Mister Woo is a collaboration of Portsmouth producers Reset Robot, Jon Gurd and Tom Powell. The trio are set to return with their first new music of 2016 and the launch of Ear Rot Records.
Royal Beluga offers up three new originals from Mister Woo and a remix from Susst. The EP is the first in a string of releases set to drop on the new Ear Rot imprint—a label conceived as a creative outlet for the Portsmouth-born trio and a new platform for the close-knit and diverse mix of experimental electronic artists based in the area.
Royal Beluga is available now on 12” and digital formats; while “Tea Moth” available for free download via the WeTransfer button below.
Formed in the Hague back in the early ’90s, Bunker—a label oft described as Europe’s answer to Underground Resistance—has since earned itself an international cult following, as well as helping to carve out a blueprint for future Dutch techno and electro imprints to follow. The first nine releases all came from Unit Moebius, a group which changed shape over the years but generally centred around the work of Jan Duivenvoorden and label head Guy Tavares.
Over two decades on, the label will now repress Unit Moebius first two records—both untitled EPs, which draw on influences from Detroit techno going on at that time.
For more information on the history of the iconic imprint, check out this feature, in which some of the key players from the Bunker crew discuss its colorful history.
Bunker 001 and 002 will be available to purchase again on vinyl from December 19. Stream the tracks (which are available for digital download now) over at Bandcamp.
Truth be told, living in a metropolis has much to offer, but the one thing we don’t get enough of is immersing ourselves in nature and “switching off.” There’s nothing more invigorating than going off the grid, disconnecting from your electronic lifeline, and returning to your roots. Luckily for us, the San Francisco crew behind Sunset Sound System continue to nourish the electronic music community with a healthy dose of music, good people, and nature in one playfully-packed weekend called Sunset Campout.
The campout, as most long-running dedicated events go, had modest beginnings. Its father brand, Sunset Sound System, has been in operation since 1994, focusing on unique forward-thinking events in and around the Bay Area. The crew launched the first Sunset Campout in 1998 in a small town in Northern California called Willits, and since then the Campout has grown into an engrossing festival that moves forward every year. Now situated in Belden Town—a small town three hours north of SF—the campout offers its 1,500 attendees a beautiful boutique experience sprawled amongst a lush mountain landscape. With the Feather River carving through the canyon, festival-goers freshen up and float within its mineral-rich waters, creating a festival experience that is rarely felt or matched.
CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE AND VIEW GALLERY
To think of the campout purely as a festival, however, would be doing it a disservice. The venue, staff, music policy, and inclusiveness fall more in line with a small creative community rather than your standard festival. You’ll meet no judgements or outside pressure, just good people ready to give you their time, vibes, and personalities.
Camping areas run along the riverside and are sectioned by districts with labels such as ‘Tenterloin’ and ‘Shanty Town.’ Campers fill in the riverside banks on Thursday and Friday, with latecomers squeezing in where they can. You’ll realize upon approaching the designated camping zone that this is a way of life for most attendees. Sites sprawl throughout the forest, with elaborate communal areas attached—comfortable getaways for hosting friends and neighbors with music, food, and drinks. It’s rare that you will walk past an occupied site and not be offered something, whether that be drinks, food, or just a friendly chat. That unbiased, uplifting vibe is something that is felt throughout the three days of the campout and is an undeniable ace up the sleeve for the Sunset crew.
But where the campout excels the most is its music. Although every year there is a handful of exciting international artists, the majority of the lineup is filled with residents and artists from SF and its surrounding areas—which is a rare thing on the festival circuit these days. The programmed sets begin at noon each day on the Beach stage, running until 7pm when the music is then split across the Beach and Sunset stages; the last sets begin just before dawn and finish when the DJs and dancers decide they’ve had enough. This open-ended policy really lends itself to crowd immersion, giving the dancers as much say in those last few sets as the artists themselves.
Nestled in a corner of the winding Feather River, the Beach stage’s main attraction is its floaty pontoon, a multi-colored waterworld acting as an amphitheatre to the thoughtfully selected tunes. Alvaro Z. greeted the crowd Friday morning, easing the party-goers into the weekend with funk-filled rarities and smile-inducing vibes before Dirty Dave stepped up with his deep bag full of shimmering disco. The pair of selectors perfectly complimented each other and the gorgeous setting in which they played and were a fitting introduction for what was to come. For the rest of the weekend, the Beach stage provided the means for more than a handful of brilliant artists to strut their stuff. C Love’s hazy and artful live set stood out on Saturday, as did the Woolfy vs Projections live band. It must be said, however, that every artist on the bill really laid it down over the weekend.
