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In an effort to stave off the decreasing popularity of music, some secondary school teachers are swapping the traditional classical-based curriculum for Ableton hardware and YouTube tutorials
Recalling school music classes can conjure memories of keyboard demos and messing around with maracas. But if students don’t have private lessons to learn a traditional instrument, the classical-based curriculum can be off-putting beyond year nine, so much so that between 2010 and 2015, the number of pupils continuing with music at A-level dropped by 22%. With free YouTube tutorials encouraging extracurricular education and a new scheme giving production hardware to schools, electronic music could become a way in which schools can engage a new generation of musically curious students.
Software makers Ableton say certainly believe so. In 2015, after parting ways with their previous manufacturer, the digital audio company asked DJs and producers from around the world to return their old machines in exchange for a discount on their new equipment. They received more than 6,000 of their Push 1 units back and last month, as part of a new educational initiative, send the first refurbished batch to schools that had applied for them.
Founders of the LGBT event in Berlin compile a playlist of spiritual electronica and ecstatic pop in praise of diversity, plus pure political poetry
Pansy: I think Zhala is the artist we are most excited to see live this year. Her sound is so eclectic – both dancy and spiritual, perfectly representing the breadth and diversity of performers we have at the festival this year. Plus, the fact she is the only other act signed to on Robyn’s Konichiwa Records earns her extra cool points.
The festival is about people from different backgrounds coming together and dancing it all out
Although the 4th of July is quickly approaching, we have our sights set on this year’s Woogie Weekend that’s taking place at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, CA next weekend. Some of the finest house and techno artists like Blond:ish, Rodriguez Jr., Roman Flugel, Mark Farina, Dance Spirit, Visionquest, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and newly added Lee Reynolds of Desert Hearts, are all expected to guide the outdoor dance floors to groove-driven bliss throughout the highly anticipated weekend. If you want in on this, as you should, Do LaB and The Confluence Group are hosting a big festival package giveaway that includes a grand prize of two festival passes and a 25th anniversary limited edition New Belgium bicycle, and a runner-up prize of two festival passes. Enter to win HERE, and if you don’t want to test your luck, buy festival passes here!
Since its launch in 2006, Sabo‘s Sol Selectas label has grown to become a go-to underground label featuring a unique fusion of dance music and world music with tribalistic tendencies. As the founder and figurehead artist, Sabo continues to push the sounds that resonate the most within himself, and this is apparent through the carefully curated releases that offer a distinctive vibe to move hearts, minds, and bodies. For this fantastic Summer Sol compilation, he has reached into different cultures around the world to bring us a collection of 21 original songs created by a family of like-minded producers from over 14 different countries. On top of featuring Sol Selectas artists like Sabo, KMLN, Goldcap, and SAAND, the release also includes gems from more well-known artists like Canson, Dance Spirit, and LUM, while also bringing new artists such as Rodrigo Gallardo, Spaniol, and Armen Miran into the spotlight. Summer Sol has been supported by everyone from Richie Hawtin and Claude VonStroke, to Acid Pauli, Jon Charnis, Yokoo, and more, so hear what it’s all about above and pick it up on Beatport.
The neo-classical composer is shaking the establishment with his experimental piano, but it manipulates the emotions too
In what may be the most profoundly German experience of my life, I’m sitting by the banks of the River Spree in Berlin, in the shadow of a vast, Communist-era complex of recording studios. The building once housed the state’s entire radio industry but it’s currently being used as a base by Hamburg-born composer and pianist Nils Frahm, who is telling me about the emotional resonance of toilet brushes.
St John’s Smith Square, London
A closing programme of compositions by Laurie Spiegel, Éliane Radigue and Edmund Finnis gave some focus to this festival’s slightly slippery concept
A weekend of concerts sheltering under the umbrella title Deep Minimalism seemed to cry out for further definitions. But like the term “minimalism”, the idea of deep minimalism becomes more slippery and harder to pin down the more, er, deeply you think about. Even if the programmes that the Southbank Centre organised at St John’s Smith Square did throw valuable light on a number of composers whose music doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, they also included works by such composers as John Cage and Galina Ustvolskaya, who wouldn’t figure in most definitions of what minimalism is, whether deep or not.
At times it felt like a Sunday religious service – fervent converts bowing to the sight of Washington blowing hard
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by Harriet Gibsone, Kate Hutchinson, Gwilym Mumford, Ben Beaumont-Thomas, Craille Maguire Gillies and John-Paul Nicholas via Electronic music | The Guardian
A comeback from a much-missed French electronic duo, with an eclectic guest list that includes Pharrell Williams, Cassius’ Ibifornia (Ibiza-meets-California, might work better in French) shares much theoretical shelf space with Daft Punk’s magisterial Random Access Memories (2013). Featuring the likes of Cat Power (often singing against type, on songs such as Action), Beastie Boy Mike D and hit-maker Ryan Tedder, these squelchy tunes pack much summer sunshine, and even kitsch jungle noises on the title track. But the long-range outlook is a little more mixed. Go Up (Pharrell, Cat Power) is a sleek banger, while Tedder’s contributions are naked bids for 21st-century chart heat. Similarly, Love Parade is humid with funk, but Mike D’s rap on it is toe-curling.
Twenty years on from his landmark debut, 1996’s Endtroducing, Californian Josh Davis has changed his modus operandi. His fifth album emphasises live instrumentation and innovative production software, rather than the sampling on which he built his reputation. It broadly makes for a winning reboot, from the old-skool hip-hop stylings of The Sideshow and the urgency of Nobody Speak, a collaboration with Run the Jewels, to the more menacing atmosphere of Depth Charge and the jazz inflections of Ashes to Oceans. It’s not without its longueurs, however: Mambo is largely unremarkable until its closing 15 seconds, while Three Ralphs achieves the unusual feat of being both forgettable and mildly disturbing.
