SECURE SHOPPING
Ed Banger have unveiled the full details for their forthcoming compilation, Let The Children Techno, which features new and unreleased material from an array of musical talent as varied as Duke Dumont, Flying Lotus and Skream.
Later this month Kompkat will release a recording of veteran producer Thomas Fehlmann’s rendition of Gustav Mahler’s “Symphony No. 1 (Titan)” produced in collaboration with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
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Since launching in 2008, Scotland’s Instruments Of Rapture imprint has become a ‘go-to’ label for those who like their grooves chunky and discofied. In the space of six must-buy releases, they’ve showcased all manner of sneaky, sample-heavy disco/house fusions, from the slo-mo bump of The Revenge and Sixth Borough Project to the midtempo exploits of Craig Bratley and sparkling sounds of Ilija Rudman. Impressively, there’s little in the way of filler, just killer grooves and endless, bass-heavy disco wig-outs.
For release number seven, the Instruments of Rapture crew have recruited newcomer Evan Evans for a spot of live bass-wielding Balearic disco bounce. From the moment the skankin’ rhythm kicks in – all clipped guitars, bouncing beats and subtle stabs – you’ll be hooked. When the mother of all old skool piano lines kicks in two minutes later, you’ll be thrusting your arms skywards faster than Didier Drogba in the penalty area. By the time ‘Repetition’ winds down with some sneaky organ fills and sun-soaked Balearic synths, you’ll be spent. It’s that kind of jam.
There’s a pair of excellent remixes on the flip, too, with Art Of Tones and John Daly taking their chance to twist the original into groovesome new shapes. The latter ups the Balearic factor on a deep, string-laden rework, while Art Of Tones abandons the piano in favour of some simple, stripped-down sunniness. If disco-flecked house is your thing, the whole package is essential.
Matt Anniss.
There was a general consensus amongst the electronic music press that Rush Hour ruled 2010, and the label are eschewing any laurel resting opportunities with some choice releases in coming months.
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Big things have been expected from Lunice Femin Pierre II for some time. Ever since his first remixes slipped out on Big Dada and Top Billin’ back in 2009, the Montreal based dancer turned producer has been big news in leftfield hip-hop circles. Those who groove to the sounds of Mike Slott, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke and Nosaj Thing have been waiting patiently for a proper Lunice record to emerge.
Thanks to Glasgow’s premiere Luckyme imprint, that wait is now over. But is Stacker Upper, the 21 year-old’s first official single release, any good? Thankfully, it is. Whilst nowhere near as far-out, experimental or genre redefining as some of his LuckyMe labelmates, Lunice still offers a fresh new twist on hip-hop. It’s just that he makes music for people who dance, rather than worthy men with microscopic beards and oversized headgear.
The real genius is the simplicity of his sound. Somehow, Lunice is able to make memorable, hummable tracks with only a handful of elements. Take lead cut “Hitmanes Anthem” which despite being little more than a beat, bassline and rising/falling keyboard melody, sounds immeasurably big. The same can be said of the bassbin bothering “Hip Pop” or the analogue freakazoid crunk out of “Purp Walk”. Even the EP’s most complex track, the wonderfully sweet and melodic “Fancy Forty” comes cloaked in Lunice’s trademark production and there’s also a great Rustie rework to contend with.
As debuts go, it’s impressive and should be an essential purchase for anyone interested in the kaleidoscopic new world of next-level hip-hop. Expect even greater things from Lunice in the years to come.
Matt Anniss
The week began with the traditional January freeze finally drawing to a close as a veritable deluge of quality vinyl across all genres arrived and has ended on a truly sad note with today’s news that Broadcast’s Trish Keenan has passed away after being hospitalised with H1N1 and pneumonia.
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Japanese export Go Hiyama has graced some heavyweight techno institutions in the past including James Ruskin’s Coda, Spain’s Warm Up and Belgium’s ever reliable Token imprint. He begins the new year with a return to Perc Trax, his third appearance on the unstoppable London based imprint.
“Postmodern” is a deeply atmospheric track built on foundations of white noise similar to the techniques used by prominent glitch or click house producers such as Akufen from the early 2000s. It’s not an unwelcome return either, with the track building to a screeching climax. Stroboscopic Artefacts boss Lucy steps up for remix duties with a slightly more accessible version that stays true to the original but implements additional layers of percussion and teases your senses with the key elements.
