Steve O’Sullivan to Present Minimal Techno Album on Nina Kraviz’ Trip

Steve O’Sullivan will release a new album on trip recordings, the label of Nina Kraviz.

Almost all the works on green trax originally surfaced between 1995 and 1999 on Green/As It Is, the now-defunct minimal techno label set up by O’Sullivan. The release should be seen as a compilation of the label’s finest works, plus some previously unreleased tracks that O’Sullivan found on data tapes in his archive.

O’Sullivan is a UK-based producer releasing on Sushitech and on his own Mosaic label. He’s inspired by Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, and produces slowly evolving, soulful club tracks. For more information on O’Sullivan, check out his Artist Tips feature here, where he offers some important practical advice for approaching labels with demos.

Tracklisting

01. vert (unreleased extended mix)
02. glas
03. wyrdd
04. berdea
05. viridi
06. grænn
07. hijau (unreleased) 08 aħdar
09. zelenyy (unreleased) 10 verde
11. prásinos
12. kijani
13. kore

green trax LP is scheduled for March 12 release. Meanwhile, you can stream “berdea” in full below and pre-order here.

Listed and Housepitality Join Forces for All-Weekend Virtual Festival

This weekend, Listed and Housepitality will host Keep Our Beat Alive, an all-weekend virtual festival.

Running from today, Friday, February 26 through Sunday, February 28, the livestream event was created in order to “support the dance music community through the hardships of the last year,” the organizers say. The festival will feature sets by Francesca Lombardo, DJ Three, DJ T., Sepehr, Listed artists Mr. C, Jay Tripwire, Nikita, and H Foundation, as well as dance music pillars PillowTalk and Doc Martin.

The festival can be watched as many times as you like throughout the weekend and for 48 hours after it’s over. There are also various ticket options that also include In Housepitality We Trust, a VA compilation that available as unmixed tracks and a continuous mix by Mikey Tello (a.k.a. Lil’ T of PillowTalk) as well as a Housepitality t-shirt.

Listed and Housepitality have also partnered with Sole Purpose NYC and the SFAR Foundation “Welcome Home Project” and will be donating two pairs of socks with every ticket sold to homeless individuals.

You can find out more and buy tickets to the festival here.

Ink Project’s New Album is an Exhilarating Trip Through UK Styles; Stream It Now

Today, Ink Project have released their new album, Rhythm Spirit, on Blind Colour.

The LP is the result of four years’ worth of “different collaborations with a variety of vocalists and remixers,” Ink Project’s Jez Lloyd explains. “My production style has always been quite eclectic and so the album moves between sample-based ambient/downtempo, psychedelic, future dub, gothic soul, electro, and global music.” It’s an exhilarating amalgamation of styles and sounds from the UK’s flourishing musical lexicon.

Rhythm Spirit features the vocal talents of Trinidadian-born Bristol-based Coreysan on the LP’s first single, “Feeding The Fire,” Chinese-born, London-based Fifi Rong on “Slow Suicide,” and rising soul singer Yazmyn Hendrix on “Blink.”

Ink Project are a live electronic/soul collective founded by run by Jez Lloyd. He started the group in his hometown of London, enlisting the vocal talents of Melanie Dymond. he released Ink Project’s debut album, Inside The Sun via the Blind Colour imprint in December 2011.

Tracklisting:

01. Life Force
02. Blink feat. Yazmyn Hendrix
03. New Phase feat. Coreysan
04. Slow Suicide feat. Fifi Rong
05. Found At Sea
06. Rhythm Spirit Part 1
07. Rhythm Spirit Part 2
08. Feeding The Fire feat. Coreysan
09. The End feat. Fifi Rong

Rhythm Spirit is out today, February 26, on vinyl and digitally via Blind Colour—those who buy the vinyl will also get a free download of all LP songs and eight remixes from artists such as Charles Webster, Synkro, Gaudi, and more. You can order the LP here, with the full album and the music video for “The End (feat. Fifi Rong)” streaming below.