Four years after his debut, Mala in Cuba, the dubstep pioneer from Croydon releases his long-awaited second album on Gilles Peterson’s label. In this expertly curated record, Mala blends the local instruments and hypnotic polyrhythms of the Andean mountains with the menacing synths and heavy bass of the UK’s underground music scene to narrate his Peruvian travels. From the amorous soprano in Cunumicita to the acoustic guitar accompaniment in The Calling, the album is peppered with tender moments, but isn’t lacking in the weighty, dancefloor-friendly tracks the producer is known for, such as Looney and the breakbeat-influenced finale, Elements. Although Mirrors requires several listens to fully appreciate its beauty, it is definitely worth the effort.
See the trip-hop pioneers in VIP style at the London summer gig series courtesy of the Observer and Barclaycard British Summer Time
The Observer is offering five lucky readers the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets to Massive Attack at Barclaycard British Summer Time Hyde Park on 1 July 2016, with support from Young Fathers, Patti Smith and her band, TV on the Radio, Warpaint, Ghostpoet and more. To enter, simply fill in your details below, answer the question and click ‘submit form’. The closing date is 23.59 on Monday 27 June, and winners will be notified Tuesday June 28.
It’s been two years since Toronto electro-pop artist Lowell released her debut album, We Loved Her Dearly, which we named one of the best Canadian albums of that year. Now Lowell is back with a new EP called Part 1: PARIS YK (out in August) and a brand new single called “High Enough.”
The minimal electronic number was produced by Zale Epstein, who most notably worked on Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album, To Pimp a Butterfly. The music video for the track is colourful and pop art-inspired, featuring Lowell performing in a lace suit as she sings, “You’re all in my head/ you’re all in my mind./ Am I good enough?/ Am I high enough?” Watch the full video below.
Coinciding with the comeback of fellow plunderphonic luminaries the Avalanches, Josh Davis returns with his first album in five years. Like the former, he no longer works exclusively in samples – though nor has he abandoned them entirely: an ambient 1970s composition forms the basis of the title track. But whether or not the majority of the music is original often seems besides the point – the irreverent, and sometimes slightly irritating, cut-and-paste aesthetic remains in place, proving that you can repurpose sound even if you’ve created it. On the Run the Jewels collaboration Nobody Speak, that involves clashing a brashly twanging riff with nerdily bleeping synths; on Depth Charge it means a combination of detuned guitar, sirens and drum rolls. Initially, it seems The Mountain Will Fall is walking a fine line between abrasive and amusing – particularly with the hyper-speedy scratching on The Sideshow. Once the onslaught of ideas becomes less disorienting, however, it just feels impressive in its inventiveness.
Transglobal Underground shook up English music in the 1990s by mixing house, hip-hop and dub with influences from Africa, Asia and the Arab world. The band are still going, but this new selection, modestly billed as “rare releases, unfinished remixes and never before released gems from 1991 to 1998” is a reminder of their early years, and it sounds impressively fresh. The lineup then included Natacha Atlas, now a major star in Europe, and she is featured here on several of the best tracks, including El Haya Gamilla, a stomping, Arabic-reggae workout driven on by the bass lines of Nick Page, later to be heard with Dub Colossus and Xaos. Elsewhere, the set veers from rap to Indian influences, with fine flute work from Deepak Ram on the percussive Callisto. It’s currently available as a download, with a CD release to follow.
The Warp veterans pick a horticulturally themed playlist of songs that inspire each step of the process, from planting to cropping, Drexciya to the Isley Brothers
Planting: This track alludes to the panspermia hypothesis, that life exists throughout the universe and that planets can be “seeded” by meteorites. Some believe this the most significant of all gardening events, something that led to the very beginning of life on Earth.
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by Andy Turner and Ed Handley via Electronic music | The Guardian
Just last year, the inaugural house and techno-focused Woogie Weekend festival descended upon Southern California, finding its home at one of my favorite festival venues, Oak Canyon Park in Silverado. The old Lightning in a Bottle venue served as the perfect grounds for Danny Daze, J.Phlip, Lee Burridge, Sabo, Pumpkin, Jonas Rathsman, and more to throw down memorable sets, while it was also a natural playground for attendees enjoying all that the festival had to offer. Despite the brief bouts of rare summer rain, Woogie Weekend 2015 was a resounding success, and this is ever more true as Do LaB brings it back for a triumphant return this year.
Woogie Weekend 2016 is already looking to be a stand-out festival this season. In true Do LaB fashion, the festival boasts a lineup of heavy hitters, as well as some rarer talents, including Damian Lazarus, Jon Hopkins (Live), Extrawelt (Live), NU, Sebastian Mullaert of Minilogue, Mathew Jonson (Live), TÂCHES, Benoit & Sergio and more. On top of the main acts, LA local crews Subtract, Deep, Favela bar, and more will be heading up the after hours to keep you groovin’ through sunrise, and there will be yoga offerings to help keep your experience balanced. Be sure to grab a ticket here and start counting down the days until Woogie Weekend.
A Tribe Called Red has released a new mini-documentary entitled The Manawan Session. Filmed in May 2014, the 7-minute clip shows band members 2oolman, Bear Witness and DJ NDN working in conjunction with Quebec drum group Black Bear on their Juno-nominated project Come and Get Your Love.
A Tribe Called Red's latest track "Stadium Pow Wow" released a few weeks ago is also a collaboration with Black Bear. The band's third album is due for release this fall.
"Their tribal spirit and grass roots were infectious; we clicked right away," said A Tribe Called Red member Bear Witness in a statement talking about collaborating with Black Bear. "It was a real tactile experience; we were able to be interactive with the group, exchange ideas and not just sample their music. For us, we’re often in the right place at the right time, and this was just that.”
The group also announced a series of dates for an upcoming Canadian tour starting on June 25.
