For this column I’ve endured a great deal of popular dance tracks from the first half of 2010 to pick five whose acclaim seems most at odds with their merits. Most of them are not intolerable and some of them you might even enjoy — all the more reason to figure out why they punched above their weight.
steve
LWE 2Q Reports: Top 5 Labels
Six full months into 2010, the record labels that have impressed me the most have one thing in common: from record to record, their releases are as varied as they are superb. Here are five record labels, in no particular order, that stood tallest in my memory and heaviest in my collection.
Melchior & Pronsato, Puerto Rican Girls
Throughout Puerto Rican Girls it’s evident Pronsato and Melchior have musical chemistry, yet at times their sonic revelry comes across as hubris and a lack of editing.
DJ Sprinkles vs K-S.H.E., A Short Introduction To The House Sounds Of Terre Thaemlitz
Culled from her 2006 Routes Not Roots album as Kami-Sakunobe House Explosion K-S.H.E (“B2B”) and the digital-only A Silence Broken compilation (“Hush Now”), this release hosts two of Terre Thaemlitz’s most potent and timely dance floor tracks on vinyl for the first time.
Unknown artist, The Freeze/The Melt Down
The latest record to receive Juno’s largess tries to seem anonymous in spite of its striking, purple marbled vinyl and a garrulous press sheet that makes The Freeze/The Melt Down seem like a blind item: Which boldfaced U.S. house producer drew dancers to the booths at Panorama Bar and Fabric with this incognito platter?
Kyle Hall, Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel
In a city with a rich and diverse cultural heritage like Detroit, it’s not difficult to understand how so many of its native electronic music producers have avoided being penned into a single genre like techno. Following in the footsteps of artists like Kenny Dixon Jr. and Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Theo Parrish and Omar-S, young turk Kyle Hall is the latest to throw off the yoke of listener expectations and create without concern for categories. Hall was raised by a creative clan who engulfed him in house music at an early age and fostered his innate talents with an education at the Detroit School for the Arts. Add to that unfettered access to a world’s worth of music care of the Internet (something his predecessors could only dream of) and you’ve got a free-thinking, well-equiped producer for whom genre boundaries are as outmoded as landline phone service. So far in his relatively brief discocraphy he’s offered everything from delectable house melodies and grinding techno grooves to loose-limbed hip-hop beats and sprawling jazzy excursions. The genrebusters at Hyperdub proved keenly aware of his capabilities when they asked him to remix Darkstar’s “Aidy’s Girl Is A Computer” and positively prescient in nabbing him for his own 12″, Kaychunk/You Know What I Feel. It’s easily his most accomplished release to date.
LWE reviews Speaking In Code
For many Americans, most electronic dance music lacks the overt personality they demand from music, as it carries on without an obvious beginning or ending and can be reduced to an easy to mock “oontz oontz oontz.” Aware of this popular perception, Amy Grill placed the focus of her documentary, Speaking In Code, on contemporary artists and important figures in techno and house scenes rather than examining their history or the finer points of sub-genres. Early on, Grill (who narrates the film) states that her hope is to rehabilitate electronic dance music in Americans’ eyes. But given the difficulty of their task, it’s easy to forgive them for doing more to contrast the tribulations of passionate American techno fans with the wealth of choices and opportunities open to artists and their fans across Europe.
Lindstrøm & Christabelle, Real Life Is No Cool
At this point in Hans-Peter Lindstrøm’s musical career, audiences know he can go the distance. The Norwegian producer first cruised over the ramparts of Oslo’s relatively small music scene and into DJs’ crates on the backs of lengthy, interstellar disco grooves made for heaving dance floors. Collaborating with compatriot Prins Thomas on their self-titled and II albums, the pair refined extended jam sessions into still sizable explorations of the spaces between funk, prog, and Kraut rock at Balearic tempos. And then there was Lindstrøm’s 2008 opus, Where You Go I Go Too, whose three elongated movements streamlined into one epic excursion through the hyper-colorful depths of his creative vision, rendered with a grandiosity redolent of Vangelis. Going long has its drawbacks as well, like relegating Lindstrøm to niche markets too narrow for such a multi-talented musician. The dilemma he faces, then, is showing he can be concise while maintaining the appealing traits teased out of his lengthier tracks. With long-time collaborator Christabelle by his side, Lindstrøm tackles that challenge on their new full-length, Real Life Is No Cool.
