Giveaway | Kastle (live) & Kaytranada – May 19th, Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver B.C.
We are giving away 2 pairs of all access tickets to Kastle (live) + Kaytranada‘s Vancouver show, put on by the homies at Hyphy and MSH Sessions.
All access = no line entry + backstage [green room]
Details for the show can be found here.
Rules:
1. “Like” Low-Life.ca’s Facebook page, here.
2. “Share” & “like” the Facebook giveaway post, here.
*The winner will be chosen randomly from the group of rule satisfying individuals and announced at 5pm April 18th, pacific time.
See you there-
L O W – L I F E
Nicolas Jaar | Sleeping Ute / Lux (Remix 12″)
For the 2013 edition of Record Store Day, Nicolas Jaar took to remixing both Grizzly Bear’s “Sleeping Ute” and Brian Eno’s “Lux,” which appeared on an exclusive RSD 12”. Of course, the vinyl sold out instantly.
In usual fashion, Jaar takes his time in letting his work unfold, keeping your attention with a stream of sparse atmospheric noise. Perhaps in respect for the original, he allows “Lux” to remain ambient throughout while his rework of “Sleeping Ute” gradually evolves into a clean, guitar-driven beat reminiscent of Darkside, Jaar’s collaborative project with Dave Harrington.
alh
Oneman | Interview
[Steve Bishop a.k.a. Oneman]
There is no denying that we have seen an influx of DJs over the past decade. In surprising contradiction though, we’ve also witnessed the diminishing of another species; what we’ll affectionately refer to as the DJ’s DJ. Steve Bishop, better known as DJ Oneman, is the epitome of this title and as such is but one of a few. Revered for his impeccable taste, honed turntable-isms, and ability to recontextualize the familiar into the novel, Oneman is perhaps even more eminent of a figure now than he has ever been. His name has many times graced the posters of Fabriclive, Boilerroom, Rinse FM, the Red Bull Music Academy, and now Igloofest, where we find shelter after his riotous performance to discuss the virtues of “Trap” music, the role of the DJ, and the future of UK dance movements, among other things. We hope you enjoy -
Low-Life: Igloofest… what is it? What’d you expect, what’d you get from it?
Oneman: I dunno what I expected.. I guess I expected an igloo. It’s good that there wasn’t one to be honest..
LL: I’ve read that one of the craziest parties you’ve played was in an igloo, back to back with Jackmaster, one deck, how did that compare to this?
Oneman: Ahh, that was so much better [laughs]. I can’t even begin to explain how much better that was. But yeah, like that was an experience in the igloo in Austria with Jack. And yeah, it fell to pieces; and this [Igloofest], stayed afloat. The boat stayed afloat.
LL: I guess that’s the beauty of not actually playing in an igloo. Having some actually structure.
Oneman: Yeah. Having a great stage, a good heating system for this weather..
“…if a whole new genre of music like dubstep came around… I really can’t see that happening again.”
LL: Changing the subject entirely – you’ve made a career out of being a DJ (among other things of course, label owner etc), do you think it’s still possible for an artist, a young guy coming up to make a name for themselves as that predominantly?
Oneman: I guess, well, it’s a lot harder now. When I did it, I was goin’ to clubs, I was meetin’ people in clubs, it was way more personal – not much internet involved. I’d meet people, and they’d give you a chance, because they believed in you, or they hear a mix of yours, or a radio show.
The scene was so small, that you could get away with it then. I feel like the only way that that could happen now, is if a whole new genre of music like dubstep came around; and I really can’t see that happening again. I feel like that could be the last big wave of a powerful music scene to come out of the UK, or anywhere really. I don’t think anything’s been as powerful as when dubstep came through, since. It was kind of: House, DnB, Garage, Grime for a little while, and then Dubstep. Since then, its just sort of been filler stuff. There’s never really been strong, powerful movement since then. So I think it can happen, but it’s a lot harder.
“That’s what I feel DJs should do if they’re producers. They should distance themselves from that production side of themselves.”
LL: I’ll quote you on this, you said: ‘I don’t think that the DJ is as needed or as important as when it started, all performance now is money.’ Do you think this has/will inevitably lower the bar for live performance? Essentially will it lower the bar for what a DJ is expected to do?
Oneman: Well, in a way I think yeah it’s already happened because, you used to rely on the DJ for new music. The producer couldn’t DJ. They’d have to learn how to DJ, where now it’s.. you know, a lot of producers have a copy of Ableton, and a controller, and they play their own tracks through that. Which is fine, and I have no problem with that, but it’s.. yeah it’s totally different deejayin’.. the bar would be lower, because expectations are completely different as to what they were.
LL: You’ve also said that one of your fortes is not necessarily relying on those unreleased tunes from your friends, it’s the talent in blending the existing tracks into something they’ve never heard before. Is that dwindling, or is there anyone out there still impressing you right now that can do that?
