For our fourth report, LWE’s editor in chief Steve Mizek picks his top five overrated singles from the first half of 2008.

The number of dance music singles released each year is absolutely mind-boggling, likely well into six digits and rising each year as production software becomes more accessible. So how does a track stand apart from the multitudes of would-be hits? Unlike rock or pop, many techno and house artists rely on other artists to give their tracks exposure in their DJ sets/charts. Or, if producers are of a sizable stature and credibility, they can cane their own work to massive crowds of receptive fans (and consumers as well, though the correlation between underground popularity and sales is quickly ripping at the seams). So if John Digweed loves your newest, you may receive a deluge of new fans through his DJ sets, mix CDs, radio show and even word of mouth between $uper$tar$.

But this formula for exposure can also lead to the over inflation of some otherwise underwhelming tracks. Because there are more DJs than producers, and DJs want to get popular too, many opt to follow in their heroes’ footsteps and crib relentlessly from their playlists and charts — Beatport and Juno make this exceptionally easy. Because a DJ’s success also depends largely on the happiness of the audience, some may select low-hanging people-pleasers (or at least familiar tunes) over less obvious gems. And of course the print and online press are complicit to a degree in all of this, as well.

With that in mind, I’ve cobbled together a list of five tracks I believe have grown far more popular than their characteristics warrant. Not all these songs are crap, per se, though many of them rely on rather base, lowest-common denominator tactics to get crowds worked up, remembering the track and clamoring for more. And so the circle continues.

01. Hugo, “The Sloop” [Tuning Spork Records] (buy)
I suppose it makes sense to sound the foghorn for a nautically themed track, but it’s an increasingly common way to spice up otherwise ho-hum arrangements, especially one so typically Tuning Spork in execution. Combined with its tonally static build, “The Sloop” hardly strikes me as novel so much as a cheap shot in the arm for DJs with flagging dance floors. Try Âme, “Enoi” instead.

02. Radio Slave, “Grindhouse Tool” (Dubfire Terror Planet Mix) [REKIDS] (buy)
That Dubfire is a massive prog-house to “minimal” convert is less troubling to me than how awful everything he touches comes out. His vast reworking of Radio Slave’s perfectly balanced gloom tool, replete with bug-eyed, de-pitched vocals and generic chromatic scale progressions, lets loose Dubfire’s “scary” indulgences to reverse the original’s haunting restraint. What surprises me is not Dubfire’s poor taste, but that so many DJs are willing to punish their audiences with this “Terrible Planet” tripe. Try Raudive, “Here” (Len’s Podium Remix) or Sasha, “Park It In the Shade” (Audion Ain’t Got No Friends Mix) instead.

03. Patrice Bäumel, “Roar” [Get Physical] (buy)
Credit is due to Mr. Bäumel for his relative bravery in omitting a requisite kick drum, but one bold decision cannot save “Roar” from his meeker ones. The rubber band plucks and claps are a good start, but are run off the road by an oppressively tight and overdriven loop which revs like a motorcycle. It seems every other year someone imitates this sound, if for no other reason than to make dancers rev their invisible choppers like metalhead tykes. Taken in a different and more complex direction, “Roar” could live up to it’s “tool of the summer” tag; instead, creativity whimpers in the corner as clubbers mount their big wheels. Try Stephan Bodzin, “Liebe Ist…” or STL’s carefully reduced tracks instead.

04. Laurent Garnier, “Back to My Roots” [Innervisions] (buy)
LG’s so-called return to form is a poignant reminder of why he had moved to less floor-driven electronica in the first place. The drawn out and searching tones at “Afrodiziac” mix’s core are promising, but soon find themselves buried under every organic percussion sound Garnier could fit without freezing his Mac. The fact was made even more evident as Henrik Schwarz, Âme and Dixon’s “D.P.O.M.B.,” which vastly improved the mold, upstaged the tune only one release later. I sense many DJs played and charted this one out of devotion to Garnier’s legacy, but would have done better to stick with his prime cuts.

