If ever there was a time for Carl Craig to sit back and reflect on his frankly dazzling career, it would be now. Planet E, the label he birthed as an aspiring producer in Detroit, turns 20 this year. As part of Detroit’s lauded second wave, Craig followed in the footsteps of techno forefathers Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May, and came to prominence around the same time as the likes of Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills.
From sweaty 10 hour basement sets to live jazz-techno performances at opera halls across Europe, Craig has seen and done it all before, and for this interview we honed in on the bridges he has built from his home city of Detroit to other musical styles and genres. Few can lay claim to have facilitated cross pollination between genres as much as him – from his seminal work in bringing an artful and jazzy element to techno, to re-editing and remixing artists affiliated to afrobeat, reggae, broken beat and indie, to his Innerzone Orchestra project, which served as a catalyst and inspiration for a nascent UK drum and bass scene in the 90s.
Planet E has been used both as a conduit for Craig’s own productions under various pseudonyms, and a platform for a raft of other talent from Detroit and beyond. To celebrate two decades of releasing records, Craig will be taking Planet E on the road in 2011 – a simultaneous valedictory tour honoring the label’s past and a showcase to promote its future. The tour kicks off this Friday night (March 4) in the auspicious surroundings of Berghain in Berlin, with the London showcase taking place the following evening.
To celebrate the release of Falling, Ben Westbeech’s debut 12″ for the revamped Strictly Rhythm imprint, we’re offering the chance to win an invitation to his live showcase in London this Thursday, March 3.
Artist: Capracara Title: Panic Beats Label: Fine Art Recordings Genre: Disco/Nu-Disco Format: 10"
Sometimes a record comes along that ticks all the boxes for a humble vinyl addict. A luxuriously presented sleeve with eye catching art work, an inner sleeve (all too absent these days) and music that surpasses the presentation. This latest release from boutique London imprint Fine Art Recordings does just that, giving Capracara’s “Panic Beats” the full release it deserves.
In a sporadic production career to date, the producer has excelled with releases for DFA and Soul Jazz as well as the odd remix for Detachments and The Hundred In The Hands. “Panic Beats” may be his finest moment to date though; a glorious ode to Giallo horror soundtracks, the track originally surfaced last summer on Seed Records’ Seed X Part 3 compilation. It’s migration to another vastly underrated UK imprint in Fine Art might well belatedly endow the track with the recognition it deserves.
“Panic Beats” proves to be every bit as exciting as anything you might find on the recent and critically acclaimed Giza EP from Gatekeeper. An expert melding of hefty industrial textures, haunting chords and ever twisting electronic arpeggios atop a punishing EBM beat, it’s a track that bears repeat listening.
Diskjokke steps up to remix the track, seeming to revel in the menacing origins; crafting a reimagination filled with dizzying showers of percussion, amidst which sits an ever changing backdrop of gristly acid stabs and soaring, heavily funked organ riffs that sound oddly nicked from a 20:20 Vision record. It’s this menacing and schizophrenic rhythmic thrust that ensures this record sits well beyond the realms of pedestrian nu discoism.
Jay Shepheard will celebrate a successful first year for his well respected Retrofit imprint with a special party at Dalston Superstore next Friday, March 4.
We’re a sucker for a boutique 10″ record here at Juno Plus – the mere mention of the word ‘Firecracker’ has us breathlessly reaching for a chair to sit down – so you’ll understand our delight at the lovely Capracara release on Fine Art this week.
Artist: Demdike Stare Title: Tryptych Label: Modern Love Genre: Techno, Leftfield Format: 3xCD
It’s all too easy to get lost amidst the droning mists of darkness, menacing found sound samples and sudden blankets of bass and industrial textures that characterise the music of Demdike Stare. Even more so when plunging head first into Tryptych, this luxuriously presented and expanded compendium of the Lancastrian duo’s three albums that Modern Love released last year. By the inherent nature of those albums – vinyl only and in limited quantity – this extended package is perhaps the first chance many have had to fully indulge in the sounds of a duo they have most likely read much about.
What fascinates most is the progression of sound and understanding between Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker that grows across each of the albums. One a key cog in the Finders Keepers empire of dusty fingered reissues of obscure music, and the other already ensconced in the Modern Love family as part of Pendle Coven, together they seem to revel in the creative possibilities. Their debut release together, Symbiosis, ushered in a sonic vision shrouded in faux mysticism and eeriness and touched on an intriguing panoply of influences including everything from drone, obscure field recordings and KPM Library music to Basic Channel, dub and Chicago House.
