Cyclic Defrost

George Issakidis – Karezza (Kill The DJ Records)

2013-06-17T05:08:51Z

Techno artist George Issakidis has been producing music for 15 years, and has only just gotten around to releasing a full-length album this year. In the past, he has collaborated with the legendary Speedy J on various singles and as one half of the Micronauts with Christophe Monier. He also releases eclectic tracks from a euro-tech base, both on his own label – The Republic of Desire – and for Artefact and NoveMute.

15 years is a long time to get an album right. Did George nail Karezza? He done well. The blend of sonics sounds what I imagine a Mediterranean ocean full of electric eels would sound like.

To give a bit more solidarity to this ridiculous metaphor, the album starts ominously in ‘Hiva Oa’ with a plodding, menacing beat, accompanied by a menacing monosyllabic organ tone discordantly building in the background and later joined by chaotic low moog synths bubbling at the forefront. It gives the impression of something lurking beneath the surface.

This is followed up by pleasant tropical guitar plucking in ‘Santa Rosa de Lima’, before reverting to the plodding mysterious menace of ‘Hold My Hand’, which plays over ten minutes, but the track is suitably atmospheric and plays the right tempo to allow this length.

The party starts at ‘Summer Solstice’ with a faster pace, but sort of ruined by overly-adventurous and experimental electronic roaring that is out of time and doesn’t conform with the breadth of the track. ‘Shiver’ is a great booty-shaker with an up-change in tempo, but vox stabs and general chaos within melodic structure once again doesn’t particularly compliment Karezza in this case.

This is made up in Karezza stand-out and dancefloor smasher with its heavy bassline and groovy percussive licks and clicks, but still suffers from the same disapparate hecticness that is supposed to be experimentally broken, but doesn’t quite come off although closer on mark this time.

‘Next To You’ and ‘Karezza’ carry on the same tradition of dark and electrified downtempo beats that carry the same atmosphere, except a bit more restrained this time, which helps with the overall subtletly of Karezza.

In the end, this is a brave and great alternative to the majority of generic european techno, and a good try, but therein lies the problem, in that Karezza does try a bit too hard to impress with an exciting front of sonic bells and whistles, but should be concentrating more on the basics of composition.

Link: http://www.beatport.com/release/george-issakidis-karezza/1093586

George Issakidis – Karezza (Kill The DJ Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Slugabed – This is a Warning (Activia Benz)

2013-06-17T03:56:25Z

23 year old Greg Feldwick of Bath, England, has had a rapid ascent as producer Slugabed. Since his first release in 2010, he has come from humbler beginnings on labels like Stuffrecords and Ramp Recordings before achieving releases at Planet Mu first, and now Ninja Tunes.

Oh wait no, make that Activia Benz. Who? The label releasing This Is A Warning for free, that’s who!

This success can be linked to his very maximal – but still dead-on – production and plethora of discordant and harmonious sounds melded together in seamless fashion that shows why Slugabed is a Ninja Tunes artist.

This free EP This Is A Warning is an excursion in lands of trap, jungle and dancehall, wrought in masterful fashion. While it’s always dangerous for upper-echelon artists to take generic paths, the way they do it separates masters from the rest of the herd.

Beginning track ‘This is a Warning’ can be classified as trap, but when you listen past rolling 808s and stomping sub-bass, you hear an elegantly crafted and emotionally lit beauty of a track, rich with multi-layered melodic synths that has so much in it, but still manages to avoid being overly busy with all layers giving the track new depth.

‘Sip Up’ is neon-fantastic footwork, blitzing through hype drum patterns before breaking back to anthemic and spacious synth work. The cliche trap vocal samples would usually annoy me in such songs, but serve to punctuate and contrast rather than infuriate. ‘Bombok’ unfortunately does irritate with aforementioned voice stabs, and even all the intricate melody can’t stop irritation here along with predictable builds and drops, although it’s still a decent progressing track and it’s got heart.

Final juke-style track ‘True Born’ is a styling hoot with a barking bassline and fluorescent melody structure, but the highs hurt my ears personally as a listener and repetition ended up doing this track over for me. The track ended with a remix of ‘This is a Warning’ by Eloq which paled in comparison to the original, but remixes on original artists’ albums usually do.

This is a Warning is awesome because it’s free and fun, but I probably wouldn’t be too tempted to buy it. But yes, Slugabed + free = win. I love the album cover of coconut speakers flooding a parrot too.

Link: http://activiabenz.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-a-warning

Slugabed – This is a Warning (Activia Benz) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

KL – Post-Traumatic Stress (RaRaKIN Collective)

2013-06-17T02:25:57Z

RaRaKIN are a collective established with the intent of inclusiveness and extension within Australian hip-hop. They operate outside of the traditional Aussie structure of put-on bogan accents, roughneck aesthetics, and BBQ references, in favour of leftfield theatric antics, zany humour and a sense of real fun in their craft.

KL is one member of RaRaKIN who has released this extensive 17-track album free for download. Post Traumatic Stress is heavy in concept, and is irreverently humourous at intervals, soulful and thought-provoking at others.

