SSSSOUND!

ITAL

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:51:00 +0000

Photo by Colour Lover

Daniel Martin-McCormick makes music under several aliases (e.g. Sex Worker or as part of the duo Mi Ami) but it's his Ital moniker we're most interested in here, since that one has an album coming out: 'Hive Mind', his debut album, will be released on February 13th through Planet Mu.
It's hard to put a strict definition on his music, the five tracks on the album explore a wide variety of influences - most easily distinguishable house and techno - yet don't expect the tracks to show any archetypical form. They're long (three out of five clock in at 10+ mins), slowly developing and each looping around one clearly defined hook. First track 'Doesn't Matter (If You Love Him)' for example, works with a rigorous vocal paired with synths crashing in and out, while the last track 'First wave' has a super delicate and warm theme. Well worth a listen.
Streaming below is 'One Hit', which was part of his debut EP 'Ital's Theme' that came out last year. If you want to hear something from the upcoming album: 'Floridian Void' is streaming over at Mixmag - check it here.

To the Belgian readers : Ital is playing in Ghent on February 5th, together with Dynooo Vs. Cupp Cave, and I'm allowed to give away 2x2 tickets to the show. All you need to do is email me at ssssoundofmusic@gmail.com, and answer this simple question: Which American label released Ital's debut EP? First ones to reply get the tickets. Good luck!

Ital - One Hit

WINE / WATER

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:16:00 +0000

Photo by Soap Opera

2011 saw the release of three 12"s from Brooklyn duo Blondes: "Lover / Hater", "Business / Pleasure" and "Wine / Water". 2012 will now see the release of those tracks in CD-format, with an added pair "Gold" and "Amber". As everything in this project seems to come in pairs, unsurprisingly, so does the CD. The 8 originals will be accompanied by an additional CD of 10 remixes from the likes of JD Twitch, Andy Stott, Teengirl Fantasy, Bicep and more.
RVNG Intl. are giving away "Wine" as a free download, it has the pulsating, hypnotic melodies that are present throughout the entire series, so it'll be interesting to hear what the remixers have come up with. Bicep for one, added some heavy rhythmic muscle, so we're off to a great start.
The album is out February 7th on RVNG Intl. and already available for pre-order. Also, they're headed for Europe in February, check their Facebook for dates. Ghent - they'll be here February 17th.

LIP THERAPY

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Photo by Michal Pudelka

Before the start of what some may refer to as a "weekend", here are some tracks that might do well to get you in the mood, out on Monday on Needwant: Bonar Bradberry's You Were Away EP. The release features two originals, 'You Were Away' (with Bonar Bradberry himself on vocal duties) and 'Lip Therapy', and besides an instrumental version of 'You Were Away' there's Space Ranger and Maxxi Soundsystem on remix duties.
Two lovely originals, but what I think is the best part of the release is the duality between the perfect daytime original of 'Lip Therapy' and Maxxi Soundsystem's cleverly switched around nighttime atmosphere, that includes an added 'yeh yeh' vocal hook (hence the name of the remix). Both equally great, it'll depend on the time of day which one you'll prefer to put on.
Listen below or to the entire set on Youtube, you'll be able to find it here on Beatport once it's out, or you can already pre-order the vinyl from the Needwant store.

PS - there's also a video for You Were Away, which you can watch here.

Bonar Bradbery - You Were Away

Bonar Bradberry - Lip Therapy

Bonar Bradberry - Lip Therapy (Maxxi Soundsystem Yeh Yeh Remix)

THE OLD ONE

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:35:00 +0000

Photo by Shini Park

With names like 'Opa' (granddad) and 'Der Alte' (the old one), this release doesn't really give away anything of what you might expect upon listening, though the fact that it came out on Kompakt should point you in the right direction. It's the second release for Danish producer Kölsch (apparently, Kölsch is also the name of a German beer) though he has been putting out releases under his Ink And Needle guise since 2006.
Opa on the one hand is definitely the typical techno-ish track you would expect and much along the lines of Kölsch's more well-known 'Loreley'. Der Alte however, seeks out a more sensitive side, the kind we've found in house more or less everywhere in 2011. It's a very simple recipe; some piano chords, some strings and a clear 4/4 beat under all of that, but we all know things don't need to be complicated to enjoy them. Listen to/buy the entire release here.

