Wunderkind

Tumbled

2011-10-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have started a new Tumblr blog for hosting my photographs. I'm going to try and keep it copy free, so this will still be the place to engage with my muso musings. The tumblr can be found here.

Omar S @ PS1

2011-08-28T20:16:00.001-07:00

Here is a review I did for Resident Advisor on Omar S at PS1. It was a great day, much enjoyed by all.

Having been held for 14 years now, MoMA PS1's Warm Up, a series of parties in the Long Island City venue's giant courtyard, have set something of a benchmark for summertime electronic music in New York. Acts like Chez Damier, DJ Harvey, Spacetime Continuum, Afrika Bambaataa and Carl Craig have provided New Yorkers with the sort of uniquely euphoric moments that this wonderful space was tailor-made for, and the recent booking of Omar-S lay the groundwork for another healthy event.

For those arriving from Manhattan, there are a number of ways of accessing the venue, but few can claim to be as good a warm up for the Warm Up as taking the water taxi from East 34th Street. After an edifying walk from the shore side, we entered to see Beppe Loda, a PS1 veteran, guiding the small but growing crowd through a selection of his trademark afro-cosmic electro. Lindstrom's "I Feel Space" sidled up comfortably alongside Henrik Schwarz's "Kuar" remix. Like a muddled cross between New Order and Oneohtrix Point Never, Steve Moore's 45 minute synth excursion after Loda's set failed to set feet a-tapping, the dance floor thinning as the beer tents bulged.

This lull played into Simian Mobile Disco's hands. Feelings tend to be divided over SMD, with harsher critics accusing them of straying closer to pop than heads down house and techno, even if Delicacies and some of the tracks on Is Fixed showed that they knew their Blake Baxter from their Burt Bacharach. Here they started strongly. Levon Vincent's "Man or Mistress" and Axel Boman's "Purple Drank" provided early highlights as a wave of cooling rain ruffled hipster hairdos. Then came Oliver $'s "Doin" Ya Thing." And then the crowd went wild. Much digital ink has been spilled over the relative vices and virtues of this Moodymann-sampling ditty. Having witnessed its rapturous reception here, it seems safe to assume that this particular crowd wasn't overly caught up in issues of intellectual property.

Omar-S took to the stage as the rain started falling more heavily, and "Here's Your Trance Now Dance" was welcomed by a patchwork of bobbing umbrellas, each a toadstool of approval. The precipitation did nothing to cool the crowd's enthusiasm, and the Detroit resident's vocal-heavy set provided a glorious complement to the simple enjoyment of dancing in the warm summer rain.

These parties do an admirable job of walking a difficult tightrope between anaesthetised commercialism, art world bureaucracy and dance floor mayhem. It is in the crowd's recognition of how unique these events are that provides the stimulus, year in, year out, for collective explosions of smiling faces and hands in the air. When the last record stopped spinning at 9 PM, most were too grateful to complain.

Halcyon Records Audio Profile

2011-08-28T18:14:00.001-07:00

Here is an audio profile I produced on Halcyon, a record store in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Thanks to Fred P and the Halcyon staff and customers for their valuable contributions.

Halcyon Record Store Profile by gabstargardter

Fred P Audio Profile

2011-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

I am now living in NYC, studying at the Columbia Journalism School. For my first audio assignment, I re-visited an old Wunderkind ally, Fred P. Catch my audio profile of him below.

Fred P Profile by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

PUEBLO

2011-04-12T05:58:00.001-07:00

On Good Friday (April 22), we will be hosting the second PUEBLO at Miss Tipsy Champagneria, Falckensteinstr. 16. The last one was a real success so if you find yourself in Berlin this Easter, pop down. Music comes from myself, Tommy, Will Davis, and Jack Haighton (RA).

Anna Steffens Interview

2011-04-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, as a wave of unseasonably warm weather hit Berlin, I found myself one Saturday afternoon in Golden Gate, one of Berlin's most underground spots. I've spoken about Golden Gate at length on this blog and don't plan to write any more about it now. For those that are interested, there is another nice piece on it here. Suffice to say though, that it stays open pretty much non-stop from Thursday through Monday, and features some of Berlin (and Germany's) younger, up and coming talents, rather than the big names you tend to see at Berghain, Arena, etc etc. Although it's not unusual to see house acts here (I remember one memorable set from Oskar Offermann and Edward), the music policy tends to be more plonkety plonk tech house, and marching minimal. Not everyone's cup of tea, but those inside don't seem to mind much. The soundsystem is compact, but punchy and always seems to deliver. On this auspicious Saturday, a young female DJ from Cologne was playing called Anna Steffens. After the show we shared a beer and a Jaegermeister and she agreed to answer a few questions. Thanks a lot to Anna, and if you find yourself in Cologne, go check her out.

Hi, could you tell me a bit about yourself, and where you come from?

Hi, I'm from Cologne and I've been living there for ten years now. I grew up in Remagen, near Bonn, and after school I moved to Cologne to work in the media. But then I decided to study (Music, English, Communication) and started DJing by the way.

How did you end up DJing in Golden Gate? How did your set go?

Two years ago I played in Wilde Renate and someone listened to my set. He's a friend of the guys who do the 5vor12 parties and he asked the booker to invite me to play one afternoon. I liked the atmosphere and the staff and crowd were really nice. It was fun to play there and i think they liked what i played, I didn't hear any contrary. :):)

Is Golden Gate well-known throughout Germany?

If you know the clubs in Berlin I think you may know Golden Gate as well. It´s a Berlin institution and exists for a long time now.

How would you describe your sound?

I don't like this stereotyping in describing sounds but i would say it's groovy deephouse going ahead.

How does playing in Berlin compare to playing in Cologne?

In Berlin the clubs are open from Friday til Monday. In Cologne we don't have this afterhour phenomenon, clubs close at 7/8 in the morning. Apart from that it's not very different.

Do you release music? Do you have any plans to do so?

I go to the studio with a friend whenever we have time. I have Abelton at home and I try to learn a bit more now and then. But i have a job as well and not the time to be a full-time DJ or spend my time in the studio the whole week. We already did some tracks but we haven't yet sent them to anyone. But I don't stress myself with releasing something.

What's your next step in terms of DJing? Do you have any goals?

I don't have any concrete plans in terms of DJing. I just go with the flow and stay with my style of sound. What will be, will be. :):)

A&S

2011-04-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

I will be playing this Saturday at Arm & Sexy, everyone's favourite Berlin shindig. It kicks off at 11pm at Hermannstr. 164, hope to see you there...

Ana Helder Mix

2011-03-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

Very excited to post the latest in the Wunderkind Mix series, this time from Ana Helder, a vastly talented Argentinian producer who recently released her debut on Cómeme, Matías Aguayo's label. The eponymous record mixed classic Detroit and Chicago jackers with hallucinatory, often mind-warping disco funeral dirges. In short, a truly staggering debut. Ana's mix features lots of new material from a host of South American underground names including Mamacita, Isaac, and Daniel Maloso, sitting ever so comfortably alongside Right Said Fred and Dee-Lite. Thanks so much to the lovely Ana for this great mix, and let's hope we will see her in Europe soon. Interview and tracklist below.

Download here.

Stream below.

Ana Helder Wunderkind Mix by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

Could you tell me a bit about your musical influences? What did you listen to as a kid?

As a kid I listened to a lot of Otis Redding, Bob Marley, Madonna, Sumo, “El tortelín y el canelón”, Spice Girls, Prodigy, Nirvana, Massive Attack, Actitud Maria Marta, TLC, Los Illya Kuryaki.

You are from Argentina. Could you tell me a little bit about the music scene there?

The music scene in Argentina is very varied and in clubs you hear reggaeton, cumbia, electropop, minimal, techhouse, dubstep and lots more. I’m not so into the larger clubs which tend to be, I don’t know, not my scene. A bit excessive. January was pretty cool though. Cómeme took over a a small parador in Buenos Aires where you could dance all afternoon. Gary Rock was there and over the course of the afternoon, lots of other DJs popped over and we all played together. Diegors came from Chile just for the show and whilst there, I got to know Dani Nijensohn, Mascarpone, Ceci y Fer and lots of other BA DJs, like the DJs Pareja. Everyone came and brought their music on CD or MP3 or whatever and played. It was special because there aren’t many places here where people can come and play music and dance and have a drink during the afternoon. Then there’s also the Bumbumbox parties which are with a soundsystem on batteries.

In your EP you can hear clear house and techno influences from Chicago and Detroit. Were these important influences for you? How did you get into this music?

Well I feel I grew up with this music. It was always around. Not so much in Argentina, but I got into it through the “New dance show of Detroit” clips on Youtube. In my house, we listened to a lot of rock, reggae, classical, experimental, pop, you name it. At about 12 I started going out and there I heard electronic music, but I was never so into it. I really started getting into it a few years ago via the “Youtube revival” (in quotation marks because it never really went away). That and ripped vinyls. I think those were my main influences.

How did you meet Matías Aguayo and how did the release come about?

I got to know Matías via Myspace. I liked what they were doing with Bumbumbox and the Cómeme label. I wrote to them to tell them that, and they always replied with really positive vibes. One day they wrote to tell me that they wanted to have a copy of the ‘Complicado’ MP3 which I had on my Myspace. They said they had been playing it at a few parties and that they wanted to edit it. Later I met with Gary and Euge in BA, we went out, had a great time, and that night I also met Pablo Castoldi, who drew the image for the cover of my release. I first met Matías last summer in Santiago where we played at a few parties. Whilst there we did the mix of Next Club, at Diegors’ house. We also made ‘Camuchi’ there. The rest of the tracks I made at my house in Rosario, and I passed them to them via Soundcloud.

You use your voice in your music. Is this important for you? do you think you will continue to use it in future releases?

Yeah I definitely want to keep using voices and mine as well. I find that one’s voice is the best tool for getting ideas out of my head. When I have a melody, first I sing it, then put it on MIDI, and go from there.

I like your music a lot, but it is also very strange, very unique, and i mean that in a good way. How did you come to this bizarre, weird sound?

Mainly through trying different things, listening to the track thousands of times, to see which arrangements are ok, which I should leave out, which structure works best, and so on, all according to my slightly madcap ideas. Styles are already very defined I find, and to adhere to one style, you have to leave lots of other arrangements behind that you might also like. So I struggle between going with what I like, and what I think works, but then also whether or not something works stylistically. Cómeme have helped me a lot with this. To be honest, my record is very varied. One track is disco, the next techno, and so on. I think that no track on there could easily be pidgeon-holed though. But as Witold Grombrowicz says, there is no real form, only immaturity.

I also notice lots of other non-electronic influences from South America, like cumbia, and champeta. Which Latin American styles are important to you? Have any particularly influenced you?

Haha. I imagine this comes from listening to Matias and Diegors play so much champeta. I’m not so sure there are latin rhythms per se in my music though. I can understand what you mean, but I don’t know if they are specifically latin, more universal.

What music have you been listening to recently that you have been enjoying?

I’ve been listening to some new tracks by Mamacita. She is a Chilean artist who has just moved to BA, and luckily, I went to hear her play for a recording on the www.enlaterraza.com show. I’ve also been listening to a band, Isaac, that is from Russia and a guy called Rony Douglas. That and lots of other things ranging from the Hotmix blog, to European and Chilean radio stations, to the music friends play me at home and at parties.

Have you got any plans afoot for developing your sound, any goals in mind, long or short term?

I have no plans at the moment. I would say that I now have more experience in how to organise myself before making a new track. I’ve also been loaned some new equipment, I bought a controller, and my state of mind is now more positive, which helps me develop new material.

What does the future hold in store for you? Are you going to release more music via Comeme?

At the moment, nothing is certain. Soon I will head back home to Rosario as I am in Santiago at the moment. Once there I will start working on some new staff, or continue with ones i have already started.

Do you have any plans for visiting Europe or any other countries?

I would love to go to Europe but I need something that could take me there. Now I am in Chile where they always seem to welcome me with open arms, and I would like to go to Brazil too. To be honest, I’d be happy to go anywhere!

What equipment do you use to make your music?

Fruity loops, Ableton and lots of plug ins.

When did you start making music?

In 2003 I started making music with a guitar and programming with fruity Loops. Later I got more into techno, electro and disco.

How long does it take you to make a track? is it quick or do you take your time?

“Mugre” and “Buena puntería” were really quick, like half a day. The rest took a bit longer but I went over them hundreds of times trying to see how I could make them better, what was missing and so on: about a month with each. If after a month I still wasn’t tired of them then I decided there must be something in there that was alright.

Tracklist:

K- Alexi - Don't you know (Chicago feel mix) - Dopewax
Matias Aguayo - Naranja - Total/Kompakt
Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy (Betty's Mix) - Control
Matias Aguayo - Naranja - Total/Kompakt
Daniel Maloso - Caracol - Cómeme
Diegors - Marcup Mipp - Cómeme
Mamacita - Mi Corazon
Angelique Kidjo - Batonga (Jungle Stomp Instrumental) - Great Jones
Gesloten Cirkel - Yamagic - Moustache
Ana Helder - el groove de tu corazón - Cómeme
Isaac - One - Cómeme
Ana Helder & Diegors - Camuchi - Cómeme
Olivia Newton - John - I need love (A Deep Need For Love Mix) - Geffen
Deee-Lite - Pussycat Meow (Murk Boys Miami Mix) - Elektra
Erotic Drum Band - Plug me to death - Prism reocrds
Ana Helder - Complicado -Cómeme
Daniel Maloso - No doy nada - Cómeme

PUEBLO

2011-03-02T05:13:00.000-08:00

On Friday 11 March, we will be running a new monthly night at Pigalle Bar, an ex-brothel on Sanderstr. 17, here in Berlin. I will be djing alongside Will Lynch from RA and Sarah Joy Murray, his delightful other half. Hope to see y'all there...

A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!

2011-02-17T01:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the most interesting article I wrote whilst at The Observer. A list of more boring ones can be found here.

The Oxford Tube Mix

2011-02-17T01:10:00.000-08:00

I've been incredibly busy of late. After spending a week in London working at The Observer, I'm now back in Berlin for a few days before leaving for Copenhagen early tomorrow morning, and Spain on Tuesday morning. Whilst in London, I found myself on a somewhat boring coach journey between Oxford and the capital, and decided to lay down a brief mix of recently-enjoyed tunes. It can be perused below. Apologies to the pretty girl sat next to me. I hope I wasn't the reason she chose to disembark at Hillingdon.

The Oxford Tube Mix by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

Marko Fürstenberg - In Der Pappelei
Mood II Swing - Move Me
Mod.Civil - Somebody To Love
Tolga Fidan - Berg
Simon Baker - Too Slow (Radio Slave Panorama Garage Remix)
Amadou Et Mariam - Sabali (Vitalic Remix)
Head High - It's A Love Thing (Piano Invasion)
Alan Fitzpatrick - A Small Decline (Mark Broom Dubbed Mix)
Anna Helder - Next Club
Appleblim & Ramadanman - Void 23 (Carl Craig Re-Edit)

Bist du dabei?

2011-01-25T02:39:00.000-08:00

Here is another mix, this time with 75% new tracks. There is also a great deal of Rush Hour in there, testament to how strong they were in 2010. Enjoy.

Bist Du Dabei? Mix by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

Thugfucker/Plastic Bertrand - Disco Gnome (Tomboy Remix)/Stop Ou Encore (Ron Hardy Re-Edit) [Life or Death]
Massimiliano Pagliara - Sensation 9 (Dubbed Remix) [Rush Hour]
Maurice Joshua (With Hot Hula Hands) - I Got A Big Dick (Vocal) [Trax]
West Norwood Cassette Library - Blonde On Blonde (Pearson Sound Remix) [Teal]
Delta Funktionen - Silhouette (Original Mix) [Delsin]
Snuff Krew - Are You House (Neville Watson Remix) [Snuff Trax]
Carl Craig - Angel (Jerome Sydenham Vocal Dub) [Planet E]
Dj Koze - Mi Cyaan Believe [Pampa]
Braiden - The Alps (Kassem Mosse Fix) [Doldrums]
Mount Kimbie - William (Tama Sumo & Prosumer Remix) [Hotflush]
Italoboyz - Dont Talk Feat Fadila (Simone Tavazzi Remix) [Material]
Chymera - Curl [Dirt Crew]
Rick Wilhite - Get On Up!! (Theo Parrish' Late Dub) [Rush Hour]
Tevo Howard - Move (Acid Mix) [Rush Hour]

Mozzarella Minimal

2011-01-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

About this time last year, I wrote a post regarding the new breed of Italian mnml. In a recent RA profile, Davide Squillace points out that Naples has always been a techno town. Specifically, he highlights the first time he heard the Minus bandwagon roll into town:

'Yeah, we had for the first time Richie [Hawtin] playing in Napoli and the Detroit wave blew our minds, because before that we were into this English sounding progressive thing and with this new wave from America, this was the sound we wanted to promote and what we wanted to do. We did Jeff Mills, Model 500, Derrick May.

I'm a huge fan of Richie back in the day because it seemed to me that he'd just put one huge record on, the flow was so logical. It didn't sound like mixing records, it just sounded like one big long vinyl. You know when you are a kid and you have a hero? My brother's was a football player. Mine was Richie.'

The Hawtin element is not hard to discern in recent Italian mnml. it can be found everywhere from the artists' stage names to their sparse, technologically driven (cheap?) sounds. Squillace goes on to note that 'Richie [Hawtin] is really big in Italy and Minus is huge there.' No surprise there. A current look at the Beatport Top 100 includes tracks from Luigi Rocca, Stefano Noferini, Andrea Bertolini, Simone Cattaneo, Alex Gardini, Gianluca Meloni, Simone Tavazzi (who actually did a great Italoboyz remix of 'Don't Talk' feat. Fadila), and Squillace himself. They dominate the Tech House and Minimal genre sections even more. So one year on, it appears mozzarella minimal has become an established part of the electronic music world. Demau5 must be quaking in his boots, that is if he hasn't already signed these guys up.

