Artist: Burial Title: Street Halo Label: Hyperdub Genre: Dubstep Format: 12", Digital
Burial is back. Within the space of a month Will Bevan has ambushed us with that collab alongside Four Tet and Thom Yorke (“Ego / Mirror”), and now this three track EP on Kode9’s Hyperdub imprint. Famed for his evocative atmospherics, iconic vinyl crackling motifs and sonic portrayal of the minutiae of everyday existence, Burial is undoubtedly one of the most influential producers of recent times. His debut self-titled album took the world by storm in 2006 and the follow up Untrue (2007) has similarly been hailed as a contemporary classic. A producer of quality over quantity who deigns to live in the shadows rather than the limelight, we were first given a taster of the infamously enigmatic dubstep producer’s new solo release on Benji B’s Radio One show and now it’s here in all its resplendent glory.
So what of it? “Street Halo” is a delectable, crackling 4/4 roller with buckets of emotion and texture. In other words, it’s the Burial of “Archangel” fame who we all know and love. A muffled, deep undulating bassline is paired with clip clop beats and a pervasive sense of urban gloom. Eerie and dimly lit, the soundscape is one to get lost in, the serene vocal echoing in the distance tantalisingly. Continuing the nocturnal journey, “NYC”, up next, is bristling with echoes of thunder, murmurs of traffic in the distance, jingling keys and signature Burial background atmospherics. The intense sense of space is underpinned by slouching beats and a small, eerie and discernibly mournful voice wailing on top. This paves the way for the final moments of contemplation in concluding track, “Stolen Dog”. Here Burial blends smudgy keys with a terse, ticking rhythmic pulse and glowing SFX, all shrouded in an ethereal shimmer, much like Burial himself. “Street Halo” is a timely reminder of this producer’s relevance and enduring influence in the UK bass music scene.
Artist: Various Title: Music From Mathematics: Selector Series One Label: Mathematics Genre: House, Techno Format: CD
For those with an open-minded approach to electronic music, the output of Chicago’s Mathematics label has always been essential listening. While clearly steeped in the traditions of the Windy City’s famous house scene and the far-sighted electronic pulse of Detroit techno, Mathematics is just as likely to release something off-the-wall and interesting as straight-up jack or murky dancefloor bounce. Much credit should go to label boss Jamal Moss, better known as Hieroglyphic Being.
Despite operating around the fringes of the Chi-town scene for some 15 years, Mathematics compilations are few and far between. Sure, there have been the essential Music From Mathematics CDs, but little else. In fact, this non-stop live vinyl session from fellow Chicagoan Daryl Cura is in fact the label’s first official mix CD. That it’s something of a delight isn’t much of a surprise. Cura wisely uses the opportunity to touch on many of Mathematics’ disparate themes, and over the course of a spellbinding hour, picks and blends some real highlights from the label catalogue. There’s the bittersweet downtempo piano vibes of Bocca Grande, the future space-disco of Les Aeroplanes, a dash of Metro Area on Smack (Audio Atlas’ brilliant “Alaska”), touchy-feely techno and tech-house from Alessandro Izzo and Marcello Napoletano, sprightly synthscapes from Vagin Brei, and even a clutch of far-sighted floorfillers (the brilliance of Liverpudlian newcomer John Heckle). Oh, and indispensible space-jazz from Gentl3man.
It’s in parts delightfully melodic, achingly melancholic, indescribably heavy, thrillingly futuristic and unashamedly backward looking – everything great electronic music should be, basically. Cura’s mix is impeccable, and perfectly encapsulates what Mathematics is about. If you’ve yet to discover the label, it’s the perfect place to start.
In a mercifully short week between one bank holiday and the next the Juno Plus editorial team has been spending the three days doing what we love most – listening to lots of techno!
Artist: Appleblim & October Title: NY Fizzzzz Label: Schmorgasbord Genre: Techno Format: 12", Digital
Schmorsgabord is a new label, and it launches in style with this collaboration between Laurie ‘Appleblim’ Osborne and Julian ‘October’ Smith. The release sounds like a perfect meeting of the former’s DJ-friendly bass excursions and the latter’s tendency towards deep, dubby techno. Indeed, lead track “NY Fizzzzz” perfectly encapsulates this meeting of minds: the beats are tough yet contain a swinging, Applepips-esque feeling that will ensure the track gets noticed amid the deluge of straighter techno and tech-house releases. Allied to this backing track are more traditional dancefloor elements. The kettle drums are pure Chicago, the progression into the break down, precipitated by a combination of gradually building filters and ponderous chords are inspired by October’s back catalogue on Caravan, but this combination of the new and the familiar sets “NY Fizzzzz” apart. On the flip, the duo focus on a more experimental approach; “Fountains of Paradise” eschews the dancefloor, but the deep, brooding chord soundscape is lent some urgency by the shuddering waves of abstract percussion that occasionally break through the ponderous surface. That the label has decided to put its weight behind two different facets of this collaboration ensures that the end product is very tasty.
