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FatCat Returns to Electronic Roots with New Label FCR

FatCat Records is set to return to its electronic roots with the launch of a new label, titled FCR, with releases scheduled from Cottam, Mall Grab, DJJ, Ali Berger, Grain, E&D, Lee Grainge, and Steve Bicknell.

Long before FatCat was the renowned independent label it is today, it was a hallowed record shop specializing primarily in Detroit and Chicago-based techno and house.

Run by Alex Knight and Dave Cawley (still at the helm of FatCat and FCR), plus Andy Martin and Lee InSync, the shop opened in Crawley during 1988, then moved to Covent Garden in 1990. Jeff Mills, Andrew Weatherall, Richie Hawtin, DJ Rush, Steve Bicknell, Robert Hood, DJ Funk, DJ Dion, and Slam were just a few keen shoppers who’d buy 12”s whenever in town.

The store closed in 1997, and the record label was born in its place, initially releasing electronic music by To Rococo Rot, Matmos, V/VVM, POLE, Insync vs. Mysteron, Gescom and more, before Alex and Dave’s tastes broadened and moved away from tracks aimed at a club environment.

“When we started the label we didn’t want to be pigeonholed into one style, sound or genre; it was this freedom to move freely that we sought,” explains Dave Cawley. “We spent so many years surrounded by dance music that we needed to explore other threads (whilst still maintaining an electronic and experimental element to much of FatCat’s output over the years).”

Now in its 19th year, FatCat has a firm ethos of championing new and undiscovered artists. With offshoot imprints 130701 Records, Split Series, Splinter Series, and Palmist Records, the label has cultivated a diverse and rich catalogue of releases from talent including Max Richter, C Duncan, Sigur Ros, Ian William Craig, Animal Collective, Frightened Rabbit, Vashti Bunyan, Múm, The Twilight Sad, Honeyblood, Hauschka, Dustin O’Halloran, and Nina Nastasia.

Now the FatCat records story has come full circle. With dates for 12”s featuring Mall Grab, DJJ, Ali Berger, Grain, E&D, Lee Grainge, and Steve Bicknell to be announced, FCR’s first release is scheduled for September 22nd—the deep future classic “I Can’t Carry On” by Cottam, accompanied by a remix from Detroit’s Todd Modes on the flip.

Tracklisting — I Can’t Carry On

01. I Can’t Carry On
02. I Can’t Carry On (Todd Modes Remix)

I Can’t Carry On by Cottam is scheduled for September 22 release on 12” vinyl.

Grab an Exclusive Mini-Mix from Mark de Clive-Lowe

Mark de Clive-Lowe is a Los-Angeles-based half Japanese New Zealander. In his formative London years, he helped to evolve broken beat, establishing himself as a leading voice in progressive electronic music. He’s collaborated with the who’s who of soulful club music including Kenny Dope, Waajeed, DJ Spinna, Joe Clausell, Ge-Ology, Restless Soul, and plenty more. Since 2008, MdCL has called LA home where his acclaimed club night CHURCH has taken his brand of technology and beat-infused jazz mash-up from coast to coast and around the globe. Equal parts house head, jazz musician, and live production wizard, MdCL’s sets are a treat for the dancers, the progressives and the purists alike—as he creates everything we experience by hand from scratch, beat by beat, record by record. Whether he’s bumping creations for the dancefloor, remixing classic Blue Note Records on the fly, on stage joined by the likes of Kamasi Washington or Omar, improvising solo piano or creating live soundtracks to classic film material, MdCL is a rare musical force.

Now, ahead of his performance at this year’s FAT FAT FAT festival this upcoming weekend, he’s compiled an exclusive mini mix of his remixes and collaborations.“As well as the recent joints with Ge-Ology and Detroit Swindle and remixes I’ve done, I wanted to share some of my favorite releases from my Mashibeats imprint along with two tracks that I played on for long-time friend and collaborator Phil Asher from his Phlash & Friends project and remixing Black Joy. I love that space between house, broken beat and jazz so this mini-mix has a little bit of all of those good vibe sounds” he says.

Grab the mix now via the WeTransfer button below.

Tracklisting

01.Mark de Clive-Lowe “Brukstep” (Atjazz remix) (Mashibeats)
02. Amana Melome “Lock & Key” (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) (Mashibeats)
03. Phlash & Friends “Revolution=Solution” (Archive)
04. Detroit Swindle “Not Just Norma” feat Mark de Clive-Lowe (Heist)
05. Ed Motta “É muita Gig Véi !!!” (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) (Ether)
06. Nina Lares “Uncover Me” (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) (Moulton Music)
07. D-Malice + Kid Fonque “Word Up” feat Mark De Clive-Lowe (AtJazz Records)
08. Pete Josef “The Traveling Song” (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) (Sonar Kollektiv)
09. Black Joy “Metal Bossa” (Restless Soul remix) (Project Recordings)
10. Nils Wulker “Worth the Wait” feat Jill Scott (Mark de Clive-Lowe remix) – (Mashibeats)
11. Ge-Ology “Moon Circuitry” feat Mark de Clive-Lowe (Sound Signature)

