Blouse

Seth Troxler Aphrika

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:18:00 +0000

I've been wondering what happened to Seth Troxler. Did the bats get him?

No. He's been eating LSD in some Berlin bunker. I think he made this track 'Aphrika' during the comedowns.

It's f-f-funky, juicy. If you like that typical Troxler titular shit, press play.

Trevino Fact Mag mix rocks

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:03:00 +0000

I heard about the Trevino Fact mix not on a blog, or in a review, or even Fact Mag. I found this thing in the Resident Advisor forums months after it was released.

A music curator didn't hand it to me; saying how Trevino's track selection sparkled, the mix was tight or the narrative arc was urgent but not rushed. Some very passionate and lonely EDM consumers sat in their apartments, somewhere in the world, posting about how balls-deep into it they were.

And now I'm balls-deep in it. I don't know much about Trevino, other than he's also known as drum and bass producer Marcus Intalex. Whatever. He's doing something right.

FACT mix 360 - Trevino (Dec '12) by Podshot on Mixcloud

Superpitcher, Pulshar... Steve

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:46:00 +0000

Between all this noise about Daft Punk's new single 'Get Lucky' (Is it real? Is it fake??), it is sometimes easy to forget that there is plenty of other excellent music about.
As perfectly nice as 'Get Lucky' is, I think that a suitable audible mind-number is necessary after all of it's shrill collateral.

Featured on Ada's new record 'Paws 1' is one such track.
Not to say that it is boring, but Superpitcher's lovelily beatless interpretation of 'Interlude' does a superb job at soothing jangling nerves.
Summery guitars, breezy synths and only the slightest puff of percussion - this is one to savour after a long day in front of the social medias.

Ada - Interlude (Superpitcher Remix)

Check out Ada's 'Paws 1' remix collection here. In particular, keep your eyes out for the two Koze rubs on her track 'Faith' - they are well worth a listen.

tINI's unusually spelled name has been popping up all over the place in recent months. It seems like her brand of stripped back - yet muscular & groovy
tech-house is in rather high demand at the moment so I guess it is hardly a surprise.
The remix EP of her album 'Tessa' from mid last year featured some heavy hitters, but I was impressed by Pulshar's deep, expansive take on 'Mine Has A Shower'. It has quite a cinematic vibe to it - something the restrained percussion and synths certainly help with. All in all - definitely a super nice late-night slow-jam:

tINI - Mine Has A Shower (Pulshar Remake)

Have a listen to tINI's 'Tessa Remixed' here. Three tracks of pure action with a couple of fantastic Martin Buttrich and Carl Craig remixes to accompany Pulshar's.

And finally - a spot of shameless self promotion.. (Sorry to the Blouse Facebook friends for the repeat messaging).

I have recently finished compiling the latest Blouse mixtape. It follows very much in the footsteps of last May's affair with it's exploration of instrumental house, techno and electronica but does so in a slightly colder, more direct way.

I'm hoping that this mix finds it's mark somewhere between the dancefloor and the headphones - being both clubby and restrained enough to satisfy both types of listener.
It features the likes of Deadbeat, Kuniyuki, DeepChord, Petre Inspirescu and Dan Andrei.

Have a listen! Any comments or feedback are more than welcome.

Lawrence, DJ Sprinkles & Pépé Bradock

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:55:00 +0000

We have landed in Berlin. Before many of the upcoming posts begin reflecting my surroundings by descending into techno debauchery, I thought I would share a bunch of upbeat, housey tracks. Let's get the tail end of this week going in the right way shall we?

Got a little gushy when I spotted this one.. DJ Sprinkles' classic 'Brenda's $20 Dilemma' getting a rub down from Japan's own little maestro Kuniyuki Takahashi. Very exciting stuff.
Kuniyuki really added a lot of spice here - buckets of percussion, keys, pianos - but with the original intensely meandering bass line intact.

DJ Sprinkles - Brenda's $20 Dilemma (Kuniyuki Dub Remix)

The A-side of this release also featured two different remixes of 'Grand Central, Part 1 (Deep Into The Bowel Of House)' by Motor City Drum Ensemble.. Check that out here.

Dial boss Lawrence seems to be bigger each time I write about him. I spotted a certain DJ Koze describing him as his 'brother' in some Berlin street press. Impressive.
Anyway, I came across this sprightly number called 'Teenage Barb' the other day. Was confused by the title, but wowed by the music. Light n' breezy with a cleverly restrained, funk filled bass, wandering composition and harps - this is another example why Lawrence is a big deal at the moment:

Lawrence - Teenage Barb

'Teenage Barb' was lifted from Volume 5 of Endless Flight's 'I'm Starting To Feel OK' compilation series from mid last year. It also features cuts from Eddie C, Lowtec and the much hyped Juju & Jordash.. Check it out here.

I got into Frenchie Pépé Bradock a little late in the piece, thanks to a bunch of smokey remixes he made for Nicolas Jaar. I have been researching him a bit lately, and his hypnotic sound often mirrors Jaar's - but with often with a big, upbeat French veneer.
I especially liked his 'Confiote De Bits' remix collection from '09. Loads of good stuff on there, with originals by some equally interesting artists. Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora got the Bradock treatment back in '04 with her song 'Angola'. As a rerub, it definitely has a Jaar reminiscent tone with smoky jazz undertones, filtered vocals and restrained percussion. It is a really great bar back-room smoker.. Check it out:

Cesaria Evora - Angola (Pépé Bradock's Bateau Ivre Rework)

Definitely head over and have a listen to Bradock's remix collection 'Confiote De Bits' here. It also features several other excellent interpretations of work by the likes of Château Flight, Roy Ayers, Iz & Diz and Zero 7.

Rodhad CLR podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 11:31:00 +0000

Rodhad is a Berlin wranger who did a sweet vinyl set for a recent CLR podcast. You should care about this.

