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With the three day week between Christmas and New Year leaving the Juno offices quiet to say the least, and the number of records coming in reduced to a mere trickle, this week provided ample opportunity to look at the veritable smorgasbord of clubbing options for New Year’s Eve.
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Having garnered some deserved attention this year with releases for Sneaker Social Club and Super, Ross Tones rounds things off with a surprising change of tact as he rocks up to Local Action. Where his previous eclectic beat outings had leant towards an almost techno sensibility, the bombastic synths of ‘Pyre’ come from a very different headspace altogether.
The production shimmers on both “Pyre” and “Equuelus”, as clean UK Funky inspired beats do their thing quietly in the mix while the melodies rule the day. These two tracks also feature the vocal strains of a heavily processed Augustus Ghost, whose haunted wails add a poppy tint to the soft and gentle electronic backdrop. While the craftsmanship that has gone into the tracks is not to be dismissed, there’s an almost bland feeling to the music that other Throwing Snow output has not suffered from. That is, until you reach ‘Too Polite’.
In an instant the rugged manhandling of various samples feels more exciting than the ponderous orchestrations of the first two tracks. The tempo is up, certainly, but by the time the intro break falls away to some monstrous D&B bass stabs, you’re completely submitted to the track. Moving between a juke segment and then slamming into a junglistic breakbeat workout, the energy never lets up even as a more melancholic pad comes in for the climax.
It’s no bad thing to see Throwing Snow spreading his wings, even if the results aren’t always sure fire winners. The self-imposed creative freedom he operates with clearly has its perks, as ably demonstrated by the devastating vitality of ‘Too Polite’. The EP is worth it for that track alone.
Oli Warwick
The ever-surprising London bass label Unknown To The Unknown have just released a 15-minute teaser for a forthcoming mix CD, collecting the best of the label’s considerable output this year.
Announced this week by label head DJ Haus via the label’s Facebook page, and his own Twitter account, it’s probably too late to bag yourself one of the 50 free first copies, but the information suggests that it should be available sometime in January 2012, though it’s not mentioned through exactly what channels it can be purchased. If you’re unaquainted with what has been one of 2011’s most consistently surprising labels, with releases from DJ Stingray and Capracara sitting alongside the likes of Nightwave and Slackk, then you could do worse than to listen to the teaser for the mix above, mixed by Flashing Lights.
The label also took the time to release details via their Facebook page of one of their first releases of 2012, from UK garage producer DJ Q; entitled All Junglist EP, it’s due for release on 23 January.
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While the furore around the figurehead Detroit producers of today may be somewhat deafening at times, it’s pleasing to be reminded sometimes that there are other talents at work in the city. Operating in her own space within the inherent musical fabric of the Motor City, Lady Blacktronika has quietly established herself independently of the hype some of her neighbours amass.
The essence of the fuzzy sub-genre known as Detroit Beatdown is a woozy, blues-soaked hue that drapes itself over rough diamonds of samples; for the most part it’s a smoke-filled den of loose-fit grooves. From the opening strains of the “Slo Mo” mix of the EP’s title track, you’re transported to that same dream-like plain that the most sublime Theo Parrish or Moodymann track can levitate you to.
Where Lady Blacktronika triumphs in establishing her own identity within this heavily stylised corner of electronic music is that her tracks avoid the tendency many Detroit producers have to twist things up, throwing curveballs into the mix just when you thought the groove had been established. The “deep house” mix of “Black Girl” is a prime example, maintaining the downbeat jazz melodics, but fitting it to an intense, jacking drum machine workout. It’s still strange, otherworldly music, but it maintains a consistency that draws you in more instinctively. Even as the strung-out tones of “The E’s Have It” chime out in their slack-jawed drawl, the kick punches through the mix on a ever-so gently broken beat, providing a constant focus for the rest of the amorphous elements to skit around.
There’s such a definite, evocative feeling that you get from listening to the music that Lady Blacktronika makes. It radiates its message through tracks heavily laden with soul, all the while maintaining an honest approach to house music that stands out in a time when a lot of music can sound contrived.
Oli Warwick
As a belated Christmas present to his fans, Boddika has posted a free download of an unreleased track on his Soundcloud page.
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Given that every other part of the Chicago story is being replayed and retold by an army of willing new school producers, it is only logical that the final part of house music’s back-story is brought back to life. There are many reasons why ghetto doesn’t benefit from the same kind of eulogies as Larry Heard or Ron Hardy, but it has a lot to do with its tawdry subject matter and the fact that many of its main proponents are, without sounding unkind, sketchy characters.