Without proper reference, one isn’t sure whether or not KL is taking the piss, with dank and tight beats and over-the-top alcohol-related violence references in ‘Bashing Alcohol’, and then completely changing in pace in next track ‘Intro/Crazy’ with a spacious and heartfelt beat, and KL passionately singing off-key about feeling crazy. Post Traumatic Stress does indeed have a crazy sort of tilt in terms of objective song order, which some could find a bit off-putting, but others may find this to be a creative and eclectic melting pot of an album.

It’s impossible to explain the album in any great detail because there’s a lot of depth and content in it. Post Traumatic Stress really feels like it’s a couple of albums worth, but this indicates an album that isn’t disposable after a couple of listens, and one that could grow on you. This breaking of objective album pace, along with room for production improvement and lack of natural vocal polish and occasionally coherency (although natural and complex) are the only areas I can fault KL on, but these are seemingly early days yet for this rapper.

Objectively, KL is highly original in terms of lyrical flow and doesn’t seem put on, which is something I find obnoxious with a lot of hip-hop. KL is obviously quite happy in his own style and skin, and doesn’t have to resort to played out hip-hop cliches to get central musical messages across in rap. My favourite track would have to be ‘Scream’, a powerful triplet-driven harder cacophany release of rage that seems comical and intense by contrast.

Definitely another leftfield act in Australia to watch out for in the future, and from what I saw of RaRaKIN’s energetic live performance that translates even better on stage, they also are rapidly increasing their fanbase. This says to me KL and the rest of the collective are on an incline as musicians, and rightfully so.

Link: http://kl-rarakin.bandcamp.com/album/post-traumatic-stress

KL – Post-Traumatic Stress (RaRaKIN Collective) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Syncretia – Spicy Sunshine (self-released)

2013-06-17T14:00:53Z

Syncretia is a Melbourne-based bedroom producer involved with Uncomfortable Beats, and has released track ‘All Too Human’ on recent Uncomfy compilation Heliosphere, which Cyclic Defrost commented as “creat(ing) a moogy atmosphere that is inscrutable.

This can again be said about Spicy Sunshine, but after repeated scrutiny, we have judged its moogy atmosphere to really be quite lovely. Spicy Sunshine gets back to the fundamentals of what we like most about music, progressional composition and pleasant-sounding music that you can listen to whilst writing a review about it.

Leading track ‘Spicy Sunshine’ is dead-on Sunday track that hits all comfort zones. Its gentle and inviting synths and understated percussion lull the listener into a soft and undulating melody perfect for lying around in seats somewhere warm. The melody progresses and soars to a triumphant apex that is instrumental electronic song writing at its finest.

Leading up ‘Extravagent Ninja’ seems to me to be a logical next step from UK bass sounds with its subtle and dubby texture, which still works with Syncretia’s sweeping and reverberating melodies. The rhythmic percussion and dubby, moogy synths are complemented perfectly by the spacious resonance of the higher synth melody, which again progresses and unfolds in a composed narrative of full production.

‘Shit-Hot Banger’ steps right back in tempo and into a warm, summery vibe of pleasant down-tempo melody. This track puts the chill back in chill with friendly, overlapping synths and background bass that you can just sink into. ‘Sunburn Salon’ serves to ground the listener again with more emphasis on tougher lower synths and interspersed sweeping and wobbling higher melodies.

The finale of Spicy Sunshine, ‘Lets Punching’ brings an element of vignette lyricism over an (again) inscrutable slow jazz atmosphere. An unidentified male voice (perhaps the producer?) pleasantly flows over the top over liquid bassline and guitar plucks, embedding lyrical and poetic impression ala Saul Williams, broken by Syncretia’s now-familiar higher melody compositions.

The understated but full and melody-driven nature of Spicy Sunshine is champagne jazz electronica, and is just about compositionally impossible to flaw. It’s available for free at Syncretia’s website, and he has just released another self-titled album at Bandcamp.

Link: http://syncretia.com/Download.html

Syncretia – Spicy Sunshine (self-released) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Soosh – Colour Is Breathe Remixes (Error Broadcast)

2013-06-12T11:45:55Z

Scottish downbeat electronic producer Soroosh Khavari’s recent debut album as Soosh ‘Colour Is Breathe’ saw him crafting a woozy fusion of lulling pitchbent textures and unpredictable beats akin to the likes of Nosaj Thing and Shlohmo, and a scant few months on this remix companion sees a cast of ten producers both familiar and lesser known called into service to rework his original source material. Big Dada’s DELS and Ell-T open proceedings with a reworking of ‘For You’ that sees DELS contributing a newly recorded vocal over a slowly flowing backdrop of icy synth atmospheres and minimalist stripped-down beats, the entire track crawling to a queasy close as spooky detuned synth drones rise up in the mix like spectres.