PJ Harvey, DJ Koze and John Grant were among an array of performers who shrugged off the gloomy weather to shine in east London’s Victoria Park
The Saturday was largely defined by the monsoon-style weather. People cowered under tents. The Shacklewell Arms stage got so flooded that, the next day, it had to be moved. Sodden and covered in mud, festival-goers looked crestfallen. But it did add something of a Blitz spirit to the proceedings, with people sharing umbrellas and commiserations. The drier and more guitar-heavy Sunday had a palpable 90s feel, with the Brian Jonestown Massacre, dungarees and Bez-style tambourine-playing all making appearances.
broke into field day in my pyjamas & saw James Blake ❤️☺️❤️☺️ this is how it's supposed to b ✊ also I saw ariana in the same day hehe
The swiftly emerging indie-pop/rock/electro trio Paper Route has been making their name known through stand-out songs like “Laugh About It,” which is the lead single off of their forthcoming album due out in the Fall. The Nashville-based group is currently being supported on Alternative radio nationwide, so they are bound for more success. In celebration of the release, they’ve enlisted Utah’s 19-year-old producer, Jorgen Odegard, to transform “Laugh About It,” into a melody-rich, mid-tempo groover appropriate for dance floors. Have a listen above and don’t miss Paper Route live at The Echo in Los Angeles on June 20th, Soda Bar in San Diego on June 21st, and Popscene in San Francisco on June 23rd.
Martin Thompson aka Bit Cloudy has been generating sound since a youth spent at jungle and techno raves, and witnessing the Fall, Sonic Youth and Public Enemy in their prime in the early 90s.
The last five years have been spent hunched over a laptop in every spare moment (while running pubs, walking dogs, working in palliative care and mental health), harvesting synths and samples. The result is a collection of eclectic and inspired sonic collages that are the inevitable result of a long and catholic audio education.
'Blake Hall' follows a couple of Astronauts remixes released on Lo Recordings, and is the third in a series of strangely nourishing tracks to be released regularly over the coming months ('The Blown Mains' was released in April, 'Hours To Kill (Mono Image)' in May.
Bit Cloudy DJs and plays live AV shows with self-made video projections. He also plays guitar in dreampop combo Firestations.
Leftfield E London electronic producer Bit Cloudy follows two Astronauts remixes released on Lo Recordings with the third in a series of experimental tracks, 'Blake Hall'. It's a suspenseful and jittery synth-filled number featuring a hypnotic vocal sample and gathers steam into a warmly distorted slinky groove.
A Tribe Called Red debuted their new song, "Stadium Pow Wow," a couple of weeks ago and now the group has released a visual clip to accompany the song.
The song features the Quebec drum group Black Bear and is being released ahead of a slew of tour dates for the group across the country starting June 25 in Winnipeg.
A new festival celebrates Daphne Oram, Laurie Spiegel and other female synth wizards
It’s not often, if at all, that you find a festival focusing on women in electronic music without making gender the star attraction. While “all-female bills” have gained traction to address the stark gender imbalance in dance and electronic music bookings, they can feel tokenist, where gender comes before talent. But not so at London’s Southbank Centre next weekend: its Deep Minimalism festival presents compositions by some of electronic music’s early frontrunners, going as far back as the 1950s. They just so happen to be almost exclusively female.
Many of these composers get less time in the spotlight than their male counterparts, who dominate the so-called electronic music canon (the only one present here is John Cage). But they were just as responsible for shaping the future of the genre.
Lost in the recent history of electronic music is the era during the early to mid-2000s, when dance music had a true IDGAF attitude. DFA 1979, Gossip, The Faint, Le Tigre…these artists found a way to be edgy & trashy and still have fun while doing it. This mid-2000s electropunk sound took off where Electroclash left off & paved the way for the Bloghaus & Nu Disco movements that followed. And if there’s one artist who has found a way to channel it all & piece it all together with a modernized sound, it’s Jaded. Jaded’s new track “4000Hz” delivers the boom to the dance floor with a wild, punk attitude. “4000Hz” has the kind of edge that is sorely lacking from dance music today. It also has the drive, energy & attitude to fuel any crowd. With festival season upon us, Jaded have given us a monster of a stlyish tune right at the perfect time.
“4000Hz” is out now via the always fantastic (and ALWAYS ahead of the game) Black Butter Records:
Electronic musician Anthony Gonzalez shares the five albums that have inspired him most, from Brian Eno and krautrock to the power of Polish composer Henryk Górecki
M83’s music tends to inspire some creative description: “Imax electro-pop”, “post-acid-house shoegazing” and “a signature post-rock sound for the masses” are phrases that have all been used. Here Anthony Gonzalez talks about his favourite five electronic albums, the power of krautrock and the importance of having a very cool older brother.
Rydim is set to release a techno behemoth via Hot Creations on June 17th featuring an intergalactic remix from Simon Baker‘s techno alter-ego, BKR Project. The original is an acid vocal edit that had the dance floor of Berghain in mind, while Baker’s edit takes on a more synth laden house approach. With the vocals scaled back and sampled intermittently, it’s the programmed percussion patterns that take the spotlight as lush synth pads provide sonic escape. For those who can’t wait to get their hands on the EP, there is a link available for pre-ordering HERE!
Hailing from Greece, NTEIBINT and collaborator Stella are no stranger to Summer feel good anthems. The two paired up on the 2015 smash hit, “The Owner,” and return in 2016 with their infectious groove, “Hide In.” What was originally intended to be a ballad highlighting Stella’s vocals was deconstructed and infused with live bass as the track’s foundation. The result is a silky smooth love song with a strong melodic energy about it that’s sure to take over a dance floor near you this season. Look for the official release out June 24th with remixes from Ewan Pearson and Zombies in Miami on Eskimo Recordings.
From soul-reviving rhythms to the most romantic music ever written – and a comforting highlight of the prematurely ended purple reign
I love everything about this track – the harmonic progression, the vocal delivery, the tone, the sludge, swagger and rhythm. Hits me in all the right places. Rhythmically, the feel is reminiscent of Kendrick’s Recipe. I’m obsessed with that beat and I can tell you it’s no mean feat capturing its essence. I would urge everyone to have a go. The right rhythms are so good for the soul.
After veering down a dark road on 2012’s Rispah, which was troubled by the death of frontman Dave Okumu’s mother during recording, the Invisible have crossed very resolutely back into the light. On Patience, their third album, the south London trio have smoothed away the jagged guitar work and jittery electronics to create a tight, cohesive record bathed in a hazy West Coast glow (Okumu cites time spent in Los Angeles as an influence). You could call it excellent dinner-party music – the floaty groove of opener So Well sets a tone that’s rarely disturbed over 41 minutes – but tracks such as Memories are so beautifully constructed that such faint praise would only seem mean.
