Dylan Richards returns to South London’s Ninja Tune with his second single and at this juncture the man seems determined to show off a few more styles than the bruising dancehall flecked stylings he’s become renowned for with the B side ‘Murder Us’. Beginning in typical Cannibal fashion he twists an anarchic “Murder Us” vocal sample from German outfit Jahcoozi around a tightly wound bass line and four to the floor kick drums, building the percussion with a few off beat hi hats and reversed snares beginning to drive things into a dubstep time frame.
Then, with a single chime he flips it and signals a new section that uses the same minimal drum pattern as he begins to glitch up his output with some hyper-delayed guitar samples before he lets the fury of his saw bass take control again. Keeping the regulation darkness that infiltrates every pore of his persona ‘Murder Us’ hints at another direction for Richards and in taking a foot off the dance floor he proves he’s just as adept at wrecking Berlin clubs as he is at storming Warp shows.
‘Virgo’ dances like a masonic ritual as French vocalist Face a Face winds her consistent lungs around the purile side chained white noise of the kick drum before the bouncy synth stabs and glitches start getting framed with layers of delay and metallic hi hats. When it drops it’s sure to pull faces and raise gunfingers in the dance but for the pure fuck of it, ‘Murder Us’ wins.
Looking as fresh as it sounds, thanks to some incredibly tasty cartoon artwork, Nottingham’s Wigflex label is steaming out of the blocks with its first release; an EP featuring 4 artists associated with a flair for the unusual.
First up is an absolute beauty from Notts bass ambassador and Berkane Sol label boss Geiom. His track ‘Lame Car’ has a funky infused driving rhythm over some lush, warm, almost acid like synths. It comes off like a more techy influenced ‘Elevated Levels’, the funky anthem by Roska that’s dominated pirate airwaves for a hot minute. Metaphi drops ‘The More I Know Her,' another skipping, chopped up number that has a definite electronic 2-step feel that somehow manages to pull off an Oriental tinge. If Blade Runner was remade for generation bass then this could definitely be heard on the sound track, rolling out as neon lights fly by the city’s lanky buttresses in the depth of night.
On the flip The Hizatron picks up where the others left off and makes a down right dirty electro monster with pumping beats and growling lead synths. The almost 808 style cowbells give ‘Schlupinski’ a very retro electro vibe that really does drive. Taylor’s ‘Janglefuss’ does what it says on the tin and goes all tribal on us, twisting it all up with some highly strung synths, punching the funk bass around the pitched drums. Bringing some real energy and tension to the track as it winds through numerous arppegiated synths Taylor excels in his evolutions rolling out a tough 4x4 kick drum that’s peppered with pitch bent synths and crunchy percussion.
Saying Wigflex are one to watch would be kind of an understatement as these 4 tracks seem to breathe new life into monitors and ears every time they're played. They’re a perfect example of the fusion between dubstep and techno and a real lungful of air that doesn’t hum of stale beer and weed smoke.
Martyn has upped the correct version of his set from the recent BLOC Weekender after a few technical difficulties prevented the correct version being broadcast on Rob Da Bank's show.
The-Dream feat. Lil Jon – Let Me See the booty (Def Jam) Kode9 VS LD – Bad (Hyperdub) Joker – Do It (Kapsize) Madd – Flex’d (Dubplate) Ikonika – Loser (Hyperdub dubplate) El B – Lyrical Tempo (Tempa) Unknown – Unknown (White) Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl is a Computer (Hyperdub dubplate) 2000f & JKamata – You Don’t Know What Love Is (Hyperdub) Ikonika – Millie (Hyperdub) LD – Traumatic Times (Hyperdub) Mujava – Township Funk (Ikonika remix) (Warp) Gravious – Jupiter Jazz (Dubplate) Computer Jay – Maintain – Ikonika remix (Ramp) Ikonika – Sahara Michael (Hyperdub dubplate) Ikonika & Optimum – Space Rock (Dubplate)
Stagga and up and coming director Ryan Andrews (currently working on his first feature with Jaime Winstone) have put together something a little different.
This video is a visual representation of the actual soundwaves themselves...
Plus Stagga is the generous kind, hence the link below. Free stuff is always the good stuff. DOWNLOAD:Stagga - Can't Win The War
Heny G comes correct with his "March promo mix i done titled 'Breakdown Season' for the event Rupture @ Corsica Studios (Ruptured Dubstep), big up every 1 who got a free copy from the Rupture staff,if u didnt get 1, here's the link"
Flying Lotus might have been a bit quiet of late over on our fair/rainy/fair/rainy shores, but after announcing a show in London's brand new Lightbox venue next week he's unleashed the first podcast from his Brainfeeder label.