Knight Riders

2010-12-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

Inland Knights are just about to release their latest Drop Music compilation, and it is a very enjoyable listen. As the acceptable face of Funky House (they put both the Fun, and the K-Y into Funky), their floor-friendly tunes bounce about with just enough lashings of funk, bluesy chopped up vocals and flair to still sound relevant. This is route one house music that sounds all the better for it. I've been listening to it on repeat and although there is the odd duff track, they all make one want to get up and shake some ass. Particular favourites include Move Over and Kept Secret, both revelling in a Todd Edwards meets MCDE atmosphere.

Inland Knights - Inland Bites: Knights Classics (Drop Music) (Preview Clips) by Kahua Music

Xmas Rush

2010-12-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas pop tunes are something everyone loves to hate but you can't deny the tiny buzz you get when you hear the first one of the year, even if they have got annoying by the day itself. Having loved the XLR8R Professor Smith's Reggae Xmas mix at the end of 2007, I have always thought it odd that the EDM fraternity never released Christmas themed releases. Here, DJ Koze delivers on the fine A & R work of previous Pampa releases to deliver a very Nathan-not-Nathan Fake track that's got a real yuletide feel, a tad cheesy but interesting enough to be worthwhile.

The Koze track is one to be used sparingly, and may even be overplayed so pungent is its effect, and makes this one of the quirkiest releases I have heard in a while.

Arm aber Sexy

2010-12-10T02:29:00.001-08:00

Quick heads up for a party I'm playing tomorrow evening here in Berlin. It's the Arm&Sexy Xmas bash and they're always fun so do pop along. It kicks off at 11pm, and I'm playing 4am-6am. See you there hopefully.

Kleine Pause

2010-12-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so first off, it's been a while. I got back to Berlin on 1 August, and spent the next month donating my savings (read overdraft) to the Bar 25 closing collection fund which was naturally fun, if not a little exhausting. Berlin Mach 2 is a little different to last time. Certain key ingredients have changed, for the better I'm sure, whilst other things have remained reassuringly the same. It's been weird returning from the Tropics to central Europe. My listening habits have changed (matured?) and for large periods of time, I no longer felt the need to write about electronic music. One of the most striking things about Berlin, at least as far as electronic music is concerned, is just how damn clued up the crowds are. It's not rare to go to a party and hear the first 4 bars of a track transitioning from the old one, and to see the crowd explode in (on?) ecstasy. Whilst I'm busy scratching my head, trying to locate the beat, the melody, the chords, whatever, I cannot help but think, "Is there really any need for another music blog out there, when there's so many websites that do it all so much better?", especially when everyone else out here seems to be two verses ahead on the same hymn sheet.

So instead of writing over the past few months (here at least: let me assure you I have been writing more than ever elsewhere), I have begun ploughing a different furrow. I in no way consider myself a DJ and certainly not one of even the most minor distinction, but i have enjoyed over the previous six or so months, finally getting to mix and match the tunes I adore so much. Having also had the opportunity to play them out (under the stars on Caribbean beaches, in sweaty Freidrichshain backrooms, and in fusty Neukolln kneipes), it's also been great to see how those tunes, almost all of them made explicitly for dancing, are received by the punters. In all honesty, it's been a blast. So instead of writing more, I thought I would post a few mixes I have made of late.

The first one I made was just as autumn was drawing in, and I hope, reflects that somewhat.

Herbststimmung Mix by gabstargardter

Absolute Reason - Stereodancer [Weaked]
Espenhain (Sgi_s Remix) - Marko Fürstenberg [Baum]
Purple Drank - Axel Boman [Pampa]
Those Eyes - Ethyl and Flori [Quintessentials]
Paper Moon - 51 Days [Touché]
Pressure - Zak Khutoretsky aka DVS1 [Transmat]
Games Dub - Levon Vincent [Underground Quality]
Move To The Beat - Bernard Badie/Sun - Caribou [Mojuba/City Slang]
ZX81 (Ramadanman Refix) - dBridge [Fat City]
Three Blind Rats - Omar S [FXHE]
Things Pass - Basic Soul Unit [Ostgut Ton]
Mortal Trance - Boo Williams [Rush Hour]
Long Time - Inland Knights [Drop Music]
Freek 'N You (MK Dub) - Jodeci [Uptown]
Blind (Serge Santiago Chicago Edit) - Hercules and Love Affair [White Label]
Windowlicker (Run Jeremy Band Remix) - Aphex Twin [White Label]
Sick - Basti Grub & Komaton [Cocoon]

Next up was one I made whilst recovering from the world's most painful ear infection. I couldn't hear so good in my right ear: hopefully that isn't reflected so much in the mix.

By The Wayside Mix by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

Efdemin - There Will Be Singing
Dennis Ferrer - Sinfonia Della Notte
E Dancer - The Human Bond
Lovebirds - The Rat
Jus Ed - I'm Coming (Levon Vincent Remix)
Sascha Dive - Rd's Movement (Randy Watson Variation #4)
Skudge - Melodrama
Terre Thaemlitz - Masturjakor - Dub Mix
John Dahlback - Wet Summer
Alexander Robotnik - Problemes D'Amour (Dub)
Alex Smith - Ultra Fine Two

Download here.

And finally, this third mix represents some of the slower (dare I say it, world music) jams that have been tickling my cochlea of late. This is strictly non-4/4 and a direct result of my attendance at Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt and the Berlin Philarmoinc.

Mo' Flow Slo' Mo Mix by Gabstargardter on Mixcloud

Alberto Iglesias - Me Voy A Morir De Tanto Amor
Ahava Raba - Nokh A Glezl Vayn
Alomzo "Lonnie" Johnson - Jelly Roll Baker
Andres - Hey Time To Go!
Banda Los Hijos De La Nina Luz - Dejala Corte
Beny More - Encantado De La Vida
Jehst - Bluebells
Bernard Herrmann / Robert De Niro - Diary Of A Taxi Driver
Caetano Veloso - Cucurrucucú Paloma (Live)
Shed - The Bot/Vincent Gallo - Yes I'm Lonely
Solange Knowles - Stillness Is The Move
Kojo Antwi - Proverbs
José Larralde - Quimey Neuquen (Chancha Via Circuito Remix)
Clouds - Elders
Zinja Hlungwani - N'Wagezani My Love
Forest Swords - Hjurt
Fabrizio De Andre & Pfm - I Dieci Comandamenti
Gentle Mystics - Wastebasket
Jah Wobble, Holgar Czukay & Jaki Liebezeit - How Much Are They?
Los Invasores - El Raton
Lil Wayne - Me and My Drank

Download here.

That's enough for the time being but I will promise to write more and record less.

Currently Enjoying...

2010-07-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Aside from this, is anyone starting to notice the creeping influence of French house worming its way back into the hearts and minds of the EDM cognoscenti. Ark, Jef K, Pépé Bradock, Chloe, Nôze, and the rest of the Circus Comapny bandwagon have rolled into town and seem to show no signs of leaving. Coupled with this Gallic invasion, we have to add the trend that abounds at the moment of slowing shit d o w n. Nicolas Jaar, MCDE, and nearly everyone else seems quite content to let shit rumble along at 115-120 bpm for hours at a time. I was relistening to Ricardo's 'Blood on my Hands' remix the other day, undoubtedly one of his tamer works, and that clocks in at a staggering 128, a tempo perhaps more readily associated with gurnered I-Tie wraparound-beshaded tech-house than anything current and "housey".

Big Willie Style

2010-07-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

Township Tech Revisited

2010-07-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Following on from my Shakira/vuvuzuela/South Africa World Cup rant, Blackdown weighs in with a far more nuanced survey of the current influences in the UK Bass scene, focusing particularly on the cross-fertilisation between South African riddims and grime, post-garage and funky. I can't honestly claim to be aware of any of the producers he mentions other than Mujava, but it is nonetheless interesting to note the influence of Rinse Breakfast shows on the SA yute. It reminds me of one of my favourite articles in Vice (does anyone read that hipster wankrag anymore), 'MOGADISHU MASSIVE: Grime is No. 1 in Hell'.

The journo, Herp J T Smith (?), found himself in Somalia on a surfing trip, and whilst there, found the local kids bouncing around to Boy in Da Corner. As he investigated further, it turned out that one of his local connects, ""Bari" seemed like he had a sweet hook-up in London. He ran home and brought back a stack of crazy tapes that comprised a huge library of unreleased material from "Disssseee" recording sessions. These were tracks that the biggest Grime aficionado in New York would sweat. Tracks that most likely didn't make it to record because the samples couldn't be cleared. The quality was super bad, but as soon as they cranked it up, the Rol Deep Krew was jumping and dancing like it was being piped down straight from the pearly Bose in the sky. We hung with the Grime kids for a while as they strutted up and down the dirty streets of the worst town in the world, rocking the most progressive and relevant music being made in Western culture today."

Ok, pointless 2006 grime-is-manna-from-heaven-hyperbole aside, it is worth pointing out that this scenic miscegenation, noted by Blackdown, isn't exactly new. These future-tanker-marauding pirates and warlords were fully aware of the big boys in the hip hop world - "Somalis don't like American rap much, either. Some of it they were into, like early NWA and Snoop, but they were most decidedly NOT down with 50 or Puffy. They talked about how the American rappers were "niggers," poor and stupid. "We aren't niggers," they told me, so they didn't want to listen to that shit" - but they shunned it in favour of So Solid or Roll Deep. As such, it doesn't seem that surprising, given the astounding reach of the internet etc etc etc, that these comparative trust fund kids in South Africa would be hip to the latest London hop, when their Somali cousins were five steps ahead, jamming to unreleased tracks that most heads in London could only dream of getting hold of. Suddenly this whole globalisation thing seems a whole lot more benign.

Nate-turally

2010-06-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

The DJ Nate profile in this month's WIRE magazine (in which you can also find my vallenato article, and an interesting Dereck Walmsley review of a recently released champeta compilation) is interesting and well worth reading. The article begins by flagging house as a touch stone, but I'm not too convinced. There's very little evidence of a reliance on a kickdrum and the tempo is disorientatingly off kilter. I also wonder how you would go about incorporating one of these footwork tracks into a traditional house or techno set.

It's not that surprising to learn then, that Planet Mu are set to release an album in the not too distant future. With Sherburne raving about the promo tracks, and the future looking exceedingly bright for young Nate, it will be interesting to see if he follows in the footsteps of Wunderkind podcaster and beatsmith par excellence Kyle Hall in joining the dots between mid western dance music and UK bass. To be honest, its lucky Nate seems able to shit out about 3 tracks a minute because based on a brief perusal on Youtube, not all his work is up to the relatively high standards above. However, perhaps the most interesting thing about the article is this revealing comment:

"It's getting to the point where people can make music without even having a real program," he notes, clearly excited by the democracy of it. "[They] use the demo version and still come out with whole songs."

Is that not the germ of the Playstation beat/Grime circa 2002/3 philosophy taken to its logical, corner-cutting extreme? And perhaps more pertinently, what does that say for Juke/Footwork riddims? Flavour of the month, only to be archived by musical taste makers as some sort of DIY, rage doth spew from the streets, nadir never to be reached again?

Hungry

2010-06-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the UK and basically listening to the same (style of) music I was listening to when I left.

Summer Solstice Stonehenge

2010-06-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

It may be crustier than parent/teacher day at a Steiner school, but yesterday was one of the best dates in the British party calendar. The Summer Solstice at Stonehenge, the pagan celebration of the longest day of the year, is a truly special event (if the weather holds). I went in 2005 with a huge lump of hash, a Platypus filled with two bottles of cheap red wine, and had one of the best nights of my life. There is no amplified music, and instead, it is best understood as an organic rave, with hundreds of drummers from across the country congregating in the centre of the stone circle, and pursuing their own riddim until suddenly, as if by magic, all the drums start communicating with each other, and ever so slowly, they start building up a slow, potent brew of a beat that has as much bite as the hardest techno or drum n bass. If you ever find yourself in Wiltshire in or around the 20th June, and the weather looks good, I would strongly recommend going, you won't regret it.

Americano

2010-06-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Is this respectable Bar 25 fodder or the worst idea ever committed to wax? File next to this:

Solid Groove

2010-06-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Can't quite believe this is from Switch working under his Solid Groove moniker. I knew Switch started off working within the realms of house before jetting off into hipster/Diplo/M.I.A/electroreggaehousehop territory but I never expected this. Also amazing to note it was released on Dubisided, a label better known for releasing Nadastrom-esque electro bangers. Still trying to get my head round it all.

Elfin Flight

2010-06-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

I really feel that Ben Klock is going through one of the most productive periods of his career right now. I've really been enjoying his Berghain 04 mix. Unlike Dettmann's, who I always felt - since 2008 and the release of his much-lauded Berghain mix - Klock has been somewhat in the shadown of, it is not unrelentlessly bleak, with splashes of retro-bleakness thrown in for good measure. I also preferred Klock's album to Dettmann's and I feel his more catholic attitude to what exactly techno can be is more refreshing. He adds lashes of funk which Dettmann wholly ignores or obsucrues with his unrelentless punishment of beats. Check out Elfin Flight from Berghain 04. I think it's quite lovely which is something you would struggle to level against a Dettmann composition. It can be heard here.

Currently Enjoying...

2010-06-15T08:32:00.000-07:00

I've also really been enjoying the Arkpocalypse album by Ark, but can't find any of the tracks on Youtube. I enjoyed the 'Obamark' tune, and also the Misunderstood remix called 'Rising'. My friend Tommy at RA says he doesn't like Nina Simone remixes because he likes the originals so much. I'm inclined to agree with him, but I dig 'Rising' as it uses the sample sample used by Lil Wayne in Tha Carter III to equally devastating effect. I should also begrudgingly point out that I am also quite digging this:

The Wire

2010-06-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I went to Valledupar for the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenta, and I subsequently wrote an article on it for The Wire magazine. There is a jpeg of the article above, but I would recommend purchasing the mag as there are some other really cool pieces in there, including an interview with The Bug.

Sandwiched between the verdant peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Serrania del Perija mountain ranges in north-eastern Colombia, Valledupar is the capital of the Cesar region and spiritual home of vallenato, an idiosyncratic form of Colombian folk music that is typified by its use of the German accordion. For the last 43 years, the town has annually thrown open its doors to all and sundry in celebration of its best-known export. The Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata is a four-day vallenato bender that brings an influx of well-to-do tourists from across the country who come to sample the delights not only of the music, but also of the entire vallenato culture.

Given the disregard that some Colombians show towards vallenato (although this is changing), it can be surprising to learn how deeply calcified the genre’s mythology has become. According to local legend, the first vallenatero was Francisco Moscote Guerra, or “‘Francisco El Hombre’, as he is most commonly known. Whilst he travelled the region reciting local lore, much like the French troubadours of the Middle Ages, he came across the devil, who challenged him to a duel. After hearing the devil’s rendition, Francisco replied by playing the Lord’s Prayer in reverse, confusing the devil and causing him to explode in a puff of sulphur.

In more historically accurate terms, vallenato is a product of wave after wave of immigration. The three basic instruments – the German accordion; the caja vallenata (a skin drum of African descent); and the guacharaca (a ridged, hollowed-out stick that is scraped with a wire fork) – perfectly represent the fusion of cultural influences that vallenato encapsulates.

The first accordion arrived in the region in 1850. At that time, Riohacha, the capital of Cesar’s neighbouring Guajira region, was a more important port than either Cartagena or Barranquilla, and was used as a base by Austrian, German and Dutch pearl hunters. In need of an easily transportable instrument for their long sea journeys, these adventurous sailors brought the German Schifferklavier accordion (usually made by Hohner) with them, and it soon spilled over into the local communities, a hybrid mix of black slave descendents, Kogi, Aruhaco, and Wayuu indigenous peoples, and mulatto Spaniards.

By all accounts, the accordion hit the Colombian coast like a plague, but as Félix Carrillo Hinojosa, a local folklorist, vallenatero, and the man responsible for getting vallenato recognised at the Latin Grammys, points out, “it was the only invader in our history that hasn’t done us any harm”. Within a couple of years, there were three official Hohner outlets along the coast, but despite the interest, it remained an instrument of the proletariat, the perfect complement to the lackadaisical myth making tendencies of Gabriel García Márquez’s otherworldly land.

Yet for all the lack of specificity surrounding vallenato’s origins, the rules for those competing at the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata are strictly codified. One of the striking things, particularly for a European, is how analogous vallenato practices are with the culture of the pre-Renaissance and even Hellenic worlds. The Dionysia was the largest of the Greek tragedy festivals, during which playwrights would present three tragedies they had composed especially for the event, often followed by a shorter, comic satyr play. Most of the choral parts were sung, and the winner was chosen by the public. The Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata also partakes in this competitive cultural agenda: the prize, for accordion players at least, is to be crowned Rey Vallenato, literally the king of vallenato. In order to win, they have to excel in one of each of the four aires or rhythms: the paseo, the merengue, the son and the puya. The finals take place in a specially designed amphitheatre.

Another key part of the competition since the time of Francisco El Hombre’s confrontation with the devil has been the piqueria. Much like hiphop MC battles, the themes explored in these lyrical jousts can make or break the reputations of aspiring vallenateros. In Valledupar, the the official business is split between the Plaza Alfonso López , a shady colonial square in the heart of the city, and the specially designed Parque de la Leyenda Vallenata "Consuelo Araújonoguera", but every street corner is littered with parrandas, hired musicians who serenade the whiskey-guzzling drug dealers and their bored-looking women. Throughout the city, the squawking tones of the accordion are an incessant accompaniment, with the tinny speakers of passing taxi cabs distorting the yodel-like choruses into something eerily dulcet and foreign. In these uproarious surroundings, vallenato can be hard to love, but it’s difficult not to enjoy.

The 43rd Festival was a homage to the life of Rafael Escalona, the founder of the festival and lifelong friend of García Marquez, who once told him that his novel One Hundred Years Of Solitude was little more than a 350-page vallenato. Accordingly, all aspirants to Rey Vallenato were obliged to play one of his compositions.

Julián Mojica grew up under Escalona’s influence, and he is testament to the growth of vallenato in recent years, not only in popularity, but also in credibility. Hailing from the mountainous region of Boyacá, this young accordion player came third in the Rey Vallenato competition this year, but his dedication to the genre is unwavering, despite its relative lack of popularity in the interior of the country.

