Musique Non Stop - Jazz, Funk, Soul, Broken Beat, Electro, Electronic, Funk / Nu Disco, NU Jazz, House, Techno, Ambient, Lo-Fi, Downtempo... and Many More!
Our first of a quarterly music column looks at No Zu’s disco jams, Gentleforce’s meditation on depression and other Australian albums that deserved more love
Victoria’s Golden Plains festival celebrated its 10th anniversary in March. The line-up featured Sleater-Kinney, the Buzzcocks and Violent Femmes but it was Australian acts Royal Headache, No Zu, the Necks and Black Cab that thrust enthusiasm into ecstasy.
After six years off, garage rockers Eddy Current Suppression Ring were especially transcendent – oh, the power and the glory! The night air in the amphitheatre was startled, then electric. Looking out at the heave of flesh and flash of sweat, singer Brendan Huntley seemed in a daze of disbelief too.
If you like your Pop extra funky & your Disco done risqué, look no further because Sam Padrul has got the goods. His new single “Dirty Work” snags all the key elements from early 80s Funk/Disco + late 90s/early 2000s French House/French Pop & whips them into a modern Springtime masterpiece. Vocalist Patrick Baker’s ultra smooth style enhances the song’s suave, seductive feel. It’s playful Pop with a sexy twist.
“Dirty Work” is out soon on iTunes & other digital outlets.
Heaven, London All too immaculate on record, the 19-year-old Liverpudlian electro auteur showed some welcome rough edges
Sometimes artists can arrive just too fully formed. That certainly seemed to be the case when 19-year-old Liverpudlian singer-songwriter and electro auteur Holly Lapsley Fletcher, aka Låpsley, recently unveiled her buffed and scrupulously tasteful debut album, Long Way Home.
The record is an immaculate masterclass in the strain of blanched, spectral R&B that now appears to be de rigueur for all artily inclined electronic artists in the wake of the successes of James Blake and the xx. Purportedly a breakup album, it laments its maker’s loneliness and heartbreak while appearing not to have a musical or emotional hair out of place.
Age is just a number, but Justin Bieber has been making music for nearly a decade and he’s only 22. And he’s not alone.
Among the monumental success stories that stoked our patriotic pride last year were the rise of 19-year-old Alessia Cara and 17-year-old Shawn Mendes alongside Bieber on the charts — both Canadian, both shining bright with their debut full-length albums. It’s just the beginning.
From rabble-rouser Cara to Vine star Mendes to superproducer Wondagurl to internationally acclaimed Jan Lisiecki, Canada’s young musicians are rising to the top. For a snapshot of how our future looks, we’ve decided to go beyond Bieber. In the gallery above, we look at 25 other musicians under 25 who are going to own 2016.
Listen to songs from (almost) everyone on our 25 under 25 list, below.
Jamaican producer David Marston is set to release his beautiful new EP “Kindness of Bearer” and today we’re bringing you the EP’s emotional crowning point, “Sometimes It’s Hard”. The song is an affecting ride that bends, buckles & twists its way though your body, right into your heart. “Sometimes It’s Hard” dares to be different than most Downtempo/Deep Disco tracks with an arpeggiated synth & contorted sound that’s all wound together by the evocative lyrics & vocals of New York songstress Brigitte Zozula. A stunning close to a stunning EP.
The “Kindness of Bearer” EP by David Marston is out April 1st on the always fantasticSoul Clap Records.
Coming off of a heavy Miami Music Week, including many stand out sets and the 2016 edition of his No Xcuses Miami party with The Magician, Bakermat, and more, EDX steps up with the 264th episode of his weekly No Xcuses podcast and radio show that’s broadcasted worldwide. As a brand, No Xcuses grows stronger with each episode and party put together by EDX, and he continues to rise up the ranks, in parallel. Last year, he was the #1 charting artist on Beatport, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he achieved the same success this year with tracks like “Missing” that was released back in February.
For this episode, EDX has included a diverse array of groovy house selections that he’s come to be known for – from feel-good jams to more driving, clubby tracks. Listen above to hear new music from the likes of Nora En Pure, My Digital Enemy, Oliver Heldens, and more. Download the podcast here.
Usher in the new week with good vibrations and get lost in the groove as we assign 10 tracks to ensure a positively sublime listening experience. Rich with break beat, disco, funk, and house, you’ll find a glowing lineup of recent releases to help you set the tone for the week ahead. Highlights include the latest and greatest from Admin, a sultry sax vibe from O’Flynn, and new Al Kent for the famed Razor-N-Tape label.
As a new compilation of his productions is released, Sam Richards spoke to his peers and devotees, such as Nicky Siano and DJ Harvey, who saw him move from a wannabe fashion designer to the most influential DJ of all time
Larry Levan was the first superstar DJ. The first to really convince the world that there was more to DJing than just playing one record after another. For 10 years from 1977 to 1987, Levan was the star attraction at New York’s legendary Paradise Garage, writing himself into clubbing lore with swashbuckling DJ sets that took in minimal underground disco, funky rock, dub and synth-pop, which foreshadowed the house music revolution. At the same time, his uncanny ability to mix and tweak records for maximum emotional impact would regularly send his devoted congregation into raptures.
For his second album, Brooklyn-based producer James Hinton has developed a conceit that’s beguiling if you know the back story but perplexing if you don’t. Each vocal sample on the record was borrowed from an aspiring singer or rapper in an obscure corner of YouTube. The title is optimistic: few of these vocalists display obvious potential, and their presence amid Hinton’s finely calibrated beats can be jarring. The clockwork production accentuates their awkwardness. But then you learn that the singer on Falling Out of Phase was doing a Keyshia Cole cover in front of a shower curtain and suddenly it all seems so much more affecting. It helps that Hinton’s regard for these wannabe superstars seems genuine.
