Podcast 854: Estoc

For around a decade, Philadelphia-based DJ-producer Estoc has been weaving together experimental electronic, industrial, ambient, and hip-hop and even pulverizing hardcore influences into her DJ sets, original productions, and edits. She connected to music through classical and jazz music, before she discovered chiptune, a unique genre of electronic music that utilizes the sound chips found in vintage arcade machines, around 2007. “It has always been a point of interest for me,” she says. “I started producing my own music in high school and haven’t stopped since.” Eventually, she became Estoc, her name taken from the weapon popularized by the Dark Souls series, which is used to pierce and puncture armor. “I chose this name because I believe in finding and creating tools to disarm and destroy fascist thought and action, to pierce the armor they have built for themselves through their allegiance to the state,” she once said in an interview. Over time, she started seeking out heavier, harder music and, in 2022, she released Serenity, her debut album, a collection of forceful, dancefloor-focused tracks. For this week’s XLR8R podcast, she’s delivered 50 minutes of jackhammer beats featuring tracks from her friends and artists she’s inspired by—DJ Plead, WTCHCRFT, Tzusing, and more. Press play and buckle up because this is one wild ride.

01. What have you been up to lately?
Lots of touring, figuring out how best to shift my life into one of action and solidarity

02. What have you been listening to?
History and community.

03. What is it that appeals to you about dance music?
Its versatility and potential.

04. Where and when did you record this mix?
At home after a long tour.

05. How did you go about choosing the tracks?
Music made by friends, comrades, revolutionaries, co-conspirators, and those I am inspired by.

06. What can the listener expect?
I wanted this mix to be an exploration of what it means for music, especially music like techno, to be political. What messages are we able to share when our languages of propaganda are simply inferred rather than explicitly stated? Can music be made political by its context? By a separate statement? I want to find ways to inseparably intertwine the art and its message because in a world that seeks to liberalize and defang us as artists I don’t think we can always lean on McLuhanist readings of our work.

07. How does it compare to what we might hear you play out live?
This is maybe a bit more put together but the lack of emphasis on specific genres is always a thread that runs through my sets.

08. What’s next on your horizon?
Dual power.

XLR8R Subscribers can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R subscriber, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

Tracklisting:

01. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra “13 Angels Standing Guard ‘Round the Side of Your Bed” (Constellation Records)
02. Kofia “Leve Palestina”
03. Skee Mask “Reviver” (Ilian Tape)
04. WTCHCRFT “Liberation Not Peace” (Unreleased)
05. TSVI “Hossam” (Self-Released)
06. Juman & Nene H “Zaytoun” (UMAY)
07. NKC “Bootlicker” (Sea Cucumber)
08. Al-Hadaf Band with Sa’eed Al-Danaf “Red Star” (Self-Released)
09. WTCHCRFT “The Engineer” (Unreleased)
10. False Witness “Blanquist Scam” (Self-Released)
11. SHYBOI “&FALL” (E-Missions)
12. Kareem El Morr “صفعة” (UMAY)
13. False Witness “Never Fake It” (Jack Dept)
14. Muslimgauze “All The Stolen Land of Palestine” (Self-Released)
15. Daboor, Shabjdeed “Inn Ann” (BLTNM)
16. Gamma Intel “Azimuth” (Dreaming Live)
17. Toumba “Rashash” (Nervous Horizon)
18. DJ Plead “Going For It” (Livity Sound)
19. MM “QBT16” (Her Records)
20. Storm Band National Art Troupe “In the Name of the Popular Front” (Self-Released)
21. VCRHEADCLEANER “theidiot” (Unreleased)
22. Alex Compton “WATCHER” (Unreleased)
23. Rizzla “And Stay Down” (Fade 2 Mind)
24. Tzusing “Exascale” (PAN)
25. Bobby Beethoven “TF DUMMY NUMBER ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO ZERO” (Self-Released)
26. Unknown “Unknown” (Unknown)
27. DJ Haram “No Funeral Instrumental” (Hyperdub)
28. The Body & Dis Fig “Coils of Kaa” (Thrill Jockey)
29. Nahash “Changement de Regime” (SVBKVLT)
30. Alex Compton “Red Star” (Unreleased)
31. Slowdive “Machine Gun” (Creation)
32. Malibu “Tilting on Windmills” (UNO NYC)
33. Ana Caprix “Base” (Self-Released)

Tama Gucci’s Debut Album is Incoming

Miami-raised, New York-based singer, producer, and DJ Tama Gucci will release his debut album in August, via Sinderlyn.