In the words of Fly Lo himself: "Here’s the first of many to come…This mix was put together by Ras_G, SAMIYAM and myself. Some time last year. We originally gave these out on CD at the Brainfeeder event in LA, but here it is, just for you."
And so let the day of excellent mixes continue... this one comes courtesy of Grievous Angel.
"Dirty, druggy, neon-midnight transcendence: that’s what I was aiming for when I fired up Ableton late one night recently. From rolling percussive dubstep through grimey garage and back again, with stop-offs in dubbed-out grime on the way, this mix combines the spectrum of UK bass flavours."
Scuba - Klinik Narcossist - Metronome (Grievous Angel Remix) Musical Mob - Pulse X Grievous Angel - Culture Killer (Discomix) [Taken from Belief is the Enemy CD] Joe - Rut Gremino - Be and See Digital Mystikz - Pathwayz So Solid Crew - Oh No (Dilemma) (2-step mix) Bruza - Doing Me Missy Elliott - Lose Control (Grievous Angel remix) Naphta - Soundclash (Grievous Angel remix) Pangaea - Router Grievous Angel - Show Love Jill Scott - Crown Royal
A mix is a powerful tool, it can get you up on people you wouldn't normally investigate, score a mood or place in time perfectly and it can send your headspace to new unexplored places, regardless of everyday limitations and/or daily grinds. A well thought out one can also get you more DJ bookings...
Hessle head Pangaea has spun together one of the most intriuging tracklists we've seen in a while (Untold's 'Anaconda' into some unreleased Peverelist business anyone?) for the Reprise Music Agency. DOWNLOAD:Pangaea - Reprise Agency Mix
Tracklist:
01. SL2 - DJs take control (XL) 02. Martin Kemp - Bowser (unreleased) 03. 2 Bad Mice - Hold It Down (Moving Shadow) 04. Ramadanman - ??? (unreleased) 05. Micky Pearce - Innami (unreleased) 06. Luke Envoy - Uptown (unreleased) 07. Badawi - Lost Highway (unreleased) 08. Acen - Trip II The Moon (part II) (Production House) 09. Guido - Tango (unreleased) 10. Tempa t - Next Hype (Brackles remix) (unreleased) 11. Untold - Anaconda (forthcoming Hessle Audio) 12. Peverelist - The Blues (unreleased) 13. Joe - Rut (Hessle Audio) 14. Untold - I Can't Stop This Feeling (Pangaea remix) (unreleased) 15. Pangaea - Memories (white)
Rob Pollinate aka SQUARED° just did a mix. Cue gumpf:
"I was challenged with the task of producing a short mix to promote a show in Leeds on April 3rd 2009 @ Beaverworks. It seems to be a mostly 'Techno' line up so the promoters wanted a 'Techno' mix...I don't really do much techno these days (although it has to be said, Green Velvet and Carl Craig at Bloc Weekend totally blew me away and reunited me with a long lost love for infectious minimal 4/4 beats) so I threw together this mix of Cumbia, digi-Reggaeton, Bassline, Funky etc...all things that could be techno if they're played at the wrong speed."
Speakerbruiser (aka Rob Squire, formerly Sixtoo, ex-Anticon, current Megasoid mobster) recently played at Japan's only Glitch Pop night, Made In Glitch. He also made a mixtape for them in honour of his appearance which we recently discovered is available to download over at their site. Cue 30 minutes of direct heat all the way from Montreal.
A little appetite/pant wetter for the forthcoming Megasoid project on Ninja Tune.
Hemlock’s third full 12” vinyl release comes from the production pairing of Fantastic Mr Fox and Rich Reason. FMF first came to light on the first of the label’s remix 10”s last year remixing Untold’s ‘Yukon’ into a glitched up hip hop stormer.
‘Plimsoul’ is a delightfully jiggy number that revolves around what sounds like a cut up and playfully pitched snatch of synthesizer. The off key loop gets decimated by a cheekily primitive drum machine skip and a scything hard edged distorted bassline that ascends through its cuts to devastatingly memorable effect. Evolving through acres of spaced out chords and lead melodies the track all drops in sync the 2nd time round and its unattainable chaos – all be it in a jiggly, happy kind of way.
Centred around one of those inebriated stumbling hooks that Rustie might throw down ‘Bleep Show’ is an altogether different beat than its predecessor. The drums find themselves slowed up dancing a more hip hop pattern, and the synths find themselves erratically jumping around the scales, with the top ends almost squeaking as they shimmer.