His supporters however, sum up much of what the festival is about. Gorging on Old Parr, a blended Scotch whisky that is sold almost exclusively in Colombia and which is the drink of choice for most festivalgoers (leading some to rebrand the town ‘Valldeoldparr’), they represent a growing sub-section of the Colombian population: financially independent, free to travel safely domestically, and keen to celebrate their cultural heritage. With their artisanal hats and their flash, imported pickup trucks, they are the modern face of vallenato, both agrarian and moneyed, simple yet sophisticated. As Hinojosa acknowledges, this frisson between high and low culture is integral to the genre’s genetic composition, and part of its enduring charm: “Vallenato is a generous music; noble, humble, simple, but above all generous.”

Candyflip

2010-06-10T16:40:00.001-07:00

Just another quick heads up for a party I'm playing at on Saturday. It's called Candyflip. The facebook page can be found here. It kicks off at 3pm at Rancho Deli in Salgar and finishes early the next morning (Sunday). I'm not entirely sure what time I'm playing at yet. I asked for the sunset slot or late late late. I guess it'll have to be a surprise. I must admit though, I'm a little worried. The rain has been pretty much incessant here of late and an open air rave next to the sea riddled with mosquitoes doesn't bode well, but I'm keeping everything crossed, and hope that God, in his omnipotence, is feeling kind. This one ain't free, but at 10,000 pesos or just over 3 quid, it's not too spenny, and they assure me they have a dope soundsystem lined up. Hopefully see you there.

Monstrous

2010-06-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

So I didn't get deported. Crazy really because the guys at the DAS didn't notice that I've overstayed my visa, even though it was quite clearly stated on my Passport when I had to leave the country. It's always a thin line between love and hate with bureaucrats don't you think? So I didn't get deported, but perhaps more worrying, I joined Twitter. That's a lie actually. It turns out I had already joined Twitter and I had no idea. Either way, the bollocks that comes to me when I should be working can be read in its tragi-comic entirety here.

I just finished watching the World Cup Concert (is that what it's called? I'm sure it has some official name that I'm too lazy to look up). Although Colombia won't be attending the World Cup finals, they feel somewhat assuaged in that they have two artists representing them in the aforementioned concert, Shakira and Juanes. I find it offensive that a South African artist wasn't chosen for the official World Cup anthem, but you can't second guess FIFA. I actually wrote an article on the legal wranglings between Golden Sounds, the artists that recorded the original Zangalewa, and Shakira's management which can be read here. That track was a huge hit in Cartagena in the 80s, appealing as it did to the large ex-slave community that surrounds the city. Even so, I very much doubt the FIFA orgainsing committee knew that when they commissioned Shakira to reinterpret it, and even if they did, wouldn't it have been more ethically responsible not to mention fair and just, to have allowed at the very least an African if not South African artist to play with it instead of Shakira, a Colombian of Lebanese descent!?

This got me to thinking what my ideal "off-World Cup" ceremony would look like. I'm still working on the list but I'm certain these two tracks would feature prominently.

Not only are both by South African artists, they also exploded internationally and represent landmarks in regional dance music. My Zimbabwean ex-girlfriend assures me that South Africa is known more for tacky Bonkers-style raves than sleek, minimal Euro affairs. Fine. I can dig that. At least it's indigenous. I just think force-feeding Africans re-branded versions of their own music by way of internationally recognised pop stars is little more than window-dressed cultural colonialism raising its ugly head.

Blighty

2010-06-07T20:39:00.001-07:00

I should be back in the UK soon. I've got a meeting with the DAS to extend my visa tomorrow but there is a pretty high chance I might get deported. I was given 60 days on the 7th April. Tomorrow is the 8th June. I hope they don't give me too much hassle. Either way though, I'm really looking forward to going back home for a bit. What with living in BLN for all that time and then living in the Tropics, I've been pretty far away from the action for a while. There's a new government to inspect, friends to catch up with, pints to sink, glasses to clink, and whole host of other treats to look forward to. Colombia's been great, although a bit of a roller coaster ride of late, and I'm looking forward to reminiscing with people I have a shared cultural history with. God bless the Queen and all that jazz.

Rasshole

2010-06-07T20:31:00.001-07:00

The more weed smoke I puff,
The more dangerous.

Injah

2010-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

And suddenly it's 2005 all over again. I can almost smell the incense.

Catavoguing

2010-06-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

Two top Troja tunes. The first is probably no secret to anyone who knows even the slightest thing about salsa. Hector Lavoe. After that its Pupy y Su Charanga combining his nascent singing career with his long-standing interest in real estate (bienes raices) to show those haters that you really can kill two birds with one stone.

High Times

2010-06-07T18:30:00.000-07:00

Nikolay is allegedly the tallest man in the world. He's not though. He's 7cm smaller than the tallest man in the world, but that hasn't stopped him being advertised as such by his 'handler' Santiago Maradona, the owner of the Argentine Circus which just rolled into Barranquilla. They arrived the same day as the Colombian League Final, this year contested by Barranquilla's own Junior, in their home stadium, thereby forcing the circus to have to wait 24 hours to pitch their tent. That really sums up everything you need to know about the Argentine Circus. The article I wrote on Nikolay, a twenty-first century attraction at what, let's call a spade a spade, is a travelling freak show, can be read here.

A Warning

2010-06-04T14:41:00.000-07:00

There's gonna be a lot of slow singin'
And flower bringin',
If I hear my burgular alarm ringin'

Final Call: Tropiriddims

2010-05-27T07:12:00.001-07:00

Just a final call for all those in the Carribbean coast of Colombia this weekend, to come on down to the Patio Tropical at the Alianza Francesa for PROPAGANDA. I will be playing from 12.30am - 2am. Because of the elections, it looks like it will be LEY SECA (ie. no alcohol). However, I'm told by reliable sources that this has made little difference in previous years, and you could always slip a hippy of Ron Medellin in the boxers, the security aren't all that demanding. The Resident Advisor link for the event can be found here.

Habanera

2010-05-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning after spending the night at Barranquilla's trashiest gay nightspot, I had the pleasure of interviewing Yoani Sanchez, a Cuban blogger who was named by Time as one of the most influential people in the world, and praised by Barack Obama for revealing from within the harsh realities of life in Communist Cuba. The article is in Spanish and I won't be translating, but please endeavour with it, I'm kind of proud of it. Read it here.

Crimson Fridge

2010-05-20T09:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a mix from a good friend, and school buddy of Wunderkind collaborator Gringo, Crimson Fridge. Mixed by DJ Dangerous, and currently being spun on the streets of Frankfurt and Belgrade, expect tough gangster rap with melifluous hooks, and winnowy instrumentals. The mix, including cover art, can be downloaded here.

Propaganda

2010-05-19T13:48:00.001-07:00

Just a quick heads up for a party I'm playing at here in Barranquilla in just over a week's time. The party is called Propaganda, and I'm closing it out from 12.30am - 2am. If ANYONE happens to be in the area, the party is at the Alianza Francesa, on Friday 28th May. It kicks off at 9.30pm, and its FREE! More information can be found here.

La Troja-n Virus

2010-05-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure how one manages to catch a cold when the average daytime temperature hovers somewhere in the mid-30s, but somehow I managed it. Aside from watching BBC News non-stop, I've also been reliving some wonderful past Troja memories. Having been a total of 5 times now, I really can't express how much I love that place. On Friday, I was accosted by the owner who thanked me for my article, told me our table was drinking free all night long, and then dragged me behind the mic and presented me to the public, a truly nerve-shattering experience. This Joe Cuba track gets dropped every time I'm there. There's also a 'Jibaro Soy' version sung by an 8 year old child that I've been trying to track down but can't find anywhere. I've never heard the Son de Baloy there, but I have liked it a long time, and it never fails to cheer me up, even if it can't help clear this godawful cold.

Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata

2010-05-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to spend a long weekend in Valledupar for the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata recently, and I thought I would post one of the articles I wrote for the paper on it. I'm not going to bother translating it as they'll be more to read on it shortly, but for those keen to practice their Spanish, it can be read here.

Motor City Drum Ensemble Interview

2010-04-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

On a cold, wet Saturday night in Berlin last January, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Danilo Plessow AKA Motor City Drum Ensemble, and he granted me one of the most interesting and insightful interviews I have ever conducted. Big thanks must go to Danilo for giving me his time, and for his perfect English and impeccable taste in music. PS. He's also a Supreme fan.

What’s Stuttgart like, I’ve never been.

In Germany, the whole jobs situation, all the money is in the south. Stuttgart is a car city, obviously what with having Mercedes Benz and Porsche. The car was invented there so it’s a real, real motor city. In Stuttgart there is a lot of money because of the car industry, not only the firms but also the suppliers. Munich is richer, also from cars, but also from other industry. As soon as there is more money, then attitudes change. Everyone is very conservative, so there isn’t really the biggest party scene.

Did you enjoy growing up there?

I liked it because I was travelling from a really young age. My first gig abroad was at 16, so I never had the feeling that I was caged somewhere. The city is a very romantic thing because in Stuttgart everything is little and small and relaxed. I have my friends there and there is no stress. When I come from a hard weekend I just land there and there are beautiful parks and a lot of green. It’s a very liveable city. It’s nice really because it is home. As far as practical reasons, Berlin is much easier because the industry I’m in is based here and it makes sense to be here you know. My girlfriend lives here and my home for me is my girlfriend.

You started releasing records at 16. How did you get into the whole DJing and producing thing?

Really it was the other way round. I was releasing before I was DJing. At 10 or 11 I started working with software. Back then I was doing hip hop or DJ Shadow-y stuff, and then going more into house, techno and broken beat. I went to a club for the first time when I was about 15 and it was then that I really started to want to start buying records, and then I started getting the vision of how a bass drum can work, the idea that reduction is actually a good thing. I was overwhelmed by the power that a DJ has to move people. I started learning how exactly to move a party as well. Because of the Inverse Cinematics stuff, I started getting DJ gigs so from a young age I was travelling throughout Europe.

What sort of parties were you getting booked at?

Back then, the money was really low. I was often booked in Eastern Europe. I had a residency in Zagreb.

That’s an interesting culture actually because I went to Serbia a few years ago to party, and no one buys records over there.

Yeah they never could. It was impossible to buy records.

It’s all downloads.

Yeah even back then like 2003 or 4. I grew up buying records and that was completely natural for me. I grew up with the internet but it was really slow. You couldn’t just download music. It was the first time that I could actually understand why people don’t want to pay for music because the guys who organized the parties were telling me “If I order a one-sided record of Moodyman or something and it costs 40 Euros with tax and everything, and I’m earning 400 Euros a month, how can I do that, you know?” I’m not for illegal downloads but in this perspective I can understand it.

There were no domestic record shops I guess.

Well there were a few record shops.

Perhaps in Zagreb and other capital cities, but what if you’re not from there?

Yeah.

I read an article on Umek and he was saying how amazing the first Surgeon records he heard in like 95 or something were. But he grew up under communism and had no access to this stuff for a long time. I think it’s more ingrained in the culture.

Yeah that’s definitely true. But I loved playing there. Nowadays it is getting more standard, and a bit more like the rest of Europe, especially Slovenia which is getting richer and richer, but Croatia was so rough back then. It was like going to a completely different world with all the communist architecture. The mentality is not only about buying records, but suddenly you have so much freedom and they were all really celebrating it. You could play whatever you want and people were having a good time. I also made some really good friends there.

At this stage were you playing more hip hop, or what?

No quite a lot of four to the floor stuff, lots of house and techno. Back then I was also playing a lot of the early broken beat, eclectic stuff, disco even.

About the Inverse Cinematics stuff, it seems clear that there are a lot of hip hop and jazz influences. The youth in Germany, contrary to popular belief, are quite hip hop. Was that the gateway drug so to speak for you into house and techno?

I was playing drums in a school big band, from 10 onwards, and I was also playing jazz standards…(at this stage we are interrupted by an Italian waiter who is sure he saw Danilo in Bar 25 the previous weekend. Danilo assures him it wasn’t him as he wasn’t in Berlin but the man seems pretty sure it was. He says he’s pretty sure that Danilo is a friend of Ricardo’s. We shoot each other a glance. Wrong Ricardo we think in unison. Eventually the waiter gets the hint) … For me, the funny thing was, that a lot of the hip hop guys, they were starting with hip hop and then discovered jazz, because of the samples obviously, and then the golden era of 95-98 with Pete Rock, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and all these groups. But for me it was jazz and then at 16, I met this MC who got me into the whole hip hop thing, and I listened to it and I said, “Don’t you hear it, this is essentially jazz!” and that got me really excited to start experimenting with hip hop. That’s actually why I started making beats. I could use all my jazz records, and sample them and put them in new contexts.

And the state of hip hop now?

I love hip hop, but I don’t really like the electronic stuff. I love stuff that is a little bit more ambitious. I really respect people like Flying Lotus and Hudson Mohawke, but for me, hip hop has always been more about jazz. For me hip hop stopped in 1999.

It all seems like flashes in the pan these days no? Like Soulja Boy and OJ da Juice Man. One hit wonders that seem to lack longevity.

Since Madlib and J Dilla, there’s not been anything that has been groundbreaking for me. The first house records I heard, I don’t know why, but in my small city, there seemed to be a lot of hold house records, like 8 Ball which often used jazz samples, but in a house context. So that was really the introduction to house for me.

I wanted to ask about your love of Broken Beat. Speaking with Fred P recently, he said it was broken beat that inspired him to start making music again, music from 4Hero, Spacetime Continuum, and Bugz in the Attic. What is it about the freeform nature of broken beat that links with house?

For me, it all comes down to harmonies. Harmonies and a certain approach to music. It doesn’t necessarily have to be broken beat, or hip hop, or whatever. It’s just something that I have found, the whole basis of soul and jazz from the 60s and 70s. The kind of harmonies that are now big in deep house, and in my records, are the same kind of harmonies you get in those original records. Broken beat was also a big rehash of that kind of sound and way of making music. Let’s say Roy Ayers, Coltrane, kind of melodies and harmonies.

It strikes me that there is a similar approach in your music, particularly in the Raw Cuts series, that is more freeform. You may go about making the music in a clinical way, but the aesthetics behind it are slightly chaotic, and thus a better form of self-expression.

Yeah I totally agree. For me, the music that really touches me is music that hits me directly in the heart. For example, I could talk for ages about jazz from the 60s and 70s because there are all these harmonies and all these feelings. Also, just the way stuff sounds. You can still play a Rhodes piano in the 90s, but maybe because it was recorded on such and such tape machine and such and such mixing desk, it sounds different from the originals. I have a very very distinct vision about how music should sound on the basis of harmonies, feeling and attitude. I can find this in music from the 60s, 70s, I can find it in jazz, in disco, in 80s house, when it was more about a sound than actually about the track. House died somewhat for me in the 90s when it got too noodly and too jazzy. The rough, Nu Groove sound disappeared. Thus for me, broken beat was like fusion jazz in the 70s. Fred P and DJ Qu and all these people, the harmonies they use, and the harmonies I use, are very near to all of this fusion stuff.

With the new deep house stuff, which is becoming quite commercialized, do you still think it comes from the heart? I mean do you still think there is this freeform approach, or is it not becoming more like painting by numbers?

You can hear it, you can absolutely hear it. Like I just told you, the sound, the harmonies, everything, if one aspect of it is not perfect, it won’t work. Sometimes, even a little drum hit can disturb it, you know what I mean.

Will deep house as the sound of the moment devour itself then? Will it become too ubiquitous?

First of all, deep house may be ubiquitous in a way because it is everywhere, and a lot of the DJs tend to play a lot of the old classics again, but at the same time, a lot of the music that is big at the moment and thought of as deep house has nothing to do with deep house. It’s like minimal meets house, minimal meets those melodic sounds. Minimal died because there were no more emotions left in it at all, and now you find a little vocal, or a Rhodes, but the basis is the same. But people don’t really care, they just want a thumping bass line. I mean I imagine 90% don’t really give a shit, at least from what I have experienced. But at the same time, the DJs are all excited if something new but from the old days comes back, because they were also all sick of playing minimal. I still don’t have a night when I go out and I just hear real deep house because real deep house is not necessarily what is being released as deep house right now. I mean, let’s say, even the guys I respect and think are really doing something soulful instead of just putting a vocal over a minimal beat. I mean Levon Vincent is not doing deep house, even though he’s not doing minimal. I think there is always in the music industry a need for hype, and to give things a name, but its not really rooted within the reality of the club. You still can’t play a Theo Parrish track, you still can’t play one of the more difficult Moodyman tracks.

Unless it’s got a big break in there or bass line?

Yeah, so you still can’t play a KMS record, even though it may be really dancey, because people will be “Where’s the bass line?!”

When you talk about old tracks, do you have anything in mind, because when I think of seminal tracks that really withstand time, it’s things like Wamdue Project, “King of My Castle”, more than any Strictly Rhythm track.

If you listen to Wamdue Project, or any other track that has withstood the test of time, it’s usually tracks that are more than just a bass drum and a chord. Lyrics, or proper sounds. Maybe that’s part of the reason people want something more out of a track. Something to remember, a hook. It’s funny though because now it’s going in the opposite direction in a really credible way. You could expect vocal house to come back but it hasn’t. It’s something that amazes me, because everything is so conscious and knowing now. It could be that one way it could go, that all this mid-90s diva stuff will be big again but you never know.

If we agree on 2009 being the year of deep house, what will 2010 bring?

I think there are quite a few things that are going to be big, or get bigger. Firstly, there is a bit of a dark techno renaissance going on, the whole Berghain, Dettmann, Klock sound. I think it is only going to get bigger. Also everything coming out of New York right now. Dubstep is also exploding into loads of different subgenres, but shares some of that darkness. Let’s just call it darker electronic music. I also think electro is very similar to this, and that could be on its way back. If 2009 was the year for happiness, 2010 will be darker.

It’s interesting that you think 2009 was the year of happiness, in the context of the global economic crisis and everything going to shit.

Yeah but people need a shelter and music is one way to escape daily troubles, that maybe part of a reason I don’t know.

I read that you said dubstep was broken beat 2.0 which I really like.

