INTERVIEW: Lone's Magic Wire

Matt Cutler’s debut album as Lone introduced him to the record buying public in fine style, documenting the sound of a surf infused summer on a fantasy isle; and the Lemurian album was the first insight a lot of people got into his world of choppy synths and heated drum patterns. His sophomore effort, Ecastacy & Friends was snapped up by Actress for his Werk Disc’s imprint, an act that proved Cutler’s super stylistic productions had legs outside of the journalist imposed confines of the ‘wonky’ boom.

Having just announced details of his new label, Magic Wire – home to a new breed of Lone productions aimed a little closer to the dancefloor, pumping constantly with classic drum machine breaks whilst swathed in his unique approach to samples and melodies on his first 10”, ‘Pineapple Crush’ b/w ‘Angel Brain’ - Sonic Router caught up with him to get the low down on where he’s at right now, what his plans are with the label and a little more besides...

Sonic Router: What’s the ethos behind the Magic Wire label? More of an outlet for you to do non hip hop stuff or…?

Lone: At the moment it's just an easy way to get as much of my music out as possible, just because I’ve got so much on the go. I'm not consciously using it as an outlet for any other style or genre, it's just that I’m well into writing more club friendly music at the moment. I'll probably put out some more hip hop stuff at some point, but for now we're gonna put out my house tracks and just kinda see where that takes us.

Have you got releases slated from other artists?

Not right now… It’s just an outlet for my new shit at the moment, but I’d love to sign a bunch of other artists further down the line. I've got loads of people in mind actually; I guess it's just a case of whether they're tied to other labels or if they actually wanna work on some shit. Definitely wanna put a Keaver & Brause record out at some point 'cause I know he's working on a bunch of stuff that would be perfect...

Who’s doing the artwork for it?

My long time friend and collaborator Andy Hemsely; he did the first couple of Lone sleeves and works under the name The Fresh Prints. I've got a strong idea of how I want things to look so it's real easy to just explain to him what I see in my head and he just comes out with stuff that's actually better. He's really busy though, so I’ve got to constantly think of new ways to bribe him into doing new shit... I think he's down for most ideas though.



The first release has your signature synth work stamped all over it, are you approaching these new tempos of tracks differently to the stuff that came out on Werk?

I guess so, but I really don't think too much into it like that. I always work as instinctively as possible, so it's a case of just being bored of working within a hip hop tempo at the moment. I've been doing hip hop beats since I was like, 16 (?) and I’ve always been into early house and techno so I’m just having loads of fun discovering loads of old records and getting totally inspired.

Playing shows has influenced me a lot recently too... I used to be all about making music for home listening, or to soundtrack certain surroundings, but spending so much time at parties has rubbed off a lot. Like, how things sound in a club, and a reaction from a crowd has certainly influenced the tempo. I think whatever my 'signature' sound is, in terms of the synths or atmosphere or whatever is something beyond my control to be honest...

Were you inspired by the reaction Ecstacy & Friends got?

I really tried to not read much about that album, 'cause when the first album came out I was pretty naive and read loads of shit which kinda messed me up; even the positive stuff was unhealthy because when I was working on that first record I wasn’t signed to any label so I had no outside opinions or influence from anyone other than friends. After that, I kinda had people’s expectations (however limited that was) in the back of my head while I was working, which made the whole process a lot harder. Obviously though, it's always nice to hear from people that they liked it or whatever, and it really does mean a lot... I just didn’t want to get too involved, if you know what I mean?

Totally. When something is so personal, to have someone shit all over it hurts. It sounds like your taking different reference points from your previous material – would you say that’s a fair point? That your style is consciously morphing into something a bit more club orientated?

Yeah definitely. My stuff's still heavily based on nostalgia. It's almost as if 'Lemurian' was inspired by sounds I was hearing from the late 70's and early 80's through movies and TV - and hip hop; 'Ecstasy & Friends' was weird pop music I was hearing when I was in my pre-teens and what I’m doing now is inspired by the first music I actively took an interest in, hardcore and house.

What else have you got coming up?

The 'Once In A While' and 'Raptured' 12" for Werk will be out real soon, and I’ve just finished the second Magic Wire release which will be an EP to hopefully come out around October…

‘Pineapple Crush’ b/w ‘ Angel Brain’ will be out on Magic Wire soon. For audio clips go here.

Links:
www.magicwirerecordings.com
www.myspace.com/lonemusic

RECOMMENDED: Ramadanman - Fall Short/Work Them [Swamp81]

To his credit, it’s getting harder and harder to talk about David Kennedy’s music without sounding hyperbolic. Already this year he’s put out a steady stream of groundbreaking releases, each of which has effectively redesigned what was already a very malleable template into an entirely new form. Perhaps even more impressive – if just as unsurprising, given his record over the last couple of years – is the sheer level of quality control he manages to exercise over his music, as though it’s literally impossible for the guy to make a bad tune. In the last three months alone, his first Pearson Sound release in a while toyed with the same Autonomic ideas he first explored on his remix of Scuba’s ‘Tense’, to dramatic effect. The output of his usual Ramadanman alias, on the other hand, has shot literally through the roof: the drum machine blasts and delicate vocal chemistry of ‘Glut’, where juke’s battle-scarred 808s were put to the service of something far more intangible, jittery junglist stylings on his self-titled Hessle Audio EP, a Todd Edwards lovin’ collaboration with Midland, and a seemingly endless array of quality remixes.