Everything this duo do on this single is very highly commendable. Constantly keeping the ear guessing, working with multitudes of ideas and techniques, differing their bass sounds and vocal samples they create pieces that bounce from one evolution to the next with the kind of cocky swagger that was so abundant in Joker’s first few releases.
The Leeds conglomerate, Hessle Audio, is back with its first wax platter of the year and after making all the steppas cry with the success of the truly sublime Pangaea tracks on HES006, ‘You & I’ and ‘Router’, the debut 12” from the unassumingly monikered Joe is anything but a disappointment.
‘Grimelight’ with its clicky, clipped wood block drums, claves and bells sends feet moving on the floor as Arabian flute melodies, sublime chords and his waves of warm, deep bass really hypnotise. Resting on the percussion is the key for this track and seemingly for Joe’s production in general as he works his sparse melody around the minimal patter of his congas.
The flipside ‘Rut’ is the killer here with yet more skipping drums, soulful piano stabs and organic building chords that work around a note or two, rolling out the enlightening effect of the synthesizer tones. There are hints of the Antisocial Entertainment sound of Silkie in this one with the free flowing funk coursing throughout the production, but Joe definitely has his own style and gives it all a super minimal, swung techno/future garage vibe.
To be fair it was always going to be a tough ask to follow Pangaea’s ‘Router’ but the Hessle camp have taken the challenge, picking up the gauntlet and running headlong into the fray with it. Joe’s first release is an expertly executed, skeletal slice of minimal programming that manages to retain that heavyweight skip that Hessle are so quickly becoming renowned for.
Up My Alley associate fLako has just bumped "30 mostly unheard bumtschaks". No more information necessary if you've heard his contributions to the Beatnicks 12" series.
Scuba’s Hotflush imprint has unveiled a new remix series and first in line on this quality platter is a percussive and bumping rendition of Toasty’s ‘The Knowledge’ by Untold. Featuring some serious punishing bass weight, layers upon layers of bongo action and a Dr Dre esque ‘California Love’ style talk box sample, Mr. Dunning adds some soul by using the pitched shifted garage style vocal a little sparingly letting his knack for adding freaked out glitches and noises to the mix shine through.
On the flip comes Loefah, with his signature stripped back almost hip-hop sounding half-step beats and a chest punching low end he takes Search and Destroy’s ‘Candyfloss’ into head-down, dark-side skank territory. Functioning better as a DJ tool rather than a sit at home and vibe to track, his interpretation doesn’t progress much or do anything other than throw a ton off bass at you but it’s going to work impeccably well when placed carefully in a set.
This is a very, very solid, release from Hotflush, which they really do seem to be in the habit of dropping throughout this first quarter of 2009. Two of the scene’s biggest button pushers are going toe to toe on either side of this 12” and even though Untold’s gorgeously thick bass and driving sheets of percussion wins, both sides are essential.
Net label Maltine Music is giving out a free EP from Quarta 330, you might have kopped his 'Sabacco' 12" release on Hyperdub a while back. Its severe glitch ridden, chip-tune-nutrage from the outset on 'ahirskew' but for us its all about the warped musings of 'ASUTATA50'.
Our love for the Highpoint Lowlife label is well documented on these pages so when label boss Thorsten Sideb0ard offered us up a mix we jumped at the chance. Well... I say jump... I went to Sainsbury's to get my humous on, came back and remembered I said I'd post on it... but after a listen I'm ashamed I left it even that long .
The mix is mostly HPLL material (some old, some new) but it also has a few well placed Hyperdub and Thriller bits in there too.
Chris over at Highrise (sup fella?) has procured a mix from Bristol resident Hyetal for the blog section of his site. "When listening to his music, the reason for the hype that is surrounding him becomes instantly apparent; his subtle, yet assured use of melody and harmony, along with his delicate use of percussion, creates a sonic fragility that is full of energy and emotion."
Freeness from Taz Buckfaster, Prov, Joker and Rudekid... "Last year Grime Forum ran a competition to get your instrumentals onto the Grime Forum EP. It was originally planned to put four winning tracks from this competition out on vinyl but due to circumstances this never happened. So it was decided that we would put the tracks out on CD along with extra tracks from your favourite producers. Many months passed and our attention was left elsewhere. Now we have taken the decision to turn the Grime Forum EP into a series of EP’s featuring the original winning tracks plus those gathered over the past year. Each edition will only include four tracks and will be digitally packed as if it where a vinyl."
Almost utterly unknown to us other than the appearance of Bullion and Samiyam in the man's production credits, SelfSays hit us up with a link to an EP he has self released to the world through the power of the internet.
