SECURE SHOPPING
To celebrate the launch of Rustie’s Sunburst EP, Warp Records have teamed up with Numbers and Deadly Rhythm to throw a party at CAMP on Friday October 1.
The second instalment of our 10 Best series enters the world of mixers. Whether you’re DJing in the club or the bedroom, the functionality of your mixer is vital and the Juno experts have pored over the key features and specifications of each of our 10 favourites (across a range of prices), assessing both cosmetic and practical factors. EQs, effects, inputs, outputs, MIDI, USB connectivity – we’ve got it all covered. Read on to discover our recommendations for the best mixers on the market…
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The buzz has been building for fledgling Chelmsford producer Gold Panda for a while now, and after lauded remixes for the likes of Bloc Party, Simian Mobile Disco, HEALTH, and Lemonade (to name a few), as well as the release of some quality singles, Gold Panda has dropped his debut album Lucky Shiner on the cusp of autumn.
For those of you unfamiliar with Gold Panda’s sound, an immediate reference point could be imagining the gifted lovechild of Four Tet and The Field. But this is not to imply that Gold Panda sounds too much like either of these artists, just that his music evokes them. Therefore, beatier tracks like “Vanilla Minus”, “Snow & Taxis”, and “Marriage” will no doubt remind listeners of The Field’s knack for hypnotic loop-based techno. Yet what makes it different is Gold Panda’s talent for adding a distinct emotional element to his songs, one that is quite strong but doesn’t fully reveal itself until repeated listens.
Gold Panda’s ability to eke out emotion, coupled with a quirky, more abstract air, is where the Four Tet comparison comes in — with tracks like “Same Dream China”, “After We Talked”, and the already revered “You”, being excellent examples of this side of Gold Panda’s musical palette. “Same Dream China” is an early highlight, which features Steve Reich chimes that build on a loop, subtle bass, and a tweaked sample of a traditional stringed Chinese instrument.
There really is something infectious with Lucky Shiner, which simply comes down to the fact that it invokes an introspective yet warm mood in the end – one that seems to correspond snugly with the beginning of the autumn season. There are no lyrics throughout the album, but it still plays out as deeply personal, and judging by the track titles this seems to be the case. Hence, what we have is a smattering of Gold Panda’s autobiography thus far, told aurally, with a touch of his passion for Eastern cultures thrown in for good measure. “Lucky Shiner” is a solid and diverse debut, and worth every bit of anticipation and hype bestowed upon it. Check it.
Matt Leslie
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It’s been a long time coming but Prime Numbers FINALLY unleash the brilliance that is Discreet Unit’s “Shake Your Body Down” on the record buying public. The track has been a staple of the Firecracker/Prime Numbers crew all summer and is destined to fit snugly in the upper echelons of our favourite releases of 2010. Containing one of the warmest basslines these ears have ever heard, “Shake Your Body Down” references first wave Detroit techno and early Chicago house but has a contemporary feel that ensures it a status beyond mere pastiche. Whereas the A Side takes its influence from transatlantic house and techno progenitors, “Twilight” on the flip is steeped in the early European techno sound you’d find on R&S. Crisp driving percussion is slapped around by a violently pulsating acid line to a backdrop of odd brooding siren filled atmospherics. The final act of crunching kick drums and spectral key flourishes just add to the sense of intensity that runs throughout.
Tony Poland
Augmented Ibiza and Sasha search for ‘tune of the summer’
by Juno Plus on 20.09.2010 at 16:53pm
Augmented Ibiza, the ultimate live social guide to the lovely little island we call Ibiza, has teamed up with the legendary Sasha and our good selves to find the hottest tune on the White Isle this summer.
Famed Berlin venue Bar 25 has seemingly closed its doors for the last time, with the venue to be razed to make way for a long touted development, German newspaper reports suggest.
Red Bull Music Academy’s radio show is worth checking out this week with Belgian New Beat pioneer Frank De Wulf at the controls. Read the rest of this entry »
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Having worked with some of the UKs foremost producers in Andy Weatherall, Trevor Jackson and Tim Goldworthy, there’s been an unerring sense of anticipation behind Detachments for some time. With a debut album produced entirely by SMD’s James Ford set for release next week, it looks like the band will finally deliver on this promise.
“Holiday Romance” is perhaps the most poppy track on a broody existential album that takes its musical cue from early 80s European Minimal Wave along with key UK bands such as Fad Gadget and Cabaret Voltaire, so it’s a perfect fit for lead single. Naturally ThisIsNotAnExit secure some brilliant remixes to complement the track, with Bitches Brew boss Cosmo shifting the sonic focus into an extended driving electro popper. Nice enough but it gets totally overshadowed by the colossal raw acid melt from Andy Blake. Clocking in at a monumental 17 mins 36 sec and delivered in one take, Blake’s remix is named in honour of the World Unknown parties he runs in Brixton. Remix of the year.