So trying to trace a steady path through Kennedy’s maze is proving a little nightmarish, but on the evidence of his latest plate for Swamp81 it’s probably safest to say his optimum working state is one of perpetual change. The shifts are usually incremental – ‘Work Them’ is a not-so-distant relation of ‘Glut’, with a rapidly descending upper register drum hit that strafes the dancefloor, and ‘Fall Short’ possesses the same nervy, restless energy as the best tracks from his self-titled effort – but they are suggestive of a mind that operates in constant motion. ‘Work Them’ is the obvious big hitter on here. Appropriately for the following release on Swamp81, it’s the bigger, badder and smarter brother of Addison Groove’s ubiquitous ‘Footcrab’ (I always preferred ‘Dumbshit’ anyway), crafted with a careful sleight of hand that allows its monotonous groove to be both maddening and compulsive at once. Halfway across its length, Kennedy opens up the mix to a stunningly elegiac wash of harmony, thoroughly putting paid to the false notion that anthemic in any way equals unsubtle.

‘Fall Short’, though, is the superior cut on an already superior twelve. Like ‘A Couple More Years,’ the almost unbearable melancholy Burial is able to inject into his tracks fully permeates its skeletal percussive structure. It’s as though Kennedy’s built another ‘Work Them’, then proceeded to subtract every extraneous element and leave nothing but the barest essentials. The result, as with so much of his recent music – and that of the rest of the Hessle Audio stable – defies many of the notions of what ‘dubstep’ is, or ought to be. If you can even call it that anymore; in future, I have my suspicions that this sort of stripped-back, polyrhythmic bass sound may well be referred to simply as ‘Hessle music.’ As mentioned earlier, I’m cautious of sounding excessively hyperbolic by praising Ramadanman this highly at what is still a comparatively early stage in his career, but in five or ten years’ time, if people aren’t looking back to this twelve as a crucial step in the genre’s ongoing evolution, I’ll eat my own copy.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/ramadanman

READ: Joy Orbison - ATM Magazine

The Sonic Router penned cover feature on Joy Orbison is in the new edition of *ATMOSPHERE Magazine, which should be in shops/on newstands now/shortly...

“I am sitting on quite a lot of material,” he admits, “but I’m not really sure where I wanna go with it. I’ve got something coming up but I can’t really talk about it ‘cause I’m yet to confirm it… that’s just the way with me; everything I do has to be hush hush [laughs].”

Link:
www.atmosphere-mag.com
www.myspace.com/joyorbison

STREAM: Sonic Router x Hivemind.fm 25.07.2010

Sonic Router on Hivemind.fm
Hosted by mlr.
Every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month // 10pm -12am

Allow the overly loud mic and ropey transitions...

STREAM: Sonic Router x Hivemind.fm 25.07.2010



Direct Download (Right Click/Save As)

Tracklist:

1. xxxy - Just For Me [forthcoming Fortified Audio]
2. Jamie Grind - Footwork [unreleased]
3. MSTRKFT ft. John Legend - Heartbreaker (Brackles Remix)
4. Distal - Tortelli's Slave [forthcoming Embassy]
5. spatial - 20100402d [forthcoming Infrasonics]
6. Sines - Stuff Dreams Are Made Of [forthcoming Embassy]
7. Pariah - Crossed Out [forthcoming R&S]
8. DJ C - Jump Up And Bounce [forthcoming WNCL]
9. Superisk - Find Your Way [forthcoming Punch Drunk]
10. DJ Naughty - Goosebumps (Gemmy Remix) [forthcoming Roska Kicks & Snares]
11. DJ Madd - On Top [forthcoming Black Box]
12. Arkist - Until Next Time [forthcoming If Sypmtoms Persist]
13. xxxy - Turn [forthcoming Fortified Audio]
14. Kuoyah - Angels Dub (Geiomix) [forthcoming Frijsfo Beats]
15. Wascal - Technique [unreleased]
16. Janner - Just One Kiss [forthcoming Haunted Audio]
17. Falty DL - Phreqaflex [Planet Mu]
18. Jamie Grind - Bad Attitude [unreleased]
19. Dark Sky - Reflex [Pictures Music]
20. Kontext - Sattva [forthcoming Immerse]
21. Cosmin TRG - Tower Block [fothcoming Hemlock]
22. Kidkut - Lilt [forthcoming Apple Pips]
23. JME - CD is Dead (Mickey Pearce Remix) [???]
24. Lone - Pineapple Crush [forthcoming Magic Wire]
25. Kidkut - iLove04 [forthcoming Apple Pips]
26. DJ Naughty - Goosebumps [forthcoming Roska Kicks & Snares]
27. Cooly G - Phat Si [forthcoming Hyperdub]
28. Shortstuff - Swine Time [forthcoming Ramp Recordings]
29. Pariah - The Slump [forthcoming R&S]
30. Doc Daneeka - Hold On [forthcoming Ramp]

:: Blawan - Sonic Router Mix ::

1. Titus 12 - Step Up (Mosca Remix) [Unreleased]
2. Afefe Iku - Bodydrummin' (S63 Refix) [Silver Label]
3. Ludacris vs Joe - How Low Claptrap (DJ Orgasmic Bootleg) [Unreleased]
4. Wookie - Weird Science [Manchu]
5. Randomer - Be Electric [Unreleased]
6. Mistamen - Lengthy Riddim [Bass Tourist]
7. DJ Faz - Believe [Locked On]
8. Menta - Sounds Of Da Future [Sounds Of Da Future]
9. Unknown - Unknown [Unreleased]
10. Untold - Angry Hat [Unreleased]
11. Commix - How You Gonna Feel (Pangaea Remix) [Unreleased]
12. Unknown – Unknown [Unreleased]
13. Ramadamman - Fall Short [Swamp81]
14. Blawan - Potchla Vee [Unreleased]
15. Oris Jay - Trippin (2010 Dub) [Gusto]
16. Untold - Come Follow We [Unreleased]

Link:
http://hivemind.fm

INTERVIEW: Blawan [Hessle Audio]

This week marks another milestone for us: our 50th installment in the Sonic Router mix series. A tidy number and a goal we’ve achieved that, when we started, we never really knew we had. Without looking back at the past 18 months with glossy eyes, patting ourselves on the back, high five-ing all of our separate achievements since we first unleashed Rekordah’s 20 minute plus beat tape, we’re focusing all our attention on the future. And whilst we're more than aware this is a poignant moment for our humble blogspot, we’re still more than content to always be looking for the next thing... that next producer whose tunes make us hustle to educate our friends, familiars and the wider internet at large.

