konkretny prezent, doskonały na wprowadzenie w odpowiednią aurę przed sylwestrowym szaleństwem.. Moc editów.. poprostu D I S C O!
delikatna próbka:
krótki wywiad i parę słów o mixie:
'Expect an orgy of edits on the secretive duo's mix for us.
What do we know about Tiger & Woods? Well, they've released three parts of an ongoing edits series that have surfaced through their ownEditainment imprint. The squirming funk of "Gin Nation" has been marked as their standout track—one of the two cuts that made up last year's Caddy Shag EP. They made their DJing debut at Robert Johnson in Offenbach late October and followed it up with a number of European dates throughout the remainder of 2010. And now we have this mix. Adroitly snatched samples are the basis for the duo's trip through soul, disco, boogie and house music; if there's a more feel-good way of seeing in 2011 we'd like to hear it.
What have you been up to recently?
We started touring Europe, we just finished the album, we did a remix for someone from Germany, and mainly we'd love to say that we've been playing in the Ryder Cup, but unfortunately we can't really...
How and where was the mix recorded?
The mix was recorded somewhere in central Europe, but most of the music on it has been treated, sliced and dubbed on audiocassette in our lab which is somewhere else, way warmer than central Europe.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the idea behind the mix?
Most of the music on it comes from a kind of research we do in our studio, a sort of groove extraction that we need to regenerate those unknown and known classics. The idea of the mix is to blend those obsessive essential flavours with new and old tracks we love.
What's the motivation behind your cloak of anonymity?
It's so easy to get to know things nowadays; for once we tried to keep it spicy like it was back in the day.
Why edits?
We love it when you discover something new in a song you already know. If the edit is just meant to "fix the beat" or just extend it, then it's not our cup of tea.
What are you up to next?
There's a lot of music coming out from our side in 2011, and yes that includes an album (as you can read on Wikileaks). But mainly we'll be looking for a new scandal to "ride"—and this time it won't be based on the golf player, it will be just based on us.'
znowu, przerwa prawie dwu miesięczna.. uznajmy to za pausę wakacyjną.. Przyszedł czas, zwolnić tempa, a do tego znakomicie nada się solidna dawka instrumentalnego hh, genialnych sampli i mistrzowskich cut'ów.. Album z 2009 roku, uznanego beatmaker'a z zachodniego wybrzeża: Kan Kick'a to fuzja lounge'owych pianin, jazz'owych loopów i layback'owego klimatu-dokładnie tego czego szukam w takich właśnie albumach.. Poprostu usiądź wygodnie na kanapie i relaxuj się...
"Kankick is a hip-hop producer from Oxnard, CA. He was once a member of Lootpack, but has gone on to work with Declaime, Tha Alkaholiks, and DJ Babu, among others. His first album is entitled From Artz Unknown and was released in 2001. “Beautiful: Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh” continues Kankick’s tradition of low-key loops and fuzzed-out jazziness. “Thursdays at the Good Life” rocks a lounge piano and background bells, “Black Women Candle Wax” uses a little static to augment the simple synth melody, and a river of bubbling crowd noise percolates under the mellow loop that powers “Continued Togetherness.” Piano figures heavy on “Beautiful,” and some of Kankick’s best work throughout the disc’s 58 minutes is anchored on lilting, mid-range keywork (“NightTime Beauty,” “Serenade the Outdoor Visitors,” and what kind of sounds like an electric piano played in reverse on “OX Coming at Ya”). If you’re looking to get your party started, “Opus of Love Deeper Than Flesh” might not be quite the right vehicle. But once the party’s winding down, and you and your people are just settling in during the late night hours, it’s the perfect accompaniment for slowly nodding your head and drifting into a daze on the couch.'