As night starts to creep in, the action moves up the hill and the Sunset stage comes alive—it’s here that you’ll find the bigger acts playing moonlit sets with a hallucinogenic light show in tow. Reverting back to Sunset’s music policy, it must be noted how well the residents, and the artists they invite, play music that straddles the line between overtly weird and functionally danceable. This trend was personified in the one-two-three-four punch combo on Friday’s lineup that ran from Honey Soundsystem co-founder Bezier’s live set through to Sunset’s charismatic head, Solar. With Innervisions’ Marcus Worgul and Parisian veteran Ivan Smagghe sandwiched between the pair of SF-based artists, the crowd were treated to over eight hours of some of the most out-there dance music you will likely hear at a festival.
At some point, rest must be slotted into the schedule. When you’re running on a time schedule far removed from day-to-day life and its obligations—and with the constant pull of the music—it’s easy to forget that regular chunks of sleep are needed to function properly. During the three days of the festival, over three people had fits—whether that was from lack of sleep, bad drugs, a combination of both, or something else altogether, is still to be known—and seeing these unfortunate events happen did bring to mind to the importance of thoughtfully planning successive day events with regular eating, sleeping, and educated partying. The way the Sunset medical crew and emergency services handled these situations shouldn’t be unstated: each time, they responded timely to safely calm the crowd and provide the care to the people in need.
As the festival runs through Saturday, you’ll realise that there isn’t a focus on one headliner or one slot; rather, the focus is put on the experience as a whole across its three main days. Because of this, a relaxed and considered vibe runs throughout, allowing the attendees to take the time to find their feet.
Saturday night’s party went into high gear with the live electro stylings of Convextion (a.k.a E.R.P.), as the American delivered his dubby broken beats to a swelling crowd. This gave a great base for Âme’s Kristian Beyer to take things up a notch with his selections before Red Axes summoned the sunrise. Around 6am, Idjut Boys wove together a set of off-kilter cuts to fittingly soundtrack the stumble back to the tents—or the after-party, for those inclined.
On Sunday, understandably, there was a noticeable speed drop across the entire campout. A handful of San Fransisco standouts provided the parting tunes—including Pillowtalk, Anthony Mansfield, and Sammy D and Shane One—as well as LA’s Heidi and Lovefingers and Tako from Red Light Records.
In spite of the seemingly endless party, you leave Sunset Campout feeling invigorated and refreshed—albeit tired. It’s a creatively charging weekend and one that satisfies not just musically but also therapeutically. The campout won’t be for everyone, but if you’re up for going off the grid for a weekend of classy dance music then you will find a lot to love at Sunset Campout.
“Trip” is one of the many tracks to come out of Daniel Bortz‘ studio, this time in collaboration with Sascha Sibler. Bortz, by this time, should need little introduction—last year’s feature tells you pretty much all you need to know—and this cut fits comfortably within the sound aesthetic of his more recent releases. The story behind “Trip,” he explains, is a simple one: it was completed in 2013 and was tipped for release; however, on consideration, Bortz and Sibler took the decision to offer it up as a free download—the first, Bortz says, of a series. There will be more to come.
“Trip” is one of the many tracks to come out of Daniel Bortz‘ studio, this time in collaboration with Sascha Sibler. Bortz, by this time, should need little introduction—last year’s feature tells you pretty much all you need to know—and this cut fits comfortably within the sound aesthetic of his more recent releases. The story behind “Trip,” he explains, is a simple one: it was completed in 2013 and was tipped for release; however, on consideration, Bortz and Sibler took the decision to offer it up as a free download—the first, Bortz says, of a series. There will be more to come.
AnD and Tom Dicicco’s Inner Surface Music released ANFS‘ The Age Of Ephemeral Man—the label’s 11th release—back in August.
Like much of the label’s back catalogue, the EP featured hard-hitting techno of the experimental variety, with a remix of lead track “VPA” from Honzo. The original version of “VPA”—a sinister and ritualistic cut—has now been released with accompanying visuals. Like the track, the video is trippy, abrasive, and frenetic as it moves through morphing animations. Alongside the video, the label has announced its next release, an EP from Japanese producer Ryuji Takeuchi.