05. Johnny D, “Orbitalife” [Oslo] (buy)
Last year if you asked me who Johnny D was I would probably have half-heartedly guessed an old NYC cat. This year his “Orbitalife” is the most charted track on RA ever. Unlike the rest of my list, however, “Orbitalife” deserves a fair amount of the buzz it’s received. His smooth and soulful voice rises from the nagging beat without disturbing the flow as the perfect compliment to subtle adornments. Still, I can’t help but feel this is a somewhat weak choice for the year’s biggest track, its immense popularity smacking of a bid for hipness more than a vote of confidence in a stunning tune. But much worse could top this list, and therein lies some hope not all overrated tracks are dreck.

For our third report, LWE correspondent Will Lynch compiles his top five live PAs from the first half of 2008.

One of dance music’s most unique features is the elasticity of the artist’s relationship with their own material. Plenty of producers never “play live” and use DJing as their exclusive means of performance. A producer may spend months sweating over the next EP, but the task of DJing is all about best suiting the vibe at that moment, which usually means playing someone else’s work. Then you’ve got your producers who mingle handfuls of their own tracks with dozens by their peers, making it damn near impossible for anyone in the audience to know who wrote what. While this makes a night out at the club much less predictable than a rock show (where the band is obligated not only to play their own songs, but often to favor their most recent material), it is nonetheless refreshing to hear an electronic artist play a set of his own work exactly how he or she intended it to be played.

There were some tough runners up to this list. Having seen Bruno Pronsato deliver a truly strange and groovy set at Panoramabar last December, it was hard not to include him here, but none of the recordings I’ve heard do justice to my memories of the night. Rummage through mnml.nl a bit and you’ll find a zany set by Donk Boys, which was another strong contender for the list. But after much listening and consideration, I’ve decided that these five are my favorites, mostly because they showcase the style and repertoire of each artist so well. If there’s an artist on this list who you’ve yet to hear, this would be an excellent place to start. So, without further ado, here are, my favorite live P.A.’s from the year so far.

01. Tobias @ Watergate
The idea of grooving to this one within Watergate’s eye-popping décor is enough to make me salivate. And I’m pretty sure that “Street Knowledge” sample is from NWA, which is pretty badass.

02. Click Box: April Live Set
These Brazilian techno hooligans have an aggressive and melodic style that sounds really fresh to me. Magda slayed with these tracks at Timewarp, and was still spinning them when I saw her in New York this June. Can’t wait to get my hands on a few of these bad boys…

03. Mikael Stavöstrand @ Watergate
As I’ve said before on this site, I love this guy’s style. Much like his releases, this set has grim overtones to contrast its lush, balmy textures. Funky, too!

04. Move D @ Robert Johnson
These two hours glide through some of the best moments of David Moufang’s exquisite discography, to predictably sublime effect. Very smooth and gentle, this is perfect to put on first thing in the morning. Highlights include a slimmer rendition of “Between Us” and perfectly serene closer (which is, incidentally, my favorite track by this guy).

05. Elon @ Old Cave
This guy gives Heartthrob a run for his money. Slamming bass, hard, steady beats and totally evil overtones — it’s hard not to have fun with this one. My favorite bit has to be when he works in a house vocal cliché without diminishing the gloom one smidgen (but I won’t give it away).

For our first report, LWE correspondent Nate DeYoung collates his top five underrated singles from the first half of 2008.

With a market flooded with singles week after week, it’s only natural that a few get lost along the way. After seeing more than a couple singles released with none of the acclaim I’d expect in 2008, I decided a list was necessary to correct these wrongs. Spanning Chilean-Minimal, Italo-Beardo, and Melodrama-House, these singles might not fit perfectly in a genre world but each is worth stretching for. On the other side of the coin, slotting a little too perfectly into vogue genres like dub-techno or minimal-house (like Delta Funktionen and Holger Zilske) might have let artists get lost in the shuffle.

Delta Funktionen, “Electromagnetic Radiation Part I”
[Ann Aimee] (buy)
If 2008 is the year where dub techno strikes back, with Berghain’s Klock and Dettman becoming defacto royalty, then there’s no reason why Delta Funktionen’s debut single, “Electromagnetic Radiation Part 1″ hasn’t received more attention. The A-side, “Nebula” is all smooth edged synths boomeranging around a deliciously straightforward kick. Dub techno is all execution -– gradual builds done in granular time, and “Nebula” holds it together with oceanic depth. “Estuary” goes deeper, slower and ends up burning even cooler.

