DOWNLOAD: Boddika - Warehouse

Hotflush are giving away a track taken from their forthcoming Back & 4th compilation; a 20 track, 2CD compilation of old and new material, chronicalling the rise of the label on one CD whilst looking to the future with the other. Back & 4th includes exclusive tracks by people like Sepalcure, FaltyDL, Boxcutter, Sigha, Roska and more and its released on 4th April.

The track in question is by Boddika, and its called 'Warehouse.' Boddika of course is the solo alias of Al Bleek, one half of the Instra:mental duo, co-owner of Non Plus+ and one of the most prominent producers over the first few months of 2011. Hitting a raw electro style square on the head the Boddika releases on [nakedlunch] and Swamp 81 are hard, and consistently playable, a trait they share with this track.

DOWNLOAD: Boddika - Warehouse

NEWSFLASH: Sonic Router x Bleep.com Podcast #003

The 3rd in the line of Sonic Router podcasts for Bleep.com went live yesterday...

Featuring our look back at the past month of releases it includes work from Pearson Sound, Scuba (and a troupe of remixers including FaltyDL and Joe), Joker, Mosca, Lukid, A Made Up Sound and so much more.

DOWNLOAD: Sonic Router x Bleep.com Podcast #003
SUBSCRIBE: Bleep.com Podcast

Tracklist:

1. Mosca - Tilt Shift [Fat City]
2. Leatherette - Ashtro [Ho Tep]
3. Nosaj Thing - Quest (Low Limit Remix) [Alpha Pup]
4. Shigeto - Escape From The Incubator [Ghostly International]
5. Lukid - Rags [Werk Discs]
6. Games - Shadows In Bloom [Hippos In Tanks]
7. Computer Jay - Phantom [All City]
8. Airhead - Paper Street [Brainmath]
9. Seams - Nachtmusik [Pictures]
10. Terror Danjah - Bruzin VIP [Hyperdub]
11. Joker - Holly Brook Park [Kapsize/Punch Drunk]
12. Pearson Sound - Blue Eyes [Hessle Audio]
13. Hypno - Sunkin [Ramp Recordings]
14. Scuba - On Deck (FaltyDL Remix) [Hotflush]
15. C.R.S.T. - Roulette [Ten Thousand Yen]
16. A Made Up Sound - Rear Window [Delsin]
17. DJ Dom - Computer Love [PTN]
18. Lone - Let The Music Play [Hoya Hoya]
19. Funkystepz - Malibu [Forever Live Young]
20. SCB - Hard Boiled VIP [Hotflush]
21. Scuba - So You Think You're Special (Joe Remix) [Hotflush]

Links:
http://bleep.com

INTERVIEW: Sigha [Hotflush]

It’s been pretty hard to ignore the massive expansion in column inches given to the Hotflush label in the last year or so, and certainly since a certain ‘Hyph Mngo’ burst onto the scene. But beyond the obvious big hitters like label boss Scuba, Joy Orbison or Mount Kimbie, the imprint’s success certainly seems to have allowed Paul Rose to branch out further with the artists and sounds he’s supporting. This year, that’s taken the form of a host of special one-offs (tracks like Ation’s wonderful ‘Lover’s Dub’, which crept out with next to no fanfare), but it’s also been seen in the continued output of some of the label’s longer running, but less well-known, artists.

Since the release of his first twelve for the label, ‘Bruised’ b/w ‘Expansions’, in January 2009, James Sigha has been one of its quietest but most prolific sons, putting out three further releases on the Hotflush Two subsidiary since. His latest, the Shake EP, pulls together a typically varied collection of music – the title track is all monochrome, slow and ocean-deep, but ‘Shapes’ is pacier, clocking in somewhere close to that hallowed region where dubstep reaches techno. Its ascetic nature and lack of obvious melodic development has tended to ensure that’s exactly where Sigha’s music tends to be categorised, but over the last year or so it’s felt as though he has finally begun to shed its London exterior to reveal a rapidly pulsing Berlin heart.

They’re certainly a far cry from anything as obvious as build-drop dynamics or catchy vocal hooks, but the four releases he’s clocked up so far have been hypnotically addictive. We caught up with James to find out a little more about how things have been going, and why Sonic Youth still inspire him as much as Marcel Dettmann does.

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

Sigha: I write music and DJ predominantly under the name Sigha. I’m lucky enough to be part of the Hotflush family, and my last EP dropped on Hotflush Two at the end of May.

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

I don’t really do much outside music to be honest. I still work one day a week, but even that’s in a record shop (London's BM Soho), so it’s literally permeated everything I seem to do. I’m starting to paint to give myself some headspace from it really - its good to be passionate, but to escape sometimes would make me a happier person I think.

An average day for me is waking up mid morning, checking my emails in bed, drinking A LOT of coffee and then heading downstairs into the studio. If things are going well in there, that’s where I’ll stay for the majority of the day. If not, I might head out to a gallery, watch a film, read a book, just try and pick up some inspiration really.

You’ve said before that you originally started off playing in bands. What changed your perspective and led to you start making dance music?

I generally don’t find working with other people very easy. The collaboration process itself can be great, especially if you’re writing with a friend, but I think that often the end product is watered down in terms of the original concept, and keeping that pure is something that’s very important to me. When I first started experimenting with electronic music, I was really inspired by the fact that it was just me and a computer, there was no one there to tell me this wouldn’t work, or if I did that it would sound bad. That was really key in shifting my emphasis towards dance music. I could write a whole track by myself, and so was totally free to be as self-indulgent as I liked. At the same time I was going to a lot of warehouse parties at the weekends, and I was hearing sounds I’d never heard before, or at least not in that context. All this came together at the right time and I just fell in love with it as a way of making music.