The third installment in the Official HARD Summer Mix series features none other than House legend Felix Da Housecat and his signature brand of give no fucks dance music. With just about every genre of house represented in this mix, dig in and take a ride with a real OG as he gets you in the mood for the #pinkTENT vibes at #HSMF16. Catch Felix alongside other noteable House acts; Claude Vonstroke, Justin Martin, Andhim, Superflu, Justin Jay, Ardalan, and Will Clarke. Tickets still available at www.hardsummer.com!
Faced with writer’s block, and following a dispute with her record label, Ramona Gonzalez recorded this album in a closet. Two closets, to be exact, in two different parts of LA, where Gonzalez has crafted Nite Jewel’s glassy, minimal synth pop style over the course of the past decade. The details might be apocryphal, but they feel true, such is the hermetic feel of the work. Part of what makes Liquid Cool feel distinct (it’s also the name Gonzalez applies to her music) is the fact that the synth pop style Gonzalez pioneered in the late 00s has had its moment. Polished up on the Drive soundtrack, it was then filleted by other artists such as Grimes, and is now largely silent again. So, if what Nite Jewel offers here sounds doubly retro, it is sincerely meant. Programmed rhythms and simple synth progressions are paired with Gonzalez’s languorous vocals. Kiss the Screen, Over the Weekend and Boo Hoo are catchy and uptempo, but remain sketches of uncertainty, of imagined love. There’s a sense of truth being deliberately obscured – left in the closet, perhaps.
The weekend has arrived and so has new music! The mysterious and elusive Slowbødy strikes again with a sinister remix for Loukoko – a drum driven take that pounds atop grimey vocals from UK rapper Venor NRS. The product is ready for war and any hard-hitting set! Grab it below for FREE DOWNLOAD:
As (early) Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure electro tunesmith and rave-era giant with Orbital, respectively, Vince Clarke and Paul Hartnoll have made 50 years of electronic music between them. However, 2Square sees them bonding primarily as fathers. Hartnoll wryly describes their politely bleeping grooves as “home house” – dance music for living-room use, but with an old raver’s eye on “helping each other on to the dance floor to dance as only dads can”. It certainly sounds as if they had fun making this tuneful mash-up of Orbital’s trancey techno and Clarke’s trademark melodies. Hurtling electro pop meshes into slower, melodic adventures; vocals appear mostly appear as cut-up snippets, although All Out employs funk/soul singer Kenya Hall for a euphoric banger that would work in the house or out. Perhaps the bleepy, beaty and stupidly catchy Zombie Blip – a sort of alternative Doctor Who theme – is most likely to lead to outbreaks of dangerous dad dancing.
After her first two albums, synthpop star Pip Brown lost herself in LA. But now she’s sober, married, and back with the vibrant glam of Wild Things
Almost two years ago to the day, Pip Brown lay slumped on her sofa in LA, watching terrible daytime TV, her head muddled from another debauched weekend. Mammoth drinking sessions were becoming pretty ordinary, but this was a hangover that required more than a nap and some painkillers to cure.
“It was like I had an out-of-body experience. I saw myself and couldn’t believe what I’d become,” says Brown, better known as Ladyhawke. “I felt disgusted, like: ‘What the fuck am I doing?’ I’d made my career come to a grinding halt because I was not doing anything; I was wallowing in my own shit and I was drinking too much, and I felt so bad. I felt the worst hangover coupled with depression and aching and felt horrible. Bloated and disgusting like a pig.”
Following their 2012 album inspired by grief, Dave Okumu and band now deliver one steeped in joy, and full of ingenious details that only reveal themselves with multiple listens
Like its predecessor, 2012’s Rispah, you could describe the third album by the south London trio the Invisible as a record inspired by stark intimations of mortality. Four years ago, it was the death of frontman Dave Okumu’s mother midway through recording that provided the emotional fuel for the trio’s songs. Patience, meanwhile, is haunted by Okumu’s own first-hand brush with death: after he suffered an electric shock while playing on stage in Lagos, his life was apparently saved by bassist Tom Herbert removing the guitar from his hands. The former incident provoked what Okumu called “a love letter to grief”: 50 minutes of music that was moving, intense and occasionally harrowing, woven through with samples of traditional Kenyan spirituals recorded at his mother’s wake. The latter, on the other hand, has brought on “a deeper understanding of the value of life”, and a desire to capture “joy and gratitude for being alive”.
Nicolas Godin, the talkative half of French electronica duo Air, can more or less pinpoint the exact moment he knew the fire to create dreamy pop went out.
The evening in question occurred during the group’s fourth world tour, when the bassist and bandleader discovered he was simply going through the motions.
“I think I was fed up with my world,” Godin recalls. “I wanted to have new horizons.”
To alleviate his frustration, a friend suggested he look up Hereafter and The Alchemist, two Bruno Monsaingeon documentaries about a Canadian madcap pianist whose wild interpretations of Bach and outlandish personality made him a cult musical hero.
Upon his return to Paris, Godin tracked down the docs. “Suddenly I saw this video about Glenn Gould and thought, 'wow, there's another music world somewhere which is more interesting; where I don't have to play 'Sexy Boy' every night.'”
For anyone who’s followed Air’s two decade long career, that simply hearing Gould’s reinterpretations of Bach could alter the course of Godin's career seems suspicious. After all, classical influences germinate several of the band’s recordings, going all the way back to their initial 12” singles. But Godin counters that he came by those reference points dishonestly, through soundtracks by eminent composers Ennio Morricone and Michel LeGrand.
“Everything I know about classical I learned second hand,” he admits. “When I saw Glenn Gould I knew I had to find the real shit; the real source material.
"I went home, stopped touring, took a course [on playing Bach] and study, study, study for like two or three years.”