Ernesto Ferreyra, “Epaminondas EP”
[Thema] (buy)
As the other of half of Chic Miniature (with workhorse Guillaume Coutu Dumont), Ernesto Ferreyra received due attention for the group’s recent release “Escandalo”. But I might prefer Ferreyra’s solo “Epaminondas”. Latin drums pop around with the intense sound design you’d expect from Ferrayra in “Face in All Faces,” but the track is also adorned with a series of games: builds drop out into nothing, climaxes appear out of nowhere, a game of catch-up on the razor’s edge. “Rimola” and “Lowproof” also take no small pleasure in little samples -– “Rimola” pits clipped violins against drunken horns and “Lowproof” tweaks instruments as far as recognition can hold.

Tensnake, “Keep Believin’”
[Endless Flight] (buy)
Tensnake has kept a healthy streak of releases since his sublime “Around the House” a couple years ago and “Keep Believin’” is no exception. But I wonder if title track just sounds too easy, too perfectly manufactured to get more acclaim. Take Italo’s drums, a beardo-disco bass line and add a pinch of deep-house melody to sum up “Keep Believin’”s recipe. “Congolal” follows in the same vein, leaning hard on melancholic sighs. To these ears, both tracks sound fine-tuned to an end game of synthesizing vogue genres. And, yes, that’s a compliment.

Holger Zilske, “From Birds and Bees”
[Playhouse] (buy)
A recent press release for Holger Zilske asserted that he “produced (Ellen Allien’s) best studio albums,” which would be a little presumptuous if I didn’t totally agree. Zilske’s single, “From Birds and Bees,” might not exactly be overlooked — it’s been charted pretty heavily — but there’s been few words written about how “The Birds” can side-step vogue trends while sounding perfectly current. The micro-house ticks, the Songs For the Gentle melody, the spin-cycle drums all add up to an instantly memorable track. “The Bees” is also the first time that Zilske has lived up to potential as a solo artist.

Seth Troxler & Patrick Russell, “Valt Trax”
[Circus Company] (buy)
Sure, it’s probably common knowledge that Seth Troxler is getting better with each release, but his collaboration with long-time Detroit DJ Patrick Russell might be my favorite. The slow burn house of “Doctor of Romance,” is adorned with clipped vocals, grunts and a bass line that take little time to hypnotize. Each track on “Valt Trax” is doused in romantic synths -– melodramatic, overwrought and crackling from a different age. Going face-first into extreme art poses on “Last Date,” Troxler and Russell imbue break-up clichés like “It’s not you, it’s me” with existential crisis. Slow house jams have never sounded so haunted (or punningly named after herpes meds -nb).

Before she made her vinyl debut for Ostgut Ton earlier this year, Tama Sumo (Kerstin Egert to her friends) was already a celebrated DJ with Tresor and Panoramabar residencies under her belt. So it’s with great excitement that LWE offers this exclusive mix from one of Berlin’s finest. LWE HQ hasn’t stopped shaking since this one arrived.

Download: LWE Podcast 05: Tama Sumo (65:38)

Tracklisting:

01. Basic Soul Unit, “Mmme” [Mathematics Recordings]
02. DJ Koze, “I Want to Sleep” [International Records Recordings]
03. Toby Tobias, “The Feeling” (John Daly remix) [REKIDS]
04. Niggemann & Poppcke, “L’aurora” (Agnès Chicago Take) [Moonpool]
05. Octave One, “DayStar Rising” [Underground Resistence]
06. Tony Lionni, “Shuffle” [Versatile]
07. Kerri Chandler, “Hexadecimal” [Deeply Rooted House]
08. Wbeeza, “Disco Dayz” [Third Ear Recordings]
09. Ricky L, “Nothing But…” (Skin dub) [Ibadan]
10. DJ Funk, “House the Groove” [Dance Mania]
11. Gemini, “U Know How I Feel” [Relief]
12. Dee D. Jackson, “Automatic Lover” (The Innovative Mix) [Power Records]
13. Nick Chacona, “Tonka” [20:20 Vision]
14. Motor City Drum Ensemble, “Escape To Nowhere” [Four Roses Recordings]
15. JC Freaks, “The Rock” [wandering]
16. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, “Serenity” (Soundstream’s Dusty Machine mix) [Ostgut Ton]

Check out an interview with Tama Sumo after the jump.