It's a deep trip through Rodhad's mind. He co-runs the Dystopian label and, according to Chris Liebing, the guy is "amazing". Come on Chris, that isn't saying much!

Give this a few minutes and you'll be hooked. If you like dark techno you'll be addicted.

DeepChord, Deadbeat & Basic Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:26:00 +0000

I've been made aware that I have been talking about the bitter Winter here in Helsinki a little too much. What can I say? It's tough for an Aussie guy to be

living over here in this kind of cold. The good news is that the sun is finally out and Summer is well and truly in the pipeline. Other good pipeline related news is that there is some excellent dub techno in it. Alrighty..

Detroit's Rod Modell (aka DeepChord) is one of the finest dub techno players in the game. Complex, atmospheric and with wonderfully driving undertones, his beats have a sheen to them that is exciting and rather unique.

Like with most things, I have to say that I was a bit behind the times in regards to both of DeepChord's excellent releases of mid last year - his movie soundtrack 'Silent World' (which he produced under the 'Echospace' guise with Souldubsound's boss Steve Hitchell), and his own LP 'Sommer'. Both were wonderfully deep, and intricately composed excursions which I would solidly recommend you check out in case you haven't already done so.

But what I wanted to get at today was his most recent solo EP 'Tonalities of Night'. As you would expect, this release is all quality - full of cinematic vibes, tasty reverb and subtle beats. But out of the two tracks on here, my clear stand out was 'Spiral 2'. Reminiscent of Burial & Four Tet's 'Moth', this feels to me like a straight classic.. Drenched with wistfully emotive vibes, strong melody and gently insistent percussion, this is a subtle burner of the highest level.

Deepchord - Spiral 2

Grab DeepChord's superb 'Tonalities of Night' here. Check out his other recent work here and here.

I have to admit that I've taken some time to warm to Deadbeat's most recent LP 'Eight'. After the superbly restrained, dub focused 'Drawn & Quartered' from '11, the heavier techno vibes have seemed a little jarring to me initially.
While I warm to it though, it's pleasing that he has served up Volume One of his 'Infinity Dubs'. Comprised of a couple of simply titled tracks - 'i.d. 1 & 2' - 'Infinity Dubs Vol. 1' sits in an extremely happy, fuzzy place between his two most recent LPs - dubby, wonderfully paced & composed whilst also catering for those pesky dancefloors.
'i.d. 1' is perhaps the busier and more direct of the two with it's bustling, rumbling snares and filtered jazz keys. Really into the vintage Maurizio-esque vibe floating around as well.. Have a listen:

Deadbeat - i.d.1

Check out Deadbeat's 'Infinity Dubs Vol. One' here.

It is becoming apparent that I have been a bit of an asshole.. It has taken me some time, but I've come to the realisation that I have slowly been leaking the entirety of the 'Main Street Records 1993-1999' compilation over the past few years. Sorry about that - I assure you that it has been entirely unintentional.
But anyway, here is the latest installment of the leak - 1999's sublime 'Na Fe Throw It' featuring vocals by regular Main Street contributor Tikiman (aka Paul St Hilaire).
This is such an incredible Sunday song - relaxed vocals, lush landscapes of synth and reverb and a wonderfully paced dub foundation. Out of all the straight classics on that album, this could be the dubbiest - and my new favourite:

Round Five - Na Fe Throw It

'Na Fe Throw It' was another Blouse feature from Main Street Records' '1993-1999 Collection'. If you don't have it yet, get the f over here and secure yourself a copy.

Axel Boman, Nicolas Jaar, Karol XVII & MB Valence

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:43:00 +0000

Right! Back to it!
It has been an looonnng month off.

Let's kick things off on a fun note with this new little number from Polish duo Karol VXII & MB Valence.

It might seem at first glance to be a politely jazzy deep house track, but trust me - there is a dancefloor killer lurking under there somewhere.
With a bassline like that, how could there not be?

Karol XVII & MB Valence - The Bar Around The Corner

It is actually slightly reminiscent of Huxley's 'Box Clever' or Adana Twins' 'Strange'.. Not the most challenging, but still good, wholesome, (slightly) cheap deep house fun. You can grab Karol XVII & MB Valence's 'Plastic Age EP' here.

Kompakt have jumped aboard the re-release wagon recently with label stalwart Justus Köhncke's classic '04 number 'Timecode' getting the treatment.
The original was definitely all funky &.. electronic-y - but it also definitely had quite a strong '04 vibe. Boman's take does it's best to bring it up to speed by adding a whole bunch of extra percussion, as well as some really lovely, lazy synths. The composition seems rather abstract and indirect when compared to the original, but this really adds a sense of freshness and edge into the mix.
Quite an interesting interpretation all up - those synths have me itching to jump on my lilo.

Justus Kohnke - Timecode (Axel Boman Remix)

Köhncke's remixed and rereleased 'Timecode EP' can be found here. It features additional remixes by Köhncke himself and self proclaimed hip-house 'founder' Tyree Cooper.

This last track is a bit of a bonus.. Some of you may have already heard it, but I thought it was way too good not to share.
I've talked before about how excited the discovery of a new Nico Jaar edit makes me - so it shouldn't be too surprising that I was a little tingly when his edit of Ethiopian Jazz maestro Mulatu Astatke's 'Yekermo Sew' recently crossed my path.
Astatke's brand of jazz has a fantastically eerie, gloomy feel to it and the additional thump of Jaar's bass and percussion really bring the hovering keys and shrill percussion it to life. A superb edit - but would you expect any less?

Mulatu Astatke - Yekermo Sew (Nicolas Jaar Edit)

To my knowledge, this edit was never 'officially' released, but you can find it and a bunch of other Astatke remixes and edits here.