Notes to Self follows 2017’s Out of Order mixtape and 2019’s Fantasy and 2021’s Almost Blue EPs—all of which have allowed him to steadily build his sound and cultivate his artistic voice.

With the album he has opened his sonic universe—intoxicating electronic melodies and nostalgic pop-punk ballads—to guest contributors for the first time. Cassius Cruz delivers a rap verse to “No More ‘I Love You’s'”; Colle features on “You Lost Me”; Australia’s Jack Slade produces two tracks.

The album’s “stylistic experimentalism,” we’re told, “was fortified by late-night, weed smoke-glazed recording sessions” but its “stark candidness” was influenced by “the daytime writing stints that wrapped up the LP.”

We’re told to expect an “unabashedly romantic and brooding record, predominantly centering self-growth and happiness and gleaning wisdom from past mistakes.”

Alongside the announcement, Tama Gucci has shared a video for “Runaway Pup,” the lead single.

“This video was so fun to make! We reference ‘Funny Games’—one of my favorite movies ever, by one of my favorite directors, Michael Haneke,” Tama Gucci says. “I was challenging myself to create something just as cool with the best team behind me. It was very rewarding to see this come to life!”

Tama Gucci began as a bedroom SoundCloud project to cover and remix popular songs but it has blossomed into something far greater. He began to write, produce, and perform his own music and became enamoured with his hometown’s queer underground rave scene. The breakbeat-heavy sound of the city’s warehouse parties rubbed off on his music, and the South Florida rave scene also brought him closer to his Jamaican roots.

Tracklisting

01. Good Morning Babe
02. Out Of The Loop
03. Runaway Pup
04. No More “I Love You’s” feat. Cassius Cruz
05. Didn’t Have To
06. Stalk Me 151 To 170
07. Wanna Know You
08. At The Moon
09. Only Smoke Trees
10. See You Later
11. Back Then
12. You Lost Me feat. Colle

Notes To Self LP is scheduled for August 16 release via Sinderlyn. Meanwhile, you can stream “Runaway Pup” in full via the player below.

Photo: Jonathan Qualtere & Emilio Tamez

Jamie xx’s Second Album Features Erykah Badu, Honey Dijon, The Avalanches, and More

Jamie xx will release a new album in September on Young.

In Waves follows nine years after In Colour, the London DJ-producer’s debut.

Across 12 tracks—including “Baddy On The Floor,” his collaboration Honey Dijon—he “replicates the emotional crescendos and thrilling volatility of an almost mystical night out,” we’re told. The vinyl version includes a bonus 12-inch with five more tracks.

He created it over a four-hour period ushered in by his 2020 BBC Essential Mix and peppered with periods of self-reflection, a global pandemic, producing Oliver Sims’ debut solo album, and a newly discovered love of surfing as escapism.

It features collaborations with Robyn, The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, John Glacier and Panda Bear, Oona Doherty, and his The xx bandmates: Romy and Sim.

“I wanted to make something fun, joyful, and introspective all at once. The best moments on a dancefloor are usually that for me,” Jamie xx says.

Alongside the announcement, Jamie xx has shared “Treat Each Other Right,” a muscular breakbeat anthem-meets-futuristic soul burner. For the video, streaming below, he has teamed up with photographer and filmmaker Rosie Marks.

After the album’s release, Jamie xx will be headlining London’s Alexandra Palace on September 26.