Takeuchi’s Outbound To Inner Self EP will drop on October 17, with the video for “VPA” streaming below.
XLR8R Couldn't find the embed function for type: "vimeo" and source: "<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/179784446?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>".
When Tommy Vicari Jnr released the Mic Ang EP back in January, we took note of the Englishman’s rapidly increasing profile; in the months following, the rate and quality of his output has exceeded all expectations. Over the course 2016 so far, he has put out 11 EPs already and still has several more awaiting release—quantities largely unheard of in electronic music. The torrential approach poses tricky questions, risking overexposure and poor quality control. Up to this point, however, Vicari’s output has dodged those pitfalls. After decades working his machines he evidently knows a thing or two about refined composition, and each of his recent EPs has done something stylistically a little different.
Wud is no exception. Picking a theme and sticking to it, each of the EP’s four cuts embody some feel-good aspect of early ’90s dance culture nostalgia, passed through Vicari’s house-inflected filter. Its appeal is tough to resist: blissed-out chords fly round liberally and seductive vocals drop here and there, pinned together by his tight percussion.
Three of four cuts are piano jams of sorts: “Out of the Box” a slice of proggy tech-house, while the sexy “Undered” is not too far from classic New York house. Closing track “Persu Nil” is probably the most memorable of the bunch, with some vague UK-garage flavours—wobbling bass, shuffling hats and jittery key stabs. The rave-ready title track pursues a different path, focussed instead on a retro whomping synth; another welcome throwback on a record that breathes new life into classic sounds.
Moe Espinosa (a.k.a. Drumcell) released his first material as Hypoxia last year—the experimental four-track EP A Constant Preparation For Loss. The latest release from the project (Unwilling Suspension of Disbelief) is comprised of two improvised pieces of music, which were captured in front of a live audience in two cities on two continents.
First up is “Active Tension,” a recording that was made at BL_K NOISE’s debut label showcase in Los Angeles. It is complemented by “Distant Mystic,” a track that was recorded in an “industrial hall” in Berlin. According to the imprint, the “unpolished recording process embraces all the imperfections of improvisation and eschews any post production or overdubs.”
Unwilling Suspension of Disbelief is due to be released October 31. For more information on Espinosa, check out this feature from earlier this year, when Luke Cheadle caught up with the man himself.
Tracklisting:
1. Active Tension (Live in Los Angeles) 2. Distant Mystic (Live in Berlin)
Uffe‘s sophomore LP arrives a year after his brilliant debut album, Radio Days, following the off-kilter, genre-less approach set on the debut. The Danish producer’s label home Tartelet will release the LP on October 14 and, ahead of that release, the label has offered up an enticing full stream of the album.
Across a handful of EPs and one album, Uffe cemented his status as one of the most exciting young producers on the scene with his knack for crafting tunes and releases that defy convention—his sophomore album pushes this concept to the next level. Rhythmically dynamic and stylishly diverse, No! traverses through Uffe’s wide-reaching sound in an unexpected and exciting manner. Tempo’s shift and change throughout and, across its 13 tracks, you’ll be treated to warped soul, jazz, hip-hop, and left-field house.
Uffe’s No! is another standout addition to Tartelet’s recent album releases—alongside Max Graef’s debut, Rivers of the Red Planet, Glenn Astro’s Throwback, and Uffe’s own Radio Days—and will no doubt be on repeat across the electronic music scene upon its release.
You can hear the album in full below, with more on Uffe and No!here.
Alex Hislop (a.k.a. Lixo), founder of London party collective GETME!, released his latest single, “Writer’s Block”—which also features the vocal stylings of grime MC and 1-800-Dinosaurs singee Trim—back at the end of last month. The single landed on the label arm of GETME!, following up his 2015 Gloomer EP.
On “Writer’s Block,” Lixo’s dreamy production and eerie soundscapes provide the perfect off-kilter framework for Trim’s notoriously off-beat rhymes. Heavy bass underpins the track, with Trim’s vocal work running wild on top alongside skittering percussion.
Not part of the official release, Rome-based producer Lorenzo BITW‘s house refix is being offered as today’s XLR8R download. The remix is a more upbeat affair, it’s four-by-four tropical-infused beats provided a lighter touch than the deep original.
You can download Lorenzo BITW’s remix of “Writer’s Block” via WeTransfer below, with the original available now via GETME!.