01. The Bomb Butterfly 02. Thursdays At The Good Life 03. Herb Honey 04. Black Women Candle Wax 05. This Is A World Export 06. Continued Togetherness 07. Pop Tunes, Morning Paper 08. Don’t Lock My Heart Away 09. Shrooming Birds Morning Song 10. NightTime Beauty 11. Serenade The Outdoor Visitors 12. C’Mon Love, Let’s Dance 13. Take My Hand 14. Warped Dayz 15. O.X. Coming At Ya 16. I’m Going to Take U Out To Dinner 17. Can’t Escape Space (Love Quakes) 18. Enter The Inside (Yeah) 19. The Revelations Of Sadness 20. Westwinds Of Truism (For Otis) 21. The Tribes Chant
Pofestiwalowa ekscytacja opada, potrzeba przy czymś wychillować :) Idealnie nadaje się do tego najnowszy album Arnauda Bernarda tworzącego jako ONRA. Podczas słuchania jego 'Long Distance' poprostu rozpływam się, choć pogoda już coraz bardziej jesienna... Po krótce, tłusto, future funk'owo, z ogromem inspiracji sprzed ostatnich dwóch dekad..
ps. cierpliwości przy ściąganiu, trochę waży, a na depositfiles download może się ślimaczyć..
Recenzja RA: "If Dublin isn't somewhere that springs to mind when someone asks where to find the freshest contemporary hip-hop, perhaps it's about time All City starts getting noticed as the European stable for slickly off-kilter beatsmiths. Counting Flying Lotus, Mike Slott and Hudson Mohawke amongst recent alumni, the label now turn to Onra to deliver their first full-length offering. Long Distance is the latest excursion from the enigmatic Parisian. On 2007's charmingly overlooked full-length, Chinoiseries, he focused his attentions on Vietnamese pop vinyl. This time around, he takes on a wholly different starting point: '90s hip-hop and '80s electro.
The Miami Vice-style cover evokes the technical wonder associated with the digital dawn of the '80s, a decade whose slink and upfront romance have recently been reimagined for the dance floor by the likes of Alexander Nut, Dam-Funk and Funkineven. Like those names, Onra's chrome soul is well-oiled enough to embrace plenty of today's technical fetishes too—not least the chunked-out bass and percussive whack of contemporary dubstep on show in "Mecca." What sounds on paper like an impossible mesh of styles is held together by an overarching hip-hop sensibility true to his earlier material. "WeeOut"'s latter half synthetic wibbles are anchored to a subterranean Rustie-esque bassweight. Elsewhere, "My Mind Is Gone" nestles epic guitar wailing within throbbing, low-slung glitch, forging a connection somewhere between Prefuse 73 and Prince.
Reggie B saunters up for vocal duties on the harmonised drama of "High Hopes," turning on a bizarre, '90s boy band insecurity with lines such as "I know you seen me standin there / Tryina catch your eye / Watchin you for quite some time / But you think I'm an average guy." Following up these moments with cheap mating calls like "don't wanna come regular, wanna show you a whole new thang" might be unashamedly tacky, but that's the point. Like the most successful schmucks at the disco, Reggie has his tongue loosely embedded in his cheek, and it's exactly what saves him from getting slapped. The result is bizarre, satisfyingly nostalgic and outmoded romantic tact, something the most sophisticated R&B lover will testify works as well today as it did under the roller-disco glitterballs of the '80s.
Indeed, most of Long Distance seems to be concerned with loss and the vain search for monogamous love. Slum Village's T3 is on the lookout for the One in, um, "The One." Oliver Daysoul's performance on the title track drips with enough Vandross-esque pathos to lay out a genuine sense of hopeless devotion to his lucky lady. But thanks to some subtle production skills and careful attention to detail, Onra is able to tease out the smallest hint of irony from the album's most romantic moments. Sliding a slight warp over Daysoul's slick croon, we're asked to remember that we are, after all, stiff-lipped modern listeners who shouldn't be weakened by such cheesy sap. Or should we?
Long Distance's source materials are woven together convincingly, but as a complete package the barrage can get a bit distracting, at times turning up misfires like the dull electro pulse of "Mechanical." Though "Girl" and "Tape This" casually step on the toes of Flying Lotus and the recent Thriller series, they do little more than give a nod to their triumphs and never commit too much to making a proper challenge to each respective crown. But given Onra's undeniable charm, these problems are easily forgiven. Long Distance's finest achievements are entirely successful attempts at slopping a bit of greasy love and boogie onto our dance floors. And let's face it—we've all been secretly missing those lost moments smooching under the disco lights."
dziś spieszyłem się do domu, żeby móc posłuchać znowu tego albumu.. uzależnia! moc i czysta energia... najświeższy album ze stajni Flying Lotus'a-Brainfeeder, a na nim 23 letni gośc z Illinois: Lorn.. Porcja ciężkiego, masywnego, głębokiego, elektronicznego pierdolnięcia.. ;)
"All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome? - John Milton, Paradise Lost
“My answer to that,” explains Lorn, having quoted the words of Satan to his lieutenant Beelzebub, “is ‘Nothing Else.’” Which is one way to explain that this 23 year old “from the middle of nowhere in Illinois” is not keen on compromise.