Tracklisting

01. Wanna
02. Treat Each Other Right
03. Waited All Night feat. Romy, Oliver Sim & The xx
04. Baddy On The Floor feat. Honey Dijon
05. Dafodil feat. Kelsey Lu, John Glacier & Panda Bear
06. Still Summer
07. Life feat. Robyn
08. The Feeling I Get From You
09. Breather
10. Jamie xx “All You Children” feat. The Avalanches
11. Every Single Weekend (Interlude)
12. Falling Together feat. Oona Doherty

Deluxe LP Bonus 12” Package

01. F U feat. Erykah Badu
02. It’s So Good
03. Do Something
04. Let’s Do It Again
05. Kill Dem

    In Waves LP will land on September 20 via Young. Meanwhile, you can stream “Treat Each Other Right” and “Baddy On The Floor” in full via the player below and pre-order here.

    Photo: Alasdair McLellan

    The Streets to Release ‘fabric Presents’ Mix; Hear a New Original Single Now

    Mike Skinner, otherwise known as The Streets, is up next in the fabric Presents mix series.

    fabric Presents The Streets is “a sonic journey through the pulsating veins of UK nightlife,” we’re told, and it moves “from the gritty beats of underground garage and bass music to the icy melodies of UK rap and grime.”

    The mix includes cuts from The Streets, including a collaboration with Fred Again.. and Dermot Kennedy, alongside another three songs credited to Skinner himself.

    Additionally, fabric and The Streets have unveiled a new original single called “No Better Than Chance,” an electrifying track that encapsulates the spirit of both fabric and The Streets.

    This compilation marks a milestone for fabric, as they commemorate 25 years of groundbreaking club nights and genre-defining mixes.

    “I’ve spent many nights wasted but not wasted any nights in fabric over the years. The dedication to underground music and innovation, the way the bodysonic bass transducers sent the sounds through your body via your feet, the queues, the camaraderie, and a real sense of being part of something that people will remember through the haze as the home of some of the greatest moments of their lives,” Skinner says. “When I was asked to do a mix for the anniversary series I couldn’t wait to get on with it. fabric has become one of the homes of bass music and that’s some of the music I’ve been playing out the most. It’s a pleasure to follow in the footsteps of so many incredible DJs in the fabric, FABRICLIVE, and fabric presents series and be part of their celebration. Here’s to many more decades of hedonism.”

    The Streets broke through in 2002 with the Mercury Prize-nominated Original Pirate Material, one of the most influential British albums of recent times. Since then, they’ve released further LPs The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006), Everything Is Borrowed (2008), Computer and Blues, (2011), and 2020’s mixtape, None Of Us Are Getting Out of This Alive.

    The mix follows on from Shygirl’s contribution to the fabric Presents series, which landed in April. Previous editions have also come from Sama’ Abdulhadi, Helena Hauff, and Saoirse, among others.

    Tracklisting

    01. The Streets “No Better Than Chance”
    02. Cesco, Hamdi “Swing King”
    03. Hilts “345” feat. IZCO
    04. lau.ra “The Danger”
    05. TQD “nice and close”
    06. Douvelle19, Catching Cairo “U Could Be Mine”
    07. Coki, Leotrix feat. Flowdan “DIY”
    08. Manga Saint Hilare, MoreNight “Exercise” feat. Kamakaze
    09. Tentendo, mustbejohn “Motive”
    10. MPH “Overrated”
    11. Oppidan “Mr. Sandman”
    12. Dusky “Eros” (Interplanetary Criminal Remix)
    13 Fred Again…, The Streets, Dermot Kennedy “Desert Island Duvet” (Skinners Version)
    14. Fantom Freq, Eric Mark “Wicked Sound” feat. Dread MC
    15. Bruza “Boiling Point” feat. Logan Olm
    16. The Streets “Cannot Be A Lie”
    17. Mike Skinner “Sharp Knives Are Safer”
    18. 33 Below, DRIIA “LOYAL”
    19. The Streets “Boxing In Slow Motion”
    20. Mike Skinner “Hands Down”
    21. Icarus “Change” (bullet tooth Remix)
    22. Mike Skinner “Neine To 5”
    23. nineteen97 “Outdablu”
    24. ENiGMA Dubz, Snowy “Lost It” (Medicine Place Remix)
    25. Hustle Athletics “Lekker” (Posij Remix)
    26. Caspa feat. Dynamite “Silly”
    27. Ance “Distinct”
    28. Biicla “That’s My Shit”
    29. Emz “Free” feat. Nasser & Valor
    30. Rohaan, Kelbin “Run Away”
    31. The Streets “End Of The Queue”