Charles Vann's lyrical flow is constantly impressive, even more so when he allows himself to delve a little and get deep and introspective, but its atop the hyper-compressed drums and swooning samples on the Bullion produced 'Same Space (Just Easy)' that SelfSays shines, unfurling quick bars with style and the kind of cocksure flair you'd be hard pressed to hear outside of a DOOM (MF optional) record.
1.Little Things (produced by Feux) 2.Mess (produced by Knowledge) 3.Parting Gifts (produced by Devonwho) 4.Real Life pt1 (produced by Dak) 5.Real Life pt2 (produced by Jack High) 6.Same Space (produced by Bullion) 7.Sleeping Beauty (produced by Beatmongers) 8.This Evening (produced by Samiyam)
Glasgow based producer, Taz Buckfaster, just made one of his newer beats available for download. Called 'Marmalade' its a definite departure from his normal output headed into dub techno it proves he's got music for dancefloors as well as couches and bassbins.
*Please note this interview was orignally conducted for the fabricfirst newsletter and is being used here thanks to the kind co-operation of fabric.
Dave Huismans aka 2562 (aka A Made Up Sound) is a Dutch producer who has kept his pedigree for minimal Detroit styled dancefloor heaters high over the last year. His productions push dubstep in a new more stripped down techno direction and his debut album under the numerical moniker, ‘Aerial’, was released last year on Tectonic to huge acclaim. As recordings of his far reaching live sets have kept the fabric office warm on more than a few occasions, we chatted to Huismans ahead of his slot at Craig Richards’ The Nothing Special (with fabric45 curator Omar-S) at fabric on Saturday 21st March.
Sonic Router: After the release of your debut full length ‘Aerial’ how have things changed for you? Are you playing numerous far-reaching places? Recognised in the street by a wave of hooded fanboys?
2562: Only by hooded homegirls so far ;) But yeah, I’ve been playing out a lot lately, actually I just got back from a 4 week tour in the USA and Canada which was great fun. Other recent highlights were trips to Japan and Moscow + Siberia.
Also - your album release as ‘A Made Up Sound’ snuck itself out with the minimum amount of fuss. Can you shed a little light on the project for those who may not know so much as us avid followers?
It’s a collection of short, experimental sketches I made four years ago in one month’s time, one little electronic track almost every evening after my day job. It was about generating ideas fast and not looking back, just having fun sketching really. As I’m still happy with the results, I decided to release them after all. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it; it’s just nice to make the music available to those who are interested.
It’s been said a lot that your music transcends genres and fuses the dubstep sound with a bevy of techno/Basic Channel type influences. Can you explain to people who may have no idea of your music what you try to incorporate in your music? Why do think it sounds the way it does?
I don’t know man, I’ve found speaking about my music is a bit of a pain because it forces me to think of subjects I normally do not think about myself, categorizing etcetera… often the next day I already disagree with my own ramblings in interviews. All I can say is that my roots are in 90’s techno and house, I like sub bass and I try to make music that is different from what’s already there. I just sit down and play around with a couple of sounds until I feel it’s something that’s me and I’m digging it myself.
What dubplate is littering all of your current sets? Which producers can’t you leave alone?
Untold – ‘Just For You,’ a true rave killer! I’ve been battering it since I got it. Also a new 2562 tune called ‘Third Wave’ and a new A Made Up Sound track called ‘Rework.’
Next to my own productions I always enjoy dropping some Martyn, Shed, Headhunter and Peverelist, among others.
What’s coming up this year for you?
There will be a new 2562 12” before summer, as well as an A Made Up Sound remix for Jason Fine on Kontra Musik. I may look into starting an A Made Up Sound label as well for my techno and house, but that would be later. Other than that, just writing new music. I’m never in a hurry to get more releases out there, that’s not what it is about for me.
At The Nothing Special you’re playing alongside 'Omar S'. Have you heard any of his music? If so what drew you to him?
Yeah, I like his raw style; you don’t hear enough of that in most clubs I know. I’m looking forward to checking him at fabric.
Same question as above but for Pole... (haha)
I’ve known Pole’s music since his 1/2/3 albums and I’ve been following his label ~Scape since long as well. It’s cool to have a track on their Round Black Ghosts album, last year we played a couple of gigs together to present the compilation.
What do you look forward to when you’re coming over to play London?
The playing itself, standard :) Last couple of times I played at fabric have been really nice and I’ve got quite a few new things in the bag, so I’m looking forward to give those a spin on the room 1 soundsystem.
You got any must see places/things to do while in London that you could recommend to our foreign visitors?