How did your experience in bands translate across into electronic music? Do you enjoy the difference in process between playing in a band and making music by yourself?

Um, it’s really different. I don’t have to run my ideas past anyone else first, which like I say is a major plus. It’s probably given me an insight into music, both the creative process and sound itself, which I probably wouldn’t have had if I’d started out writing electronica/dance music. I’m fairly solitary, so over all it suits me well.

I do really miss playing live with other people though, the connection you get when you’re jamming and it’s going well is incredible. I miss that a lot. At some point soon I really want to work on a live project.

Do you think that your music as Sigha still takes influence or inspiration from the non-electronic stuff you listen to?

I think so - more obviously in terms of what drives me creatively though, rather than the sound pallet. I listen to bands like My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division and Sonic Youth on a daily basis, more so than any single electronic artist probably. I’m sitting in my kitchen listening to Sonic Youth's 'Daydream Nation' right now. There’s so much raw energy and power, combined with moments of really intense beauty, in what they have done over the years. If I can translate even a small amount of that into what I’m trying to do I’ll be really happy.

What’s your production set-up like?

That would be telling! But it’s nothing too exciting I promise. I’m a big believer in the idea that 'its not what you use, its what you do with it.' I suppose given that I should have no problems revealing all, but I reckon a little bit of mystery is good.

“for me the best music seems to do nothing at all, but somehow manages to hold your attention for its duration.”

There’s a lot of Berlin in your music, but there’s also a lot of London in there. How have the sounds of those two cities inspired your music?

I’ve lived in London all my life, so part of that is always going to be lurking in what I do somewhere. It’s got a great history for music and is a real melting pot of different sounds, so it’s been really inspiring growing up here musically. I think though that I’ve become a little numb to it, just through over familiarity... It’s easy to take what you’ve got for granted. In terms of electronic music, drum ‘n’ bass, garage and dubstep are sounds that run deep here, and they've definitely moved me.

Having said all that, I feel more at home musically in Berlin these days. There’s an amazing creative vibe in the city that’s incredibly inspiring. I suppose it’s because the cheap cost of living has encouraged a kind of artist migration over there. So much great music has come out of that city over the years, and the place itself is magic. East Berlin feels like it’s in this state of slow dilapidation, there’s a sense that everything is decaying which is very beautiful to me.

Marcel Dettmann’s just remixed one of your tracks, and there’s obviously some influence from the Berghain school of techno in your sound. I presume you’ve been to the Berghain - did the club itself and hearing techno in that kind of environment change your perspective on your music?

Berghain seems to be at the center of this revival in techno at the moment. It’s brought together some very talented likeminded artists and DJs, which has been really important to give people a focal point I think. Before I’d even been to Berghain, I already had a very strong impression of what it was and what it would be like inside. They've created a really powerful brand with the club, which is definitely helped by the no photos rule and strict door policy. Everything about it seems to go hand-in-hand with the music it represents, which only serves to heighten the experience for a techno lover. I don’t think there’s another club in the world you can get quite so lost in both figuratively and literally. I was listening to, playing and writing techno before I visited the club, but hearing Dettmann play for four hours at eight in the morning was a real eye opener for me. Obviously his sets are legendary, but it was the crowd that really blew me away. The place was packed and full of energy on Sunday lunchtime - that isn’t something you can find in the UK week-in-week-out. That really made me think, ‘I’m in the wrong city’.

Your sound is really stripped back and lean, with little in the way of obvious melodic development. Is that a style you specifically aim for, or is it just the way it seems to come out?

I’m not a big fan of anything too obvious in music. I try to create soundscapes that are really immersive and that the listener can really get lost in. For me, when I write and listen, music is about introspection, and big melodies always seem to get in the way of that. Development of a track in general is something I’m really particular about - for me the best music seems to do nothing at all, but somehow manages to hold your attention for its duration. I suppose that’s what I’m aiming for. There is something in UK bass-oriented club music that is very extrovert, from the way the tracks are constructed, with huge emphasis on the impact of the drop, to the individual sounds used. I’m fairly introverted and have always like my music 'eyes down' so to speak, so that comes out in my own tracks I guess.

Your tracks, especially the slower ones like ‘Rawww’ and ‘Shake’, have that weird ability techno has to put people into a trancelike, dreamlike state. Is conveying that sort of mood something you consciously work towards?

Music is a really powerful thing. I just mentioned the UK’s obsession with impact, and that in itself can deliver a huge buzz when it’s done right. But personally I love the otherworldly feeling that good techno or house can bring. Repetitive rhythms actually cause your brain to produce serotonin - and what’s more repetitive than a four-four beat, right? To immerse yourself completely in the music and the feeling of hundreds of people around you sharing this experience is truly amazing. So yes, after all that, it’s definitely something I bear in mind while writing. Maybe it’s the most important thing, in fact.



You obviously have a connection with dubstep and garage, especially in your earlier Hotflush releases, but recently the techno and house influences in your sound seem to have moved further to the fore. Has that been an intentional shift?