Dam Mantle meanwhile reconfigures the same track into a juddering broken-house wander that sits closer stylistically to the likes of Four Tet and Caribou as clattering percussion breaks jut out amidst jazzy sampled textures and a dense drift of echo-laden vocal fragments, the addition of swirling orchestration heightening the sense of opulence. Elsewhere, newcomer Slowwkid offers up a reworking of ‘The Way You’ that throws the emphasis upon glacial ambience as skipping, dub-tinged percussion fuses effortlessly with wobbling sub-bass swells and angelically cycling vocal loops, before Slowcoach takes ‘Uncertain’ down into smooth slow-motion soul as a warm live bassline wanders against gossamer-thin layers of synthetic textures and a rhythm section that moves more into standard boom-bap patterns than perhaps on any other track here. If you enjoyed Soosh’s original ‘Colour Is Breathe’ collection, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the quality on show here.

Soosh – Colour Is Breathe Remixes (Error Broadcast) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Kingdom – Vertical XL (Fade To Mind)

2013-06-11T07:35:32Z

Vertical XL is Los Angeles resident Kingdom’s fifth EP. Former EPs like That Mystic (2010) and Dreama (2011) have seen Kingdom master a hybrid evolution of grimey bass music and soulful RnB.

Vertical XL see Kingdom’s merging and fusion of polar sounds continue. Track length from previous expeditions has shortened for punchier impact, whilst still resonating warmth.

The EP covers a lot of emotional terrain within its spiralling structure, whilst avoiding cheesiness. Vertical XL is an American reflection of dissonant and dirty UK bass/grime sounds, compiled in a sophisticated RnB structure and avoiding cliche pop “EDM” sounds in favour of a minimalistic and atmospheric approach.

Beginning track ‘Bank Head’ features Fade to Mind label vocalist Kelela’s backing lyrics, which add extra class to the 4-4 snare rhythm on a simple 3-chord synth melody. This is followed by ‘Zip Line’, an interlude running through the same melodic structure as ‘Bank Head’, without lyrics and with different beat structure.

Next track ‘Corpse’ travels into darker beats, with more space and no sweeping synths that contain an overall menace in melody and keys. ‘OG Master’ continues on this line of minimalistic (although maintaining heaviness) percussive sound, stripping the sound right back to harsh bass tones and grimey necessities whilst still maintaining Vertical XL‘s objective cleanliness.

This aesthetic is continued in next track ‘Viper Lash’, which paces insidiously before emerging from the dungeon in the final third of the track with uplifting and eerie synths. This eerieness is continued in the contemplative ‘Takedown Notice’, stripped back even further to a single snare hit on each bar on top of a relaxed and sensual moogy landscape.

Final track ‘Viper XL’ is a perfect and uplifting anthemic outro to Vertical XL. The EP as a whole was executed professionally and atmospherically as an entire composition, although not particularly groundbreaking or truely offering any new creative insight within electronica as a whole. But in terms of assumed interpretation of individual artistic vision, Kingdom is hitting paydirt.

Link: http://fadetomind.net/

Kingdom – Vertical XL (Fade To Mind) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Naminé – Celestial Love (Bossman Records)

2013-06-10T10:02:05Z

Namine is 18 year old Melbourne resident Darcy Baylis. Let me repeat this. Namine is EIGHTEEN YEARS OLD. He is also a member of Melbourne’s fun-time backyard solution to the Wu-Tang Clan, L-Burn Illuminati, whose roster also includes such genius MCs and producers as Class A, GDP, Aoi, Dos4gw, TIgermoth, and Noemotion Goldmask.

Amongst such artists, one has to wonder if young Namine has enough talent to keep up with them. The answer is a resounding YES. In his short career, Namine has already released two EPs, 2010′s EP and 2011′s Neon. This means he would probably have been fifteen at the date of his first release.

Namine went to a lot of trouble to get this one done. He lost Celestial Love twice whilst preparing it, and had to wait until he finished high school before completing the album. The love put into this work is abundantly clear.

Production within Celestial Love is kept minimal, and is not overly extravagant. It is testament to Namine’s abilities as a mature composer to forgo over embellishment of ultra-fat VSTs, big bass and diseased modem sounds to get his song’s messages across.

The message of Celestial Love is beautiful, coming from a place of raw emotion evocative of the angst of a teenage heart. Baylis’s sublime voice serves to complement to RnB-style drums, refined keys, and simple synths and basslines.

The style of music – dubbed “chillwave” – is reminiscent of such artists as Ryan Hemsworth, and there has been a lot of indication that this sort of “emo-electronica” is gathering speed and audience base for a popular and independant music market. Many artists with many years of production experience will be highly envious with the capability shown by Namine at such a tender age. This kid is made for big things, and this is an absolutely sensational (and free) release.

Link: http://bossmanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/br010-celestial-love

Naminé – Celestial Love (Bossman Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Various Artists – Tectonic Plates Volume 4 (Tectonic)

2013-06-10T08:22:08Z

DJ Pinch’s Bristol-based Tectonics label has long maintained a reputation for being one of UK dubstep’s most consistently interesting outlets, but more recent years have seen its artist roster branch much further out from the initial subaquatic dub explorations and half-beats of their founding figure. This fourth volume in the label’s ‘Tectonic Plates’ compilation series frequently scarcely resembles dubstep at all, with many of the artists featured here using the style more as a jumping-off point to explore more unpredictable forms anchored in dark minimalist garage and funky house. Jakes kicks proceedings off with ‘Rounds’, exploring a path initially indebted more towards dark minimalist techno than anything else as sinister throbbing kickdrums power beneath eerie choral samples and chaotically bleeping synths, before vast crashing industrial snares lock into place, sending the entire track juddering off into more familiar loping dubstep structures.

