Having already released under a string of aliases (Aebeloe, Escar, half of Averos and many more) on Origami Sound, Danish producer Natal Zaks is now set to debut his latest Soft Talk project on the Romanian label.
Zaks is currently part of the immensely talented Regelbau collective from Aarhus, Denmark as well as one of the people behind Help Recordings. His recordings expose a rare depth of musical understanding, and this is continued on the Mercy EP. Each of the four tracks on this 12″ has its unique background story —for example, “Radar” went through many takes on an old analog device that Natal’s university had in a studio.
Ahead of its release on April 8, a preview of the Mercy EP can be streamed below.
Following the release of his Night Prayer EP for Noir Music, London-based DJ-producer Rashid Ajami is gaining a significant amount of attention in the electronic music realm. Having released on labels such as Cajual Records, Kittball, Tiger Records, Subjekt, Einmusika and more, Ajami has seen support from massive names in the industry including Guy Gerber, Richie Hawtin, Nick Warren, Maxxi Soundsystem, and many more.
Today, Ajami has kindly offered up his track “Culpa” as an XLR8R download. The tune features a large, emotive piano that dances alongside a gliding violin component that directs the track towards a passionate and heartrending vibe. The eventual introduction of the splashing and fluidic drums adds a sense of urgency and beauty to the track that will leave you deep in thought.
Having generously shared some of his productions with our readers in the past, DoubtingThomas is no stranger to the XLR8R channels. Despite this, however, this is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to sit down and dig a little deeper into his persona.
The French-born artist (real name Aurélien Rivière) has been steadily carving himself a reputation since the ’90s, experimenting with a wide spectrum of genres, ranging from down-tempo to trip hop, breakbeat, jazz, and ambient. By incorporating his own field recordings into his productions, he is able to create the ethereal and melodic sounds for which is becoming more widely acknowledged. It is his live set, however, that’s been the the driving force behind his growing profile over recent years, allowing him to emanate the same mood and feeling as his DJ sets and original compositions. “I consider myself more of a musician at heart,” he explains.
Marking the recent release of his Changes EP on Catch Recordings, we decided that the time was right to invite DoubtingThomas to contribute to the XLR8R podcast series with a mix. This is what he had to say.
How and where did you record this podcast for us? I recorded this set in my current studio, hidden away inside a tiny music school in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. I was looking for a good story with the tracks and I couldn’t find everything using just records, so I decided to mix both vinyl and CDs. I selected them by sticking my nose wherever I could, basically.
How long did you think about what you were going to include in the mix before you recorded it? It took me a while, maybe like a week of research. As you probably know, I do a lot of live sets—and, for that reason I haven’t followed the new releases in electronic music as much lately, so it took a bit of time to find the right tracks. Buying stuff online, looking for records… it all takes time. On top of that, I wanted to ensure I was making something simple, not too complicated or with too many tracks. It was important to find the right balance. It was hardcore research!
“this is the beauty and power of music for me: being able to trigger feelings and memories beyond comprehension.”
What was the message or feeling you were trying to convey with this mix? I wanted something upbeat and that would be easy to listen to without being too hard. I always try and deliver a great deal of emotion in the music that I play or create—this is the beauty and power of music for me: being able to trigger feelings and memories beyond comprehension. For this particular podcast I was mostly aiming for something that would be upbeat and generous, all while also being soft and quirky. Trying to strike a good balance between positive energies and pleasing waveforms.
What kind of approach do you take when you record a mix like this versus a live set? I wouldn’t necessarily prepare a DJ gig as intensely as I would a live set. Before, when I used to DJ more frequently, I would pack my record bag with a bunch of records that I knew would work on the dancefloor, and then I would simply let the elements guide me organically through the process. I think live sets just suit me better; I consider myself more of a musician at heart. This is the reason why I have been mostly doing them, rather than DJing, over recent years. When I play my music out loud and I get an instant reaction from the crowd to the sounds I’m creating on the spot, that is just a priceless experience to me. This is truly the best possible reward after all the hours spent studying and researching sound techniques and compositions. For me, the challenge and intensity of each craft have nothing to do with one another, but both require a great deal of dexterity and dedication—if they are to be done in the right way, of course!
Can you tell us a bit more about your background? I grew up in a small town in French gascony near Toulouse, lost in the countryside’s hills. I moved to London at the age of 19, where I studied sound engineering and ended up staying there for over 13 years. Following that, I moved to Berlin for three years and now I’ve recently made the move to Barcelona, closer to where I’m originally from. When I was a kid in France, I used to play noisy music in garages with all my friends, then I started using drum machines and early computer software in the late ’90’s, making beats of all sorts. It was at that point in time when I got really hooked to them and decided against all odds that I wanted to pursue this path in life.
Would you say that growing up near Toulouse, where there are obviously a lot of music festivals, had a big impact on you? Toulouse is a very young and vibrant city, both culturally and musically. The South West of France is an area that offers a great deal of high quality festivals of many different genres of music. I grew up surrounded by good music and musicians, and it surely forged my love for music production and composition.