And just like that one of the biggest groups to ever come out of France (Air, along with their childhood friends in the groups Daft Punk and Phoenix, created a musical scene which dominated dance culture for most of the '00s) was on indefinite hiatus. All thanks to Glenn Gould.
Just over five years later, Godin is sitting in a makeshift studio in Paris, preparing for the initial performance of his solo album, Contrepoint. Inspired by Gould, it’s an exploration of Bach’s work, reinterpreted through the lens of Godin’s personal musical fascinations including Bossa Nova, early video games and, of course, Air’s signature retro-future electro-pop.
He’s nervous, he admits, but the good kind of nervous. Something he hasn't felt since his first show with Air in late '90s Seattle. The band was hungry and dazed then, riding the wave of its debut album, Moon Safari, which owed as much to Pink Floyd as Giorgio Moroder, and which the band had never performed. It’s a feeling he'd lost with his old group. But one which, through Gould’s inspiration, he’s come to terms with.
“It was so good man,” he says of his studious break from the group. “I was at home, I was relaxing and I was going deep, deep, deep in the music. I could put a name on everything I was feeling, I could understand the real language of music. It's like you know how to speak and then suddenly you learn how to read.”
With this calm upon him, Godin reunited with his musical partner Jean-Benoît Dunckel for a few shows in 2014, and they’re once again playing festivals this summer as well as releasing a new double disc greatest hits anthology titled Twentyears this month.
“At some point I needed a break because I was playing ‘Sexy Boy’ every day for 10 years. And now that the break is done I'm ready to play again.” he smiles. “It's like, if you’re Glenn Gould, you play the Goldberg Variations. We're Air, we play Moon Safari.”
We are not even six months into the year and 2016 has already yielded a cavalcade of stellar Canadian music. Following up on the pop domination Canadians enjoyed internationally as well as at home in 2015, through artists like Drake, the Weeknd and Justin Bieber, as well as the kudos directed towards the likes of Grimes, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Lindi Ortega, the country's musicians have continued to find widespread critical and commercial acceptance.
Groups like the Strumbellas have found significant traction since 2016 began and as of this writing, Drake has been topping the Billboard album and singles chart for weeks in a row. And soon, another indicator of the quality Canadian music has to offer will be on display when the Polaris Long List is unveiled in Whitehorse, Yukon on June 15.
In the meantime, we polled our staffers here at CBC Music to chime in on their favourite releases of 2016 so far. You will find their picks in alphabetical order below.
What are your favourite Canadian albums of 2016 so far? Which albums do you think should make the long list? Let us know by tweeting us at @cbcmusic or commenting on the CBC Music Facebook page.
Album:A Coliseum Complex Museum Artist: The Besnard Lakes
Psychedelic rock is a tough genre to pull off, but the Besnard Lakes have it down to a pure art form. A Coliseum Complex Museum gives me the same feeling I get reading an epic novel. From the ebbs and flows of "The Bray Road Beast," to the blistering solos of "Tungsten 4 - The Refugee," this album has conflict, climax and resolution, sometimes all within one song. Also, frontman Jace Lasek told q that the solos at the end of the album are inspired by the Eagles, which is just amazing. — Kerry Martin
Album:IV Artist: Black Mountain
Every music note cast by Black Mountain instantly turns to gold and no, this is not a statement that is up for debate. Very few bands can start their album with an eight-and-a-half minute song and keep you completely glued to it for every last millisecond of this album’s 56 minutes. Songs like "Florian Saucer Attack" possesses a sound that countless bands are trying to emulate, but none of them can do it justice quite like Black Mountain. It's a testament to what they are: a true rock band, through and through. — KM
Album:II Artist: Jean-Michel Blais
Jean-Michel Blais’ album II is as beautiful an album as you will find. It crosses so many barriers of what it means to be a pianist. Blais does not actually identify with many of the conservatory-driven philosophies of classical music, and because of this, he has distanced himself from that school of thought and classical practices altogether. You can hear this on every track of II. Blais has the hands of a pianist, but the heart of a punk. — KM
Album:Good Advice Artist: Basia Bulat
Every song has elements of wild abandon, as if Basia Bulat’s shaking something free, and pushing herself at every turn. Lyrically, Bulat is still exploring darkness, and still wrestling with some kind of heartbreak and grief — the very things that made her last album, Tall Tall Shadow, so compelling and resonant — but she’s reframing these themes through pop. Good Advice is the sound of Bulat at her most daring while still being true to herself. — Andrea Warner
Album:Somewhere We Will Find Our Place Artist: Jim Bryson
When Jim Bryson stopped by the CBC Music offices a few weeks ago, he told us that Kathleen Edwards proclaimed his song "Breathe" the best he's ever written. There are so many gems on this record I'm surprised Edwards could make such a claim. For this record, Bryson recruited Charles Spearin from Broken Social Scene to record with him, resulting in songs that have complex and compelling arrangements, interesting layers and beautiful poetry. There's something new revealed in every listen. My favourite lyric is from the sunny "Changing Scenery" where Bryson sings, "It became you against me instead of you and me against the world," which has lingered in my mind. Other standouts include the dichotomous "The Depression Dance" and an ode to a province "Ontario." — Jeanette Cabral
Album:Hotel Paranoia Artist: Jazz Cartier
Over the span of just two mixtapes in less than 12 months, Toronto rapper Jazz Cartier and his producer Lantz have managed to make their imprint in city lorded over by Drake. What’s more impressive is that they’ve managed this all without the coveted co-sign from the self-proclaimed “6 God.” “I am the prince of the city, I am the talk of the town,” Cartier boasts right off the top of his latest album, Paranoia Hotel, his eyes clearly on the throne. The 22-year-old rapper used the existing “Toronto sound” as a jumping off point, but has made his own lane with a combination of melodic hooks, fierce vocals and cinematic trap production. Unlike on their 2015 debut, Marauding in Paradise, the pair are less worried about making even remotely pop-friendly songs and have packed Hotel Paranoia with straight bangers. — Jesse Kinos-Goodin
Album:Soul Run Artist: Tanika Charles
