[Aus Music] Since the beginning of my techno/house tenure I’ve been a huge Lee Jones fan. As the driving force behind My My’s Songs for the Gentle album he fused tiny fragments of sound into a cohesive aural statement which displayed how unexpectedly vibrant micro house could be. His arranging style carried over well to […]
Yearly Archives: 2008
City Council Considers Ordinance Extorting Promoters
Chicago’s City Council votes this Wednesday, May 14th on a proposed ordinance which would require promoters of live events to hold a promoter’s license. The city asserts the ordinance is a five years too late response to the stampede which killed 21 people at the nightclub, E2, holding promoters accountable for their events and making […]
Norman Nodge/Samuli Kemppi, Berghain 02|Part II
Photo by Eric Phillips [Ostgut Ton] Each new release from Ostgut Ton builds on an already impressive list of accomplishments, of which becoming an underground multimedia empire is only one. Graduating from 12″ singles, double packs and compilations to albums (Prosumer & Murat Tepeli’s irresistible Serenity) proved the still fresh-faced label’s keen A&R eye (not […]
Sensitiva, Mimosa
[100% Pure] While I can’t say I know the man personally, Tobi Neumann strikes me as a social animal, one for whom collaboration trumps solitude any day. He earned his stripes producing for electroclash pioneers Chicks on Speed, Peaches, Miss Kitten and 2Raumwohnung before moving on to more techno/house-oriented pastures. There he teamed with Ricardo […]
Daso & Pawas, Det
[Spectral Sound] So far the partnership of Daso Franke and Pawas Gupta has proven fruitful. Beginning with their “Night Express EP” for Flash Recordings and continuing on “KKB,” the bubbling builder which stood tallest on the Spectral Sound “Dintf EP,” the pair has definitely shown artistic chemistry. But whereas previous collaborations were primed and ready […]
James Kartsaklis in the mix
The Body Politic‘s most musically prolific member, James Kartsaklis has blessed us with another DJ mix — perhaps his best yet. He’s keeping the tracklisting close to his chest in order to let listeners’ ears make the decisions instead of a quick scan of his selections. Suffice it to say, though, your ears will thanking […]
Ed Davenport, Tillmans Uninfluence/Apples
[Gumption Recordings] Listening to “Tillmans Uninfluence/Apples,” the latest release from London-based producer Ed Davenport, I can’t help but think he’s the UK’s fresh-faced answer to Boris Steffen, better known as Jichael Mackson. They share an affinity for producing tracks which jauntily tread the fine line between functionality and bedroom listening, and both utilize odd samples […]
LWE Podcast 02: dOP
Theirs for the taking: dOP hangs out. Photo by Myqua. Parisian trio dOP doesn’t DJ, rarely spends time in clubs, prefers physical instruments to VSTs, and writes “songs,” not “tracks.” Perhaps their outsiders’ instincts are exactly why Damien Vandesande, Jonathan “Jo” Illel and Clement Zemstov are poised on the cutting edge of house/techno, though their […]
Sect Revealed as DJ Bone
Thanks to supersleuths Kuri and buftontufton in LWE’s comments, the shroud of mystery surrounding “Sect 1” has dissipated and Detroit’s own DJ Bone stands in its place. I wish I could say I was more versed in DJ Bone’s music, but I’m glad the “Sect 1” release has shined a bright spotlight on the obviously […]
Klockworks, Klockworks 03
[Klockworks] Ben Klock’s Klockworks moniker/label rarely comes out to play, emerging only once a year since 2006 to showcase the Berghain resident’s experimentally-minded techno tracks. The first paired the dribbling pitches and gulping vocals of “Glimmerman (Part One)” with the slightly more raving “Glandula Piti.” The starkness of the second’s “Onyx” and glancing tones of […]
Little White Earbuds April Charts
Chart courtesy of The Economist 01. DJ Bone, “Sect 1” [Sect Records] (buy) This enigmatic three tracker defies placement in space and time, with a sound well versed in classic methods but as fresh as anything else out there. Here’s hoping whoever sent “Sect 1” to me is prepared to share its wealth with a […]
Sect, Sect 1
[Sect Records] A few weeks ago an inconspicuous package appeared on my desk at work with a return address from über-retailers Juno and “Sect” emblazoned below my name. I shook out a plain white CD sleeve containing a disc marked “Sect 1” and nothing else. Usually whoever sent the promo is overeager to wax poetic […]
Henrik Schwarz & Kuniyuki, The Session
[Mule Musiq] Usually the phrase “jam session” conjures mental images of hippies, bongos and rooms thick with marijuana smoke. But despite the aimless connotations, long and improvised sessions are how a number of great techno/house musicians find their signature grooves which are then whittled into tracks. Tobias Freund and Max Loderbauer, Ricardo Villalobos and a […]
Kevin Saunderson, History Elevate 3
[KMS] While parsing through a slightly heated discussion over whether Kevin Saunderson’s recent RA podcast — packed with poppy cuts and mixed with CDs/Ableton — had stained his legendary status, one post stood out to me. The author reminded the participants that Saunderson’s long career took place both above ground and underground, so it shouldn’t […]
Intrusion, Intrusion/Reflection
[echospace [detroit]] Given the wobbly state of music distribution after the shuttering of Syntax, Amato and Watts Music and a dollar value which shrivels daily next to the euro, Detroit/Chicago-based label echospace can be forgiven for being stingy on new releases. Echospace released the majority of its catalog last year as well, which makes this […]
Christian Prommer’s Drum Lesson Vids
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba6Xg_oS7iA] Josh Wink, “Higher State of Consciousness” My friend James pulled up these videos from the Sonar Kollektiv 10th anniversary party at which Christian Prommer happily schooled the audience. There’s a handful more of them, including “Rej,” “Beau Mot Plage,” and “Can You Feel It.” You can check them all out here. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok7a0UM8ttA] Rhythim Is […]
Oracy, Rewound
[Mojuba] Whoever hides behind the Oracy moniker has done a fantastic job of evading the press; so in lieu of any relevant biographical information, here’s the definition of “oracy”: the ability to express oneself in and understand spoken language. Use it to poke fun at your friends’ and enemies’ intelligence! As with their first two […]
Talking Shop with Moodmusic
Welcome to the fourth edition of our series of short interviews affectionately titled Talking Shop. The majority of media and fan attention gets showered on the artists who create the music we love to listen to/DJ with/dance to, and for good reasons. But without the hard work, keen ears and business savvy of label staff, […]
Force Of Nature, Remixed
[Mule Musiq] Ramping up to re-release their album III this summer, Force of Nature enlisted a couple of high-profile remixers to re-introduce the album. Force of Nature, a Japanese producer duo, keeps their arpeggiators slow and wide-eyed enough to be pretty malleable fodder (a trait shared with M83). So it’s no surprise that “Remixed” is […]
Martin Buttrich, Stoned Autopilot
[Planet E] Though it was considered one of 2007’s decent sized hits, the lack of nuance and by-the-numbers minimal arrangement of Martin Buttrich’s “Hunter” 12″ caught me off guard. After the aptly-titled “Well Done,” “Cloudy Bay” and the ubiquitous “Full Clip,” all of which were deftly chiseled and fitting of Buttrich’s production pedigree, I felt […]