Mule Musiq, one of Japan’s leading techno/house labels, is the focus of our attention this time around. Owned and operated by Toshiya Kawasaki, Mule Musiq (and its sub-labels, Mule Electronic and Endless Flight) offers a uniquely Japanese point of view that’s helped popularize Force of Nature and Kuniyuki, while also hosting standout releases from Terre Thaemlitz, Minilogue, Henrik Schwarz, Lawrence and even Lydia Lunch (among many others). Mr. Kawasaki was kind enough to answer our questions about the differences between Japanese and Western music industries, the label’s origins and Mule Musiq’s philosophy for running a successful label.
little white earbuds
Zomby, The Lie
January 6, 2009 – 10:35 PM
[Ramp Recordings] Zomby sees himself as part of the undead but with a taste for skunk weed instead of flesh. He is a resolutely anonymous producer whose publicity photo has few clues into his identity: he wears white gloves and a mask of the all-seeing eye of providence. Zomby’s been banned from dubstep forums, infamous […]
LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 4)
December 24, 2008 – 9:14 PM
05. Matias Aguayo, “Minimal” [Kompakt] (buy) In the year that minimal either went cynical or cyclical, or simply gave its critical audience more to harp about than usual, Matias Aguayo played devil’s advocate with “Minimal.” Aguayo’s late-night lover-man persona can be hard to read, so who really knows if this is smackdown or pisstake (I […]
LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 3)
December 23, 2008 – 8:45 PM
10. Sascha Dive, “Deepest America” (Moodymann remix) [Ornaments] (buy) Building up from a classic Motor City stomp into a looped-out masterpiece with energy to spare, Moodymann’s frenetic take on Sascha Dive’s “Deepest America” was a timely reminder of Kenny Dixon, Jr.’s mastery over the sampledelic end of the spectrum. Tastefully limiting the now-cliched Afrocentric speech […]
LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 2)
December 22, 2008 – 8:29 PM
15. Melchior Productions Ltd, “Who Can Find Me (I Can’t)” [Cadenza] (buy) “Who Can Find Me (I Can’t)” has to be one of the best emotional minimal tracks of 2008. It’s brittle structure and softly plodding drums are classic Melchior, but something about the shimmering arpeggios and mournful vocals make this one especially heavy-hearted. “Choir” […]
LWE’s Top 20 Singles of 2008 (Part 1)
December 21, 2008 – 9:45 PM
In the face of critical malaise, 2008 was a great year for techno and house singles. As the landscape shifted further from minimal, deep-house (already as broad a term as “minimal”), dub and tribal sounds came back strong, joined by brand name Berghain techno, dubstep and its techy (as of yet unnamed) brother. There was […]
LWE’s Top 10 Overlooked Tracks of 2008
December 15, 2008 – 7:23 PM
For our second year end column, LWE’s editor-in-chief, Steve Mizek, digs up his top 10 overlooked tracks of 2008. Thousands upon thousands of tracks are released each year, followed by remix packages, online exclusives, reissues and more. So it’s inevitable that a number of great tunes and remixes get passed over, escaping even the most […]
DJ Sprinkles, Midtown 120 Blues
December 10, 2008 – 8:24 PM
[Mule Musiq] Like disco before it, house music was born in queer club culture, one of the few places its artists and patrons — mostly gay minority men — could be themselves without fear of reprisal. And also like disco, house was co-opted by ever larger audiences, shedding its ethnicity and sexuality along the way. […]
LWE, James Kartsaklis, Thunderous Olympian @ Cafe Lura
December 10, 2008 – 8:53 AM
Chicago, we’ll bring the music if you bring the dance. James Kartsaklis, Thunderous Olympian and LWE editor-in-chief, Steve Mizek, will be rocking our own Polish paradise, Cafe Lura (3184 N Milwaukee), this Thursday from 9pm until 2am. It’s only $5 to get in; $5 Redbull/vodkas, $4 Okocim bottles and $3 domestic biers. Hope to see […]
Jackmate, Malawi Dub
December 9, 2008 – 11:39 PM
[Phil e] Michel Baumann has had a good 2008, with his Soulphiction album Do You Overstand as one of 2008’s quiet achievers, and a few great Jackmate singles. On “Malawi Dub” he’s got the architecture of the track just right. This one builds effortlessly from its humble beginnings, where hands slap against bongos, before the […]
Sons Of The Dragon, Sons Of The Dragon
December 8, 2008 – 11:15 PM
Chat-room scuttlebutt has swirled around the true identities (and merits) of the Sons Of The Dragon, the artists behind this limited-edition white double-12″ of deep Detroit-flavored techno.