By contrast, Guido’s ‘State Of Joy’ occupies far more sunny soul-funk territory as clattering funky house kicks rattle against warm synth stabs and gorgeous string flourishes, the addition of processed vocal harmonies adding a vaguely Motown feel, before Decibel’s ‘Talk’ runs with the scissoring broken-house trajectory as flickering percussion loops and rattling hi-hats cling tightly to dubbed-out horn samples and a dizzying rush of wall-of-sound reverbed tones. Elsewhere, Kryptic Minds’ ‘Convoluted’ offers up what’s easily this compilation’s most dark and sinuous moment, as claustrophobic sub-bass growls roll against a stripped-down backing of clicking rhythms more akin to slowed-down garage than anything else, as frigid walls of droning synth ambience add to the mounting tension levels. Another characteristically impressive collection from Tectonics, ‘Tectonic Plates Volume 4′ sees the Bristol label’s practitioners continuing to rewire dubstep’s familiar circuitry into compelling new hybrids.

Various Artists – Tectonic Plates Volume 4 (Tectonic) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Flako – Mesektet Extnd (Project: Mooncircle)

2013-06-10T12:12:14Z

fLako currently resides in London, England, and previously Germany and Chile. This hybrid combination of countries can be paralleled to his hybridity of production as fLako. HIs music can roughly be described as a jazzy fusion of hip-hop instrumental boom-bap with shades of Brainfeeder wonkiness.

Mesektet Extnd is – as the title suggests – an extended version of previous album The Mesektet, released in 2011. It includes ten unreleased or digitally exclusive tracks dated from 2008 onwards, ones not featured previously on The Mesektet, to a total of 29 tracks.

The reissue has some original ideas and wicked sounds in tracks like ‘What’s That Calling Me’, and great excursions into broken beat signatures with tracks like ‘The Sorcerer’. However Mesektet Extndisn’t ripe in overall album continuity, and fails to sustain interest for the listening duration. Quite frankly and personally, I didn’t really find the experimental beats particularly intriguing and I had to really drag myself through listening to the whole thing.

Ideal for wonky hip-hop DJs, this reissue would be great to research in utilising cuts and interludes within sets. But as the majority of tracks fade for outro, they wouldn’t be used to play all the way through.

Some of Mesektet Extnd was nifty, but this one isn’t going to hold an audience. I’d like to hear something from fLako with more sustained composition rather than something that seems like half-formed production ideas.

The album is available as a double vinyl edition or can be purchased digitally from all the usual sources.

Link: http://www.projectmooncircle.com/releases/139

Flako – Mesektet Extnd (Project: Mooncircle) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Lagardere – Take a Deep Breath (Vanina Hänin)

2013-06-11T15:54:35Z

Switzerland’s Dan Lagadere, as well as having produced many fine EPs and 12″s of funky and jazz-laden techno with hip-hop influences, is also A&R and label manager at Vanina Hänin. This particular label is unique in that it also sells arts, clothes, accessories and books.

This sort of extension to other finer things in life is musically reflective in Take A Deep Breath. It is a four-track EP sonically clean as a whistle, pure Swiss machinery, and made for spinning as wax.

The strength of the pulsing and tribal ‘Deep Breath’ is prevalent in the punctuation of guitar string hits at the end of every second bar, which is then further sophisticated by Knight Rider-style synths into an irresistible groove. Drum beats are understated but tight with accompanying staccato snares.

Second track ‘Delete’ is uptempo but controlled, varying from a steady 4-4 to a broken but elegant beat signature between phrases. Drums are again understated, further complementing the restrained but flowing nature of the Lagadere sound. Punctuation this time is provided by reverberating congos at every second bar and synth hits on every first and third beats. This simple formula creates spacial synergy that is still full in sound.

‘Metal Pianissimo’ is jazzy and frantic with the same degree of restraint still prevailing over the elements. A glitchy, off-beat complements the metallic keys of melody chiming discordantly but harmoniusly with the beat. This beat may have carried on for a bit too long without progression, although it may be great to dance to.

Final track ‘Voices of the Mountains’ provides an eerie crescendo for Take A Deep Breath, with layers of angelic yet harsh singers breathing out a simple off-beat melody, which is then thrown into unsettling synergy with a second layered and reverberating male singer. This would be creepy except for the moving choir of accompanying percussion, which again delivers a delicious groove.

All in all, Take A Deep Breath is undoubtedly good techno and one tight EP, only available digitally at this point.

Link: http://shop.vaninahanin.com/index.php/artists/lagardere/lagardere-take-a-deep-breath-ep-digital-release.html

Lagardere – Take a Deep Breath (Vanina Hänin) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

V/A – Beats Home Australia/Japan Compilation (Beats Home)

2013-06-05T04:26:28Z

Sydney-based label Beats Home organise small events in conjunction with releases. Their last compilation and debut release Beats Home Volume Zero featured eighteen tracks from mostly Sydney-based producers of braindance and wonky styles of instrumental hip-hop.