I guess I don’t know much more about London than any other visitor, but I usually try to go to Soho and check out the music stores there. It’s so much nicer than internet-digging, convenient as it may be… Support the indie labels and stores, buy records! (Those black discs with a hole!)
FULGEANCE (PARIS/ MUSIQUE LARGE / LIVE LONDON DEBUT) HOVATRON (MONTREAL / TURBOCRUNK / LIVE LONDON DEBUT) PATCHWORK PIRATES (THUGS & HUGS) DJ GIGOLO THE MIXX KNIGHT (THUGS & HUGS)
SATURDAY 21th MARCH @ THE LEGION 341 Old Street, EC1V 9NQ 9pm – 2am FREE before 10pm/£4 AFTER
With humble beginnings as part of the group Marcia Blane School For Girls, The Village Orchestra is surprisingly just one man, Ruaridh Law. He makes music that fuses the wild static of ambient and the constant drum thump of techno and after the release of his latest digital only album ‘The Dark Is Rising’ we thought it only right that the producer of such an intricate work deserves the chance to grace us with his knowledge. Plus he was super keen to whip us up a mix…
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
TVO: Ok...my names Ruaridh, I come from just outside Glasgow. I’ve been making music since I was about 15 or so, firstly as part of The Marcia Blaine School for Girls, a perennially under-achieving group that did all kinds of things but were sort of pigeonholed into the ‘idm/electronica’ sphere, and then later under some other names. I did an album of ambient techno as The Village Orchestra, a 7” and a couple of ultra obscure drone guitar albums as Accrual, and some other things. Now I’m concentrating on The Village Orchestra (or sometimes TVO), recording deep techno and abstract ambient stuff.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
I run a cafe called D’Nisi in Glasgow, which is a total passion of mine – good coffee good food etc. Between that, music, and spending time with my (very heavily pregnant) wife, that’s my whole life.
How did you get into recording music?
It’s a bit hard to remember exactly, but I do know that an older guy I knew who used to swap Amiga games with me had handed me all these disks of samples and the Soundtracker software (really early Tracker app). That’s what really made me realise you could do more than play electric guitar badly in indie covers bands, which was what my mates were doing at the time. Bryan who was one of the guys I did the Marcia Blaine stuff had got interested in this stuff at the same time and we just started putting stuff together.
What’s your production set up like? Do you use software most of the time while producing or do you have a nice stash of synths and all that to play with?
I’m a software man really, I do have some bits of kit but I’m terrible at mistreating things – I have more broken reverbs than you can imagine, some busted controllers, a box of 6 or 7 knackered mini-discs, and too many soundcards to count. Plus an SH101 with chocolate stuck between the keys.
Software wise I use Audiomulch, Reaper, Reaktor and Max/MSP.
How did you hook up with Stuff and Highpoint Lowlife?
Both really through getting to know the guys behind the labels and getting on really well with them. Richard from Stuff I’ve known for years and we used to do a night occasionally with him called Off The Hook which turned into what’s now Numbers. We gave him a Marcia track for the first Stuff 12” and it went from there.
Thorsten Highpoint saw a post on a message board I’d put up and just got in touch – he had close ties to Glasgow and knew some of the same people as we did. Again we gave him some tracks and it all led from there.
What the two labels have in common is a massive integrity and a zeal to do things a bit differently, and to not be tied to the traditional CD album/12” single trope. It’s really refreshing.
The ‘Dark Is Rising’ album is one deep and expansive piece of work, what are the ideas behind the album?
When I started writing it I was in a pretty pessimistic frame of mind. That, coupled with some of the esoteric stuff I was reading around then on Chaos Magick, form the general mood. The title is taken from a series of children’s books by Susan Cooper and some of the track titles come from there too – they were a big influence.
The recent 12” had a 2562 remix of ‘Afanc’ on it how did that come about and what did you like about it?
We were keen to get a remixer and the label basically asked who I would like. Dave 2562 had only put out two 12”s under that name at the time we asked him but those plus the A Made Up Sound 12” were the best records I had heard all year. He finished it off then came to do a DJ gig over here with me supporting – getting to hear the mix for the first time over the huge PA was tremendous.
I love the mix, to my ears it’s got more in common with guys like Sutekh and Auch than necessarily dubstep, but it takes the bass weight and syncopation from there and just nails it.
Musical influences (to me anyway) are always so vast asking someone to name one is like sacrilege to my entire record collection. Can you name 3 artists/albums/whatevs that have most influenced your production to date?
Zoviet France – In Version Basic Channel – Octagon Black Dog Productions - Bytes
What music are you feeling at the moment old and new?
