Friday, June 28, 2013

Swindle - Running Cold Ft. Terri Walker



With his Deep Medi album debut Long Live the Jazz, London's Swindle continues to dynamically blend jazz, funk, soul, grime and dubstep to perfection, yielding sounds that are as time-honored as they are futuristic. Serving as the album's halfway point, 'Running Cold' features the passionate vocal stylings of Terri Walker, lamenting a lost love over the backing of Swindle's signature synth-work and a funky slapped bass line. The album is a refreshing addition to the Deep Medi catalogue, a collection often dominated by dark 140 bpm constructions.

-Farsight

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Demdike Stare - Collision



Demdike Stare’s Myspace page informs readers that one half of this two-man crew is also part of a duo called “Pendle Coven” and the other is the “dedicated digger behind the Haxan events”. If that’s not weird enough to put you off their music, then their granular synths, static hisses, and ultra-compressed percussion might be just your thing. This release, off Modern Love, is their first in some time and part of a daring new direction for the occult enthusiasts, one that leads into the jungle – or at the very least, the heart of darkness – with hints of industrial and break.

-Hieratic

Saturday, June 22, 2013

DIGI - Ivory

                       

Digi G'Alessio, Italian bass-music producer extraordinaire, has just released Ivory, an EP infused with the sounds of Digi's (alleged) recent trip to Africa. Digi's typically off-kilter brand of production, characteristic of his usual label, Lucky Beard, is joined with layered hand drums, shakers and elephant noises. The eponymous track, 'Ivory' is especially notable for its absolutely mental half-time breakdown at the 3 minute mark, combining a unique range of sounds to constitute one of the most compelling approaches to trap music in recent memory.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Chapelier Fou - Protest (Dimlite's re-ça va pas)



Flaunting his finely honed production skills, Switzerland's Dimlite unleashes a supremely atmospheric remix of 'Protest' by Chapelier Fou. The orchestral instrumentation ebbs and flows in unison, violins and cellos resonating to the rhythm of a melody that smacks of remorseful reminiscence. Dimlite's remix is utterly cinematic in its quality and effect, beckoning attentive repeat listening.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Marcus Intalex - Riots



Always prolific, liquid DnB guru Marcus Intalex has just released fresh heat on Goldie's legendary Metalheadz imprint. 'Riots' finds Intalex going absolutely minimal; the track features a two-note bass line backed by a bare-bones kick-snare pattern. A testament to his mastery of the genre, Intalex's grasp of drum and bass allows him to distill its elements while retaining its essence effortlessly. Definitely worth a listen, if not a purchase.

Hayato6go - CHOP JUKE



With its surprising diversity and ingenuity, the Japanese juke scene provides a welcome respite for those footwork fans who are a bit too familiar with the typical Chicago-inflected take. Representing the Osaka-based Booty Tune label, producer Hayato6go crafts maximalist beats that feature an impressive range of influences, barely honing in on one genre before deftly turning to another. Featured on Hayato's recently released EP Promised Land, 'CHOP JUKE' finds a tasteful jazz bass sample careening head-first into a manic rush of samples and rhythmic 808 assaults. While the EP is weighed down by a couple of weak tracks, the all-caps  'CHOP JUKE' is one of Hayato's stronger offerings.