Beats Home Australia/Japan Compilation (BH-AJC) is a shared effort between Japanese and Australian workers to bring the best contemporary experimental electronic music styles in collaboration with each other.

BH-AJC starts with Daisuke Tanabe’s rich ‘Paddle’, blooming with warm clicks and resonance, and flowing over a simple organ synth melody that is comfortable and atmospheric. The following tracks by Mike Berkley(curator of Beats Home) and Westernsynthetics – ‘Zephyr’ and ‘The Offensive’ – continue the texture-laden and glitchy complexity of the album to deeper levels. Beats are further broken and reassumbled in these tracks with ‘Zephyr’ carrying a rapidly paced 4-4 whilst ‘The Offensive’ is progressively stop-start in structure.

Anon brings the compilation back to more of a hip-hop vibe with the wonky track ‘Strings Move’, and next track is Monk Fly’s ‘Suffer’s Rave’ carries on the wonky aspect with stop-start hip-hop-style beats over the top of a tearing synth complimented by other synth stabs.

I consider these two tracks a bit weaker and they carry their idea a bit too far without enough variation compared to the other tracks, but they still accomplish the overall pleasant aspect of BH-AJC thus far.

Ichiro’s spacious ‘Soine’ lands back with the original warmth, atmosphere and broken complexity of BH-AJC, as does Ogiyy’s ‘Another World’, although again they are more singular ideas for looping interludes rather than complete compositions. The compilation reverts again to hip-hop jazz finesse with ‘Holiday on Saturn’ by Pigeondust, which I can’t fault as a stand-alone track.

mfp’s ‘Don’t U Cry No More’ is playful and inventive, conveying space with multi-layered, moogy sustaining synths and lyrics over a steady 4-4 pound, interspersed with playful broken keys. Concluding artist Ribongia carries the compilation out with his signature electro-infused and fun sample-stabbing glitch-hop beats with dubstep influence in ‘Play Time’.

Ribongia is one of those artists who adds a unique sound to the whole “glitch-hop” genre. He, along with Mike Berkley and mfp, are artists who have a promising future ahead of them, to join the likes of Daisuke Tanabe and Westernsynthetics in accomplishment as electronic artists.

Overall, BH-AJC shows that Australia and Japan artists have a common direction as where sounds will lead in the future. This is coupled within hip-hop and broken beats, a love for glitchy and textural atmosphere, and a real know-how when it comes to professional production. I’m excited, please continue! A definite win from me.

Tracklist

1. Daisuke Tanabe – Paddle 02:22
2. Mike Berkley – Zephyr 04:32
3. Westernsynthetics – The Offensive 03:23
4. Anon – Strings Move 04:54
5. Monk Fly – Suffer’s Rave 02:12
6. Ichiro_ – Soine 01:50
7. Ogiyy – Another World 02:52
8.Pigeondust – Holiday On Saturn 02:18
9. mfp – Don’t U Cry No More 04:24
10. Ribongia – Play Time 01:46

Link: http://beatshome.bandcamp.com/album/beats-home-japan-australia-compilation

V/A – Beats Home Australia/Japan Compilation (Beats Home) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Magic Panda – Temple of a Thousand Lights (Tigerbeat6)

2013-06-03T15:25:11Z

Magic Panda is Norfolk’s Jamie Robson. Norfolk is labelled by The Guardian as the UK’s most peaceful, warmest and chicest cities to live in out of London in the hinterland. The nature of the artist’s geographic origin can be heard in Temple of a Thousand Lights.

Temple of a Thousand Lights (ToaTL) is Magic Panda’s first full-length album after previous soundscapes and anthem-filled EPs. This album has been released on TIgerbeat6, a label managed by Kid606, a producer known for his production values and sense of fun with electronic music. The joy of production translates readily to this album.

First track ‘Tokyo’ may be deemed to be an overly-exuberant start to a full-length album, but then after a few tracks you realise that the whole of the album is going to be tracks of a fairly similar nature.

The overlaying theme of TOaTL is uplifting. Ascending keys, ethereal and beautiful composition, elevating synths, resonating synths, multiple and harmoniously layered synths. That pretty much says it all.

This is not to say that the tracks were ordinary or repetitive, it was quite the opposite. There are more driving moments within the resonance of ToaTL with tracks like ‘Distant Places’ (remixed by techno artist Max Cooper as well) and ‘Zwolf’. There’s meandering moments of softness in tracks like ‘A Perfect Circle’ and ‘Mothlight, but generally it’s mostly upbeat, soul-lifting stuff.

The tracks are never bland or boring loops, and have a lot of progression and consideration contained within the compositional flows. On the whole, ToaTL is really inspired stuff for nice people who want to be reminded the world is a beautiful and magical place with music.

Released 24 June 2013.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/tigerbeat6/temple-of-a-thousand-lights

Magic Panda – Temple of a Thousand Lights (Tigerbeat6) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Ryan Hemsworth – Still Awake (Wedidit)

2013-06-05T09:12:45Z

Ryan Hemsworth is from Canada and has released numerous EPs and remixes since 2010, as well producing for MCs like Shady Blaze and Deniro Farrar. He is from the Wedidit Collective, a crew including Schlohmo and RL Grime, and travels along approximately similar vectors to their particular sounds. His sound is best described as sampled-based emo-electronic hip-hop instrumental with purple aesthetics.

