea of a group of four friends, myself included. Three of us were (and still are) musicians who were really into exploratory electronic music. Due to the fact that Braga was going to be European Youth Capital in 2012, the municipality wanted to support the creation of a new event and I guess we were at the right place at the right time. There was no festival such as Semibreve in Portugal back then so we wanted to fill the gap and the idea proves successful.
The lineup for this years edition is brilliant again — how do you choose the lineup each year? What are you looking for in the artists you select?
Thanks! We try to choose the artists according to our own aesthetic sensibility but we do have some principles. We do not repeat acts, we have never done it so far and that would only happen on very specific contexts. We also choose the artists according to a specific momentum, be it artistic, social or career-related. Last, but not least, choosing acts whose performances might be enhanced by the venue where the show takes place is also a big concern. Last year we did a Christina Vantzou show with a local string ensemble on a mind blowing chapel. It just felt the perfect context for that music. This year Steve Hauschildt will perform in the same chapel, with a very distinct approach but also very promising. We also try to choose solid AV shows to our main room since it has the perfect standards for seated AV shows.
Looking back, what are the standout moments of Semibreve over the course of the past six years? Is there one particular moment you’re most proud of?
The first edition was particularly special because, suddenly, we were doing a festival and hosting some of our favorite musicians and hanging out with them. And, best of all, it was a success. We are also very happy to see the festival spreading its influence on several levels, year after year. We are very proud of it.
How do you find a balance between intimacy and enormity?
Mainly with the right dose of contents and amount/size of venues. I believe we have reached a limit in terms of comfort and size. Semibreve is special, in part, because it’s a comfortable experience. This year festival passes sold out in July so we could try to find bigger venues to accommodate more people, but we truly believe that is not the path to take.
What sort of crowd are you looking to attract?
People looking for interesting and defiant electronic music performances and digital art pieces. We don’t aim only towards experts or connoisseurs especially because we feel we have a role in the education for the arts in our local community. But we do want people to be curious, open minded and critical.
What plans do you have for future expansion — if any?
We don’t want to make the festival bigger than it is, especially in what concerns to the quantity and capacity of the shows. That would ruin the overall experience to our audience, which is a strength of the festival. What we do want is to improve its impact on the city and its community. Public art pieces, reinforced installations program and increase on the number of commissioned works are some of our goals for the future editions of Semibreve.
The 7th edition will take place between 27 and of 29 October in Braga, Portugal.
Please note, also: Adam Basanta & Gil Delindro are the winners of the Edigma Semibreve Award 2017 with the piece Permafrost.
