SECURE SHOPPING
We’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to the upcoming On&On party at Fabric, with Tiefschwarz, Jamie Jones and Holy Ghost! among those set to take the stage.
Mule sub-label and purveyors of all things deep Endless Flight have announced the release of the fourth I’m Starting To Feel OK mix compilation, due out in August.
The one and only Richie Balboa is back with the seveth instalment of the Juno breakbeat podcast, mixed and hosted by one of the scene’s hottest DJs.
Lindstrøm (pictured) and Prins Thomas have joined forces to remix the new Chemical Brothers single “Swoon”, taken from their recent album Further.
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The New York-based Chilean Nicolas Jaar releases his first EP for Circus Company after a string of releases on Brooklyn label Wolf + Lamb. Of course this is another sombre affair from the young producer but as indicated even from the abstract artwork, it’s not all as straightforward as that. It seems pointless to attempt to categorise it as any one genre, which is characteristic of Jaar’s complete disregard for boundaries combining anything from disjointed electronic sounds to sampling hip-hop beats or French opera.
Perhaps less dark than some of his past tracks, the lyrical vocals in “Marks” are a little more upbeat, paired with light pianos and jaunty percussion, whilst “Angles” is focused around layered vocals in subtly melancholic tones, cleverly arranged with plucked strings in minor keys. “Materials” however features inevitably off-kilter pianos and brass, juxtaposed with electronic beeps and percussive claps entering the din. The pace often changes unexpectedly, allowing time to reflect on the varying tones and ends up generating a haunting atmosphere.
Review: Flora Wong
Bristolian producer Peverelist (aka Tom Ford) will release a double A-side EP on his own Punch Drunk imprint next month.
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The timing of this mix couldn’t be better – Berghain is currently the Most Talked About Techno Club On Earth, to the point where we can one day expect the club’s loyal patrons to remember the former power plant in the same hushed tones as disco heads who long for the days of the Paradise Garage and house aficionados who frequented the Warehouse and Music Box – perhaps not in terms of sheer groundbreaking importance, but because it has shaped a singular sound, and a vibrant scene that has built around it.
Stepping up to the task of curating the fourth instalment of the club’s mix series (following on from André Galluzi, Marcel Dettmann and Len Faki) must have been daunting for Ben Klock, but it is a challenge he has tackled with aplomb. In a recent interview with Juno Plus, Klock said there was no way he could – or would – try to replicate one of his mammoth DJ sets in Berghain 04. He’s right: far from the relentless, pounding sets he is known for, the mix builds slowly, incorporating dubstep-tinged moments, housier elements and (of course) a sprinkling of subterranean machine techno. Indeed it isn’t until Levon Vincent’s “The Long Life” crawls out of STL’s “Loop 04” that things approach fist-clenching territory. And from here on in, every time the mix threatens to get all peak-time on us, Klock reels it back in with a subtle shift back down the gears.
Most of the tracks here are exclusives, which does not, of course, a good compilation make. But Klock achieves his goal of using unreleased tracks to create a sonic journey that is at once familiar yet excitingly new. He’s called in plenty of favours, with new material from Martyn, Kevin Gorman, James Ruskin and Roman Lindau to name a few – and no doubt these producers were more than happy to oblige. (He also manages to sneak in one of his all time favourites, Tyree’s 1995 classic “Nuthin Wrong”, for good measure.)
The highlights, tracks-wise, have to be Gorman’s “7am Stepper”, an epic, broken beat journey into submerged atmospherics and spooky chords. Not far behind is Vincent’s aforementioned effort, which comes replete with the cavernous, hollow bassline that the New Yorker seems to have perfected, and DVS1’s “Pressure”, which sees hypnotic organ chimes prevail against a backdrop of subtle 909 programming, and sets the mood for the mix in superb fashion.
Like all great mix compilations, this is something you can revisit, and on each repeat listen new elements and nuances make themselves apparent in ways you hadn’t noticed before. Klock shows he is no one trick pony too; capable of fusing genres together in intelligent, creative and lucid fashion. Ultimately, Berghain 04 is as good an argument as any that this club’s near mythical reputation is indeed deserved.
Review: Aaron Coultate
As if Au Revoir Simone weren’t lovely enough, the delectable trio have offered up three tracks of their tracks (remixed by some disco and synth friendly contemporaries) as free downloads.
Squat Recordings boss Jeff Amadeus takes the controls for only our second techno podcast presenting a three deck vinyl mix of new and vintage techno sounds that includes tracks from techno luminaries such as Jeff Mills, DJ Rush, Mark Broom and Joey Beltram. Read the rest of this entry »
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For a duo with close links to DFA, there’s always been something reassuringly straightforward about Runaway’s music. Since their debut EP of typically off-kilter edits on friend Roy Dank’s Wurst imprint, they’ve got progressively more and more housey. For those who’ve heard Jacques Renault – the most high profile of the duo – DJ, this will come as little surprise; they seem more influenced by classic New York and New Jersey house than anything else.
Their biggest dancefloor hit, “Brooklyn Club Jam”, is a prime example of this. Blending FX-laden piano riffs with a menacing, big room backing, it sounded like Sound Factory era Vasquez or Twilo-pomp Tenaglia with a Rekids twist. “Broken Man” is similarly reverential, sounding not unlike the sort of organ-heavy house that used to emerge from the Big Apple on a weekly basis back in the 1990s – albeit with drums that sound more Salsoul than Strictly Rhythm.