The second artist album from Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint is a deep, deep, dark and uncompromising suite of music. The only Brainfeeder artist to neither come from or ever to have lived in LA, Lorn has already developed an international following for his music. Now, with “Nothing Else” the musician and artist reveals his debut full length. Epic, melancholic and brutal, it’s a record which the listener has to be prepared to immerse themselves in. The rewards make it worth the effort. From the fairground dramatics of “None An Island” through the soundtrack sweep and military momentum of “Army of Fear,” the discombobulated atmospherics of “Bretagne,” the sheer brute force of the bass on “Automaton,” the acid-fried detailing on “Voids” 1 and 2, the woozy migraine-simulacra of “Tomorrow,” the off-centre melodic catchiness of “Glass & Silver” and “Cherry Moon,” the deconstructed electro of “Greatest Silence” and on to the utterly uncompromsing conclusion of “What’s The Use,” where an underwater hip hop break smashes up against Hammond and the ghost of a human voice, this is a record which feels like its been hewn from stone. Albeit electronic stone.
A remarkable, transcendent achievement, no one who knows anything about him is going to claim that Lorn’s life has been easy and nor is his music. Instead it’s raw, emtional, angry, beautiful and real."
a tu recenzja od BBC:
"Lorn lives in the Middle of Nowhere, Illinois. Why does this matter? Because ‘til now Brainfeeder hasn’t worked with an artist without some roots in Los Angeles, home of label lynchpin and sonic tapestry weaver extraordinaire Flying Lotus. Think Dischord and DC, Constellation and Montreal – at their beginnings stables for locals to filter their art through; now, both are essential threads sewn tight through the fabric of the global alternative music community. Too soon to suggest Brainfeeder will go the same way? Not on the evidence served hot by Nothing Else.
As a hot album this most certainly is – hot in the sense of being so very now, in the wake of the stutter-beat pigeonhole-eschewing masterpieces presented by FlyLo and his many almost-there-peers (brethren for the sake of an easy parallel); and in terms of just how caustic some of these compositions are on the synapses. If the heat isn’t felt by the close of Bretagne, then Automaton will set that unlikely situation straight. How best to convey just how the track collapses the canals, smashes up the inside of the skull, and then disappears into the dark trailing bloody, broken remains behind it? Without Actual Physical Violence: a conundrum fit for a comic book villain in too-tight tights. Be sure to clench everything.
It is one of a handful of numbers here that treads ground also occupied by King Cannibal, so far as gut-busting, knuckle-whitening bass goes; through the right speaker set-up it, as well as the twin Voids and the ironically titled Greatest Silence, will threaten the very foundations of whatever basement/bedsit/black hole it’s cranked out from within. The tracks that pop and fizz, spit and bubble are closer in keeping with the dubstep world’s more visible protagonists, each detached vocal bringing Lorn closer to a commercial centre certain to earn pounds as well as plaudits. But this man is no Starkey, no Benga, and certainly no Rusko – good-time vibes are conspicuous by their absence, and the prevalent vibe is one of peculiar melancholy. Whenever the otherwise pervading menace subsides, anyway. Take Army of Fear – though set to a military percussive motif that’s reminiscent of a thousand rap backing tracks, the keys emanate a pain unique to the darker corners of contemporary electronica.
Another couple of out-of-towners like Lorn, and Brainfeeder will have itself quite the army of aural assailants ready to invade territories anew."
(BF007) LORN – NOTHING ELSE Mastered by Clark (Warp Records)
Tracklist:
Grandfather None an Island Army of Fear Bretagne Automaton Void I Void II Tomorrow Glass & Silver Cherry Moon Greatest Silence What’s the Use"
nie będę zbyt dużo się rozpisywał-na dole recenzja z Late Mag'a i próbka... poprostu, gorąco POLECAM!