Christian Nielsen, a young producer from Denmark, has recently been making waves on Jesse Rose’s imprints Play It Down and A-SIDED, spoke to us on the eve of his latest single “What You Thinking?” being released. A producer that expertly blurs the lines between house and techno, oft seen in the combination of vocal hooks with blistering techno drives, Christian is definitely cornering his niche sound. “What You Thinking?” is a progression on this, finely balanced and ready for the floor. And with additional releases and remixes on the likes of Glasgow Underground, Moon Harbour, 8bit, and Toolroom, he’s surely making his rounds in the underground scene. We’re excited for what’s to come from Christian, but in the mean time check out “What You Thinking?” and get to know more about the Copenhagen producer in the interview below.
Hi Christian. How are you? What have you been up to this week?
Hi guys! Well just been working as always! Lots of new originals finished and a few mixdowns… Also been getting ready for a gig in my own city of Copenhagen! Been a while since I’ve played in my hometown so I definitely want to bring something special!
Tell us a bit about what’s going on with you now. Any story behind your new single “What You Thinking?”
So the idea was to make a techno sounding track and then house it up with some dope vocals! I’m all about the grooove, and when there is a little funny vocal added, I’m all in.
You’ve obviously done quite a bit with Jesse Rose’s labels at this point. How did that start?
Well the story actually starts with a remix request to Oliver Dollar. I had done a track with Mr. V and was looking for a remixer. Oliver agreed but instead of releasing it myself, Jesse Rose stepped in and we released it on Play It Down. After that, I reached out to Jesse and thngs started to happen. Jesse took me under his wings and became a large part of my production process, and the rest is history I guess
Tell us a bit about your studio routine. Do you work better under pressure? At night? In bursts, or constantly?
Well the thing that most people don’t know about me is that I have a full time day job and a little family. So studio time is not what you would imagine. My studio currently is just my trusted laptop that I bring everywhere… and I mean everywhere. Mostly I make tracks at the office before work and during my lunchbreak, but I find myself making tracks anywhere I can. No excuses!
2015 looked like your biggest year yet, what were some highlights for you?
Wow, there are so many! But must say that Watergate earlier in the year was amazing, WMC was an amazing experience and LOST boatparty in Cyprus for sure. But generally it has been amazing, and I’ve met so many great people. 2015 was one big surprise!
You’re playing a lot more around Europe these days. Any touring tips you wish you’d caught on to earlier? Other than the obvious (passports, dj gear, clean underwear), what’s a travel essential for you?
Well thankfully I have my girlfriend who coordinates my gigs for me. So when it’s time for a gig, the only thing I have to worry about is music and packing.
Travel Essentials:
– Painkillers (I’m a super light weight so my hangovers are massive)
– Travel Midi Keyboard (As mentioned before I will produce music with any free minute I have. Ten minutes to boarding means ten minutes of track producing.)
– Travel Pillow – When travelling a lot the most important thing for me is feeling comfortable.
– Pajamas – Sounds stupid, but when spending so much time in hotels, PJs really make the whole thing feeling a bit more homey.
Five dance-floor bombs you’ve got in your bag right now?
1. Reset Robot – On Your Knees
2. Kerrier District – Techno Disco (KiNK Remix)
3. Leonardo Gonnelli – Stay feat. Forrest
4. Landmark – The Groover
5. Hot Since 82 – Veins
Guilty pleasure music?
Sooooo much! I could mention so much mainstream here that I would start a freaking shitstorm! Haha, but I really do like Bruno Mars.
You have to get in a fake twitter beef with someone. Who is it, and what are you two fighting about?
No beefs here! The way I see it, all the twitter beefs are nothing but bad PR for the artists and the scene. Especially the ones about genres and that kind of bullshit. I guess I would have a beef with whoever is starting beefs with everyone else! Beef Beef Beef!
What’s next as we push forward into 2016? Include any dreams / goals / etc.
Well, I’m still working on an album at the moment… But damn, that’s hard work! Loads of singles and remixes! Other than that I’m living the dream already! Just being a part of the scene is an honor in itself.
Bobby Gillespie, Ian Astbury and Misty Miller recall the key moments when their bands changed direction
Old direction: Slightly fey, jangling, Byrds soundalikes beloved of the indiepop crowd. New direction: Flying V guitars, leather jackets and raucous rock’n’roll in the style of the MC5. And from there to indie-dance pioneers.
House purists and electronic Renaissance men, Lars Dales and Marteen Smeets (Detroit Swindle), are relatively new to the house community but have risen to the top through impeccable curation at their label, Heist Recordings, their finely tuned 2014 freshmen LP, and a live show that has audiences all over the globe clamoring. This Friday, they are set to make their LA debut at Couture Nightclub alongside Dig Deeper’s Masha and Alison Swing for what is set to be a tasteful affair in the heart of Hollywood. Be sure to get your tickets to see what it’s all about, we’ll be there stompin’ it out!
The famed Desert Hearts Festival is returning April 1st-4th to Los Coyotes Indian Reservation after the wildly successful three year celebration that took place last Winter. We were fortunate enough to catch a minute of co-founder/DJ, Porkchop‘s time to talk shop and find out what has him revved up for the upcoming festivities. After wrapping up a 2.0 version of their City Hearts Tour, he regales us with the highlights while offering up some inspiring words on how to make the most of the impending weekend. Tune in to his Gotta Dance Dirty certified playlist and let the House, Techno, and Love take hold.