One such dude we felt compelled to push, is Blawan. The Hessle Audio backed producer – his debut 12” on the label ‘Fram’ b/w ‘Iddy’ was released recently – has a strong and rugged approach to his drum lines; a similarity he shares with label mate Joe and to a lesser extent - given this player’s more dancefloor centric wanderings of late, Ramadanman. Making tonal wanderings simply from his selected percussion he booms out bass stabs on ‘Iddy’ rollocking through the beat’s progression with whispered layers of phrase and machine hum atmospherics plucked straight from the bows of dystopian warships and the winding lead synth on ‘Fram’ could have been taken straight out of Kode 9’s ‘Black Sun’ era. It’s simply the way he cracks out his drum loops that grabbed our attention, subtle snaps of snare drum piquing through the top end perfectly.

We caught up with the South Yorkshireman between train journeys, giving him the opportunity to further introduce himself and his music ahead of his forthcoming date at fabric for the Hessle Audio takeover...

Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?

Blawan: For starters I am not Ben UFO despite the kind rumors. My name is Jamie, I am a DJ/Producer originally from the cultural melting pot that is Barnsley and I recently had my debut release on Hessle Audio.

Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?

On the daily, I drink a lot of tea, don't finish tunes, delete ones that I have finished and get easily distracted...

How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?

Like a lot of people, school really got me into music. I went to a pretty rough school that thanks to Labour's deprived schools policy had mint facilities, so I started playing drums at the age of 10. I first got into making electronic music on a dodgy version of Fruity Loops when I was 15 but didn't really get serious about making tunes until I was about 18. Prior to the Hessle Audio release I had a pretty random musical background. I used to drum in a couple of bands playing like post-punk stuff as well as making dance tunes, and just muddled it along until now.

What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?

My set-up is pretty simple, I run Ableton Live, midi controllers and some decent monitors… oh and some nice flat response headphones and that's really it. My favorite bit of kit has to be my Ozone 4 plugin; it’s a sweet all rounder.

Where do you take inspiration from when making music? And how did you get into this current flux of dubstep?

Erm, that's a hard question, I've always found it hard to pin point what inspires me to make a tune and to be honest I still don't really know. I think trying to keep my mind occupied when making a tune helps, as I find makings tunes when am bored rarely has a decent outcome or it ends up turning out as some weird jacking house thing.

I got into dubstep around late 2004/5. Before this, mates from Sheffield used to send me their badly recorded vinyl rips of Big Apple releases and old garage tunes and things just carried on down the usual routes from there really. I've also always had a passion for house music and think that's had a big impact on me musically. The tune that really pushed me to think I wasn't just making some weird garage type music was Pangaea's ‘You & I’ (HES006). The vibe caught me perfectly, it's still easily my favorite tune to date.



How would you describe your sound? You’ve got this proper tough percussion going on that drives everything… is the rhythm a main focus for you when making tunes?

Honestly, if I could just make drum loops for a living I would. Percussion is definitely something I focus a lot of my attention on when producing. Other elements of my tunes are always considered but are subtle enough to make sure they don't take away purpose from the rhythm and percussive melodies. The outcome of that in a tune is something minimal, but I fought my last battles with complex synth arrangements a long time ago and bare rhythms win hands down for me each and every.

Your first couple of releases are out now on Hessle and Folkwood respectively. How did you link the releases?

My debut with Hessle was a pretty surreal affair, I had a few tunes that had been sitting around and one day, I just said ‘Fuck it. I’ll send these to Untold.’ I did that then within about 2 hours I got a phone call off David (Ramadanman) saying Jack sent him the tunes and the guys liked them and want to put something out. A simple but crazy outcome and I can't tell you how lucky I feel to be in the Hessle camp. Oh and I still haven't bought Jack a drink yet to thank him.

The folkwood thing really was something that happened a while ago, a group of friends at Uni got hold of some cash to press up some music. They asked me to submit a track so I did. The tune is kinda old now, but it’s nice to get bits out there when you can. Big up Ste Shine on that one! Oh and you guys for the kind words about it…

What other projects have you got in the pipeline? What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010? Gigs, releases, personal growth etc?

2010 has been an amazing year already; I am just focusing on putting out tunes I am happy with, when I can so theres no rush. Hopefully DJing as many gigs as I can because that's what really gets me making more music. There are a couple of things in the pipeline that should be surfacing soon, so watch this space.

Any words of wisdom for our readers?

Yes, it needs to be strong with one sugar and milk. Secondly, catch me at Fabric on the 20th August, for the Hessle Audio takeover.

