LWE’s 31st podcast, mixed by gun for hire Spencer Parker, heads off to the archives this week. Make sure to make it yours before it’s gone as of December 10th at 10am CST.

Blessed with an expressive voice and an talented producer to boot, James Teej was all but destined to quickly leapfrog the lower rung labels he started with. Two years after his debut the Canadian producer was entrusted by Matt Edwards’ REKIDS to make an album, Evening Harvest, which arrived in May. Its first single, Seven Day Mend, neatly encapsulates Teej’s appeal and hints at his weaknesses. Surrounded by ascending organ chords vocalist Richie Henessey pleads, “If I said I love you, would you help me?” as multi-tracked harmonies enrich the performance. Only when he begins howling needlessly does the tune lose poise and call into question Teej’s taste level (like his eyeroll-inducing cover of Bowie’s “Space Oddity”), although DJs can transition beforehand. Spencer Parker punts and fashions an extended edit that nearly doubles the runtime, removes the screams and leaves in some poorly synced vocals. This “hired gun” should’ve given more effort.

Correction: A previous version of this review stated it was Teej who sang on “Seven Day Mend.” The review has been edited to reflect that the vocalist was Richie Henessey.

After years spent mastering the art of keeping heaving masses dancing, London’s Spencer Parker took on a new challenge: producing his own people-movers. His education behind the decks paid off from the start, quickly garnering releases for REKIDS and Tsuba Records that swelled his fanbase handsomely. Soon after Buzzin’ Fly, liebe*detail and REKIDS (again) were knocking at his door hoping for a Spencer Parker release of their own (or a second, or third). Tracks like “Improvised Minotaur” and “Untitled Head,” which stitch together catchy loops and rambunctious piano progressions with captivating swing beats, prove his popularity is backed by a generous dollop of production talent. For LWE’s 31st podcast, Spencer Parker shows off the skills that put his career in motion with an exclusive mix of lithe and groovy house tracks, including unreleased cuts from Boola, Radio Slave, and Mr. Parker himself.

LWE Podcast 31: Spencer Parker (61:26)

Tracklist:

01. Dan Andrei, “Om” [*]
02. Radio Slave, “Orchestrating Manoeuvres In The Dark” [*]
03. Spencer Parker, “The Beginning” (Michel Cleis remix) [Buzzin' Fly Records]
04. Boola, “Amarijj” [*]
05. Nic Fanciulli & Steve Mac, “10%” [Ovum Recordings]
06. Radio Slave, “Na Und!” [Cocoon Recordings]
07. Kreon, “Jauce” [Cecille Numbers]
08. Coyu & Edu Imbernón, “Burn Myself” [Great Stuff Recordings]
09. Mic Newman, “Fan Hits The Shit” (Spencer Parker Is A Gun For Hire remix)
[Vicious Vinyl*]
10. Spencer Parker, “I Love Nobody Else” [Arearemote*]
* denotes unreleased tracks

What came first, production or DJing? When did you start? How were you introduced to both?

Spencer Parker: Definitely DJing. I’ve been DJing for a little while now whereas I feel I’m pretty new to the whole production game. With regards to DJing, I came to it completely from a fans point of view. I began to go clubbing and would collect certain records to remind me of certain nights out at clubs like SW1, Ministry of Sound or Gardening Club, say. Pretty soon I had a small collection of good records, my friend was having an 18th birthday and I said I’d play. I’m a huge fan of house music and I see DJing as a way of saying, “Wow, listen to this!” On the production side of things, I’d always been interested in making my own edits and special remixes for my sets, but the advent of programs like Ableton Live meant it was now possible to do this without needing a £10,000 studio. So I taught myself how to edit and mix on Ableton and pretty soon began to make my own tracks. For me it’s the most instinctive and easy to use production program around if you come from a purely DJ background.

When/where did you make the mix? Any concept involved?

I made the mix in my newly adopted hometown of Berlin on three CDJ 1000′s, a Pioneer DJM 800 mixer and my trusty Redsound Soundbite Pro loop machine. There was no real concept behind it, but the mix was done after a long weekend of gigs including Panorama Bar and the excellent Stereotype in Edinburgh; so after not much sleep and a fair few flights, I wanted to include a lot of the records that had really worked for me at both gigs.