GDD™: So you’ve just wrapped an expanded edition of the City Hearts Tour and there were some pretty cool stops this time around. New Years in Tulum with the DH Family must have been incredible, not to mention stops in Vail, Tahoe, Denver, Toronto, DC, Seattle, Houston, and the list goes on! Any stop in particular the DH vibes were thriving?
Oh man, every stop was super incredible & unique in it’s own way.. Everyone definitely brought their A game to the party. Most of the shows were insane 1,000+ people warehouse parties, but the two small intimate gigs in Tahoe & Vail went absolutely ham.. Not quite sure what they feed those mountain folk, but they sure get after it!!
GDD™: What is it like taking your stage rig on tour? The freedom to interact with your stage as you please is an experience very unique to a DH show, do other audiences respond in the same way with the climbing and dancing?
Taking the stage rig on tour was hilarious.. We shipped the flightcases with with most of the stuff, but ended up taking the heart that connects to the DJ booth and splitting it into two oversized checked surfboard bags. Got the funniest looks from people at the airport & hotels, carrying these huge bent in half floppy jaloppy surf bags. Looked like baggages worst nightmare. The crowd at every show was off their rockers, and it was really cool to see our kinda people all over the country get down to this movement of House, Techno & Love.
GDD™: With the opportunity to visit so many cities, were you able to get out and explore a bit? Any stops and experiences you were particularly fond of? Looks like beer pong became a popular activity based on pictures!
We definitely tried to do as much exploring as possible and extended our stays on the tour by going a few days before or staying a night or two after our gigs. The couple stops that were back to back nights were usually the places we stopped at during the last tour, so they ended up being a quick in & out. I Hope to comeback to these places to get some hang time with my new family from all over the country.
Exploring the Mayan culture down in Mexico for a month was very special for me, but Chicago & Denver were my favorite cities. The art at both of those places is just ridiculous!
We had a canceled flight in Dallas and they put us up in a hotel for the night.. We went out to a few bars and Papa Lee (Reynolds) has never played beer pong. Needless to say, I schooled his ass. SPRING BREAK!
GDD™: What aspect of this years Spring Festival are you most excited for?
I’m most excited to be back on that dancefloor with 3,000+ of my favorite freaks. I can already feel the energy that is being brought into the Spring fest and know it’s going to be one for the books.
GDD™: What are your Top 3 performances you’re most looking forward to?
Super Flu- Been a dream booking of ours & have played a major role in our musical influence.. nothing beats those feel good jams!
Extrawelt LIVE- Can’t wait to see what this German techno duo brings to the dance floor, it’s going to be an absolute mindfuck. Not to be missed!
Butch- Finally got to catch him down at BPM earlier this year and immediately it was a no brainer to bring out this tech house beast!
GDD™: What is your favorite type of festival performer (i.e. Fire Dancer, Hoopers, Ribbon Acrobats, and so on…) and why?
Fire Spinner’s are my favorite type of festival performer. They always find a way to incorporate it all.. From the dope art to the fire hoopers, it’s all dope!
GDD™: Do you have any advice for new comers coming out for the first time?
Come with an open mind. Express yourself, wear something weird & funky that you normally wouldn’t.. The weirder the better! Oh yeah, and leave no trace. Leave the land cleaner than you found it!
GDD™: How has everything on the production front been going? Anything in particular we should be listening for in your set?
Everything has been running nice n’ smooth! As soon as the last Fall fest ended, we tried to get the Spring festival dialed in immediately, as we knew the tour was going to be keeping us busy. I’ll be playing at midnight on Saturday during the DH block, so you can expect some meaty slabs of tech!
GDD™: What is the most essential item you bring to the festival?
My secret Porkchata craft cocktail recipe that keeps the dance floor hydrated. You can find it being served at Pile Palace, just after sunset!
GDD™: Any specific intentions you’re keeping in mind for this years Spring Festival?
I’m coming into this festival just like how I spend everyday by spreading as much love and positive intentions as possible! We Are All Desert Hearts
Thank you very much for your time! Tickets to the Desert Hearts Spring celebration are still on sale if you’d like to see what it’s all about. You can take our word for it, though, these vibes can’t be beat… Catch us on the dance floor front and center or keepin’ it classy at the Wine & Cheese Party!
He inspired the Velvet Underground, thought Andy Warhol was a copycat, and met his wife while playing the mummy in erotic underground movie Normal Love. Tony Conrad talks sex, drugs and celluloid fry-ups in a power plant in Berlin
Seated in the control room of a decommissioned power station in the heart of Berlin, Tony Conrad is giving me a warning about drugs. “You’re skating close to the edge with nutmeg,” says the 75-year-old waving a finger, “because one-third of the lethal dose is the optimum high.”
This trilby-clad sage has spent a lifetime antagonising the art world – and dabbling in rather more than just spices. His route in came after a degree at Harvard in 1962: he found maths lacking next to the adventures promised by John Cage, Henry Flynt and La Monte Young, experimental musicians whose orbit he was drawn into after he moved to New York. “It appeared as if Schoenberg had destroyed music,” he says, of the Austrian composer who had ripped up the rulebook. “Then it appeared as if Cage had destroyed Schoenberg. Our project was to destroy Cage.”
We played the first drone music. No! The first non-bagpipe western drone music
The Velvet Underground got their name from a book in Conrad's apartment
Continue reading...
by Ben Beaumont-Thomas via Electronic music | The Guardian
Since Underworld’s last major release in 2010, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have been busying themselves with other matters: solo albums, film soundtracks, directing the music at the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony. The hiatus has done them good. Their seventh album radiates vitality and a renewed sense of purpose, impressive for a dance act nearly 30 years on the move. The best tracks play like movies in widescreen: the opener I Exhale uses expansive percussion and Hyde’s gnomic utterances to conjure up vast, mysteriously lit skies, while Low Burn creates a sense of awe with swirling synths and melancholy horns. The album sags a little in the middle, but what’s an epic without a few longueurs? The optimism of the title is well founded.