::

DOWNLOAD: Blawan – Sonic Router Mix



Tracklist:

1. Titus 12 - Step Up (Mosca Remix) [Unreleased]
2. Afefe Iku - Bodydrummin' (S63 Refix) [Silver Label]
3. Ludacris vs Joe - How Low Claptrap (DJ Orgasmic Bootleg) [Unreleased]
4. Wookie - Weird Science [Manchu]
5. Randomer - Be Electric [Unreleased]
6. Mistamen - Lengthy Riddim [Bass Tourist]
7. DJ Faz - Believe [Locked On]
8. Menta - Sounds Of Da Future [Sounds Of Da Future]
9. Unknown - Unknown [Unreleased]
10. Untold - Angry Hat [Unreleased]
11. Commix - How You Gonna Feel (Pangaea Remix) [Unreleased]
12. Unknown – Unknown [Unreleased]
13. Ramadamman - Fall Short [Swamp81]
14. Blawan - Potchla Vee [Unreleased]
15. Oris Jay - Trippin (2010 Dub) [Gusto]
16. Untold - Come Follow We [Unreleased]

Catch Blawan at the Hessle Audio Room 3 takeover at fabric on 20th August alongside 2562, Ramadanman, Ben UFO and Pangaea - Addison Groove performs live in Room One on the same night alongside the first ever live set from Hessle affiliate Cosmin TRG. You can also catch Blawan taking to the airwaves of the newly FM licensed Rinse FM on 12th August on the Hessle Audio show from 12-2am.



Links:
www.myspace.com/blawan
www.myspace.com/hessleaudio

STREAM: Geiom - Planet Mu Mix

With the absence of time and with all the good will in the world we can muster we thought we'd share the new mix from Berkane Sol boss man, Geiom.

So in short:

He just emailed.
Said he had a new mix for the world.
We listened to it.
Decided quite quickly that it is awesome.
Posted it here:

STREAM: Geiom - Planet Mu Mix



Quite what the relevance of its title is, shall be revealed soon no doubt.

Edit:

DOWNLOAD LINK NOW LIVE-O: Geiom - Planet Mu Mix (via Sendspace)

Link:
www.myspace.com/geiom

COMPETITION: WIn Tickets to Lightworks Launch Party @ Cable

This Saturday sees the launch of the Lightworks imprint and club night at Cable nightclub, in Bermondsey, London. With a variant line up that revels in its eclecticism the collective minds behind it insist on providing good music and with DJ sets from Four Tet, Swamp81 boss man Loefah - whos pretty much responsible for the boom in 808 laced bass music thanks to housing releases from Addison Groove and Ramadanman - Cooly G, Space Dimension Controller with SBRKT and Sampha performing their live show too, you cannae really argue...

Room Two is hosted by PTN vs. Get Me so you can expect bastard funky from label staples Doc Daneeka, the criminally brilliant Hypno, Deep Teknologi and boss man Tom Kerridge, also known as the White Sugh Knight.

To win a pair of tickets email us the answer to the following question by Friday morning:

J Dilla produced 'Lightworks' and instrumental which also got spat over on the recent DOOM album, 'Born Like This,' but which producer did Dilla sample to make it?

A) John Baker
B) Raymond Scott
3) Delia Derbyshire

Winners will be announced on Friday. Please make sure you can attend the event if you enter.

Facebook Event // Tickets // Lightworks Tumblr

RECOMMENDED: FaltyDL - Phreqaflex EP [Planet Mu]

As insanely prolific as Drew Lustman is, it’s still been possible to trace a definite forward shift in his music, between the glassy urban surfaces of last year’s excellent Love Is A Liability long-player and Bravery’s cooler, more reflective ambience (and again between this year’s housey All In The Place EP and this new release for Planet Mu). Phreqaflex is the first of two new 12” releases for the label, showcasing the two-step side of his musical persona before the slower moves of Endeavour. And it’s both instantly recognisable as FaltyDL – it’s nigh on impossible to mistake a Lustman production for anything else, what with his fragmented grasp of melody and the distinctive swish of his hi-hats – and a definite progression, experimenting with downcast moods and a strikingly coherent sense of pace. All three tracks are short, pensive and exist in a peculiar vacuum, as though viewed inside the modern equivalent of a snowglobe.

The title track has been appearing in sets here and there over the last few months, and it’s the closest Falty’s productions have come to the sort of dark swing pioneered by the likes of El-B and Horsepower Productions. Still, where those early tracks were marked by an almost total absence of light, ‘Phreqaflex’ is set in a car speeding through the cosmopolitan night, lit up with streaks of halogen light and the odd fragment of music spilling from the doors of local bars. ‘Because You’ is set in the same twilit landscape but is beset by a deep, unnerved sense of melancholy, as though reeling from the aftermath of an sudden and unexpected break-up. That narrative is made more explicit in final track ‘My Friends Will Always Say’, led by a supremely lonely vocal and jazzy, In A Silent Way-esque key work, bringing an end to a tantalisingly brief experience. Here’s hoping for album number two soon; there are very few producers out there operating with Lustman’s sheer consistency.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: 26th July

Link:
www.myspace.com/faltyd
http://www.planet.mu

INTERVIEW: The Summer of Shortstuff

*Please note: the following conversation happened on AIM.*

Shortstuff: Yo. The first part of the EP is out on August 2nd. You got the files right?

Sonic Router: Aye. You wanna do a pre time interview? Get the word out?

Yeah man. Sure

Cool… now?

Yeah man.

Cool... So where have you been? Working hard?

I've been concentrating on finishing this EP, doing lots of remixes, working on the label, and playing out and about…

So what’s the deal with this new, Summer of Shortstuff EP?

I think it captures a real progression in my stuff from about this time last year to when I finished the last track, in early 2010. I wrote the A side for my Mary Anne Hobbs guest mix, and the rest follow on chronologically from there. All the project files are dated, so I can tell you that ‘Swine Time’ was written on the 11th of October 2009, when I was laid up in bed, suffering from swine flu.