When and where did you make the mix?

Tama Sumo: I did the mix at home yesterday (July 28).

What’s the concept behind the mix?

Puuuh — having fun, feeling good and groovy. Combining different things (if I do longer sets, I usually combine old and new house, techno and a bit (electro) disco stuff. But one hour for me is a bit too short for telling this story ;o)

Who are a few of your favorite DJs and why?

Some my favorite DJs are my Berghain and Panoramabar collegues: Prosumer, Steffi, Stephan Hill, Cassy, nd baumecker, Marcel Dettmann, Ben Klock, Shed, Marcel Fengler. And besides Berghain: Rolando, Redshape (live), Tobias Freund (live), Carsten Klemann, Mike Huckaby, Larry Heard, Moodymann, Patrice Scott, Omar-S, and Laurent Garnier. They all inspire me because while listening to their sets I have the feeling that they are or give: positive vibrations, moods, grooves, for being authentic, for creating ups and downs during their sets, for telling stories, for laying a lot of love and passion in music.

What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?

Another track from Prosumer and me on a Diamonds & Pearls compilation and maybe a track from Stephan Hill and me on Vidab.

Download: LWE Podcast 05: Tama Sumo

Related:

LWE Podcast 01: Terrence Dixon
LWE Podcast 02: dOP
LWE Podcast 03: Nick Höppner
LWE Podcast 04: Leonid

[Innervisions] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3s)

Any time Henrik Schwarz, Âme and Dixon all grace the same slab of vinyl, chances are it’s going to be a big deal. This precedent was set in 2006 with the quickly canonized “Where We At,” capturing the warily optimistic zeitgeist with a prescient Derrick Carter vocal sample which hung above stirring (and label-defining) underpinnings. In 2007 the supergroup reconfigured as the Innervisions Orchestra to remix Underworld’s “Crocodile” to popular effect; and separately, Dixon has a way of subtly reshaping his friends’ material to best suit the occasion (his “Mifune,” “I Exist Because Of You” and “Headphone Silence” edits come to mind). Two years after setting the bar ceiling high, the Innervisions triad is back and offering two broad strokes of Chicago-inspired house with “D.P.O.M.B.” And once again this meeting of minds/ears/hands is cause for celebration.

The elements used will be familiar to Âme and Henrik Schwarz fans, but the soul-singeing energy coursing through both versions may take some by surprise. Beginning with a simple throb, wordless vocal and raw hi-hats, “Version 1″ ratchets up the the tension as bongos, claps, bittersweet synth counterpoint and a characteristic string whine crowd the frame. (But unlike Laurent Garnier’s “Back to My Roots,” which attempted something similar, there’s ample room for each element to swing freely.) Within six minutes, the monster has torn away its layers to rebuild again atop Wild Pitch ostinato jabs. More refined than ferocious, “Version 2″ finds Moondog-tinged flute/clarinet/horns piercing the rapid synth chatter to flutter and stretch gracefully, as if delicate dancers riding a roiling piece of earth. Compared with the barreling headfirst charge of “Version 1,” which could easily slide into a techno set, “Version 2″ is multi-faceted and perhaps more memorable, as it best represents the organic textures and thrumming minimal energy loved by each artist. The “D.P.O.M.B. EP” is indeed a momentous occasion, both as heartfelt homage to Chicago and DJ Pierre and as the successor to “Where We At.” I won’t be shocked if this one to stays in DJs’ crates nearly as long. (post by Steve Mizek)

By the way, this is our 500th post. Yay LWE!

[Playhouse] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3)

Simon Baker and Todd Terje aren’t the most easily anticipated combination. Baker’s big room tech-house anthem, “Plastik,” walked a fine line last year: it combined accessibility with a certain square-shouldered aggression that made it better than it should have been. Unsurprisingly, Terje ups the funk quotient on his remix, but in remaking “Plastik” he’s succeeded in making it his own without jettisoning too much of the original. Instead of different parts sutured together with all the elegance of Frankenstein’s monster, something surprisingly svelte has emerged from the lab.