Round here there’s never a day without Coil or Carl Craig getting an airing. I’ve been digging out all my old Chain Reaction 12”s recently too and am utterly in awe of most of them. Anything T++ does is always mind blowing and his recent mixes and the Applepips 12” have been genius. The recent stuff on the Ancient Methods and Sandwell District labels have given me faith that techno is still exciting.
I missed the boat on a lot of Zomby and Starkey tunes first time round so I’m getting better acquainted with that. Finally the new .SND album on Raster is jaw-dropping.
What’s it like DJing out at Numbers in Glasgow, who’s your favourite person to be on the line-up with? What music do you prefer performing alongside – to bounce off etc etc?
DJing at Numbers is pretty much the best thing in the world. The crowd are so responsive and up for it that it’s just a constant pleasure. In terms of playing with, my erstwhile Marcia partner Production Unit and I have been DJing together for what must be about 8 years or more and we can each steer each other in the right direction, as it were.
The great thing about Numbers though is that each of the residents has a unique style which sometimes can involve massive genre jumps in the space of a set – its making this all seem seamless and natural that makes it such a good night! Guests wise I’ve managed to play alongside some of my heroes, Surgeon and DJ Pete being the two highlights...
When you DJ out what kind of thing do you play and what are your biggest tracks?
I play lots of different things – not so much hip-hop but pretty much everything else with an electronic bend to it. Dubstep, techno, old acid, house, the odd garage or 2-step record, idm stuff like autechre, electro, old hardcore/rave tunes, Chicago jacking stuff, and plenty of bootlegs and edits prepared for the night. The homemade stuff often gets the biggest response.
If The Village Orchestra was an orchestra for an actual village what village would it be for?
I have a bit of a thing for forests so 30 seconds google research suggests that Suriname has some of the most remote forest villages in the world. That would do me fine!
Is the anything else to come from you in 09?
One album coming soon on a limited, beautifully packaged CD-R on Highpoint Lowlife called ‘I Can Hear The Sirens Singing Again’ which is an abstract experimental live performance I did sound tracking Takashi Miike’s ‘MPD Psycho’ at a festival last year, with contributions from some other artists on there too (Erstlaub, Bovine Life, Knoxompax and Dirty Hope).
A new Village Orchestra album maybe later this year titled ‘Ablaze At Noon’, again abstract stuff (i.e. not techno...) with a visual collaboration with Bryan Marcia included as a limited dvd, hopefully, based around the psychogeography of the Dalston and Stoke Newington areas of London.
Also I have a new EPs worth of techno and electro stuff finished that will hopefully see the light of day somewhere. Plus some other things I cant talk about yet...
Discovering new music and unearthing the latest producer before anyone else is what we’re in this game for and when something comes from left of nowhere and completely flaws you, dropping your jaw squarely to the floor you either strive to tell everybody you know or keep it locked deep inside, like the best secret since the truth behind the creation of man.
For us Devon based producer, 10-20’s debut self titled on the Highpoint Lowlife label slots seductively into the first category. Miles deep it’s full of hypnotic sound-scapes made from tiny electronic glitches and what sounds like the mass re-wiring of a super computer. The organic flickering of album opener ‘Milvus’ has a chiming, chilly vibe to it, like a walk in a snow flecked breeze under a maze of snaking over-head power lines. It sounds cold, dead and crunchy but also has an endearing warmth to it when everything, the gated percussion, the pulsing bass synths and the ghostly atmospherics sing in perfect unison.
‘Jjuvxszla’ channels fragments of hip hop, ambient electronica and dubstep’s bass weight into something that swirls and crushes delightfully. The similarly madly titled, ‘Wdrtrhjvelgrad’ sounds like the afterlife spirit of 2-step pirate radio being conducted over the top of a old skool electro beat and layers of ambient loops. The different sections fade in and out and create something that’s both jarring and kind of beautiful before the track melts into the truly wonderful ‘InB’, which echoes the smooth chords found in Aphex Twin or even the looped out brilliance of GAS over a Fly Lo style hip hop drum template.
Flowing like a winding river through industrial landscapes, his productions embrace the poison and pollution of a lifetime spent pondering numerous genres of electronica. 10-20 has made an album that merges the weight of ambience and the afflictions of genres like hip hop, dubstep and techno, crackling it all together with panache and an irrefutably deft touch.
The 2nd installment in Pinch's Tectonic label's CD compilation history has been announced.
We're ecstatic to reveal the tracklist; featuring brand new bits from Joker, Martyn, Skream, Benga and the first appearance of Flying Lotus working at a proper dubstep tempo on 'Glendale Galleria', its simply a surefire stormer.
