Tenant, enigmatic member of Andrew Lustman’s (a.k.a FaltyDL) Blueberry Records, has been explicit in avoiding the media spotlight in response to the ethos of an oversaturated industry. Over the past few years, Lustman has been careful to assemble a roster—which features the likes of Elysia Crampton,Ametsub, and our most recent XLR8R Podcast contributor Luke Vibert—that provides a platform to underrepresented figures. Tenant’s presence complements this philosophy well. Their April 8 debut on Blueberry, Not For Press,exemplified the label’sdisillusionment with the contemporary dance music landscape. With 909-heavy lows and choppy breakbeats, the release presented tracks that extract sounds from dingy warehouses of decades past while avoiding predictability entirely.
Tenant has offered up the second track off Not For Press, “Run Run Devices”, for today’s XLR8R download. Here, an ethereal high end meshes with muddy kicks to both evoke precedent and construct a vision for the future.
You can download “Run Run Devices” below via WeTransfer.
Ableton Live excels at manipulating samples in a fast and intuitive way, making it one of the most creative music-making tools available. The DAW provides almost endless possibilities to create textures, tones and tracks using samples and Ableton’s built-in devices. The Simpler device is almost a throwback, offering more traditional, but no less powerful, sampler functions.
In the above video, Point Blank‘s resident Ableton expert runs through some of Simpler’s fundamental sampler functions and how the device can be used to create unique sounds for your tracks.
Ander B does house music, and does it well. The producer from the Dominican Republic is evidently endowed with a healthy sense of rhythm, and we aren’t the only ones that have noticed: since 2014, he’s released on the likes of Robsoul, Trunkfunk and Moulton Music. His next release—a five-tracker entitled Outta Space— will come out via Czech imprint Beef Records next week, though we have a sneak preview of one of its cuts ready for download today.
“Monster K” is a funky, chopped-up house jam, which really lays on the percussion and samples. It’s a tune that’s full of summery vibe and balearic beats, but with a slightly eerie edge at points. Alongside the other warm four-to-the-floor tunes on the EP, it fits very comfortably into the role of dancefloor-focused material.
You can download “Monster K” below via WeTransfer. Pre-order Outta Space (which also features a remix from veteran Munich-based producer DJ Linus) at Bandcamp.
Detroit producer and DJ Kris Wadsworth‘s latest LP, Infiltrator, will land on Jimmy Edgar’s Ultramajic imprint on May 27.
Following on from a string of releases on Wadsworth’s own two imprints, Uranus and Breed, Infiltrator was made mostly with his Oberheim SEM Pro—a white metal synthesizer that Wadsworth refers to as the “White Devil”—and his beloved 606, 808 and 909 drum machines. The LP is filled with eight trippy sonic outings built from crunchy drums and warped synth lines that aim to document the now Berlin-based artist’s “personal path of self-discovery.” As a Detroit expat, the cuts on the LP tell a story of his days living “in Berlin and the bizarre impression of hearing an American car engine” and the homesickness that follows.
Ahead of the LP release, you can watch the official video for “Portrait” in full via the player above.
Kevin McHugh (a.k.a. Ambivalent) has made his first full album as LA-4A available to stream in full.
Phonautograph was released today via McHugh’s own Delft imprint—a label that he describes as focussing on “roots techno.” As LA-4A, McHugh has already put out a handful of EPs on Delft, as well as offering remixes on Voodoo Down and Throne of Blood. The album is a nine-tracker which covers a huge amount of ground, from the acid lines of “Dialup,” through the electro-infused “Blitzlicht,” to the ambient “Frequenzvariabler.”
On the album, McHugh had this to say: “The core of techno music is anchored around a vision of the future that was formed 20-30 years ago. The hardware and approaches are less about continually redefining this futurism, than about enjoying the beauty of a fantasy that is somewhat obsolete now. Now that the devices in our pocket have more technology than entire studios once had, and our present day abilities are beyond the imaginations of that era, I feel the need to embrace the simultaneous obsolescence and relevance of these tools. The tracks on the album are all inspired by technologies that helped create a ‘tomorrow’, but were quickly obsolete by the time that tomorrow arrived.”