Motormännen

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:50:00 +0000

Techno Fridays are back. At least for today. It's been a while.

A couple of our Swedish readers - better known as the duo Motormännen - recently got in touch to share a project that they have been working on.
At first glance, it is an investigative report into the impact of pollution in mid 80's East Germany.

It becomes clear pretty quickly though that the video's soundtrack is the real star of this project - a spicy dancefloor bomb that they are humbly calling the 'Summer beach hit of the year'..

This audio/visual treat is called 'Dimman i DDR' and while the Norra Magasinet-made visuals are well pieced together and fascinatingly grim & industrial, Motormännen's track is just plain excellent.

A free-wheeling tech-house number, this track benefits from fantastically percussive composition, a sweaty vibe and some banging sub bass. Check it out:

There are plenty more where this came from as well, which is totally awesome.
Head over to their Youtube channel to see more audio/visual work, or to their Soundcloud for more beats.

DJ Sprinkles, Mark Fell & Arnaldo

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Monday.. Bah. Today is apparently the start of the Finnish Winter vacation, but I somehow missed the memo.
It is very lucky indeed that I have these next two tracks to keep me occupied throughout this lonely week. *sighs*

Smallville Records have been super impressive for quite a while now, as top 15 placings in RA's past two 'Labels of the year' lists will attest. On a personal level, their brand of intelligent, relaxed deep house fits particularly snugly into my tastes - as does their production roster which features the likes of Move D, Christopher Rau, Lawrence and Bruno Pronsato.

Although I do like to keep somewhat abreast of what is going on at Smallville, one release that I missed is Arnaldo & Juniper's 2012 split 'We Met In Manchester' EP.
While this EP is a rather nice as a whole, the one clear standout for me was Arnaldo's 'A Song Name Of One Word'. It is a cracker of a tune that is literally soaked with rainy day melancholy.. Soft keys, wistful bass and fantastic vocals. I think I may have had it on repeat for around 40 minutes after I first put it on. See how you go:

Arnaldo - A Song Name Of One Word

Check out the rest of 'We Met In Manchester' EP' here. Juniper's contributions are also well worth a listen.

Legendary house producer DJ Sprinkles (aka Terre Thaemlitz) is one of Blouse's all time favourites. Having been part of the scene since the late 80's, he has built up an intimidating body of work which explores the realms of ambient, experimental and deep house whilst also dealing with issues of sexual identity and alienation. It is deep, complex, emotive stuff, but also thoroughly rewarding. His seminal '09 LP 'Midtown 120 Blues' is compulsory listening for house music aficionados.

On the recent release front, his collaboration with expermental producer Mark Fell, the 'Complete Spiral' EP was Thaemlitz's only output of last year (outside of his immense, 30 hour 'Soullessness' album).
The title track is easily my pick of the bunch.. Pleasantly hypnotic and glazed with a sultry, slow-burning vibe, this little number channels the best of down-tempo NY 90's house superbly. It is also tailor made for Mondays like today.. Or Sundays like yesterday. Or days like whenever.

DJ Sprinkles & Mark Fell - Complete Spiral

Check out the rest of Sprinkles and Fell's 'Complete Spiral EP' here.

As a small side note, my time in Helsinki appears to be coming to a close.. Next stop, Berlin!

Mood II Swing & Afefe Iku

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:14:00 +0000

From what I can tell, my second Winter in Helsinki is slowly starting to come to a close. Temperatures have finally started to rise above 0°, the ice is melting to slush and days are starting to lighten up. Fucking finally.

It has been so horribly dark, cold and depressing of late that I have been forced to turn to house jams to toast my chilly lobes. These two tracks have been doing a particularly good job:

I first heard the King Street Records 'Classic House Grooves' (curated by the Dope Jams crew) towards the end of 2012. Being all wrapped up in techno and tech house at the time, I didn't really know what to make of it.. Divas? Soulful Vocals? Funk? Hm.
I have to admit that I didn't actually give it a 'proper' go until earlier this week - and I'm glad I did, because after a solid listen, it's infectious funk and self-affirming grooves have been a ray of sunshine in this bleak winter.
While not all the tracks rubbed me the right way, one that particularly did was Mood II Swing's 'Sunlight In My Eyes' from '94. The driving, yet smooth vibe is typical of a lot of the tracks on this compilation, but I really enjoyed the extra level of smooth simplicity that is represented here:

Mood II Swing - Sunlight In My Eyes

Grab Dope Jam's 'Classic House Grooves' mix here. Bucket loads more excellent vibes on that one..

This next Afefe Iku track is an absolute treat.. How eight and a half minutes of repetition can be so f'ing compelling is beyond me, but i can't seem to prise it out of my headphones of late.
Simmering, percussive funk and the occasional blast of steamy synth keep this number bubbling along superbly - it is a truly addictive track, thanks both to it's simplicity and Iku's little touches.
The big boss dogs at RA once called this track a 'stone-cold classic' and it is an easy task to see why.

Afefe Iku - Mirror Dance

Good luck trying to get that out of your head.. Iku's original 'Mirror Dance' EP from '08 can be found here. More excellent Secretsundaze gear can be found here.

Have a good weekend!

DJ Bone "Gemini" via Ben Klock

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 06:03:00 +0000

Gotta love a song with a little bit of bounce. I first heard 'Gemini' during Ben Klock's very tight Fabric 66 mix of 2012. When it plays in my earphones, I see a rainbow robot making Play-Doh pizza.

The video clip is pretty sweet too. I don't know if it's an official music video - I'm positive it's not - but how sweet is the retro-time-lapse-mission-control thing?

