The imprint’s debutant release is also the first official release from London-based New Yorker Quays (though he has been putting music onto his Soundcloud page for at least two years already). The forthcoming Swoo EP is a four-tracker, from which the label has shared the first tune, “Falling Down On Me.” With vocals from Sandra Brown, it’s a heavily UK-influenced summer jam, giving hints of what can be expected from the rest of the release.
Swoo will hit stores on July 22.
Tracklisting:
A1 Falling Down On Me A2 Your Side feat. Nancy Anderson B1 Stay With Me B2 Out Cold
Earlier this month we were fortunate enough to be able to share a free download from Japanese techno producer Ryogo Yamamori; today, we can follow it up with an exciting cut from his label’s catalog, Tokyo-based 951beat.
Katrina‘s “Scintilla” may her debutant release, but it embodies the talent of someone who has been living techno for a lifetime. Hailing from Taiwan, she also runs the Innerve party series in the capital of Taipei, and looks set to move onto big things with this new track. “Scintilla” is a subtle, rolling six minute session, plastered with Mills-esque hypnotic sequencing. In its original release, it was put alongside tracks by label head Yamamori and QriTomato, both cut from a similar cloth. It stands up very well on its own, and we are delighted to be able to offer it for download today.
Download “Scintilla” via WeTransfer below. The full EP, 951beat 28, is available to purchase at Bandcamp now.
Jamal Moss is set to release his next Hieroglyphic Being album this August.
The Disco’s Of Imhotep will be the Chicago-based producer’s second release with Ninja Tune sub-label Technicolour. It follows on from a productive period in which Moss has put out a double pack on his own Mathematics label, as well as his full-length collaboration with Noleian Reusse as Africans With Mainframes.
The forthcoming album is a dedication to the ancient Egyptian polymath Imhotep. Moss explained that “we have been made to believe that electronic sounds are just for Movement, Enlightenment, Primal Afflictions and Entertainment purposes, but it’s much more… It’s Sound Healing, but the ancestors would call it Frequency Medicine. Medicine is Healing and this project is dedicated to one of Earth’s first Healers: High Priest Imhotep.”
The Disco’s Of Imhotep will hit stores on August 5. Pre-order it at the Ninja Tune store, and stream its title track in full below.
Cristian Vogel returns to Shitkatapult for his next full-length, The Assistenz, which is due out in early September.
Chilean-born Barcelona-based producer Vogel has put out a handful of records with Shitkatapult over the latter part of his two decade long career (the last of which was 2014’s dancefloor-focussed Polyphonic Beings). He is set to drop his next later this year, an album which is described as a “tribute to Copenhagen” where it was recorded. Listeners can expect an unorthodox melding of dub, electro, acid and funk across its eight tracks. The Assistenz also follows on from a substantial remastering campaign of ’90s Vogel records, all originally released either on Tresor or Mille Plateaux, available now from his Bandcamp.
The Assistenz will hit stores on September 2. Pre-order it at Forced Exposure.
This week’s podcast comes from Tommy Four Seven, the UK-born, Berlin-based DJ-producer. In short, there are three strands to Tommy’s artistic repertoire: DJing, production, and 47, the established party series with a supporting label that focuses on supporting both emerging and established artists. As a producer, he has released on a diverse range of labels, including Speedy J’s Electric Deluxe, Chris Liebing’s CLR and Lucy‘s Stroboscopic Artefacts—but it is his skills as a DJ that he is presenting for us today.
Although techno is the sub-genre with which Tommy is most commonly associated, those who have seen him behind the decks at one of the world’s leading venues will have noted the diversity in his selections, encompassing also his signature, more broken form that can be found throughout his catalog of productions. Having recently announced the release of a new album as These Hidden Hands, his experimental side project with Alain Paul (a.k.a. Shards), we thought it was now time for Tommy to show off some of his favorite club tracks of the moment via the XLR8R podcast series.
When and where was the mix recorded? At my home studio in Berlin on the evening of Tuesday June 21.
What equipment did you record the mix on? 1 x Allen & Heath 92 Xone Mixer 2 x Pioneer CDJ 2000 NXS2 1 x Zoom H4n pro recorder
Did you have a specific idea/mood that you wanted to express? The mix was put together at fairly short notice, which meant I didn’t have so much time to dig and prep so instead I selected some tracks that I’ve had on heavy rotation in the clubs this past year and hit record. It was pretty spontaneous.
How did you select the specific tracks that you wanted to include? I scanned some previous club playlists I’d made, picked out some tunes that jumped out, and went with the flow.
How did you approach this mix in comparison to a regular DJ set? As I’m featuring a lot of club-focused tracks, it’s quite similar, although I moved a lot faster through different styles and atmospheres in this mix as I’m condensing maybe a three-to-four hour set into one hour. I was also limited to 2 x CDJs at home so the mixes are a lot more straight forward than perhaps some club gigs as I usually play with three. I also kept the BPM slower than usual for this mix as I feel it’s a bit more accessible for home listening.