Kölsch - Der Alte (BUY)

WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:23:00 +0000

Photo by Wen Jun

Usually I'd be reluctant to post only previews of a track, but hey, today turns out to be the day I thought: why not. Today's subject would be Mickey's new single 'Love For Sale' featuring Monarchy, which will be released through Smile Recordings in a little over a week, on January 23rd.
The release comes with two remixes and instrumentals, by Safari and Jeremy Glenn. I can't tell you anything more about Safari other than the facts that we have on the table: this remix is one delicate piece of pop. Very lovely.
Jeremy Glenn's on the other hand packs some of Glenn's more housey sounds and has a particularly strong instrumental. Check the original and other instrumentals on the Smile soundcloud.

SO WILL BE NOW

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:17:00 +0000

Photo by Sarah Bernhard

According to many, John Talabot's debut album 'ƒin' on Permanent Vacation is one to look forward to with great anticipation. The last track on the album, 'So Will Be Now...' featuring label mate Pional, proves just how big that anticipation should be. The album will be less sample-based than Talabot's previous work, mainly because copyrights are an annoying thing to come by, though I'm quite sure this will have resulted in some interesting material no matter what.
On a side note, it has to be mentioned that Pional's material has also been of a consistent high standard, so let's hope 2012 will bring more of that goodness as well. The album will be out early February, but until then we'll have to do with this, and previews of the rest of the album on Juno.

PS - it's not super new anymore, but Talabot was invited for an RBMA lecture in Madrid where he talked with Gerd Janson from Running Back. If you've got an hour to spare it's definitely worth watching. And while on the subject of RBMA, he's also contributed to the Headphone Highlights series for RBMA Radio, you can listen to that here.

YOU GOT THE MAKINGS OF A LOVER

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:13:00 +0000

Photo via The Most Expensive Picture

If you picked up Pillowtalk's The Come Back EP, you might have noticed that this San Francisco trio has a peculiar yet interesting sound that combines contemporary house elements with that classic American soul that's all over Mayer Hawthorne's music too. So, seeing these two names together you can only think: "YES. Perfect match." A thought that turns out to be true upon listening to it.
Originally already a cover by Hawthorne (of The Festivals, one that stays very true to the original), this version isn't an edit that tries to bend a track into something it wasn't meant to be, but one that adds that little extra bit of punch. And surely no one should mind that the original two minutes as if by magic turned into six and a half minutes of bliss.
PillowTalk's latest EP, 'Far From Heaven' was released about a month ago on Wolf + Lamb, so check that one out if you haven't already...

Mayer Hawthorne - You Got The Makings Of A Lover (PillowTalk Edit) (ALT) (RCRD LBL)

SLOW DUB

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:22:00 +0000

Photo by Dan Clarke

So, early Christmas present alert. You might have noticed Robi Insinna / Headman's latest 'Be Loved' came out a few weeks back on Relish Recordings - if you hadn't noticed, now would be the time for me to mention it's a very nice release with (besides the original) a remix and dub by Andrea Esu, as well as a dub version by Headman and quite an interesting remix by Daniel Avery (aka Stopmakingme).
Concerning the Christmas present though, Headman released a 'Slow Dub' version and it's just one mouse click away - get it on the Headman Facebook page. Also for the vinyl lovers: Be Loved got released on vinyl this week, pick it up here (or get it digital here). Don't sleep on it!

Headman - Be Loved (Slow Dub)

S E O D

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Photo by Greg Girard

I know the year hasn't ended yet, but there's already so much stuff to look forward to in 2012 music-wise, and not in the least bit because after about 2 years of radio silence, Kindness / Adam Bainbridge came with the news of an album for 2012 - Zdar produced no less! There's been a single out already, Cyan, so in case you somehow missed out on it you can check the video and buy it here, it's got some weird/cool locked grooves on the B-side as well.
As for this track, I found myself singing along to lyrics I thought I'd never heard before until I realised there was this track I may or may not have been playing quite a lot on Myspace 'back in the days', a release that eventually never came out but now finally will be, as a white label in January (with a Zdar dub on the B-side), and then later in the year on the album.
What's so great about this track is that it has a seemingly overload of ideas thrown together, yet instead of creating one big mess, it swiftly jumps from one thing to the next, from psychedelic synths to an addictive bassline, vocals, lots of percussion, drum machine, dramatic piano chords, sax solo, etc. - you name it, it's in there.