In the midst of another massive Miami Music Week, the compilations are a-bounty, but none pack the kind of heat you can find in the Miami Noize 7 comp from the Boys Noize family. GDD™ Favorite Craig Williams pairs with GunRose for one of the stand out selections from the heavy hitting EP in their “My Answer Revise.” It’s the kind of techno that’ll help keep you up all night, for those in search of the venerable WMC sunrise, with enough industrial 909 kick to keep the night alive just few bars longer.
Thomaas Banksis a name you may have never heard before. However, you’ve probably heard his music, as he is one half of the duo Psychmagik. Earlier this month he began a solo project under his own name, and has started off with a heater. Called upon by Alex Metric & Amtrac to remix one of his latest tunes, Thomaas brings a deep, dark tech twinge to the table. His remix is definitely one of the most unique off of the remix pack, and I can’t wait to see what he releases next. Stream it now!
The R&B singer played hits from ‘when some of ya’ll were 10’, Kacey Musgraves gave an intimate country show and Neon Indian brought out his dance moves
After a dispiriting morning watching Tony Visconti give an impression of an old man yelling at clouds in his keynote speech which basically said that the music industry is screwed, something uplifting was needed. It was time to head to the space in Austin, Texas co-sponsored by Spin magazine and Axe, the kind of deoderant worn by teenage boys. Into this unpromising environment came John Legend, who took his seat at a grand piano set on stage at one end of a courtyard and performed a handful of numbers solo.
Legend’s melismatic R&B will never been anywhere near music’s cutting edge – and arguably it’s a lot less interesting than his politically savvy Twitter feed – but on a sticky St Patrick’s Day afternoon, a swirling take on Green Light goes down like a cold Guinness. It’s followed by Ordinary People (“some of y’all were 10 when it came out,” notes Legend), which inspires a spontaneous audience singalong. Suave and smiley, Legend is a winning presence, and while his version of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song has none of the rawness of the original, it’s smoothness doesn’t make it any less sincere. With an announcement that he has a new album coming out in September, and a shamelessly slushy All of Me to conclude, Legend leaves the crowd sweaty enough to require some of that deoderant – even if the free sticks being given away are scented with “amber and tobacco”.
Spring? It’s a matter of opinion it would seem, in the latest episode of Wah Wah 45s Radio.
Does Adam doubt its existence, or is something more sinister to blame? The boys put a brave face on things, making plenty of jokes and seemingly getting on with it, but what do all these jokes mean?
Tune in for all, or none, of the answers and plenty of excellent music.
Werkha – Falling Through the Wall (Tom Blip Remix) (Tru Thoughts)
Wilson Fisk – Leith Walk Master (Fifty Fathoms Deep)
Kendrick Lamar – Untitled Number 6 (Top Dawg Entertainment)
Zackey Force Funk – Firefly (Hit & Run Records)
Fela Kuti -I go Shout Plenty (Knitting Factory)
Ka Nou pé Fé – Les Vikings de la Quadeloupe (Heavenly Sweetness)
London Afrobeat Collective – Oye (Izem Remix) (LAC Records)
Daymé Arocena – Stuck (Brownswood)
Mindset – Good Love (XVI Records)
Anderson. Paak – The Bird (OBE)
The Milk – Loneliness Has Eyes (Wah Wah 45s)
Sarah Williams White – Rainmaker (Paper Tiger Remix) (First Word)
Paper Tiger with Shafiq Hussayn – Weight in Space (Radio Edit) (Wah Wah 45s)
Ryo Kawasaki – Hawaiian Caravan (NuNorthern Soul)
Mop Mop featuring Anabel Lee – Foreign Correspondence (Agogo)
The Rance Allen Group – There’s gonna be a showdown (The Gospel Truth)
Radical Face is the world of Jacksonville, Fla. musician, Ben Cooper and the "Family Tree" albums are his latest creative challenge. The most recent instalment, The Family Tree: The Leaves, picks up where the first two records The Family Tree: The Roots (2011) and The Family Tree: The Branches (2013) left off.
The trilogy came out of Cooper's desire to tell the story of his family using music instead of writing a novel. While the songs are all connected and intertwined, The Leaves works well and stands solidly on its own as an album.
"The first record, The Roots, starts the smallest," Cooper says in a press release.
"The lyrics were all verbal storytelling and it focused on small sounds, a floor tom, an acoustic guitar, and a piano. Then each record it would get more broad, and it'd expand. The second one, The Branches, was all about written letters and the third, The Leaves, is more cinematic. It's a time period of film and photographs."
While his own childhood and family experiences inform his songwriting, the album's protagonists are a supernatural 19th century family with special powers and secrets.
"It's my life, but I wrap it in fiction," he continues. "I've always been guilty of using music as a therapy. Because with music, you can take something ugly or hard and can turn it into something pretty. You can force it to become something that it never intended. Even with the saddest things, you can make them beautiful."
The Family Tree: The Leaves will be released on March 25 on Nettwerk Records. You can preorder the album here.
