Photo Gallery and Review: Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival 2017

The masterminds behind the Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival have taken significant strides in their first two years of production; needless to say, after attending this year’s edition, we were beyond impressed by the festival.

Located just off Florida’s Okeechobee Lake in Sunshine Grove, this year’s event attracted 40,000 people across its four days. In regards to its musical offering, the festival promoters Soundslinger kicked it up a notch this year, welcoming a plethora of top artists across most of today’s popular genres, ensuring they had something for everyone to enjoy. Staying true to our roots, XLR8R hung out mostly at the Jungle 51 stage, a mind-blowing stage designed by Julio Santo Domingo, Darren McGee, and Andrew Grant—a jungle-themed design that incorporated cryptic crop circles and a DJ Booth that resembled a space captain’s command center. The most notable performances there were Ryan Elliot, Julio, Nightmares on Wax, and Sebastian Mullaert. Aside from Jungle 51’s offering, we spent time at the Aquachobee Stage, with highlights that included up-and-coming artists Vandana and VHS Collective.

Outside of the music, one of the most enjoyable parts of our festival experience was New York record store Halcyon‘s booth, where attendees could browse and purchase vinyl, as well as listening to music from artists on the lineup. Another aspect that stood out during the four days of the festival was friendliness of the Soundslinger’s staff—all of the crew projected a passionate attitude which permeated into the audience, creating a really great vibe. Our only suggestion to keep in mind for future events is to start the headliners earlier in the night as the dance floor cleared out rapidly at sunrise and left most of the headlining artists playing to a semi-empty dance floor at the end of their sets. More attention to waste clean up on the dance floor during event hours would also improve the whole experience; although, this can be attributed to attendees just as much as the organizers. Other than these two minor issues, Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival was a highly enjoyable experience and XLR8R will definitely be returning next year and we recommend you do too.

Photos: Andrew Jorgensen and Adela Loconte

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Khan of Finland ‘Khant Buy Me Love’

With Khan of Finland’s album NICHT-NUR-SEX, Shitkatapult will kick off its 2017 campaign and the year of its 20th anniversary—the album will also kick off a line of special artist releases from Si Begg, T.Raumschmiere, C. Brötzmann, and more throughout the year.

Named after a user profile on a gay forum named Gayromeo, NICHT-NUR-SEX—which translates to “more than sex”—is an album of dub-like pop that harkens back to the work of “Grace Jones and Marianne Faithfull in their Island Records era of ’80/’81.” A deeply personal and intriguing work that paints the story of an intense lifestyle. Like the album cover, which is an archive of Khan’s photos, the album is a collection of snapshots and secrets unveiled.

On the album, Khan has invited a cast of guest artists including narrator Joe Volume, Mexican rapper Alemán, Julia Kent, cello player of Anthony & the Johnsons, and Icelandic musician Urður, known from GusGus fame.

In support of the album, Khan has offered up “Khant Buy Me Love,” available via WeTransfer below. You can purchase the album via Shitkatapult’s store on March 31.

Khant Buy Me Love

Premiere: Hear a Fierce New Remix from Vessels

At the end of this month, Osaka-based artist Erik Luebs will release Wasteland on Perfect Touch, his imprint and events arm.

The EP was conceptualized over the last 18 months as Luebs distilled his technical process and approach to music, resulting in a 25-minute collection of three original cuts that straddle the line between techno, IDM, broken beat, and ambient. Although his music is hard to pigeonhole into one style or genre, Luebs has crafted a sonic world filled with immersive rhythms and a punk-like feeling—something that could be attributed to Luebs’ local scene in Osaka that melds noise, grime, techno, bass, and house together in a multifaceted community.

Alongside the three originals is a remix from experimental Leeds-based band Vessels, who rework “Red C” into a fierce slice of proto-techno, available to stream in full via the player below.

You can pre-order Wasteland via Boomkat ahead of its March 31 release date.

Svreca and Voices From The Lake Prep Collaborative EP

Svreca and Voices From The Lake (a.k.a Donato Dozzy and Neel) have collaborated to release the Between The Lines EP on Spazio Disponibile.

The release sees three of techno’s biggest names come together for a second time, following on from 2016’s Voices From The Lake remix of the Svreca’s “Sleepless” on Semantica.

Tracklisting

A1. Circa
A2. Isolation
B1. Between The Lines
B2. Shado

Between The Lines is scheduled for April release with clips streamable below.

SNTS Debuts on Horo

SNTS will debut on Horo—formerly known as Samurai Horo, the vinyl-only label for experimental music.

