GAIKA, one of the most incendiary and subversive new voices in music, has joined Warp Records.
His first release on the label is “3D,” a synthesis of his unflinching lyrics, concussive industrial percussion.
“3D” is available to stream in full via the player below, and available to purchase here now.
Located in the wilderness of remote Canadian island town Port Hardy, multi-instrumentalist and producer Caton Diab reflects the serenity of his natural surroundings under his C.Diab project with patient, hauntingly beautiful music. On his 2013 debut, Interludes, Diab presents listeners with 10 textured, slow-moving compositions that leave plenty of negative space for personal reflection. With a droning bowed guitar, evocative vocal samples, and comforting tape crackle, 2014’s Beacons spoke further to his unique vision and expert musicianship.
Diab’s newest endeavor, No Perfect Wave, delivers an evolution of the blissful ambiance that past releases have aspired to. “Memory As Mist,” the first cut off the forthcoming project, pairs intimate tranquility with refined mastering prowess, due in part to the engineering work of renowned vocalist and composer Ian William Craig.
The full LP is scheduled for an October 7 release on the recently established Injazero Records. Preorder the release from their shop here. Download via WeTransfer below.
XLR8R’s first ever official podcast was published on August 3, 2006. It came in the form of an exclusive hour-long mix by Plug Research, featuring cuts from Thomas Fehlmann, Flying Lotus, Ammoncontact and many more. In the 10 years that have passed since then—yes, this week marks an entire decade—a whole lot has changed. Firstly, the mix series that started all that time ago is now updated weekly by an artist of our choice; each submission is now shared via our channels every Tuesday of the year—without fail. XLR8R, too, has grown considerably, evolving from a San Francisco-based newsprint ‘zine to a web-only music publication with a more global audience than ever before and offices on both sides of the Atlantic.
Settling on a fitting way to mark this milestone proved to be no easy task. Initial ideas revolved around compiling a list of our favorites from the past decade and sharing these with our readers once again, but we decided against this for two reasons: it didn’t do justice to the occasion, and picking a favorite among such a diverse bunch is either going to lead to a remarkably long list or exclude too many others. After all, there has been no shortage of memorable additions to the series. Gerd Janson’s 2015 submission springs to mind immediately, as do those of Alex Smoke, Nicolas Jaar, Helena Hauff and, more recently Andrew James Gustav—but there really is something in there for everyone. Even mentioning these names leaves out some of the leading pioneers in the global scene, names like Daniel Bell, Laurent Garnier, Gaslamp Killer and Floorplan, all of whom have submissions that can be checked out if and when you please. Picking favorites just wasn’t going to cut it.
After some careful consideration we also concluded that we wanted to serve up some new music for the occasion—and that sparked the following plan. Beginning on Monday August 1, and ending Saturday August 6, we are sharing a brand new mix for your listening pleasure. And to reflect XLR8R’s growth into a global media outlet, each of these submissions will be delivered from a different continent; the artists chosen to mark this occasion with us all originate from a different corner of the globe. Their task for them was simple: to compile a mix between 90-120 minutes that best represents their musical roots. There have been two mixes thus far—from Seekae on behalf of Australia, and yesterday’s from Asia’s DJ Nobu—and up next, representing Europe, is one of Berlin’s finest: Tama Sumo.
It’s with a great sense of pride—and achievement—that we can today present a Tamo Sumo XLR8R podcast. The Berlin-based DJ, real name Kerstin Egert, has proven to be a tough artist for us to pin down; initial contact was made a year ago following an exceptional Boiler Room set to close last year’s Dekmantel festival in Amsterdam, one of the few defining highlights in a summer full of memorable moments. The fact that it has taken her until now to deliver is testament to just how highly she is demanded.
There is no real noise or information floating around Egert—and so it’s neither necessary or possible to pen an extensive introduction about her or her main achievements. Even her alias, a mask adopted in 2004, remains something of a mystery. Indeed, all you really need to know about her is this: she was born in Mühlhausen, a small Bavarian town, before moving to Berlin in 1990. As a DJ, she began spinning around 1993 and went on to secure early residencies at Drama and Café Moskau, before moving to Tresor. She is now a resident at Panorama Bar, although she can sometimes be found DJing downstairs in Berghain, the techno-arm of the infamous Berlin institution. According to an interview with RA last year, her record collection is now 15,000 records deep.