Tracklist
1. "Secrets (Cellar Door)"
2. "Rivers in the Dust"
3. "Everything Costs"
4. "Midnight"
5. "The Ship in Port"
6. "Photograph"
7. "Third Family Portrait"
8. "The Road to Nowhere"
9. "Old Gemini"
10. "Bad Blood"
In the last of our live radio series, classical composer turned sculptural producer Anne Meredith discusses the importance of shape in song and how she’s gone from making scores for the proms to bangers for the club
The final instalment in our series of live radio shows on east London station NTS concludes with someone who can certainly teach us a thing or two about music, Anna Meredith. Hugely respected in classical music, she is the former composer-in-residence with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, prompted many a chin-stroke with her performance at the 2008 Last Night of the Proms and has helped to bring classical music to a new generation of listeners.
More recently Meredith has turned her considerable composition talents to the grey area between indie, electronica and, um, hair metal. “I don’t want to write music that people are enduring just to get to the Elgar in the second half,” she said in a recent interview. Cue her acclaimed debut album, Varmints, which came out earlier this month on the indie label Moshi Moshi and was named Best New Music by Pitchfork. It deploys maximalist, Hudson Mohawke-style horns and 80s video game sounds to grandiose effect.
Not too many singers can survive the scrutiny of singing accompanied only by the barest of instrumentation, but for much of her debut, the Guernsey singer-songwriter Robyn Sherwell does just that. In this impressive collection of confessional electro soul, the musical backing often consists of a solitary piano note, an acoustic twang, a single echoed drum stroke or her own vocals, multi-tracked, which creates a breathy intimacy. If the minimalist music nods to Sade and James Blake, Sherwell’s emotional range has a hint of Tapesty-era Carole King. Bat for Lashes producer David Kosten mixes things up a little, turning up the pounding drums for the autobiographical Islander and adding keyboards to the gorgeously wounded Broken. Perhaps there could have been more such variety; occasionally things edge towards samey blandness. Still, the likes of the terrific, redemptive Heart, the crystal-voiced Tightropes and Sherwell’s beautifully stilled take on Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide suggest the first flowering of a significant new voice.
It’s another massive week in Miami, and of course, there are too many parties to count, but there are some that stand out. With its growing presence online and off, Spotify is bringing not one, but two parties to the east coast’s seaside party paradise. First up, they’ve teamed up with the YouTube channel, Proximity, for PLAYLiST MiAMi, which is an eclectic affair featuring Destructo, Arty, Attlas, and more at the National Hotel tomorrow, the 18th. Following that huge event, Spotify and District come together for a NOW we CHill at 1Hotel, and they’ve included everyone from Gryffin to Anjunadeep artists like Yotto for a more laid-back vibe on Saturday. Both events will feature special surprise guests and b2b sets, so you can be sure that you’ll see some unique performances not found elsewhere. Tickets for PLAYLiST MiAMi are available here, NOW we CHill is free!
While Underworld’s Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have retained what was special about their greatest triumphs – Dubnobasswithmyheadman and Second Toughest in the Infants were two of the most revered dance albums of the 1990s – Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future is never weighed down by its makers’ history. Karl Hyde’s “found” lyrics (using snippets of overheard conversations) are affecting, fractured evocations of the disorientations of modern urban life. Even the album’s title is a real-life utterance, a phrase Hyde’s father said to his mother shortly before he died. Opening track I Exhale has the sleazy ambience of David Bowie’s Lodger, its “blah, blah, blah” motif echoing the “far, far, far, away” refrain of Red Sails. But that and If Rah aside, Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future is dreamy and unabrasive. Gently menacing instrumental Santiago Cuatro has a Middle Eastern feel, while the smooth synthpop texture of the closing track Nylon Strung reaches a state of bliss.
Update: Grimes has responded to reports that she may have been electrocuted by her earphones during her gig in Dublin last night, apologizing to the venue for implying it may have been responsible for the technical issues she experienced.
"Hey! just wanna apologize to the Olympia theatre that I originally thought they were responsible for the electrical issues at last nights show," Grimes wrote on her Instagram page. "We've triple checked everything and haven't yet discovered what the issue was."
Grimes goes on to say she was experiencing "gunshots through the vocal channel into my monitors," but does not want any of the stage crew at the Dublin show to be held responsible.
"I don't want them to take the blame for something that was most likely on our end," she wrote.
Grimes wrote the message after initially posting on her social media account that she was experiencing technical difficulties throughout her show. Consequently, Grimes was forced to end her set prematurely due to the problems she was experiencing.
Footage of the concert shot by a fan at the Olympia Theatre venue shows a moment where Grimes is clearly dealing with a sharp discomfort from her earphones. After the show, the singer posted a Tweet, which has since been deleted:
"Dublin! 1 mil apologies that my pedal failed and I was electrocuted, but there r tears in my eyes that y'all were so so wonderful."
Grimes did seem to have a sense of humour about the whole affair, posting an image to her Instagram page featuring a character from The Simpsons touching wires while ignoring the "Danger extremely high voltage" sign above. It's an image her fans had been sending her after the show.
"Appreciating every1 who tweeted this at me today haha," Grimes wrote on the account. "Thank u thank u Dublin for being sweet and kind."
Grimes was reportedly electrocuted last night by her earphones during her gig in Dublin.
According to Stereogum, the Montreal electronic artist was experiencing technical difficulties throughout her show, and was electrocuted multiple times by her audio equipment. Consequently, Grimes was forced to end her set prematurely due to the problems she was experiencing.
Footage of the concert shot by a fan at the Olympia Theatre venue shows a moment where Grimes may have been electrocuted, with the singer clearly experiencing a sharp discomfort from her earphones. After the show, the singer posted a Tweet, which has since been deleted:
"Dublin! 1 mil apologies that my pedal failed and I was electrocuted, but there r tears in my eyes that y'all were so so wonderful."