Sei A, Stefani Infusino & Marshall Jefferson

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 11:58:00 +0000

Although the weekend is nearly over, my urge to do a little dance on my sofa hasn't diminished one iota. These little ditties could help me get through to Monday rather nicely:

I'm not exactly sure how I came across Stefano Infusino's 'Flux' EP, but I have been spending some time recently appreciating it's bare-boned, thumping simplicity.
The EP's write-up on Beatport describes it as a techno DJ's 'tool' and that is certainly accurate.. It is pretty clear that it was made almost solely for the dance floor, as it's rumbling sub-bass, stark composition and heavy vibes will attest.
The track 'Black Room' is one that I rather enjoyed.. It seems a little darker and more atmospheric than the rest - reminiscent perhaps of Scuba, circa Triangulation.
If you are in the mood for rumbling sub bass, atmospheric and engaging percussion - have a listen:

Stefano Infusino - Black Room

Infusino's 'Notes Like Smoke' EP can be found here.

Englishman Sei A is one of those fellas that does a rather excellent job of working within the wide spectrum of house, techno and bass music. His releases fluctuate and vary somewhat interestingly within these markers, giving him an air of unpredictability.
'Jus Appreciate' is taken from the digital release of his 'Flux' EP from the start of last year. I didn't particularly care for the brazen 'cock out' vibe of the majority of'Flux', but EP closer 'Jus Appreciate' was an exception. It is a busy, steamily vibed number that winds it's way through several stanza's of swirling drums, warped vocals cuts, and shrill, exotic synths. All in all, a super nice, house-leaning number:

Sei A - Jus Appreciate

Grab a copy of Sei A's 'Flux' here. Martyn's remix of the title track is rather nice as well.

And finally, as a little bit of a bonus, here is a super fun remix of Marshall Jefferson and Noosa Heads' (half of which was techno legend Chris Liebing) 'Mushrooms' from '98.. It is a chugging, smoooooth little number with a great spoken word narrative.. Classic beats - highly recc'd:

Marshall Jefferson vs. Noosa Heads - Mushrooms (Salt City Orchestra Remix)

There have been a host of 'Mushrooms' remixes made over the years.. A fair few of them can be found here. Keep your eyes out for that Justin Martin one - it's a stomper.

Mike Parker x Donato Dozzy

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:40:00 +0000

"When guests are leaving, the mood of being reluctant to say farewell is essential. If this mood is lacking, one will appear bored and the day and evening’s conversation will disappear." -Yamamoto Tsunetomo

I came across this sweet little quote yesterday on a techno blog called mnml ssgs. I found it while trawling around for Peter Van Hoesen mixes. I want to taste him a little before his set at One22 in Sydney later this month.

Also posted on sausages was a Donato Dozzy remix of 'Fwd' by Mike Parker. Not much happens in it. Track progression is limited to "there is buzzing" and "there is no buzzing". Seems like the perfect bubble for an MDMA cave, really. That'd do it.

Now get in there, Tarzan.

Saschienne & Ryan Crosson

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 20:52:00 +0000

No moikka! A hungover Sunday feels like as good a time as any to give my Blouse 2013 a decent kick-off. Let's hope that Sascha Funke and Ryan Crosson can help me do just that.

When I visited Copenhagen late last year, I had the pleasure of seeing German power couple Saschienne play live - and what an exciting spectacle it was.

Saschienne is a project that Berlin techno legend Sascha Funke and wife Julienne Dessagne kicked off early last year with the release of their album 'Unknown'.
His distinctively warm minimal tones are still present, but are complemented by Dessagne's breathy vocals to excellent effect.
Slow burner 'Caché' is one of my personal highlights on the album. It's rich melodic base, wistful pianos and restrained vocals are absolutely perfect for a Monday morning:

Saschienne - Caché

I can strongly recommend them as a live act as well. The on-stage chemistry between the two is evident, and seeing a true veteran of the techno scene sashay his way around the stage is a treat. They are currently on polishing off a European tour, and will play their final show in Paris this Friday. After that, they are heading around to Mexico. More info on dates and venues here.

Check out the full Saschienne album 'Unknown' here. Keep your eyes peeled for the Dixon remix of the title track that is floating around as well.

I saw Visionquest big man Ryan Crosson play in London on New Years Day and was rather underwhelmed. His set was surprisingly flat despite a large, clearly up-for-it crowd being in attendance. Disappointing.
As I cried myself to sleep that night, I remembered that much of his production work is actually top notch. These are the tunes that I used to get my RC vibe back up onto an acceptable level.

Crosson and buddy Cesar Merveille recently put their heads together to come up with an album - Visionquest's first album in fact. 'DRM' is it's name, and it definitely features some excellent material. The subtle swagger you have come to expect from a VQ release is certainly present, but it is Merveille's influence that really shines through.. Patient expanses, moments of real melodic funk and warm jazz instrumentation are all highlights of the record.
'No Hassle' is one of these highlights and perfectly typifies many of the sounds on the album. Although a driving drumtrack has this track edging toward the dance floor initially, the introduction of a wandering free jazz-esque centrepiece diverts it's purpose somewhat. But don't take that as a bad thing - I think it serves both listening and dancing purposes, and does so in style:

Merveille & Crosson - No Hassle

A little bonus: A Crosson number that has been a deep house favourite of mine for quite a while.. Seriously expansive and spaced out synths countered with solid percussion and an intense, winding bassline. Pure class. It was released as part of French label Eklo's 'Hooksey' series in '10:

Ryan Crosson - Metro Bunker

'DRM' is available here. Eklo's 'Hooksey Vol 3' is here.

Steve's Best of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:43:00 +0000

Sorry to be a little late off the mark!

2012 was a pretty decent year in electronic music wasn't it? In it, we saw a modern batch of tech house gain a steady foothold - names like Jamie Jones, Maya Jane Coles, Seth Troxler and Maceo Plex rang out often and all over the world.