Studio mixes from Egert are not not easy to come by (there are only four readily available today), and recorded club sets are similarly uncommon. Indeed, this sparsity of material is matched only by her production output: Egert’s discography is limited to just a handful of productions, meaning she is one of only a limited number of DJs who have found their way to the higher echelons without the support of high profile releases. She is, in every sense, a DJ’s DJ; one of the world finest house and techno DJs whose success and acclaim stem only from her skills as a selector rather than anything more.
When and where was the set recorded?
I recorded the mix at the end of last week at my home in Berlin.
What equipment did you use?
Two MK IIs , two CDJs, and the E & S DJR 400 mixer.
How did you select the tracks you wanted to include? How much time did you think about the tracks?
I can’t really say how much time I spent. I found it pretty difficult to make a decision on which tracks will make it into the mix, as there was so much great music released within the last months, and also a lot of beautiful music that will be released, plus also older stuff that still moves me. But at the end of the day, it’s a wonderful problem to have.
Did you have a specific idea that you wanted to express?
You are always in a learning process as a human being, and so are you as a DJ. I discovered a lot of new music via the rereleases of African, Brazilian or Latin music as well as jazz within the last years that I wanted to include in the mix, as well as my house and techno-ish side. I had to somehow make all of it work together. I guess it is basically what I do in my DJ sets, while the focus can change from gig to gig.
How did you approach this mix in comparison to a regular DJ set?
The approach was very similar. I love variety, mood changes, ups and downs, and a certain kind of spirituality in DJ sets. This is what I try to offer within my regular sets as well as in this mix. My DJ sets are of course more improvised as I have different environments, atmospheres and crowds to deal and play with. The motivation of the mix was to offer a small variety of the music that moves me and give a little impression what my DJ set can be about.
What have you got coming up this year?
Having fun and making some time to spend in my studio again. And I also have a lot of gigs to look forward to. Also, perfecting my jerk chicken recipe 🙂
The fifth instalment of Cosmin TRG’s Fizic label comes in the shape of two by Lucy and Minor Science.
Lucy, whose studio we recently visited, takes “Serpenti,” while “Oblic” gets reinterpreted by Minor Science. The result is a hyper-modern excursion with deep fluid bass drums, expert percussion and soaring synths.
The artwork was designed by Cosmin TRG himself.
Tracklisting:
A / 01. Serpenti (Remixed by Lucy)
B / 02. Oblic (Minor Science’s Non-Newtonian Fluid Mix)
Cosmin, this upcoming remix EP is the first time you have invited other artists to your imprint. Is there any reason you chose Lucy and Minor Science?
I reached out to Lucy and Minor Science first and foremost because I admire their unique respective voices and how they carved their own sound. I think Lucy and I share a similar interest in texture and ambience, how they work in a groove, and the atmosphere they create. Minor Science has this really modern, non-formulaic approach that’s very fresh and irreverent. All these key words inform the Fizic ethos, which is to explore and express. I started the label as an outlet for my own ideas in music and art, but I’m slowly opening it to other artists with whom I feel a strong connection.
You designed the artwork for the release, what are the aesthetics and concepts you are developing and how you relate them to the label? What techniques did you use for the cover?
Each cover attempts to add a visual layer to the music, so in a sense they are an extension of the sound. 01 and 02 were photographs of angular, brutalist man-made structures which don’t serve their initial function any more, putting them in a brand new, monumental context. While the first two EPs played on structure and shape, 03 and 04 went towards the evocative medium of color and texture by using various painting and drawing techniques. Finally, on this remix EP, both artists were drawn towards patterns, texture and symmetry so I went for a hybrid of photography and painting: I used plastic, paint and lighting to evoke the ideas that inspired both Lucy and Minor Science in their interpretations.