Grimes did seem to have a sense of humour about the whole affair, posting an image to her Instagram page featuring a character from The Simpsons touching wires while ignoring the "Danger extremely high voltage" sign above. It's an image her fans had been sending her after the show.
"Appreciating every1 who tweeted this at me today haha," Grimes wrote on the account. "Thank u thank u Dublin for being sweet and kind."
Koko, London The French superstar’s hip-hop chamber pop is energising and she goes all out to impress with a potent mix of sincerity and absolute authenticity – this is pop at its transformative best
In 2010, Heloise Letissier arrived in London searching for an identity and seeking adventure. Six years later, she’s back with a new guise, playing to a sold-out crowd for her first headline gig in the capital. “This is where it all started for me,” she says, her mile-wide smile one of pride and disbelief. “A freaky idea, to let a stage character live my thoughts.”
That alter-ego is Christine – “I believe I am a little boy dreaming of being Beyoncé,” Letissier explains – and the Queens, her imaginary band named after three London drag queens encountered on that fateful trip. It’s a construct that’s made the 27-year-old ex-theatre student a superstar back home in France, with two Victories de la Musique awards, the French equivalent of the Grammies, to her name and the dubious honour of having been spanked by Madonna at the latter’s recent Paris show. In February, Christine and the Queens released an English version of their 2014 debut album Chaleur Humaine and Letissier describes this show not as a homecoming, but a “first date”. And, like an ardent suitor, she goes all out to impress.
Amsterdam’s Midas Hutch, the alter ego of FS Green, is keeping 80s vibes strong as he injects new life into vintage vibes. On “The High,” Midas has utilized hip-hop and pop production techniques to fuse his unique flair with the stylish R&B vocalist, Bluey Robinson, for a mood-elevating number. Giving more insight into the tune, the up-and-coming producer mentioned, “Bluey has been one of my favorite R&B vocalists from the UK for some years now. I wanted to create something you can listen to in your car, cruising with your boo with the top down. As well as a song you could get down to in the club.” Have a listen below.
Producer, DJ, and A&R extraordinaire Richy Ahmed announced his first release in over a year today and it’s with none other than the Foss/Jones imprint, Hot Creations. This marks his third release with the international house label and it would appear he’s found his groove. Side one brings the Summer vibes as lush percussion pair nicely with a soulful vocal rip crooning the song’s title, “So Good” as side 2’s aptly titled “Ruff & Raw” showcases a little more bang for your buck. Be on the lookout for this two track 1, 2 punch when it hits the Hot Creations shelves on April 29th and enjoy a preview of both below in advance.
Digital Dreamsis getting closer and closer, and we’re getting pumped. After the massive headliner announcement in January, the days couldn’t have rolled by fast enough for Canadian festival-goers. Huge production value mixed with the absolute best in electronic music makes this one of the can’t miss events of the Summer. Check out a little taste of the 2015 event to see why:
The first three lineup announcements are absolutely massive. Armin Van Buuen, Above & Beyond, Axwell^Ingrosso — it really doesn’t get bigger than that. Tickets are on sale now, including a very generous layaway program. Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the lineup announcement and join us in our unyielding excitement as Digital Dreams approaches.
We had the pleasure of heading down to San Diego recently for FNGRS CRSSD’s flagship festival, CRSSD Fest. Their third go in roughly a years’ time, the party continues to grow and thrive. Not only do they select arguably the best panel of house, techno and live acts, but the scene itself is truly something to witness. Check out some highlights after the jump.
The weather couldn’t have been more ideal on Saturday, a great way to start the weekend. A bright spot of the early afternoon was a DJ set from Poolside. These guys know how to pump the funk-infused jams and get a crowd going — arguably one of the happiest crowds you could stumble into. Another notable set for me was Damian Lazarus. The desert favorite pumped the deep, dark house tunes and put on a super entrancing set. Odezsa held things down to round out day one on the main stage.
Everyone awoke on Sunday to some pretty intense rain, and I almost thought they may have had to cancel the second half of the festival. Lo and behold, the sun came out swinging an hour before doors opened, so the weekend was salvaged. Dirtybirds J. Phlip and Ardalan had a sick B2B set on the Palms stage early followed up by JulioBashmore — what a combo. Gorgon City had a B2B with Kidnap Kid, and then went on to perform their live act, which is always a great time. Claude VonStroke, Maceo Plex and Chet Faker were on headlining duties for the second day, and no one disappointed.
The production of this festival keeps getting tighter and tighter. The craft beer, awesome food selection and gorgeous scenery are just bonuses at this point. As long as the talent bookings remain on the cutting edge of the industry, I see no reason why CRSSD won’t become one of the kings of festivals. We’ll see how long California can claim sole ownership of this crazy party.
Have a listen to the dance duo’s seventh studio album ahead of its release, and let us know your thoughts
Underworld have emerged from a period of looking back – they celebrated the 20th birthday of their classic debut Dubnobasswithmyheadman by touring it – and decided to focus on the path ahead.
As its title suggests, the dance duo’s seventh studio album is a forward-thinking affair, referencing things such as “celestial techno” and “South American acoustics”.
Dance music festival’s last hurrah showed why the peculiarly English delights of techno at a holiday park deserve to live on somehow
After years of eagerly shoehorning techno into an environment designed for middling family holidays, Bloc has shouted its last hurrah. The dance music festival, held at a Butlins holiday camp in Somerset, has finally flamed out and will now focus on its excellent club space in London. And as the ship went down, the orchestra played loud and long, gunfingers held in the air.