When DJing, what’s the balance between playing what you want love/want to hear vs. what you think the crowd wants to hear? How important is it to play to the crowd’s demands (“play Sebo K & Metro, ‘Saxtrack’” even when you don’t want to, etc.) compared with what you think they might like?

In general, I just play what I like. I always keep my head up to see what particular tracks go down better than others, but as a rule I just do my thing. The reason for this is that, when I go and see Francois Kevorkian, Marcel Dettmann or Justin Drake DJ, I don’t really want them to compromise for the crowd, I want to here their take on what’s the best music in their crate right now. It sounds a lot more militant than I mean it to — but I completely respect the people who pay to hear me play and I want to give them a good night out more than I want to pander to the few people who want something more commercial or obvious.

A lot of DJs have made the switch to Serato-like setups rather than transport their vinyl. Do you think the debate on vinyl vs. mp3 DJing is drawing to a close? Why or why not?

I honestly don’t care, to be brutally honest; what’s important is the music you play and the quality of it in terms of sound. I personally only play WAV files and have burnt all my vinyl to CD, as I’ve found that very few venues worldwide have the turntables and CDJs set up at the exact same volume, so this is the best solution for me. I still record shop and buy vinyl every week as there will always be great records released that are simply not available on download sites only.

Who are a few of your favorite DJs past and present? Why?

At the moment I’ve been really impressed by DJs like Luciano, Marco Carola, Radio Slave, Dean Muhsin (Bearweasel), Marcel Dettmann, Gerd Jansen, Barem and Justin Drake. In the past I’ve had some great nights out listening to the likes of Francois Kevorkian, CJ Mackintosh and Erick Morillo.

What’s coming up from you in the next year’s time?

More of the same really. I have dates scheduled at Panorama Bar, Shinding, Studio 80 in Amsterdam and Fabric as well as remixes due soon for Yousef, Mic Newman and Slovenian label Potencial Records. As far as releases go, I have a new single on Buzzin’ Fly called “The Beginning” with remixes from Danny Fiddo and Affkt as well as Michel Cleis, a new single on Rekids called “Romantic” with a great D’Julz remix and another single for them entitled “My Heart” with a excellent remix from Daniel Sanchez. I also have a new EP due in September on 2000 and One’s Area Remote label, and maybe even an album in early 2010.

LWE Podcast 31: Spencer Parker (61:26)

Chart courtesy of The Economist.

01. St. Plomb, “Flight Back” [Contentismissing] (buy)
Only four releases into their existence, the Swiss label/collective Contentismissing has quickly become a reliable source for eclectic techno slates bearing thought-provoking artwork. Their latest, “24h,” rounds up tracks from Rene Breitbarth, Buttha, Hofuku Sochi and St. Plomb, whose “Flight Back” is the clear standout. Amid glistening pads and hitched up hats a juicy organ progression sloshes from side to side, threatening to splash over the sides as the track intensifies. An essential gear from this often reserved producer.

02. Audio Werner, “Easygoing”
[Hartchef Discos] (buy)
Two years after his “Flat Funk” slunk its way into many DJs’ crates, Audio Werner has returned with a new 12″ for the underrated Hartchef Discos. “Easygoing” is well positioned to please the new wave of ‘heads cottoning on to Werner’s script-flipping house sound, feeling like a follow up to 2005′s “Still Jackin’.” Its minor stabs balance nimbly on skinny legs, laying out the palate for Werner to smear into longer melodies. Although the understated bass line comes as a surprise, Werner’s glib vocal samples and endless minute tweaks are sure to keep listeners on their feet.

03. Glimpse, “Drifting” (C2 Deep Mix) [Planet E] (buy)
Sometimes we think Carl Craig signs tracks to Planet E because he sees their innate potential as fodder for his signature remixes. Now we can add prolific producer Glimpse to Martin Buttrich and Sebastien San as producers whose like-minded Planet E tunes provided C2 with the kit for something much larger. Both of his versions are unhinged to better swallow the dance floor, metallic jaws crunching down on simmering percussion, ostinato drones and roiling acid vamps. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the “Deep Mix” has a raw bite that can’t be beat.