Minor Science, let’s talk about your Non-Newtonian Fluid Mix? How were you able to work your signature sound into the original track?
Well, to explain the subtitle: when you type “Oblic” into YouTube you find a bunch of people misspelling “oobleck”, a word from Dr. Suess which somehow got attached to a substance US kids make in science lessons out of cornstarch and water. (The voice in the track is from one of these “how to make oobleck” demo vids.) It’s a “non-newtonian” fluid because it changes viscosity depending on the amount of force you apply to it, meaning it splats and dribbles weirdly when you play around with it. This seemed to fit the way I had treated the original track, which was to send bits of it through a sort of network of delays, vocoder plugins and cheap guitar pedal compressors to make these gloopy semi-liquid textures. I then put loads of other stuff on top, but that’s the spine of the track. If I have a signature sound then I guess it comes from obsessing over a handful of techniques which maybe aren’t broadly used, and the cheap guitar pedal thing is one of those techniques.
Oblic / Serpenti Remixes is scheduled for September 16 release Fizic.
Pioneer DJ has announced a new turntable, the PLX-500.
This latest model is similar to the PLX-1000, its more expensive predecessor that was launched in 2014. The new model is being pitched as a more affordable version of the PLX-1000.
The PLX-500 is designed for home listeners and DJs on a budget, and features a line output which negates the need for an external amplifier. It also comes with a cartridge, stylus, slipmat and a USB output for ripping vinyl to digital formats. It has a slightly reduced pitch range and lower torque, but the company says it’s still suitable for scratch DJs. There will be a white and black model.
The turntable will be released in early September, at at retail price of €349. It is more expensive than some budget turntables, but it could be a solid alternative for those who can’t afford Technics’ updated SL-1200, which costs around £2,799.
A promo video for the PLX-500 is available below.
Click on a photo for gallery browsing.
In October, San Diego’s CRSSD Festival will return to its Waterfront Park home for the second time this year, following on from a successful spring festival that featured artists such as Ben UFO, Jon Hopkins, Damien Lazarus, Tale Of Us, and Tom Trago.
The fall edition, which is held October 1 – 2, will feature previously announced artists such as Brodinski, Dubfire, Bonobo, Lee Burridge, Ta-Ku, and DJ Harvey alongside a whole host of new enticing names such as Eagles & Butterflies, Kaytranada, Leon Vynehall, MK, and Matrixxman.
You can check out the full lineup for CRSSD below, with tickets and details available here.
Through a series of emotive, thoughtful releases on the Seattle-based Hush Hush imprint in past years, Secret School (a.k.a. Seattle native Andrew Sutherland) has made his moniker synonymous with a moody brand of house music. In his 2014 self-titled debut, Sutherland released a compelling declaration of intent that placed his dense sound among fitting label mates Kid Smpl and Chants. The producer’s forthcoming Heal release, composed in the same year that Sutherland’s father was diagnosed with cancer, spins a candid, introspective tale of separation and tragedy.
The album’s title cut, an anthemic centerpiece to the eight track offering, is up for today’s download. With an ambitious arrangement, gorgeous strings, and a healthy dose of atmospheric bliss, the lengthy tribute packs profound melancholia into its 11-minute run time.
Download via WeTransfer below, and preorder the digital release here, scheduled for August 5.
These Hidden Hands is an experimental electronic group made up of members Alain Paul and Tommy Four Seven. The group released their self-titled debut album in 2013 via their own creative platform Hidden Hundred, which cemented their reputation for creating exciting and experimental electronic music.
Although quiet since the debut, the project resurfaced earlier this year with “These Moments Dismantled,” featuring Lucrecia Dalt. The single was a brilliant precursor to the recently announced sophomore album, Vicarious Memories, which will arrive on Hidden Hundred on August 5.
Building on the sound they crafted on the debut album, Vicarious Memories is a deeply wound bundle of rolling grooves, haunting instrumentals, and beautifully bizarre vocal outings, which feature vocal work from Berlin-based musicians Julia Kotowski and Ale Hop.
Ahead of the August 8 release, you can stream album cut “Socotra” via the player above.