LATE MAG: 'Instrumentalists/producers/DJs: Apewok & Stab from Canada and Switzerland respectivly combine to form Berry Weight. They came to prominence after winning a remix competition held by Downtempo heavyweight Wax Tailor. Their remix of his track Positively Inclined was featured on the track's release. With a sound that they describe as "electro-organic-space-jazz" Berry Weight's debut long player is a thing of beauty.
As the music industry continues it's unstoppable shift to a digital only culture (not something they are happy with I'm sure) its going to become increasingly harder for artists to use filler tracks to justify the price of a full album. No problems here though, "Music for Imaginary Movies" works in it's entirety; it feels like an album not just a random collection of songs. A perfect set to chill or work to. The only issue (which would be more from a promotion point than the listeners) is that its greatest strength may be it's only weakness, a balanced set like this unsurprisingly has no stand out track.
Music for Imaginary Movies is mostly instrumental, but vocalist Astrid Engberg makes an appearance on 3 tracks, one of which she's also joined by ASM (best known for their appearance on the aforementioned "Positively Inclined"). It's also nice to hear decks being used at points throughout the album which instantly reminded me of Downtempo legends Fingathing and gives a nod to the genre's original roots. Keldsy Jy on clarinet which blends perfectly with the production serves to give many of the tracks their signature soft "space jazz" sound.
Like most forward thinking artists, Berry Weight have made the entire album available to listen to online, and I really can't suggest enough that you click over and do just that.
... and now for some superlatives: Music for Imaginary Movies is the aural equivalent of frost on a spring morning. Beautiful, crystalline, fragile and rather lovely all round really.'
debiutancki album [z 2008 roku] japońskiego multinstrumentalisty Uyama Hiroto... namiastka prawdziwej wiosny, w ten deszczowy, wietrzny i zimny maj ;)
Uyama Hiroto - A Son of the Sun Release: 2008 Label: Hydeout Productions Genre: jazzy hip hop/ j hip hop
TRACKLIST 01 81summer 02 Climbed Mountain 03 One Dream 04 Nightwood 05 Waltz For Life Will Reborn 06 Ribbon In The Sea 07 Port51 (Interlude) 08 Carbon Rose 09 Vison Eyes Feat. Golden Boy 10 Fly Love Song Feat. Pase Rock 11 Last Transit (Interlude) 12 Stratus 13 Walk In The Sunset 14 Color Of Jade
'Multi-instrumentalist and veteran Nujabes collaborator, Uyama Hiroto finally steps out with his solo debut, A Son Of The Sun. The album's style is very reminiscent of Nujabes, filled with multi-layered piano, guitar, saxophone and keyboards, but still sets itself apart by increasing the jazz factor and keeping things mostly rap-free. The album blends the borders between live instrumentation and samples. Aside from the occasional vocal sample, it's often very difficult to tell whether a melody was taken from somewhere else or made from scratch - often it sounds more like you're listening to a live jazz solo over a hip-hop beat. Once again, like Nujabes, Uyama takes hip-hop production to a higher level, bringing actual musicianship and performance to his songs, rather than just repeated loops. The result is an amazing album that is unique and deeply relaxing... and further evidence that Hydeout really needs to release its material outside of Japan!'
Po długim juz przestoju, w koncu znalazłem czas i inspirację do nagrania promo. Muzycznie może ciut delikatniej niz w przeszłości, jednak bez radykalnych zmian. Świeże, ale też i zasłużone,klasyczne nuty..Hardware niezmieniony od dłuższego czasu, dlatego nie brakuje błędów... Wtopy głównie natury technicznej (chyba ze dwa pare sekundowe przestoje), choć sam też nie ustrzegłem się kilku zacnych 'koni' .. :) Mimo wszystko, da się raczej słuchać..Czekam na konstruktywne opinie.. ENJOY!