The fact that it’s taken a while for Toronto singer Tanika Charles to follow up her 2010 What!What?What!? EP has helped her immensely. Not only does she deliver an infectiously timeless brand of ‘60s and ‘70s-influenced soul, but the intervening time has allowed Charles the time to fine-tune and hone her charismatic stage presence as well as justifiably develop an ever-growing audience. Featuring production from top-notch talents like Slakah the Beatchild and notable assists from Canadian R&B singers Divine Brown and Zaki Ibrahim, Soul Run underlines why Charles’s impressive vocals demand a captive audience. Featuring the dusty grooves of the immediately catchy title track, the foot-stomping “Love Fool” and current single “Two Steps” — among many other standouts — Soul Run is further proof of the adage the best things come to those who wait. — Del F. Cowie
Album:Song and Dance Man Artist: Jason Collett
Jason Collett, the well respected Troubadour & paterfamilias of Toronto singer-songwriters, might have released his sixth solo album in the winter of 2016, but Song and Dance Man is a lazy summer sounding record. Listening to its 13 songs feels like a warm summer evening spent with an old friend. The record was produced by Afie Jurvanen, a.k.a. Bahamas, and his production style is refreshing like a cool breeze cutting through that summer night. This record mines classic sounds of the late '60s and early '70s. Song and Dance Man has the melody of Abbey Road's second side, the catchy hooks of Jackson Browne's debut, mixed with the country snarl of Exile on Main Street-era Rolling Stones. The album art also has a perfect vintage feel. In a world where most digital music you buy is an intangible mess of zeroes and ones, sometimes it is nice to own a record that looks and sounds like it belongs to another time. — Pete Morey
Album:Views Artist: Drake
More than any other Drake album, Views suffered from unrealistically high expectations. It was officially announced almost a full year ago, and the on-the ground campaign in Toronto, in which “Views” and talk of the “6 God” were plastered on billboards and at airports, made it feel as if this was going to be his undisputed magnum opus. When it was released, critics said it was too bloated, too self-absorbed, even too wintery for a summer release. And it is all those things, because that’s what Drake does best. Drake and his producer Noah "40" Shebib have defined an entire sound around just that. More so than any other rapper, Drake’s turned his moody solipsism into success. Self-absorbed, overly confident albums from successful artists have a history of being met with negative reviews, only to be completely re-evaluated decades later (think Pet Sounds, The White Album). And at 20 songs, the one thing Views truly suffers from is having too much filler. But just like the Beatles’ White Album, editing down the tracklist (as many have, including me) reveals a rapper confidently at the top of his game and doing what he does best. His album’s record-breaking sales back me up there. Plus, I challenge anyone to come up with a better one-two punch than “Controlla”/“One Dance” released this year. Either song make a strong contender for 2016’s song of the summer. — JKG
Album:Sept. 5th Artist: dvsn The latest artist to come out of Drake’s inner circle of OVO Sound, dvsn is the project of producer Nineteen85 and vocalist Daniel Daley. Together with Drake’s right-hand man Noah “40” Shebib, dvsn put together Sept. 5th, one of the label’s best R&B releases. Shrouded in the same sense of mystery as the Weeknd when he first surfaced, the members of dvsn maintain a low profile and instead let their music do the speaking. Sept. 5th is a sensual and minimal work that oozes with the soul and sexuality of predecessors like D’Angelo or Usher – one of the most confident debuts of the year. — Melody Lau
Album:I Wanna Make It With You Artist: Michael Bernard Fitzgerald
Calgary's Michael Bernard Fitzgerald calls this record, "music to get a speeding ticket to." It's also music to fall in love to. Music to take off all your clothes and dance around your kitchen to. Music to curl up with a pile of Kleenex and recover a broken heart to. It's no small feat to inspire all that and more in one tight album, but then again Fitzgerald is no small talent. — Talia Schlanger
Album:99.9% Artist: Kaytranada
Over the past few years, Montreal's Kaytranada has graduated from redefining the dance floor with his cool-breeze remixes into a bonafide go-to producer for cutting-edge, high-profile acts like the Internet, Mick Jenkins and Katy B. 99.9% impressively showcases the evolution in an assured affair that's is turning heads worldwide. The album features a stellar lineup of progressive left-field stalwarts like Little Dragon, 2016 critical darling Anderson .Paak and Toronto's BadBadNotGood. 99.9% also exhibits Kaytranada's most notable trait of bringing attention to the overlooked, coaxing standout performances by Toronto rising artist River Tiber and comeback kid Craig David. — DFC
Album:Oh No Artist: Jessy Lanza
Much like fellow Canadian Grimes, Jessy Lanza has developed a serious strength in crafting pop gems using electronic instruments. On her sophomore release, Oh No, Lanza is a dance floor whiz on hyper-energized tracks like “VV Violence” and “It Means I Love You,” but she also highlights her R&B flair on more downtempo moments like the simmering take, “I Talk BB.” On the surface, Oh No may not appear to be a huge leap from her Polaris Prize shortlisted debut Pull My Hair Back, but there’s a subtle boost in confidence that makes this new set of songs even more alluring than before. — ML
Album:Cult Following Artist: Little Scream
If the only new track you’ve listened to from Little Scream, a.k.a. Laurel Sprengelmeyer, is the ultra danceable “Love as a Weapon,” you’d be forgiven — it is a definite summer jam. But you’d also be missing out on the beautiful, twisted collection that is Cult Following, the Iowa-born, Montreal-based songwriter’s sophomore release. “Every disaster has a beautiful start,” sings Sprengelmeyer on “The Kissing,” a track that features the vocals of TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone, and a layered standout among songs that feature Sufjan Stevens and Sharon Van Etten. Mary Margaret O’Hara’s vocals make an appearance on the haunting “Wishing Well,” and the full project was produced by Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry. No one’s calling it a concept album, but Cult Following contains 12 seamless tracks that have collected some dedicated followers. — Holly Gordon
Album:Majid Jordan Artist: Majid Jordan
If you're looking for soulful vocals and a fresh sound, then look no further. From slow jam tunes “King City” and “Love is Always There” to dance-floor grooves “Something About You,” and “Every Step of the Way,” Majid Jordan’s debut album has a song that caters to whatever mood you may be in. The record has a psychedelic R&B feel laced with a drum kit and delicate electronic piano. Together the Toronto duo compliment each other, making innovative music that’ll have you nodding your head with every beat. Majid Jordan is definitely making strides, molding their own sound. I can’t wait to see what other projects they have in store. – Kiah Welsh
Album:The Dream is Over Artist: Pup