Check out the full stream of Phonautograph below. Purchase the album at Juno.
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Killekill‘s Krake Festival has shared details of the first wave of acts that will be descending on several clubs across Berlin late this July.
The annual event is now approaching its sixth edition, and will celebrate with a host of Killekill affiliated artists and beyond. Electro-heads can look forward to performances by The Exaltics, Dez Williams and DJ Glow. There will be DJ sets by the creator of “digital hardcore,” Alec Empire (a.k.a Atari Teenage Empire), as well as live performances by Raster-Noton‘s Kyoka, Fallbeil, Anno Stamm & Transforma, Syl Kougaï, and Codex Empire.
Krake has also revealed the location of those events. The program includes one event at Urban Spree, as well as a weekend that kicks off at Suicide Circus, before moving to Griessmühle for the Saturday and Sunday.
For more information on the full first wave announcement, head to the Krake site. You can buy early bird tickets for the event here.
Dekmantel has announced the release of its second EP with Detroit legend Robert Hood, due out June 6.
Earlier this year, Hood made his debut on the Amsterdam-based party-cum-label, with Paradygm Shift Vol. I. He is set to return next month with a new two-tracker, the second instalment in the Paradygm Shift series, made up of one chords-driven number, as well as a typically minimalist slice of techno on the flip.
On the subject of the series and the idea behind it, Hood stated that “we can become so complacent; we are so comfortable with our surroundings,” and that he thinks “this is the time for electronic music to find a new mindset.” It is set to continue for one more EP, before leading into a full-length, all via Dekmantel.
Paradygm Shift Vol. II is due out June 6. Pre-order it at Juno, and stream snippets below.
Mauricio Barembuem (a.k.a Barem) burst onto the radar of electronic enthusiasts in 2006, swooped up from his native Buenos Aires as Richie Hawtin‘s newest minimal techno protégé. The years that ensued were a valuable learning period for Barem, who, guided by Hawtin and his seminal M-nus imprint, quickly developed a sense of musical sophistication and artistry to his productions while simultaneously making a name for himself as a skilled DJ. Although his association with Hawtin and M-nus resulted in worldwide success and the maturation of Barem’s signature style—powerful basslines paired with expansive reverb and delay—the artist eventually started to feel constricted by the uniformity of Hawtin’s sound and in 2015 decided to break away and start his Fun Records imprint with friend and fellow Argentinian Alexis Cabrera. Already garnering much support from house and techno lovers around the world with their releases and parties, Fun Records has blossomed into a necessary platform for Barem and Cabrera’s more inviting, laid-back material.
In anticipation of his set this year at Movement, Barem has offered XLR8R an exclusive mix and interview showcasing the direction of the producer and his new label, as well as what to expect this year in Detroit.
The last time you played Movement was in 2010. The American scene in general has changed a lot since then. What changes do you expect to see at the festival this time around? It’s been quite some time, you’re right! I hope the raising popularity of electronic music in North America didn’t affect Movement in a bad way. But I’m pretty sure it didn’t because they’re very careful with what they present and how they do it. If anything I expect to see some young people who got into electronic music through the EDM explosion but then realized there was much more interesting music around and decided to dig deeper into other styles. Somehow what happened to me when I was a teenager. The lineup pretty much speaks for itself. I don’t think anybody goes there by accident. In 2010 I left Detroit being sure that it was the best festival I’ve attended, together with Mutek in Montreal. I’m very much looking forward to having that feeling again!
We all know about Detroit’s musical heritage. Who have been some of your influences from the city? Well, there are so many, it’s hard to pick a few. I got into techno through Plus8 around the year 2000. Before then most techno was pretty unknown to me because it was a very underground scene in Buenos Aires and I was pretty young. But the first Detroit DJ I listened to live was Carl Craig around 2002. I remember being very moved by that performance. Then I did some research, got into Planet E and also started going back in time to discover artists like Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Moodymann, Omar S, Kevin Saunderson and many more. That was a whole new universe of music to discover which really opened my mind and it was all much more refined than anything I heard before in electronic music. I guess my initial influences were mostly minimalistic tracks, but with time I got to understand and appreciate the classic Detroit Techno sound and the ideals behind it. It’s always been mind-blowing to me how many of those productions can still be so current today. That whole movement and what it still represents and stands for is very inspiring.