setup: numark 1625+reloop4000+reloop rmx-30+pc
tracklista: andres-jack city[prime numbers] fix(orlando voorn)-dope computer(ken ishii rmx)[nightvision] mark e-ray gun claro intelecto-back in the day[modern love] morgan geist-detroit[enypnion] youandme-it's just[polymorph] nick sole-back to love[dpress industries] ramadanman-justify(will saul/mike monday rmx)[applepips] ibex-love's better[rush hour] orlando voorn-love break(chopped mix)[divine records] chez damier-you ain't dancin[kms] marcelo napoletano-make me free[quintessentials] ike-diskadenz[philpot] soundstream-good soul[sst] chez damier-sometimes i feel like[mojuba] tony lionni-found a place[berghain] deetron-orange[music man] rick wade-contact[rush hour] underground resistance-transition[ur] arne weinberg-epygonia[matrix detroit] maurizio-domina(carl craigs mix)[maurizio] dj sprinkles-house music is controllable desire you can own[mule musiq]
temu kto zna Cinematic Orchestra, nie trzeba rekomendować najświeższego mixu dla Late Night Tales ;) Mistrzowska kompilacja kawałków, nad którą pracę trwały podobno ok.18 miesięcy... od Flying Lotus'a i Buriala przez Bjórk, Imogen Heap aż po Sebastiana Telliera.. magia! Dobre na każdą porę dnia w każdą pogodę.. napewno często i gęsto będzie jeszcze przez mnie wałkowane...
Late Night Tales: 'As Late Night Tales moves into a new decade, the long awaited chapter from The Cinematic Orchestra greets us with style. The Cinematic Orchestra’s selection sees a return to a more typical Late Night compiler. Their association with the series reaches back to the inclusion of ‘Channel 1 Suite’ from their debut album ‘Motion’ on Zero 7’s memorable 2002 compilation. With track selection and order seeing many revisions since the inception of the project, we arrive in 2010 with one of the most defined Late Night Tales yet to come in the 23 title strong series, it's currently being hailed as "possibly one of the best mix albums of all time" we hope you will agree.'
'As always the ‘Late Night Tales’ creators have recorded an exclusive cover version for the album, with the Cinematic's choosing the brooding ‘Freedom’ by Fontella Bass.
"The Rolls Royce of Compilations just got better" GQ Magazine
"Faultless" Guardian Guide
"A Masterpiece" 5/5 Mixmag
"By far the most defined, complete and rewarding Late Night Tales to date" DJ Magazine '
RA: 'Following recent compilations by Snow Patrol and Matt Helders of Arctic Monkeys, TCO's LateNightTales marks a return to the sultry, laid back sounds of the series' earlier editions by artists like Four Tet, Lindstrom and Air. Mixing electronic acts such as Burial, Flying Lotus and St Germain with the likes of Nick Drake and Imogen Heap, the mix promises to be as eclectic as it is smooth. And given TCO's heavy involvement with film culture (the group's frontman, Jason Swinscoe, also scores major motion pictures), it should be no surprise to see soundtrack selections like Burt Bacharach's "South American Getaway" included as well.'
Tracklist 01. Flying Lotus - Anties Harp 02. Nick Drake - Three Hours 03. Eddie Gale - The Rain 04. Terry Callier - You're Gonna Miss Your Candyman 05. The Freedom Sounds feat. Wayne Henderson - Behold The Day 06. DJ Food - Living Beats 07. Shuggie Otis - Aht Uh Mi Hed 08. Thom Yorke - Black Swan 09. The Cinematic Orchestra - Restaurant 10. Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint 11. Björk - Joga 12. Imogen Heap - Cumulus 13. St Germain - Rose Rouge 14. Songstress - Sea Line Woman 15. Sebastian Tellier - La Ritournelle 16. Burial - Dog Shelter 17. Burt Bacharach - South American Getaway 18. The Cinematic Orchestra feat. Fontella Bass - Talking About Freedom (Exclusive Cover Version) 19. Will Self - The Happy Detective Part 3
dla tych którzy nudzą się w święta i robią sobie indywidualna rezurekcje ;) Klimatycznie mocno zróżnicowany mix..ukazał się ponad pół roku temu, ale nic nie szkodzi... dużo klasyków, mnogość zróżnicowania stylowego terenu.. polecam!