Punk rock is to hear a doctor diagnose you with a haemorrhaged cyst on your vocal chords, tell you "the dream is over" and then you ignore their medical advice completely. That reckless spirit (and true story) fuels the thrilling sophomore record from Pup. An album full of self-loathing, self-destruction, and enough finger shredding guitar and ear splitting wails to destroy any other punk record released this year. Here's hoping the doctor hears the record. After all, her poor choice of words became the title.— Mitch Pollock
Album: All Lit Up Artist: Repartee
What makes a great pop record in 2016? Two things: slick hooks and strong statements. St. John's synth-pop group Repartee went above and beyond in their April debut, All LitUp, packing in irresistibly catchy beats alongside real-talk lyrics that you might mistake for your own thoughts. Case in point: in the standout single "Dukes," lead singer Meg Warren lays out the self-effacing mantras we pick up and repeat to ourselves, and obliterates them with her powerful, upbeat voice: "They tell us when we're little/ it's better to be quiet and to not cause trouble/ sit pretty, keep everybody happy/ and don't speak up, you don't wanna be bossy." Bossy be damned: Warren’s voice steers this sparkling record and compels you to nod along, not just because you can’t stop moving to the beat, but because you know — and feel — exactly what she’s talking about.— Emma Godmere
Album:Mosey Artist: Daniel Romano
The most challenging thing about Daniel Romano's new album is how uncategorizable it is. Daniel's past records could be seen in many ways as genre-studies – mind you, heartbreaking, genius, emotional and honest genre studies, but albums that explored worlds of punk, folk, and Atkins-era Nashville country. With Mosey, he's made one of the finest yet strangest albums ever from this country. It comes out as a fusion of country music, '60s psychedelia, the first two Leonard Cohen records, and even snippets of minuets that could be owed to Bach. However, as always, he never lets the form dictate the meaning. His song are honest, plaintive, playful, severe and quite brilliant. Regardless of your favourite genre, you'll find something to love in Mosey – they're kind of all in there. — Tom Power
Album:The Party Artist: Andy Shauf
It came as no surprise when Shauf's new album The Party was released that it would be so much more than just a group of songs put out to be listened to. As the genius songwriter that he is, he created each song as a character at The Party. I've said it before and I'll say it again; this album is a masterpiece that will ring out for years to come as we all come to realize we are dealing with one of the next true greats of song writing in Canada. — Matt Fisher
Album:Sorrow Artist: Colin Stetson
Colin Stetson's experimental saxophone records appeal to a niche audience. While he occupies a space somewhere between experimental classical music and indie rock, the music itself will never approach a pop tune. With Sorrow, Stetson goes head-first down the rabbit hole. The album is a reinterpretation of Gorecki's 3rd Symphony featuring key collaborators from Stetson's musical life. While Stetson benefits from some of the lightness of the arrangement in moments, he also accentuates its heavy moments with the addition of the deep bass of his sax and black metal guitar parts (which fit bizarrely well with the operatic singing of Stetson's sister). This is a large-scale art piece that requires to be listened to in full. It demands a great deal of its audience in many ways. But when the needle stops, this is the greatest piece of art Colin Stetson has had a hand in creating. — Alex Redekop
Album:Hope Artist: The Strumbellas
Hope is not a subtle record. It’s bold and big, polished to perfection by L.A. producer/engineer Dave Schiffman (Johnny Cash, Haim, Weezer). This is the most nakedly focused we’ve ever heard the Strumbellas before. It’s a determined, ambitious sound, but never flattened or formulaic. In fact, it’s downright thrilling to hear a vision articulated so clearly and with each listen, Hope reveals itself as a record of substance and real staying power. — AW
Album: Hold/Still Artist: Suuns
Suuns latest record is dissonant and challenging. It moves from near silence to distorted noise on a dime. The percussion moves at a rhythm that feels aggressive without resorting to being excessively loud. It's passive aggressive. These songs are minimalistic while still feeling impossibly full and immediate. This is electronic music and rock music while being neither of those things at all. This is a fresh voice in music that tears through the carefully refined pop-rock taking over the musical landscape. — AR
Album:Love You to Death Artist: Tegan and Sara
Building off of the success of 2013’s Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara double down on their synth-pop sound on Love You to Death, surely one of the best pop albums this year so far. From the infectious hook of lead single “Boyfriend” to the more personal ballads, “100x” and “White Knuckles,” Tegan and Sara have found the perfect balance between their past and future sounds on this record. If Heartthrob became the blueprint for artists such as Taylor Swift (1989) and Carly Rae Jepsen (Emotion), we can’t wait to see what Love You to Death inspires in the coming months and years. — ML
Album: Paradise Artist: White Lung
It can be tough to grow musically within the tight-knit space of punk and hardcore, but White Lung’s latest release Paradise is a graceful evolution that embraces the band’s pop sensibilities without sacrificing any of the punch they’ve been known to pack. Here, songwriter Mish Barber-Way expands her songwriting to new perspectives and attitudes to explore vicious killers and blissful lovers. On the title track, Barber-Way sweetly shouts one of the most romantic lines she has ever written over a pummelling soundscape (“I’m all about you/ You’re all about me too”). “Below” is perhaps the band’s biggest sonic departure, but a shimmering glimpse into all the promising spaces they have yet to explore. Paradise is an exciting look into the possibilities that still lie ahead for White Lung. By the end of the album you’ll be left begging for what’s next. —ML
Album:The Great Detachment Artist: Wintersleep
With the Great Detachment, Wintersleep’s sixth studio album, the Yarmouth-bred, Montreal-based five-piece is tighter than ever, delivering 11 new songs that err on the bigger, brasher side of a sound the band has honed for more than a decade. “So gimme the night, tonight/ I’m going to prove to you/ give me some time,” Paul Murphy pleads on standout single “Santa Fe,” but he doesn’t need the length of that nearly four-minute song to hook you: Wintersleep is back, and bolder than ever. — HG
After years of economic turmoil, a new wave of dance music festivals is attracting sun-loving young people this summer
Clubbing in Greece has come a long way since the days of drinking ouzo and climbing partially lit mountain trails to listen to Cretan music in ancient ruins. This summer, there are quality electronic music festivals taking place, with lineups including DJ Harvey, Midland and Jeremy Underground. You can snorkel in the day, party on the beach at night and even hike down a gorge to recover if you want.