Since my first release with Hotflush I think that it’s been a really natural move from one side of the dubstep/techno divide to the other for me. ‘Bruised’, for instance, was totally influenced by a Dettmann track specifically that I was playing again and again at the time. I couldn’t find anything that was 'dubstep' but had that same vibe, so I tried to write what I was looking for. People seemed to pick up on those influences and noticed the Berlin references in the track. Now with tunes like ‘Rawww’ and ‘Shake’ the tempos dropped, and they are both out-and-out techno tracks, but people have pointed out UK dubstep and garage influences throughout both of those tunes.

I think I’ll always have that connection to dubstep and garage in my sound - as I mentioned earlier, living in London it’s hard not to - but Sigha has grown very organically into a techno project. To start writing dubstep (whatever that is now) or garage would feel like a step back rather than forward. That’s not taking anything away from either of these styles at all, I mean in terms of my own personal development. I’m still writing dubstep under a different alias, and I’m going to be pushing that more over the next twelve months.

What are you listening to/watching/reading/etc at the moment that’s really inspiring you?

I’ve been reading a lot of Ernest Hemingway and Christopher Isherwood recently. They both have a beautifully simple and engaging style of writing. I’m a massive fan of sci-fi, Philip K Dick particularly. 'Valis' is one of my favourite books of all time. I’ve just re-read Ian Bank's 'The Wasp Factory' as well. I think in terms of books, film, art etc, I like things that make me think differently.

I’ve become a bit obsessed with watching physics documentaries right now. I’ve always been awful at science, and have no idea what they are talking about; but that’s what I love about it, that sense that there are these huge fundamentals that are just out of my reach. It’s a feeling that’s really hard to put into words, but that is what inspires me more than anything.

Your music’s got quite a cinematic feel – are you influenced by films at all?

Totally, films like Solaris or The Fountain, that again seem to suggest something intangible just out of sight, or are really, really depressing, haha. Something like Requiem for a Dream for instance - it’s so dark and bleak, but intensely beautiful as well. I don’t know where I’m getting that sense of beauty from, everyone I’ve spoken to about this seems to think I’m nuts, but to me it’s a heart-wrenchingly beautiful film.

More so than most other labels, Scuba seems to have pulled together an incredibly diverse but very like-minded set of musicians on Hotflush. When I spoke to Dom Kimbie about it the other week he described it as being more of a movement than a label. It must be inspiring to be a part of such an exciting musical community?

Yeah, I think he’s hit the nail on the head there really. It’s a really great thing to be a part of, I feel very lucky and proud, but it can feel pretty intimidating too! Mount Kimbie, those guys are so talented it’s crazy. To be on a roster alongside guys like that, Scuba, Joy Orbison, it’s pretty intense. I feel really lucky that Paul’s got such an open mind too. You mentioned earlier how my sound has developed over the last year and a half - I doubt that I would have had the scope to push out in the direction I wanted to on many other labels. He’s built a great thing in the label, and I feel blessed to be a small part of it!

What projects have you got in the pipeline for the future? Any imminent things coming up?

The main project I’m working on right now is the launch of my own label, 'Our Circula Sound.' The first release will be out in August, with a Dettmann remix of my own 'Early Morning Lights' and a new track by myself called 'Over The Edge' on the flip. The site is still in development but should be up soon, so keep checking www.ourcirculasound.com if you’re interested. I’ve got some big things planned for the imprint, so watch this space basically!

Apart from that I’ve just finished a remix for Commix's Re:Call To Mind LP on Metalheadz, and am working on more for Kevin Gorman’s Microwave label and Echochord. I’m starting to think about a larger scale Sigha project as well, and planning the next few 12”s.

Keeping busy, basically…



Any words of wisdom for our readers?

Stay true to yourself, Do what makes you happy. And buy my music.

::

Words: Rory Gibb

Sigha Links:
Myspace // Facebook // Soundcloud
www.ourcirculasound.com

VIDEO: Scuba on Intruders TV

Link:
www.myspace.com/paulhotflush
www.myspace.com/hotflushuk

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

RECOMMENDED: George Fizgerald - The Let Down EP [Hotflush Two]

Over the last couple of years Hotflush’s little sister imprint Hotflush Two has been responsible for some of that community’s deeper and more experimental cuts. Sigha’s first two EPs operated with a defiantly minimalist agenda, and Pangaea’s jazzy ‘Mosaix’ is among the most opaque things he’s yet committed to tape, all tightly syncopated upright bass and mournful Berlin shimmer. But then again, it’s also home to Joy Orbison's 'Hyph Mngo’, so it’s hardly as if it’s totally neglected populism in favour of stranger treats. George Fitzgerald’s debut EP finds itself somewhere between those two poles; the humid synths of ‘The Let Down’ easily match that track’s dancefloor heft, but flipside ‘Weakness’ proves to be something else entirely.

It’s probably worth getting it out of the way early: Joy Orbison comparisons are going to flow thick and fast from many quarters keen to write Fitzgerald off as some kind of copyist. And the similarity is undoubtedly there - you’d have to have lived under a rock for the last eighteen months or so to miss it – but anything deeper than a cursory listen should suffice to highlight their differences in approach. It’s largely down to structure; both tracks on this EP show a more obvious garage influence, and Fitzgerald certainly knows his way around a bassline. Both these two tracks and others doing the rounds currently like ‘Don’t You’, are driven by huge, sinewy pulses of sub that solemnly refuse to engage with any other element of the music. Instead they brood darkly in the background like unshakeable monoliths, while at the top end diffuse strands of melody curl around two-step percussion.