'Sven Weisemann hinted something was brewing with his recent 'Xine Zero' 12" - alongside his usual crystalline, modernist take on house, he presented three offerings that moved leftfield. Now, the German producer uses his debut album 'Xine' - a collection of 20 excerpts that reflect "an imagined journey through all aspects of life' - to further explore this area. The result is quite beautiful - a modern classical-meets-electronic beat tape that will surprise and delight. The limited edition book version of the release is long-gone, but the equally nifty digipack release is out now. We asked Sven to put together some records that inspired 'Xine', and this is what he came up with...
Tracklist
Jonathan Jeremiah 'Happiness' (Quiet Village Remix) Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto ft Antonio Carlos Jobim 'The Girl From Ipanema' Georges Delerue 'Elle' (L'ete Meurtrier) Ennio Morricone 'Cockeye's Song' Shigeru Umebayashi 'Yumeji's Theme' Ryuichi Sakamoto 'Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence' John Barry 'I Had A Farm In Africa' J.S.B. 'Air From Suite No.3 (on the G string)' Ennio Morricone 'Gabriel's Oboe' Max Richter 'On The Nature Of Daylight' Ennio Morricone 'Cinema Paradiso' Angelo Badalamenti 'Twin Peaks Theme' Guem 'Le Serpent' Marvin Gaye 'What's Going On' Chic 'Le Freak' Grover Washington Jr 'Just The Two Of Us' Sade 'Pearls' Photek 'T-Raenon' Photek 'Ni Ten Ichi Ryu' Theo Parrish 'Sky Walking' Carl Craig 'At Les' Max Richter - Written On The Sky'
1. Prelude (1:18) 02. Kiara (3:50) 03. Kong (3:58) 04. Eyesdown Featuring Andreya Triana (5:26) 05. El Toro (3:44) 06. We Could Forever (4:20) 07. 1009 (4:30) 08. All In Forms (4:52) 09. The Keeper Featuring Andreya Triana (4:49) 10. Stay the Same Featuring Andreya Triana (4:45) 11. Animals (6:45) 12. Black Sands (6:49)
01 - An Armada Approaches 02 - Tidal Waves Uprising 03 - The Open Hand Avows 04 - Order of the Golden Dawn (feat. Laura Darling) 05 - The Finishing of a Thing 06 - Succumbing To (feat. Kid A) 07 - Stampede Me (feat. Amir Yaghmai) 08 - Fin de siecle
A decade or so ago, it was almost mandatory for drum & bass producers to include a few non-d&b tracks on their (major label) long players. The intention was nice—to showcase the producer's diversity—but all too often these compositions just sounded like a d&b record played at 33 RPM. These days, you rarely find a d&b producer on a major label. And that's too bad, because junglists have clearly grown more accomplished outside their usual genre of choice. Alix Perez's debut album, 1984, for instance, features a handful of expertly arranged tunes outside the 170 BPM range alongside the usual host of drum & bass rollers.
Perez made a name for himself by following in the liquid funk footsteps of producers like Calibre and Marcus Intalex. Having since branched into other styles and sub-genres, he's developed a sound that draws from many sources yet is fully his own. Nonetheless, the tracklist for 1984 reads like a who's who in the new breed of drum & bass and sees Perez sharing the studio with Sabre, Lynx, Zero T and Spectrasoul as well as a number of vocal collaborators.
The title track sets things off, starting with a disembodied vocal sample and atmospherics reminiscent of Burial but quickly turns into a growling drum & bass roller with the sort of electro tinge that Instra:Mental have married so successfully to the jungle template. "I'm Free" is another roller where synthetic bleeps and shrieks contrast nicely with a more organic bass and beat. A bit less memorable and gripping are the instrumental tracks "Fade Away" and "Voices." They're the sort of standard drum & bass fare which would have collapsed the album into a wholly forgettable affair were it not for the switch-ups, variety and breathing space provided by the less traditional tracks.
Along with Lynx and The Truth, Alix Perez gives a melodic and earnest take on dubstep in "No Grudge." House legend Even Peverett croons over "Forsaken," his voice dancing beautifully around the melancholic piano-loop and accompanying beat science from Perez and Spectrasoul. Rappers Foreign Beggars flex their lyrics over "The Cut Deepens," a steppy and hazy number with a gigantic bassline. "Intersections" is the only major misstep: Ursula Rucker's poetry seems a bit contrived over a fairly generic hip-hop beat. Far better is Yungun's surreal rhymespitting over the synthstuttering offbeat vibe of "Calm of Cast."