Terje’s version is slowed down, lengthened, and drawn forward by a much more loosey-goosey style of percussion than the original. His “Türkatech” incarnation makes room for a jangling, guitarish sort of instrument to play off the original’s synths, but stops short of turning it into meandering disco-funk. Terje’s remix should retain the proselytizing appeal of the original, and this remix might just go down fine on the same dance floors that received the original so hospitably. Unfortunately, therein lies the problem. “Plastik” was digestible and enjoyable, but ultimately ever so slightly bland. Though he’s hit the nail on the head by preserving the easy charm of the original in this new mix, Terje has fallen into the same trap that Baker did. It’s not just a deft touch that’s needed to make a great track, but the inclusion of some challenging, revealing measure of personality, too. This is the reason why one of the most intriguing production combinations in a short while has failed to produce the fascinating result it might have. (post by Colin Shields)

[Marcel Dettmann Records] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3s)

As the dark prince of the Berlin club scene, Marcel Dettmann has quite a buzz about him these days. Though he’s been a resident DJ at hotspot Berghain since it opened the first time, he’s a relative newcomer to recorded work, releasing his first tracks in 2006. Now, hot on the heels of his Berghain 02 mix CD comes the latest limited-edition four-tracker on his own imprint, and from the sounds of it, that buzz could soon become a deafening roar.

Kicking off with the beatless “Clime,” Dettmann sets the stage for a dark, rattling trip through on a runaway train car. “Clime” pulses along with industrial noises, deep aquatic tones, and throbbing low frequency waves, full of menace and restrained fury. That fury, however, is fully unleashed seconds later as “Lattice” comes roaring out of the speakers. With a relentless kick drum leading the way, “Lattice” takes you screaming through the stormy Berlin night, heavy rain pelting the train car until finally reaching a deafening climax, jumping the tracks, and finally righting itself on the straight and narrow. Breathtaking and intense, “Lattice” goes toe-to-toe with the black helicopters of Audion’s mighty “Mouth to Mouth” and comes back with a sneer, asking, “Is that all you’ve got?”

On the flip, the glitchy bounce of “Shatter Proof” soon gives way to a thudding off-center lope that echoes around in circles before finally dropping the bottom out and revealing its sticky, dirty underbelly. “Corebox” is the most straightforward groove here, with a simple four-to-the-floor beat and clunking acid-warped riff — punctuated midway by what sounds like duct tape being torn from flesh — working themselves into a lather over the course of six-plus minutes

Strange and strong, “MDR 04″ delivers some seriously powerful gut punches. While he is still more known for his DJ sets than his productions, with a few more releases under his belt, Dettmann will surely find it difficult to keep more and more labels from knocking at his door. (post by Todd Hutlock)

[Playhouse] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3s)

When I interviewed My My’s Nick Höppner and Lee Jones a few months ago, they acknowledged the strain of music they released with Playhouse was markedly different from their “Southbound” single for Ostgut Ton, noting that “we’d rather produce something to the occasion.” So few will be surprised that “Everybody’s Talkin’ EP,” their latest for Playhouse, returns to a more sample-laden sound akin to Songs For the Gentle, My My’s debut album on the same label. At the same time, Jones and Höppner seem more focused on this new set of tracks, with equal attention paid to DJ utilities and delighting dancers. “Everybody’s Talkin’” may also mollify those who dismissed the “Southbound” 12″ (unfairly, in my opinion) as too trendy.

Whereas “Southbound” and its flipside were thick and immersive, “Everybody’s Talkin” is lithe and limber, its rebounding synth progression juking and jiving cheerfully to a swinging beat. My My manipulate a vocal sample to charmingly stutter out the titular line, and inject further rhythmic depth by cycling through a raft of percussive timbres which give the tune real pop. So many of today’s deep house tracks are comfortably couched in mellowed out moods, and “Everybody’s Talkin’” offers a welcome change of pace. By contrast, “Day For Night” attacks with a body blow of progressively broader synth stabs among quivvering pads and fizzy effects. It’s as if all those drinks you’ve downed in the last hour have just caught up with you and damn, you’re ready to strut your stuff. It’s boldly straightforward and a nice counterpoint to the spry A side. Not only have My My produced for the occasion, they’ve also risen to the occasion with yet another fine entry in their already excellent discography. (post by Steve Mizek)

After how enthralled we were with Leonid’s debut EP, LWE was curious what kind of records the young Irish producer would spin. What better way to find out than an exclusive mix? Hear his response in this 60 minute mix of deep techno gems.