No, not dubstep in general, but I really didn’t get the hype about the whole Joy Orbison thing with “Hyph Mngo”. For me, that’s not dubstep. If this was released in 2005 on Laws of Motion, it would have been tiny. Not to disrespect the track, I liked it, it’s not super special, it’s nice, but I don’t really get why it was such a hit.

People say dubstep really intersects with house.

And techno.

Yeah exactly, and especially in England, coming out of funky, house has been a real touchstone for a lot of the young producers. What do you think of that, because dubstep is getting hard to ignore now, and how does it interact with your music?

To be honest, for every new record I buy, I buy five or six old ones from the 60s, or 70s, so I can’t really speak with any authority on the issue. I have maybe four or five dubstep records. I know a little bit about the stuff that really interests me, but I can’t see the connection there. With Martyn or with Shackleton, I don’t see a house connection. I see a connection with techno, with Basic Channel, with dark broken beat, like with Martyn I really get a techno broken beat, like Morgan Geist did in 2003, or John Tejada. Somehow Martyn programs beats in the same way. I just saw he did a Fabric mix, and he played Nubian Mindz, the perfect example of this music. He’s been around since the late drum n bass days and does this kind of Detroit techno approach to broken beat. For me, the broken beat that has stood the test of time is these kinds of records. I like dubstep, but I can’t really see a house connection. UK Funky I know zero about. I’ve heard of it, but couldn’t name a record. I know that Gilles Peterson is now pushing funky quite a lot, but haven’t had the time to explore it.

The Martyn mix is an interesting one, seeing as it came out on the Fabric mix series rather than the more bass heavy Fabric Live series..

Yeah, I haven’t heard it yet but I also saw there was a Zed Bias track in there. That’s amazing. Of course UK garage came before broken beat and there is a strong link between the two, and now there is a link between dubstep, broken beat, garage, and techno. You looked at the track list and thought, yeah this guy has been around for a while. There’s a lot of people who claim that dubstep is the newest genre out there, and really different from all that has gone before, but I don’t really see it. In the Martyn mix you could see really where it all comes from.

A lot of people say that although techno and house may not mesh perfectly with dubstep, that techno and house can learn a lot from dubstep, that dubstep will push techno and house to innovate. Is there any credence to that?

I can’t say I know enough to comment on that. There are some tracks that have pushed the envelope. I loved the whole Skull Disco thing, which was new and different and weird, and I thought it was really pushing the envelope.

And Shackleton releases on Perlon now!

Yeah and I loved that record. It’s funny, it’s something new, but also going back to the Maurizio, Basic Channel feel, but at the same time, the beats are very experimental. The whole attitude is quite near to Maurizio, especially the Perlon record.

So you’re planning to move to Berlin in the not too distant future. I was wondering what your thoughts or views on the city are as a German, but an outsider from Stuttgart.

Well I first started coming to Berlin to DJ in 1999-2000, and I know it quite well, but it totally exploded over the last few years. For Germans, the main time when it was like, “Berlin is so hip, let’s move there” was between 2003-4 and 2007. Right now its more people from all over the world who move here. If in Stuttgart you were to say tomorrow "I’m moving to Berlin", you would get bad comments, like “He can’t make it here, so he’s moving to Berlin”. I can see why there is bad feeling towards the city, but if you are settled enough and your income is not dependent on the city, it is a real nice place to live. The cultural diversity, the people you will meet, the possibilities are just amazing. You just have to avoid being dependent on the city, because you will end up in a vicious circle, because there is no fucking money whatsoever here. But if you don’t have to worry too much about money, it’s not only unique to Germany, but to the whole world.

I know your record buying tendencies are more rooted in the past, but anyone who is making great records now?

There’s a few. Levon Vincent, and DJ Qu, I thought “Party People Clap” was amazing. I also really like John Roberts from Laid. Shackleton and Martyn are also great. I get sent a lot of promos but all on mp3 and I’m so old fashioned that I don’t listen to them at all. I like what Running Back are doing. I loved the Novel Sound, Deconstruct sound though, it really hit me, especially his Levon’s Mike Denhert remix for Clone. Dettmann’s stuff has also been really great this year. You might expect me to be pushing the classical deep house stuff. As an artist, I do this music myself, and there have been so many copies, so in a way, this year I went more techno and more dark. But that’s what I play out. Production-wise I’m going to focus though on what I’m already doing.

And what’s coming up over the next few months?

I’m trying to limit myself. I mean, I could do so much stuff for labels who I have always wanted to release on, but I have a fear of releasing too much and I think it is better not to releaser too much so people still appreciate my work. Like “Hey have you got the new Motor City Drum Ensemble record?” Well I want to avoid the answer, “Which?”. So I want to have a record that exists in time and is easily identifiable. It’s not only the quality issue. I’m quite quick at making a track but I want to allow myself time to work on it, and develop it. For every track that is released, there a re 50 promos, so I want it to stand out. But I have a couple of remixes, Archie Bronson Outfit, Tiga and Caribou. There’s going to be a new 12”, but I’m not sure on what label. Probably mine, but I’m not sure when or whatever. I need to move to Berlin, take some time off.

How did you find working with Caribou, Archie Bronson, more rocky, less 4/4 stuff?

I just wanted to do it, because I always want a bit of struggle. I’m really excited to work on this rock thing. I’ve done stuff likes this before though, with Inverse Cinematics. You could have a straight to jazz original or you could have a house original and turn it into broken beat. I was always someone who tried to do remixes the hard way, mixing genres to come up with interesting stuff. The Sprinkles thing is the perfect example. The original is almost ambient, and the remix is incredibly dance floor, but its 90% elements from the original in there. Or for example, I did a remix for 2020 Vision and the original is the typical funky, vocal house jam. Instead of doing a house mix, I though fuck it and I did a straight 90s techno mix. I always try to do something very different from the original. I’m open to do everything, even classical or whatever, I just have to like the material, and to have something to work with.

La Troja

2010-04-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Barranquilla is full of nightclubs of all sorts. From what they call in Germany chici miki places full of the glitterati, to reckless whorehouses, most people's tastes are to a certain extent catered for. One place however, stands out. La Troja is a salsa estadero, essentially a shop front with chairs outside, that plays the best salsa on the Carribbean coast. Here is an article I wrote on it for El Heraldo.

The article can be read in Spanish here.

All the cities in the world have nightclubs, but only Barranquilla has La Troja. Just like the Tiendecita de la 44, also covered in sparkling marimondas and Carnaval bulls, this cradle of salsa on the coast forms an integral part of the city's identity.

Brought up in a salsa home, since I was young the big hits of Willie Colon, Gilberto Santa Rosa, and Grupo Niche would accompany me whenever I travelled with my father.

Nonetheless, there is a big difference between listeneing to my father's time-ravaged salsa cassettes through his 1986 Ford Escort speakers, and being surrounded by cold beers, and the inimitable atmosphere of La Troja.

The magic of the place is that in many ways, it functions as a microcosm of the city it has come to symbolise. From the moment one enters, ushered to their table by the waiters, one notes the old couples, waltzing respectfully with each other, the groups of men speaking animatedly amongst themselves, and the young hipster kids, reintegrating themselves with the rich culture of their forefathers.

Having said that, for a salsa beginner, La Troja is an intimidating place. As there is no dance floor per se, people boogie between the tables and chairs, focusing the view of the spectators on the few who are brave enough to ask a girl to dance.

This professional atmosphere is reinfoced by the shows that take place every couple of hours. In the first a dark girl danced so hard and so fast that she lost her shoes. In the second, a rotund women and her slightly more lithe daughter took turns entertaining the public with their sparkly outfits and rustic routine. On top of this though, on the night I attended, La Troja was hosting two special guests, both salsa experts.

With an exclusive set, Jairo Paba (the voice of Barranquilla's most popular breakfast radio show and quite the personality -Ed) arrived to enjoy some cold beers. Later, a Puerto Rican radio presenter, based in New York, dropped by to play some of his favourite records.

By this time, everyone had drunk enough 'frias' (cold beers) and enough aguardiente that most people were on their feet dancing, clapping and sweating smiles.

This therefore meant, that I could no longer hide behind my Club Colombia, and the time had come for me to join the fray. In England, there is little traditional dance culture (aside form perhaps Morris Men -Ed) as there is in Latin America. The idea of asking a girl to dance in front of everyone so that they could see my impressive lack of rhythm, filled me with terror. Thank God I found a teacher who treated me with patience and understanding, proud to show me the basic steps.

With my shame and embarrassment at last overcome (or at least fogged), I started to get confident. One, two, thre; one, two, three, I counted in my head, making mistakes at every stage. Nonetheless, with every error, it seemed to matter less. In La Troja, the important thing is to try, and at the very least, I can surely say I tired.

Peripatetic Sound Systems

2010-04-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

So I've gone pretty quiet over the last month or so. Deeply unacceptable, I know, but when Apple Mac's break in the Tropics, and you misguidedly decide to take them across a border to get fixed, and then customs want to charge you 30% of their original value, just to bring them back into the country, it can be difficult to sit down and write posts on a regular basis. My laptop (and all my music!) and I have still not been reunited, but should be ever so shortly, so lots more to look forward to including special interviews which I need to type up.

Although I didn't think they would, my listening patterns have changed since I arrived in Colombia. Recently however, I had the chance to play some tunes at a small party next to the beach, and given the fact they went down relatively well, I've been booked to play a party called Propaganda at the end of May so watch this space for more info on that.

Here is an article I wrote on the growing car audio scene here in Colombia. In a country where the average monthly salary is about 300-400,000 ($150-200 US) Colombian pesos a month, it's rare to see people who can plough 30 million pesos into their car, but it just goes to show how passionate these guys are. The manufacturers are not slow on the scene either, and have been quick to sponsor local firms to compete and take their cars on the road. Another point to make that is not mentioned in the article. Petrol stations (or bombas as they are known here) are the spiritual home of the scene, and where most of the meets take place. Why? Most are priavtely owned, often by car aficionados, and thus they are more than happy to loan the space out to their friends in the evenings. Colombian innner city sound restrictions, espeically on ther coast, are notoriously lenient.

The article can be read in Spanish here.

When John Chalarca turns on the sound system in his red Mazda, there is a brief moment of silence, maybe half a second, before the bass kicks in and his t-shirt ripples as it is punched against his chest. Meanwhile, several surprised pedestrians jump up in shock. Chalarca, the owner of Maxxicars, smiles. It seems he loves the public's reactions.

The car audio scene in Barranquilla is just getting going, but it is growing every day according to Roberto Ferro, the owner of City Car Audio and close friend of Chalarca.

Nonetheless, as far as noise pollution in the public space goes, it is not a practice that receives widespread support throughout the city. As Ferro says, "People don't understand that I'm working. I only try to make noise during working hours outside the workshop but people always complain."

Even so, although Ferro and Chalarca work in the industry so to speak, their passionate clients don't, and it is when they get together that problems arrive.

At his Maxxicars shop, Chalarca managed to get a permit from the Departamento Administrativo del Medio Ambiente, DAMAB, to play loud music for 10 minutes a day, but he assures me that there are always complaints and that normally, the police are an unavoidable presence.

Andrés Hincapir, a 22 year old customer of Maxxicars, is unequivocal in his support. "I started getting into cars and music when I was 18. I started working with my dad and saving, and little by little, I've been investing in my car" he says. He estimates that he has invested 8 million pesos($4000 US)to his Chevrolet Rodeo 1998 in the last four years.

According to Roberto Ferro, there are only three or four big cars, and by that he means cars with big soundsystems, in the city, but that there are more than 200 people involved in the burgeoning scene. Although there are some women, they are few and far between.

Ferro says that it is "easier to sell products to a woman becuase they are not tight like the men" but he also admits that they do not compete alongside the men "becuase they themselves feel inadequate. Also", he adds as an afterthought, "It's a pretty macho hobby."

For both Ferro and Chalarca, the competitions are an integral part of what they do. Chalarca has just got back from Bogotá where he was chosen as national champion 2009-2010.

Ferro on the other hand, used to compete, but now chooses to concentrate on his business. His workshop is full of trophies, and he says he likes to keep abrest of goings on as lots of his clients attend the competitions.

Jorge Ruz is one of those customers. He has already won competitions in Cartagena and Medellin, and he says he takes his eight-year-old hobby very seriously indeed. "Roberto and I are veterans in this" he says.

For his part, Ferro claims "not to like loud music actually", but on seeing his pick up truck, a huge Toyota replete with internal and external speakers, and according to him, eight separate basses, it's hard to believe him. Adorned with images of evil clowns, and carrying a sign that recommends the use of ear protectoers, the sound system makes so much noise you can hear it up to ten blocks away.

And the music? According to Chalarca, it's not that important. He likes to listen to salsa, the younger kids to reggaeton and techno (If you can consider Akon and Guetta techno -Ed). The question, he says, is not what you listen to but how, and in these two corners of the city, the answer is loud as hell.

House of House Interview

2010-03-12T08:44:00.001-08:00

Here is an interview I conducted with House of House on behalf of Little White Earbuds. I was blown away by Rushing to Paradise as I wrote back in June, and their Fabric minimix really sealed the deal for me. As with all the interviews I have conducted, it was a genuine pleasure to be able to delve deeper into the sound of (in the case) a pair of artists I really respect. Below is the intro to the interview. Click on the link above for the rest.

Ever since the breakout success of their ecstatic “Rushing to Paradise (Walkin These Streets),” a full-blooded rollercoaster of a house anthem, House Of House have kept a surprisingly low profile. In a year when deep house was dragged kicking and screaming from the underground into global dance music conscioussness, the theatricality and the sheer emotional exuberance of the track ensured that it featured prominently in most late-summer DJ crates. The duo, made up of Saheer Umar and Still Going’s Olivier “Liv” Spencer, have a slew of remix projects scheduled for 2010 which kicks off with one for The Juan Maclean to complement their A Mountain of One “Bones” remix from 2009. In this insightful interview with Spencer, he finally breaks the silence about their hit, where they’re going from there, and just how important New York is to their sound and that of the many game-changing house acts emerging from the city at the moment.

El Gran Buda

2010-03-08T07:13:00.001-08:00

I'm not planning to post many of my day-to-day articles for El Heraldo, but I thought I would translate and share this one as it about a DJ, Richard Semmler, who has a hereditary disability that essentially means he has no use of his legs. He plays sets 7 days a week in this Estadero (a bar-cum-off license) populated almost entirely by bored-looking whores. He plays 12 hours a day from 2pm - 2am and 14 hours on the weekends. He gets paid about £6 per shift. It makes a mockery of the European and US DJs who play for a quarter of that time once a week and get paid 20 or 30 times that amount.

The article can be read in Spanish here.

Richard Semmler has been the house DJ at the Gran Buda, an estadero on calle 41 with the carrera de La Paz, for nearly four years now. He plays from Monday to Thursday from 2pm to 2am and until 4 am on the weekends. He earns the bare minimum - about 20,000 Colombian pesos - although he can make up to 25,000 pesos in tips. Until now, there is very little unusual about Semmler's case. What is unusual is that he is severely disabled.

At two years of age, Semmler's lower body began to deteriorate. Doctors told him his condition was hereditary but were never able to establish what exactly he suffered from. "I went to the US, to New York, where I spent a year and a half, during which time I underwent two operations. They managed to make me better, but I needed two more operations, and because of a lack of money, they couldn't finish the job," he says. "But such is life."

Although it is clear the day-to-day of the DJ is difficult, he's not the sort of man who likes to wallow in self-pity. Music offers him an escape from his condition, and as he himself says, "I try to give people love and happiness through my music."

According to his boss, Hernán Plata, the owner of 'El Gran Buda', Semmler is highly successful in his mission of ass shakery. "He has many followers who love him and appreciate him a great deal.. He attracts a big crowd." Are you going to give him a raise, I ask cheekily? Plata looks visibly uncomfortable. "Well, not right now" he stutters. "He's doing well for himself and makes good tips."

Semmler cannot dance because of his condition but the party animals he pulls in certainly can. When he starts playing, the bored looking whores who line the walls buck up, and it seems that Semmler, a self-described "Juniorista to the death", knows his music.

"I've been a DJ since I was eight" he says. "I play everything: vallenato, reggaeton, champeta, oldies, verberena. My tastes are very varied. Personally though, I really like salsa and African music best."

Nonetheless, although he is a collector, Semmler is not stuck in the past. Technological advances have made the basic task of his job easier: playing records. Seated in a high chair, Semmler faces his computer screen, and doesn't move for twelve hours.

"With technology and the computer, it's a lot easier" he says. "I learnt with vinyl, and then CDs. I evolve with the technology"

Ultimately though, according to Semmler, being a DJ is a hobby. "My dream is to join a radio station" he says. "One day I want to be a presenter on the radio as that is what I studied." Until that day comes though, the clients at 'El Gran Buda' will keep dancing, led by this unique Barranquilla personality.

Danjah: Acid!

2010-02-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest LWE review on Terror Danjah's 'Acid' EP on Hyperdub, 'a broken carnival of beats that are recognizably his own.'

Orion's Belter

2010-02-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yo Majesty's! ex-tour DJ, Orion, who hails from Austin, Texas, is a big cumbia fan. According to XLR8R, Austin is one of the homes of cumbia in the States which is new to me. Anyway, Orion has put together an album of cumbia refixes called 'Carajo Colombia', and it's really quite good. Thankfully, unlike some of the other cats in the genre, he doesn't fuck with the originals too much. An extra kick here, a touch more bass there, and that's it. The thing about cumbia, is that most of, if not all the tunes are good enough to stand on their own two feet. I don't really see the need to retouch them to make them more accessible for hipster parties in Brooklyn. I mean, you wouldn't start messing around with a Lee Perry track, or some rare Ali Farka Toure cut would you?

The album can be downloaded in its entirety, and for free here.

PS. There's more mentions of Barranquilla, Santa Marta and la costa caribe than you can shake a stick at.

Anti-podean

2010-02-24T07:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest LWE review on Jellphonic ft. Zacky Force Funk's '1000 Snakes' EP, 'the wheezy west coast sound taken to its illogical antipodean extreme, a synth(etic) ass wallop of electric boogie-woogie that constantly threatens to collapse under the various anxieties of influence the record operates under.'

