XLR8R News and Features

Wheez-ie "What U Want"

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:00:00 -0500

Donga's Well Rounded imprint has been staking claim to various strains of fast-paced, hybridized dance music over the past few years, releasing juke with Rashad and Distal in 2012 after spreading new forms of garage and house with Hackman and Deadboy. Boston native Wheez-ie is the latest to join the parade, preparing to drop a four-track 12" of juke/jungle experiments that pull together disparate elements from across the Atlantic with a close attention to detail. "What U Want" is a non-release tune that showcases the producer's tightrope approach to genre-blending, as it rips through filtered Amen breaks and a surging 808 pattern. Add a virulent acid bassline midway through the track, and what we're presented with is a taut pairing of London and Chicago sounds that feels right at home on the Well Rounded roster. Wheez-ie's new EP, Remember The Score, will be out on June 6 on vinyl and digital formats, but can be previewed now, after the jump.

Jon Convex Announces Debut Solo LP

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Jon Convex (a.k.a. Damon Kirkham) will be releasing his first full-length album as a solo artist next month through his own imprint, Convex Industries.

Fur "Knots"

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:00:00 -0500

This twisting house tune is one of four original tracks on Fur's forthcoming EP, Cocoon (artwork above), due out on June 5 through NYC imprint UNO. The song is mellow and minimal, with warm synth pads and gentle vocal samples drifting over the top of a steady, bouncing bassline. House music is relatively new territory for Fur (a.k.a. Bryce Isbell), who has previously released spacier electronica and more unusual records through Lefse sublabel Waaga. Cocoon's title track was recently remixed by Fred P (who, you may remember, delivered an XLR8R podcast last year), which you can also stream and download, after the jump.

Stream a New Disclosure Tune

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:25:31 -0500

"Control (feat. Ria Ritchie)" is yet another bit of garage-leaning rhythms and bubbly production work to surface from The Face EP, the forthcoming new record by UK duo Disclosure.

Clone Announces New 12" from A Made Up Sound

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:00:00 -0500

Dutch producer A Made Up Sound (a.k.a. Dave Huismans, 2562) is returning to Clone for a 12" that will be released as the thirteenth installment of the Clone Basement Series.

Video: Dntel "Still (feat. Baths)"

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 09:00:00 -0500

Next week, longstanding LA producer Jimmy Tamborello (a.k.a. Dntel) will release his fifth studio album, Aimlessness, via DJ Koze's Pampa label, but he shares this clip for the Baths-featuring "Still" cut before then.

Lokiboi "One House (Tanka Remix)"

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 08:00:00 -0500

Vladimir Sträbykin (a.k.a. Lokiboi, pictured above) seems to have made a lot of friends since relocating to London from Moscow, notably collaborating with UK producers Klic and Hackman. His recent releases have also been tweaked by a host of remixers, while his latest effort, the One House EP, will see remixes from six more house, bass, and UK funky producers. Here, teenage Brit Tanka takes the funky tech-house tune "One House" and gives the percussion a bit of extra punch, slices up the vocals, and gets heavy on the low-end to morph the tune into a true soundsystem banger. DZA, Bambounou, and Funk Butcher also try their hand at remixing "One House" on the EP, which you can preview after the jump. Lokiboi is also currently preparing another collaborative release with Klic for Kolour Recordings, called Slow Down, which, as the title suggests, will feature lower-bpm tunes with deep, old-school house vibes. You can check out snippets of that record before it's released, also after the jump.

Animal

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:00:00 -0500

It's been nearly a decade since Ricardo Villalobos' playful, precise techno became a standard sound on dancefloors across Europe and North America, inspiring a progeny of producers aspirant to his particular strain of funk. As with any large, wealthy patriarch, his children have grown fat and dysfunctional, making for some fascinating viewing. In this analogy, Amsterdam's San Proper is the oddball cousin hanging on the periphery, never grasping too lustily at riches, content to leak his bohemian, rattail house music to the world in irregular intervals.

Deep Space Heads to Brooklyn

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 06:00:00 -0500

In July, the long-running Monday night party Deep Space will be branching out from its home in NYC's Meatpacking District and heading across the East River for a special Independence Day edition of the event in Brooklyn.

Faws "Whitney"

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:00:00 -0500

If Faws' "Whitney" wasn't so cool (speaking in terms of temperature, not hipness, though it could also be that), it might rightly be called a slow-burner. However, the track sounds more aquatic than firey, building into its flow of pulsing melodies and leaky faucet drip-drops from the wash of ambient field recordings and hints of percussion at the beginning. "Whitney" is the first peek into the Dublin-based producer's upcoming Blue Notes EP, the details of which are skim—much like the details of the tune itself.