Fantastic though the title track certainly is, B-side ‘Weakness’ is where the real heat’s at. Here Fitzgerald shows off in understated monochrome, crafting a roller that manages to strike a delicate balance between euphoria and crippling sadness. It shifts back and forth like mercury that’s escaped from a shattered thermometer, with a central melody so thin and evasive that each time you attempt to get a grasp it slips away like secondhand smoke. It’s certainly the equal of anything Orbison’s yet put out, and I’d argue that its subtler approach makes The Let Down an even more accomplished debut EP than 'Hyph Mngo' was last year.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/georgefitzgeraldmusic

RECOMMENDED: Sepalcure - Love Pressure EP [Hotflush]

Sepalcure’s Love Pressure EP serves as yet another reminder of how easy it’s been to love Scuba’s label over the last couple of years; as much as he’s managed to unearth some wonderfully obscure talents, it proves even more impressive that each seems to slot perfectly into the label’s wider aesthetic. I don’t think I’ve heard a Hotflush release recently that sounded like anything other than a Hotflush release; the fractured techno of Sigha’s recent Shake EP is as attuned to the whole as Mount Kimbie’s Crooks & Lovers album or Ramadanman and dBridge’s recent Autonomic-styled forays. Sepalcure are another weapon in their already sizeable arsenal.

The Brooklyn-borne Love Pressure EP is apparently the result of a ‘cathartic two week collaboration’ between Praveen and Machinedrum, and its swift gestation shows. All four tracks could almost have been recorded live, were it not for the delicate sample work throughout. Sepalcure’s music is coated in a thin haze of vinyl crackle, lending it a spontaneous, bedroom session feel far removed from the glossy sheen favoured by more dancefloor oriented producers. Which isn’t to say these tracks aren’t danceable – second track and EP highlight ‘Down’ is fiendishly so – but more that they reveal far more with careful inspection.

There’s a nervy, wide-awake feel to everything on here that seems to work in total opposition to the music’s ethereal fuzz. It’s akin to a sensation of chemically induced wakefulness at a time when you really ought to be asleep; elements emerge in turn before sinking again into the background as the attention moves elsewhere. Those focal points tend to be the vocal snippets that punctuate each track, which brim with crisp vitality and set up a delicious tension against their lo-fi backing. That conflict ramps up the energy quotient considerably, especially on the EP’s second side with the slower ‘Every Day Of My Life’ and the shimmering synthplay of ‘The Warning’. Once it ends, it’s almost impossible not to flip the record and start again.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/sepalcure

DOWNLOAD: Shortstuff - Hotflush Podcast

Mr. Shortstuff emerges from the cold static of his recent radio silence with the latest edition of the Hotflush podcast. News of forthcoming projects from him should surface shortly but for now get this on the DL and keep an eye out for Martin Kemp's next 12" - 'Fix' b/w 'Wot U Got' - dropping soon on Shortuff's co-run Blunted Robots imprint... 'sabiggun.

DOWNLOAD: Shortstuff - Hotflush Podcast

No tracklist given, sucker.

Link:
www.myspace.com/djshortstuff
http://bluntedrobots.com

RECOMMENDED: Sigha - Shake EP [Hotflush Two]

The downside of being part of a label with such a strong community of big hitters (Scuba, Joy Orbison, Mount Kimbie, bits from Ramadanman and Pangaea) is that there’s always the risk of vanishing into the gaps between major releases. London producer Sigha is among Hotflush’s more mercurial talents, shifting on a whim between slo-mo house and techno, rigid two-step and minimalist dubstep(ish) transmissions, without ever fully locking to any of them. Perhaps for this reason his releases always seem to be slightly overlooked: his tracks are too broken and awkward for true techno, not weighty enough for dubstep per se and lacking the obviously soulful edge you’d expect of garage.

But then that’s kinda the beauty of his music – shorn of any obvious genre affiliations, Sigha productions are free to drift in whatever direction the whim takes them. If there’s a shared trait to everything he’s put out, it’s an ultra stripped-back, Berlin-schooled approach that reduces melody to swathes of gaseous static that weave around deceptively complex beats. Last year’s Rawww EP was an underrated gem, the title track’s obvious Basic Channel-isms offset by the ghostly London-centred sounds of ‘Hold Your Heart Up To The Light’, and his new Shake EP – his fourth for the Hotflush Two imprint – sees him further exploring the same hazily drawn lines. The range of ideas on here once again put paid to any notion of an easily categorisable Sigha ‘sound’, but also consolidates his previous work into three tracks that showcase the different sides of his music. More so than any of his other releases, they’re also quite strikingly pretty, the lack of obvious melodic development more than made up for by the sheer weight of detail packed into each.

There always seems to be something extra going on in each of these three tracks. Closing ambient piece ‘Light Swells (In A Distant Space)’ is lit up by tiny arcs of electricity that flicker almost out of earshot, like catching a glimpse of something out of the corner of your eye. As the furthest departure he’s taken from dance music it’s a success, its structure made up of dense layers of cloud that press against one another to generate moments of dissonance and clarity. Lead track ‘Shake’ is far tougher and more muscular than anything he’s done before, moving away from the implied momentum of a track like ‘Bruised’ into a pounding slab of house, but ‘Shapes’ is the most interesting on here. Operating at around 136 bpm, it chucks the kitchen sink at a loosely techno-tinged beat, sending abstract percussive hits and clicks rattling around dark pulses of sub. It’s a proper eyes-down dancefloor beast, and despite the absence of anything resembling a hook manages to remain far more than simply a DJ tool.