Algorhythms

2010-02-23T06:42:00.000-08:00

In between leaving Berlin and arriving in Colombia, I spent three very happy days at home with my parents in Oxford. These consisted of purhcasing an external hard drive, buying US Dollars, and, perhaps most pleasureably of all, meeting up with my old friend Tom White. I hadn't seen Tom in well over a year, maybe even two, as he had chosen to move to Beijing. Over a couple of pints, we got to talking, and he mentioned this idea he had about the dance track so perfect that one would fall down dead (quite literally dead) listening to it. It would be so perfect in its execution, so sensitive to the needs of the dance floor, so punishingly severe, that the body would surrender any pretence of putting up a fight, and dissolve there and then into nothingness. Cool idea I thought. So I asked Tom to write me a little piece on this ideal for the Wunderkind blog, and this is what he came back with:

I was converted to dance music in a cow shed. Previously something of an indie kid, I had drifted into the agricultural margins of a guitar band festival and found said shed, where drum n bass was being pumped into a grateful crowd. The music, 'characterized by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats' (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994), was a revelation to someone accustomed to keening vocals and emotive strumming. I also saw several groups of young men in the cow shed manually pleasuring their girlfriends, who looked a bit bored, but which only added to the sense of occasion.

I've since moved on from drum n bass to other kinds of repetitive beats, but I'm still toying with the question that struck me after my Road to Damascus moment that day in the shed: why do I like this? Bear with me while I grapple out loud with this weighty question.

I remember once hearing a rumour of a rogue Anglican clergyman somewhere in the north of England who would hold 'religious raves', involving dance music, ecstasy and Jesus. I could almost believe this; the similarity between dance music events and religious ceremonies is clear enough for music journalism to be awash with religious cliché: the dj as 'high priest', for example. This of course brings to mind appalling images of a late 90s superstar DJ – Paul Van Dyk perhaps - decked out in the regalia of an archbishop, wielding a crozier and blessing an audience of gurning fools.

But I was recently listening to Frankie Knuckles' Motivation Too mix and wondering why I didn't find that the overtly religious vocals – 'he moves in mysterious ways' – grated on my deeply agnostic sensibilities. I realized it's because I'd been prepared for this religiosity by my previous dance music experiences. All that 'put your hands in the air' and MCs speaking in tongues that I'd heard first in the cow shed was just a bastardized Pentecostalist service.

Dance music as religious ritual is a bit old hat though, and it's not nice to think too much about Paul Van Dyk. While I'm sure the atavistic religious element is very important, there's something else which contributes to my enjoyment of dance music, something a bit more, well, post-Enlightenment. More than other kinds of music, dance music has a particular function: to make people dance. This means that dance music is more quantifiable: this particular track is good because it makes me want to dance; this track is better because it makes me want to dance even more.

Once I'd decided that certain tracks were good because they made me want to dance, I started to wonder how they made me dance. If I could say how certain tracks were better than others at making me dance, then I could perhaps say what would constitute the best track; I started to imagine that there existed an algorithm for my ideal dance music.

Dance music is wonderfully simple (IDM is awful). Made up of a few basic building blocks which are then repeated, it's very honest about how it works. Why does dance music keep going back to its roots? I don't think it's just a reflection of the nostalgia embedded in pop culture; I think it's because the most satisfying dance music is crudely cobbled together, the seams showing, as much of that great 80s house/techno is. Juan Atkins was, after all, no Phil Spector. Bits of vocals stuck on top of an 808 loop, samples laden with sci-fi doom, crisp hi-hats and a bassline that bounces; dance music works best when it's stripped down so we can see its mechanics. Once you've listened to enough of it, it's quite easy to say which elements work, which elements you want where, as you mentally assemble your ideal. Add that trampolining bass; move the antique siren. Perfection appears very much within reach.

Unfortunately I'm no mathematician, so I can't say what my algorithm might look like. And of course it would be different for everyone else. I know, however, that my appreciation of any particular track relates to my hazy perception of how much it diverges from my ideal track. The more I listen to dance music, the more this ideal track takes shape. I know now that it includes shifting minor 7th synth pads; a vocal sample which has been wrenched out of context – Civil Rights-era sermons, for example, or a German ethnomusicologist introducing his field recordings among the Congolese pygmies; and a four to the floor beat which cuts out ¾ of the way through, only to drop back in 23 seconds later. Very soon I will have worked out the entirety of this ideal track.

One day I will learn how to use Fruity Loops. Then I will retire and spend the rest of my life in the bath listening to this one tune, trying to dance while lying down.

Some crude choons (building blocks for an ideal):

Tom White

Kill Me

2010-02-21T08:14:00.001-08:00

This one's really divided the critics. It's the original that has got everyone in a tiswas. I like it, but I have to agree with RA's Will Lynch, and say that the Dub works a lot better. I really am all for Steffi, and by extension Ostgut, busting out more vocal house jams. I think it complements the overall aesthetic that the club pushes. I'm pretty sure those that disagree have never even stepped foot in Panoramabar.

Lookalikes

2010-02-21T07:35:00.000-08:00

Work

2010-02-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

Barranquilla

2010-02-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not living in Berlin anymore. I've moved to Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, the land of my father's birth. I'm working for a newspaper called El Heraldo, the newspaper where Garcia Maquez got his lucky break so fingers crossed. All my articles can be checked on their website. Barranquilla has a pretty famous carnival, and I've been covering it quite extensively.

Here is an article on the carnival's lack of infrastructure.
Here is one on backpackers in the city for the carnival.
Here is a piece on the American ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield.
Here is a piece on a dancing troupe made up of street sweepers.
Here is one on a Sikh visitor from America who has really confused the Colombians.

The tune above is pretty much THE hit this year. Everyone is playing it. It's been really interesting to see the evolution of champeta from something that was laughable, to something that is now thoroughly mainstream. Any genre from pop to to the most underground of electronic Colombian music has a distinctive champeta flavour that wasn't present last time I visited in 2005.

The carnival is a wonderful experience, full of life and colour. Unlike Europe, life is lived on the streets here, which makes my work intersting and rewarding. More than that though, life is soundtracked here. Every shop, car, private home or dwelling seems to have a PA parked outside it, banging out tunes throughout the day and night, which makes thinking outside that tropical/champeta/cumbia/salsa/merengue/reggaeton mindset quite demanding. I shall however endeavour, and have more special mixes and interviews lined up. I will aim to post some photos of the carnival in the next few days.

Fred P Mix

2010-02-15T18:13:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas period, I met up with Fred P in New York, and we had a great chat. He also agreed to do a mix for the site. Don't miss this mix, it's just as amazing as you would expect it to be, if not more so. It's also crammed full of unreleased material from Fred, Jus-Ed, DJ Qu, and Move D.

Download here.

I want to ask you about the modern notion of deep house. If you listen to the type of music that the modern deep house is based on it claims to be based on the Strictly Rhythm, the Nervous, the MAW records. Listening to it now though, I don’t feel like it necessarily sounds so much like those records. I wanted to ask you if you think this idea of deep house which has been so prevalent this last year or two is actually a more modern invention that it perhaps claims to be?

I think it borrows from everything that came before it. For me, what I do with my production is a part of everything that I like, and a lot of that music is music that I grew up with. In the beginning I was listening to all of that. Everyone has their own way of putting their sound together, whatever gear they use, but the setting is the core of what it’s all about. As far as it being a modernistaion, house music is connected to disco, is connected to rnb, is connected to the blues, so all it is, is just a different expression of the same thing, and over the last couple of years, more producers are moving that expression forward. In that sense, deep house is as old as music itself.

Deep house is currently en vogue, in the way that minimal was a few years ago, and if you imagine that people who are perhaps bandwagon-jumping onto that sound, if there will be a critical backlash against that. I was wondering what you think 20ten might hold for that deep house sound now that it is becoming so prevalent, and so popular.

The bandwagon stuff will fall away, because if you don’t love what you’re doing, it’s not going to stand for very long, and I think that’s what makes good music, if you believe in what you’re doing. You’re at your most honest when you are expressing that. If you’re just doing it because it’s in, or because you want a piece of the market share, or whatever, that’s going to show in the music, because it won’t stand. It’ll be the track of the week versus the song of the century. Anyone who’s doing it from an honest place, and honestly expresses themselves, the music will tend to have a timeless nature to it no matter how simple or complicated, there will be something the people will connect with. Trends don’t have a habit of doing that they come and go as artists and musicians have a level of integrity where they can continue to do what they are doing because it’s real. I think that deep house doesn’t have that thing. People are starting to notice it because it sounds a little bit different now, but it has always been around and it will continue to be around because there are a lot of people that love it and that dedicate themselves to it. Everything happens in cycles, and there will be a new sound at some point, and I’m sure it already exists. It will get some light and be exposed, but when that happens, deep house will be just as dope as it is now. In terms of a backlash, that will only happen if it becomes cheesy. In a physical world, the derivative deep house won’t last. Perhaps in a digital world, but not in a physical one.

You originally started off coming out of a hip hop tradition, and quite a lot of house musicans also started off coming out of a hip hop tradition. I was wondering if you think a love of house coming out of a love hip hop is a natural progression?

My first experience of it came from listening to 98.7 Kiss FM. They would do like a 3 hour hip hop show , DJ Red Alert or DJ Chuck Chillout, and afterwards would be a 3 or 4 hour show where you would hear nothing but jazz music: Kenny Carpenter or any one of the DJs of that time, I mean I’m going back to like 85/86. I didn’t start going out to clubs until like 89 or something when I was in High School. Hip hop is electronic music whether you like it or not because it uses samples from rnb and soul and so forth, it’s just a different vibration. I think as you get older and you want a little bit more substance to feed your mind, and that’s what happens as you progress as an artist: you start to look for things that give you more food for thought. Hip hop shares that thing with deep house where anything, say over 120 bpm, is stimulation for you mind, and an artist is always looking for food for thought.

This whole idea of a New York house renaissance, how real do you think that is? Is that something that exists or is it more of a media hype. I mean, NYC has always had a strong affinity with house music and now it really seems to be rediscovering that past, I was wondering if that is something you can feel as a NYC based musician.

As I said before, deep house has always been around, and everything goes in cycles, but it is really being noticed. What’s going on right now, what is being brought to life, with UQ, and with everyone under that umbrella, is what really brought attention to what’s been going on. I think it is very real, and I think it always has been, it’s just that it being noticed now.

You’ve been a long admirer of the UK broken beat scene – groups like 4Hero, Bugz in the Attic – I was wondering how that chimed with you? What drew you to that sound?

Basically, at the time that I was introduced to all those artists, I wasn’t making any music. I had quit production, sold everything in my studio, and bought a car, and I was working a security job in Brooklyn, because I was totally disgusted with music, and I bumped into a friend of mine, Jay Locke, who I have known for 16, 17 years and we had lost contact for a while. I was on my way to work and we bumped into each other and we reconnected. And he would start bringing me these mixtapes, with 4Hero, the whole Bugz crew, all of them and along with other artists like Space Time Continuum,. I would listen to these tapes on my way to work, coming home, day in day out. They were like a release. I had previously been deeply interested in the hip hop scene productionwise and I had not listened to any dance music since like 1990 or 91 and this is like 99, so to make a long story short, it was these tapes which made me remember why I loved music, not just hip hop or house, but music in general: broken beat to drum n bass to ambient, to downtempo, house, deep house. It was a multi-level mix of music on every tape, and it reminded me of my love of music, and why I enjoyed the process of creation, the art of sound. It made me want to build up a studio again and to make music, not to put anything out, but just to make music, which is what I love to do. And that’s what happened. If it wasn’t for listening to those guys, my sound wouldn’t sound like it does now. I was inundated with all these beautiful chord structures, sound effects and things like that and what happened was that with all the rhythmic changes of broken beat and drum n bass, lead heavily to how I construct some of my beats now. If it wasn’t for that, I don’t think we would be talking, I’d be doing something else.

Was there a direct link between that west London sound and your current sound?

I still do the melodic thing, but it is more rhythmically stripped down. I would say it is a happy meeting of the two. However, I have a new album coming out that I’m stretching a little bit. I’m adding a bit more of that rhythmic chaos that I’m used to. I’m not trying to scare anybody, so I’m being very gentle with it. I’m not going to give it to you all at once. I want to show different shades of it over time so its not such a dramatic change from one thing to the other.

UQ has received a lot of praise, especially in 2009, and also the associated labels: Novel Sound, Deconstruct, Soul People Music. I was just wondering what you think that is down to and why it really exploded this year?

Well, everybody worked really hard. With Levon and Novel, he’s done some incredible music and deserves all the accolades he’s getting, and Anthony Parasole as well. He’s worked very hard with Deconstruct, and also Qu with Strength Music. But UQ really set the example. Jus-Ed with his work ethic and everyone followed in suit. We all worked very hard at putting forward our best effort to represent the type of music we like to hear both in production and playing out-wise. Everyone has different tastes and that is what makes the collective so interesting because no one is doing the same thing, we are all doing different things that complement each other and that is very unique when looking at a collective. You know, very few have been able to achieve that. We all have different points of view and that is important and I think that’s what has really made all of this so special.

I want to ask you the work you’ve done with Move D. How did that come about?

My first solo EP was called No Looking Back and it was on my own label, and the record did really well and I got invited to play in Heidelberg and Offenbach at this club called Cube and I played there with Move D and we met, had a great time at the club, he’s an incredible person, one of my favourite people, and also one of my favourite artists and from there, we stayed in contact and David went to Japan and did a live set he had come up with Jonah Sharp of Spacetime Continuum, and this is where it gets a little cosmic because he is a hero of mine, and came up with the song 'Keep Building', and it was put together over the course of a year, sending the track back and forth. I added a bit of vocals, and some sound effects and some key work, and I sent it back to them, and they both loved it. Then they performed it at PS1 on July 4th and what they did was perform the whole album, and the track was part of the album. It was then that I got to hear the finished article for the first time and I was blown away by it. I was having a hard time concentrating on my part because I had listened to that arrangement for the first time that day and it was incredible with everything put in its proper place. Hearing the record at the end of the process made me very proud to be a part of that project, because these guys, and particularly Jonah Sharp as Spacetime Continuum, was part of the inspiration that got me back into production. To build a project with him and Move D, is like a high point, or a really bright spot in what is becoming my career and I’m very very proud of that project and that record in particular. One of the most special records I have done this year.

Why is it do you think that Germans have such a love and affinity for house music?

They feel the music. You can tell if someone is feeling the music because they move voluntarily. I know whenever I’m feeling the music I’m moving voluntarily. Not only that, it’s detail. They pay attention to everything that is there, very in the moment. That is the highest complement you can get from an artist, and as an artist, to be present. You know, every second, there is detail there, and for people to notice that, is huge. And the Germans seem to have that, they care, and you can notice it right away, because you feel connected and the connection is strong. It’s a humanity kind of thing as well which is really cool, and a lot of folks can learn from that.

So how is 2010 looking for you, DJwise, releasewise ?

Wow, well it is a very ambitious list of things. Right away at the top is my first real collaboration with Move d and myself on Soul People Music. Then there’s the Deep Things album which is part of the Black Jazz Consortium project, which is probably going to be the only BJC project for a while, as I’m starting to do a lot of collaborations. Digitalwise, there is my first mix which is called ‘Sound Travels Vol. 1’, which is basically music from the vault, music form 2005/6, which never really got heard. Maybe a European tour as well.

And that’s just your music?

No that’s music from all the artists on Soul People Music. Just that never got heard because of distribution issues or false starts or whatever. Just stuff I still have in the vault and deserves a chance to be heard. Then a number of digital releases that will be coming out and also more Fred P single releases on vinyl. Maybe another mix or two before the summer, but we’ll see what happens. Oh and the Analogue Diaries which is me and Anthony Parasole on Deconstruct.

Tracklist:

1 DJ Jus Ed - Teckno Soul Vibe mix - CDR
2 Joey Anderson - Oval - Strength Music
3 Move D - Aspiration 2010 - Soul People Music
4 Fred P - Project 2 - Underground Quality
5 Marathon Men - Sweet Exorcist - CDR
6 Monolake - Stratosphere
7 ?
8 Dario Zenker - Down,Then There - Esperanza
9 Black Jazz Consortium - The Om - Soul People Music
10 D' Marc Cantu - No Control (JTC Remix) - Creme JAK X01
11 Santiago Salazar - La Minora - H&V002
12 Levon Vincent - Late Night Jam - Ostgut
13 DJ QU - Law - CDR
14 DJ QU - Party People Clap (Anthony Parasole, Fred P Remix) Deconstruct
15 Fred P - Untitled - CDR

Bashmore

2010-02-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

Latest RA review on Julio Bashmore's 'Um Bongo's Revenge'.

From the lazer flares to the not-quite congo house meets Funky tabla riddim, by way of the '90s kid's fruit juice-referencing title, Julio Bashmore's "Um Bongo's Revenge" wears its British heart on its gravy-stained sleeve. More than that though, the release marks a seminal moment of sorts: It's the first major Funky release on a traditional house and techno label.

Dirtybird has made its name with a barmy, Bay Area brand of tech house, but Claude VonStroke's A&R ear clearly extends much further, as UK Funky arriviste Bashmore's debut rips that template to shreds, not so much desecrating past glories, but pointing the way toward richer, more innovative sonic pastures. "Um Bongo's Revenge" is without a doubt the standout track here, and seems almost to have anthem status written into its molecular structure, but its success should remind how useful such generic/scenic miscegenation can be. The oft-repeated "Um Bongo" refrain should be annoying, but isn't. The various illogical breakdowns, usually the hallmark of a producer with either ADD or a severe lack of discipline, should grate, but somehow arrive like manna from heaven, while the lazers and sirens fuse organically with the track's more Teutonic elements.

"World Peace" cannot help but come up short in comparison, a whirling organ ride that sets its cross hairs more intently on Berlin than London, replete with Rhodes and tambourine tropes. Nonetheless, with San Francisco, London and Berlin all in the mix on this EP, you get the sense that this globalisation thing might just work.