Tony Poland
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The fifth release from Modeselektor’s flourishing 50 Weapons label-project is something rather special indeed. They’ve recruited Bordeaux bass-hound Humanleft and former Venom and Damage producer Benjamin Damage to drop these two exclusive tunes, and they’re both well worth getting excited about.
Offering a European perspective on crunky beats mixed with kaleidoscopic synth work has become Humanleft’s (aka Remy Teruel) strong suit, with some excellent releases on Tigerbeat6 already under his belt. On “Arnaud and Bernard” however, the influence of Modeselektor really shines through with some incredible bubble ‘n’ gurgle synthwork plastered throughout the track. Riding a beat that’s both crunky and UK funky, the tropical-step drums are balanced thrillingly by the pace of the arpeggio synths, which rise in octaves until a beautifully arranged breakdown. It’s a truly warm and well-constructed slab of techy-funk goodness will prove a devastating battle weapon for DJs.
Previously of Venom and Damage, who’ve rocked London’s booty bass scene for all it’s worth and dropped gems on Doc Daneeka’s Ten Thousand Yen label (anyone who heard Mdslktr-favourite”Deeper” from this year will know what’s up), Benjamin Damage goes on a solo excursion with the epic “Zeppelin”. Going heavier on a funky tip, snares and rounded sub kicks dominate giving it that real kwaito skank. A softly-building set of distressed chords are smothered over the top and filtered subtly up and down to keep you hooked for the entirety. The breakdowns reveal just how pitch-perfect those drums are, while the bass is given plenty of room to keep your ass shaking. It’s yet another marvel, and like “Arnaud & Bernard”, an instrumental that’s sure to make its way into a variety of DJ sets very quickly. So far, 50 Weapons hasn’t failed to release anything other than sheer gold – this is no exception.
Oliver Keens
Various – Permanent Vacation Selected Label Works No 2 review
by Juno Plus on 17.09.2010 at 16:21pm
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In the space of just four years Munich imprint Permanent Vacation have hustled their way to the front of the queue marked labels Juno loves and generally challenge DFA for first place in our collective affections. It’s a label that oozes quality, from the compelling concepts behind their compilations to the lovingly presented twelve inch releases. To commemorate the landmark of 50 releases, Permanent Vacation indulge us with 22 tracks from the likes of Pollyester, Tensnake, Woolfy Vs The Projections, John Talabot and Sally Shapiro. Amidst these more recognisable PV artists, there’s some curveballs like DMX Crew and Arto Mwambe’s “Lauer” and a dash of unreleased gems. Instant classics such as Tensnake’s “Coma Cat” and Azari & III’s “Reckless With Your Love” are present as well as three versions of Midnight Magic’s soon to be classic “Beam Me Up”. In fact it’s the previously unreleased version from Bostro Pesopeo that ends the compilation which provides the highlight, stripping the track of its vintage disco sheen and turning it into a quite brilliantly haunting track.
Tony Poland
Firstly, a big Juno Plus bear hug to everyone that came down to celebrate our first birthday at the Horse & Groom last weekend.
Ministry Of Sound have called on journalist Joe Muggs to document the current world of dubstep and its ever expanding hybrid sounds on a double CD mix entitled Adventures In Dubstep & Beyond.
Next in line to walk the Juno Plus featured chart tightrope is Italian producer Munk, aka Mathias Modica. The Gomma co-founder has been floating around the electro, disco and house scenes for nigh on a decade now, with his Munich-based imprint (co-run with Jonas Imbery) paying scant attention to trends, instead focusing on simply putting out nice music. Modica recently announced a new EP was on the way, entitled Mondo Vagabondo, following on from the recent La Musica 12″ which came replete with remixes from Azari & III, Tiago and Audiojack. Read on for some more Munk-y magic from our favourite Disco Clown.
Fabric will celebrate its 11th birthday with a couple of monster parties in October, with R. Villalobos, Caspa, D. Lazarus and Dixon among the names on the teamsheet.