But what were the highlights? Below is a wee little list of my picks of the year.
A little note:
I haven't placed this 'best of 2012' list into any particular order - nor can I say that each song is my absolute pick of the year. Instead, consider this list to be a collection of my highlights of the year - whether it be a fantastic album, a consistently excellent output of work, killer track, or remarkable breakout year.

Here goes:

My pick's of 2012

John Talabot - When the Past Was Present

Spain's John Talabot teased the ripples of attention from 2011 into a full-blown tidal wave in 2012 following the release of his debut LP 'Fin'.
It was a true crossover hit - one that truly showcased his remarkable talents.
Thick, emotional compositions, intelligent collaborations and delicate alt touches framed 'Fin' and made it one of the enduring successes of the year.

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Levon Vincent - Speck's Jam

2012 has been nothing short of frenetic for New York house maven Levon Vincent. A lengthy, all-encompassing world tour followed on from the wild success of two major 2012 works; his 'Stereo Systems' EP and an entry into the Fabric mix series -the 63rd edition.
The subtlety, patience and overwhelming groove present in all of Vincent's work is something inspiring. They represent all of the best things in techno and house music today. 2012 was big for Levon Vincent, but I'm sure things will get even bigger in 2013 as his reputation spreads.

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Daphni - Jiao

I don't think that any of us expected Dan Snaith to grab dance music by the scruff of the neck in the way that he has.
First as Caribou and now as Daphni, Snaith is hellbent on raising the bar in clubland and instilling a sense of magic back into the scene.
The release of 'Jialong' in October brought with it not only rave reviews, but also some memorable quotables.. Here is one:

"Set against the backdrop of bland and functional dance music and the mind-numbing predictability of the EDM barfsplosion currently gripping the corporate ravesters, there is a small world where dance music lives up to its potential to liberate, surprise and innovate. It's there that I hope Daphni has a place."

It is refreshing that one of the true leaders of electronic music has such transparency and vision. Here's to hoping that 2013 (and a new Caribou album?) will serve him well.

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Matthew Dear - Get the Rhyme Right

The talented Matthew Dear continued to expand his catalogue in 2012 with his fifth full length album 'Beams' - an intriguing and wonderfully written piece that continues the 'tech/pop' exploration from his '10 opus 'Black City'.
Although there are moments that harken back to the lively, fun and upbeat moments from 'Black City', it is the darker, more introspective moments that really showcase his lyrical prowess and musical ingenuity.

My personal favourite thing about 'Beams' was it's enduring appeal. I genuinely found myself coming back to this LP again and again throughout the year - it really works amazingly well as a body of work.

I have eagerly followed the maturation and transformation in Dear's work throughout the years. After starting with a more club orientated sound, he has evolved into a challenging and sometimes brilliant producer. I look forward to seeing what is next.

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Todd Terje - Inspector Norse

I really am proud of Mr. Terje. In a time when purists generally thumb their noses at the often sugary world of disco house and his contemporaries have abandoned him for a more psychedelic world - this is what he comes up with. A tune that is so damned excellent that not even the most hardened purist could resist it's bubbly, feel-good charms.
Innocent melodies and soaring climaxes are all ingeniously pieced together by Terje to make what will probably be the most memorable tune of '12.

Well deserved plaudits have consistently flowed in for Terje's work - remember that 'Ragysh' and 'Snooze 4 Love' were both in the top 5 of Resident Advisors Top Tracks of 2011. All of this seems to make it pretty clear that Terje is - somewhat surprisingly - one of the most talented house producers out there today.

Top Mix

Despite a wealth of excellent mixes this year, I really felt that two stood head and shoulders above the rest. One was from Dan Snaith's Daphni, and the other from Blouse heartthrob Nicolas Jaar:

This epic, 7.5 hour beast of a mix was recorded by Snaith at Daphni's Jialong release party in London towards the end of the year.
What astounded me about it was the sheer diversity and range of songs present. Jazz, techno, rock and bass music are expertly woven together to create one hell of a musical journey.

------------------

Another year, another notable outing by everyone's favourite wunderkind.
When my Facebook wall was flooded by people of all walks of life gushing about Jaar's Essential Mix, I knew that something special was afoot.
Like Daphni's Bussey Building mix, the variety on here is astonishing - jazz, rap, classical piano, boy band pop and techno are just some of the genres present on this mix. But what is most impressive is the cohesive nature - and narrative of the mix.

So that's it!

All five of my selections can be downloaded here.
Omar's picks are here.
The whole lot is right 'ere.

Thanks again for an awesome 2012! Here's to a wonderful and (hopefully) post filled 2013!

Toro Y Moi "Say That"

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 09:22:00 +0000

Toro Y Moi has a new track out to tease us into downloading his upcoming album Anything in Return.

Think I'll be one of the first in line to get it.

What do you think of the d-floor beat and sex-chant vocals? Seems pretty sweet 2 me.

Omar's Best of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 09:41:00 +0000

As another year comes to an end, we here at Blouse like to reflect on music that stood out or stuck with us. We've decided to keep it simple this time around and post five tracks and a mix that topped our 'best of' list for the year. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have.

Steve's list is on the way, so keep an eye out for it. See you in 2013 peeps!

Top Tracks:

Ricardo Villalobos
Tu Actitud
From Dependent and Happy

Locked Groove
Rooted
From Rooted EP

Peter Van Hoesen
Rapture's Coming
From Perceiver

Scuba
NE1BUTU
From Personality

Matthew Dear
Temptation
From Beams

Download Omar's picks of 2012 here
Download Steve's picks of 2012 here
Download the full Blouse picks of 2012 here

Top Mix

Ricardo Villalobos
Aniversario mix
For 2702.cl

You might also like:

Blouse Best of 2011
Blouse Best of 2010 Pt. 1/Pt. 2/Pt. 3
Blouse Best of 2009

Christmas! Nathan Fake & Lindstrøm

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Hey! Wow, it's going to be Christmas in a couple of days. Great! Great? Hmm..