    fabric Presents The Streets will land on June 28. Meanwhile, you can stream the opening track, “No Better Than Chance” by The Streets, below.

    Photo: Ben Cannon

    Christian AB Next on Faith Beat with Debut Album

    Christian AB will release his debut album on Ryan Elliott’s Faith Beat imprint.

    Nu Life is inspired by Christian AB’s early days of collecting music and speaks for “the sounds I have been passionate about for the past decade and a half,” he says.

    The album delivers a raw yet simple and minimalist approach to house music, with 12 versatile cuts of “essential clubbing material.”

    Sonically, it draws upon live jams and the more hypnotic elements of house and techno, alongside tinges of dub, hints of acid, and hallmark influences from Chicago, Detroit, New York, and London scenes.

    “It’s a record for lovers of tight 909s and subtle 303s, sculpted arps, sexy chords, and deep, melodic grooves,” we’re told.

    Christian AB, a British-born, Berlin-based DJ-producer, has previously released a handful of EPs including for Francesco del Garda’s Timeless label.

    Tracklisting

    01. Outta Phase
    02. Locked Groove 1
    03. Bluescreen
    04. Super Solar
    05. Locked Groove 2
    06. Keystrokez
    07. Nu Life
    08. Locked Groove 3
    09. Fade Away
    10. Mrs. Sync
    11. Infinite Resonance
    12. Coded Whispers

    The Nu Life LP is scheduled for July 4 release, with the Digital version landing on July 18. Meanwhile, you can pre-order here.

    Photo: Yasmín Antún

    Max Richter’s Ninth Album is Coming Soon

    Max Richter will release a new album in September.

    In A Landscape, Richter’s ninth studio album, marks “a significant evolution in his musical journey,” we’re told, as he delves deeper into the themes of optimism and human emotion.

    The album employs the same musical language to Richter’s The Blue Notebooks, with the two albums in a way bookending this significant chapter of Richter’s life and career.

    Richter found inspiration in a number of books which he was reading at the time of writing, with many of the track titles named after lines from literature and some of his own treasured paperbacks pictured on the album cover.

    “For me, the music on the record is about connecting or reconciling polarities. The electronics with the acoustic instruments, the natural world with the human world, and the big ideas of life with the personal and intimate,” Richter says. “This is a dynamic I started to explore in my 2004 record The Blue Notebooks, and the new project shares many of that album’s concerns; in a way this record is another look at the themes of the earlier work, but from the perspective of our world and our lives in 2024.”

    In support of In A Landscape, Richter has announced details of his first ever world tour. The newly announced tour dates will see Richter play across the UK, Europe, North America, Canada, Australia, and Asia throughout 2024 and 2025.

    One the most influential and acclaimed composers of his generation, Richter is known for his ability to seamlessly blend traditional orchestrations with modern electronic elements. You can read more about him in his XLR8R feature here.

    In A Landscape LP is scheduled for September 6 release via Decca Records. Meanwhile, you can stream “Movement, Before All Flowers” in full via the player below and pre-order here.

    Photo: Marie Sutter
    Artwork: Colin Dodgson

    Sam Wilkes, Craig Weinrib, and Dylan Day to Release Self-Titled Album

    Sam Wilkes, Craig Weinrib, and Dylan Day will release a “dulcet and exploratory” new self-titled album on Leaving Records.

    Sam Wilkes, Dylan Day, Craig Weinrib was recorded on location outdoors among the San Bernardino mountains in Southern California.