Steffi ft. Elif Biçer, Kill Me
One of Ostgut Ton’s greatest strengths has always been the canny A&R work involved in each release. Their ear for talent is nearly unmatched in contemporary house and techno, having provided big breaks for Marcel Dettmann, Ben Klock, Tama Sumo and Marcel Fengler, and hosted career milestones by Shed, Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, and Cassy. Yet there is no sign of Ostgut Ton resting on their laurels or their reputation as the label arm of Berlin’s most highly regarded clubs. The imprint’s first release of 2010 is also Panorama Bar resident Steffi’s debut solo single, one so skillfully and confidently produced it all but insures everyone involved will reap rewards for their efforts.
Little White Earbuds Interviews Todd Edwards
Rare is the artist who can credibly claim their music inspired a musical movement; and while New Jersey producer Todd Edwards might not suggest so himself, there are plenty of admirers who would jump at the chance do it for him. His effervescent brand of garage house is the result of a visionary’s ear for making disparate sample sources fit together to create dazzling new melodies — moving mosaics that have influenced producers well beyond the limits of underground dance music. His tracks for i! Records and Nervous and remixes for everyone from St. Germain to Kim English were like a lit match for the U.K. dance music scene’s fuse, setting off an explosion of sample heavy 2-step that’s still smoldering today. Feverish fans even dubbed him Todd “The God,” although as a devout Christian he would likely prefer the title “Man of God.” His faith has certainly colored and informed his music, often in the form of positive, sometimes even praise-styled lyrics. But what might seem like a risky move for music geared towards a largely secular community only further distinguishes Edwards as an artist who believes completely in the messages laced throughout his work and has the guts to be forthcoming about it. After a few years spent on the sidelines, Todd Edwards is back with a raft of new tunes, remixes, and finally a legitimate way to procure his hard to find back catalog. He was kind enough to talk with me via phone about his methods, his message, and the Almighty in his life.
Hydronaut/Aquarhythms, Deep In The Feeling/Warm Seqs
Jay Ahern’s name has crept up a lot recently, often in the same sentence as his Hauntologists project with Stefan Schneider or his Cheap and Deep moniker/label born in 2009. Seasoned techno watchers, however, will recognize Ahern as the scene stalwart behind Aquarhythms (who recorded for Astralwerks), Add Noise, and a handful of other monikers dating as far back as 1992. With a new crop of listeners awaiting his next transmission, Ahern offered a personal history lesson that was remarkably germane for 2009′s sonic climate. The “Deep In the Feeling/Warm Seqs” 12,” which features mid-90′s era remixes from Morgan Geist and Carl Craig, feels more than 10 years ahead of its time.
My My & Emika, Price Tag EP
2009 was a particularly quiet year for My My. With Nick Höppner busy managing Ostgut Ton and Lee Jones still riding the waves made by his acclaimed 2008 album, Electric Frank, it’s not all that surprising their output was limited to “Going Going Gone,” their contribution to the All Night Long series, and the Price Tag EP. The last two years have also proven somewhat stylistically problematic for a pair who breathed new life into the sample-heavy micro-house sound as more and more producers spiked their subdued house tracks with sampled snippets. Inviting the Berlin-based producer/vocalist Emika to appear on “Price Tag,” then, seems a fillip for audiences who’ve relied My My for unexpected sounds, providing human depth that’s difficult to evoke with even the deepest sample vaults.
Download: Stimming, Silver Surfer
When I first heard Stimming’s debut album, Reflections, in early 2009, his organic, cobblestone house tracks plucked and pulled themselves in a very different direction than his house peers. Of course now 2009 seems like a year besotted in hand drums and organic textures, yet Stimming’s sound still crackles with a unique energy and pluck that’s far more compelling. Take “Silver Surfer” from Reflections, a spidery crawl through Stimming’s string section with melodies that sting like a snapped rubberband. Seriously, take it:
LWE Interviews Roman Flügel
Roman Flügel is one of those producers whose multifaceted career makes him difficult to describe narrowly, so I’ll stick with two simple truths: his 15 years spent making electronic music have proven him to be courageous and innovative. Never one to shy away from new sounds, Flügel has tackled everything from tribal house to experimental electronic jazz. But his most lasting project have been equally bold, from the serrated edged acidic electro of Alter Ego to the soothing scope of Sensorama (both in partnership with Jörn Elling Wuttke), from reduced and acid-house as Soylent Green to the IDM-flecked downtempo created as Eight Miles High. He’s harnessed the highs of crossover hits and powered through the lows of of steep expectations, never apologizing for being ambitious as an artist or appreciating success. Mr. Flügel was kind enough to chat with LWE about underground credibility, challenging audiences and days spent producing in a garage.