I might be a special case (or just a grinch), but one of the biggest grinders of my Christmas gears would have to be the carols.

If you feel like changing - or spicing - things up a little around the tree on Christmas Day, here are a few songs that I found to be suitably 'festive' for this stressful period..

I was rather shocked when I picked up on Nathan Fake's apparent penchant for Christmas songs.
While most people seem to tread warily around carols, Fake certainly isn't shy..

'Xmas Rush' was a track that Fake apparently made as a Christmas present for his friends in 2007. It may sample the serene Carpenters' 'Merry Christmas Darling', but what you really get out of it is total intensity through some twisting, psychedelic, Siriusmo like synths:

Nathan Fake - Xmas Rush (Dub)

His take on 'Silent Night' is much more suitable for family consumption.. A simple, plinky melody that really expands into something deep when orchestral percussion blossoms into the tail end of the track:

Nathan Fake - Silent Night

Remember the third disc of Lindstrom & Christabelle's 'Real Life Is No Cool' album? If you don't, it featured Lindstrom's own 42 minute long interpretation of 'Little Drummer Boy'.. It certainly was an interesting journey - but in case you want to keep in snappy, here is the shortened edit:

Lindstrom - Little Drummer Boy (Edit)

Aaannd to wrap it all up, here is a fun little present from Surgeon.. His 'one last song' from Alcatraz/Aztec, Liverpool - Boxing Day 2006..
Jeff Mills - The Bells/Jingle Bells Mash

So - It seems that another year is just about done and dusted, and I just wanted to take a sec to thank all of you guys for hanging in there with us throughout another year. Much appreciated!

We are polishing off our top lists of 2012 as we speak.. We'll send them your way soon.
In the mean time, have a very Merry Christmas!

Macintosh Plus - Floral Shoppe

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:06:00 +0000

If you don't try too hard, you might just be able to enjoy the Macintosh Plus album Floral Shoppe (2011). There aren't reams (read: bytes) of commentary going around on this band - and that's good. It's better to listen to albums before reading/watching blogs/vlogs. They cloud your brainsex; you know, the stuff that makes tunes sound good.

I was sceptical of Floral Shoppe going into a one-sitting stream. I watched the internet's busiest music nerd wax lyrical (read: speak monotonously) about the band's lazy appropriation of found sounds and pop cuts. I think it's easy to criticise a new genre - which some incredibly smart people dubbed "vaporwave" - because it's unproven. There is no audience and it requires a new set of consumption values. More on that here.

For an impression of what this band does, listen to "リサフランク420 / 現代のコンピュー", which samples "It's Your Move" by Diana Ross. Sort of delicious.

It's tenuous to buy the hype of any new genre. Especially with conceptually ironic names that crop up beside vaporwave, such as "post-glo-fi" and "post-retro". But Macintosh Plus will feel familiar to internet users (read: more than 2 billion of you) for its mechanical warmth and 70s/80s pop-soul nostalgia. For music nerds, it's got samples, loops and pitch-bends for you to analyse disembodiedly (new word) for at least 15 minutes.

I would call the Floral Shoppe track "ライブラリ" a lazy edit of 1978's "You Need a Hero" by soft rock band Pages. But the original's charm does glow through:

The internet is a pastiche of little bits of us; digital images of our physical intentions. It's a meta-world, and copy/paste bands like Macintosh Plus are representative of the transition our lives are taking into post-humanity.

And according to Weblaw, you may download Floral Shoppe for free right here.

Nils Noa & Simon Baker

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:01:00 +0000

I visited Oslo on the weekend. What a beautiful city!
While I was there, I had a pretty epic night in which I visited Norway's 'top' club The Villa (as chosen by DJ Mag in '09) and saw Norway's baby-faced house meister Nils Noa play.
Do the words 'tech house' and 'Norway' seem like a funny combination to you? Maybe you think that 'disco' and 'Norway' are a better fit? I would have agreed. My Norwegian pal begged to differ.

The man Nils Noa is a pretty big deal in Oslo's 'scene'. Indeed, he is leading the charge when it comes to tech and deep house. His label Troll Records rivals the likes of Full Pupp, Smalltown Sound and Feedility and has seen the likes of Stacey Pullen, Of Norway, Christian Sol & Yousef grace it's release sheet.

His most recent piece of work (released earlier this year) was for fellow Norwegian duo Of Norway and their dubby, grimy electronica piece 'Blot Ditt Eige Lam'.
Noa gives this track a good, solid push onto the dancefloor with some hotted up percussion and a nicely rolling bassline. What I especially like about this track though is the retention of the mysterious, cinematic instrumentation from the original - they help to really give this track the foggy gloom that it needs:

Of Norway - Blot Ditt Eige Lam (Nils Noa Remix)

Check out Of Norway's 'Blog Dit Eige Lam' here. (There is no disco on there.)

Easily my favourite track with Noa's name attached to it though is this interpretation of 'Skogdans' which British house stalwart Simon Baker put together late last year. Dodging the quirky tribal feel of the original, Baker instead robes this number in soft synths and some huge, rounded bass stabs which help to inject delightfully serious funk into the whole affair. Simple - but absolutely effective. This one is your Thursday winner:

Nils Noa - Skogdans (Simon Baker's Traces Mix)

Grab Nils Noa's Skogdans here.. T'was a very nice release indeed.

And for a bit of trivia to finish up - Noa was the first Norwegian to put together a mix for Radio One's Essential Mix. I tried to find a copy of that, but didn't have any luck.
In it's place, here is a mix that Noa did on John Digweed's 'Transitions'' mix show back in the middle of '11.. Should get you into Friday rather nicely:

Redshape & Marcel Fengler

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 15:21:00 +0000

As another weekend comes to a close, I thought that it might be nice to turn down the Blouse thermostat a little and feature a couple of tracks that are a touch mellower than our recent fare.