“Concrete Advance” strips things back to the bare elements providing a linear background to the haunting horns that drift in and out of the mix and there’s also the implementation of a subtle yet effective breakdown. The Deadsound and Videohead mix completes the package nicely, tipping its hat towards the more industrial broken beat techno that emerged from Madrid some years back. A sophisticated release that offers something for everyone with a interest in techno.
Dicken Lean
Joining the already bulging list of forthcoming albums we’re quite excited about at Juno Plus HQ is the second opus from genre-bending New York producer Drew Lustman, AKA Falty DL.
It’s been a long time coming but New York disco duo Holy Ghost! will finally release their debut album through DFA at the start of April.
Optimo main man JD Twitch has long been renowned for his eclectic approach to DJing and music making, but more than a few people will be surprised by his forthcoming 12” for hyped re-edit imprint Let’s Get Lost.
Bb
Dave Huismans aka 2562 today revealed his latest label endeavour When In Doubt and details of the first official 2562 material in over a year with a ten inch out next month and a new album to follow.
Arch London promoters We Fear Silence have announced the spring line-up for their Saturday night residency at fast-rising South London venue Cable, and it’s looking pretty tasty.
This morning Pioneer further opened up the possibilites for digital DJing with the launch of the DDJ- S1 and T1 controllers that maximise the potential of Serato &Traktor respectively. The resident tech experts at Juno Plus have gone over the specifications for both bits of kit and can offer the following insight for those contemplating purchase
It’s fair to say the digital stockpile of truly interesting and musically varied recorded performances, DJ sets and artist features at Red Bull Music Academy is constantly verging on the ridiculous.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about last year was the flurry of creativity among some of electronic music’s brightest young minds: names like Space Dimension Controller, Nicolas Jaar, Ramadanman and Kyle Hall gained global recognition. Taking matters to an extreme, the Optimo guys even released an album of post punk covers from some pre-teen musicians! Not only are these young producers making their own material – they are spreading their wings across genres, releasing on wildly different labels and even, in some cases, running their own imprints.
It’s hard to think of a previous time when electronic music has crackled with this much prodigious creativity, and it’s against this exciting backdrop we have selected the following ten artists whose music we will be watching with a decidedly hawkish eye during 2011.
Future electro sleaze funkateer par excellence Jimmy Edgar makes a welcome return to music releasing action later this month with a single taken from last year’s under rated XXX album backed with some neat remix action.
Merok Records act Teengirl Fantasy have announced a series of dates throughout Europe later this month following a breakthrough year.
Mixvibes have announced news of a major new update for their Cross digital DJing system which retains the trademark Mixvibes simplicity whilst implementing some major improvements.
The organizers of Serbia’s legendary Exit festival have unveiled the first batch of headliners for this summer’s event, with Arcade Fire, Tiga and James Zabiela amongst the star attractions.
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Professional quiet talker and esteemed broadcaster Gilles Peterson unveils the first in hopefully a long line of new Worldwide compilations, entrusting the tracklisting duties to two members of the WW extended family in the shape of ace London dwelling French producer and DJ Simbad and Belgian jock Lefto. Armed with the license to cast the net far and wide, the duo has excelled, delivering 27 stellar jams across the two CDs rich in international flavour. There are names you’ll recognise such as Cooly G, Seiji and Zed Bias but these are sandwiched between a host of lesser known but equally talented producers and bands. It’s this melange of the known and unknown that sets the standard for future editions of Worldwide Family.
Echoing his show on Studio Brussels, Lefto’s CD leans heavily on the beat heavy head nodders from the US and mainland Europe until a delightful cover of Inner City’s “Good Life” from UK act Brass Roots arrives, whilst Onra’s heavy disco vibes on “The Perfect Match” and Tokimonsta’s exercise in bottom heavy vocal click-clacks end the set on a high note.
At 15 tracks in length, Simbad’s selection provides more musical scope, kicking off with manipulated ethereal sampledelica of Airhead and including Illum Sphere’s amazing ode to Dimlite before slipping in some shimmering beatdown from Swedish talent Andreas Saag. Next level afro jazz leanings from the Bay Area duo Afrikan Sciences & Kebbi leads into deep future house bizniz from Ave Blaste & Cosmo Rodriguez, a Franco Paraguayan duo based in London, whilst the subsequent contributions from aforementioned heavyweights Cooly G, Zed Bias and Seiji adds some real heat to the selection. Presented in a lovely gatefold CD digipak replete with brilliant artwork from Grems Industry, this is a sterling way for the Brownswood crew commence the New Year !
Tony Poland