After his most recent LP for Planet Mu, ‘Lord For £39’, Neil Landstrumm returns to record stores with ‘Empire On A Fiver’, an accompanying 12” that is being released on Scottish label Stuff Records in kind conjunction with Scandinavia Records. Three tracks deep the 12” showcases Landstrumm’s fiercely individual and linear production style perfectly, with his primitive 808 drum kits evolving through countless synthesized hooks and enveloping bass progressions. ‘The Godfathers 560’ rolls out with the kind of beat you might find framing one of Joker’s obtuse melodies; keeping the drum pattern simple and the kick drum booming it’s the kind of beat you always throw up but scrap because it seems ‘too easy’. Landstrumm rolls it out perfectly though keeping it tough and simple whilst his bass lines quiver and shimmy their way around the hoover synth melody and snatches of vocals. ‘The Race’ uses a similarly playful Jupiter-8 melody and the same drum sounds but flips up a more dancehall bumping drum pattern that works harmoniously with the simple sustained bass stabs that over power that lower frequencies as he blasts out curse words in a female voice.
Using almost identical sounds it’s like Landstrumm has taken one idea and spread it over two beat progressions. Although he manages to stylistically create his own sound palette and mixes each beat up enough for them to sound different its his remix of Rustie’s break out tune ‘Jagz The Smack’ that really outshines everything on this release. Taking Rustie’s mid range bass scythes he dances his booming kicks around them and playfully injects all manner of synth wanderings on top. Unreeling ideas in real time it’s easy to feel and hear how Landstrumm works, as the man toys with his entire arsenal of synthesizer capabilities over the space of 5 minutes.
Ballers Social Club from Glasgow have slipped out another promo mix for their night - much like the Ikonika one we posted a while back. This one comes from Kulture who laces us with many of his own productions.
Iain Campbell - Cove (Kulture Remix) Kulture - Yes We Can Kulture - Blood & Fire Unknown - It's a Pitty Unknown - Tyrone Unknown - Born Slippy Kulture - Bittersweet Kulture - Late Night Kulture - Inwards
For those who missed it on air or on the BBC's listen again function, you can now download the Hyperdub showcase from Benji B's show on BBC 1Xtra, which features Kode 9 bantering in the studio and dropping brand new beats from Burial, Darkstar, Ikonika and Cooly G plus there is news on the labels' anniversary celebrations.
Jack Dunning has had only a handful of releases, on Hessle Audio and Hemlock Recordings (which he co-runs), but his production style has made serious waves already. An Untold tune is highly distinguishable, all compact bass lines that punish and clean percussion that clicks and drives instinctively. On the eve of his debut 12" on Hotflush Two and his label's 3rd 12" release (from Fantastic Mr Fox & Rich Reason) we threw a few questions his way and waited with baited breath for his reponses and a glimpse of his promised "bare exclusive" packed mix tracklist.
Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?
Untold: I’m from London, make dubstep music, and co-run a label called Hemlock. Most of my tunes have animal noises or bleeps in them. My first release was on Hessle Audio last year.
Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?
I’m a graphic designer by trade, but recently gave that up to look after my one year old daughter and concentrate on music. It’s fucking wicked.
How did you get into recording music?
I got hold of an Akai 900 sampler when I was about 15 and spent a few years trying to make jungle. I also played in bands and helped run a sound system. A bit later I did an Electronic Music degree which ruined my enjoyment of writing for ages. I got back on it around 2005 after going to DMZ.
Whats your production set up like? Simple or hella complex? What kind of equipment are you rocking?
It’s a pretty simple home setup. I run Sonar on a PC with an SSL Duende box. I’ve got some synths that make the odd appearance (Juno 6, MS10, DS evolver, Casio CZ101) but I’m drawing for them less these days. Everything on 'Test Signal' apart from the drums was done on the Casio – it’s got the best pitch wheel ever made.
What are some of your influences on your sound? Can you name check 3 who influence your production?
Anything with lots of detail and layers, anything that does happy & sad at the same time, anything containing a sound that’s only used once, dissonance, blatant unashamed pop songs, wet sounds b2b dry sounds, Scientist (channel one) filter sweeps, relentless pounding drug music, very swung hi hats.
Artist wise this week its: The Orb, Oskar Sala and the early output of Formation records.
You dropped a 12” on the fantastic Hessle Audio, how did you hook up with Ramadanman and co.?
They were the first people I sent tunes to when I got finally got a sound I was comfortable with. They gave good feedback and started dropping them on their Subfm show. I built 'Kingdom' around the time of TRG’s Hessle 001 release and they were feeling it, so it seemed like an ideal label to debut on.