My Nu Leng "Down"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:01:56 -0500

Although we reported that Bristol-based producer Ooko would drop his Sex Sells EP next week, the artist has announced that he will be extending the release date (June 25 for vinyl and July 9 for digital).

Point B "Golden"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 13:00:00 -0500

UK beatmaker Point B is set to follow up The Veld, his LP from earlier this year, with a three-song EP titled Don't Switch Off (artwork above), which will be released next month on his current label homebase, Frijsfo. "Golden" will not appear on that release, but does offer a sampling of the refined soundscapes Point B has been developing for his most recent effort.

Terrence Parker, Todd Terry, Matthew Dear, Pearson Sound, MJ Cole, Photek, and Many More to Play Warm Up 2012

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:30:00 -0500

Another summer in New York City means another installment of MoMA PS1's Warm Up, a series of events going down every weekend between July 7 and September 18.

Video Premiere: Chants "Night After"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 12:00:00 -0500

Yesterday, Madison producer Chants released a seven-song EP, Night After, through New York's Dutty Artz imprint. This colorful clip accompanies the EP's somewhat moody title track, and exhibits a sort of journey akin to Dr. David Bowman's surreal trip to Jupiter in 2001: A Space Oddyssey, albeit with a dancing washed-out woman and a flickering moon added in for good measure.

Jonwayne Delivers Free Disney-Themed EP

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:30:00 -0500

While many Americans were out barbecuing or otherwise enjoying an extra day of leisure this Memorial Day, SoCal beat wizard Jonwayne was hard at work crafting an unusual and engrossing EP he has dubbed Jonwayne Fucks Disney. The free, internet-only release was constructed almost exclusively with bits of music from Disney animated features, which he culled from YouTube and reassembled on his Roland SP-404.

Teengirl Fantasy Reveals Details of Second LP

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:21:24 -0500

Well, this arrived a lot sooner than we expected: Brooklyn duo Teengirl Fantasy has announced the details of its forthcoming sophomore album.

Review: AlphaSynth for Ableton Live

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:00:00 -0500

MSRP: $8 (monthly Micropak subscription), Puremagnetik

The latest Micropak to appear in Puremagnetik's virtual instrument subscription service is AlphaSynth, a soft-synth which aims to emulate the alphaSyntauri, an 8-bit synthesizer from the early '80s that worked in tandem with the Apple II personal computer.

Matthew Dear to Release 'Beams' LP in August; Stream New Track Now

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:51:13 -0500

We've been expecting this day to come since synth-pop/techno mainstay Matthew Dear announced that his Headcage EP would be followed by an album by the name of Beams. Now, the details of that album have arrived.

Bubblin' Up: Becoming Real

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:00:00 -0500

After originally pursuing more visual-based creative outlets, Toby Ridler (a.k.a. Becoming Real) eventually turned his interests to music production. "I started thinking that I could express things through music in a way I couldn't quite find the right techniques to express through visual arts," he explains. Towards the end of his time at university—where the man went on to receive a degree in Fine Arts—this change in artistic aims took hold, and since then, Becoming Real has been responsible for a steady stream of EPs and singles, at first existing along the outer fringes of grime before incorporating more influences and expanding his aesthetic range. Ridler's continued evolution and consistently keen sense for intriguing sonic structures have sent his name rising through the ranks of up-and-coming Londoners, and with a debut full-length in sight, it appears his footing in the ever-growing pool of UK producers is set to only become more solid.

Super Magic Hats "Charcoal"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 08:00:00 -0500

"Charcoal," the first taste of Super Magic Hats' upcoming debut release, braids a winding hook through a humid daze of vocal snippets and reverb at a tempo slow enough to move to without breaking too much of a sweat, even in hot weather. As Super Magic Hats, Melbourne's Rob Masterton has begun to explore a Caribou-like territory of gleefully catchy melodies and psychedelic wooziness in his productions.

"The Wait" b/w "Hands in Mine"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:00:00 -0500

No matter what your scale of time is, Brighton's Guy Andrews is a very fresh producer. We heard one of his first tracks just over a year ago. His first official release won't celebrate an anniversary until September. As such, even the most insatiable connoisseurs of dance music should find it impressive that Andrews closed out 2011 with a record for the enviable Hemlock imprint, and has kicked off his 2012 output by dropping a single via Hotflush. With a rap sheet like that, it's imaginable that Andrews' talent for tunemaking will only continue to grow with each release. His "The Wait" b/w "Hands in Mine" 12" confirms the notion.

