Sunday, March 24, 2013

Elgato - Dunkel Jam


Despite his still-fledgling discography, Hessle Audio alumnus Elgato has an off-kilter touch that makes his tracks shine. Featuring a percussive, rolling bass line, 'Dunkel Jam' again finds "The Cat" exploring the more unconventional reaches of house-tempo music. Although one could easily construct a straightforward garage jaunt with the drum-hits, samples and vocals employed here, Elgato's vision allows for an altogether more rewarding experience.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Kahn - Badman City ft. Flowdan


I would love to see Kahn's hard drive; with so many tunes released at such a frenetic pace he must have countless more that never see the light of day. The Bristol native's upcoming EP, 'Badman City' features an eponymous cut with Flowdan on the mic. Needless to say, the pairing is utterly lethal and the track is crushing. Although Kahn's somewhat formulaic approach to grime is evident (see 'Fierce', 'Percy VIP', his remix of Joker's 'Back in the Days', etc.), for now it remains undeniably visceral and satisfying. Here's to many more.

Monday, March 18, 2013

Thee Oh Sees - Toe Cutter / Thumb Buster


To break up the usual electronic fare, I'd like to leave this little gem here. San Francisco locals Thee Oh Sees have a very special place in my heart. Their upcoming LP 'Floating Coffin' will feature 'Toe Cutter / Thumb Buster', a jam that alternates between sludgy and dreamy without breaking stride. I can imagine this being perfect on a sultry summer afternoon. Available for free download here!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Loefah x Trigga - Untitled


Finally breaking a long-standing moratorium on new tunes, we now have fresh dubplate business from DMZ co-founder and Swamp 81 proprietor Loefah. As of yet untitled, this cut recalls the sparse percussion of 'The Goat Stare' and the tectonic bass of 'Disco Rekah' while slowing the whole affair down to house tempo. Unfortunately for us, Loe reveals here that he has no intentions of releasing his own tunes any time soon.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Pearson Sound - Quivver


Of the shows I've seen in Paris, I have to say Pearson Sound at Le Batofar absolutely took the cake. While I expected Hudmo to blow away the competition, he cut his own set short by half an hour and refused to play an encore despite the ecstatic crowd... Come on now, really?

Pearson Sound, on the other hand, absolutely smashed it while demonstrating a level of professionalism that all djs should aspire to. Although the crowd was relatively small, Pearson flawlessly mixed an inspired set which ran the gamut from funky house to grime. Flexing his knowledge of electronic music as well as his formidable dj chops, the co-founder of Hessle Audio kept the audience on their toes. His change-ups were unpredictable yet thrilling, often transitioning between disparate genres and moods while somehow keeping everything coherent.

Highlights of the night included 'Quivver', Pearson's newest offering, available on a NonPlus+ records compilation released late last month. Sampled breaks and off-kilter percussion typical of Pearson give way to a pounding sub-bass after the drop. So lovely.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Chvrches - Recover (Cid Rim Remix)


Last night I bore witness to the Glaswegian madman Hudson Mohawke as he tore up the Social Club in Paris alongside other members of the prolific Lucky Me collective. To be honest, I'd never heard of Viennese producer Cid Rim, who flaunted a well groomed pencil-stache and a "RUN VIE" t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His set, immediately preceding Hudmo's, was largely textbook Lucky Me: lush, futuristic synths, dense percussion, and a pervasive yet subtle hip-hop bent. While the middle of his set seemed to lose momentum (and admittedly my attention), he rebounded gracefully with a few inspired tracks; his remix of Chvrches' 'Recover' actually killed it. Upon listening to the original this morning, I have to say Cid Rim succeeds in adding a whole new level of depth to the track and makes it soar. Definitely copping this one when it gets released.