RECOMMENDED: XI – Gamma Rain/Medicate [Orca]

We’ve been down with XI for some time over here at SR. The producer from Toronto last year released music under the two lettered moniker on Immerse, Surefire Sound, Formant and Surface Tension as well as commemorating the very first plate for Orca Recordings – on which he returns for this, the label’s first release of 2011. Also working under the Ultragamma guise on some more contorted pseudo hip hop/electronic stuff it’s been his heavier handed tracks like ‘Ghost’ and ‘Slippin’ that have had the most impact up until this point, but here he takes a slightly more colourful side-step with the two cuts on offer. In some ways it’s a natural follow up to Orca’s last outing, the fantastic ‘Phoenix’ by Hyetal, but hands down this is XI at his most supple and funky.

Sitting somewhere in the micro-bubble that connects the dots between the shiny boogie friendly house of recent Night Slugs outings from the likes of Jacques Greene and Optimum, the aforementioned Hyetal and the flexible Sepalcure on Hotflush, ‘Gamma Rain’ hides a whole heap of brooding melancholy funk thats brought on by shimmering synths and expertly cut up jazz loops. Paired up with some seriously flexible wood carved garage beats this one really hits home hard – a low key anthem in the making. Then we get ‘Medicate’, which doesn’t quite hit those highs moving instead in deeper more spacious circles it’s got a subtle vibe to it but harbours plenty of weight. The colour and personality running through it sounds like the soundtrack to orbiting the earth in the Mir space station while playing zero-g pong.

Highly addictive.

Words: James Balf
Out: 31st January 2011

XI – Gamma Rain [Orca]	XI – Medicate [Orca]

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XI was also named one to watch for this year earlier this week by FACT. Check his minimix and interview here:



Tracklist:

XI – Medicate
XI – Nitelite
XI – Gunnery V
XI – ArmourHP
XI – Virtualayz

Link:
www.myspace.com/xidubs

RECOMMENDED: Hyetal - Like Silver/Phoenix [Orca Recordings]

Hyetal has remained one of Bristol’s most underrated – or at least underexposed – producers. While many from the city’s sizeable musical community have been making real waves over the last couple of years, with highly acclaimed singles and albums from the likes of Peverelist, Guido and Joker gaining attention among a wider audience, his music has tended to remain steadfastly below the radar. Which is perhaps a little surprising, given that it’s among the most richly melodic, thoughtful and downright soulful dance music currently being made. ‘The Last Time We Spoke’ was among my favourite releases of last year, and the hip-hop infused ‘Pixel Rainbow Sequence’ is a more than worthy match of anything the purple trio have yet committed to tape.

Hopefully his latest release should launch his star that little bit higher. It’s commonplace for bloggers to rant about everything coming out of the post-dubstep milieu as ‘next level’, but there really has been very little released recently with anywhere near the flair for melodic invention Hyetal displays on this EP for Snugfelix’s Orca Recordings. It’s the same tricksy, simple-yet-effective grasp of dynamics and musicality he brought to the tracks on his excellent collaborative twelve with Shortstuff – unashamedly larger-than-life, both sonically and emotionally, but never overblown. ‘Like Silver’ thrives off the same frosty calm as ‘We Should Light A Fire’, building from drifting pads into a driving, Hotflush-esque house/garage hybrid, avoiding the thrill of an explosive climax for something less tangible and far more beautiful.

That said, if ‘Like Silver’ is a lit touchpaper slowly consumed by its own flames, ‘Phoenix’ is the resulting atomic explosion, a rebirth that bursts into shards of a thousand colours. In the mix it dwarfs everything else around it, like lying on the ground staring at the millions of stars in space, and it’s certainly the finest thing he’s ever put his name to. Have the rewind ready for this one, because it bears repeating. A lot.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Shortly

Links:
www.myspace.com/hyetalmusic
www.myspace.com/orcarecordings