Trentemøller, Lafawndah, Kahn, and LA Timpa Remix Tricky

Tricky has announced a new remix EP, featuring reworks of his most recent album, Fall To Pieces.

The four-track EP will include contributions from Trentemøller, Kahn, LA Timpa, and Lafawndah, who remix “Like a Stone,” “Fall Please,” “I’m In The Doorway,” and “Vietnam,” respectively.

With the announcement, Tricky has released Trentemøller’s remix, with the Danish artist stripping the track bare and using Tricky and Marta’s vocals to “build up an entirely new song around them, focusing on a melodic and mystical vibe,” he explains.

The remix EP continues a productive streak from Tricky who in the last year released the Fall To Pieces LP, an EP titled 20,20, and his “Hell Is Round The Corner” autobiography.

You can read more about Trentemøller here.

Tracklisting:

01. Tricky feat. Marta “Like a Stone” (Trentemøller Remix)
02. Tricky feat. Marta “Fall Please” (Kahn Remix)
03. Tricky feat. Oh. Land “I’m In The Doorway” (LA Timpa Remix)
04. Tricky “Vietnam” (Lafawndah Remix)

The Trentemøller remix of “Like a Stone” is out now and can be streamed below. We’ll add a release date when it comes available.

Minnesota Label Renraku Preps Compilation of “Visceral Club Music”

Minneapolis, Minnesota label Renraku has a new compilation on the way this Friday, February 26.

The 16-track album, titled REALTIME, is the fourth chapter of the label’s summer compilation series. It presents a set of visceral club tunes that showcase the “broadest vision for the label and provide context between disparate, often underrepresented genres and sub-genres within electronic music,” we’re told.

The compilation features a handful of label regulars like ALEPH, Vhsceral, N², CVLNRST, and Dictate, alongside many newcomers, all of whom deliver multi-faceted productions anchored in the bass-music continuum.

“Each track is designed to run standalone as a realtime sequence showcasing limitless potential across the audio spectrum,” the label says.

Ahead of the release, Renraku has released three cuts from the compilation by ALEPH, N², and Marcus JT, which you can stream below. The album can be pre-ordered via Renraku’s Bandcamp page.

Tracklisting:

01. ALEPH “MOMENT”
02. Nu Partial “Cross Your Mind”
03. N² “ABANDONED PLANE”
04. Marcus JT “Another World”
05. Ankou “Void”
06. Lord Genmu “Jaguar”
07. CVLNRST “Partial Truth”
08. Dictate “Abyss Walker”
09. Slace “qcpyhn2”
10. {arsonist} “Kaypartyte”
11. Vhsceral “Not It”
12. Boingo Hotspot “Birdbrain Mode”
13. galva “ADERA”
14. Dried Leaves “Sea Foam”
15. Acrone “Hope Dies Last”
16. Casual Hex “Embers Dancing In The Wind”

REALTIME LP is scheduled for February 26 release.

Vladislav Delay’s New Album is a “Romantic Summer Vision Full of Hope and Optimism”

Sasu Ripatti, better known as Vladislav Delay, will release Rakka II, a second chapter to his Rakka album.

After releasing Visa in 2014, Ripatti went silent for nearly five years. He filled this period with study, exploration, and reconstruction, evolving his sound, his methods, and his practice. This resulted in Rakka, released in February 2020 on Cosmo Rhythmatic, the label of Shapednoise, Ascion, and D. Carbone. The album was inspired by the time Ripatti spent in the wilderness above arctic circle and tree lines, and the feelings and thoughts that traversed him while there.

Rakka II arrives once more on Cosmo Rhythmatic. Whereas the first chapter seemed intent on portraying the elemental forces as free, unabashed, and unconstrained by musical structures, part two is a reconciliation between Rakka‘s brutal hostility and Sasu’s consciousness.

As Ripatti puts it, Rakka II is “a romantic summer vision full of hope and optimism; after the brutalist vibes on the first one, the storm has passed and skies are clearing.”

Ripatti became a revered figure inelectronic music circles during the late ’90s and early ’00s with releases like “Multila” and “Anima,” plus over 20 albums under various aliases. For more information on his work, check his studio feature with XLR8R here.