The lineup cleaved to techno’s grandmasters, and there was plenty of haughty austerity at the top of the bill. Carl Craig’s Modular Pursuits set was a study in civil engineering as he layered Martin Luther King over mature – and ever so slightly stiff – synth work. Jeff Mills’s peak-time set on Saturday night coasted on his star status – he has always skated a line between hypnotic and prescriptive, and here he slumped on to the wrong side, a trap Nina Kraviz also fell into. One punter gamely waved a prosthetic leg draped in fairy lights around but couldn’t conjure much energy.
Two decades ago, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith helped rewrite British dance music. Back with a new album inspired by the joy they found in revisiting their early work, they talk about creativity, longevity – and why this could be their most satisfying project yet
In a quiet corner of Essex, spring is breaking through. Sun lights up the fields between two converted pig sheds, one of them hosting a band’s history, the other its present. Two men in their late 50s settle in the former: the taller, a gentle headmasterly type in a cable-knit jumper and glasses; the shorter, a bleached-blond imp in plaid jacket and scarf. Nearby is a huge archive of computers, synthesizers and tapes that tell their long story. It’s a remarkable one: from a resolutely unsuccessful 1980s, through a hugely fruitful 1990s, to a 21st century that has included online ventures, long periods working independently, and soundtracking the biggest festival of all – the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony. Across a gravel path is their recently renovated live studio, where their future – together again – is thriving.
“Thing is, we were never really apart,” says Karl Hyde, Underworld’s lyricist, singer, guitarist and strangely mesmerising frontman, who, unbelievably, turns 60 next year. He’s right in a way. Even though he has spent recent years making albums alone (2013’s Edgeland) and with Brian Eno (2014’s Someday World and High Lifecorrect), while the man sitting next to him, Rick Smith, has collaborated with film director Danny Boyle, they have played live over 50 times since their last album, 2010’s Barking. It was in their more recent gigs together though, revisiting the album that changed their lives, 1994’s Dubnobasswithmyheadman – that a new chapter was born.
After 10 years being overly conscious of the charts, the minute our music got honest, it became open to people
Born Slippy was never meant to be a drinking anthem – it was a cry for help
This Leeds-based, seven-piece dubstep outfit made their name creating jazz-flecked, bass-heavy records, but for their fourth album, they edge closer to IDM (intelligent dance music). Frontwoman Ruby Wood, who recently gave birth, takes a back seat, her sultry voice appearing on only three tracks. The band have enlisted the help of equally beguiling vocal talents, most notably soul singer Andrew Ashong, whose folksy lilt on Needs makes the track an album standout. This is a record full of brilliance and charm, but is front-loaded; the second half loses the soulful, melancholic quality of the first, and despite the glossy production from Ruckspin, the group’s longtime producer, the cheerier tracks like Ao risk being mistaken for Jamie xx cast-offs.
Clearly, Irish-born, LA-based Jack Colleran has chosen to double the m’s in his name for ease of search engine optimisation. But the additional consonant adds a welcome flutter to the wingbeats of his moniker, one taken up by the oscillating opening passages of his debut album, a track called You. Written and recorded entirely at night, this could just be another one of those desolate electronic records in which disembodied vocal atmospheres meet glitchy beats (all of which Mmoths does, sometimes both at once, as on 1709). But tracks such as Deu invoke a little Boards of Canada and Colleran likes to call Dubliner Kevin Shields an influence, making for a beatific album that’s more satisfying than just modish background texture.
Canadian K-pop rave merchant Grimes’s astonishing live set feels like a storming of the barricades
It is only when you witness this much unfettered female joy on stage that you realise how rarely it is that you see it. Grimes’s feral K-pop rave is easily the best thing to be run through a mixing desk this year, maybe longer. It is every kind of awesome.
Shrieks greet the atmospheric introductory passage, Laughing and Not Being Normal, that opens Grimes’s most recent album, Art Angels, and her set. Grimes – Claire Boucher, on her passport – then lets loose the Japanese-themed melody from Genesis, off her previous album, 2012’s Visions. Flanking her are two fierce dancers, Alison and Linda, who recall the Security of the First World, Public Enemy’s old pseudo-paramilitary helpmeets, crossed with ninjas.
The martial rhythm section on Venus Fly is multiplied tenfold. The build is monstrous, the drop apocalyptic
Miami Music Week is upon us & Perfect Driver label boss Matthew Anthony is bringing a little something extra on his way into town. As part of the label’s Miami Drivers 2016 compilation, the bossman’s track “Do It Again” will no doubt be rattling rooftops at plenty of daytime pool parties as well as being a go-to track for the late night club kids. It’s got the label’s signature driving bassline of endless energy that should have Miami-goers dancing right out of their bathing suits.
Tegan and Sara are all set to release a new album in June. Entitled Love You to Death, the new album — the twin sister's eighth — will be released on June 3.
The Quin sisters made the announcement on their Twitter feed on March 10.
It will be Tegan and Sara's first album since their 2013 effort, Hearthrob. The duo also announced that new music will arrive next month on April 8, and that they will reveal the album cover for Love You to Death later today.
Tegan and Sara recently announced a brace of tour dates in early May, with the only Canadian date being at Canadian Music Week in Toronto on May 6.
Watch Tegan and Sara perform "Closer" at the 2014 CBC Music Festival, below.
The Brixton musician is testing the confines of British black music with his high-concept image and futuristic beats. He wants to shift where ‘normal’ is…
In the video for his debut single, Blasphemer, gothic images of Gaika, bare-chested, wearing a horned mask and writhing in anger, flicker ghost-like across the screen. Haunting piano and swooping synths back an Auto-Tuned patois that laments “killer cops” and “needing jobs”. It’s a visceral statement and, as Gaika explains, one that challenges stereotypes. “I was playing with the idea of what it means to be a young black male. It’s about hyper-masculinity and vulnerability at the same time.”