Although the names Redshape and Marcel Fengler might put images of packed clubs and sweaty walls into your mind, I assure you - these two new tracks are just lovely.

Redshape is a fellow that wears a red mask to his gigs. How do you feel about that? Does the thought of a masked DJ inspire you with awesome thoughts of Daft Punk in their pyramid, or horrible visions of Bloody Beetroots gyrating on stage next to Steve Aoki? Yes, a mask may easily bring certain connotations along for the ride - but in Redshape's case they should be positive.
His latest album 'Square' is a minimal, yet melodic affair that creeps it's way around a diverse landscape of natural ambient sounds and his gloriously full synths. There is a real variety of speeds and temperaments on this long player but to me, he is at his best in his most subtle and self-reflective moments.
'Atlantic' is one such moment on the album, and also one of my favourites. With only light percussion to nail it down, this piece relies on an array of strings, bird sounds and metallic synths to create a deliciously cinematic vibe in which to play. A really great piece of atmosphere from an equally great LP:

Redshape - Atlantic

Check out Redshape's excellent new album 'Square' here.

Marcel Fengler doesn't wear a mask, but does command loads of respect within the techno community. A few weeks ago, he released his new EP, entitled 'Frantic'. Exciting news.
While the first two tracks are a little harder and faster, it was the sparkly luminescence of 'Mosaique' that especially caught my attention. It feels considerably lighter than its EP-mates thanks to an ethereal, mood setting synth and a slower BPM. The chugging sub bass does help to get your toes tapping but in the end, the beauty of this number is in it's light, airy composition.
Listen hard enough and you may even notice a real retro quality to it... Although the elements do sound very modern and fresh, the simplicity of the synth overlay and chugging bass definitely have a little bit of a 90's vibe. What do you think?

Marcel Fengler - Mosaique

You can locate 'Mosaique' on Fengler's brand spanking new EP 'Frantic' right here. Like 'Square', it comes highly recommended.

Move D, Tale Of Us & Metro Area

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 22:10:00 +0000

Have you wrapped your head around the fact that it will be next year in just over 7 weeks? And can you believe that it is nearly Christmas? I bet you haven't even thought about what gifts you will be getting for your loved ones.

I have. Here's what I came up with:

I've had my eye on wily Swedes Jonsson/Alter for some time now. Their brand of warm, atmospheric electronica & deep house always goes down well - especially on their late '11 long player 'Mod'. It's rolling, ethereal funk and slow burning deep house have got me through many a painful Helsinki morning.

That's why I was happy to see that a bunch of new Jonsson/Alter remixes and singles have found their way into the world. One that grabbed me in particular was a mix of the excellent 'En Livfull Skildring' by Move D.

The crafty Kraut stripped away the much loved tribal conga of the original and replaced them with some beautifully weighty strings - thus cooling the original's warm vibe considerably. Don't worry though - what's left is a beauty in it's own right; heaving with cold emotion and cinematic drama. There may even be a slight trace of acid..

Jonsson/Alter - En Livfull Skildring (Move D Curved Version)

Grab Jonsson/Alter's 'Mod' here. It definitely comes recommended.
The 'En Livfull Skildring' single can be found here. Other remixes of 'Mod' are here.

How do you feel about Tale Of Us? Some might argue that they - and the likes of Visionquest and Crosstown Rebels - are leading the 'commercialisation' of deep house and techno. Hmmm.. While that claim may have the tiniest bit of credence, I still think they make some pretty excellent beats.
One of their most recent works was a collaborative remix done with Mind Against of Luca C & Brigante's 'Flash of Light'.
This track has all the hallmarks of a deep, shadowy Tale Of Us classic.. Love the expansive, airy composition that is brought to life by solid, intricate percussion. Love the sparing use of the Roisin Murphy vocal - or indeed any of the elements from the original track (not that it was at all bad). Simple, subtle and dark.. Very nice:

Luca C & Brigante (feat Roisin Murphy) - Flash Of Light (Tale Of Us & Mind Against Remix)

Grab the full copy of 'Flash of Light' here. The original and both of the remixes featured (by Blond:ish and Solomun) are definitely worth a listen.

To round things off, I thought it would be nice to revisit some classic Metro Area.. There really is nothing better than a Friday disco wind down a la Jesrani & Geist. 'Erodyne' is one of my many M.A, faves.. Swanky, yet fully reclined basslines, punchy drums and some amazing yips. Stick this on RIGHT NOW:

Metro Area - Erodyne

'Erodyne' was taken form '07's 'Metro Area 7' EP. It can be found here.. Definitely a nice bunch of disco to add to the collection.

Have a great weekend!

My Marcel Dettmann man crush

noreply@blogger.com (Acid Midget) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 09:29:00 +0000

Really, I'm not gay. I do things you might consider gay. I eat lots of bananas and stuff. But I'm very hetero. I pee testosterone concentrate. But lately I've been a little worried about this Marcel Dettmann thing. You know, that handsome Berlin DJ and pro-juicer?

I got into this guy's music after seeing him DJ at Cable in London. Steve was there; we had a hetero old time. I would describe Marcel's techno as dark and pulsing experimentation with EBM and 80s synth-pop tropes. He cites both as influences on his production.

Here's an interview where Marcel he talks about being really straight and having fun making music:

I recently heard a mix Marcel did at Fuse Club in Brussels. You'll notice the thumping thumps he whacks in; he wants you to ignore the people you're with and dance your ass off. He wants you to ignore the drink you're holding.