Your forth-coming tracks on Hot Flush sound sick what made you hook up with Scuba for a release?
I wish it was more interesting and glamorous, but the truth is he sent me an email saying "Sweat – nice tune” and we sorted it out from there. The Toasty - Knowledge remix wasn’t a planned release, Scuba just sent the parts over so I could build a dub for us to play out, but people picked up on it. My apologies to anyone who’s sick of 'Knowledge' remixes.
Hemlock Recordings? Can you give us a bit of info on how you started it and why? Was it just a vessel to release your own music?
I formed Hemlock last year with a mate who I used to work with. We thought there was space for a new label that was both dancefloor oriented and musically inquisitive. We also wanted to release music as a product i.e. vinyl with artwork, as we fear this format won’t be financially viable soon.
I built the first couple of releases to get us going, and we’re gradually signing new artists to push the sound forward. Someone recently described our sound as “mischievous” which I liked.
Can you tell us a bit about Fantastic Mr Fox & Rich Reason, how did you find them and what made you want to drop their stuff?
FMF contacted us through myspace offering to remix 'Yukon'. We didn’t really think anything would come of it but were blown away by his take on the original. FMF and Rich Reason are stupidly productive and send over new beats every week. As soon as we heard 'Plimsoul' and 'Bleep Show' (next up on Hemlock 003) we instantly knew they would fit.
What else is coming up on the label?
We’ve just signed an unknown artist for their debut release which we’re buzzing about, there’s a double pack coming from me later on in the year, remixes from Pangaea and collaborations with D.Franklin (one of the guys from LV)
What’s next for you? Will you be releasing, ‘Anaconda’ anytime soon? Have you got any plans to record a full length album?
'Anaconda' is coming out on Hessle. It’s just been mastered so should be out in a few months.
I’d love to do an album, but I’m going to hold out for a while and concentrate on 12’s and remixes. My favourite albums have strong narratives and moods, and I’d want to create something that was more than just a collection of beats. At the moment I’m into switching styles for each tune, binging on one artist/ label /scene and pulling that back into the next one. While that keeps things fun and is good production practice it isn’t necessarily the one for telling a story across 12 songs.
Those forthcoming remixes listed on your myspace look flames. Do you enjoy remixing peoples work? For you, how is remixing different to the way you produce normally?
I’ve enjoyed all of them. The Naphta one was tough as I wanted to keep the pace of the original but make it work at 140. It took loads of tries before I got the right feel in the drums. I’ll often listen to the original samples then re-create them from scratch as it helps carve my sound on the final mix.
I try to view remixes as I would my own stuff as far as experimentation and development goes, I’m looking to capture the spirit of the original and take it somewhere else.
Who are you really feeling right now inside and outside of the scene?
DMZ, Hessle Audio and Hyperdub artists, Peverelist, Martyn, The Dress 2 Sweat label, a band called Colouring In, Instra:mental...
Your productions have a noticabel garage influence and you can even hear a slight raw grime energy at times too, is this the music you always wanted to hear but couldn’t find else where?
I found garage via dubstep, I’ve always been into jungle and Drum and Bass so I guess that comes though in the percussion and choice of sounds. 140 is such a deep tempo, you can write techno on it, dub it out with loads of space so it feels like it’s almost stationary, Make it hectic and breaky… I just see it as the skeleton to hang my recent influences from.
Sometimes your percussion and drum programming remind me of some kind of tribal beat, have you ever thought about running off to the rain forest, starting a tribe and if so what customs would you adopt?
I could see it working – A typical day would go something like this:
•Rise at dawn to play bongos •Bare hunting, fishing, rituals, etc. •Wild boar hog roast for lunch •Canoe race •More drums, nose flutes, dancing, fire. •Bedtime
One of those Mosquito Coast style ice cube makers would be touch too.
Who are your favourite DJ’s?
Youngsta, Kode9, Ben Ufo, Ratty
What’s your biggest dubplate right now?
Pangaea – 'Why'
Is there anything else you want to tell us? Offer up a slice of wisdom perhaps?
Don’t worry about bass music. For every boring parasitic tune there is something in another rapidly mutating sub-genre that brings new ideas. I’m looking forward to more dj’s playing sets of varying tempos, and lots more cross-pollination of influences both old & new.
Catch Untold in Bristol at Season 5 on 14th March and at [dissident] on 2nd May. London heads can kop him at Colony on 18th April or with the entire Hessle Audio fam at fabric on 15th May.
His next single 'Dante' b/w 'Sweat' is out 30th March on Hotflush Two.