The Vauxhall epicentre of all things disco that is Horse Meat Disco will present a third edition of their popular mix series for Strut Records later this summer – with the two disc edition presenting a slight variation in theme.
As infectiously hypnotic as the spectral house music of NYC duo Blondes is on record – with their latest release for RVNG INTL perhaps the best example to date – anyone who has seen the duo perform live will testify this is where they truly excel.
Those of us who expected Tom Trago’s second album to follow the same trajectory as his first opus, 2009’s Voyage Direct, were sorely mistaken. The sample based Detroit-meets-disco vibe is largely non-existent on Iris, replaced by a diverse stew of styles that range from vocal hip-house workouts to ambient interludes, via a spot of garage and late night electro-funk. The end result shows a producer clearly comfortable in his own skin, prepared to experiment and challenge himself musically. While Voyage Direct had no original vocal contributions, Iris has six – including Chicago house legend Tyree Cooper, Romanthony (the man behind the vocals on Daft Punk’s “One More Time”), and emerging star Olivier Daysoul. There’s even room for an unexpected vocal debut from well loved Amsterdam producer San Proper.
Perhaps the biggest legacy from Voyage Direct exists not in sound but name; the Rush Hour-backed Voyage Direct series has seen Trago turn his hand to the world of A&R, curating releases from the incredibly deep pool of Amsterdam based talent. Trago’s close working relationship with the Rush Hour empire is obvious – all of his original 12″s and albums thus far have been released on the Amsterdam based imprint or labels directly affiliated with it. Indeed he is arguably now just as entrenched in the city’s music scene as the label itself, acting as a linchpin for the city’s network of emerging producers and DJs. Juno Plus called on Trago to dissect the making of Iris, and discuss the Amsterdam electronic music community and what the future holds as DJ, producer and label chief.
Artist: Tropic Of Cancer Title: The Sorrow Of Two Blooms Label: Blackest Ever Black Genre: Industrial Format: 12"
The bleak soundscapes that draw on a multitude of influences and form the music of Tropic of Cancer seem perfectly suited to the Blackest Ever Black imprint. Both parties have begun the year in auspicious if slightly unnerving form – Be Brave, Tropic Of Cancer’s second release for the Downward imprint was noteworthy for both the dead eyed sonic menace that draped itself messily across your senses and the accompanying remix from Cab Vol ledge Richard H Kirk. Meanwhile, January saw Blackest Ever Black continue their own bleakest ever bleak endeavours with more ghostly electronics from Raime, recently newly crowned in the Private Eye Pseuds Corner thanks to a particularly imaginative review of a London performance.
Faced with the fervent expectation that grew after The Sorrow Of Two Blooms was announced, the three tracks included see Camella Lobo and Juan Mendez excel, ploughing further into the sonic mists – though there’s a certain spectral delight to how the opening track unfolds. Lobo’s voice is drenched in the reverberant drone but clings to foggy strings that embellish the track with a certain degree of light. The languid thump of “Temporal Vassels” lays Lobo’s vocals so deep in the mix you are worried she’s trapped down a well whilst “Dive (Wheel Of The Law)” is perhaps Tropic Of Cancer at their mystifying, bewitchingly hypnotic best. Spread across the B Side, the track is cloaked in viscous fuzz, with Lobo’s yearning yet indecipherable vocals harmoniously glued to the pensive guitar lines. The result is quite captivating.
The point where people discuss the merits of Tropic Of Cancer without feeling the need to mention the disparate relationship of their sound with Mendez’s Silent Servant endeavours should be arriving sooner rather than later on the evidence of this release.
This week the Juno Plus editorial team used the pre-Easter lull to indulge in some more exotic sounds that would perhaps fly under our radar on other weeks.Read the rest of this entry »
Artist: Kode 9 & The Spaceape Title: Black Sun Label: Hyperdub Genre: Dubstep/Grime Format: Gatefold 2xLP, CD, Digital
Hyperdub head honcho Steve Goodman hooks up with The Spaceape five years after their debut album Memories Of The Future. Unsurprisingly, this is another eloquently crafted and superbly narrated journey, this time through an imagined post-apocalyptic wasteland where elements of dub, techno, house, dubstep and 2-step act as milestones in the existential gloom. Torchbearers of a brave new world, the Black Sun LP brings together politically charged spoken lyrics with religion, ethics and philosophy in a twelve track masterpiece.
From the dread riddim “Black Smoke” feat. Cha Cha things are unashamedly murky and mysterious, with tribal drums accentuated by the muttered narration. This is apparently a gesture to exorcise the last album – an interesting premise to start on and one that gets revisited throughout. Moving through the pattering, almost frantic “Promises” with its introspective echoes and sparkling sweeping synths, we get to grime-soaked “Bullet Against The Bone” and the more maudlin, synth-drenched “Green Sun”. Guest vocalist Cha Cha re-appears on “The Cure” as well as “Love Is The Drug” (which appeared as a 12” in ’09) and “Neon Red Sign”, adding her trademark soothing sentiments and husky pallor to the proceedings.