Download: LWE Podcast 04: Leonid (60:20)

Tracklisting:

01. Fatima Yamaha, “What’s a Girl to Do” [D1 Recordings]
02. STL, “2 Ya Ear” [Something Records]
03. Sebbo, “Watamu Beach” (Moritz von Ozwald remix) [Desolat]
04. Carl Craig, “Sandstorms” [Planet E]
05. Move D, “Like I Was King” (Black Label Mix) [Compost Records]
06. Lerosa, “One Year Friends” [Enclave Records]
07. STL, “Moonwalk” [Something Records]
08. Marvin Dash, “Untitled” [Out to Lunch]
09. David Caron, “Dreamshower” [Eevo Lute Muzique]
10. Soda, “Motorcity” [Italic]
11. Soylent Green, “After All” [Playhouse]
12. Dimension 5, “Space Travel” [Delsin]
13. Visitor, “Stop the Music” [D1 Recordings]
14. Omar S, “F.O.E.” [FHXE]
15. Downlink, “Jimmin’ Around” [Mosaic]
16. Move D, “Untitled” [Workshop]
17. Telepaticos, “Carpe Sativa” [Enclave Records]

Check out an interview with Leonid after the jump.

When and where did you make the mix?

Paul Smith, aka Leonid: 16 July, 2008. At home in the bedroom with two 1210’s and a three channel Vestax mixer, and Stanton needles which need replacing!

What’s the concept behind the mix?

Just wanted to play some records which I’d love to hear when I’m out. I also wanted to showcase a few artists/labels from these shores who are putting out quality techno: Lerosa, Enclave Records, D1 Records, plus a few of my all time favourite producers: Moritz Von Ozwald, Roman Flügel, Move D, and Carl Craig.

Who are a few of your favorite DJs and why?

An old favourite would be Coco Silvania, who used to play real class deep sets at Soma Experimental Club in Madrid back around ‘98 - ‘00. Others include Alex Knight (Fat Cat) who I only saw once years ago but it was amazing, Eamonn Doyle (D1 Records/Model One) for music selection, always plays great techno and not what’s the trend at that moment. Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson (Fish Go Deep). There’s loads more.

What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?

Hopefully will have music out on a couple of well known Detroit labels, not saying who yet, though. And hopefully appearing at a small outdoor electronic party in Germany, that has to be confirmed also. Just trying to keep the head down and work on new material.

Download: LWE Podcast 04: Leonid

Related:

LWE Podcast 01: Terrence Dixon
LWE Podcast 02: dOP
LWE Podcast 03: Nick Höppner

[Music Man Records] (buy vinyl) (buy mp3s)

A limited edition in stylish plastic spot-varnish sleeve and your choice of colored vinyls (blue, silver, and white), veteran Croation producer Petar Dundov’s latest (and first release since February of 2007) visually jumps off the shelves at collectible-minded buyers, but the real treasures are on the vinyl itself. Released as a taster for Dundov’s forthcoming Escapements LP, “Oasis” is quite worthy of standing alone, thank you very much. Starting with a low, repeated percussive throb, the track unfolds like a map to the stars, a series of new arpeggiated riffs and percussive clicks adding texture and chasing the cosmic bumblebee drift of a melody around and around, seemingly random but really part of some mad master plan. Some gently acidic mixing tricks follow, but the joy is in the journey, not the payoff — a trick many producers try to pull off, but seldom do as effectively as this. It’s like Jeff Mills playing Philip Glass. This is a good, good thing.

On the flip, Substance & Vainqueur of Scion fame let some of the air out, running the track inside out while adding a more traditional backbeat, losing the layered trickery of the original and adding their trademark space-dub echo effects. They wind up with a track that’s altogether more straightforward, raising the tempo and overall dance-floor quotient, and it will likely see more play than the original. But it is far less stunning a track to actually listen to, albeit quite good for what it is, and it certainly won’t make you forget the original. If Dundov has an album’s worth of material this good in the can, Escapements will be well worth checking. (post by Todd Hutlock)