It's also a bit less frenzied than my first Ramp release, and some of my other singles

Do you think that’s a good thing? I’m all about the Shortstuff frenzy…

Well…The frenzy is still there. It's all still quite twitchy and uneasy, but most of the tracks that made it on there were made very quickly, out of an initial idea or vibe, without too much time being spent overcomplicating them for the sake of it. ‘Galaxy’ for example is made largely from the same record, drums and all. I sat down and wrote the whole arrangement in one session, with each bar triggering the next.

There are heaps of tracks that didn't make the cut that might be more polished and typical of the ‘zaney’ style you hear on some of my other stuff, but I'm happy that the ones which survived each capture a moment in my head, without too much thought for a style that people might expect from me.

So the title ‘The Summer of Shortstuff’ does that refer to the staggered release schedule?

No it does not. It's a Seinfeld reference

OK.

Basically... There is a Seinfeld episode called ‘The Summer Of George,’ where George receives a load of severance pay from his old job and vows to do something big with his the time off...



In reality, he ends up sitting around doing nothing. This speaks to me on so many levels, because I, like George, am a deeply lazy individual, hampered by my own neurosis; who overthinks things and drives himself to distraction in the process. So, given that it took me 12 months to come up with 7 tracks that I was happy to put my name to, coupled with the summer release, Summer Of Shortstuff seemed perfect.

It's definitely NOT stating that this summer is all about me. The opposite in fact

But you are you releasing it in several parts?

Yes. It is coming out on three 10"s throughout August. August 2nd, 15th and 30th. Roughly… The 3rd record will coincide with a digital release where you can grab the digital bonus track

So you will be omnipresent throughout the main summer month though…? Ha.

Yes I will. Hovering around like a bad smell.

Indeed. So… more gigs etc?

Yep. I'm playing Tomorrowland festival, Boom festival, a Field day afterparty, shows in Hamburg, Barcelona, Greece, Bristol and a heap of other stuff

Wowzer. Back in the game.

I was never out of the game. Just off AIM.

Who did the artwork?

One sec. Getting his website [goes idle]. It's a Japanese guy by the name of... OK I'll get that. Tom's getting his address for me. Next question?

He's wicked though…

Yeah he did my first Ramp single too. The ‘A Rustling’ single was sick, but he does all this stuff with actual paints, that was what first attracted us to him, and he really came up with goods. It looks like the record sounds. Better in fact.

All the Ramp stuff has nice art.

Yeah, Tom takes a lot of care with that side of things. I wish it sounded like his art looked...

So is anything lined up after these 3 x 10"s

After this, I have some remixes, including one Brackles and I did of Deadboy's 'If U Want Me' and my remix of 'On A Mission' by Hem, which was featured on Oneman's Rinse CD. Then, to celebrate the 5th Blunted Robots single, we have a tune Brackles and I did with an MC from Nottingham called Terrible Shock. Other than that, I'm working on lots of new stuff, vaguely aiming at a larger project, but trying not to think too much about it. I work much better if I don't think too much.

Cool! And finally… Damage or Take That?

Going to have to remind myself of Damage…



And yes, before you ask, this has already been discussed today…

Oh.

It's gotta be Damage…

Yeah. They had an edge. Somewhere in all that polish, there was an edge…

Allow the Eric Clapton cover though…

Yeah… ruin the first song I ever learnt to play the guitar solo of why don’t you…

LOLOL.

::

Catch Shortstuff at The Summer of Shortstuff launch party – Fri 6th August at Rhythm Factory, London.



Links:
www.myspace.com/djshortstuff
www.myspace.com/ramprecordings

Photo: Stevey Braiden

DOWNLOAD: Jimmy Edgar - Hot Raw Sex (Machinedrum Remix)

Without trying to dumb down the language we're somewhat passionate about (insert pun about hard ons and alliteration here) at Sonic Router; Machinedrum is the shit. As half of Sepalcure he's made an awesome EP for Scuba's Hotflush imprint, he tore it out of the Lucky Me stage at Sonar to the delight of everyone who wasn't packed into the main hanger watching Chemical Brothers...



...and he just dropped a free-mix of Jimmy Edgar's 'Hot Raw Sex' - a tune thats been doing the rounds on the internet for a while now.

Word.

DOWNLOAD: Jimmy Edgar - Hot Raw Sex (Machinedrum Remix) (Via Mediafire)



Link:
www.myspace.com/machinedrum

INTERVIEW: Orphan 101 [Saigon/Deca]

Coming recommended by people like Appleblim and Headhunter, the Orphan101 name has been something bandied about our intrinsically small world for a while now. Possible inclusions on line ups we had an in on along with mixes for other blogs all piqued our interest but it’s when we received the promo for his 'Tribtek Pt.s 1 and 2' that we went on the chase. Splitting his moody singular creation across 2 sides of wax for a brand new label, the freshly minted Saigon Records, with its highly reverbed conga’s, ocean sized atmospherics and relentless punch it felt a little like if Shackleton had embraced pads with the same gusto he welcomes sine waves.

We’re pleased to welcome the 49th Sonic Router mix from Bristol’s Orphan101.

Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?

Opran101: My name is Rob Davies I grew up and live in Bristol England and I go by the production name of Orphan101. I suppose I make a melt of house, techno and dubstep. I really don’t think about what genre my tunes fit into when I make them but those three probably sum them up.

What inspired the Orphan101 moniker?

Well I’m a bit of a lost soul so orphan fits me well and the 101 is just to be different from anybody else who wants or calls them self orphan or already has.

How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?

I started making music about 5 years ago with Headhunter all my close friends make music and I got into it, really its pretty simple no interesting stories to tell. Now its takes up the majority of my time.