Kindness - SEOD

BODY II BODY

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:55:00 +0000

Photo by Eylul Aslan

Haven't got much words to say about this one, but the amount of words I use should in no way be related to how much I do or don't like a track - this one's a pretty great one from Dutch newcomers Body II Body.
'Hold Me' is clearly vibing on those highly popular 90s grooves, but done so in a very interesting way. They've got a few dj dates coming up in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, as well as one in Ghent on the 9th (just realised that's this Friday - be there). I'd advise you to keep an eye on their Facebook page for more info about the exact location etc.

Body II Body - Hold Me (ALT)

SCALE IT BACK

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:29:00 +0000

Photo by Bruce Weber

I'm not sure if I've posted about Robotaki on here before - if not, now would be as good a time as ever. Basically, he's made some really great remixes for the likes of Chilly Gonzales, Shinichi Osawa, Housse De Racket and quite a few others, all of which you can listen to on his soundcloud page.
His latest remix, of DJ Shadow's 'Scale It Back' (featuring the ever lovely vocals of Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano) was obviously a great track to begin with, but I feel Robotaki quite effectively achieved to add his very distinctive style without it feeling overdone; the original atmosphere is still very much in place.
Keep an eye out for him, he's finishing his debut EP as we speak.
Also, the original track has a bit of a mental but highly enjoyable video, watch it here.

DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Photo by Eric Etheridge

After last year's 'Look Right Through' it's fair to say that Storm Queen aka Morgan Geist had pretty high expectations to live up to. The first few minutes into 'It Goes On' you anxiously ask yourself whether or not it's going to live up to it, but once it gets going and drags you in, you realise it's not about being better or not, it's pretty spot on and that's the end of it. And while the beats are clean, the lyrics are (yet again) as catchy as an annoying pop song - only without it being 'annoying' in this case. Out on Environ Records today, get it here (digital), or wait until the vinyl comes out next week.
Also, keep an eye out for Morgan Geist's remix of The KDMS that's out on Gomma soon.

Storm Queen - It Goes On (Vox) (BUY)

WHY

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:02:00 +0000

Photo by Rosanna Webster

A really nice edit I've been meaning to post. Debonair's edit of Leo Sunshipp's 'I'm Back For More' leaves out most of the original vocals and brings out the strengths of the instrumental that didn't get the attention it deserved in the original track. Who cares if summer's over, listening to this you might as well believe it's still 25°C out.
It'll be released in February on House of Disco Records, so until then this stream will have to do!

FAKING

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:52:00 +0000

Photo by Lina Scheynius

Connan Mockasin's previous single Forever Dolphin Love had quite a memorable remix by label head Erol Alkan, but there's more goodness coming our way in the form of a second single and a remix by Kompakt's Michael Mayer. What starts out with the addition of a basic 4/4 beat, ends up with so much more. The only thing that really bothers me, is that the marimba sounds exactly like my phone's alarm clock in the morning - obviously a sound i do not like very much. Probably my cue to change the morning ringtone.
It's out today on Phantasy, on yummy clear yellow vinyl (no worries, there was a digital release as well), together with an extended version and a remix by Tom Furse from the Horros - unsurprisingly sounding very much in the style of The Horrors. Get it here.