Oneman: There are a few DJs that I feel still do that sort of thing, like Jackmaster for instance, or Krystal Kleer – another great DJ that.. distances himself from his production style. That’s what I feel DJs should do if they’re producers. They should distance themselves from that production side of themselves. Not just like play all their hits, but you know, delve into what they like, or what they feel they could play against stuff. That’s what deejayin’ is I feel.
”['Trap'] reminds me of the energy that Grime had in the UK.”
LL: Just out there you played a lot of trap music: some classic stuff, Lex Luger, but also some from the more bursting phenomenon, Iggy Azalea, for instance. How do you feel about that movement?
Oneman: I feel like a lot of it has good energy.. and I feel like a lot of it has a relation to clubs. It’s club music. Bein’ the 808 beats, or the kind of straight rhythms, they have like.. set intro, set verse, set chorus. It’s good. It’s easy to play in a club, and it works. So yeah.. I mean, it reminds me of the energy that Grime had in the UK, from like 2000-2001. I hear the same sort of energy in a lot of the “trap” music.
LL: A couple weeks ago, you released a 119 bpm House edit of that xx tune, ‘Chained’. What provoked that, and can we expect more from you in the way of production?
Oneman: That was the Young Turks guys.. they asked Jamie [xx] to do a classic house edit of the ‘Chained’ track, and Jamie said “why don’t you ask Oneman to do it?” And then they asked me to do it, and I kind of played around with it for a bit, I had a few ideas, I used some UK Garage tracks and they didn’t really work, and then I settled on some old House stuff, and yeah.. I sent it to them, they liked it.. I think it’s good.
LL: Yeah, I think so too. One last one question – what gets you movin’ these days? What do you listen to on the plane, in the shower, whatever.. personally?
Oneman: Oh, at the moment, it’s the new Sasha Go Hard mixtape.. it’s sick. And it’s called ‘Round 3’ man.. and I dunno, she’s like one of the young Chicago girls like Katie Got Bandz. She’s really polite, she’s really nice.. she raps about her boyfriend, she raps about bein’ in love, she’s so sweet. I love her.. she’s great. She’s got good producers.. Block on Da Trakk, and another guy called Absolut P I think. Yeah, that’s my mixtape for the moment.
LL: Fantastic. Thank you for your time.
Oneman: A pleasure.
Cop both his Solitaire Mix and recent Edits compilation, free of charge:
[DL via images]
words: Samuel Rutledge
images/support: Kane Ocean
Kidnap Kid | So Close
Britain’s Matt Kidnap is the Kidnap Kid. “So Close” is due to drop March 4th on Black Butter Records. Euphoric, light and uplifting, this track is destined to be a quintessential summer anthem.
With Love,
Rader & upside-down T
Lianne La Havas | ‘Elusive’ (Shadow Child remix)
Our muse, Shadow Child, remixes Lianne La Havas in this addictive blend of pop, soul and vault house. ‘Elusive‘ is off of Lianne’s debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? which dropped in July of 2012 on Warner Bros. Records‘.
With love,
Rader & upside-down T
ENA | Demarcation / Monolith
Vymaanika is a record label based out of Berlin that is but six days old. Vymaanika totes a solely vinyl catalog and features only this release thus far. Needless to say we’ll be keeping an eye on Vymaanika.
Most notably, ENA was asked by Resident Advisor to provide the June 2012 episode (n°313) of their acclaimed RA podcast series. VYKA001, Demarcation/Monolith, is an eclectic and nearly ambient hypnosis of sound, with clear influences from the early drum & bass realm the while remaining wholly abstract.
Rader & T
Blue Hawaii | Try To Be
From their sun-bathed debut EP, Blooming Summer, to their more recent dark, techno-leaning remix for Majical Cloudz, we’ve seen that Blue Hawaii are capable of producing widely diverse sounds. As suggested by the title of their forthcoming full-length, Alex Cowan and Raphaelle Standell-Preston continue to depart from the light, breezy tunes they originally experimented with and tread into darker territory.
There’s a heavy feeling that rests overtop of their latest work. “Try to Be,” the second song to emerge from Untogether, begins with a subtly melancholic, finger-picked guitar melody and evolves as Raphaelle’s weightless vocals kick in, which are chopped and reshuffled to blend in with the tracks background elements.
Untogether will be available early March via Cowan’s own imprint, Arbutus Records.
See previously: Majical Clouds | Turns Turns Turns (Blue Hawaii Flüchtig Mix)
alh
Disclosure | White Noise ft. AlunaGeorge [PMR027]
Keeping on point with their excellent selection of vocalists, Croydon brothers Guy and Howard collaborate with London duo AlunaGeorge to bring the public a new single, White Noise. Featured earlier today on Zane Lowe’s programme via BBC Radio 1, White Noise offers listeners a groovy disco-influenced melody suitable for dark rooms with colourful flashing lights. The collaborative effort is forthcoming through PMR Records.
Atom
Boddika & Joy Orbison | Mercy (Boddika VIP)
This is the latest track from Boddika and Joy Orbison–taken from the upcoming album Think and Change due to drop February 11th on Boddika‘s own Nonplus Records.