What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?

A computer, I use several different types of programmes for different things from Ableton to Logic to Reason, what ever I’m trying to achieve ill use what I think I need to.

Where do you take inspiration from when making music?

I suppose it all depends on what time of the day it is and the events of that day that sum up my attitude at that point in time; sometimes lazy sometimes serious even depressed all types of moods really.

How would you describe your sound? It seems to focus heavily on four four technoid drum patterns…

Well it varies for the reasons stated above but there’s no set theme or mood, just how I feel at the time when I make any particular tune.

Your first release on the freshly minted Saigon Recordings is out now. What’s the deal, what can we expect from the release?

Well the tune was originally about 15 mins long so I split it in two for the vinyl I avoid trying to describe what it is I suppose it’s up to the listener to decide for them self.

You’ve also got bits dropping on Apple Pips and Deca Rhythm which is a new label between you, Headhunter and Bloodman I gather? What other projects have you got on the label and in the pipeline in general?

I’m pretty busy with the Deca thing with Headhunter and Bloodman just getting the releases sorted for this year see how it pans out and go from there. I mite release something on it next year because I already have releases sorted for this year and the Applepips release will happen when it happens no rush really me and Appleblim keep changing it.



What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010? Gigs, releases, personal growth etc?

I’m off to Copenhagen in August with Pips and I play at the Pips nights in Bristol, besides that not a lot really; odd podcast and radio show, I just like making tunes. I’m not too fussed about all the other stuff I’m kinda easy going when it comes to the future.

::

DOWNLOAD: Orphan101 – Sonic Router Mix



Tracklist:

1 . Gravious – Lunar Module (Saigon Recordings Dub)
2 . Microburst - Pistol Shrimp (Saigon Recordings Dub)
3 . Setspeed - A Detail From A Larger Work (Saigon Recordings Dub)
4 . Ike Release – Citidael (Saigon Recordings Dub)
5 . Bloodman – Ganamede
6 . Siprut - Like A Whale (Okapi Remix)
7 . Orphan101 & Bloodman Feat Soraya Saberi - All The Way
8 . Kidkut - Get Sum
9 . DJG - Time Is Fire
10 .Bloodman - Remote Viewing (Deca Rhythm)
11 .J@kes - Captain Nemo
12 .Addison Groove - ?
13 .Orphan101 – Similate
14 .Orpahn101 – Paq
15 .Orphan101 & Bloodman - Sunken Moon
16 .Orphan101 – Reverence (Mr Lager Remix)
17 .Orphan101 – Tribtek Pt.1 (Saigon Recordings – SAIGON001)
18 .Orphan101 & Bloodman Feat Soraya Saberi – Au Dela
19 .Komonazmuk - Dance Too (Apple Pips)

Links:
www.myspace.com/orrphan101
www.saigonrecordings.com

DOWNLOAD: Scratcha DVA - disko404 Podcast

There's no one quite like Scratcha. His melodies on tracks like the Hyperdub released 'Natty' and 'Ganja' stand out like sunburnt lips in the sea of soundalike thump heavy funky and when you combine his flagrantly outlandish melodies on tracks like 'Jelly Roll' with his pedigree as a DJ and radio show host you get this...

Another awesome, exclusive loaded mix.

DOWNLOAD: ScratchADVA - Disko404 Podcast

Tracklist:

1. COOLY G - UP IN MY HEAD
2. FINGAPRINT - RISING SUN
3. L VIS 1990 - FOREVER YOU
4. SMASHER - DUBZ 2
5. DVA - NEW WORLD ORDER
6. MAGNETIC MAN - I NEED AIR (REDLIGHT REMIX)
7. BOK BOK - DANCE REPORT
8. FUNKYSTEPZ - FULLER
9. BREACH - FATHERLESS (DOC DANEEKA REMIX)
10. DONAEO - IM SO FLY
11. R1 RYDERS - HYDRAULIC
12. DEEP TEKNOLOGI - DISTORTION 101
13. EL B - I FEEL
14. KODE 9 - BLACK SUN
15. DVA & STARKEY -
16. GREENMONEY - WHO'S GREENMONEY (DUB MIX)
17. REDLIGHT FT MS DYNAMITE - WHAT YOU TALKIN' ABOUT

DVA005 - The New World Order EP is in shops now.

Link:
www.myspace.com/scratchadva

PRE-ORDER: Oriol - Coconut Coast EP [Planet Mu]

For a label that could so easily have been left lumped in with the stigmatised IDM set, Planet Mu’s not half managed to pull itself well away from any easy pigeon holing. The last few years – since they aligned themselves to the nascent dubstep scene, really, athough it’s been most apparent since that sound has branched off in all directions – have seen an explosion in diversity quite separate from almost any other imprint out there. In that sweeping statement I also include Hyperdub, which along with Mu has probably done more than almost any label in recent memory to break out of its comfort zone and head off on exciting detours. But while Kode9’s baby has remained beholden to variants on a localized theme (no bad thing, mind), Planet Mu seems to have disregarded them completely. This year alone, alongside snippets from the usual bass set – Ikonika, Jamie Vex’d/Kuedo, Swindle, Terror Danjah – has seen them snap up albums from both footwork maestro DJ Nate and unknown chillwavers Solar Bears. Hardly sticking to a rigid formula then.