Do you remember your first encounter with electronic music, and what was that like? It’s hard to say when or what was my first time. I guess in the beginning, I was really into trip hop and the soft early drum & bass genre with artists like DJ Shadow and many others from Ninja Tune.
Was there a particular track that marked you in the beginning? I’d say Aphex Twin’s “Window Licker,” and also a video clip from Chris Cunningham that was simply mind blowing at the time. It’s crazy to think back to ’99 and remember how this kind of music used to be played on commercial radio stations or on channels like MTV. Unfortunately, these days nothing that smart or complex would ever be shown in mainstream media.
Given that you draw influences from many different genres, how do you describe your music style? I really like to explore many different styles or genres and integrate them into my music. I like to stay eclectic by keeping a steady concept throughout my compositions and sound designs, but generally speaking, I’ll describe my style as a mish mash of sounds I like to hear.
You said earlier that you consider yourself more of a musician at heart. Would you ever consider pursuing a career purely as a musician? The moment when I hear jazz or any classical musicians in general, is when I start having doubts about calling myself a musician too—even though I can also play a bit of everything, and compose music as well. With so many new recording and production techniques, it has become really easy for a lot of us to come up with an amazing piano riff, for instance, without having to ever really touch a piano. I have a great deal of respect for dedicated instrumentalists who devote their lives to a single instrument and master the complexity of reading music sheets and can reproduce any piece of music on the spot. What I do is different, however. I feel more like a scientist than a musician sometimes. I’ve had an ongoing collaborative project for a few years, where I work with different instrumentalists of different genres, that is very close to my heart. I guess this is my way of connecting the two ends for me by somehow enlarging my music to a wider and less club oriented audience.
We’ve already discussed your different approach when it comes to your DJ sets versus your live sets. But what about your production process? Do you have a specific plan before you enter the studio or do you improvise as you go? I like to let the music guide me through the process of composition, one sound at a time, rather than trying too hard to make something perfect (and therefore unnatural). I try to catch a mood from tones, sometimes even by disregarding the technical aspect of things. It doesn’t always work out, of course, but i like to make music on the spot, on the same day, and not have to think about the result as much. I always try to simply record the moment and the mood in that time.
How did you end up incorporating field recordings into your productions? I love my microphones and recorders. I have been doing enough field recordings to last me for a lifetime. The last two years I decided to stop myself from recording things in order to be able to explore the extended library I have built over the years. I always like to give my music an organic feel, and therefore, incorporating field recordings into my productions is how I achieve that.
What does DoubtingThomas have in store for us this year? I have a few EPs landing in the coming months on labels like Catch Records and Eastenderz, and I also have few other things lined up that I am still adding the final touches to at the moment. My first vinyl-only label, The Promises, is finally getting its first release pressed this month and will be launching within the next couple of weeks. It will feature more experimental, moody, and atmospheric soundscapes. My plan for the label is to release three EPs this year, as well as a full-length album in collaboration with acoustic musicians, that will hopefully be ready for sometime next year. In the meantime, I will also be touring different parts of Europe, and both South and North America, all the way until the end of summer.
The latest LP from the two techno purists is yet another sonic journey into the electronic wilderness, one that began with the duo’s debut self-titled LP back in 2013. Made up of seven dub-focused sequences,Transport continues the Detroit-Berlin axis in true deep-techno style, with a hypnotic and heady mix of patient productions. The Borderland project, according to the press release “remains caught in a state of enraptured stillness, invisibly moving between every imagined future for electronic sound making.”
The album will be released on regular home Tresor on CD and double LP on April 22, which you can preorder here, with one of the record’s standout tracks “Lightyears” streaming in full via the player above.
Ninja Tune artist Travis Stewart (a.k.a Machinedrum) recently posted an ambient mix to help you “ease into your week.” Titled “Vizion Centre Mix,” the mix is available for download via the artist’s SoundCloud page.
Created back in 2013, the mix was originally part of Machinedrum’s Vapor City project—which included a full-length LP, a series of EP’s and remixes, and an online space that allowed subscribed residents to explore a highly conceptual online world and discover exclusive musical content. Previously only available for Vapor City Citizens, Machinedrum has since abandoned the impressive and overwhelming project and is now giving out the mix for free.
Moving into its fourth year, the exciting and groundbreaking electronic music festival known as Electric Island Festival (EIF) in Guam has just recently revealed its 2016 program. Having hit a total of 4,000 attendees last year, this boutique music festival has now evolved into a two-day festival with full support from Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) and is quickly growing into a greatly anticipated, stand-alone event that is bound to bring an eclectic crowd of electronic music lovers from all over the globe.
With its close proximity to Japan, S. Korea, China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan, coupled with the fact that Guam itself is a U.S. territory, the island’s tourism has just surpassed record breaking numbers. Recently, Guam has become a destination hub that brings the electronic music industry in Asia together. For this reason, EIF is dedicated to promoting “music tourism” in Guam, motivating global travelers to come experience Guam’s undeniably beautiful surroundings, perfect weather, rich history and colorful, tight-knit culture, while giving the local population the opportunity to experience everything that electronic music has to offer and bring “creative inspiration for Guam’s future generations.”