    Most of the album was made during a single early evening; Dylan Day played electric guitar, Sam Wilkes played bass guitar, and Craig Weinrib played trap drums.

    Eight months after that dusk recording session, the trio reconvened to capture a few more pieces. Wilkes wanted to hear Dylan play a Jobim melody (“How Insensitive”), Dylan wanted to hear Craig play a funeral march (“When I Can Read My Titles Clear”), and Craig wanted to play nice and gentle.

    Leaving Records is an artist-and-community-centered entity, most recognizable as a prolific Los Angeles-based record label. Check out the podcast of co-founder Matthew David McQueen, better known as Matthewdavid, here.

    Sam Wilkes is from Westport, Connecticut and lives in Los Angeles, California. Craig Weinrib is from New York and lives in New York. Dylan Day is from Fletcher, Vermont and lives in Los Angeles too.

    Tracklisting

    01. Standing in the Doorway
    02. Too Young to Go Steady
    03. How Insensitive
    04. Rain
    05. Snow
    06. When I Can Read My Titles Clear
    07. I’ll Find a Way (To Carry it All)

    Sam Wilkes, Dylan Day, Craig Weinrib LP is scheduled for July 12 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “When I Can Read My Titles Clear” in full via the player below and pre-order here.

    Photo: Roman Koval

    Floorplan (a.k.a Robert and Lyric Hood) to Release Fourth Studio Album

    Robert and Lyric Hood, the father-daughter duo known as Floorplan, will release of their fourth studio album, The Master’s Plan, on Luke Solomon’s Classic Music Company imprint.

    Spanning 18 crafted house and techno tracks, Robert and Lyric playfully juxtapose the light and dark of their signature sound, “navigating a spectrum of genres and styles,” we’re told.

    “In these troubled times, we are grateful to be able to share our music with the world. Especially the dance community. We hope this album will uplift and invoke you to dance,” says Robert in a statement.

    Lyric adds: “I want people to feel inspired and empowered, but most of all, to feel the love of God and his connection in every track. This album was made for the fans that love house music as much as we do..”

    The album follows Supernatural, which landed in 2019 on Aus Music, and 2016’s Victorious on M-Plant.

    Tracklisting

    01. Intro feat. Earthtone
    02. What You Need
    03. Get Your Thing Together
    04. No Ones Ready
    05. The Plan
    06. Don’t You Doubt It
    07. Help Is On The Way feat. Lowell Pye
    08. Summa Funk
    09. Like Dat
    10. We Stand In Need
    11. Feel It
    12. Give Us Your Light feat. Dames Brown
    13. We Give Thee Honour
    14. Fake & Unholy feat. Honey Dijon
    15. The Curse Breaker
    16. What A Friend
    17. Flashe No Deux
    18. Water

    The Master’s Plan LP will be released via Classic Music Company on June 21. Meanwhile, you can stream “Feel It” (Extended Mix) below and pre-order the album here.

    Podcast 853: Luigi Tozzi

    For more than a decade, Luigi Tozzi—an Italian DJ-producer and live act—has been sharing deep, atmospheric techno across the globe. Luigi was raised in Rome where he discovered Basic Channel and the whole dub techno sound. “That was a big inspiration for me to start making my own music,” he has explained. He began to DJ in school, and then in 2012 he started trying to mimic the deep techno sounds of Italian techno artists such as Claudio PRC and Dino Sabatini and mixing it with emotional, swirling, and dubby atmospheres. You’ll find the majority of his releases on Sweden’s Hypnus Records or Non-Series, including Tender is the Night, Almost Blue, and Spiral, which landed last year. Wherever the releases land or whatever he plays, the music is impactful without applying force. Earlier this month, Tozzi released Strati, a new EP on Non-Series.

    For this week’s XLR8R podcast, Tozzi—who we’ve been seeking out for a mix for some time—has delivered a recording of a live set, sharing a selection of unreleased tracks and live edits of originals from his catalog. Tune in for just under an hour of mesmerizing, minimal techno.