Personally I like Marcel's chiselled jaw and keut bum-chin. I'm growing a Berlin beard just like his so I'll be ready for my upcoming visit to Berghain. I know the music cums first, but good looks are also part of his PR strategy. So helmets off to Marcel for being unique.

Am I in denial bb?

Play the Fuse mix while you ponder that.

Or download the whole thing right here:

Marcel Dettmann Live at Fuse Brussels

You might also like:

-They met at Berghain (short story)
-Marcel Dettmann's "Planning"

Delano Smith, Christopher Rau & Ray Mang

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Yowch! Another two weeks of silence on Blouse has come to an end. Work apparently didn't get the memo to stop burdening me with stuff so that I could focus more on my blog. Ah well.

It was by pure chance that I stumbled across this ditty in a random Dropbox folder on my computer recently.
My eyes instantly lit up when I saw my man Mang's name on the mix, but it wasn't until I popped it on that I realised the extent to the balmy bliss that would be found within.

Wistful Mediterranean strumming over a steamily paced bassline is the name of the game here, and at a healthy 4 years old (and counting), this little fella is ageing like a fine wine:

Dutch Rhythm Combo - Cartagenera (Ray Mang Remi x)

You can encounter this and other tropical sounds on Ray Mang, Dutch Rhythm Combo & Dubben's '08 project 'Sounds of the Caribbean' here.

I have been excitedly thrashing Christoper Rau's 2K10 release 'Asper Clouds' in my anticipation of his intriguingly titled second LP 'Two'. Call me a follower of trends, but his brand of deep, minimal & soulful house is pretty much perfect to me at the minute.
One song in particular that has found a happy and frequent home in my headphones is 'Always The Same'. It pretty much typifies what I love about Rau's beats - beautifully paced composition, soulful instrumentation and a subtle, yet driving beat that would see it perfectly at home on a dancefloor in the wee hours.

Christopher Rau - Always The Same

Relive the album that caused RA to call Christopher Rau a 'deep house poster boy' here. 'Two' will be officially released in a few days time on the 5th of November. Keep track of it here.

And following on nicely from that is this - a track from Detroit legend Delano Smith's recent album 'An Odyssey'. It is called 'What I Do' and is smooth, laid back Smith at his best.. Lazy keys, urgent hats and surging, rounded bass pads make this a wonderfully soft spoken d-floor bomb.

Delano Smith - What I Do

Scope out the rest of Smith's awesome 'An Odyssey' here.

For all you Aussies, Delano Smith is actually on the brink of an tour Down Undah RIGHT NOW. This very Saturday, the deep house maestro will be playing at GoodGod in Sydney. Grab your ticket(s) here.
He will be continuing his super short tour in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne in the days following.. For more details on the wheres and whens, head over here.

Kasper Bjørke & Jacob Korn

noreply@blogger.com (Steve) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Hot damn it's getting cold up here. There is talk of snow. Am I feeling a little homesick? "Yes". Looking at the photo above has certainly not done me any good.

I haven't been freezing alone though -German Jacob Korn has been doing his best to ease us into Winter with his new debut album 'You & Me'.

If you are worried, you shouldn't be - Jacob Korn is no side project of Bakersfield, CA skuze/smudge-rockers 'Korn'.
Nope - he is just a fella taking a fresh look at this whole deep house thing. A look that encompasses diverse elements of industrial, acid, pop, indie dance & house and strings them together with warm, equally diverse and well selected vocal cuts. While there are many tracks featured here teeter in the mythical, fantastic space between your headphones and the club, it is the range of sounds and styles on here that really captivates.

In terms of highlights, one track that immediately caught my attention was the collaboration between Korn and Dial's own Christopher Rau. I'm a big fan of Rau's upbeat, atmospheric jazz vibe, and he certainly brings elements of that to the table here.

Jacob Korn - I Need You (with Christopher Rau & The Drifter)

I feel quite bad posting two tracks from the album, but I also really wanted to point out one track on the album that I found particularly interesting. Track number two - 'Broken' - is not only a lovely, smokey slowburner but also features vocals by a mysterious vocalist by the name of 'Kid A' - a vocalist with a voice remarkably like Bjork's.. Have a listen and see what you think:

Jacob Korn - Broken (Feat Kid A)

Go ahead and grab Korn's debut LP 'You & Me' here. I definitely recommend.

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I've also spending a bit of time with Kasper Bjørke's sophomore LP 'The Fool' of late. Its deep, conversational vocals, heavy synth work and quirky vibe seemed very familiar (perhaps even "well-trodden") to me at first, but in this case that isn't too much of a detraction as it has all been executed really nicely.
Actually - on a side note, I think that it is interesting to note the similarity in styles between Bjørke and his Danish contemporaries (like WhoMadeWho and Laid Back). Denmark represent.

Other Bjørke related works that I have been really enjoying are definitely the remixes that have been packaged up with his singles - now and in the past. I've taken great pleasure in diving into interpretations by the likes of Prins Thomas, Still Going, and Axel Boman (to name a few).
One recent remix of note is by German house duo the Adana Twins of Bjørke & post-punk rockers Laid Back's collaboration 'Bohemian Soul'. Rocking a minimal house vibe that wouldn't be out of place in a Visionquest set, this number works perfectly with the dusty vocals to create a nice, subtle dancefloor burner.

Kasper Bjørke - Bohemian Soul (Adana Twins On A Cloudy Day Remix)

You probably caught wind of Nicolas Jaar's mix of Bjørke's 'Heaven' ages back, but in case you didn't, please sit back and enjoy the crafty goodness now. Pianos, organs, slow and Jaar's own subtly insistent composition make this track very hard to go past:

Kasper Bjørke - Heaven (Nicolas Jaar Remix)

Get in and dip your ears into Bjørke's 'The Fool' here. Peruse other fine remixes of his work here.