In the next of our live radio shows on NTS, Kate Hutchinson and Ben Beaumont-Thomas team up for a primer on the crate-digging labels mining the past for new sounds
Uh oh. The Guardian Radio Hour – the Guardian’s series of radio shows on east London internet station NTS – returns, and this week the journalists are running riot in the studio. Host Kate Hutchinson and the writer with the longest name in journalism, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, are taking over for a special show dedicated to the international independent labels that dig up the sounds of the past so you don’t have to.
They’ll be taking listeners through the ins and outs of this new crop of crate-diggers – from the Honest Jon’s label and Numero Group to newer, boutique labels such as Awesome Tapes From Africa and Arc Light Editions – and discussing the problem of a never-ending hunger for the esoteric, and the rabbit holes that crate-digging can lead you down in the quest to find the most obscure new (or rather, old) music.
In the next of our live radio shows on NTS, Kate Hutchinson and Ben Beaumont-Thomas team up for a primer on the crate-digging labels mining the past for new sounds
Uh oh. The Guardian Radio Hour – the Guardian’s series of radio shows on east London internet station NTS – returns, and this week the journalists are running riot in the studio. Host Kate Hutchinson and the writer with the longest name in journalism, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, are taking over for a special show dedicated to the international independent labels that dig up the sounds of the past so you don’t have to.
They’ll be taking listeners through the ins and outs of this new crop of crate-diggers – from the Honest Jon’s label and Numero Group to newer, boutique labels such as Awesome Tapes From Africa and Arc Light Editions – and discussing the problem of a never-ending hunger for the esoteric, and the rabbit holes that crate-digging can lead you down in the quest to find the most obscure new (or rather, old) music.
Over the course of his fairly brief career, Germany’s TOPIC has created music that resonates with many around the world, and his new single, “Home,” is a great example of this as it has over 3 million streams online. To add to that, the song has also made its way up to #1 on Shazam’s Future Hits chart in Germany, and the music video for it was short-listed for mtvU’s The Freshman, which is a weekly music video poll where the winner gets aired on TV! Enjoy the video, and vote for it on mtvU.
The six-times world snooker champion is about to do the big Bloc weekender. Over a korma, he chats about bankrolling a Magma residency, his jerky dancing – and John Prescott on the sewing machine
It’s a Monday night in the Essex suburb of Shenfield and the Tandoori Nights restaurant is playing My Heart Will Go On to its handful of customers. But six-time world snooker champion Steve Davis would rather talk about Oneohtrix Point Never.
“He’s just so clever,” he says. “He’s like a modern-day composer, as clever as Stravinsky or Bartók.” He chucks out the names of more electronic producers he reveres, each more obscure than the last: Patten, Sanguine Hum, Katie Gately. “They may not be able to play musical instruments – it doesn’t matter. They create masterpieces that will be revered in 200 years.”
I missed punk playing snooker eight hours a day in working men's clubs where they still sang Delilah
Will I be jerking around at Bloc? Depends if there's real ale
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by Ben Beaumont-Thomas via Electronic music | The Guardian
What started as a small gathering in the desert has molted into so much more. The Desert Hearts crew had a massively successful 2015, which included a nation-wide tour and sold out festivals. In 2016, they haven’t slowed. They recently announced their latest lineup for the Spring Festival 2016, and it’s looking fantastic. Legendary performers such as Butch and DJ Harvey are joined by local Angelinos Fritz Carlton and Manik, the DH resident DJs, and many more. Tickets are moving fast since the announcement, so take action before it’s too late.
Wilson Fisk – I’m Calling You (Fifty Fathoms Deep)
Album of the Week: Sam Irl – Raw Land
Sam Irl – Raw Land (Jazz & Milk)
Shoes – Bonde (Shoes)
Ink Project – Soul Food (Ink Project)
Jazzyfunk – I Want You (Inkswel Remix) (ISM)
Carrie Riley & the Fascinations – Supercool (Morlack Refix) (White)
Soul Entertainer – Respect (Tramp)
Moods – Live Today (BBE)
Cerrone – Funk Makossa feat. Manu Dibango (Because)
Kyodai – Breaking (90s Mix) (Local Talk)
2nd Hour
Wilson Fisk – Leith Walk (Fifty Fathoms Deep)
Akasaka – Waterways (Original Mix) (ISM)
Album of the Week: Sam Irl – Raw Land
Sam Irl – Front Line(Jazz & Milk)
Exclusive Mini-Mix: Mr. Fries (Wolf Music)
Wu15 – Space & Time (Eglo records)
Little Beaver – Joey (T.K. Records)
The Montgomery Express – Who (Folkways Records)
Hubert Daviz – Joi (Hulk Hodn`s Treppenhaus Remix) (Melting Pot )
Second Resurrection – Smoke in the Disco (Athens of the North)
Voices of Darkness – We Gonna Make it (Superfly Records)
Crown Heights Affair – Super Rod (RCA Victor)
Trusme – Bail me Out (Fat City)
Craig Huckaby – The Answer (Still Music)
Nicholas ft. Nikki-O – Ghetto Opera (Loft Mix) (X-Masters)
Renegades of Jazz – Pounding Song (Agogo)
Album of the Week: Sam Irl – Raw Land
Sam Irl – Day Break(Jazz & Milk)
Fat Freddy’s Drop – 10 Feet Tall (Radio Edit) (The Drop)
Paris Smith’s New Composers Ensemble – Psalm 37 (Jazz Aggression)
Jeb Loy Nichols – Wintering of the Year (Country City Country)