Decade Post-Script

2010-01-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

As mentioned here, RA asked me to compile a list of my music of the decade. Their results have now been published. I'm super glad to see both I and the rest of the RA staff agreed on 'Miura' as THE track of the decade. It really is such a sensational tune; sensual, aggressive, contemplative, and brooding. Here is the little blurb they asked me to write on Nathan Fake's 'Sky Was Pink' (James Holden Remix) which came in at number ten:

10. Nathan Fake - Sky Is Pink (James Holden Remix) [Border Community, 2004]

Remember how in 2004, you were either from Cologne or Berlin, Kompakt or Minus? Well in August of that year, you finally got a chance to be both when Border Community released James Holden's remix of "Sky Was Pink." There was an attention to melody, sure, but with less silliness and more pathos, even menace. There were sideways glances at minimal, those trippy lulls and scratchy warbles, but really that was all they were. This was music that was wholly of its time, without sounding like anything else out there. But more than this, it was dance music for people who hated dance music, a tune for hip-hoppers, prog-rockers and teeny-boppers. To this day, Holden's remix retains an epic universalism that fans of any genre coalesce around.

PS. You can check out a Youtube playlist of the top 100 tracks here, which I would really recommend as there are some monsters on there.

Klocking in

2010-01-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest RA review on Ben Klock's 'Tracks from 07' EP [Deeply Rooted House]

How do you distinguish between house and techno for an electronic music ingénue? Aside from indulging in hackneyed "house is a feeling" cant or drawing mindless parallels between Detroit's industrial heritage and its mechanistic "techno" music, the usual recourse is to play said ingénue some examples. "This," you say as you lower the needle, "is Frankie Knuckles." As the strings and wails and grunts of "Your Love" gently fade out, you cue up the next record, Ben Klock's "Tracks From 07, safe in the knowledge that Berghain's finest always delivers the techno goods. But wait, what's this? "It's house!" you gasp. But is it?

Leaving behind the terser environs of Ostgut Ton, or even his own Klockworks label, Klock opts to open 2010 with a genre-defying return to DJ Deep's Deeply Rooted House operation following on from his more overtly techno-centric Kerri Chandler remix. While you could hardly accuse Klock of bandwagon jumping, there is a definite change of direction on offer here. "Red Alert" opts for techno nomenclature, but the Star Wars organ stabs and cowbell jingle combine to create a dark, totalitarian house anthem, hand-stamped with the cavernous atmospherics Berghain's residents have made their own. "Viscoplastic" meanwhile shows Klock in similarly genre-defying Levon Vincent territory. A shimmering synth variation locks onto a growling hi-hat à la "Games Dub," dry-humping it for all it's got.

House was everywhere in 2009, rewriting the DNA of dubstep, funky, and anything else that crossed its path. In 2010, it also seems to have captured the hearts and minds of techno's most steadfast and recognisable guardians. Ben Klock: techno iconoclast. Who knew such blasphemy could sound this good?

Here With Me

2010-01-27T01:38:00.001-08:00

Here is my latest review for Little White Earbuds on 'Here With Me', the new EP from Omar-S, 'a stunning micro-statement of intent, an atomic particle of sonic abundance that twinkles brightly amidst its creator’s finest achievements.'

Voyeur

2010-01-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

Really feeling this Instra:mental track from Scuba's Sub:stance comp. Both really seem to love colons in their nomenclature. I think this just edges it over Martyn's Fabric mix.

Overground Quality

2010-01-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

Here is my latest RA review on the Underground Quality night at Panoramabar.

"January," said French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, is the "month of empty pockets! Let us endure this evil month, anxious as a theatrical producer's forehead." Clearly, given the theatricality on show at Panorama Bar, this was not something that concerned Jus-Ed and his Underground Quality crew as they rolled into Berlin to take over proceedings for the reopening of Berghain's illustrious upstairs space. Given that this was an opening night of sorts, following not only the three-week long refurb of Panorama which included the addition of a wooden floor and a devastating new sound system, but also the first opportunity to catch Jus-Ed, Levon and Qu this side of 2010, it would be understandable to see a few nerves on show. Yeah, right!

It is testament to how far UQ have come in the last year that the idiosyncrasies they made their own—personalised shirts and the like—seem increasingly less quaint, and more like a well-defined trademark. 2009 was of course kind to these New York house honchos, but with tracks like Jus-Ed's "Sweetness," DJ Qu's "Party People Clap" and Levon Vincent's...well...almost everything, the artists on show managed not only to stand out from the crowd, but lead the way for others to follow out of the quagmire of deep house mediocrity. And, hell, you know when you see off-duty DJs like Dor, Dettmann and DJ Pete in the crowd that something special is going on.

Entering Berghain is always somewhat of a ritual unto itself, but on Fridays, when only Panoramabar is open, the ritual becomes Herculean, and given the number of people waiting in line by midnight, tonight was a popular chance to give it a shot. Whether or not this was for the reopening or for the arrival of the UQ boys remains unclear, but from the get-go, this had roadblock written all over it. Once upstairs, it was nice to see Levon, Qu and Jus-Ed taking turns behind the decks.

As usual, Jus-Ed was giving the mic a good work out, much to the chagrin of some of the snootier members of the crowd, but his charm and effervescence made these vocal interludes a winning respite from some of the austerity on show at other Berlin nights. Established UQ cuts like "Games Dub" were thrown around with reckless aplomb, and soon a steady head of steam was built up, just in time for Vincent to step up and deliver the first set of the night. As the man responsible for some of last year's most grandiose dance floor moments, a Levon Vincent set is never something to be sniffed at, and true to form, established Strictly Rhythm fare was worked in with newer cuts like his "Double Jointed Sex Freak" to reinforce his reputation as one of the most vital jocks and producers around.

DJ Qu came next, toning it down a tad after Levon's stomptastic ramble, opting for slinkier cuts that placed a greater emphasis on the groove. Handing over to Jus-Ed proved an interesting change. Ed is of course, first and foremost a DJ, but I couldn't help thinking that he seems almost more content these days breaking new artists than trying to cement his own reputation. Either way, he delivered a suitable set, lacking in breathtaking moments, but well above average.

For anyone who attended UQ's night at Tape last September, the label's reputation will forever remain untarnished. Having said that, the night seemed to lack a certain something (Fred P?), and it seemed like the reopening of Panorama had brought with it a less musically concerned crowd. The DJs, the sound system (bar the odd tweak here and there), and even the wooden floor all delivered admirably. Quality? Sure. Underground? Not any more.

Marky Mark

2010-01-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

As a follow up to a previous post on DJ Marky, get on this 'influences' mix he has put together for IDJ.

Me and Julio down by the schoolyard

2010-01-21T04:35:00.000-08:00

Really feeling Bristolian Julio Bashmore's first outing on Dirty Bird. Interesting to see Funky snapped up by a traditional house/techno label, especially with Martyn's Fabric mix starting to join the dots between UK Bass and more established 4/4. Not sure how long this will continue, and actually how down I really am with it all (maybe because I don't live in the UK anymore?), but 'Um Bongo's Revenge' is a pleasure.

Time to Express

2010-01-20T14:27:00.001-08:00

My latest IA review on Peter Van Hoesen's 'Entropic Minus Six'. A real banger.

Peter Van Hoesen had a pretty amazing 2009, but on the evidence of ‘Entropic Minus Six’, 2010 is going to be his annus mirabilis. Not only is there a Sendai project to look forward to, but also his next album ‘Entropic City’, of which the four tracks on offer here provide a tantalising glimpse.

‘Terminal’ bangs right from the get-go, and never lets up. Taking cues from the sci-fi aesthetic Redshape touched on in his ‘Dance Paradox’ LP, Van Hoesen ups the ante, delivering a genuine stomper that sounds like aliens conversing with each other in Berghain. ‘Strip It, Boost It’ is also trippy as sin, and shows its creator raising his production game. There is almost (but not quite) too much going on as the track revels in a clinical mash of frequencies. On the flip, ‘Quartz #1’ is the sonic equivalent of a car hitting a brick wall at full speed: twisted metal crumple zoning into nothing. The 12” closes with ‘Defense Against the Self’, a slightly less frenetic workout that nonetheless encapsulates Van Hoesen’s reductionist instincts, a wallop of disencumbered four-to-the-floor techno. If you’re still dusting off the cobwebs from last year, this should be just the tonic to bring you up to speed.

PS

2010-01-19T07:37:00.000-08:00

SFJ singing the praises of xx. Worth noting that he cites New Order as a major influence on The xx, not only because I'm not sure that I agree, but because if one were to agree, it only goes to vindicate the theory outlined below. New Order were both an extension of Joy Division and a complete abnegation of it, musically as well as structurally. After Curtis' death, they were forced to look elsewhere (this term "elsewhere" probably needs elucidation, but I like its purposefully vague quality) for reasons to continue making music. A change of name was coupled with a change of instrumentation, and as this interesting doc posits, that instrument was the synth. The argument is not watertight, because New Order were relative arrivistes on the emerging synth scene of 80s Britain, more bandwagon-jumpers than leading lights. However, as an example of a band looking outside its own sound/scene/genre for a new musical direction, the parallel with The xx is a decent one. Oh, and who knew 'Blue Monday' was the biggest selling ep of all time?

Oh, and one more...

2010-01-17T06:07:00.000-08:00

Indie hasn't registered for me since 'Room on Fire' walked in and out of my life. Living in the UK for the best part of the 00's, indie was impossible to ignore. Morphing out of some idealised post-Britpop, pre-dubstep mindset, into the standard student union, skinny jeans from Next-wearing, Joy Division-yearning, fake Northern accent-touting blatherfest, it thankfully seemed to die over the last year and a half. The dubstep point is an interesting one. Blackdown noted on his Pitchfork end of year review that:

'In the UK, the wobble sound is now the default dubstep position for many fans, as the scene commands a increasing share of the Friday night/student/super club market. With the fanbase expanded far beyond any one core, complaints about deviations from South London circa 2005 or an overall loss of direction feel increasingly irrelevant. Many new dubstep fans neither know nor care about those issues, and complaining about glories past is futile. So fair play to all the brostep ravers 'aving it.'

What strikes me as interesting is that roll back to about 2005/6, and that whole 'Friday night/student/super club market' was moshing its nuts off to the Kaiser Chiefs. Dubstep, or brostep, or whatever has come to dominate the listening patterns of 20-somethings in the same way that indie did before it. Is there a comparison to be made? Well clearly, dubstep is (in its founding at least) a British phenomenon. More than that though, it has been an exportable phenomenon, just as indie was before it. The Kaiser Chiefs and Pete Doherty were not only (attempting to) soundtrack 00's Britain, but also taking their sound on the road, via music festivals, across Europe and beyond. Fast forward to the present day, and what is a music festival in Poland, Germany, Serbia, wherever, without an appearance from say Kode 9, or Skream? More importantly, where did that leave indie? It reminds me of a point made on the mnml ssgs blog:

'like what jay-z said with indie and hip-hop. he said the indie revival is great because it has overtaken hip-hop in innovation which should "push" hip-hop producers into lifting their game'

To my mind, there were three important indie albums released in 2009: xx, Merriweather Post Pavilion, and Bitte Orca. The importance of each album however, had less to do with the bands looking deep into the heart of indie for answers, but actually looking outside it. The xx channeled South London dubstep flavas into their soundscapes, Merriweather looked to house, and the Dirty Projectors (and also the xx, cf. 'Hot Like Fire') to RnB. This outward-looking tendency is the same one that made Vampire Weeeknd's self-titled debut such a thrill. Afrobeat and indie, wtf?

However, what's most interesting is that whilst the so-called indie musicians were looking elsewhere for inspiration, the elsewhere looked to them. When has an album like xx managed to coalesce a positive critical consensus between indie kids, ravers, and experimentalists? Why were Resident Advisor reviewing Merriweather (and giving it 4.5/5)? Why was Solange Knowles covering 'Stillness is the Move'? This outward looking tendency in indie has breathed new life into a dying genre, but more importantly, indie has managed to breathe new life into other genres that previously couldn't have given less of a shit. 'Contra' has just come out one year after 'Merriweather' first dropped, and we have reached a crucial point. This sonically experimental, genre-defying tendency will soon calcify as scenesters start purchasing Highlife compilations en masse, desperately searching for an obscure peg to hang their derivative coat on. Indie as envelope-pusher will die out, just as the case of 'brostep' has shown. But for the time being, let's hear it for tracks like 'Stillness', the moment when the pupil finally outclassed his master.

A couple of tunes

2010-01-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

Klezmer big band post-blues on a deep and dubby house bender. Needs to be reissued.

Ok, this came out in 2008, but still, the Raw Cuts series, Lonely One ep and the stunning DJ Sprinkles remix (and not forgetting the Beats in Space podcast) all add up to a pretty sensational 2009 for Danilo Plessow. And he busses Supreme.

Time Passes

2010-01-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

My latest LWE review is up, and this time it's on Losoul's 'Time Passes' EP [Freak n' Chic].

The Brazilian Job

2010-01-14T09:17:00.000-08:00

Simon Reynolds chimes in with his list for top etc etc of the decade over on his blog, and it makes just as interesting reading as anything else out there. One track that stood out for me (and I don't mean the inimitable Dane Bowers/Victoria Beckham hookup 'Out of Your Mind' [or even 'Put a Donk on It', which is just as worthy of canonical status as the work of McGonagall is to English literature])was DJ Marky & XRS featuring Stamina MC, 'LK (Carolina Carol Bela)'. I've mentioned elsewhere that the work of Trentemøller provided a (somewhat embarrassing) segue into the world 0f 4/4, but really, I was a fairweather DnB fan first. When I say fairweather though, I really mean I listened to one CD on repeat for about four months. That's a lie: I listened to one track from one CD on repeat for about four months. The track? 'Só Tinha Que Ser Com Voce (Cosmonautics Mix)' Now don't get me wrong. I had mad love for 'Barcelona', mad love for 'LK', mad love even for Bad Company et al. I knew the obligatory mandem at University that forced me, almost every time I set foot in their homes, to get stoned and watch old VHS' of 'One Nation' raves at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and Lord knows I was sweating it up with the best of them on Friday nights at True Playaz raves in Fabric, but I was always more of the liquid DnB persuasion: Hospital Records, Movement, the whole shebang. If DnB was on offer, then this particular mandem desired, nay demanded, that it be of the coffee table variety. Retrospectively, that period of my life is one whole cringefest, a seminal building block best filed under 'Dispensable'. Nonetheless, those four months of pressing play, and five minutes later sliding back on my four-wheeled desk chair to press play again, just "one last time" remain, and for that reason alone, I'm gutted I didn't include it in my own end of year/decade bla bla bla.

Ghosts in the AI

2010-01-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

Here is my first review for Little White Earbuds on Mathew Jonson's 'Ghost in the AI' EP [Wagon Repair]

If one were to single out an overarching narrative for the trajectory of electronic music in 2009, it would surely be the emphasis on the past — on the founding myths and legends that electronic music emerged out of — as a source of inspiration. With disco breaking out from small-scale revival to established Room Two, even Room One fare, with deep house announcing itself as the heir apparent to the ubiquity of mid-decade minimal, and with the cavernously retrospective, Detroit-flecked techno of the Berghain/Hard Wax crew dominating tracklists, it seems that in 2009, the only way to look forward, was to look back. Accordingly, Mathew Jonson chimed in with his take on the theme for Ghosts In the AI, his last Wagon Repair release of the year and the decade.

The EP is the first solo production to come out of Wagon Repair’s new Berlin studios. The eponymous opener couples handclaps with a disconcerting electro warble that aims to growl you into submission. Unlike “Marionette,” which played an elegant game of cat and mouse between the ascending chords and the descending beat, a ruse that was wholly of its time (think James Holden’s “Sky Is Pink” remix), “Ghosts” posits no internal dialog, but instead searches for a middle ground between Drexciya-era electro and late-00’s techno. On the flip, “Technology” is also at once old and new, which is fitting given its curious back story. Apparently created around the time of “Octagon”’s release in 2004 on It Is What It Is, it has only seen the light of day now following a gentle push from Jonson’s brother, Nathan, better known as Hrdvision. The elusive, hard to pin down beat is grounded by a repetitive synth pattern that seems to hint just as much at the dawn of a new age, as the closing of an old one. This unresolved dichotomy is further muddied by the beatless track “The Alchemist,” taken from Jonson’s score to the silent film “Faust,” a fitting companion piece no doubt, but unlikely to give the headphones, let alone the dance floor any cause for concern.

Admirable as Jonson’s endeavour is, the legacy of the past year has shown that creating something new out of something old, and doing it well, is no easy feat. Although the electro Jonson favours here seems more than due a comeback, the EP as a whole feels less like a statement of intent for next year than a footnote to this one.

Aaron Atkins Mix

2009-12-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

Following a tip from Kyle Hall, it is with great pleasure that I can introduce the fourth installment in the Wunderkind mix series, and this time it comes from Aaron Atkins, nephew of the original techno pioneer Juan Atkins, and an outstanding electro producer in his own right. 2010 should be a big year for vintage electro, and Aaron's sound, represented here by cuts from fellow Detroit native and Micron Audio co-conspirator, DJ Stingray 313, and AUX 88 pays testament to the enduring appeal of the sound. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to some of the not-quite-DnB currently being explored by artists like Instra:Mental and D-Bridge, Aaron delivers a powerful journey through the heyday of electro, and gives us an insight into where it may well be heading in the not too distant future.

Download here.

It is rare to come across someone as in love with classic electro as yourself. Could you tell me what it is you love about it?

As far as electro,I like the energy, the sounds and pace and the arrangements.

Coming from Detroit, do you not feel pressure to be more into house or techno?

Well not exactly. In one of my sets I'll play a house record called Adonis 'No Way Back' and mix it in with a techno record like Juan Atkins 'Infinti Game One' and then put on an electro record called 'Future Cities' by the Advent. I really try not to get boxed in because its all electronic music.

Your uncle is Juan Atkins, one of the original founders of techno, does he have any interaction with your music?

Well just like any uncle he gives me advice but in terms of being hands on the answer is no, and he really pushes me to learn things on my own.

Growing up with that around you, did it influence what you listened to growing up as a kid?