There's a nice flow to 1984, a ride through valleys and peaks with subtle mood shifts taking turns against more abrupt changes in feel. While there aren't any big hits to be found, the consistency makes up for it: In a subtle and seemingly effortless way, these tunes get under your skin. It might be ten years too late for major label interest, but Alix Perez has nonetheless crafted a very good album in a genre where "album" is usually a synonym for "a random collection of tunes."
BOOMKAT: The label that just keeps on giving follows up essential plates from Zomby, Clouds and Taz Buckfaster with Flying Lotus' latest beat project featuring Declaime and Pattie Blingh on vocal assistance. Flylo drops three brand new beats with 'Whole Wide World' brewing a slouchy post-Dilla slumpbeat for Declaime's raspy vocals to provide the dark to Pattie Blingh's sweet soul light on the A-side, or serving up a bass bumper with strafing strings and slack handclaps on 'Lit Up' for Declaime to go it alone in his lackadaisical style and wandering lyrics making you wonder what their studio smelt like. As a bonus gift for all the beat heads Flylo includes a buttered instrumental on the end with 'Keep It Moving' featuring subtly detailed symphonic strings kept low in the mix, all swirling around a richly live bass motif and velveteen midnight vibes for the jazz cats. Tip!
RA: In a year when experimental techno continued its foray into the increasingly blurry realms of dub, ambient and good old fashioned retrospective rawness, Sven Weisemann has been hard at work consolidating a reputation as one of the industry's most promising boundary-nudging stalwarts. Using the Mojuba imprint in conjunction with sister labels a.r.t.less and Wandering to mark out separate sonic arenas, the young producer has never been shy about flirting with different manifestations of the sublime. After a.r.t.less' Shove tested his signature warm dub techno formula against moments of alternately cold, stark percussion and beatless murmur back in May, Xine Zero more recently justified Wandering's role as an experimental deep house stable, adding a new richness to his club-friendly offerings on Mojuba. Marrying epic string arrangements and gentle piano with a low-slung pulse and vocal mumble, Xine Zero signalled the young Berliner's next move, reclining in the moments between his hectic DJ schedule to embrace his love for modern classical ambience.
Given the exploratory nature of Weisemann's work, it's not surprising to find his first full-length release catalogued as the label's "first voyage." In contrast to previous singles (filed instead as "journeys"), Xine is, as promised, a far-reaching and ambitious ambient excursion into the soundscaped world of the classical composers he eagerly name-checked to RA as influences. Boldly nailing his colours to the wall by presenting the special edition in an embossed blue notebook that references Max Richter's masterpiece, the finished product is appropriately lush and keeps with Mojuba's insistence that their releases embrace visual art and music synonymously. Here, the presentation supplements his intended imaginary film score, the cover appearing as a sort of stage curtain ready to majestically unveil the drama within the music.
Xine opens to a gentle beat workout accompanied by a nicely padded electronic ambience, a spaciousness which goes on to underlie the rest of the album's narrative. Controlled pressure has long been Weisemann's strength, but the twenty short pieces instead place his piano and cello skills at centre stage, dispersing minimal refrains and immaculately placed exchanges amongst sparse, airy percussion. Weisemann has a great appreciation for subtle melody, adding to the pervasive sense of personalised melancholy that draws the listener deep into an unrelenting reverie. In fact, the changes across the complete soundscape are so slight that it becomes hard to position Xine either as something for focused listening or ambient background material, and in both cases the narrative intention is lost without any clear sense of direction or variety guiding the listener to tangible points of closure. This is a record likely to reward and test your patience in equal measure.