Like the best US house records of old, it’s hooky and nagging in equal measure, building the action around a spiraling organ riff and a flickering, repetitive vocal sample (“broken man”). Even better, perhaps, is the accompanying ‘live’ version, which adds a killer acid B-line, some spooky loops and the sort of stripped-down beats that evoke thoughts of dark New York cellar clubs and freakish afterhours parties. It just feels more raw – something which gives the track a much more intense, late night vibe.
The package is rounded off by a solid remix by NYC nu disco don Brennan Green. He gives “Broken Man” a quick rub with his disco polish, adding some crunchy noises amongst the original’s twin riffs.
Review: Matt Anniss
A couple of months back LCD Soundsystem released the Spike Jonze-directed film clip to “Drunk Girls”, one of the more flippant yet undeniably catchy offerings from their lauded This Is Happening LP.
Two of the driving forces behind the esteemed Turbo imprint (fronted by the Canadian crooner Tiga), Mike Mind and Thomas Von Party know their way around a dancefloor. Both are DJs and producers du jour, and quite good friends to boot – so we asked Mike to interview Thomas about his role as the label manager of Turbo, the changing world of A&R and why DJing after Proxy sucks.
DJ Koze (pictured), Matias Aguayo and Thomas Fehlmann are among the artists set to feature in Total 11, a new Kompakt compilation which showcases the imprint’s Class of 2011.
UK duo Mount Kimbie have added four new shows to their upcoming European tour, with extra dates in Germany and Italy announced.
Are you a Roxy Music buff? Partial to a bit of Grace? Or do you get dizzy at thought of Dizzee? Then read on: we’ve got a pair of tickets to this year’s Lovebox Festival to give away.
Update: This competiton is now closed and a winner has been selected. A big thanks to everyone who entered!
Richie Hawtin is offering a €2,500 reward for the safe return of the equipment used in his live show, after it was stolen from his Parisian hotel room last weekend.
We have teamed up with the LED festival and Let’s Mix to provide up-and-coming DJs with a chance to play alongside the dance music world’s leading artists at LED Festival in London on August 27-28.
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Having received a barrage of interest from across the board (largely due to his sell-out debut release on Tough Love in ’09), Becoming Real takes on Ramp Recordings with this glistening slice of glitched out, grime-influenced, half step beauty. The self-proclaimed inventor and pioneer of the “ghost-step” sub-genre ups his game with this one. The haunting, trickling rhythms so clearly resplendent in “Fast Motion” encapsulate a multitude of sounds, clips, clops, gushing rhythms, vocal snippets and evolving melodies. The very process of “becoming real” seeps out of every pore of this release. There’s an overwhelming sense of metamorphosis, of moments captured in stasis, before the track changes direction, flitting quickly on to the next image and beyond.
For example, “Jen’s Clock” ticks away moodily, creeping through the midnight hour, hesitating, pausing, never quite sure of where to go next, until a slow movement sees the sound fall deeper and depper into the dark expanse of night time and the greater unknown. Tiptoeing synths, tense tapping and a low, rumbling bassline underpin the venture with oodles of atmospheric excitement and eerieness saturated into every beat. Unique and enticing, innovative and understated, it’s got a smattering of D&B producer Rockwell’s cinematic ‘Noir EP’ – a comparison that can do no wrong, in our opinion. The DVA ‘Hi Emotions’ remix of ‘Fast Motion’ completes the EP, adding a more spaced out, smooth, synth-y interpretation of the original, with warm reverberating vibes to create that warm fuzzy feeling inside. Outstanding.
Review: Belinda Rowse
Röyksopp have announced news of their new album Senior, the older, wiser counterpart to 2009’s acclaimed Junior LP which is set for release this September on Wall Of Sound .
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Moodmusic are currently riding a wave of truly impressive releases. Recent months have seen their output flying off the selves, with tracks like Lil Tony’s “Raw Trax Vol. 2″, Stel’s “Last Night On Earth” and Sasse & James Flavour’s recent hit, “The Right Way” all heaping more praise on the Berlin based imprint. Now, they continue their fine form with a distinctly late night vibed EP which features four tracks of sultry, deep, techy house from Lemon Popsicle, Sasse and Mihai Popoviciu.
Adrian Pietrasch, Wollion Korfanty and Sandrino Tittel make up the acclaimed trio of Lemon Popsicle. They have seen great international success with remixes and productions for some of the world’s finest deep house and tech labels including Yellow Tail, Dieb Audio, Rebirth, Brown Eyed Boyz, BluFin, ALiVE, Sprout, Night Drive Music or Two Faces.
Their debut for Moodmusic has come about through label boss Sasse hearing “Chordelia” in early 2010 and then hammering it in his DJ sets around the world. Bridging the gap between the sound of Detroit techno and deep house, the title track sees driving mids lead this deep number forward as bubbling basslines swirl beneath in the murmuring low end. It’s rolling chords and immaculate production do the right things in the right places to set the release off in style.
Sasse then turns in a remix of his own, locking into a more modern, techier groove. Turning “Chordelia” into an ever building, eleven minute chugger he gives the track a subtle twist rather than a drastic makeover. Keeping things fresh and contemporary, Romanian house star Mihai Popoviciu builds a modern, shuffling roller where ultra crispy beats accentuate his killer rolling bassline. Finishing off with Lemon Popsicle’s warm and fuzzy yet lightly funky “Start Again”, this EP showcases once more the guile and musicality that has made Moodmusic the revered label that they are today.
Review by Tom Jones.
