The third release from Mute offshoot Liberation Technologies arrives from the anonymous Hessle Audio associate Bandshell. Like on previous releases, the artist is more engaged in the electronics rather than its club value. With "Perc", Bandshell has produced a simple formulation: the responsive relationship between the warm groove-laden baseline and the twinkling high-pitched synth. The two parts dominate the track and are entwined in an almost romantic gesticulation. But they are also two very contrasting sounds and ultimately separated by texture and the breath of white noise.
"Perc" is taken from the Caustic View EP, out on February 11, which is compiled of more contrasting tracks that will further reveal the multifaceted talents of Bandshell.
Chicago-born Sean Nelson makes futuristic electronic music as Shivastep. His second EP under this name takes him to a dark place, implementing pieces of footwork, juke, and hip hop. The six tracks that make up Ode To Tha Grind EP are a heavy collection of more composed work. Album highlight "Galaxy" is the best representation of Shivastep's technique - screeching samples lay over sharp drum hits until eventually the song slows and quiets down, giving an ominous look into what comes next. And what comes next excites us; Shivastep's full-length album should be out later this year, and it's one we can't wait for.
In a world redundant with laptop-generated music made by aloof loners, there probably is nothing more clichéd than the notion of 'bedroom music'. Still, occasionally you come across songs that enunciate a sentiment that cannot escape a certain connection to both intimacy and alienation that so archetypically throw us back to that safe haven as such, irrespective of genre pinpointing or indeed the actual place of recording. It is that sort of music that immediately makes you feel that distinctive kind of isolation, be it under constraint or not, eventually reaching a level of cathartic introspection that leaves you questioning anything that only hours ago appeared to be certain and settled. In that way, it makes no difference if it happens in a cabin northwestern Wisconsin or in a Neukölln apartment; we’ve all been there, and just as the sentiment itself, such music is essentially placeless – and it is that exact feeling that the music of Yule FM is all about.
Bless Us Everyone, the third album by the local solo project (with a little help from friends in live situations), features twelve fragile, restrained compositions of strikingly conceptual chamber pop, containing a more than remarkable level of musical sophistication in terms of arrangement and production, yet without ever trying too hard or being overly obvious about it; if anything, it's rather quite the opposite. Before any song risks becoming even feebly epic or expressing any sort of grand gesture, it will already be over again, as if being reluctant to unveil what is actually going on. Yet it is this sincere hesitation that will leave its mark on the listener, as the indeterminacy indeed seems to be key in all of Yule FM's work; every note on Bless Us Everyone might breathe melancholy, but there is and always will be a door out of the bedroom, out of isolation: "Let's Not Be Alone", the artist quietly sings halfway into the LP. We should probably take that advice to heart.
Bless Us Everyone will be out very soon via Berlin and Portland label/artist collective H as in Records, at the outset sold in a very limited edition of hand designed t-shirts that come with download codes, other physical formats set to follow. Highly recommended.
Yule FM will play live as part of the Cartouche #03 Release Party at Antje Öklesund on February 15, with us DJing. Go here for more details and the full line-up.
The combination of the band name The Cyclist and the organic-style production of his take on dance music remind me of the 2003 animated film, The Triplets of Bellville. Hear me out here. The film follows the kidnapping of a woman’s grandson, who has trained his entire life to be a competitive force in the Tour de France. The grandmother teams up with the triplets--an aging trio of performers who created music entirely built on noises from household found items—to track down those responsible for her grandson’s kidnapping. It’s a strange film, without any real dialogue and still opting to use the hand-drawn animation style when most animated films had moved on to using CGI.
It’s a stylistic choice similar to that of The Cyclist’s single, "Visions", which builds a voiceless, organic foundation of bass-heavy dance music dotted with found-sound style drums in a time when everyone is dropping vocal samples and drum beats into their software of choice and producing highly effected beat music devoid of the roots from which it grew.
This video treatment for "Visions" by Miko Revereza follows suit with The Cyclist’s production, building itself up slowly from simple, moving patterns. It patiently begins to add more colour as the song transforms, and more of the clicking and tapping drums are revealed. It’s a reminder of the appeal of flow and simplicity, and proof that sometimes the old ways are still worth pursuing.
“Visions” is the first single from The Cyclist’s upcoming debut album Bones in Motion, out March 26 via Leaving Records and Stones Throw.
If you love our Video Sundays, then you'll certainly love this: As some sort of prequel to the first edition of the Boddinale independent film festival, happening at Loophole on the eponymous Boddinstraße in Berlin Neukölln between February 7 and 17, our friends at Noisekölln have initiated another premiere event: their very own Music Video Awards. We're proud to be media partners of the NMVA, and even more proud to be part of the jury that will announce Neukölln's best music video on the day of the Boddinale closing ceremonies on February 17. However, all participating videos will be shown tomorrow at Loophole, starting at 8.30pm sharp. Entrance is free, go here to see a list of all contending submissions. The night will be completed by some live music courtesy of Orphan Fairytale, Free Choice Duo, and Savage Republic. Capacity is limited, so make sure to be there on time.
Young producer Kirk Spencer, part of Nottingham's Stranger Zoo collective, is yet another fresh face to emerge from the seemingly inexhaustible well of UK beat making. Debut single "Kukcu", which features Safia May on vocals, is a fine blend of intense bass, a dash of South Asian influences, and some rather lush synth lines, proving that here's someone already confident enough to search for his own voice while apparently effortlessly dropping a damn fine pop song that should work on your headphones just as well as on your local dancefloor.
Spencer's EP Wonderland is set to be released March 25.
Maria Minerva just won’t stop putting out music. 2011 saw no less than four releases, and last year she put out both the highly underrated album, Will Happiness Find Me?, and a collaborative album with LA Vampires, The Integration. And now, we already have the first single for her forthcoming BLESS EP for 100% Silk, “Black Magick,” which sees her continuing in that whole slightly-off ’90s house vein. On display are Minerva’s abilities for simple but effective songcrafting, as she appears to be a total dance and pop connoisseur. Yet, even on her more straightforward songs, she doesn’t shy away from experimentation, and on “Black Magick”, things slowly get more and more out-of-hand as the song goes on. What starts as an addictive pop hook by the end feels slightly sickly, as Minerva’s wailing vocals loop and she repeatedly says “You’re a riddle / Every day’s a struggle.” Minerva’s genius is that the song is completely enjoyable throughout.
You can stream “Black Magick” below, and grab the rest of BLESS on April 2nd.
Also, Minerva will once again pay our wonderful city a visit on Friday, February 8th at Berghain Kantine, which we obviously won't miss, and neither should you.
Comment below or share this link via our Facebook page to win tickets for you and a friend. More info about the event here. – the editors
Cankun has always dwelled in that tropical morning fog, hovering low enough that only the tallest palm trees can rise through the haze. "Science Can Help You" from the artist’s forthcoming Hands in the Dark release, Culture of Pink, arises from that same cloudiness as last year’s Idle, this time a bit more dense, and in that time of the morning when last night’s beach-bound dance party is coming to a close just before the gradient colors of the sunrise appear from underneath the horizon. Psychedelic guitar swirls and cadence-like drum beats rise like steam from the pavement, but in visibility this low, it’s difficult to tell where one stops and the other begins. It’s atmospheric dance-music for the outdoors where no boundaries can contain it.
Let yourself be engulfed in "Science Can Help You" below, and look for the entire Culture of Pink album from Hands in the Dark on March 5.