London based Barcelona man Oriol Singhji definitely fits into the latter category. His Night & Day album is a set of sunkissed, superheated instrumentals that effortlessly align with the kind of retrofuturistic funk peddled by Floating Points and Onra. But his sound carries a definite emphasis on the ‘retro’, making easy reference to jazz-funk, Weather Report and Miami Vice, amongst other rose-tinted memories. That a certain seventies charm thoroughly permeates all the remixes on the Coconut Coast EP is, I suppose, testament to how convincing Oriol’s vision is. The title track is wildly addictive, kicking off with a gust of warm synth before heading off on a defiantly downtempo flex, riding ‘round South London with the top rolled down. FaltyDL’s house remix is slow and foreboding, pivoting around a lovely broken beat, and Jake Slazenger’s take on ‘Memories’ is hot and sumptuous, as befitting the source material. Shortstuff’s ‘Memories’ remix is the best of the three though, and it’s brilliantly deceitful, opening with the sort of jittery moves that you’d expect of a Blunted Robot but remaining unexpectedly contemplative throughout.

File in the ‘cider in a field on a hot summer’s day’ section.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/oriolmusic

PRE-ORDER: C.R.S.T. – Revival EP [Well Rounded]

The Brighton based Well Rounded label follow up a couple of pretty addictive releases from the likes of Deadboy and Hackman with another bumpy offering from new Welsh crew on the block, C.R.S.T. who are channeling those old school garage vibes and are really running with them. Where some of the new wave of ‘future garage’ dubbed music doesn’t have that slinky garage bump this EP vibes off the old school for sure; you can hear Armand Van Helden’s speed garage or DJ Zinc’s rave-adled broken garage as much as you can MJ Cole or El-B but its kept vibrant from the sheer rawness and dance floor energy.

Phone lines bubble into action on the opening number ‘Dial The Operator’ with simple bleepy melodic stabs and snappy garage beats before a big old Bingo era Zinc-esq bassline pulses underneath it all. Things get a little more four to the floor on ‘May Not Be Real’ but it gets funked up with skippy percussive accents and bitter sweet diva samples bubbling over it all. Things get kind of Van Helden on ‘Need You’ - its reminiscent of his hit ‘You Don’t Know Me’ in the drums at least - it bumps along in fine style before dropping some plastic jazz samples for good measure and the ultra skippy ‘Walk On’ lilts with its little percussive flutters that play off the one note bass pulse that sounds like an alien species of frog trying to get your attention.

Well Rounded are making moves; dropping releases that keep on creeping up on you. The Deadboy and Hackman 12"s are so musical and infectious that reaching for them in a set just puts a smile on your face and the Revival EP has the same draw, though they do it a little bit tracky and with a stronger garage flex. This is one for the mix when you want it fun and bumpy.

Words: James Balf
Out: "Late July"

Links:
www.myspace.com/crstuk
www.myspace.com/wellroundedrecords

PRE-ORDER: Al Tourettes - The Next Meal/When I Rest I Rust [If Symptoms Persist]

The entire concept of dubstep multiplied by techno – thrown as an overarching blanket over the sort of static-drenched cuts that made up Appleblim’s Dubstep Allstars mix a couple of years ago – is essentially a redundant one at this point. Much as it’s easy to single out groups of producers making stuff that’s heavily influenced by both stables, in most cases there’s such a density of things going on that any attempt to unravel them into two such broad regions runs the risk of tunnelvision. Scuba’s excellent Triangulation album is one recent example; Al Tourettes’ latest plate for If Symptoms Persist is another.

As a regular Appleblim co-conspirator and Bristol resident, the techno comparison was always going to be there. But where many of that stable take the ashen motion of the Berlin set as a primary source, there’s a lot more Detroit in Al Tourettes’ music. Certainly, if there’s one common trait most easily singled out, it’s both tracks’ sheer, irresistible funk. ‘When I Rest I Rust’ positively oozes body movement, powered by an irresistibly liquid groove that acts in stark contrast to the ferrous vocal motif that gradually seizes up across its length. It panders far more to Drexciya’s oceanic obsessions than to dubstep’s bassweight fetish, and relishes in the tension of an all-too-long interlude that carves through the centre. There’s swing here for sure, but it relinquishes its power to a restless, jittery mood that offsets party vibes for something far more sinister.

Over on the A, the clipped two-step stylings of ‘The Next Meal’ prove less immediate, but vertiginous in depth. Although neither track makes any kind of concession to dancefloor ease – far from it – it’d probably be easier to get down to; its garagey flex ebbs and flows around warm gusts of sub that drift up from some subterranean lair. Hardly easy listening then, but a seriously impressive display of how it’s possible to assimilate the best bits from a host of other influences – techno, electro, dubstep, even noise – and reimagine them as something that’s entirely its own. It’s certainly a damn sight more compelling than his debut 12” for Apple Pips, and is suggestive of the emergence of something totally unique that for now remains hidden just around the next corner.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/altourettes

INTERVIEW: Jamie Grind [Infrasonics]

Summer 2010 is proving to be a fertile hotbed of awesomeness and its been made easy to enthuse about things now that the sun is blessing everything with its UV loaded rays. Tunes are coming thicker and quicker and there's a multitude of great producers from across the spectrum of the bass music void whose work is steadily piquing our interest. At the forefront of this last few weeks has been two tunes from Leeds based producer Jamie Grind, included on his debut release which takes the form of a split 12" with Irish funky producer Gon for Spatial's Infrasonics label.

'If You Want' is a perfect example of using drum shuffles, that repetitive Scuba style synth stab and choppy vocals, but its in the woefully aborted synth progressions of it that it really blossoms, veering from colourful warbling to a distorted splash; and in a similar way the flip side, 'Balloon,' uses a careering lead line behind those lush Martyn pianos. On the strength of these tunes its obvious that Grind's is a step that positively uplifts; a feel good bump that suits this sudden heat wave gloriously.