Stream Zoo Music's Inaugural Release

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 06:00:00 -0500

Last week, we tipped you off to the fact that Rinse FM's Monki (a.k.a. Lucy Monkman) launched a new record label, Zoo Music, and has set June 11 as the date for its first release. You may have heard the hard-hitting inaugural single from London teenagers TOYC and Zulu on Monki's recent Rinse FM shows, but for those of us not tuned into the underground sounds of London on 106.8, the "Needs to be Said" b/w "Nothing Borrowed" record is now available to stream in its entirety.

Cubenx "Grass (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix)"

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 05:00:00 -0500

Contrasting textures and timbres are the focal point for this blissfully abrasive remix of Mexican artist Cubenx. "Grass (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix)" is an aural pasture, with softly swaying reeds in the form of lightly reverbed pads and soothingly treated vocals taking center stage, as if Cubenx is crooning all alone in an isolated field. Telefon Tel Aviv's most interesting contributions are heavily distorted, springy kick drums, rumbling, noise-driven swells of bass, and a rough-hewn synth that grows over the course of the track into its own formidable beast. With such coarse and experimental sounds complementing the pristine and pastoral, "Grass (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix)" manages to sound like an indie track while remaining far enough outside the lines to bring in more adventurous listeners as well. The Grass Remixes EP is out now via French imprint InFiné; after grabbing the Telefon Tel Aviv rework below, have a listen to Robin Guthrie's remix of "Grass" after the jump.

Movement

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:00 -0500

Whether or not you recognize his name, it's possible that you already know Daniel Avery. Up through last year, the London-based DJ and Fabric resident was releasing jubilant analog house singles and remixes as Stopmakingme. He's since reverted to his birth name, putting out the Airstrike EP on Relish Recordings earlier this year. The follow-up EP, Movement, is his first for New York label Throne of Blood, and is largely subtler and less flashy than his previous work. While Avery's tunes are deep, infectious, and wholly club appropriate, they are particularly gratifying as head music—dipping, peaking, and weaving with an eccentric, quietly focused flair.

Scuba Announces North American Tour

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:51:37 -0500

With so much coming out of the Hotflush camp recently, it's hard to imagine that label boss Paul Rose (a.k.a. Scuba) has any time to sleep, let alone go on tour. But this summer, he will be doing just that.

The Miracles Club's Ecstasy Label Releases Compilation

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 14:00:00 -0500

Ecstasy, the label/collective helmed by Portland house revivalists The Miracles Club, just released its first compilation, a selection of 15 tracks from "friends and collaborators across the globe" aptly called Ecstasy (artwork above).

Error Operator "All Around She (Great Skies Remix)"

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 13:00:00 -0500

Offering the kind of blissful, emotive house music that fuels summertime dance parties, Great Skies' remix of Error Operator's (pictured above) "All Around She" comes via the newly minted earFOOD imprint. Featuring a straightforward beat christened with heavenly pads and Caribou-like vocal intonations, the track's central motif is actually Great Skies' (whom we've featured before) bassline. A subtly used low-frequency oscillator bends the sub melodies into new shapes as the beat progresses, providing a comfortable anchor for the remixer to paint vocals across the watercolor-smooth top end. It's a relaxing entry into crimson-soaked, sun-going-down house music, a style we'll undoubtedly be hearing more of as 2012 heats up. The Mstblove/All Around She EP is out now; listen to a full stream of the release, after the jump.

Daedelus Delivers FACT Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 12:02:42 -0500

Although the tracklist of Daedelus' brand-new FACT mix looks like a jumbled sonic hodgepodge, the producer has once again found a way to weave together disparate sounds from the likes of Bone Thugs N Harmony, Sonic Youth, Jacques Greene, and Mr. Oizo in under an hour.

Dark Ages "Wrong Ghetto"

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:00 -0500

Salva's Frite Nite crew has added a new act to its artist stable, a collaboration between Trouble & Bass' Star Eyes and 5kin (of 5kinandbone5) called Dark Ages. Warping shadowy, hardcore bass synths into a half-step/Southern-rap aesthetic, the duo's inaugural release, the First Born EP, features three tracks meant for fortified soundsystems. "Wrong Ghetto" is a propulsive head-nodder that oozes rude, peak-time attitudes all over its sparse, B-More referencing beat. Ascending mid-range tones and some sharply enveloped trance stabs outline the tune as it cascades through nonchalant vocal samples and the occasional police siren, making the song ideal for primetime deployment on darker, more street-leaning dancefloors. The new EP is available today via Frite Nite, with a Dark Ages podcast for the label to follow next week. Check out the cover art and tracklisting for the release, after the jump.

Actress, Kode9, Pilooski, and More to Play New Forms Festival 2012

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:16:36 -0500

For its twelfth year, Vancouver's New Forms Festival will commandeer a weekend in September to revel in the sights and sounds of contemporary electronic music and art.