Interesting developments as ever from the Sigha camp then. It’ll be intriguing to see where he heads next.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now

Link:
www.myspace.com/sigha

VIDEO: Emika - Double Edge (Pinch Remix)

Ninja Tune artist Emika continues her penchant for roping in dubstep remixes with Tectonic boss Pinch taking up the mantle, after Scuba did before him.

Results below... You can check Emika's orginal here. Its out 10th May.



Link:
www.myspace.com/tectonicrecordings
www.ninjatune.net

DOWNLOAD: Sonic Router Radio: Session 008

Made after a plague of delays, silent bus journeys and forced walks home, Sonic Router Radio turns 8 editions old in style with another selection of hardrive heet.

This episode should soon come to mixcloud.com too.

DOWNLOAD: Sonic Router Radio: Session 008

Tracklist:

mlr – Exit 7 [CDR]
devonwho – Braketime (Shlohmo’s Reiteration) [Klipmode]
Free The Robots – Turbulence [Alphapup]
Hovatron – Let’s Get Wet [Lo Fi Funk]
Tranqill – Chips & Cheese [One Handed Music]
Teebs & Jackhigh – Tropics [Svetlana Industries]
Mesak – Omega Jam [Harmoenia]
AD Bourke – Hair Gel [Citinite]
Rudi Zygadlo – Resealable Friendship (Slugabed Remix) [Planet Mu]
Shola Ama – Imagine (Boss Kite Remix) [CDR]
SBTRKT - Pause For Thought [forthcoming Brainmath]
Scuba – You Got Me [forthcoming Hotflush]
Eleven Tigers – Stood Up [Wigflex/Soul Motive]
Clouds – Protecting Hands (Geiomix) [Deep Medi]
Kontext – Clinch [forthcoming Immerse]
El Rakkas – I & I (XI Remix) [LoDubs]
Starkey ft. P.Money – Numb [forthcoming Planet Mu]
Kyle Hall - Kaychunk [Hyperdub]

VIDEO: Scuba - Before

Taken from his forthcoming 'Triangulation' album, Scuba aka Paul Rose - bossman of the Hotflush empire - has just premiered the video for album track 'Before' over on FACT. So like the attention hungry blog mongrel we figure we are, we are re-posting this exploration of light manipulation for your eye holes here.

'Triangulation' really is rather damn good and 'Before' is a deft example of Scuba working at a more half time drum & bass tempo employing found textures and vocals to great effect...

The full length album is due to drop on Hotflush later this month.

Link:
www.myspace.com/paulhotflush

DOWNLOAD: October - Hotflush Podcast

Throwing an aural curveball into your iTunes subscription, Caravan Records boss man, October, has put together the latest in Hotflush's podcast series; but contrary to the run of upfront mixes from people like Sigha, Skipple and Hotflush honcho Scuba, October selects from the finest grunge and sleezey rock bands giving us an insight into his love for Killing Joke, The Butthole Surfers and The Jesus Lizard.



DOWNLOAD: October - Hotflush Podcast

Tracklist:

1. (Intro) Audionaut -'Sea & Sky Part 2 (Caravan)
2. Neu! - 'Hallogallo' (Gronland)
3. Wooden Shjips - 'Contact' (Disco Frisco)
4. Johnny Richmond & The Modern Lovers - 'She's Cracked'
5. Killing Joke - 'Change' (Virgin)
6. DAF - 'Der Musollini (Mute)
7. Adriana Sings 'Me and my rhythm box' (Liquid Sky OST)
8. Big Black - 'The Model' (Touch & Go)
9. Tri-Pod Jimmie - 'Autumn Leaves' (DCG)
10. Butthole Surfers - '22 Going On 23' (Touch & Go)
11. The Jesus Lizard - 'Happy Bunny Goes Fluff-Fluff Along' (Touch & Go)
12. Earth 2 - 'The Gold and the Feaceted' (Sub Pop)
13. Sonic Youth - 'The Burning Spear' (SST)
14. PIL - 'Theme' (Virgin)
15. Killdozer - 'Hush' (Touch & Go)
16. Sleep - 'Dragonaut' (Earache Records)
17. Melvins - 'It's Shoved' (Boner Records)
18. Scratch Acid - 'Greatest Gift' (Touch & Go)
19. The Heroine Sheiks - 'Grab The Wheel' (Rubric Records)
20. Babes In Toyland - 'Bluebell' (Reprise Records)
21. Cows - 'Heave Ho' (Amphetamine Reptile)
22. Rapeman - 'Trowser Minnow' (Touch & Go)
23. Meat Puppets - 'Up On The Sun' (SST Ryko Issue)
24. Foreign Bodies -'The Incredible Truth' (Amphetamine Reptile)
25. Nirvana - 'Beans' (Geffen)
26. (Outro) Audionaut - 'Sea & Sky' (Caravan)

Look out for October's latest single 'Flat Top Muscle' b/w 'Memory Man' dropping sometime in March on Caravan; its a glorious example of his micro-produced techno brilliance. 'Memory Man' is just retarded good...

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/djoctober

PRE-ORDER: XI - Light FM/Glass [Formant] & 000/Slippin’ [Immerse]

If there’s a problem inherent in any producer attempting to pull off a variety of different moods, it’s the danger of watering down through lack of focus. With the release of his latest two 12”s, Toronto native XI neatly manages to sidestep any such issues, marking himself out as impressively eclectic in style. Across two plates for Formant and Immerse, his music flits as though weightless between icy broken beat, two-step and austere techno, leaving a frosty tundra landscape punctuated by sudden shards of warmth and emotion. It’s appropriately chill for its Canadian origins.