Hi-Five: E/Tape

E/Tape is as anonymous an artist as they come. There is almost nothing published about him online, or elsewhere. “I don’t want to expose too many things about myself; I just want to expose the music,” he says to us in a previous Skype conversation. “It’s not about presenting myself; it’s about presenting what comes out of me.” Naturally, he does very little press and remains out of the public eye. But he maintains a loyal and growing fan base, all of whom appreciate his downtempo and hypnotic DJ sets. He is, as those who listened to his podcast for us will testify, a talented digger and a fine selector — a dedicated artist in every sense. Here, in this week’s Hi-Five, he selects five of his favorite cuts ahead of his performance at this year’s Experiment Intrinsic, which takes place from August 4 to 7 at Le Parc de Joséphin Baker, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, France. More information is available here.

Random Logic ‎”Numrebs” (Label Tehnika; 2001)

Native!

Random Logic, an inspiration from my high school days in 2000 and it hasn’t stopped inspiring since then. It never leaves my bags. We used to share office and studio, thankful to have those times to share words, thoughts, and ideas.

Enumclaw ‎”Opening Of The Dawn: (Honeymoon Music; 2009)

Earth!

Sitting, listening, contemplating. This is music for the background or foreground. The mystery behind listening to certain tracks that challenge us with a new perspective.

Fires Of Ork “When The Night Was Black: (Label Fax +49-69/450464; 2000)

Mystery!

Pleasant flotation created by the Gier Jenssen (a.k.a Biosphere) and Pete Namlook. Where I used to live, many times at night I would go on top of the hill behind the house, where you had this amazing overview on the island, nature, stars, and space. I would sit and listen to this track.

Brian Eno “I Dormienti” (Lable Opal Records, year 1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qEu0kuoKEQ

Peace!

Well, Brian Eno! Since encountering this piece, it has never left my bags and devices. It’s unfolding vortex of sound, chants, and voices always drive me all the way home.

Miguel Molina “Agua de estrellas”

Universe!

Loving, giving, and receiving. To all those endless nights of diving and revealing deeper into dimensions of existence. This acoustic piece and words would be used or sang by someone in the circle. And here the combination of Zamy’s voice and string pulling by Rolando, even now when I hear it …. Exaltation.. 🙂

Premiere: Hear a Stunning New Remix From Elliot Moss

Elliot Moss is a multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer from New York with one album and a handful of singles out—the Highspeeds LP was released in 2015 on Play It Again Sam, following on from three singles pulled from the album.

For his latest outing, Moss looks to Drinker‘s latest single, “Fake It,” twisting the laid-back original into a stunning, groove-led percussion workout, with Drinker’s soothing vocals floating over trip-hop-esque beats.

Moss’ remix can be streamed in full below, with Drinker’s Happy Accident EP—from which “Fake It” is pulled—available for pre-order here.

Ben Frost Releases New EP

Ben Frost has released a new EP called Threshold of Faith via Mute.

The seven-track EP follows last year’s The Wasp Factory—an unconventional opera piece written in collaboration with librettist David Pountney and inspired by Iain Banks’ 1984 psychological horror novel The Wasp Factory—and 2014’s Aurora, which was released by Bedroom Community and Mute. Threshold of Faith is the first release from two weeks of live sessions with Steve Albini in Chicago last summer and includes a remix by Lotic of a track called “All That You Love Will Be Eviscerated,” alongside a “Swing Version” of the same cut by Albini.

You can hear the EP’s lead cut in the video above, with the EP out now on Mute.

Life and Death to Release The/Das LP

Berlin duo The/Das are to release their sophomore album, Exit Strategies, on Life And Death in September 2017, with the first EP from it, Drug Dilling, having already landed this month.

The absorbing 12-tracker is the result of a period of “searching” that finds Fabian Fenk and Philipp Koller “combine multiple ideas, layers, fragments and sounds and refine their distinct idea of techno tenderness,” the label explains. It is described as a “perfect blend of the pair’s Berlin techno roots with a devotion to organic sounds and cinematic details that make it a real trip for the head, heart, and heel from start to finish.” We’re also told that it is more “house influenced” than their previous works on labels like Sinnbus, Krakatau, and Life And Death.

The album itself was an unhurried affair made from various sketched starting points collected over three years of research. Influenced from their travels, a decade of DJ gigs and shared musical experiences, they then headed into the studio for three intense months to arrange, rework, jam out new material, edit and collate all their sounds and ideas. Finally, they spent three weeks behind the mixing desk, shaping the whole lot into one complete form. Made using an array of drum machines and with a new focus on sampling, the album has experimental loops, sounds and rhythms imbued within, and lyrics that act as textural and emotive interventions, adding to the overall flow.