Could Greece’s music scene restore its reputation as a tourist hotspot after years of economic downturn, social unrest and the human crisis that has led to overcrowded refugee camps?
Eagles & Butterflies is an emerging talent who came firing out the gates with releases on some of the finest house/techno labels like Innervisions, Get Physical, and Bedrock. If that’s any indication, the Los Angeles-based DJ/producer is bound for more success as he continues to cleverly build his profile with quality releases, tasteful affiliations, and touring with key, upcoming appearances at Cityfox and Mysteryland USA, which will be taking over Bethel Woods, NY this weekend.
In preparation of his performance at Mysteryland USA this Saturday evening in the Spiegel Tent, we’ve asked Eagles & Butterflies to a little insight into his musical mind, and his lesser-known selections. Head after the jump to enjoy 5 of his secret weapons, including his remix of RY X’s “Deliverance,” new Recondite, DJ Koze, and more.
Limited tickets to Mysteryland USA are on sale here.
1. RY X – Deliverance (Eagles & Butterflies Remix)
Remix for one of my favorite artist coming in a few weeks (out June 13th), lots of love has done into this to one can’t wait for people to hear it (head to BBC Radio 1 for a sneak preview)
2. Recondite – Osa
Super bomb from Lorenz, not much else to say about this one!
3. Partial Arts – Trauermusik
One of my all time favorite electronic records on Kompakt, absolute masterpiece!
4. Lea Porcelain – Loose Life (Roman Flugel Remix)
Love everything Roman does and this is a masterclass, one of my favorite records of this year on Live At Robert Johnson.
5. Mano Le Tough – Engery Flow (DJ Koze Remix)
Two of my favorites, winning combination, perfect remix of a great record.
Don’t miss Eagles & Butterflies at Mysteryland USA this weekend, along with the rest of the eclectic, world-class lineup!
The mysterious Detroit musician abhorred the shiny sounds of the mid-90s and ousted them with nasty, dirty techno – electronic music with grit in its grooves
For a certain type of cult musical hero, a significant part of the appeal lies in remaining resolutely unknowable. Moodymann, a producer of obstinately beautiful house music, exemplifies this idea, his history a mesh of half-truths, rumours and silence that seems to refuse to resolve itself. As he puts it: “I don’t make music for the masses to dance to. I make music for the small majority that listens.”
In the mid-90s, when the first Moodymann releases started filtering into European record stores, all we knew about him was that he was called Kenny Dixon Jr, he came from Detroit (and was proud of it), he had a family background in jazz, and he ran his own record label, KDJ.
Two Steps on the Water’s Yo-yo is just one highlight of a list including storming Lagos pop from Davido, the ‘wrong’ vocal gymnastics of Clementine and songs of female struggle by US Girls
Benjamin Clementine has a fantastic story, and although the music should and does speak for itself, it’s pretty amazing to consider while listening. His voice is beautiful and he has the power and passion to crack and rattle and holler and squeal and do all this uncategorisable and totally “wrong” vocal gymnastics at just the right time to make my heart go pop. He expresses his convoluted history in every iota of his music and lyrics – Anglo-Franco-African accent and the kind of desperately loud and immediate piano playing any busker can relate to.
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by Nicholas Allbrook via Electronic music | The Guardian
‘The song still follows me around. There’s a beer named after it now – and a loaf of bread’
We started making acid house tracks before it was called acid house. It was electronic indie dance music, really. I was sharing a council flat with Alex in Battersea, which had a bedroom studio. Jimmy Cauty from the KLF, who’d been in my band Brilliant, came round a lot and Andrew Weatherall lived upstairs. Alex and I started a label called WAU! Mr Modo, which stood for weird and unusual. It became a community.
Juno Award-winning Halifax producer Ryan Hemsworth has released a new track entitled "How it Felt."
Since his sophomore album, Alone for the First Time, Hemsworth has been focusing a lot of attention on his Secret Songs project, where he has been issuing tracks by up-and-coming producers.
Recently, he teamed with fellow Last Gang signee Harrison on the track "Vanilla," which was recently featured on CBC Music's Songs You Need to Hear and boasted an eye-catching animated video.
"How it Felt," however, is Hemsworth's first solo track in a while and might be a harbinger of his third album.
Electrowerkz, London
Norwich’s otherworldly teenage friends veer between breathtakingly original… and too infantile for their own good
Backlit, the much-hyped Norwich teen duo Let’s Eat Grandma start their set in a blur of whirling long hair and hands playing pat-a-cake in the gloom, an enigma wrapped in creepy infantilism. The depth-charge beats of their extraordinary debut single, Deep Six Textbook – imagine Cocteau Twins playing trip-hop, or early Joanna Newsom gone witch house – lend a grown-up, funereal edge to the playground pastime, without quite tipping over into the gothic. This is the single that sent ripples around the internet on its release in February, alerting the wider world to strange and original goings-on out east. It is every bit as beguiling live.
With their faces often obscured as they play keyboards or glockenspiel, the two 17-year-old friends are virtually indistinguishable, layering their treated vocals over one another until they have an echo chamber. I happen to know they look more like young women in 2016 than feral orphans from 1916, but that’s just because I saw them outside the tube station earlier wearing fierce blue eyeshadow, their hair up in lush top-knots.
'My cat is dead! My father hit me!' intones Walton, petulantly