Of the two 12”s, the Formant release is warmer in tone. The wispy drama and skittery percussion of ‘Glass’ recall the more abstract moments of 2562’s ‘Unbalance’ album, and ‘Light FM’ sends glacial chimes rippling through an ascend-descend bass melody that never really takes any drastically different trajectory - instead exploring every permutation before dissipating. Appropriate to the label’s output, which tends towards dark, percussive minimalism, his Immerse 12” further relegates melody to a supporting role, barely making an appearance at all in the sub, voice and drum battle of ‘000.’ 'Slippin' on the flip is another slice of particularly delectable ghostly garage, joining the ranks of an ever-swelling sub-genre that manages to encompass (amongst others) Burial, recent work by Instra:mental and Scuba, and Clubroot’s aquatic ambience. It’s also probably the best – and most dancefloor-ready - of the four tracks here, underpinned by razor-sharp, hard-panned hi-hats and a techy two-step flex.

Regardless of their relative energy levels, the common trait running through all four tracks is a deliciously palpable tension between XI’s complex, spiraling drum patterns and their backdrop of swelling, oceanic ambience – leaving his music suspended in some tranquil vacuum between waking and dream. The overall effect is oddly disconcerting, neither entirely dance-immediate nor calm enough for comfortable headphone listens, but all the better for it.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Shortly/Soon

Link:
www.myspace.com/xidubs

READ: Sonic Router on URB.com

In addition to the monthly column on The Quietus you'll now be able to catch Sonic Router writing on URB.com too.

Between you and I the SRQ series will now focus on interviews and profile pieces whereas the URB column will centre around upcoming releases. With that said...

READ: Sonic Router on URB.com

PRE-ORDER: Sigha - Rawww EP [Hotflush Two]

On the evidence of his latest plate for Paul Rose’s Hotflush imprint, and recent collaborative effort with Spherix, Sigha is fast becoming London’s answer to dub-techno pioneers Basic Channel. Like Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus, he seems to revel in creating wide-open spaces within his tracks that allow each individual element to breathe independently of the whole. The result is to draw emphasis to every minute change in rhythm or melody, creating a sense of hypnotic ease that ensures each track feels far longer than its actual runtime, yet never overstays its welcome.

The title track of his ‘Rawww EP’ is a case in point: with its graceful pivots and static-drenched motion, it could have been a component of Maurizio’s M-Series, a single monochrome melody line remaining constant as the rest of the track disassembles and recreates itself over ten long minutes. It couldn’t be more ‘Berlin’ if it tried – but that fact has no bearing whatsoever on its ethereal beauty, capturing in its all-encompassing synth wash and metronomic pulse a slow and considered journey down the autobahn.

On the flipside, ‘Hold Your Heart Up To The Light’ betrays Sigha’s London roots more explicitly, driven by the slightest memory of a garage beat and echoes of syncopation buried deep in the mix. It’s essentially a mood piece – something he does well; none of the tracks on ‘Rawww’ are overtly aimed for the dancefloor, instead choosing to stand alone as microcosms of London bass music’s potential for unlocking odd feelings of nostalgia and melancholy. ‘Untitled 2’ moves further back towards techno territory, awash in delay and coated in a fine film of vinyl crackle that clings whispily to the beat before being swept away in sudden gale force currents.

Sigha’s work on ‘Rawww’ is certainly not the sort of material aimed squarely at bass connoisseurs – in fact, there is nary a rumble of percussive sub-bass throughout. Instead, its presence is used to mark out a region for the track to operate within. The results, whilst minimal and firmly head-oriented, are well worthy of investigation and careful absorption.

Words: Rory Gibb
Out: Now



Link:
www.myspace.com/sigha

DOWNLOAD: Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets [Pariah Remix]

I wanted to make some joke about that ODB lyric in his ill fated Mariah Carey collaboration where he went like "Me and Mariah, go back like babies with pacifiiiiiers/Old dirt dog no liiiiiiiar/Keep your fantasy hot like fiiiiire" when I downloaded this, but I've tried several times and failed on all of them.

But yeah, I've not heard of Ellie Goulding outside of some pictures my housemate might have showed me once (out to Skepple), but then I guess thats the main thinking behind how a remix works innit? Opening doors for scene purists to spill their guts about pop music on message boards across the internet.

Still, Pariah is the shit, literally, he's so money that he doesn't even know it. And this remix of a great example of why we'll be keeping a close eye on all things Arthur, that and his frankly astounding 'Detroit Falls' b/w 'Orpheus' release on R&S.

For your benefit I linked him AIM to chat about the remix:

Pariah: "I guess this remix was probably my first attempt at doing a more straight up 'dubstep' track. I had been listening to loads of Scuba before making it so I think that whole dub-techno vibe has leaked through onto this tune."

Sonic Router: Yeah... I guess you can hear it in the lead synth, all those imperfections and crackles...

"I was surprised by how this turned out... I was really struggling to do anything with the tune and I'd been trying loads of different tempos and that, but this is the one that seemed to suit it best and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out."

Yeah... so are we.

DOWNLOAD: Ellie Goulding - Under The Sheets [Pariah Remix]

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/pariahbeats

Photo courtesy of Google Images

PRE-ORDER: Scuba - Speak/Negative [Nakedlunch]

New 10" from the Hotflush Recordings bossman, Scuba, on [Nakedlunch]... dropping before the 'Aesaunic EP,' which is forthcoming on his own label.