Giving a handful of native Guam DJs the opportunity to strut their stuff, EIF is also importing a huge number of exciting artists from all over the globe, including Donald Glaude (USA) Dusty Kid (Italy), Trent Cantrelle (USA), Silky (UK), Shinichi Osawa (Japan), DJ Cookie (Taiwan), and many more. Helping to curate one of the festival’s stages is Womb Tokyo, the music label and nightclub that is widely recognized as being one of Asia’s most iconic electronic music destinations.
For more information regarding the festival, please visit the Electric Island Festival website by going here. You can also stay up-to-date by visiting the Electric Island Festival on their Facebook page.
Sponsors & Partners: Miller Genuine Draft, Guam Visitors Bureau, Monster Energy, Stoli Vodka, Hit Radio 100, Crowns Guam, EZ Travel, XLR8R, WOMB Tokyo, and Holiday Resort Guam.
Metereze—Raresh’s label that has thus far been used as a means of supporting up-and-coming Romanian artists—is now six releases in. Following the likes of Mihai Popescu, Barac, and Melodie is Limpid. With no official releases to his name, the unexposed Romanian delivers a four-track EP that is testament to the high quality of electronic music for which the country has become so widely renowned.
The record bears all of the hallmarks of a Metereze release: classy grooves and pristine production, delivered in a manner unique to the individual artist at hand. The two tracks on the A-side are deeper affairs, evidencing Limpid’s talent as a producer capable of delivering much more than simple four-to-the-floor dance tracks. “Copacul Vietii” is a highlight, as the producer expertly melds production techniques old and new to create a swirling deep house number, which is bound to ensure that that particular side of the vinyl will become well worn.
The energy is lifted considerably on the B-side. The kicks are heavier on “Speologie,” and a touch of acid gives the track an extra dimension that will never fail to get the dancefloor moving. It’s followed by “Zibi,” a cut that elegantly rolls on, tribal drums providing the backbone for the most stripped-back, and most effective cut on the record.
Raresh’s ability to pluck what seems like the cream of Romania’s crop from relative obscurity has been consistently impressive. Even more impressive is that each artist he brings forwards provides an original twist to an otherwise saturated style. Limpid’s record is up there with the genre’s very best releases this year, leaving an insatiable curiosity for the rough diamond Raresh will be polishing next.
Il is the debut album from Jean-Michel Blais, the 31-year-old pianist. Born and raised in Quebec, the French-Canadian artist began tinkering on the family organ at the age of nine, before writing his first original compositions at just 11. By 17, he was invited to the Trois-Rivieres Music Conservatory and began training as a classical pianist.
Scheduled for April 8 release via Arts and Crafts, the blissful eight-tracker captures Blais’ penchant for experimentation, packing two years’ worth of daily improvisations into a 28-minute segment. Clearly referenced in the range of piano textures is the work of Erik Satie and minimalist virtuosos including Lubomyr Melnyk and Philip Glass, complimented beautifully by subtle field recording on “Casa,” or electronics in “Nostos.”
In advance of the its release next week, the LP can be exclusively streamed in full via the player below.
Tracklisting:
01. Hasselblad 4 (improvisation) 02. il 03. Dada 04. Nostos (feat. BUFFLO) 05. Hasselblad 2 (improvisation) 06. Budapest 07. Casa 08. Rondo majeur (trois mains)
Eduardo De La Calle has been putting out techno records for well over a decade now, on the likes of Semantica, Mule Musiq, Non Series, Hivern Discs, and his own Analog Solutions. His next EP, Colour Planet Corporation, will be released via Forbidden Colours, the imprint owned by Aitor Etxebarria (a.k.a. El_Txef_A), for which De La Calle had previously provided a remix. It is the first EP to be released on the label of original material not by El_Txef_A. The label describes De La Calle’s tracks as “trippy and minimalistic cuts,” which are also supplemented by a remix from Etxebarria.
Colour Planet Corporation will be released on May 13, and can be pre-ordered at Juno.
French label My Love Is Underground launched back in 2010 with an EP from The Nathaniel X Project, and from there on released mainly house music by the likes of Brawther, Dungeon Meat and Inner Sense. Jeremy Underground also coordinated a couple of compilations on Favorite Recordings under the MLIU banner, based around the idea of remastering and reissuing older house tracks.
MLIU 16 is the first new material to come out of the label in three years. Familiar faces Teflon Dons (a staple of the 90s west coast sound), Malin Genie and Tristan Da Cunha of Dungeon Meat return, along with newer acts to the label such as Parisian producer Franck Rodger and DJ Steaw.
MLIU 16 is set for release on May 9, and can be pre-ordered at Juno.
Tracklisting: 01. Hugo LX – Breakfast At Ronny’s 02. Malin Genie – Hemlock 03. DJ Steaw – East Orange 04. Franck Roger – To Me 05. Teflon Dons – Damn Mosquitos! 06. Tristan Da Cunha – Hit Up On This! 07. Ebony Cuts – Disco Credit