Ada, Forty Winks/Kink-A-Jou
December 7, 2008 – 8:27 PM
[International Records Recordings] Michaela Dippel (aka Ada) likes to say she was raised by pink ponies, fashioned herself as pseudo-vampire, and had a blond pup named Fizzmann. If you pay close attention, these are all selling points for her music. Ada is part of Areal, a label which dabbles in large amounts of distorted fuzz, […]
Little White Earbuds November Charts
December 4, 2008 – 9:30 PM
Chart courtesy of The Economist. 01. Radio Slave, “Incognito” [R&S Records] (buy) Another big year for Matt Edwards and a return to prominence for Belgium’s R&S, 2008 saw the former help reboot the latter with the storming “Eyes Wide Open” single. But hiding on the B-side is something better, the gut-punching floor filler “Incognito.” Although […]
Guy Noir, Delusion EP
December 3, 2008 – 10:57 PM
[District of Corruption] With a name that hints at subversive acts of espionage, Guy Noir (George Tsioutsias and Gower Ramsey) drop their second EP on the District of Corruption label, and suitably it is a cloak and dagger-themed affair. While the first Noir EP, “Flex” resonated well with DJs, it seemed more of a cerebral […]
Reggie Dokes, Rain Redemptive Love EP
December 2, 2008 – 8:21 PM
[Philpot] Once again Philpot has delivered a distinctive record with its latest release which comes from Reggie Dokes, a relative unknown whose bio touts his connection to Detroit techno and Derrick May. Although hearing about Motor City pedigrees has become a bit boring, it is interesting and a little sad to hear just how distinctive […]
Ellen Allien, Out Remixes
December 1, 2008 – 9:07 PM
[BPitch Control] Ellen Allien’s Sool album was cold and precise, and “Out” stands as a fine example of its poker-faced mood: In its original form, “Out” is resolutely unyielding, the vocals sent shuddering and twisting through reverb, edited into stammering machines. It shares with the music of its producer AGF a distanced delivery, at least […]
Introducing LWE’s Podcast Competition
November 30, 2008 – 9:05 PM
LWE’s podcast series is a favorite feature of the site for readers, artists and staff alike, one of the few throwbacks to the halcyon days of our mp3 blogging youth. But it also means we rarely post mixes unless they’re part of the series, generally leaving it to blogs like mnml ssgs, Random Circuits, Infinitestatemachine […]
The Mountain People, Mountain 006
November 30, 2008 – 6:03 PM
[Mountain People] Since launching the Mountain People label to house his homage to The Mole People’s incredible “Break Night,” André (Rozzo and Peter Dildo) Schmid’s tracks under the moniker have gradually dried out, as he’s become a near teetotaler for melody. Considering how lush the imprint started (and was continued by Serafin and Roman Bruderer), […]
Talking Shop with Mojuba
November 27, 2008 – 11:54 PM
Welcome to the eleventh 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, […]
Stefan Goldmann, The Transitory State
November 26, 2008 – 1:34 AM
[Macro] With a resume including releases on Perlon, Classic, Ovum, Innervisons, and his own Macro imprint, as well as a reputation for being a clutch DJ, Stefan Goldmann is one of the more pedigreed producers on the scene. Goldmann may be well-respected and popular with listening audiences and other DJs alike, but he hasn’t reached […]