However, there are signs that it is gaining support and credence: DJ Funk is touring again and Jackmaster included a few ghetto house tracks on his Fabric mix. It also helps that producers like Jon Convex, one half of Instra:mental, has decided to try his hand at it. “Pop That P”, which this writer assumes is a reference to a lady’s private parts, features a monotonous vocal repeating the track title. It stops short of the kind of lyrical filth that a ghetto maestro like Funk is capable of, yet its bassline is more distorted and its rhythm looser and more rolling than the original sound. It’s ironic that the advent of digital production technology has allowed Convex the possibility to make the arrangement more freeform and the low end more gnarly.
“Your Mind (Or Mine)?” is even more interesting as it sees Convex dispense with the obvious or understated obscenities – the vocals are relegated to a mere muffle – and deploy an equally distorted, murky bass. However, instead of the trademark kettle drums, he uses a shuffling electro 808. This adds a new dimension to the sound and suggests that in the same way as Larry Heard and Virgo Four have enjoyed a rebirth, the time might be right for Chicago’s rawest sound to be re-awoken.
Richard Brophy
Up and coming Scottish producer Samoyed has just posted this beautifully hypnotic video accompaniment to his next single.
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Another New Year’s Eve is almost upon us, and once again it looks set to be a massive night in terms of choice for the discerning clubber. London residents are spoiled, with one of the most diverse selection of parties anywhere in the world, whilst residents of Europe’s other clubbing hotspots have much to get excited about.
Stroboscopic Artefacts have just announced details of their next release, a new EP from Dadub, aka Daniele Antezza and Giovanni Conti.
With a skeleton crew left in the Juno offices the week before Christmas, it wasn’t necessarily the best time for a mountain of records to arrive, but arrive they did, with a few long awaited gems making a welcome appearance.
Detroit royalty Andrés has just announced details of a brand new label venture, La Vida, with a 12″ from the man himself providing its inaugural release.
We close proceedings on a successful first year for our podcast series with a mix of fine house music from one of our favourite exponents in the art: Jacob Korn.
Axel Willner, better known as The Field, has announced details of a new project, Loops Of Your Heart, in which he trades his signature fragmented sound for melodic synth drones.
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For all the hype over the various Joy Orbison & Boddika tracks which have yet to see light on Swamp81, it’s easy to forget that when they’re not breaking the internet with their indomitable hype machine, Swamp81 have been quietly releasing some of the best dubstep records of the last few years, and this new release from genre pioneer Pinch is a case in point.
At 128bpm, “Retribution” is perhaps a little slow for most dubstep DJs, but is no less powerful for it. The hallmarks of the genre are all there; booming subs, ethereal vocals, rolling kicks, but as a track it perhaps fits more with the slightly straighter take on the genre coming from Instra:mental and their solo identities as Boddika and Jon Convex. It’s prescient that this track has arrived within weeks of Clone’s Drexciya reissues; the searing synth lead that gives “Retribution” its uniquely heavy texture could easily be described as positively Drexciyan, and it’s very much a Drexciyan school of thinking that has influenced Boddika’s releases for Swamp81 this year. But while Boddika’s “Electron” and his collaboration with Joy Orbison, the as yet unreleased “Swims” delivers a frenzied, ADD take on that style of production, Pinch’s “Retribution” couldn’t be more different, delivering a much more measured take on abrasion, damaging the track’s fragile surface by rubbing it with sandpaper.
“Get Out Of Here” on the flip is a much more traditional take on the genre, providing a masterclass in looming threat, which, free of the cosmetic scratches of “Retribution”, allows Pinch’s unadulterated bass to seep through the gaps. It’s over in a mere four minutes, but it’s testament to Pinch’s ability to create such sheer scale in his productions like nobody else that leaves you feeling more than satisfied.
Scott Wilson
Designer Will Bankhead has just announced via his website that he is to start a new label in partnership with Joy Orbison.
When The Please’s rather uniquely titled ’s-Gravendijkwal EP landed in our inbox a few months ago, we knew that we were about to be exposed to something rather special.
50 Weapons have just announced the first concrete details regarding the forthcoming material from veteran techno producer Shed to be released on the label.
Christmas may be looming ever nearer, but that doesn’t mean the releases have stopped coming thick and fast, with a few items coming in this week that may even have made our end of year lists had they arrived a tad earlier.
With a highly productive 2011 behind them, Hotflush are now looking to 2012 with the announcement of the debut EP from Belgian producer Locked Groove.
Planet Mu have dropped the first tantalising morsels of information regarding their latest signing, The Host, with a track from their self-titled debut album, entitled “Org” uploaded to YouTube.
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