SOMETHING YOU CAN FEEL

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:55:00 +0000

Photo by Annett Holmvik

'Something You Can Feel' has been on repeat these last few days. Delicious bassline. It's good to see something of Stars on 33 coming out too, which is the Christophe Hoeffel together with Lawrence Tompson & Radical Peterson - if those names don't ring a bell you might know that first person better under his alias, Kris Menace.
It's one of several gems to be found on Aeroplane's compilation 'In Flight Entertainment' that was released this week through Eskimo. Other favourites would be Drop Out Orchestra, Martin Dubka, Oliver, etc. which are in fact mostly regulars in Aeroplane's monthly mixes, so whether or not the tracks being exclusive would have something to do with it (or the mix being clearly more than a month's work), it has to be said that it is a very nice set of tracks, very well put together and reminiscent of the older Aeroplane mixes (e.g. the Disco Balearica one). In other words: a great compilation that is definitely worth picking up. Get it here, and listen to Aeroplane's other mixes on Soundcloud.

PS - Belgians, (aspiring) musicians, just in case you didn't know yet: there's this thing called Muzikantendag happening the 19th of November at the AB, and I was asked to be in one of the demofeedback panels together with Jarri from Disco Naïveté. So if you're interested: come along, don't be shy, we're very nice. More info here

HOOMBA HOOMA

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:25:00 +0000

Photo via Superbomba

Portugese duo Johnwaynes unleashed this edit of Jasper Van 't Hof's 'Hoomba Hoomba' as the A-side of their most recent Let's Get Lost release. The eighth in line, other releases have included - amongst others - that amazing KZA edit and more recently Leo Zero's Bombay Bicycle remix.
Johnwaynes took the lovely combination of tribal rhythms and a slightly off-key piano and while maintaining most of the original structure, they added quite a bit of epicness (err, that's the only word i could think of right now). A perfect edit, so to speak.
Also, clocking in at exactly 10 minutes, this doesn't feel a second too long.
The two B sides on this release are each quite different but really great as well, get it while you still can.

Johnwaynes - Hoomba Hooma

TOMORROW'S WORLD

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Tomorrow's World - Drive

Uhm, hi again.
Here's a preview of 'Drive' which I guess is going to be the first single of Tomorrow's World, the new music project by Lou Hayter (The New Sins, New Young Pony Club) and Jean-Benoît Dunckel (Air).
I'll be back with more soon.

THINGS WE DID

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:51:00 +0000

Photo by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates

A release I'm really excited about is Marius' debut EP "Things We Did" that came out yesterday, on the Dutch Non Records label. If you weren't familiar with the label yet you might have heard about one of their artists, Palmbomen, who's had a track of his on the Kitsuné Maison 10, though there's a slew of great artists on this label.
As mentioned several times before, I don't like drawing comparisons, but if you liked Cut Copy on their first album you're most likely going to love Marius' EP - be it that he's quite more edgy and experimental than Cut Copy. This is an EP that brims with playfulness and energy, has some weird samples - but the kind that are actually contributing to the track.
In six tracks Marius is able to set a mood and build a story, which unfortunately is something only rarely found in releases these days, especially in EPs. Below are three of the tracks including one, Yester, that Non Records are giving away. I'd advise you to stream the entire EP on soundcloud though, and then buy it here.

Marius - Staniel Cay

Marius - Things We Did

Marius - Yester (ALT)

FETE

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:16:00 +0000

Photo by Vlatka Seremet

The latest Needwant release came out at the beginning of this month and since that very moment it has been soundtracking the sloppy end of summer and subsequent indian summer for me. Why am I only posting about it now? good question.
On one hand there's the title track 'Song For Her' by FETE, with a remix by the Hannulelauri duo who added a very enjoyable zombie-tropical flavouring. On the other hand, there's two incredibly well-balanced tracks by 19-year-old (NINE-TEEN!) Black Marlin, that reprise those calm and summery vibes you'd get from CFCF's Continent album. Let the tracks speak for themselves though.
Get it on Beatport or Juno

FETE - Song For Her (BUY)

Black Marlin - Forest (BUY)

TRITON

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Photo by Alex Prager

Edwin 'Steel Drums' Van Cleef is on fire. As is Pharao Black Magic. Both just released a new EP, Edwin's EP being the subject of this post (you can still find PBM's EP here though).
Apart from the title track 'Never Be Alone' (which features vocals by Chicago band Gemini Club), the EP includes two other originals, 'Triton' & 'I Feel You' - the former being the one that got a Pharao Black Magic treatment.
The EP's sound is quite diverse yet shows a general club oriented feel, Triton in particular. Pharao Black Magic's version has a (what has come to be) very recognisable touch - and one I enjoy very much.
Lastly, I don't know Ugly Kids very well but was quite charmed with their remix for Never Be Alone At Night. This Swiss duo brings lightness and a dose of sugar to the table; after an eventfull week this might be exactly what you need on a Sunday evening.
Stream the entire EP on Edwin's soundcloud, buy it on Beatport orJuno.