The inclusion of the afore mentioned tunes on Spatial's FACT mix, coupled with a mix he did for ItsAlllAbout.com and the track he just dropped for free over at XLR8R last week, 'Keep Wondering,' spiked immediate interest, resulting in a bout of AIM cold calling and an eventual satisfying pang of relief when he agreed to drop us an exclusive mix; number 48 in our ongoing series.

Sonic Router: Can you provide those who may not know you with a bit of background info?

Jamie Grind: I’m Jamie Grind, I’ve just released my first record on the Infrasonics Label, hopefully the first of many! When I’m not eating king prawn curries you will usually find me in a poorly lit room in the centre of Leeds making beats and wondering what happened to my youth!

Outside of music who are you? What do you do on the daily?

I’m a web designer - I’ve been working at a company here in Leeds for the past 3 years or so. My job takes up most of my time so I try and fit in music whenever possible. 


How did you first get into making music? What was it that infected you to do so?

Since my mid-teens I’ve been involved with music in some form, I’ve been a vocalist in various bands, I’ve been a hip hop MC and I’ve experimented a bit with other forms of electronic music but it’s only in the past year or so I think I’ve finally found my feet. I was always more into the vocal side of music and production just kinda passed me by, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago I actually decided to give it a shot and it turns out I actually quite enjoy sitting in isolation for hours on end listening to looped drum hits!

What’s your production set up like? What’s your favourite bit of kit in the studio?

I run Logic 8 on an Imac; my set up is fairly basic though, I could use an upgrade to be honest. I’ve currently only got some very average Wharfdale speakers, a MIDI keyboard and a Yamaha MW12 Mixing desk.. but it works OK for now. Next venture for me will be to get some decent monitors and an analogue synth of some form…

Where do you take inspiration from when making music?

Because I have a full time job most of my ideas come to me during the day when my mind is at its most active, so I might have a sudden idea for a tune and then have to wait 8 hours til I get home to finally put it into practice, by that time I’m pretty tired and can’t be arsed. I find I’m at my most creative first thing in the morning, so weekends give me chance clock in at my second job… making bangers blaaad!



How would you describe your sound?

I wouldn’t say future garage – I think that term sounds pretty corny to be honest… Genres seem to mean less and less to me these days, when I make a tune I’m not trying to achieve a certain sound I’m just combining elements of different styles of music I enjoy, which usually sounds pretty garage-esque to be fair, at least percussively anyway.



And how did you get into this current flux of dubstep?

I remember hearing stuff by Pinch and Loefah and thinking it was the heaviest shit I’d ever heard! At the time, the hip hop nights I used to go to gradually turned into dubstep nights as it got more popular. Later on, people like 2562, Geiom, Ramadanman, Kode9 & Martyn seemed to be making interesting music which was loosely dubstep with elements of garage, hip hop and house and probably had a lot to do with me wanting to start producing the type of music I do.

Leeds seems to be on it right now, with Midland, Stray and people like Blawan all making the dope shit. What’s the scene like up there?

I’m not sure there’s much of a scene to be honest, now Ruffage has closed its doors the only decent monthly club night in Leeds is Tropical; which is sick, but most other ‘dubstep’ nights are just mid-range wobble wankery so don’t really interest me – There’s a bunch of people up here making sick music though, good to see them getting the recognition they deserve. On top of the people you mentioned there’s also Skips, Hackman, Gatto Viola and Jera doing their thing up here aswell.


Jamie Grind - Balloon

Your first release on Infrasonics is out now. What’s the deal, what can we expect from the release?

It’s a split with Gon from Ireland, I’m half Irish so we’ve got that shit in our blood already! I’m glad to be on the Infrasonics squad, they’re all absolute badmen producers, Spatial, xxxy, Hot City, Ike Release… I’m glad my first release is with this lot. On my side of the 12”, ‘If You Want’ is one for the clubs and ‘Balloon’ is on a bit of a more upbeat wonky-synth tip.

What other projects have you got in the pipeline? What’s happening with you in the rest of 2010? Gigs, releases, personal growth etc?

Next thing I’ve got coming out is a 4 track EP on Fortified Audio, expect to see that emerging in the following months. I’m looking to start playing gigs when I can, so hopefully I’ll get on that soon. 



Any words of wisdom for our readers?

If in doubt, smash their face in.

::

DOWNLOAD: Jamie Grind – Sonic Router Mix



Tracklist:

George Fitzgerald - Fernweh
Ramadanman - Glut
Hot City - Another Girl
Dubbel Dutch - Throwback
Sony - Sugar Rush
Terror Danjah - Code Morse
Guido - Mad Sax
Ike Release - I'm Gone
Todd Edwards - Who You Are (Salvador Edit Remix)
Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers (Sunship Edit)
Jamie Grind - Bad Attitude (And You Know It)
Shortstuff - Tripped Up
Jamie Grind - Footwork
VVV - Back To Life
DJ Rashad - In Da Club Before Eleven O' Clock
Nastee Boi Feat. E Man - Mussy Mad (Witty Boy Remix)
Blawan - Fram
Spatial - 100402
Jamie Grind & Hackman - Saw The Light
Mista Men - Automatic Groove
Jammer - Champz And Weed (Ft. Diesal, C. Gritz & Blacks)
TRG - Broken Heart (Martyn's DCM Remix)

Infra12003 featuring Jamie’s ‘I Want You’ & ‘Balloon’ is in all decent retailers now. Its backed with two tracks, ‘Chaka Mad’ and ‘Riddance’ from Gon.

Link:
www.myspace.com/undiscloseduk
http://infrasonics.net
http://infrasonics.net/dubs/infra12003