All this plays out from the start. Most important to the process was making the whole album feel like one continuous piece with nuances that take you up and down and really move the listener from start to finish. There is a distinction between electronic songwriting, tracks for the dance floor, bridging tunes and hybrids of all of the above. Importantly, when these are all stitched together the seams are invisible, the overall narrative shines through and the poise of their succulent grooves, the mindfulness of their atmospheres and the richness of their sonic palette really resonates.

Tracklisting

01 Put Castle
02 Divine Voices
03 Loveboat
04 Moon
05 Ischias
06 Fool You
07 Brace For Landing
08 Dog Sled
09 Eso 3
10 Nano Spinacio
11 Group Meditation, Late Reflections
12 Drug Dilling

Exit Strategies LP is scheduled for September 8 release, with “Ischias” streamable in full below.

Rhadoo, Jane Fitz, Vera, and More Play Melliflow & Closer Summer Trip #2

Vera and Alexandra‘s Melliflow label will soon collaborate with Kiev’s Closer for the third time, bringing the likes of Rhadoo, Gwenan, Dan Andrei, and more to Berlin.

Like last year, the party starts Saturday night at Hoppetosse and continues until Monday morning in Club der Visionaere.

The full lineup for this edition is as follows:

Alexandra
Dan Andrei
Gwenan
Jane Fitz
Junki Inoue
Karine
Laurine
Onur Özer
Rhadoo
Timur Basha
Vera

The exact schedule for Hoppetosse and Club der Visionaire “official” will be announced a few days before the event.

Machine Woman Next on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour

Russian born Anastasia Vtorova (a.k.a. Machine Woman) will release a new EP on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour.

Prior to joining the Technicolour ranks, Vtorova has released two 12”s—via the self-titled imprint of Swedish producer Peder Mannerfelt (2015) and UK label Where To Now? (2016)—and a handful of very limited cassettes via Sacred Tapes (2015), Tesla Tapes, and Ono (2014).

She will now release a three-track 12″ titled When Lobster Comes Home via Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint. Championed by Ben UFO, the lead track “Camile From OHM Makes Me Feel Loved” is an homage to Camile: “the best club bouncer in the world.” “Everyone always talks about Sven from Berghain,” says Anna. “But everyone should talk about Camile from OHM.”

Describing the rest of the EP, “”But It Was Like 30 Intros In A Row” is about one bad review I received after a gig in Portugal,” she explains. “And “I Want To Fuck Tech House”… well, that’s self-explanatory.”

Tracklisting

01. Camile From OHM Makes Me Feel Loved
02. But It Was Like 30 Intros In A Row
03. I Want To Fuck Tech House

When Lobster Comes Home EP is scheduled for August 25 release, with “Camile From OHM Makes Me Feel Loved” streaming in full below.

Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini Share Final Track from Collaborative 7″

Following their respective performances at FYF Festival in Los Angeles last weekend, Daniel Avery and Alessandro Cortini (synth artist with Nine Inch Nails) have shared “Sun,” the second and final track from their collaborative release Sun Draw Water.

The release sees the London-based producer and Italian musician explore their shared love of industrial drones and expansive electronics to create synthesizer ambiance with a pulsing, human heart.

“Sun” follows “Water,” which was streamed online last week.

The limited edition 7”, initially only available to be purchased at the festival, is now available to buy at Mount Analog in the US, Phonica in the UK & online at Daniel’s web store.

Meanwhile, both tracks are streamable in full below.

Weekly Selections: Percolate Open Air, Apollonia at VOID Mykonos, Present Perfect Festival

This Saturday marks the first ever open-air edition for Percolate—set to take place at Three Mills Island in Stratford, which what was once the world’s largest tidal mill. The one day event will feature plenty of open space, chill out areas, ping-pong, boutique street food vendors, and two intimate stages featuring a variety of quality underground electronic acts. Highlights of the lineup include a live set from Paranoid London, DJ sets from Scuba, DJ Koze, and Sonja Moonear, as well as a highly anticipated back-to-back-to-back performance from Ryan Elliot, Evan Baggs, and Leon Vynehall. A limited number of tickets are still available; get them here.

On Monday, Mykonos’ newest and much-talked-about club VOID will host French house trio Apollonia for a special extended DJ set. Designed by architect Dimitri Tsigos and powered by a Funktion One system, the aim of the new boutique club is as follows: “to provide a space in Mykonos where serious clubbers can enjoy quality music.” The performance from Apollonia follows acts like South African heavyweight Black Coffee and Maceo Plex. For more information and tickets, click here.

This weekend also marks the return of Present Perfect Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, which will kick off on Friday evening with a special electronic concert at Artplay Design Center featuring UK-based techno producer Actress, electro mainstay Dopplereffekt, and more. The 20-hour long main event will take place on Saturday at the Street Art Museum, and will feature internationally renowned selectors like The Black Madonna, Ben UFO, Daniel Avery, Move D, and Juju & Jordash, alongside a wide range of local electronic producers. The festival winds down on Sunday with a secret lineup at PPF Afterhours, which will take place at a TBA location. More information and tickets can be found here.