Having first surfaced in 2012, the bulk of SNTS’ gritty, brooding productions—a pair of EP trilogies, and his 2015 debut LP, The Rustling Of The Leaves—have come through the vinyl-only SNTS label. He’s also been picked up for EPs on Horizontal Ground and Edit Select Records, and, earlier this year, a track for 47. His last album Losing Sight was released last November on his own new label Sacred Court. Across Another Dimension will be his debut on Horo.

Tracklisting

A1. / 1. Origin Of Light
A2. / 2. Ancestral Reflection
B1. / 3. Figures In The Mist
B2. / 4. Resurgence

Across Another Dimension is scheduled for April 28 release, with “Ancestral Reflection” streamable in full below.

Shifted Returns to Drifting Over

Guy Brewer (a.k.a Shifted) will release a new EP on his Drifting Over.

Brewer launched the fledgling imprint last year as a sub-label to Avian to provide a more immediate outlet for Shifted material, and the new EP sees him in “strict dancefloor mode,” according to the label, “eschewing abstract leanings found on work for the Avian label proper in favor of a more direct approach.”

Tracklisting

01. Gauze
02. Centipede
03. A Way Beyond

DRFT002 will be out May 2.

Matthewdavid Reignites Early Ambient Experimentations with DISK II Reissue

Los Angeles producer, engineer, and label owner Matthewdavid will release DISK II, a reissued “collection of early feeling-it-out imaginaries.”

The release includes various “ideas, feeling, and inspirations” from the producer’s early ambient experimentations that were thrown “loosely into the internet’s abyss, happy to connect with those willing & able to take the ride.”

According to the producer, fans of his Mindflight Trust The Guide And Glide will “enjoy looking back on the inception, creation, and development of his ambient works, with DISK II providing an early framework and look into the process of the artist as they work through new ideas and techniques.

Tracklisting:

1. DISK II 22
2. DISK II 33 (ft. RUN DMT)
3. DISK II 44 (ft. EOLA)
4. DISK II 55
5. DISK II 66 (ft. EOLA)

DISK II is available to stream and purchase here, now.

Bruno Pronsato Readies First LP in Six Years

Bruno Pronsato has a new LP on the way—his first album in over six years.

US Drag the follow-up to 2011’s Lovers Do, lauded by Pitchfork as a “massive and striking statement,” and decorated with a 4.5/5 rating by Resident Advisor.

The new record, which sees the ex-punk rock drummer exploring unorthodox tuning systems and dense, maximal rhythms, was recorded in Berlin during the second half of 2016 and features a collaboration with Liars‘ frontman Angus Andrew.

After the vast, complex arrangements of his previous albums, the nine recordings on US Drag are “more upfront and direct,” says the label, “with a particular focus on bells, tuned percussion and the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak synthesizer (used to create many of the album’s synth parts).”

Pronsato’s ongoing collaboration with Yonatan Levi continues, with the Israeli bassist appearing on two tracks on the album.

Tracklisting

01. These Brides
02. Before What Happened, Happened
03. She’s Moved
04. Bang
05. Brighter Than Her Daughter featuring Angus Andrew
06. The Wait
07. Hands Reach Up
08. Mine’s Nineteen
09. Neighbours In The Movies

US Drag is scheduled for May 26 release, with “She’s Moved” streamable in full below.

For more information on Pronsato’s studio process, read our feature here.

Opuswerk and Lee Holman Next up on Another Earth

Later this month, Esther Duijn‘s Another Earth imprint will release its latest split EP featuring Opuswerk and Lee Holman.

Following on from standout EPs featuring Myles Serge and Duijn and Douglas, and Plural and Hakim Murphy, ae303 finds Opuswerk and Lee Holman in peak-time mode, offering two deep and propulsive cuts each. On the a-side, Opuswerk’s “RF Thruster” focuses on intricate drum programming and whirring synths, with “EmDrive” its deep and slow burning companion piece; while on the b-side, Lee Holman’s “Adaptive Optics” and “Absorption Lines” opt for gritty, drum-machine rhythms and heaving low-ends.

Ahead of the release, you can stream snippets of all four cuts via the player below.

Mark Redito Hosts Princess Nokia and Sieho in Los Angeles Tonight

The third installment of Mark Redito‘s Likido, a music event series celebrating marginalized artists and communities (people of color, women, and LGBTQ), will take place tonight at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles.

Likido aims to cultivate positivity, affirmation, and celebration of our similarities and differences and happens in LA twice a year—previous instalments hosted artists such as Shawn Wasabi, omniboi, Blackbird Blackbird, Airwav, Yaeji, and abbi presswill.

Tonight, Likido will feature performances and DJ sets from Princess Nokia, Seiho, Bae Tokyo, Neon Bunny, and DJ Clickbait. You can find more information and tickets here.

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