In 2019, Ripatti contributed a track, an early version of “Rakkine,” to XLR8R+ alongside work from DVS1 and Convextion.

Tracklisting

01. Rakkn
02. Raaa
03. Raaha
04. Rapaa
05 .Rakas
06. Ranno
07. Raato
08. Rapine

Rakka II LP is scheduled for April 16 release. Meanwhile, you can stream an official album teaser below and pre-order here.

Wata Igarashi Delivers New EP of Psychedelic Techno

Wata Igarashi has released New Dawn, a new EP on Figure.

On his first outing for Len Faki’s Berlin label, Igarashi delivers finely detailed compositions that merge into a sound that is both dense and mesmerizing. He stacks loops on top of each other for maximum effect, building a sense of depth and connection. The EP shimmers with life, richly laden with crystalline arps and swirling synths.

Igarashi, from Japan, has previously put out work on Midgar, The Bunker New York, Bitta, and Delsin. He’s also contributed a track to XLR8R+ alongside Roman Flügel and Einzelkind. By day, he works as a sound producer and the skills he has developed through his work are reflected in his productions.

Tracklisting

01. Balance
02. Cylinder
03. New Dawn
04. Ray

New Dawn EP is available now, with a full stream below.

Sampa The Great Delivers ‘Tiny Desk Concert’ from Zambia; Watch Now

Photo: Isaac Tuba

Sampa The Great has delivered a new performance for NPRs Tiny Desk Concert series. Filmed live in Lusaka, Zambia, it features live versions of “Rhymes To The East,” “Mwana,” and “Freedom,” before concluding with a triumphant rendition of “Final Form.”

“I’m so happy I got to perform my first NPR Tiny Desk at home (literally) in Zambia,” Sampa The Great, real name Sampa Tembo, says. “I got to share my experience with musicians I respect and we got to share who we are and where we’re from with so much excitement.”

The performance was presented as part of NPR‘s month-long celebration of “Black History Month,” which features performances from artists from across the worlds of hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and beyond including Wizkid, Bartees Strange, Wynton Marsalis, Immanuel Wilkins, Melanie Charles, Meshell Ndegeocello, Giveon, KeiyaA, and Kirk Franklin.

Sampa The Great’s Tiny Desk performance is the latest highlight in what has been an successful 18-months for the young artist. She released her debut album, The Return, on Ninja Tune at the end of 2019.

You can watch Sampa The Great’s performance below, and catch up with previous performances from Little Dragon, Thundercat, Jordan Rakei, and many more here.

Podcast 684: Ben Bondy

Ben Bondy is a DJ-producer based in Brooklyn, New York, and XLR8R+ subscribers will likely already be familiar with his work. In December, we closed a tumultuous year with a collection of transfixing dub and downtempo that included Bondy’s “Poison The Well” plus a collaboration with Opheliaxz called “Dust On The Floor.” There were also exclusive tracks from Exael, Pontiac Streator, and Huerco S as Autobouncer620, who together broadly form a tight-knit crew of producers that has fascinated XLR8R over the past 12 months. They came together in Kansas, where they began sharing their work through Terry Radio, a semi-functioning internet radio station. Today, they flutter around labels like West Mineral Ltd., Experiences LTD, and Lillerne Tapes.

Bondy is one of the crew’s latest members. He connected with them through Special Guest DJ at a mutual friend’s birthday party in 2014, and he later recorded a mix for Terry Radio, which you can hear here. As with his peers, he keeps self-promotion to an absolute minimum.

It wasn’t until last year that Bondy broke through, releasing two self-releases and two stunners on West Mineral Ltd. (with Exael) and Experiences Ltd. The latter of these, Sibling, was particularly memorable, as was Cilbien Trance on Lillerne Tape Club in August. His work touches on a variety of sonic and conceptual themes, but he uses it as a “tool to reflect on the fleeting emotionality of daily life,” he says. His mastery of rhythms and deft ear for melody ensure each piece is as seductive as his last. He’s scheduled to return to West Mineral Ltd. later this year.