The Wedidit collective released his last full-length album, entitled Last Words. Pitchfork reviewed the album as “too scattered” although “avoiding tedium and redundancy.” Still Awake is self-published on his website and also advertised on the Wedidit website, so it’s safe to assume that Hemsworth is still a part of this collective.

Anyway, more about Still Awake.

This album is less melancholy than Last Words, but still carries a similar tone of emotion and whimsy.

Starting track ‘Empty Thoughts over a Shallow Ocean’ is unapologetically gooey and feel-good, and kicks over at a house pace of around 120bpm. It is infectious, although a bit cheesy and lacking in any form of attitude to be played in any club. This is where the charm of this emo-style music lays, in its bravery to travel beyond the cool kids realm.

‘Perfectly’ travels over a similar uplifting 4-4 pace with twinkling keys, but is also broken beat at interludes. Ryan Hemsworth gets a bit over exuberant with his vox samples, as commented to have done in previous work by an earlier Pitchfork review. At least he consistently does this, so one could say that this element is a part of his artistic vision. Or maybe not.

Things start slowing down in ‘I Want to Stare at Your Face Until You Die’, before mellowing right out in ‘Mistakes to Make’, which with the stream sample in the background reminds one of one of those moments where a Skins character is having a moment of angst and self-discovery by a river.

‘Track 5 (crashed)’, comes to a grinding halt. In the emotional overall context of Still Awake, this could be deemed as a moment of introspection, with mournful melodies reverberating strings and organs heralding this. Final track ‘All Our Thoughts Are Physical’ picks the album up again, and is most likely the most accomplished in subtly uplifting the listener. It steadily runs along a half-time beat with progressing and ascending chords and key notes, with accompanying indecipherable female vox adding to the overall feeling of this song before petering out.

In conclusion, nerds, girls and puppy dogs will love Still Awake. Funny thing is, girls will love this softer touch, and all guys in clubs are after girls, am I right? In light of this, maybe you screwfaces should mellow out, listen to this, and get in touch with your inner nerd/girl/puppy dog.

Link for free download: http://ryanhemsworth.com/

Ryan Hemsworth – Still Awake (Wedidit) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

PANTyRAiD – Pillowtalk (self-released)

2013-06-05T10:54:42Z

PANTyRAiD are the duo of Josh Mayer (of Ooah and Glitch Mob Fame) and Martin Folb (MartyParty). Their preceding fame and combination with their first album The Sauce in 2009 was a success, and they are booked in major clubs all over North America.

Pillowtalk sounds a treat, but is a bit robotic in terms of creativity. The sounds are very tight, but unoriginal and basically operates on bringing newer electronic sounds such as sweeping and honed sub-bass to a wider audience.

Tracks like Pillowtalk starter ‘That’s the Spot’ are played-out rave melodies where you can practically sing the chords as they transpire. This is not to say the composition isn’t great, it just works as if from a songwriter’s manual of intro-main-bridge-main-outro, with uninspired or new sounds, and no greater mysteries or creativity apparent.

Tracks like ‘Jokes From the Backseat’ borrow dated brostep wobble sounds without any sense of irony, which then die down and fire up with cheesy build-ups, before belting back into exactly the same verse without any discernible variation. Originality any?

Pillowtalk is to congratulated in the area of sound design. Top-notch sub-bass and synth tones like in ‘Keeping Secrets’ and ‘Sixteen and Free’ (is it me or is this song title a bit sus?) is ultra tight, and PANTyRAiD can certainly be applauded for their mastery of sonics and typical song writing too.

But.

Pillowtalk is essentially refined sugar music to give a quick buzz, but with (at least for me) no lasting value. It will make more experienced listeners of electronic music sick, but admittedly does provide a good entry point for newer and younger listeners to get versed with sounds that have been done thousands of times before.

Pillowtalk is typical American EDM beats masquerading as authentic, but really nothing new or particularly creative. Another exercise in cliche pop electronica 101 pleading for an MTV or Grammy award.

NEXT!

Link:http://www.beatport.com/release/pillowtalk/1080378

PANTyRAiD – Pillowtalk (self-released) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Lomovolokno / Sieren – Finest Ego Faces 12” Series Volume 4 (Finest Ego)

2013-06-07T11:49:10Z

During its relatively short history Finest Ego’s ‘Faces 12” Series’ has already generated a reputation for high quality, with each ensuing volume split into halves, each vinyl side dedicated to exposing the work of a new / emerging producer. This fourth instalment deals in contrasts, the A-side seeing Russian producer Lomovolokno offering up five tracks leaning more towards broken hiphop and downbeat influences, before German producer Sieren gets more upbeat and tech / house-oriented on the flipside with his five decidedly more dancefloor-focused tracks. On the A-side, Lomovolokno opens proceedings with the deep, swaying bass grooves of ‘Rope’, the twitchy, spidery snare programming that jitters beneath nicely counterbalanced by the sheeny synth trails and ambient pads that glow in the foreground amidst angelic vocal samples, before ‘Eena’ gets more icy and spectral, sending disembodied-sounding female vocals wafting out over a tranquil backdrop of cold synth atmospheres and slowly rumbling tribal percussion.