The template laid down there has been extended and expanded on throughout Forest of Evil, Liberation Through Hearing and Voices Of Dust. As mentioned above there’s a real progression to the Demdike Stare sound that unfurls across the course of the albums and it’s perhaps fun to view each of the albums as soundtracking chapters of an imaginary survival horror film – this was the original intent of the Demdike Stare project – perhaps directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, given the length. Forest of Evilis the apprehensive first steps into the sonic unknown, mercifully short but full of heart racing twists. Despite your best intentions, you return with Liberation Through Hearing and find yourself fully ensconced in the claustrophobia filled nightmare – most notably on tracks such as “Regolith”.
Voices Of Dust retains this inherent creepiness – witness the tribalist headfuck of “Hashshashin Chant” descending in and out of cold war style subaqueous drones. The listener is presented with several opportunities to escape the darkness – “Repository Of Light” for example – yet exhilaratingly you prefer the plunge back into the sonic abyss. Whilst this is an exhaustive release to try and attempt to absorb in one sitting (an approach tried and swiftly canned prior to reviewing) Tryptych’s qualities fully reveal themselves given time. It’s intriguing to ponder where Canty and Whittaker might venture next.
German producer Kassem Mosse pretty much owned 2010, consistently releasing records that touched on the raw, thumping end of house and techno. His remix of Commix was a particularly fine moment – indeed we here at Juno Plus crowned it our number one track of the year. His 12″ for Dial sub-label Laid was a melodic shuffling delight, while his remix of Braiden’s auspicious debut on Joy Orbison’s Doldrums imprint turned the mutant house original into a sublime piece of raw, dusky techno.
His influence should not be underestimated in the UK – he’s widely revered by dubstep and bass music producers as well as house and techno heads, and his sound appears to be what a lot of British dubstep-cum-house producers – most notably the aforementioned Joy O – are currently striving for.
Here Mosse (real name Gunnar Wendel) returns to the excellent Berlin based Workshop imprint, with “Track 1″ hogging the A Side, characterised by a tense mechanical rhythym and a looped up female vocal which remains central to the track as Mosse adds deft analogue tweaks which create a cavernous sonic landscape. The real heat, however, is on the flip; first Mosse takes things unfeasibly deep on “Track 2″ with chords that on first inspection appear to emanate from beneath the speakers, before the EP’s true gem, the all too short “Track 3″, brings the EP to a bruising finale with scorched kick drums juxtaposed against a gently undulating synth progression.
Unless you’ve been living under a turntable shaped rock this past year, you’ll know that a working knowledge of CD decks is nigh on essential for the club going DJ in 2011. The vast majority of clubs and musically inclined pubs across the world have a pair of CD decks as well as, or instead of, turntables. Pioneer has established itself as the industry standard CD deck – initially with the ubiquitous CDJ-1000 and more recently with the 2000 version – and as such they feature prominently in this list. However we’ve road tested each and every one of the competitors, and whittled them down to a shortlist of the 10 best across a range of prices.
Love Fever, the London club night that treads the line between decadence and sleaze with effortless aplomb, has announced Terre Thaemlitz aka DJ Sprinkles as its next guest.
Artist: Benoit & Sergio Title: Boy Trouble Label: DFA Genre: House, Disco Format: 12", Digital
With their slicked back hair, sharp suits and love of sophisticated, melancholic electronic pop, Washington DC’s Benoit & Sergio are a neat fit with James Murphy’s fashion-conscious imprint. Following a smattering of singles elsewhere – most notably for Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Lee Curtiss and Shaun Reeves’ Visionquest imprint – it’s no surprise to see them pitching up on DFA with a suitably charismatic four-tracker.
Musically, they offer an odd but charming fusion of the old and the new. “Boy Trouble” itself is a good example. Part Justus Kohncke/Kompakt pop, part “Beahviour”-era Pet Shop Boys (it has the same bittersweet feel and love of rich synthesizer sounds), it’s both heart-achingly weary (especially the vocal) and coolly uplifting. The Visionquest remix – a lovingly crafted fusion of spacious house bump, techno influenced percussion and deep blue electro-pop – only enhances these wonderful elements.
Elsewhere, there’s plenty to enjoy. There’s another chance to savour the superb “Full Grown Man”, a housier composition that sounds like one of Mr Fingers’ Robert Owens collaborations remade in Cologne (it reminds us, bizarrely, of some of Firm troubadour Bozzwell’s deeper techno-pop moments, albeit with a classic deep house finish). Worth checking, too, is “What I’ve Lost”, another previously released cut that casts Joy Division broodiness adrift in a dreamy synthscape of stoned paranoia and loverlorn late night tears. Hopefully DFA will stick with these guys; their music might not be an exact fit with their usual followers, but it has excellent potential.