Read the full review here: http://www.residentadvisor.net/review-view.aspx?id=6669

Link:
www.myspace.com/paulhotflush

DOWNLOAD: Oneman - Fall For Autumn 2009 Mix

We've wanted to feature Oneman for a while, what with his impeccable mixing, Ustream and Rinse.fm residencies and jovial banter making a sizeable impression on us.

As if by magic the man obliges...

DOWNLOAD: Oneman - Fall For Autumn 2009 Mix



Tracklist:

Vangelis - Love Theme
Fat Freddy's Drop - Cay's Crays [Digital Mystikz Remix]
Distance - Saints n Sinners
D1 - Joy
Pattie Blingh & The Akebluan 5 - Brother:The Point [2562 Remix]
Skream - Hitch
Scuba - Dream
Clouds - Protecting Hands pt. 1
Unknown - Alicia
D1 - I'm Loving
2000F & JKamata - You Don't Know What Love Is
Darkstar - Saytar
Zomby - Test Me For A Reason
Mala - Forgive

Link:
www.myspace.com/1mandj

INTERVIEW: DFRNT [Echodub/On The Edge]

Alex Cowles has an impressive DIY ethic. Producing deep, engulfing synthesized dubstep under the vowel less DFRNT moniker he’s on the eve of releasing his debut album, ‘Metafiction,’ a dual CD project that includes remixes from Scuba, DJ Madd and Ital Tek amongst others. But the Echodub label boss just doesn’t seem content with unleashing 18 tracks on the public, along with running the Sitting Ovation blog he’s also working on a broader magazine project whilst continuing to DJ, produce and hold down a day job.

We sent a mainline to the Scot whilst he was deep undercover in Bruges to press him on a few matters to accompany the exclusive mix he’s provided us.

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

DFRNT: year old producer from Scotland, who works as DFRNT, heads up the Echodub label/collective, manages a magazine called Modus, and writes the SittingOvation blog. I've been producing dubstep for a year or two now, although I've been listening for a few.

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

9 till 6 I'm a web designer, so that takes up the bulk of my day. I'm also doing one or two freelance projects in my spare time, although I've got to cut down on all that, to spend more time with my beautiful fiancee, and our new puppy. We've just bought a house, so I think that should help influence some new sounds and direction.

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

Well I used to play instruments as a child, and when I got a computer at home, I think it was the logical progression to see if I could use it as a tool. I was big in to the eJay programs. Dance eJay and suchlike, which helped me gain an understanding of the workings of a sequencer, as well as a bit of practice making songs with loop based software. From there it was a short jump to Sonic Foundry (now Sony's) Acid program, via a short-lived stint with FruityLoops.

I caught the mashups bug and did that for a while, but I never felt like I connected properly with the music, since I was already working with finished tracks. The original production followed that really. I felt with the original production I could really try and take it somewhere. Without the copyrighted material it felt like I could give it more value.

What aspects of dubstep connect with you, and similarly spur you on to continue producing?

It still amazes me today that everyone seems to know everyone else, from the smaller guys starting out, to the bigger producers. It's a bit trying to call it a very close community, but in some respects it feels like that. It's something of a musical movement which I feel like I can really be part of. I sometimes tell people that for me it's like what Punk or Rock & Roll was for my parents. Something new and exciting that they grew up with.

Production wise, I'm really inspired by a lot of the new talent that is emerging. These producers who can string something beautiful together seem to be popping up all over.

What’s your production set up like? Has it changed a lot since day dot?

I started with just a PC and headphones. I think I could still strip the setup back to that today and keep producing, although at the moment I'm working with a couple of studio monitors and a set of those lovely wee Korg Nano controllers hooked up. It's basic, and all my sound making material is software based, but it works for me, and it keeps things simple and clutter free.

What are the biggest influences on your music right now?

Aside from the new producers that are cropping up all over, I guess there are a few things. My move from the city out to a small coastal town is probably going to have a big effect on my music although I've yet to see that really develop. I still find influence in the bigger producers who are doing their thing; people like Breakage or Scuba. I'm also enjoying the Djing at the moment. It's giving me lots of ideas for tracks, and I feel like I'm working a little more towards tracks that I can play out in a club.



Your debut album ‘Metafiction’ is on its way, tell us about the inspiration behind it?

Well it started as just a collection of tracks I had that I felt were a new direction for my sound following the initial EP I put out on Insectmind. I didn't want to let them all go for free, and figured that actually I'd probably be able to put together an album with a few more.

I'd sent Z-Audio some Echodub tracks with a view to asking them to distribute our stuff for us, but Zac called me up and asked me what my own production plans were for the future. I explained about the album possibility, and they and he picked it up for release on his label On The Edge, so it's now grown from just a handful of tracks to a double-disc CD with 18 tracks and 5 remixes, as well as some vinyl releases to go with it.

You have some big name remixes on the second disc on the album how did they come about?

Well it was decided that some of the tracks on the album would probably not be ideal for vinyl, considering their lack of dancefloor sensibility, however with a couple of well placed remixes, there was the potential to get the tracks out to people going to the clubs, and so it was just a case of asking people if they were interested.

I decided to approach some producers who had influenced the original productions, so there was this nice full-circle thing going on, where they'd be remixing tracks that had been inspired by them in the first place. Indigo I was working with through Echodub, and Synkro was connected to him, and to On The Edge already, and then it was just a case of taking a chance on the likes of Scuba, Ital Tek and Quantec. Luckily they all liked the album and agreed to do a remix. To be honest it's still not really hit home how lucky I've been with the remixers. It's a real honour to have them onboard.