04. Spencer Parker, “Untitled Head”
[liebe*detail] (buy)
Fitting vocal snippets into techno mosaics is hardly a new production technique but it’s seen a big resurgence in the last year with varying degrees of success. One of the better examples, Spencer Parker’s “Untitled Head,” is found on liebe*detail’s latest platter. By grooming and programming mono syllabic vocal samples, Parker creates the illusion of a plucked guitar riff darting between thick tom runs. Its outward simplicity makes its infectious groove even more contagious and dangerous in the hands of DJs. We look forward to more from Mr. Parker.

05. David K, “73 Tomtom Avenue” (Jimpster remix) [Tsuba Records] (buy)
Speaking of tracks focusing on vocal samples, “73 Tomtom Avenue” by David K and remixed by Jimpster offers a more traditional and equally enjoyable take on the tactic. Ever the reliable and insatiable remixer, Jimpster wedges the original’s strengths into his wheelhouse of deep, melodic house. More in the mold of Ron Trent and Chez Damier, the tune dribbles a beatboxed sample like a basketball cloaked in dubbed out melodies and stretched strings. And while Jimpster avoids taking many risks, dancers and DJs alike will revel in its consistent good vibes and surprisingly fresh execution.

06. House of House, “Rushing to Paradise (Walkin’ These Streets)”
[Whatever We Want Records] (buy)
07. The Mountain People, “Mountain007.1″
[Mountain People] (buy)
08. Shed, “Another Wedged Chicken” (Martyn’s 131 remix) [Ostgut Tonträger] (buy)
09. DJ Koze, “Spitzer Group” [LWE]
10. Loco Dice, “Tight Laces” (Marcel Dettmann’s Response 1 & 2) [Desolat] (buy)

Check out LWE staff charts after the jump.


Staff Charts

Bill Bearden:

01. Starkey, “Gutter Music” [Keysound]
02. Rusko, “Moaners” [Sub Soldiers]
03. Martyn, “Yet” [Tectonic]
04. Untold, “Sweat” [Hotflush Recordings]
05. Rusko, “Get Your Cock Out” [Dub Files]
06. Toasty, “The Knowledge” (Untold remix) [Hotflush Recordings]
07. Pangaea, “Mosaix” [Hotflush Recordings]
08. A-Trak, “Say Whoa” (Sinden remix) [Kitsune]
09. Joker, “Digidesign” [Hyperdub]
10. Kromestar, “Alien” [Southside Dubs]

Per Bojsen-Moller:

01. Various Production, “Lost” (Actress remix) [Various Production]
02. Stefan Goldmann, “Art Of Sorrow” [Victoriaville]
03. Pangaea, “Bear Witness/Mosaix” [Hotflush Recordings]
04. La Roux, “In For The Kill” (Skream’s Let Get Ravey remix) [Not On label]
05. Marko Furstenberg, “Esbenhain” [Baum Records]
06. Isolée, “October” [Diynamic Music]
07. Mark Broom, “Deal Or No Deal” [D1 Recordings]
08. Adele, “Chasing Pavements” (Various Production remix)
[Various Production]
09. Stewart Walker, “Stundenzimmer” [Persona Recordings]
10. L.D., “Traumatic Times” [Hyperdub]

Chris Burkhalter:

01. Black Jazz Consortium, “New Horizon” [Soul People Music]
02. Isolée, “A Nightingale” [Diynamic Music]
03. Pangaea, “Bear Witness” [Hotflush Recordings]
04. Trackleton, ” While My Sequencer Gently Weeps” [Yore Records]
05. Kode9, “Black Sun” [Hyperdub]
06. Nhar, “Hexoflip” (Tobias remix) [Mobilee]
07. Snd, “3″ [Raster-Noton]
08. Pan-Pot, “Ape Shall Never Kill Ape” (Cassy remix) [Mobilee]
09. Mark Broom, “Runners” [D1 Recordings]
10. Argenis Brito, “Lolipop” [Cadenza]

Peder Clark:

01. Ben Klock, “Grip” [Ostgut Tonträger]
02. Dplay, “Huub Sand” [Running Back]
03. Lawrence, “Hamtramck” [Mule Electronic]
04. Anthony “Shake” Shakir, “It Erased Me” [Morphine Records]
05. The Detroit Experiment, “Think Twice” (Henrik Schwarz Live Edit) [Juno]
06. Wireman, “Armour” (Move D remix) [Prime Numbers]
07. Wbeeza, “Roks Dogg” [Third Ear Recordings]
08. Kerri Chandler, “Pong” (Ben Klock’s Bones & Strings Rework)
[Deeply Rooted House]
09. Actress, “Crushed” [Prime Numbers]
10. Kapuchon & Benny Rodrigues, “Unexpected” [Beyond Recordings]

Nate DeYoung:

01. Fever Ray, Fever Ray [Rabid Records]
02. Audion, “I Am the Car” [audion.me]
03. The Popular People’s Front, “Love EP” [The Popular People's Front]
04. Ernesto Ferreyra, “Hunted” [Cadenza]
05. Horsepower Productions, “Damn It” [Tempa]
06. Shontelle, “T-Shirt” (Crazy Cousinz Extended Mix)
[Universal Island Records]
07. Prins Thomas, “Mammut” [Full Pupp]
08. Osborne, “Hovercrafting EP” [Spectral Sound]
09. Madioko ‘N Rafika, “Ellelli” (Kalabrese remix) [Innervisions]
10. Michel Cleis, “La Mezcla” [Cadenza]

Shuja Haider:

01. Moody, “Desire” [KDJ]
02. The Future, “They Call Me” [Sect Records]
03. Lerosa, “Minefield” [Real Soon]
04. Mountain People, “Mountain007.1″ [Mountain People]
05. The Mole, “There’s Hope” [Internasjonal]
06. Actress, “Crushed” [Prime Numbers]
07. Jitterbug, “No Pressure” [Uzuri]
08. Prins Thomas, “Mammut” [Full Pupp]
09. Jus-Ed, “Sweetness” [Underground Quality]
10. Tony Lionni, “Divine Being” [Mule Musiq]

Todd Hutlock:

01. Kode9, “Black Sun” [Hyperdub]
02. Stefan Goldmann, “Art of Sorrow” [Victoriaville]
03. Jay feat. Ricardo, “Mellow Dee” [Contexterrior]
04. tobias., “Clapper” [Diamonds and Pearls Music]
05. Prins Thomas, “Mammut” [Full Pupp]
06. Andy Stott, “Drippin” [Modern Love]
07. Matt John, “Sacing” [Perlon]
08. Thabo, “Berlin” [Ornaments]
09. Argenis Brito, “Lolipop” [Cadenza]
10. Marko Fürstenberg, “Espenhain” [Baum Records]

Will Lynch

01. Nick Holder, “Feelin’ Sad” [Sushitech Purple]
02. Wolf + Lamb, “If U Had” (Shaun Reeves Edit) [Wolf + Lamb]
03. Jason Fine, “Half” (Anton Zap remix) [Kontra-Musik]
04. Luke Hess, “Agape Dub” [Modelisme Records]
05. The Descent, “Spice Market” (Black Pepper Shrimp Mix)
[Railyard Recordings]
06. Norman Nodge, “Attitudes” [Marcel Dettmann Records]
07. Nils Anthes, “Lost Soul Chapter 1″ (Sascha Dive’s Sex Wax remix)
[Be Chosen]
08. Pendle Coven, “Optimal” [Modern Love]
09. La Peña, “Free From Love” [La Peña]
10. Wireman, “Armour” (Move D remix) [Prime Numbers]

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 it’s much more fierce and straightforward than its name suggest, the track pumps like a power station — pistoning bass and synth riffs driving dancers wild and sultry female exclamations letting off excess energy. DJs should not leave home without “Incognito.”

02. DJ Aakmael, “Get Down” [Uzuri] (buy)
Hitherto a well kept secret from Virginia, DJ Aakmael may be hard pressed to keep a low profile after this killer EP for the up-and-coming Uzuri. Like his Uzuri peers, Aakmael works with a raw toolbox across the “Music EP”‘s four tracks. The best of the bunch is the funk-tinged “Get Down,” whose tom-dappled groove slides by on backwards stretched pads and is given levity with short bursts of rubbery keys and calls to “get on down.” Don’t mind if I do.