No I listen to all types of music: Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, AUX 88, Dopplereffekt, Drexciya, The Advent, DJ stingray. In terms of hip hop, TI, Gucci Mane and OJ da Juice Man, Young Jeezy too. You know, just music man.

Could you tell us more about Micron? Is it a record label, or a collective?

Micron Audio is both a record label and collective ran by Sherad Ingram with 8 or 9 different artists including myself from all over the world who are makeing electro music.

How do you make your music (ie. with what equipment)?

I like to keep that confidential but I will tell you I like to use a mixture of machines and software.

Do you play much in Detroit?

Not as much as I would like to but that is changing.

Do you have any plans for releasing your music? If so, how (what label etc.)?

Look from material from me from Underground Resistance, Metroplex and Micron audio on wax or mp3.

The electro sound is a timeless one, but also to a certain extent, a dated one. Do you see evidence of it starting to enter more into modern productions?

I don't agree with the term dated i think the problem is with how people classified electronic music i mean how can something be timeless and dated at the same time?

Are there any contemporary electro artists that really stand out for you?

AUX 88, Mike Banks of Underground Resistance, the Illektrolab, DJ Skurge, and DJ Stingray.

Are there any non-electro artists working at the moment who really interest you?

DJ Skurge, Kyle Hall, and Omar S. Like I mentioned before, I'm interested in electronic music period.

What's next for you personally?

Well I will continue to work hard, release some hot records out in the year 2010, hopefully play more gigs in Detroit or overseas if possible, and just develop myself better as a artist.

Tracklist:

Intro - Alien Contact
1 Cybotron - Clear
2 Chaos - Afrogermanic
3 Aux 88 - Direct Drive
4 Aux 88 - Space Satellites
5 Aux 88 - Let it Ride
6 Aux 88 - Erase the Time
7 DJ Stingray 313 - Microthol
8 The Exaltics - The Truth
9 DJ Stingray aka Urban Tribe - Her
10 DJ stingray aka Urban Tribe - RNA
11 Aril Brikha - Groove la Chord
12 Los Hermanos - Birth of 3000
13 Cybotron - Alleys of your mind
14 Cybotron - El Salvador
15 Cybotron - Cosmic Cars
16 Model 500 - Night Drive Time Space
17 Model 500 - Technicolor
18 Cybotron - Cosmic Raindance
19 Kraftwerk - Tour de France
20 Kraftwerk - It's more fun to compute
21 hasim its time extended mix
22 DJ Stingray 313 - Serotonin
23 DJ Stingray 313 - Counter Surveillance

Mnml Bln

2009-12-22T06:30:00.000-08:00

Given all this end of year, end of decade nonsense, and the fact that I find myself back in the UK for only the second time in a year, I thought it a fitting time to address an issue that has been bugging me for a while. RA have just delivered their end of year lists, as have LWE and FACT.

What can we take from these lists? Well, firstly, and perhaps inescapably (I'm keen to get this out of the way as quickly as possible), it has been a good year for Joy Orbision. His 'Hyph Mngo' tops the FACT and RA lists. I side with Reynolds on this one - an uninspiring track 'for the headz to nod off to'. What else?

Well, it's clear that 2009 has been the year shit got deep. The transition from minimal crustiness to how-deep-can-we-go insouciance is pretty well documented, and I don't really want to go into it here. However, after a year living in Berlin, I thought I would try to examine where this has left minimal. Philip Sherburne is doing some interesting archival work on his website examining how minimal (or mnml) has changed over the last decade, but it remains a thoroughly retrospective exercise, the blogosphere's intellectualized version of "I Love the Noughties". We all laugh as Richie tweets his set lists, safe in the knowledge that listening to the DJ Sprinkles album makes us a better man than him, but to acknowledge the fall of minimal is also to try and trace its continued relevance, just as DnB took over the rest of Europe whilst it spluttered to a ghastly death in the UK.

Ironically, for all the critical/blogosphere idolisation of Berlin (and London for those funky/UK bass/dubstep/future garage headz out there) as the epicentre for all things tech, deep house has arguably had a lesser impact there than it has had in other places (namely specialised sites for the consumption of deep house: think Sud nights in London, Trus Me's Disco3K festival in Croatia, late Sunday afternoons in Panoramabar). Berlin actually still has a lingering love affair with mnml that reminds me of London's love/hate position towards DnB at the turn of the millennium. You can't forget that it was mnml which created the modern electronic Disneyland that is the "Berlin" of the Easyjetset's wildest dreams, and the sound persists in a stubborn, uncompromising form.

One need only go into any club that isn't Watergate or Berghain, preferably mid-week, to be assaulted by this new breed of minimal from labels such as Autist, Budenzauber, Italo Business and at the more well-known end of the spectrum, Tom Clarke's Highgrade. The sound pushed by these labels, and the associated artists, is an updated form of mnml. Tracks like this, and this, perfectly sum up this new breed. We've still got what Sherburne calls the clicks and cuts (although if anything, less cliques and cuts), but these have been yoked to an avowedly un-mnml beat that has borrowed freely from 2007/8's tech-house paradigm (think Nick Curly, Jamie Jones et al).

The other thing that is interesting about this new wave of neo-mnmlism is that very little of it is German. Arguably, this has always been the case: Robert Hood, Steve Reich, Richie Hawtin, John Acquaviva and so on were adopted and consumed by the German early to mid-noughties minimalists in the same way that Motorcity Drum Ensemble and Sascha Dive are consuming the Strictly Rhythm back catalogue at the moment. But these neo-mnmlists are by and large, Italian. Sure you always had your Marco Carolas, but the new face of mnmlism is, on the whole, more Latin than Teutonic: Andrea Giuliani, Luca Rossetti, Andrea Tamburini, Stephan Barnem. Oh, and they're young. Fucking young. Usually late teens, early twenties. Perhaps most intriguingly though, is the fact that they all seem to be coming through at the same time. Check out Francesco Bonora's '18 minutes to 2009' released on Model in February. The implication, clear as day, is that 2009 is not about this critically adored/maligned deep house business, but instead Italian mnml.

Yet this isn't an isolated Italian scene, taking place somewhere on the Neapolitan peninsula. It has its aim fixed squarely on BLN. One need only check the best compilation of this stuff yet to surface. It's called 'Winter In Berlin'. It's even got a track called 'Open the Watergate' by M_Ferri (note the interesting reappropriation of the M_nus logo/name). And if you still don't believe me, go to Golden Gate, a club under Jannowitzbrücke, on a Thursday or Friday evening. Not only will tunes of this ilk be rinsed until 3pm of the next day, everyone in there, and especially those selling drugs, will be Italian.

It seems to me like the situation we had a few years back when Umek and Marko Nastic borrowed freely from northern European, and US techno, but fitted it for their European audiences in Serbia and Slovenia. They upped the BPM, toned down the industrial austerity, and ratcheted up the progressive, almost psychedelic elements, and in so doing, like Stephen Daedalus in 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man', they 'forge in the smithy of [their] souls the uncreated conscience of [their] race.'

I have no desire to speculate what this neo-mnmlism says about the uncreated conscience of young Italian mnml producers, or if it plays any part in a larger Italian socio-political narrative, but I will say that under their tutelage, mnml, for the first time in at least five or six years, feels important again. Whether or not this is an act of nostalgia, prompted by the critical ubiquity of deep house (even if that critical ubiquity is not paralleled by a physical ubiquity in Berlin), remains to be seen, but in a fucked up, quasi-nostalgic way, here's hoping. Avanti ragazzi.

Memories

2009-12-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

This track really passed me by this year, which is a shame because it is fucking amazing. Better late than never I guess.

Son de El-B

2009-12-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

Music journalist Joe Muggs has posted a mix of proto-dubstep beatsman El-B, playing strictly Colombian music. Apparently:

'his real passion, and what has always given his own productions a unique syncopation, is Colombian music. As Lewis himself says in the interview I did with him for the Wire (incidentally, the interview which inspired me to start this site) “you might not even like it but you can’t help it, you have to move a hip or an elbow or something… it’s infectiously bouncy… just really fucking dancey”.'

Although I admire El-B's appetite and passion for Colombian music in all its forms, this mix has more than a touch of a Dilpo or DJ/Rupture set from late 2007, early 2008. Nonetheless, big up musica Colombiana, good to see it finally getting the props it deserves. Heck I may even post my own cumbia mix shortly...

El-B Mundo Musica Cumbia Mix by veryverymuch

David Schwertfeger Mix

2009-12-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Next up in the Wunderkind mix series is David Schwertfeger, an Ableton employee who runs the quite frankly excellent Carambolage dub-techno night in Berlin. Here he drops an hour of serious dubwise pressure including cuts from Scuba, Sigha, and the incredible Variance IV (Regis Edit) released on Sandwell District. Interview to follow shortly.

Download here.

Tracklist:

01 Intrusion - Montego Bay [Echospace]
02 Pinch - 136 Trak [Punch Drunk]
03 Sigha & Spherix - Separation [Immerse Records]
04 Headhunter - Lifeform [Tempa]
05 Scuba - Golden [Hotflush]
06 Sigha - Hold Your Heart Up To The Light [Hotflush]
07 Resoe - Cosmic Blast [Baum Records]
08 Deadbeat & Fenin - Teach The Devil's Son [Echocord Colour]
09 Kalon - Man Is The Superior Animal [Sandwell District]
10 Claro Intelecto - X [Modern Love]
11 N/A - Variance IV (Regis Edit) [Sandwell District]
12 Monolake - Titan [Monolake / Imbalance Computer Music]

Ashes to Ashes

2009-12-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

...dust to dust? Could 2010 be the year Minimal stopped being a dirty word, and stepped up to the plate, unfurling its ashen wings, rising from out of the fiery embers of deep house mediocrity, and make a cause for why it is still valid? Perhaps if the Italians have anything to do with it, as per this monster (on which more to follow), but I think 2010 is going to be the year we rediscover electro en masse. Big up UR, Mad Mike Banks, and the HI TECH SOUL fraternity. Watch this space, you have been warned.

Under the Radar

2009-12-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest IA review, Mike Shannon's 'Under the Radar' [Cynosure].

Mike Shannon and his Cynosure label have been around for a while now, and although they’ve yet to register a full-blown hit, they consistently deliver difficult but deeply rewarding avant-techno fare. Shannon worked with vocalist Fadilla Demirtas on the excellent Sweets, a haunting, esoteric workout, that confounded and pleased in equal measure, and she returns on ‘Under the Radar’, a title that could well encapsulate the Canadian’s long presence in electronic music.

Shannon’s original cut adopts a more techy beat than previous outings, and he once again puts Demirtas to good use, coming across as a house diva for the Arab world. Villalobos too, provides a neat fit with Cynosure, and his remix is a welcome, if underwhelming addition. Harking back to the not-quite-walking, not-quite jogging pace of Alcachofa, he shows there’s still life to his micro-house aesthetic. The highlight though, is Deadbeat’s slowburner (with which Shannon began his FACT mix), a sultry beast that couples a steppas growl with twinkley chimes for over four minutes before relapsing into a crunchy, ritualistic release. Rozzo plums Motorcity Drum Ensemble territory for his take, all conveyor belt chords, cymbals, and a hint of handclaps.

The great revelation of the EP however, is not the beats, all competent as you please, but the way in which each artist makes Demirtas sound so different. Part Muezzin, part diva, with just a hint of Dancehall chanteuse, Shannon has found a more than suitable accomplice for his musical skulduggery. Under the radar? Probably not for long.

Destruction

2009-12-10T05:55:00.001-08:00

Really feeling this.

Music of the Decade

2009-12-09T05:32:00.001-08:00

Apparently I'm a "valued contributor" to RA, so they've asked me to assemble a list for their Albums of the Decade list. Albums eh? Didn't they start becoming irrelevant after Ok Computer? Well, even so, here goes, in no particular order apart from the top three:

1 Metro Area - Metro Area (Environ)
2 Burial - Untrue (Hyperdub)
3 Kelley Polar - Love Songs of the Hanging Gardens (Environ)
4 DJ Koze - Kosi Comes Around (Kompakt)
5 Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
6 Rhythm and Sound - See Mi Yah (Burial Mix)
7 Sally Shapiro - Disco Romance (Discokaine)
8 Mayaan Nidam (aka Miss Fitz) - Nightlong (Powershovel)
9 Vitalic -Ok Cowboy (Play it again Sam)
10 Shed - Shedding the Past (Ostgut-Ton)
11 The Strokes - Is This It (RCA)
12 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)
13 Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street (XL)
14 Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Island)
15 Skream - Skream (Tempa)
16 Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins (Polyvinyl Records)
17 Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (Atlantic)
18 Portishead - Third (Mercury)
19 Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (Barsuk)
20 Pinch - Underwater Dancehall (Tectonic)
21 Burial - Burial (Hyperdub)
22 Mungolian Jetset - We Gave it away…now we're taking it back (Small Town Supersound)
23 Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock (Umvd)
24 Vincent Gallo - When (Warp)
25 The xx - xx (Young Turks)
26 Onra -Chinoiseries (Label Rouge)
27 Dr Dre 2001 (Interscope)
28 Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner (XL)
29 Matthew Dear - Asa Breed (Ghostly International)
30 Calle 13 - Calle 13 (Norte)
31 Jaylib - Champion Sound (Stones Throw)
32 The Strokes - Room on Fire (RCA)
33 Gui Borratto - Chromophobia (Kompakt)
34 Kanye West - The College Dropout (Roc-a-fella)
35 Davendra Banhart - Cripple Crow (XL)
36 Amadou et Mariam - Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)
37 Kelley Polar - I Need You to Hold On While The Sky is Falling (Environ)
38 Hercules and Love Affair -Hercules and Love Affair (DFA)

Next up, compilations and mixes, once again in no particular order after Dimitri from Paris:

1 Erlend Oye -Dj Kicks (K7)
2 Michael Mayer -Fabric 13 (Fabric)
3 Various Kompakt -100 (Kompakt)
4 Omar S -Fabric 45 (Fabric)
5 Ricardo Villalobos -Fabric 36 (Fabric)
6 Dimitri From Paris -After the Playboy Mansion (Respect is Burning)
7 Royksopp -Back To Mine (Back to Mine)
8 Paul Kalkbrenner -Berlin Calling (Bpitch Control)
9 Various -Box of Dub (Soul Jazz Records)
10 Various -Disco Not Disco (Post Punk, Electro & Leftfield Disco Classics) (Strut)
11 DJ /rupture -Uproot (Agriculture)
12 Marco Carola -Fabric 31 (Fabric)
13 Marcel Dettman -Berghain 02 (Ostgut-Ton)
14 Cassy -Panoramabar 01 (Ostgut-Ton)
15 Various -The Dark Side Of Disco Vol. 1 (?)
16 Spankrock -Fabriclive 33 (Fabric)
17 Danny Tenaglia -Global Underground: Athens (Global Underground)
18 Various -Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Nigerian Blues. 1970-6 (Soundway)
19 Underground Qualtiy -Tape Club Berlin Presents Underground Quality (UQ)
20 Various -Twice As Nice: Sexy & Stylish Volume 1 (Twice as Nice)
21 Various Artists -Freerange Colour Series White 06 (Freerange)
22 Colombiafrica - The Mystic Orchestra -Voodoo Love Inna Champeta-Land (World Music Network/Riverboat)
23 Various -Warrior Dubz (Planet Mu)
24 Various -2OO (Planet Mu)
25 Various -10 Tons Heavy (Planet Mu)
26 Hyperdub -5 Years: Hyperdub (Hyperdub)
27 Various -The Roots Of Dubstep (Tempa)
28 Various -The Very Best Of Ethiopiques (Manteca)

And finally, here are my top 20 tracks of the decade. These have a far more electronic slant given the nature of the publication, apart from A Milli which I just felt HAD to be in there. In defense of Lil Wayne's breakout anthem, I have heard it dropped by artists as disparate as Drop The Lime, and Loco Dice, so it must have some electronic currency. There is no real order outside of the top 5.

1 Miura -Metro Area (Environ)
2 MyMy -Fast Freeze (Cocoon)
3 Lil Wayne -A Milli (Cash Money)
4 Burial -Unite (Soul Jazz)
5 Levon Vincent -Games Dub (Underground Quality)
6 Ada -Les Danseuses (Kompakt)
7 Nathan Fake -Sky Is Pink (James Holden Remix) (Border Community)
8 Claude Von Stroke -Deep Throat (Dirty Bird)
9 Feist -My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix) (Universal)
10 Wet Summer -John Dahlback (Kompakt)
11 Blood On My Hands (Ricardo Villalobos Apocalypso Now Mix Part 1) - Shackleton (Skull Disco)
12 Hercules and Love Affair -Blind (DFA)
13 Lindstrom -I Feel Space (Smalltown Supersound)
14 Matthew Dear -Don and Sherri (Ghostly International)
15 Samim -Heater (Data)
16 T2 -Heartbroken (All Around the World)
17 Burial -Archangel (Hyperdub)
18 Cheshire Catz -Ringshifter (Berwick Street Records)
19 Digital Mystikz -Earth a Run Red (Soul Jazz)
20 Precious System -The Voice From Planet Love (Running Back)

Kyle Hall Mix

2009-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

The latest guest mix, comes from Detroit Wunderkind Kyle Hall, a prodigious young talent with a genuine flair for classic mid-Western house and techno. With a recent Hyperdub remix for Darkstar under his belt, and his own record label Wild Oats, alongside releases on FXHE, Kyle's doing pretty well for an 18 year old. His mix is a thrilling ride through the more jacking and soulful elements of house music. Interview after the drop.

Download here.

The electronic music scene in Detroit seems to be based on the idea of heritage. The older guys still hold a lot of sway. You are often hailed as a bright light of the scene. Are there other people of your age coming through the ranks and picking up where the older guys have left off?

Yes there are a few other people aside from myself. One of them being the nephew of Techno Pioneer Juan Atkins. His name is Aaron Atkins, he has been working on quite a few really dope electro tracks lately that have caught my ear. Check out his myspace page. Of course The Quran he’s actually featured on the new wo-30000 on the track Lax Adrenalin. He’s continuously working on very interesting music. In addition to those guys, the kids I teach at Youthville (a Detroit after school program) show some promise especially this one kid who's 12! OMG hes on his way to being a beast on the Beats his name is Reuel Walker . Its crazy because hes actually quite skilled its scary one of these days I'm going to make a Youtube video of him throwin down on the beats. Trust Me this Kid is SICK! Detroit has much young growing talent for real.