Last year you started your label Fun Records with Alexis Cabrera. What’s the idea behind the label and what can we expect in the near future? The idea for the label is to create a laid back platform to release cool jams. The music we’re releasing is pretty simple, but we love it. We somehow try to release records that contain all we like from the past, but with a current approach in terms of sequencing and the new sound possibilities you have today. Ideally we want to build a little family with people that share the same feeling. I felt it was a good time for me to start my own playground after a bit over a decade of working for other labels. It’s a lot more work, but it’s very rewarding.
It’s now been five years since you released After The Storm on M-nus. Has your approach to music changed since then? How is that reflected on Fun? Yes, very much I would say. After The Storm was to me some sort of retrospective that went back to my beginnings. It was a summary of the sounds I liked the most till then and my connection with M-nus, but I think it had much more modern structures and more variety than my initial works. After that I really focused on changing into new territories. I’ve had very frustrating moments production wise and even a few years of being totally away from making music. But that also helped me to miss it a bit. Now I’m somehow reconnecting with the minimal house from the beginning of the 2000’s when it comes to my own music, but again with more modern structures. What we release on FUN is in that direction, or at least we want it to be.
The Fun parties, particularly in Argentina, have seemed to be a big hit. Do you hope it will develop into a platform for new South American talent? Yes, they have been amazing. We also did some in Europe last year and have a few more this summer. I like what we do in our nights because it brings us together with lots of friends. Sometimes you don’t get to play with some artists you used to share a lot in the past, because of numerous reasons, so it’s not a bad idea to make it happen yourself. The line ups don’t necessarily have to include people who are going to release on our label. It can be just people we like, respect and feel like inviting over. About it being a South American platform, it could be. We obviously have a stronger connection with Argentina and South America because of our roots, and there are amazing old and new artists there all the time, but we’d rather leave it open to anybody, new or old, South American or from anywhere on the planet. As long as we like the music and it fits our concept, we will be very happy to get anyone on board.
Landing more than 15 years on from his first record, Shape, Isle Of Real is the first full-length release on Stockholm Ltd. The 10 tracks that make up Isle Of Real were largely composed on the road over a period of nine months, before Grindvik and recording partner and friend Peder Mannerfelt fleshed the ideas out in the studio.
From delicate electronic to heads down techno and otherworldly ambient excursions, Isle Of Real is an enticing album that takes in all of Grindvik’s influences and audible history and presents it as a coherent and complete body of work.
Ahead of the release, you can pre-order Isle Of Realhere, with the title track—which features contributions from Roll the Dice—streaming in full via the player above.
Anders Trentemøller—known by his last name in creative parlance—has announced his fourth studio album, Fixion, scheduled for release in September via the In My Room imprint. The record will continue the conceptual ark of 2013’s Lost, an album that sought to encapsulate Trentemøller’s collaborative ambitions with a live band.
The new work will expand upon the sorrowful cinematics of his last full-length, and display a matured sound that exemplifies his knack for crafting effective melodic intrigue. The first single “River In Me” will be available on 7″ and digital download June 24. The track features Jehnny Beth of London post punk outfit Savages on vocals, a collaboration that he says emerged from mutual admiration and a collaborative tour.
When speaking about the collaboration, Trentemøller had this to say: “I’ve been a huge Savages fan since their debut record. I met their producer Johnny Hostile at a festival in Paris and ended up inviting him to support us on our tour. Jehnny actually tagged along for some of the dates. Afterwards, he dropped me a line and asked me to mix the next Savages record ‘Adore Life’. Jehnny, Johnny and I built a real friendship in the process so it felt right to ask her to sing on my album. She has this really intense and unique voice and it ended up being really challenging, and fun, to take that voice out of the Savages’ universe and into mine.”
Check out Trentemøller’s upcoming tour dates below:
9/17 – France – Paris 9/18 – UK – London 9/20 – Netherlands – Amsterdam 9/21 – Germany – Berlin 9/26 – USA – New York 9/28 – USA – Los Angeles