You have recently just announced the release of a new These Hidden Hands album. Tell us about the project? How does it tie in with your work as a solo producer? Yes, we’re releasing our second album on August 8 via our Hidden Hundred imprint. These Hidden Hands is a collaboration project with no rules which gives us the space to write in different styles—which I find personally very liberating and inspiring.
What else can we expect from you production-wise over the coming months? This year I’ve been focusing on my 47 label and releasing a series of Various Artist EPs that correspond to my Berlin events at Arena Club. The next record, 47006, will feature Headless Horseman, Phase Fatale, Stephanie Sykes and myself.
What else have you got coming up this year? Some great festival and club gigs plus a special live show as These Hidden Hands at Atonal Festival, Berlin this August.
As the unprecedented amount of buzz continues to surmount regarding The Avalanches roll out of Wildflower, the group has just delivered its third taste of the LP with “Subway.” Having previously previewed the track via a hotline number, which appeared on a poster for The Avalanches’ mysterious forthcoming documentary Since They Left Us, the effervescent disco track can now be heard in full with crystal clear quality.
Sampling the teenage funk-punk of Chandra’s “Subways” and Graham Bonnet’s version of The Bee Gees’ late period classic “Warm Ride,” this latest cut is already putting the minds of loyal listeners at ease following the fired up reaction regarding the group’s album cut “Frankie Sinatra.”
You can stream the full track in the player above. “Subways” is also available for streaming via Spotify.
Wildflower is due out July 8, and can be pre-ordered from The Avalanches’ store.
Parties4Peace, a nonprofit organization that seeks to support various sustainability, equality, disaster relief, and educational projects through the production of music and art events, recently hosted their Soirée Éphémère season opener at Le Village au Pied-du-Courant in Montreal. The party featured a live set from Tokyo-based artist Dr. Shingo, as well as DJ sets from Kolekti favorite Elon, U.R. Art’s John Wander, and local talent MightyKat. To better illustrate the event, we’ve selected a grouping of the best shots from the party.
Since 2012’s Better.Luck.Next.Life., something of a breakout statement, Ed Scissor/Edward Scissortongue (a.k.a. Thomas Hawkins) has been quietly asserting his presence in the UK’s local hip-hop underground. From a recent guest spot on DJ Tim Parker‘s NTS program to various offerings under the prolific High Focus Records, the Cambridge MC has made a name for himself in the past few years with a unique brand of introspective, experiential lyricism. Glasgow-based Lamplighter, who has production credits on a large chunk of his output, Hawkins has found a creative equal, and a partner to complement his writing with equally thoughtful production.
In”Hyperballad,” taken from their forthcoming Tell Them It’s Winter release on High Focus, wistful strings heighten Hawkin’s deadpan delivery and lyrics that speak to a painful loss. They reveal, “Hyperballad is the last song we wrote to finish the album. It attempts to highlight the futility of existence; microcosmic in scale but universal in nature.”
Download via WeTransfer below, and view the video for their recent “TTIW” single here.
Since 2012’s Better.Luck.Next.Life., something of a breakout statement, Ed Scissor/Edward Scissortongue (a.k.a. Thomas Hawkins) has been quietly asserting his presence in the UK’s local hip-hop underground. From a recent guest spot on DJ Tim Parker‘s NTS program to various offerings under the prolific High Focus Records, the Cambridge MC has made a name for himself in the past few years with a unique brand of introspective, experiential lyricism. Glasgow-based Lamplighter, who has production credits on a large chunk of his output, Hawkins has found a creative equal, and a partner to complement his writing with equally thoughtful production.
In”Hyperballad,” taken from their forthcoming Tell Them It’s Winter release on High Focus, wistful strings heighten Hawkin’s deadpan delivery and lyrics that speak to a painful loss. They reveal, “Hyperballad is the last song we wrote to finish the album. It attempts to highlight the futility of existence; microcosmic in scale but universal in nature.”
Download via WeTransfer below, and view the video for their recent “TTIW” single here.
Over the past five years, Brighton-based producer Lorca has racked up a smart, unique, and club-ready discography with an air of compositional awareness which set him apart from his many UK counterparts. Having previously released through labels such as Seb Wildblood’s Church and 2020 Midnight Visions, Lorca’s hit his third outing on Breach’s Naked Naked imprint with Creta Kano EP this past December.
After receiving widespread applause for this rubbery electronic effort, Lorca has chosen to offer XLR8R an alternative version of his title track, “Creta Kano (Peak Hours Mix).” Going astray from the tracks original melancholic vibe, Lorca’s peak hours mix takes on a menacing demeanor with an imperious bassline and a painstaking drum arrangement.
You can download “Creta Kano (Peak Hours Mix)” below via WeTransfer.