Paul Frick/Scott, Would You/What You Got
So far in his brief dance music discography, it seems wherever Paul Frick goes his pals Daniel Brandt and Jan Brauer are sure to follow. The pair, who record together as the ambiguously named Scott, have been remixed by Frick, appear on two compilation EPs with Frick (for klamauk and 30porumalinha), and round out the trio Brandt Brauer Frick (whose excellent “Iron Man” single and attendant Lee Jones remix have been unfairly overlooked). So don’t expect to win points guessing who’s on the flipside of the Paul Frick-fronted single from the brand new imprint The Gym.
Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, U & I/The Jam
Touching hearts is only half of the Prosumer & Murat Tepeli experience, as evidenced once again by their first single since 2008, the rousing “U & I/The Jam.” Setting aside emotional themes to reach for their dancing shoes, Prosumer and Tepeli have crafted an irresistible call to the floor.
The Mountain People, Mountain008
In the span of seven releases, André Schmid and contributors Serafin and Roman Bruderer have charted a wide-ranging course for the Zurich-based Mountain People label. But whether the records paid homage to seminal house tunes (“Mountain001″) or helped spark the return of tribalized minimal house (“Mountain005″), their impeccable construction was conspicuously identifiable as a Mountain People production. Schmid (better known as Rozzo or Peter Dildo) imparts a certain snappiness, a sexy gait such that even the label’s lowest points (the threadbare “Mountain006″) are far more palatable than the majority of house singles I receive. While the eighth Mountain People 12″ is equally surefooted, the record’s droning arrangements are more aligned with those of Schmid’s other guises than its predecessors. The results are less compelling than one might imagine.
Wax, No. 20002
When Marcel Dettmann casually admitted René Pawlowitz was the producer behind the anonymous Equalized label (and the subsequent transformation of Shed’s Myspace account into Waxalized), more than a few lingering suspicions were confirmed. In retrospect, the rhythmic complexity and painstakingly crafted timbres of these stamped white labels shared palpable kinship with Pawlowitz’s Shed and STP tracks — a degree of production prowess uncommon in the majority of releases being cranked out breakneck speeds. Shorn of identity intrigue, the second Wax single, “No. 20002,” offers further testament to the acuity of Pawlowitz’s musical vision.
Deuce, Deuce EP
So far in 2009, Ostgut Tonträger has charted a course favoring harder, more aggressive sounds than in previous years. As the label arm of Berlin’s preeminent Berghain club, whose name has become synonymous with dark and uncompromising techno, this isn’t entirely surprising. Prominent resident DJs/producers Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock have also seen their stock skyrocket since the label launched in late 2005, furthering the case for harder stuff. And while a discography notched with several releases from Prosumer & Murat Tepeli, 12″s from MyMy and Âme, and the Shut Up and Dance! Updated compilation evinces diverse tastes, one wonders if Ostgut Ton’s recent focus portends a broader shift. If commissioning an EP and album from Luke Slater’s ferocious Planetary Assault Systems project was the tipping point, the “Deuce EP,” a collaborative effort from Dettmann and Shed, lays bare how astringent and foreboding the path ahead may be.
Osborne, Hovercrafting EP
Osborne’s “Hovercrafting EP” picks up where his Spectral Sound-released debut album left off last year, offering a breadth of styles rendered in characteristically bespoke timbres. The EP revisits “Wait A Minute Now,” first included on the free Ghostly Swim compilation, with two new versions and a potent Arto Mwambe remix. Osborne also slakes his thirst for crossing genre borders on two new tracks that deliver on the promise of his 2008 releases without simply reshuffling the deck.