If the A-side represents the more introspective and headphone oriented side of the equation here, on the flipside Sieren gets considerably more streamlined and visceral. ‘Break Of Dawn’ offers up a gorgeously glimming broken-house wander that manages to be fractured and soulfully smooth at the same time as crisp handclaps and bottom-heavy analogue bass drops intersect with sampled backing vocals and elegantly rolling piano keys, the emergence of treated guitars towards the end calling to mind Four Tet at points. Elsewhere, ‘Tangled’ gets deeper and tech-ier, sending female vocals tumbling down into a tunnel of reverb against a tight backbone of jagged snares and sub-bass rumbles in what’s easily one of the most darkly hypnotic moments to be found here, before the aptly titled ‘Gleaming Light’ brings the lighter, more optimistic atmospheres back in as scissoring broken house snares undercut calming washes of glowing ambient synth-pads and echoing, dubbed-out soul vocals. This fourth chapter in Finest Ego’s ‘Faces’ series certainly manages to match the lofty standards set down by preceding volumes – no slight feat in itself.

Lomovolokno / Sieren – Finest Ego Faces 12” Series Volume 4 (Finest Ego) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Teielte – Crystalline EP (U Know Me)

2013-06-07T11:49:23Z

Warsaw-based electronic producer Teielte first emerged back in 2011 with his ‘Selcouth’ EP, and this third 12” EP for Polish label U Know Me sees him offering up six new tracks that tread a fine balance between hiphop and more fractured electronics. ‘Hate’ opens proceedings on a more obviously hiphop-centred tip as robust boom-bap rhythms lock into place beneath glittering analogue synths and tumbling percussion fills, the sense of iciness nicely balanced out by the more visceral bass-heavy grooves, before ‘Life Box’ sees treated vocal stabs darting around Kasia Lowenda’s earthy jazz-soul vocals as stuttering breakbeats provide rhythmic propulsion against pulsing flashes of distorted synth-bass and some rave-y stuttered vocal arpeggios. The second half of this EP sees the gears shifting up a few notches with ‘Warrior’s Escape’ “ as bright flashing rave synths arc back and forth against broken house rhythms, the clank of metallic percussion adding a sharp edge to the rolling grooves that calls to mind speed garage’s hard snap, while ‘Drummatic Science’ gets more bumpy, sending eerie synth shivers and blurred-out vocal stutters washing against a percussion groove that sounds like it’s been constructed from the sounds of clinking ice cubes in a drink. Strong, envelope-pushing stuff from a Polish name to watch.

Teielte – Crystalline EP (U Know Me) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Lapalux – Nostalchic (Brainfeeder)

2013-06-07T11:49:36Z

While Essex-based electronic producer Lapalux (real name Stuart Howard) is the first British signing to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label, he’s not exactly a new name, having emerged back in 2011 with his ‘Many Faces Out Of Focus’ EP on Pictures Music, his first in a steady stream of releases over the next two years. In the wake of recent remixes for Speech DeBelle and Slugabed, ‘Nostalchic’ offers up Lapalux’s debut album, and the twelve tracks collected here see him fusing a love of soul and rnb with a decidedly lopsided and unpredictable rhythmic sensibility. After opening track ‘IAMSYS’ provides a brief intro of rapidly rewound cassette tape that gives way to a gleaming forest of angelic synth pads and pitchbent vocals, ‘Guuurl’ takes things out into the sorts of faded eighties synths and trailing electronics you’d expect from the likes of Com Truise, as contorted male soul vocals lurk beneath airy house snares, the entire track crawling with a distinctly post witch-house atmosphere.

Elsewhere, the lavish ‘Kelly Brook’ takes things out into one of the most treacherously fractured abstract-jazz wanders I’ve heard in a while, the entire track just barely seeming to remain in one piece as growled soul-man exhortations get pushed through a near breakcore barrage of duelling percussion and wheezing synths, before first single ‘Without You’ sees Howard playing things comparatively straight, dropping out the more jarring rhythms in favour of a spacious glide through soulful synth pads and sparse wood-block percussion that allows Kerry Leatham’s treated multi-tracked vocals to become the real star of the show as they flit and bend around the swooning downbeat electronics. An impressive debut album that’s been worth the wait, ‘Nostalchic’ will no doubt appeal particularly to fans of the similar pitch-manipulated likes of Shlohmo, Com Truise and Slugabed.

Lapalux – Nostalchic (Brainfeeder) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Mind Muncher – Always Starving (Bedroom Research)

2013-06-07T11:51:33Z

Bedroom Research is a niche European net label (managed by France’s Subjex) which unearths rare electronic talent.

Bedroom Research has brought exciting and original producers to more discerning niche electronic music fans. They have now presented 52 releases since 2002, mostly free. Some of these names may be familiar to IDM lovers, such as Tep, Thiaz Itch, Defunkt Dialekt and Valance Drakes.