Despite the prevailing sense of flatline melancholy, the story's most obvious drama occurs during "Xine XI - Swan of Desire," whose vocals literally howl at a sense of tragic loss. Elsewhere, "Xine VII"'s minimalist piano swells to a beautifully hopeful climax, and the watery bass tones of "Xine IX" and "XIII" both evoke a sense of pulsating, organic life. Xine is most successful where the electronic framework is a little more invasive and the live instruments rub against its electronic supports, suggesting Wesiemann might have the most to offer the classical world when drawing more directly on his experience in techno. Despite these shortcomings, Xine still stands as a strong, personal statement by one of today's most unflinchingly explorative and versatile producers.
Artist: Deru CD Title: Say Goodbye To Useless Released date: February 23, 2010 Label: Mush Records Genre: IDM / Ambient / Experimental
Say Goodbye To Useless is Deru’s third full-length release, and his first for Mush Records. While you will find similar aesthetics to his previous releases – moody, atmospheric sounds, haunting melodies and organic textures – they are augmented by his most mature song-writing and cutting-edge beats to date. The album pays homage to classic genres and structures while cultivating a 22nd century smart-party ethic that will snatch the ear of the snobbiest beat head. Deru’s listeners will continue to appreciate his drive for challenging them as much as he challenges himself.
Written and produced by Steven Hitchell. Recording of a late night storm captured in the early months of winter in Berlin, Germany and during a train ride to Narita Airport, Japan. All music recorded using a various range of Microphone's, Portable Beta Recorder's, Emu, Linn and sequential samplers and vintage analog equipment. All recorded onto reel to reel base tape. No computer involved.
Subtopia Records jest non-profitową wytwórnią muzyczną która jest wynikiem fascynacji nowatorstwem współczesnej muzyki elektronicznej. Bez zamykania się w narzuconych z góry ramach gatunków, zajmuje się prezentacją najciekawszych zjawisk i pomysłów wyrażanych w formie dźwięków. Subtopia Records angażuje się w projekty niezależnych artystów oraz kładzie nacisk na ich swobodną realizację, nie ograniczając ich do określonych form, przyjętych powszechnie w środowisku wydawniczym. Realizując tą idee wytwórnia dostarcza do słuchacza materiał audiowizualny na najwyższym osiąganym poziomie.
Pierwsze wydawnictwo labelu Subtopia Records – SUB001 to kompilacja utworów stworzonych przez artystów związanych z labelem, producentów dubstepowych oraz drum and bassowych. Na płycie pojawiają się Kaosbreed, Parallel, Tom Encore, Playing Heads, Erweke, Buzz Brothers, Tranzyt, Sonic Ionic, Lady Katee, Substep Infrabass, Te-Mathic, Fau, Mr-H and S.Q. www.subtopiarecords.com
Released:2008 Style:experimental/instrumental hip hop
1. Girls On The Roof 2. Jacket Switch 3. Something In The Way She Moves 4. Nice To Meet You 5. Afternoon 6. Briefcase Found 7. Heels 8. Girls In Pearls 9. French Maid 10. When I Go To Sleep www.smaharba.com www.myspace.com/smaharba
Since they joined forces as producers in 2000, Eric P. and LuiGi (Infinitskills) always kept on defining and evolving their homemade sound. Between 2003 and 2008, they recorded a lot together, mostly during nightly jam sessions that often resulted into spaced out instrumentals. After a clean up their samplers, MPC’s, old computers and fucked up minidiscs, they made an eight tracks retrospective of those forgotten beats. Some of them were build around samples, some were played live. But most of them never saw the light of day. Those instrumentals reflect a certain mood, that particular moment where musical ideas melt together.
Rozmawialiście o sensie... naszego... życia o niesamolubności sztuki... Weźmy na przykład muzykę. Najmniej, jak to możliwe jest związana z rzeczywistością, a jeżeli już, to raczej mechanicznie, niż z samej istoty, sam dźwięk, pozbawiony... jakichkolwiek odniesień. A jednak muzyka, jakimś cudem, trafia prosto do serca. Co jest w nas takiego, co reaguje na zharmonizowany hałas, sprawiając, że dostarcza nam on przyjemności tak wielkiej, że nami wstrząsa i łączy razem? Po co to wszystko? I, co ważniejsze, dla kogo to? Można by rzec, "Dla nikogo. I bez powodu." Niesamolubnie. Nie. Nie wydaje mi się. Ostatecznie, wszystko ma jakiś sens. Sens i przyczynę.