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Bristol based dubstep pioneer and Tectonic label boss Rob Ellis (aka Pinch) is a producer whose long-standing reputation and prestige within the scene is consistently reaffirmed by each release. Pinch sits alongside the likes of DMZ’s Mala, Coki and Loefah, promoting a more cerebral, dubbed out sound which will undoubtedly continue to lead the way forward in bass music for years to come. His inaugural 12” “War Dub/Alien Tongue” was released on Tectonic back in 2005 and led on to a series of high profile releases on Mike Paradinas’ Planet Mu imprint as well as his debut artist album Underwater Dancehall in 2007 – an opus of work that remains one of the defining long players of the genre to date. Yet despite all this, Pinch is not a prolific producer. A graduate of the “quality, not quantity” school of production, Rob Ellis makes a welcome return to the airwaves with the exceptional and superlative heavyweight dancefloor driven cut, “The Boxer”.
Kicking off with a restrained whir of rumbling and murmured squeaking, pattering bongos pace a well trodden, taunting pattern around hissing percussion in the intro. A punishing kick drum lays down the law with a firm and threatening gravitas, which is sustained for the duration. Stepping intricately around the ring with adept footwork and poised balance, “The Boxer” dances tentatively before metamorphosing into the main tune with a smooth and sustained progression. Thunderous subs and crackling bass build with mounting intensity. An epic choral passage, like Handel’s “Messiah” steeped in melancholia, sits beneath the frenetic, tribal drums as the tune rises and falls before reaching an awe-inspiring finale. Oris Jay, under his Darqwan alias, provides a remix over on the flip. Taking things on a tougher, rougher tip, with raw, metallic SFX, driving aggression and mounting suspense, Darqwan certainly doesn’t eclipse the original in style and panache, but he does provide a satisfying alternative version in which the addition of a growling, glitchy vocal snippet “boxerrr” intensifies the leering grimaced confrontation. Outstanding and essential.
Belinda Rowse
The launch of new East London nightspot XOYO has been delayed due to “unforeseen technical issues” cited by the club’s owners.
Carl Craig will play a 6-hour set in the intimate surroundings of London’s Plastic People in November.
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Anyone with a vested interest in the FRKWYS series will know what a labour of love each edition is for RVNG INTL, and the fourth volume might just be the greatest example to date. Cult avant gardists Psychic Ills are the focal point here; a band entrenched in the NYC art rock scene, having worked with the likes of Ariel Pink and Telepathe in various projects since they caused ripples of excitement with Mental Violence II for Social Registry. For this project the band approached artists who reflect important chapters in the formation of what we now call electronic music. Some twelve months later we have the finished product, gloriously presented as ever, with a sleeve design that imitates a vintage photo album.
Detroit legend Juan Atkins was seemingly contacted on a whim and jumped at the chance to transform the sprawling psychedelic drone of “Mantis” into an equally hypnotic near ten minute box jam which brilliantly utilises the sliding guitar and menacing bass. Atkins’ treatment is the only concession to encouraging hip movement on this twelve inch but the FRKWYS series has always been less about throwaway 4/4 throbbers and more suited to plugging your cerebral cortex in and fully enjoying the sonic ride. Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers was entrusted with the K hole darkness of “I Take You As My Wife Again” and delivers a reimagination that grips your attention thanks to the muddle of strings and oscillating synth arrangements. Finally the criminally short ambience of “Witchcraft Breaker” is stretched out and drowned in a wall of industrial strength sound by Hans-Joachim Irmler, founding member of German kraut-fathers Faust.
Tony Poland
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Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed debut album “Skulltaste”, Brian Lindgren aka Mux Mool returns with an EP of remixes, one new track, and his own remix of “Wax Rose Saturday”, which he has dubbed a “remux”. The album opens with Mool’s remux, and you’d never know it came from the original track if he didn’t tell you. This new “Wax Rose” is pure analogue and a much warmer affair than the bleepy original, sounding a bit like labelmate Dabrye, with some smooth vocoder thrown in for good measure. It gets one’s head bobbing, and segues nicely into new track “Valley Girls”, which is one of the best songs he has released to date – a simple slow jam with a subtle yet spooky synthline that bumps so nice you’ll want to play it twice before moving on to the remixes.
Daso’s remix of “Enceladus” is the clear-cut highlight here, a sprawling 7 minute 4/4 banger that has the dancefloor in its sights from the get go. Hints of house and disco are meshed in with Mool’s original dirty funk to smashing effect, creating a definite hitter for all you late-night DJs hoping to carry the party until the wee ones. Shigeto’s take on “Morning Strut” switches the rhythm around while still maintaining the original track’s piano line. Paul White tweaks “Wolf Tone Symphony” and Alex B tries his hand at “Hog Knuckles” by upping the pitch and tempo, but that track is arguably already pitch perfect in its original form. Nevertheless, this is an excellent addendum to Mux Mool’s sound in 2010, and definitely worth checking out.
Matt Leslie
Kevin Martin’s The Bug project returns in November with a double EP release, courtesy of Ninja Tune.