BR’s fifty-second release is Mind Muncher’s 5-track debut EP, Always Starving. Mind Muncher are an intense electronic act combining bass/glitch aesthetics with thrash metal, carrying on BR’s tradition of original ideas within electronica. Producer Alfred Toc works with metal vocalist “Sam” to yield this result.

It is hard to grasp hold of any track in particular within Always Starving, as they all seem to be based along the same production concept. This may be a weakness in establishing any particular track as unique, but all tracks deliver a high grade of sound quality and originality.

The overall sound of Always Starving is glitched-out manic intensity, broken into ever-changing structural that hits heavy. It will win over many fans of hardcore thrash music bands to new electronic editing possibilities with its many slippery additions over the top of its double kicking drums, heavy bass and wild guitars.

Highly recommended listening and available for free download.

Link: http://www.bedroomresearch.com/label-catalogue/M/39-mind-muncher/49-always-starving.html

Mind Muncher – Always Starving (Bedroom Research) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Sarantis – Electric City (Senseless Records)

2013-06-07T11:51:43Z

Sarantis originally hails from Athens, but has been a part of UK’s bass scene for nearly a decade. He has been played by such artists as Skream, Mary Anne Hobbs and Digital Mystikz, and has had guest vocalists as Iration Steppas and Warrior Queen. Electric City isn’t touted in the promotion as a trap album, but rather as an album based on Sarantis’ musical influences. It is – however – basically is an excursion into dancehall, trap and grime.

The album starts with the 8-bit arpeggio bombast of ‘Electric City’, which hints of seething sounds to come. This is ruined by a particularly unoriginal and annoying track ‘A Serious Ting’, which didn’t suit in as a dancehall cut with the rest of Electric City, which had more of a trap/hip-hop feel. The rest of the album had more of a trap/hip-hop feel. I point this out as I regard this as a mistake in the continuity of the whole album.

Electric City regained its footing in following tracks, but I was frustrated as a listener. Whilst there is a certain palatable eerieness and control to Electric City‘s sweeping background basslines, the continuous 8-bit mario jump, sci-fi and vox stabs in tracks like ‘Heartless’ are like a drunken toddler being let loose with an ice pick.

Tracks like ‘On The Floor’ and ‘Die Trying’ have more rolling bassline flow and interesting sounds inserted, but again Electric City is tainted by hip-hop samples, which break any immersion into its atmosphere. These sort of sample stabs sound like a overly enthusiastic teenager fooling around with a MPC controller.

There are instances hinting of bass music mastery in tracks like ‘You’re Not Going Anywhere’, which hit the mark and brought the game up for the whole new bass/trap sound. This was achieved through reserved focus on overall track progression, and by putting the ultra-dope hip-hop facade aside in favour of building atmosphere. ‘Fourth Rider’ also nails the contemporary trap sound, and I liked the revisiting of grime styles in tracks like ‘Are You Mad’.

Excellent music for hype kids with #yoloswag for days, but pretty annoying for the more mature listener. Electric City is great for the club, but will get old quickly, as there wasn’t really much focus in direction of this album as a whole work. And bass producers, please please please stop with the vox stabs or I’ll never listen to anything labelled as trap ever again.

Link: http://senselessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/electric-city

Sarantis – Electric City (Senseless Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.

Anodyne Industries – Counterconditioning (Hopskotch Records)

2013-06-07T11:51:25Z

Anodyne Industries is a unique drum and bass-style project engineered by SF Bay Area producer Aaron King. He was first noticed on the IDM Forums, which also operated as a net label to release some of his work to a broader audience.

This was followed up by various remixes and free single and EP downloads, before gaining the attention of Australian glitch/IDM specialists Hopskotch Records. Hopskotch released a track of Anodyne’s on V/A compilation Divergence, and have now released Counterconditioning, which will be of particular interest to Australia’s alternative electronic music audience.

Counterconditioning is a luscious down-tempo three-track arrangement of half-step drum and bass. It is reserved and succinct, using minimal elements, all-pervasive sub-bass and intricate mid-range bass to convey space and depth. ‘Rev’ is energetic, and delivers intensity and edginess within a delicate structure that is relaxed. The Bay Area-style background vocals were a bit iffy, but essentially suited the song’s vibe.

‘Until Daybreak’ is carried by slippery, clattering percussion over the top of a brooding and dripping dark atmosphere complimented by intricate and warped sounds of the highest grade. It is again served minimally and conversely has great, punchy effect. Anodyne Industries’ last track is a remix of a Neuroscientist track ‘Poor Taste’, again delivered with the same skittery and broken sound that places beats everywhere but stays dead on time.

Counterconditioning is one of the more intriguing and tight electronic releases and signature sounds I’ve heard this year, and I can’t wait to hear what else Anodyne Industries will be producing in the future. The only real problem I have with this release is that it is too short for how absorbing it is. More, please.

Link: https://soundcloud.com/hopskotchrecords/sets/anodyne-industries/

Released for purchase on Beatport on 10 June 2013.

Anodyne Industries – Counterconditioning (Hopskotch Records) is a post from: Cyclic Defrost Magazine.