03. Lawrence, “Forever Anna” [Spectral Sound] (buy)
While busy releasing an album as Sten, Peter Kersten largely left his Lawrence moniker on the shelf until the “Divided EP” for Spectral Sound. By and large, it was worth the wait. Where the title track couches its overcast mood in shuffling grooves, “Forever Anna” offers unrestrained aural beauty. Kersten pulls out all the stops and gets dense and intricate, expanding from a Chicago-inspired bass line into trickling bell melodies and syncopated synth string stabs, all flowing with the stately grace of a classical piece.

04. Wax, “Untitled 2″ [Wax] (buy)
Hardwax is a sure hotspot for artists releasing anonymous, hand stamped records, and this sizzler from Wax on, um, Wax, is one of the latest and well promoted. Some have speculated it’s the creation of rising star Shed, a suspicion that gains plausibility upon close inspection of the record’s particular palette. On “Untitled 2,” rigid, itchy rhythms are afforded a dose of relief by knife point synth jabs that blur, waver and hang in the air — defying time and shape. When the hi-hat (and thus, swing beat) kicks in, the creative use of rhythm and space ring true with Shed’s style. But whether he’s behind Wax is half as interesting or enjoyable as this platter.

05. Spencer Parker, “Improvised Minotaur”
[REKIDS] (buy)
The lead cut of Spencer Parker’s latest for REKIDS is something of a Trojan horse, because the front end of things hardly prepares you for the monster track within. Its live drum sounds and Sasquatch-in-an-empty-theater claps meet metallic resonance and feel incomplete; of course, that’s when the piano creeps in. Steady waves of warm piano chords lap at the percussion and launch into a catchy hook, and suddenly it’s got the charm of a Henrik Schwarz production with a singleminded approach and more troughs for mixing purposes. Use this one to slay a dance floor near you.

06. Pépé Bradock, “Mandragore” [Atavisme] (buy)
07. Sascha Dive, “Deepest America” (Moodymann remix) [Ornaments] (buy)
08. Kassem Mosse, “578″
[Mikrodisko Recordings] (buy)
09. Margaret Dygas, “See You Around”
[Non Standard Productions] (buy)
10. Omar-S, “The Further You Look – The Less You See” [FXHE Records] (buy)

Check out staff charts after the jump.

Staff Charts
(Note: Because of year end coverage, many of our writers are saving their charting energy for year end lists.)

Per Bojsen-Moller:

01. Beat Pharmacy, “Time” [Deep Space Media]
02. Chaim, “No Getaway” [BPitch Control]
03. Scuba, “The Upside” (Martyn’s Down Mix) [Hotflush Recordings]
04. Daniel Stefanik, “Hey, Hey What Can I Do” [Freude Am Tanzen]
05. Harmonic 313, “Arc Light” [Warp Records]
06. Peverelist, “Clunk Click Every Trip” [Punch Drunk]
07. Seth Troxler, “Aggression” [Moongadget]
08. Guy Noir, “Delusion” (Argy’s Big Room Dub) [District of Corruption]
09. Motorcitysoul, “Hatohay” (Manual Tur & Dplay remix) [Simple Music]
10. Alex Under, “Azul Terio Cerebral” [Cmyk Musik]

Todd Hutlock:

01. cv313, “Subtraktive” [echospace [detroit]]
02. Bruno Pronsato, “Nobody Calls” [Hello? Repeat]
03. Minilogue, “Mr. Mustafa” [Minilogue]
04. Sons of the Dragon, “Motor City Matrix” [Sons of the Dragon]
05. DJ 3000, “Meridian” [Motech]
06. Efdemin, “America” [Curle Recordings]
07. Lawrence, “Miles” [Dial]
08. Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts, “I Was On My Way To Hell”
[Circus Company]
09. Bvdub, “Wish I Was Here” [Millions of Moments]
10. Luciano & Mirko Loko, “Mousa Big Band” [Desolat]