Ever since the news broke that Instra:mental’s Alex Green was to take on the guise of Boddika for his slower tempo, house and electro style productions, we’ve been foaming at the mouth with fevered anticipation. Last October, his 130bpm outing on Naked Lunch – “Boddika’s House/Syn Cron” – and his recent appearance on Benji B’s Radio One show, coupled with his recent mix for the Boiler Room, gave a glimpse into what to expect from this release on Loefah’s Swamp 81 imprint.
Dominated by 808 drum machines and pulsing rhythms, yet maintaining that sleek classiness and delicacy that shapes his work with production partner Damon (Kid Drama) as Instra:mental, Boddika really lives up to the high expectation bequeathed upon him here in both “Electron” and “Underground”. Whilst “Electron” is the rather more frenetically patterned, ever so slightly aggressive and insatiable track of the pair, after a few listens you will be enveloped by the driving groove, with beats pattering around like the dots of an impressionist paintbrush before a heavy drum kick and atmospheric pressure re-sets the tone. “Underground” continues in a similar vein, dark and brooding, coloured with cowbells and droning arpeggiated synths. It’s a contemplative cut and more of a 3am draw, but just as powerful in its own right. Superbly crafted, intricate artwork by Ashes 57 seals the deal and makes this a must buy for vinyl collectors and music lovers alike.
Artist: Jamie xx/Gil Scott-Heron Title: We're New Here Label: XL Genre: Dubstep Format: LP, CD, Digital
On the back of the impeccable teaser single “NY Is Killing Me”, Jamie XX’s overhaul of Gil Scott-Heron’s 2010 album I’m New Here has long been pencilled in as a “must listen” at Juno Plus. If the resultant album delivered even half the forward-thinking, next-level thrills as that single, it would be an essential purchase. Now we’ve had a chance to listen to We’re New Here , that view hasn’t changed. It’s a bit good – though musically it holds a few more surprises than even “NY Is Killing Me” suggested.
Structured like an old-fashioned push-button mixtape with short interludes and skits between tracks, it has the feel of a hip-hop bootleg come good. In fact, its only fault is its short length – at 33 minutes, it’s over before you’ve had a chance to really savour its hazy charms. We’ve listened to it countless times and are still discovering new elements.
It’s true that there’s little quite as gorgeously upbeat and anthemic as “NY Is Killing Me” (included here with a delicious, piano-heavy intro skit), but there’s plenty to get excited about. Musically, it’s something of an eccentric audio soup – an atmospheric mix of loose, skittering beats – predominantly inspired, it seems, by the experimental hip-hop jazz of Madlib and The xx’s own paranoid compositions – booming basslines, sparkling electronic riffs, blissful guitar melodies, dreamy soundscapes and, of course, Scott-Heron’s distinctive narration.
There are, of course, occasional forays into more dancefloor-centric territory (see the delicious “Ur Soul & Mine” or the loose-wristed jazz-breaks of “The Crutch”), but the overall feel is far more laid back and spacious. It’s this vibe, coupled with such sublime moments as closer “I’ll Take Care Of U”, that makes We’re New Here such an addictive listen.
We’ve teamed up with Bang The Box – the pop up party run by the organisers of the Lovebox festival -to give away two tickets to the upcoming Night Slugs showcase at XOYO.
Artist: Ill Blu Title: Meltdown Label: Numbers Genre: UK Funky/UK Garage Format: 12", Digital
Having impressed us with their breakthrough track, the 2008 vocal hit “Do You Mind” and “Bellion/Dragon Pop” on Kode 9’s Hyperdub last year via a super cool remix of Hot Chip, pre-eminent London based UK funky duo Ill Blu step up with this release on Glaswegian label Numbers. The pair have well earned their place alongside the likes of Cooly G, Scratcha DVA, Lil Silva, Roska et al, blending hip-shaking rhythms with cool, chopped up vocals and silky smooth SFX, and here they build on their success with a three track EP taking in all these flavours along the way.