    01. What have you been up to recently?
    As usual I’ve been locked in the studio as much as I could in the last months, making a lot of loops for my live sets and finishing a couple of records that will see the light after the summer. Also I just released my new record, Strati, on Non Series, and I’m happy with the feedback so far!

    02. What have you been listening to?
    I am more obsessed than ever with dub techno lately. I’ve been listening on loop to Rhythm & Sound, Substance, and Vainqueur especially. I also went back to Sandwell District; there’s some magic that is more and more rare these days in techno and it feels very refreshing to go back to their catalogue for some deep listening and inspiration. (In fact, the last track I used in the recording of my live set is very Sandwell District-inspired!)

    03. What is it that draws you to electronic music?
    Probably the most interesting thing for me is repetition: listening to loops crossing each other for long enough makes my mind play with the music and the listening experience becomes also a creative moment in a way. I think it’s very unique.

    04. Where and when did you record this mix?
    I recorded this live set in my studio, very early morning last week.

    05. How did you choose the tracks you’ve included?
    I’ve been jamming with the music I made recently, and a few tracks are actually made on purpose for this recording.

    06. Where do you imagine it being listened to?
    I’ve heard many people use my mixes to focus while working. The best setup for me would be while traveling by train or plane!

    07. What’s next on your horizon?
    An extremely intense month of June, gigs-wise, and then a couple weeks of holidays at the seaside in July, and I’m very much looking forward to both! Regarding releases, besides the record that just came out on Non Series I’ve finished two collaborations with very dear friends of mine and I am very excited to have them out soon.

    XLR8R Subscribers can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R subscriber, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

    Tracklisting:

    01. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    02. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    03. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    04. Luigi Tozzi “More Than Meets The Eye” (Live Edit) (Mental Modern)
    05. Luigi Tozzi “Atlatl” (Live Edit) (Non Series)
    06. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    07. Luigi Tozzi & Feral “Unreleased”
    08. Luigi Tozzi “Strati” (Live Edit) (Non Series)
    09. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    10. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”
    11. Luigi Tozzi “Unreleased”

    Kaytranada to Release New Album Featuring Childish Gambino, Thundercat, Anderson .Paak, and More

    Kaytranada will release Timeless, his third full-length album, in June.

    Timeless serves as the follow-up to Bubba, his 2019 Grammy award-winning project for Best Dance/Electronic album.

    It features a new version of “Lover/Friend,” Kaytranada’s 2023 single featuring longtime collaborator Rochelle Jordan, as well as the previously released “Stuntin,” plus 19 other new songs.

    Also featuring across the album are Kaytranada collaborators new and old, with the likes of Anderson .Paak, Channel Tres, Childish Gambino, Don Toliver, Ravyn Lenae, Lou Phelps, and more making appearances.

    In 2016, Kaytranada, real name Louis Kevin Celestin, released 99.9% on XL Recordings.

    Tracklisting

    01. Pressure
    02. Spit It Out feat. Rochelle Jordan
    03. Call U Up feat. Lou Phelps
    04. Weird feat. Durand Bernarr
    05. Dance Dance Dance Dance
    06. Feel A Way feat. Don Toliver
    07. Still feat. Charlotte Day Wilson
    08. Video feat. Ravyn Lenae
    09. Seemingly
    10. Drip Sweat feat. Channel Tres
    11. Hold On feat. Dawn Richard
    12. Please Babe
    13. Stepped On
    14. More Than A Little Bit feat. Tinashe
    15. Do 2 Me feat. Anderson .Paak & SiR
    16. Witchy feat. Childish Gambino
    17. Lover/Friend feat. Rochelle Jordan

    Bonus Tracks

    01. Wasted Words feat. Thundercat
    02. Snap My Finger feat. PinkPantheress
    03. Stuntin feat. Channel Tres
    04. Out Of Luck feat. Mariah The Scientist

    Timeless LP is scheduled for June 7 release via RCA Records, with pre-order here.

    Photo: Jivi Emir

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