Tell us about your label Echodub, how did it come about and what projects are currently under way?

Well I think it started much the same way as allot of labels – just a way to put out my own tracks. I thought I could handle it myself, and that way I could keep control of the music, the artwork, the promotion and resulting profits. From there I figured if I could do it for myself, then maybe I could do it for other people, so I approached a handful of producers who I really admired at the time, and asked them to come onboard. I treat it like a collective, so we have a set number of guys on the label and we all work together on things and I just stick to putting out their material, as opposed to releases from anyone. It's a different way of doing things, but I like the family aspect of it. I'd like to think that everyone involved feels like it's a stepping stone they can use to get their music further out there.

In terms of forthcomings, well we've got about 10 digital EP releases still to come through the usual channels, then we've launched Echodub Direct with a view to putting out free EPs. We're going to be stopping the digital EPs at number 20, and then moving on to vinyl releases, starting with a limited run that we're looking to do something unique with. We'll deal with sales and promo on that one ourselves, then get going with some regular EPs on wax. I'm planning more free compilations/albums too.


The two free compilations you’ve put out ‘Anechoic Chamber’ and the latest one ‘Echodub Loves Vol.01’ are very good indeed what’s the thinking behind these?

Well 'Anechoic Chamber' was a free album to promote the label and our producers. It was a “here's what we can do” type of thing, and we pushed it far and wide to really get the name out. We're looking to complete a “remixed” version of that album for release this Christmas.

'Echodub Loves Volume 01' is something a bit different, where I asked all the producers in the collective what new producers that they were feeling at the moment, and we made a list. I then approached them all for a single track to put on the compilation. Since there were so many we were enjoying, I decided to split it in to volumes and I've since been thinking that there's a potential to make it a series going forward. Perhaps bi-annually showcasing new talent, while also helping to put Echodub on the map for the styles involved.

You also run Modus Magazine and SittingOvation, tell us a bit about those projects?

Well SittingOvation was started in a similar vein to Echodub. I'd spend a while trawling the dubs section on Dubstepforum, and would get annoyed when someone producing something that I felt was beautiful didn't get much in the way of praise, or often overlooked entirely. So from that notion, SittingOvation was born to help raise awareness of producers that I rate. I've developed it to cover dubstep and dub-techno in a wider sense now, and as well as highlighting new artists, I'm trying to cover a bit more news and release info, although it can be a mission to keep it up to date in amongst other things.

I'm not quite sure where my desire to do Modus came from to be honest. I like the design aspect of the magazine work, and there didn't seem to be many print magazines covering dubstep that I was in to, so it was likely just a hole that I felt needed filling, so figured that it might be worth a shot. Turns out it's a lot of hard work, but we're working towards out first issue at the moment, and although it's taking much longer than I had anticipated, we've got some incredible content lined up so that it's not just another list of reviews, and actually feels more like a nice edited publication, that shouldn't date quite as quickly.

Can you shed some light on the mix you’ve done for us?

Well It is a collection of tracks that I'm feeling at the moment, with the addition of some exclusives from me. It was a bit of a test run for the new tracks to see if they'd stand up in the mix, as well as a bit of a showcase for the tracks I was enjoying. It's a mix that I've tried to add a bit of variety to with some more percussive, and slightly more experimental tracks than I'd normally play, while still trying to retain some of the feeling you'd get with other DFRNT mixes. I'm actually really happy with the way it turned out.

What else is coming up for you?

I'm playing Manchester on the 17th of September at Sicknote, which is going to be a bit of an album launch type thing, and then I've got a gig lined up in Edinburgh at a new night called Diamond Dollar, but following that there's no gigs set in stone. A couple of “maybes” including a slot with Silkie, and one with Kode9 but that's all in progress at the moment.

Have you got any more words of wisdom for our readers?

I guess to producers and DJs I'd say that if you're unsure about doing something to progress your musical career – just go for it. Do what you need to do to make it happen, and things will work out. You can't sit and expect everyone else to release your tracks, and for you to become a big DJ or producer if you don't put the hard work in. There are so many ways to push your output that if you just sit around waiting for someone else to do it – it won't happen.

Also – speak to people. Go and meet them and talk to them face to face. Speak to them online, AIM, email, MySpace, SoundCloud – whatever you need to do, but as you build relationships, you'll build your career. It's an age old cliché but it's most definitely “who you know.”

::

DOWNLOAD: DFRNT – Sonic Router Mix



Tracklist:

01 Synkro - Digital Soul [Dub]
02 Roof Light - Kamino [Echodub]
03 3rdeye - Undulate [Echodub]
04 DFRNT - Saturation Point [Dub]
05 Egoless - Model 3180 [Dub]
06 Moonchild - Tears of a Cosmic Vein [Dub]
07 Myrkur - Homecoming [Dub]
08 Ike Release - Citadel [Dub]
09 Indigo - Creep [Dub]
10 Martello Rotativo - Get Busy [Echodub]
11 Synkro - Deep Down [Dub]
12 DFRNT - On The Move [On The Edge]
13 DFRNT - Sectioned [Dub]
14 Ike Release - Shinobi Dub [Dub]
15 Morphamish - Hold Sway [Dub]
16 Gravious - Continuum [Dub]
17 Vandera - India Joya [Dub]
18 DFRNT - The Darkness [Dub]
19 Seal - Crazy (Metaphase Mix) [Dub]

Link:
http://www.myspace.com/dfrntdubstep