Bondy recorded his XLR8R in late 2020, and we’ve been excited to put it out. Whereas Special Guest DJ’s XLR8R podcast, released last month, demonstrated the murkier corners of tripped-out ambience, Bondy’s submission has a warmth to its edges, with upbeat moments that’ll make you want to move, but importantly not at the expense of texture and groove. It’s otherworldly and goose-bump-inducing at times, with an emotional resonance that’s so often lost in dance music.

01. What have you been up to recently?

Working on some tracks with friends, fucking around with some video stuff lately, and lots of cooking and eating.

02. What music have you been listening to?

Lots of ancient shit. A homie put me on to some Mesopotamia music, plus I’ve been listening to lots of types of folk, and early music discoveries have come out of that.

03. How did you find your way into music more broadly?

I started playing violin when I was maybe six or seven. I was really consumed by classical music until I started playing in hardcore bands as a teenager.

04. Can you remember a period when your sound and style began to take shape?

As an artist I think of sound as a building with infinite rooms. Over time I’ve wandered into a few, and some of those doors have shut but more are always opening.

05. Where and when did you record this mix?

Early December at the crib.

06. What can the listener expect?

Lots of emotional tracks and a few blissed out moments. There’s lots to chew on.

07. How did you go about choosing the records that you’ve included

It’s mainly stuff I’ve been jamming a bit lately, but always looking for a common thread.

08. What’s next on your horizon?

I’m looking forward to some projects from this past year getting wrapped up and being released. We’ve got Xphresh and a new West Mineral Ltd. one in the works, and there’s other stuff I don’t remember right now. I am focusing a lot more on some projects outside of music, and generally spending more time just relaxing and not working on anything at all.

09. What are your longer-term ambitions with music?

Exploring more of those aforementioned rooms and sharing what I find inside.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to hear the podcast offline you will need to subscribe to our Select channel to listen offline, or subscribe to XLR8R+ to download the file. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Full XLR8R+ Members can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R+ member, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

Tracklisting

01. Kiln “Dusker” (Ghostly International)
02. Dirk Geiger “Slow Forward” (Tympanik Audio)
03. Mathematics “Dentosen (Rewired by Yasume)” (Hydorgen Dukebox)
04. Aso Kikuchi “Echo Room”(Childisc)
05. Picnic “Drops in the Water” (DJ Paradise Version) [Daisart; forthcoming]
06. Higher Intelligence Agency & Biosphere “Midpoint” (Headphone)
07. Mouse on Mars “Pull Moll” (Thrill Jockey)
08. Alva Noto + Opiate “Opto Files” (Raster-Noton)
09. Jandek “Your Other Man (Phoenecia Outer Harmony)” (Schematic)
10. Gliese “Bgah” (Schematic)
11. Fizzarum “Phut of Plex” (City Center Offices)
12. Arovane “Thaem Nui” (DIN)
13. Fibla “FoHb” (Expanding Records)
14. Tetsu Inoue “Health Loop” (Instinct Ambient)
15. Ulla “sponge” (Unreleased)

Download: Troy Kurtz “Tangolunda”

Troy Kurtz, a producer based in Los Angeles, has a new single on the way this week via his newly launched Pulp Trax imprint.

The single, titled “Tangolunda,” is the first taste of a forthcoming EP on Pulp Trax, due later this year. Kurtz inaugurated the label back in December with his debut solo EP, Happy Hour In Purgatory, a three-track affair that laid out the label’s mission statement via a set of broken beats, woozy disco, and stoned beats.

Taking inspiration from a recent surf trip to an Indian village in Mexico, “Tangolunda” continues where Happy Hour In Purgatory left off, delivering a four-and-a-half-minute trip through sun-drenched breaks, off-kilter samples, and shimmering sound design.

In support of the EP, Kurtz has offered up “Tangolunda” as an XLR8R download, available to XLR8R+ subscribers below. You can also purchase the single via the Pulp Trax Bandcamp page.

Full XLR8R+ Members can download the track below. If you’re not an XLR8R+ member, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

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