Edwin Van Cleef - Triton (Pharao Black Magic Remix) (ALT)

Edwin Van Cleef - Triton

Edwin Van Cleef - Never Be Alone At Night (Ugly Kids Remix) (ALT)

EACH STEP I TAKE

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:40:00 +0000

Photo by Peter Zachary Voelker

A post that is seriously long overdue is this remix by young French producer Davka. To be honest I don't think the original by Deetron & Seth Troxler is all that interesting, but Davka added something to it that blends in with original production so well it makes you think it was always supposed to be this way. And it seems to be a trend throughout his remixes, his remix for Sound Pellegrino's Bassface for example can convince you the Thermal Team is actually a robotic boysband - I mean this in a good way, of course. Check out more of his remixes on soundcloud.

Deetron feat. Seth Troxler - Each Step I Take (Davka Remix) (ALT)

THINKING OF YOU

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:15:00 +0000

Photo by Barbara Crane

Sometimes there's these days where all you want to do is put on an amazing disco record that was remixed by (the master of disco) Dimitri From Paris and sit back/dance/enjoy/etc., right? If today would be such a day, then you're in for a treat.
This remix was released as part of the 4CD 'The Chic Organization' boxset that actually shouldn't be missing in any disco fancier's collection, yet since the price tag might hold some people (e.g.: me) back, there was a digital release of the DFP remixes as well. If you happen to come across the 'Sound Of Copenhagen Vol. 7' compilation though (the physical one; the digital album is only 1 out of 2 cds), I'd advise you to get that one, since it not only features the Sister Sledge remix (and unfortunately some questionable other tracks), but it has this amazing Eddie Murphy track that makes it all worth it.

Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You (Dimitri From Paris) (CD) (digital)

YOUR LOVE TO ME IS GOLD

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:20:00 +0000

Photo by Milk Studios

Sorry for the unannounced radio silence... While reading blogs to carefully piece together what has happened in music these last two weeks, I stumbled upon something even far more interesting from a few months back (cheers to Pejhy for this, show them some love).
Hot Toddy made a remix for this release that I heard a while ago when it came out, but somehow I couldn't really be bothered with it and never took the effort of checking out the original either. Hot Toddy's version sounds more club-oriented so I imagine some will prefer this remix; I for one will save my dance moves for the original though.
On a side note: house music has never sounded as poppy as it has been this year, hasn't it? And this track should go straight into the top tracks of 2011.

Lovebirds feat. Stee Downes - Want You In My Soul (BUY)

SAME SAME

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 20:39:00 +0000

Photo by Tom Ryaboi

Erdbeerschnitzel, who's responsible for one of my favourite tracks of 2010, has a new EP coming out on 3rd Strike at the end of the month.
'Devotion', the last track on the EP, would be my favourite out of the bunch (probably just because it's along the lines of To An End the most), but it's a strong release all around. Erdbeerschnitzel has a very typical sound I find difficult to describe, other than "It's really very good!". Listen below and judge for yourself though.
Preview the other tracks here. Once it's released you'll be able to buy it here, a digital release will follow in August.

Erdbeerschnitzel - Devotion

Erdbeerschnitzel - Same Same

A FINE FEELING

noreply@blogger.com (sofie) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Photo by Pascal Grob

I posted an edit by Boogie Business a while ago and he's made quite a few since that didn't get posted for some reason, so I couldn't keep from posting this delightfull original track of his... Normally I'm not too keen on making comparisons, but if you like Luke Million/The Swiss you'll definitely love this. Wait until the goodness kicks in at 1:06 and enjoy!

Boogie Business - A Fine Feeling (Original Mix) (ALT)