Your meeting with Omar S seems to be by now legendary. How has his influence shaped your artistic development?

Omar has influenced me in a since when it comes to the approach to sound and making songs. Omar is very much an out of the box type of guy when it comes making music hearing him do what he does just furthered promoted my experimentalism in my music. He was also one of the people who supported the idea of me starting my own label.

You've already set up your own record label, an impressive feat for someone of your age. How does that differ from producing and DJing. Is it something you enjoy?

Running a label pretty cool. You have control over every decision made with a release but with control comes the cost. How it differs from producing and djing is that you are thinking about an overall end result of a package as opposed to when your producing your thinking about the song you are working on. Running a label is very much about materializing a vision you have in your head to your medium of choice.

You did a remix for Hyperdub. How did that come about?

The remix I did for Hyperdub came about through me getting in contact with a guy from Warp. This same guy also works at Hyperdub. So through that person Darkstar contacted me about in doing a remix for a new track of theirs. I said yes and went to work.

In your opinion, can house and techno fully interact with dubstep?

Yes I do definitely feel that House and Techno can fully interact with Dubstep. If you listen to artist like shed and Martyn that fact is made evident. I feel a lot of the stuff I’m hearing in Dubstep has very close qualities to the sounds that are in my head. Dubstep seems to me as a genre that is very much connected to many forms of electronic music. So for me I feel right at home with much of the stuff. Some of the music that is categorized as dubstep I don’t know if I would have made a separate genre if the name dubstep didn’t exist. A lot the music Could be house or techno and Hip Hop also.

You've mentioned that you are into 4x4 garage. A lot of the music coming out of the UK that used to be called garage now has a much housier flavour. Do you think there is a natural correlation between the two?

Yeah easily. I think that whole genre is a melting pot of sound and to include house into that pot is not surprising. House is what really came first and has had a lasting affect on dance music so naturally elements from that would be infused into garage music. So the correlation makes plenty since to me.

You also work under the name DJ Kase n Point. Is there any difference between the two personas?

Yes. Originally Kase N Point was intended for hip hop production but on and off in Detroit I would use it as a Dj name. So I decided to do a mix cd under that name. Sometimes Kyle and Kase cross paths but in the future I plan on them to be separate. Kase N Point will have some projects out that will really distinguish his personality from Kyle Hall.

You come from the home of Motown and your music places you firmly within the history of soulful music in America. Is that something that is important to you, tracing a line from the past and onwards into the future?

Yes it is important acknowledge and honor that but honestly I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I’m trying to do new shit that is connected as little as possible to my for fathers. I want people to think of me when my music is heard not Berry Gordy.

Aside from you and your friends, what are the kids listening to at the moment that is really shaping the musical consciousness of America?

It really changes every month it seems. Last time I checked though it was Oj the Juice man and Drake. Though I think Kanye has really shaped the musical Consciousness in America. He introduced a kind of European flavor to American "Hip Pop music". That and old school mismatched hipster 80s gear. I think in a way Kanye has opened the doors for more unconventional music to be accepted by the normal commercial realm simply because its different. So essentially today in America kids just want to be all Hipster and Different so that means anything that can be placed in the category of hipster and different has a chance commercially, which could potentially include the entire dance music world. SO GOOD 4 U$ LOL! Kay stay payed!

All the world's a stage

2009-12-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

Me at 5:

Me at 23:

Me at 75:

El Año Viejo

2009-11-24T11:45:00.000-08:00

Very odd but weirdly beautiful video this. I've been listening to a lot more cumbia of late.

Sino Disco

2009-11-23T04:04:00.000-08:00

Ceramik

2009-11-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

The highlight of an excellent LP.

Klockwerk

2009-11-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

The best house track of 2009 (IMO not far off, although admittedly this uses the hugely inferior Dixon rerub) gets given the Klock treatment. Are Innervisions hellbent on global domination?

My My

2009-11-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest IA review.

After ‘Fast Freeze’, MyMy could do no wrong in my eyes. The song (and it is a song, not a track, or a tool, or whatever else you choose to call it) was written as a song should be: it had a beginning, a middle and an end. But more than that, it exhibited an attention to melody, to sonic craftsmanship, that more producers would do well to emulate. If subsequent MyMy releases failed to a certain extent, it was only in comparison with the singular grace and noblesse of ‘Fast Freeze’. For their latest release on Will Saul’s Aus Music, MyMy have once again stuck to what they do best – woozey synths, breezy vocals, and that trademark attention to melody - but once again struggled to reach the dizzying heights they have previously set themselves.

Opener ‘Price Tag’ kicks things off with a slap-bass riff that gets yoked to mouth-wide-open vocals from Emika. Spaghetti-western whistling heralds the arrival of more vocals that scream “playful”, but are actually only playful in the way a puppy dropped on his head is playful. ‘Lights Go Down’ exhibits a more dance floor-oriented direction with tribal-not-tribal drums stomping away whilst ascending and descending synths attempt to add an eeriness that quite frankly isn’t there. The real highlight though is the Appleblim and Komonazmuk remix that teleports MyMy into a 90s London garage club, and leaves them sounding all the better for it. Refashioned as a post-garage ode to Mousse T’s ‘I’m Horny’, the vocal snippets work far better in these disorienting 2-step environs, literally dissolving before a Wagnerian doomfest of a breakdown. The digital only Sideshow remix works in the way public transport “works”: better than a horse and cart, but no Mercedes Benz.

The public transport analogy is a good one actually. Much like the thoughts of the bus driver, constantly travelling the same route, there is little here to surprise. Thanks to sterling work from Appleblim and Komonazmuk, this is not quite seen-it-all-before ennui, but it is certainly no ‘Fast Freeze’.

Rollerskate

2009-11-20T04:29:00.000-08:00

File next to 'Remember Love'. Future Bar 25 anthem methinks.

mnml

2009-11-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

Only two comments stand out as having any worth in this mutual wank-off:

maybe it's like: once upon a time everyone wanted to be playwrights. The standard was high, the field competitive, and lots of good, memorable plays got 'wrighted'.... but how many great 'wrighters' wanna write plays anymore... probably they're writing the Wire in stead, no?

maybe indie is the answer... like what jay-z said with indie and hip-hop. he said the indie revival is great because it has overtaken hip-hop in innovation which should "push" hip-hop producers into lifting their game

This also has some validity to it:

something dies in techno everytime Richie tweets

The rest? Latersssssss

I know

2009-11-19T03:08:00.000-08:00

This blog is currently experiencing its leanest period in its entire history - I feel like the Pharaoh who wished he'd followed Joseph's advice and packed every available grain silo along the Nile basin with excess wheat, before a nasty seven year famine kicked in. Too much?

Either way, my silence is due to a number of reasons. Firstly, I spent two weeks in Morocco, Tangiers to be precise. I won't say too much on it, as hopefully, there will be more to follow on the subject but I will say, that if you've never had the pleasure of stumbling across this den of iniquity before, do so ASAP. It really is the seediest, slimiest anachronistic throwback to some Evelyn Waugh-esque année dorée where men were immaculately presented and invariably hiding from something. For an Arab city, it's actually pretty liberal in terms of alcohol and night-life. One place in particular stood out.

Following my return to Berlin, it was not long before a large group or Brits arrived on my doorstep, keen to sample the delights of the German nightlife, and so off we went into the night (or should that be morning) to see Cassy's Birthday at Berghain. Arriving at about 9am, we staggered on until 8pm on Sunday night (with the party still showing little sign of stopping) having witnessed Cassy (an absolute pleasure), Zip (what a nice guy), Ricardo (seriously, get over yourself), Faki (a CD set at Berghain?), and the absolute highlight of the show and the best performance I have ever seen up or downstairs, Boris, playing the LOUDEST set of mindfuck avant-techno I, or anyone else for that matter (?), had ever heard.

So forgive my silence, and instead allow me to give a brief round up of tunes that have been entertaining me of late.

Thanks for this one Tate.

Thanks Cassy.

Thanks iPod Shuffle.

Thanks UQ.

Thanks Farley.

Incandescent

2009-11-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

The whole Skream La Roux, Xx, Florence, dubstep, funky melting pot shows no signs of stopping. Hooray?

Dance Paradox

2009-11-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Here is my first review for Inverted Audio on Redshape's Dance Paradox.

Anonymous techno personas, aside from being examples of a larger current trend in techno nostalgia, are not without precedent, and Redshape, a fellow disciple of the incognito school of the genre, has clearly geeked up on his musical antecedents. His latest EP ‘Dance Paradox’ is exactly that, part dance, part paradox; a scientific exploration into the nether regions of what techno is, that could quite easily soundtrack the darker moments of an L. Ron Hubbard biopic.

Opening track ‘Seduce Me’ crafts a beat from the gentle thud of a dove’s wing, albeit a dove on nandrilone. From this eerily organic opening, Redshape wafts in and out with psytrancey flashes that merge into the opening moments of ‘Garage GT’, where organ stabs create an atmosphere of panicked heartbeats in lieu of an almost-there 4/4 beat. In ‘Bound’, Redshape wears his influences on his sleeve, but Blade Runner knifings and insistent synths allow him to create his own future-noir soundscape. In ‘Man Out of Time’, a breakbeat shuffle acts as a warped homage to Anthony Shakir, an act of deference that is coupled with darkcore swooshes, more Indonesian sweatshop terror than boxfrsesh Force Ones. Throughout the EP, there is a sense of Redshape acknowledging contemporary trends, but filtering them through the infected prism of his abstract musings. Thus ‘Globe’ flirts with a congohouse wobble, before unleashing a nostril-full of ketamine-laced hi hat horror. Likewise ‘Dead Space (Edit)’ throbs with the menacing minimalism of Donnato Dozzy at his most trance-like, but also finds space for a twenty year mash up of dance music history - be it jungle, breakbeat, house or techno - within its fuzzy parameters.

Yet for all of Dance Paradox’s knowing insouciance, its double-faced acknowledgements of musical cut and paste, it remains a Paradox, too austere for home listening and too self-reverential for slaying the dance floor. What it does, it does exceedingly well, but by doing it so well, denies itself much of the emotional impact that such cross-generational music could and should have.

Never in a Month of Sundays

2009-11-05T05:40:00.000-08:00

It is with great excitement that I can post the first guest mix for the site, and it seems fitting that it comes from a longtime Wunderkind collaborator, Gringo. This is a stunning mix of original and exclusive material that is completely free to download. Taking influences from across the musical spectrum, expect cumbia, Bollywood, funk, and noir samples, blended together to make something that is truly special. The mission of the mix, entitled Never in a Month of Sundays, was to record a new beat, every day for a month. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have, and check out the interview with Gringo below.

Download here.

Stream it here.

How long have you been making music?

I wouldn't really call it making music - it's more like messing around with music other people have made - but I started looping samples and playing with synths with a friend, George, when I was about 14. We didn't really know what we were doing - I still don't - but it was always a fun thing to do. George is still making beats as well - definitely worth checking out.

What do you use to make your beats?

I used Logic for a bit in a Music Technology class at school, but my teacher was an ex-acid house dj and I only ever really learnt how to do rave pianos (frankly, I wish I'd stuck with that). Then I used Reason for a long time, but my computer died. My brother's got a Mac, so recently I've monopolised his computer to use GarageBand, which this whole mix is made on. It's an amazing programme, really, particularly for something that's free. This mix is just me learning how to use it properly.

What were your major musical influences growing up?

I wasn't into hip hop at all until I was about 13 or 14. I didn't even know what it was. The closest thing I'd listened to before was the Outhere Brothers - 'Boom, Boom, Boom' was the first single I bought (actually, I got my mum to buy it for me and she humiliated herself by pronouncing the name wrong). I went through the same phases as a lot of kids - britpop, then euro-house, then jungle - before ending up at hip hop. The music collection around the house wasn't up to much - my mum liked King Crimson and Hawkwind and my dad's taste didn't go far beyond Gregorian chanting and Spanish zarzuelas.

Are you strictly a hip hop man, or are there are genres that make up your musical soundtrack?

Soundtracks are something I love. For one thing they're great for samples (there's some bollywood soundtracks in the mix, plus - embarrassingly - a loop from the Twilight soundtrack), but there's also such a huge range of moods and styles. I love soul and funk, mainly because of hip hop. I love RnB, reggae, house. Klezmer, I love. In fact - without wanting to get all gap year on you - I love world music. I''m not entirely sure what world music means, but anything where I can't understand the words is good for me. Basically I'm completely undiscriminating. I even - in a moment of madness, surely - found myself bopping my head to 'Boom, Boom Pow' by the Black Eyed Peas the other day. Shameful.

A broad question, maybe too broad to answer properly, but what do you make of the state of hip hop in 2009?

I don't think hip hop's ever been a form where the important thing is careful craftsmanship or precision. The excitement has always been to just throw everything into a pot, mix it all together, and see what it tastes like. Hip hop's simple to make. It's a form that's driven by anger and adrenaline and that's why a rapper can put out umpteen mixtapes for every U2 album. The result of that incredible proliferation - I mean Tupac's still releasing songs from beyond the grave, simply because of his phenomenal output; Saigon and Statik Selectah recorded an album in 24 hours - is a saturation of the market and a lack of quality control. So yes, the hit rate's lower than it was ten years ago, but there's so much more hip hop now. When it's good it still has the power to shock and amaze ('A Milli' has to be one of the most surprising hits since 'Mr Blobby') and, because it doesn't aspire to the poetics of songwriting, it connects with people much quicker. There's so many more words in rapping - a Nas track probably has more lyrics than an entire Kings of Leon album - so it's easier for hip hop to burn out, which is why people complain that rappers have nothing new to say. I think that's untrue, or rather irrelevant. It's not what you say, it's how you say it. But if you're the type to prize the originality of material then you're probably not the sort of person that would take any interest in hip hop beats made from samples. That's more of a rant/ramble than an answer. Apologies.

Is there any musician, producer, or artist who has been making waves for you of late?

I like Nate Dogg, but he had a stroke, so he's been a bit quiet of late. That said, I discovered his song 'Shake That' (with Eminem) only in the past couple of months, so I've listened to that a lot. I've been listening to quite a lot of this sort of stuff - Miriam Makeba - which I guess is afro-jazz. I thought DJ Quik and Kurupt's album Blaqkout had some stunning production. I'd love to make that kind of West Coast hip hop - that wheezy synth sound.

What's next for you?

In terms of music, probably nothing. My brother's gone away to Japan for a few months, so my access to GarageBand has gone. I pretty much stopped making music a couple of years ago. This mix was mmainly a product of me wanting to teach myself how to use GarageBand. What I'm hoping to is put together some short films and score them myself. Easier said than done, but watch this space (just don't hold your breath).

The Best Track of 2009

2009-11-04T04:05:00.001-08:00

An absolute no-brainer for me, this track has been killing me since I first heard it. Levon Vincent sums up everything that has been great about house and techno in 2009, and alongside 'Games Dub' and the upcoming B-side of his next Novel Sound release, we have three of the standout tracks of the last few years. I feel like I work for Boomkat saying this but seriously, ESSENTIAL.

Last of the Summer Wine

2009-10-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry Phil, but I'm jacking your photos. This was a great party.

The Neues Museum

2009-10-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Neues Museum reopened last weekend after an 11 year restoration by British architect David Chipperfield. When I went to have a look, there was a cue so large the city had thrown in a marquee to protect the assembled hoardes from the rain. It does look pretty special though.

Lolek and Bolek

2009-10-23T04:52:00.000-07:00

One of the weird and beautiful things about childhood is that memories from that time often induce a physical reaction. The smell of my grandmother's Irish lamb stew, or of the tropics - all diesel and briney palms - when the door of the plane was first opened after a long haul flight, still manage to cast me back in time, make my toes curl and the seams of my mouth crease up. The same is true of Lolek and Bolek. A Polish cartoon created in the mid-sixties, it bears all the flair of Soviet arts and crafts, but with anti-establishment lashings of innocence and a joy of play in its most sincere form. Brought back to my childhood home by a friend of my parents who was posted to Warsaw at the time, these silent ten minute epics still captivate me in a way that few other works of art have EVER managed.

Imagine my surprise however upon entering university and mentioning to a Polish friend about my love for the series, that his grandfather, Władysław Nehrebecki created the show, and that it was based on his two sons, one of them being the father of my friend (I'm not sure which). I mean, I know a few Polish people, not hundreds, but a few, yet even so, what are the chances of that happening?

In all honesty, I haven't thought about it for a while until I came across a track which is also quite obviously endebted to this seminal series, the Polish Catz N Dogz' 'Lolek and Bolek'. Cue a slew of hazy memories: rainy days in spent watching a worn out Soviet VHS, dreaming of these surreal and alien Polish landscapes and yearning for the freedom to explore the woods, derelict fairgrounds, and mountain lodges, that these two adventurous lads were able to.

The weird thing is that the track is about a million miles away from my notion of what Lolek and Bolek stand for. It's quite literally a ghettoisation of their agrarian adventures, full of inner city attitude, shuffly samples, and a complete disregard for the pre-lapsarian sanctifying of the outdoors. Which is a shame really. But here it is nonetheless. I wonder what Darek will make of it all?

Tentative Bidding

2009-10-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Now that all that 'Hyph Mngo' clamour has died down (?), it seems like the right time to point you folks in the direction of 'Tentative Bidding', the best thing Herr Orbison has put his name to so far, although I must say I'm looking forward to hearing 'The Shrew would have cushioned the blow'.

Tokyo Calling

2009-10-14T07:50:00.000-07:00

My mate Tommy's latest. Favourite bit?

'The lack of camping and the proximity to Tokyo kept away all the usual urban hippy kids, and apart from the usual few irritating poi "practitioners," there was a much darker feel overall.'

God I hate those "practitioners".

Oilsands

2009-10-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Phunklarique -Oilsands by andreablufin

Another absolute groover from Phunklarique. Their best release yet?