Kicking off with the much talked about eponymous track of the EP, “Meltdown” acts as the perfect entrée; the taught pitter patter of drums introduces the piece, with a reverberating vocal sample and a similar synth bassline sound to Redlight’s tune “Stupid”. It makes for a compelling listen, with plenty of dancefloor driven panache and synth flourishes colouring it along the way. “Overdose”, up next, is more comparable to the aforementioned “Bellion” than any of the rest, building from a sparse intro with echoing cooing and tripping, crispy beats, into a more bleepy, high pitched main tune, masterfully counteracted by throbbing low end b-line action and jungle style chirrups. “Chelt” brings the EP to a close, with a more tech-ed up approach, accelerating into the drop with a clamour of jingling SFX, rumbling atmospherics.
Artist: Chaim Title: Alive Label: BPitch Control Genre: Techno, Minimal/Tech House Format: CD, Digital
Without wishing to unfairly malign a nation’s taste, Israeli dance music doesn’t usually conjure images of quality. Unfairly or not, it’s most often associated with fluorescent psy trance or deadly dull progressive house – the kind of music that stretches out for ten humourless minutes without actually offering anything of note. Clearly, however, we haven’t been paying enough attention, because in Chaim, Israel boasts a producer of genuine flair, quality and innovation. Alive, his debut album for long time employers BPitch Control, is the equal to anything from Berlin, London or New York. What’s more, there’s a distinctive shuffle and melodic warmth that gives it real emotional resonance.
This is electronic music that appeals beyond the confines of club dancefloors – it has that kind of timeless, far-sighted vibe that makes it a wonderful listen from start to finish. First and foremost, then, Alive is a proper album, with songs (“Wish”, “Alive”), jolly instrumentals (“Popsky”), musical experiments (the strange pop-rock of “Robots On Meth”) and stone-cold hits (the celebrated dream-like synth pop of “Love Rehab” and grandiose dancefloor throb of “U & Eye” and “Runaway Frequencies”). It gathers together diverse influences – synth-pop, German house and techno, nu-disco, ambient, even nu-jazz – and weaves them into something new and fresh. It’s beguiling, bewitching and, most of all, beautiful. Don’t miss out.
Our latest featured chart comes courtesy of two of the Big Apple’s finest: Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter. The men known as Mr Saturday Night have developed a peerless reputation as party hosts du jour, inviting the cream of the electronic music crop to their Brooklyn parties; Theo Parrish, Floating Points, Kyle Hall, Omar S and DJ Harvey have all graced the decks at Sunday Best.
The ‘you had to be there’ stories that emerge from these events have become stuff of legend, such as the time when Liquid Liquid frontman Sal P got on the mic whilst Glaswegian duo Optimo dropped their namesake track, or when Egyptian Lover rocked up, plugged in an 808 and jammed with Moodymann (the catalyst to the former remixing the latter’s “Freeki MF”). Of course they wouldn’t be good hosts if they couldn’t DJ – and we’re pleased to report that they can, very well – with a Mr Saturday Night set a vinyl-only affair that touches on hands-up disco, raw house, classic US garage and more besides.
For this chart, the chaps took the democratic approach, selecting five tracks each (Eamon the first five, Justin the second). They’ll be embarking on a whistle-stop UK tour this week, firstly holding court with Floating Points at London’s favourite sweat den Plastic People on Saturday February 26, followed by a Sunday night date with the Hung Up! crew in Glasgow.
Revered DJ, producer, label impresario and Holloway icon Erol Alkan has announced he will be returning to Vauxhall venue Fire this Easter to treat his many fans to a Mancuso style all encompassing eight hour set.
Sam Shackleton has always done things his own way, and this release for Honest Jon’s is no different. “Deadman” is inspired by dub, but rather than taking the listener on a journey through the alleys of Bristol’s recent musical past or displaying his knowledge of Basic Channel/Chain Reaction’s scuffled techno, he uses it to veer further into experimentalism.
The original version of “Deadman” is a tense, dense affair that skirts on the edges of dancefloor accessibility, but is chiefly concerned with setting a tone rather than delivering instantaneous gratification. Admittedly, there are pummeling tribal drums and rolling percussion at the heart of the arrangement, but they act as a facilitator for the eerie textures and the almost detached-sounding vocal intoning ‘everyone starts from point one, no one…’.
Honest Jon’s have recruited Roger Robinson and Kevin Martin to contribute a remix as King Midas Sound and their ‘death dub’ version certainly lives up to its title. Dispensing entirely with the already tenuous dancefloor link, the duo conjure up foggy textures that sound more malignant than anything the current wave of dub techno producers could muster, and use them as the basis for an eeerie, childlike vocal - like the creepy kid from ‘The Sixth Sense’ movie on quaaludes. Finally, the crackle remix provides some light relief, with tiny, chiming bells tinkling through an abstract take characterised by soft-focus edges.
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