The duo return to previously released title track “Black Sun” but this is only a “Partial Eclipse” version enclosed in ellipses and full of hissing, mellifluous sounds. “Am I” – one of the stand out cuts from the album – shares a similar tone to that of King Cannibal – “Murder Us” with impassioned lyrics, snarling snares and an incarcerating b-line underpinning it all. “Kryon” – a collab with none other than Brainfeeder luminary Flying Lotus, is arguably the pièce de résistance of the album. Making the final artistic flourish, the trio splice delicate fire crackling cinders with the sound of heavy raindrops, overlaid by a melancholic synth haze. Whilst it may look to a dystopian future, this is an album very much of the now and makes for essential listening.
Artist: Various Title: Chilean Pop Label: Cómeme Genre: Minimal/Tech House Format: 12", Digital
Matias Aguayo’s Cómeme imprint is seemingly matched only by the equally fledgling Pampa label for sheer precociousness and uniqueness of sound. So far this year the label has introduced these gleeful ears to the sounds of Argentinean Ana Helder – we defy you not to pick your jaw from the floor after hearing “Complicado” – and Cómeme indulge in curveball tactics for their next essential drop.
Chilean Pop squarely throws the focus down on Aguayo’s hometown of Santiago de Chile and sees a selection of Cómeme’s key players remix tracks from bands that form the city’s underground music network. Not being particularly au fait with either the bands in question or Santiago’s music scene in general, it’s naturally a bit futile to attempt comparisons. What is clear however is how easily adaptable the source material is to the humble art of booming club music.
Aguayo himself teams up with Markus Rossknecht under the Broke guise to remix the band Fredi Michel – turning “Enganami” into a mutant discoid future classic. It’s quite simple yet utterly effective in execution as layers of off kilter rhythmic textures are introduced whilst the organic melodic elements are teased out playfully – this is a remix stamped with Aguayo’s own unique palette of sound. The same band get remixed by Diegors, whose Percapella rerub of “Marinero” can only be described as a bunch of Chilean cold wave enthusiasts doing a Miami bass cover version of the Strafe classic “Set It Off”.
Diegors appears again on the flip as part of the Cómeme all star team that do a flip on $990’s “Gatito” which matches the A Side endeavour in the quality stakes – bringing forth a shuddering EBM proto techno flex which should be at odds with the gentle vocal harmonies that ripple atop! Rebolledo goes solo for the final remix, switching the pace right down to Sex Jam on Javiera Mena’s “Hasta La Verdad” which suddenly drops into a seemingly endless epic combination of John Carpenter style arpeggios and delayed vocals.
Europe is preparing to bask in some unseasonable sunshine this Easter Weekend, and to help turn hazy days of park-based bonhomie into memorable nights of debauchery and good music, we’ve had a sniff around the best parties taking place over the next few days.
Artist: Morphosis Title: What Have We Learned Label: Delsin Records Genre: Techno Format: 2xLP, CD, Digital
On What Have We Learned, Lebanese producer Rabih Beaini is presented with the same dilemma that every other electronic music artist with lofty intentions faces – namely how his music can make the successful transition to a long-player format. Unlike most of his peers however, Beaini manages to imbue What Have We Learned with a common narrative, despite flirting with a range of tempos and arrangements. That unifying bond is a sombre, atmospheric mood. It’s tempting to posit that Beaini was influenced by his residency in Venice – but many of his previous releases have also had a similarly somnambulant quality.
Irrespective of its origins, this gloominess is audible on the opener, “Silent Screamer”, where a resonating bassline underpins an arrangement that skirts loosely around the edges of conventional house music. It also plays a central role on “Too Far”. Featuring freaked out Gothic vocals and tumbling keys, its grungy, primal rhythm makes the connection between modern techno grime and industrial gloom. “Dirty Matter” and “Gates of Night” tell similar tales; the former’s cacophony of foreboding drums and the latter’s hypnotic gamelan-style percussion suggest that Beaini is somehow in tune with a netherworld that his peers are not party to.
Despite this, What Have We Learned isn’t a depressing or demanding listen and although his music is pitched at the outer limits of dancefloor centric electronic music, its ethereal tendencies will draw listeners in rather than repelling them. If you remain unconvinced, check out “Wild In Captivity”, which pushes murky, throbbing rhythms into an irresistible dreamlike state.
Magic Mountain High, the live outfit formed by Move D and Juju & Jordash, have announced a debut EP set for release on Berlin imprint Workshop Records.
Earlier this year Serato fans were delighted by the news of the forthcoming SL4 unit which boasts the most significant interface overhaul since the software hit the shelves back in mid 2004.
Julio Bashmore and Chloe are among the artists set to feature on a rather plush looking triple 12″ that marks the landmark 100th release for Tiga’s Turbo Recordings imprint.
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