Wolfey
Happa | Freak
Happa, a.k.a. Samir Alikhanizadeh out of Leeds, just uploaded this Christmas present for all of you connaisseurs of shadowy stripped-down UK garage. “Freak” showcases Alikhanizadeh’s gifts for establishing stone-cold menacing atmospheres and delivering deft onslaughts of heavily-swung percussion.
Be sure to snatch up the free download if it moves you.
See previously:
Vondelpark | Dracula (Happa Remix)
Wolfey
Robots Don’t Sleep | So Bad (Synkro Remix)
Manchester’s Synkro remixes “So Bad,” a new track from Robot Koch‘s latest project Robots Don’t Sleep. Vocals of John LaMonica, who is also featured on Koch’s The Other Side LP, claim centre stage while Synkro uses club sounds to wrap us up in a soulful R&B dubstyle mix. The self-titled Robots Don’t Sleep EP is set to drop on January 13 via Four Music.
┴
Dark Sky | Myriam EP
Last we heard of Dark Sky was following their triumphant four track return to British label Black Acre Records. Black Rainbows marked a distinct turn for the three boys from South London, as they chose to follow their more tribal, junglist tendencies, forgoing the glossy euphoria present on their debut effort for Modeselektor‘s 50 Weapons imprint, 2011′s Radius, and specifically its lead single, Neon, for something distinctly darker – in the words of our own sam.i.am., it was “playfully moody.”
Though the Myriam EP brings Dark Sky back to 50 Weapons, the mood here continues along the darker trend established by Black Rainbows.
Opener Shutter Speed sets the tone early, with a stuttering bass line, and one of the most unconventional melodies they have released to date, yet this track still has the potential to pack dancefloors around the globe, a quality that has become unsurprising with the inherent talent in this group.
Hequon follows, filling a head bobbing rhythm with deep industrial tones, and a sharp focus on the fullness of the production, lending gravitas to the relatively bare-bones song.
Up next is the centrepiece of the release, the eight minute epic – Shades. This grandiose piece manages to combine some of the harshest, mechanized sounds on the EP with its most human moment, the velvety synths that bring this track to a close.
Dark Sky wrap up the EP with easily its most in your face choon – Gaddagive. While there is an inherent quality to this song that will grab hold of your skull and toss it around, like a cat with a ball of yarn, there is nothing obvious about it, from the jacked up tabla rhythms to the chiming melody that kicks this song off. In the context of the album this piece feels primal, prehistoric even, yet even with these ancient qualities, it fits firmly in the groundbreaking, genre defying new wave of UK bass that Dark Sky has found themselves at the forefront of.
-St.Patty
Nosaj Thing | Snap
Today we serve up to you the latest from L.A. beatsmith Nosaj Thing. The newest single from his upcoming album Home, to be released on his personal label, Innovative Leisure, sees a return to Jason Chung’s atmospheric instrumental roots; featuring a throbbing bassline and delectable swirling synths.
From what we’ve heard so far, Home is sure to add to Nosaj Thing’s impeccable record – we eagerly anticipate this album, both as a release, and in hopes that it will bring his stunning live show to a city near us.
Yours,
St.Patty
Jessie Ware | Night Light (Perseus Remix)
[Jessie Ware]
Here is a soulful rework of Jessie Ware‘s Night Light by American-based “baby making record maker”, Pursues. Pursues takes the remix in an emotional and powerful direction contrasting the rock influenced original; he focuses on Jessie’s prevailing vocal lines and supports them with buoyant keyboard tones.
Be sure to cop the free download.
See previously: Jessie Ware | Night Light (Joe Goddard Remix)
[Perseus]
Atom
Dense & Pika | Crispy Duck EP [HFT027]
This heavy interpretation of the contemporary techno movement is most appropriately introduced by the minds behind the Hotflush Soundcloud account:
“Breaking onto the scene in 2011 with a series of hand-stamped white label 12-inches, anonymous duo Dense & Pika re-emerge for their debut on Scuba‘s Hotflush Recordings.
‘Crispy Duck,’ their 3-track take on modern underground techno, kicks off with a chugging A side, giving serious nods to Detroit and beyond with it’s deadly shuffle. On the flip, Dense and Pika claim the dancefloor with ‘Coil’ a tripped out up-tempo techno track, abound with hi-hats and fist-pumps, followed by ’31′, a rough and ready tune that melds 4/4 with acid and dub grooves. Doing their best to remain incognito, the duo are on course to make 2013 their year.”
Our favorite cut on the record is, without doubt, the title track.
Stream clips from the entire release, below;
Dense & Pika‘s Crispy Duck EP will be out via Hotflush on December 3rd 2012.
sam.i.am
Bok Bok & Girl Unit | Live @ Heaven Nightclub
Last week, at Heaven Nightclub in London, Night Slugs cohorts Bok Bok & Girl Unit performed what seems to be an increasingly rare feat – a truly live set – without once setting fingers on a computer, tables, or CDJ’s. Forgoing what have truly become the norm in the arena of live electronic music, these brash englishmen instead created every sound live – relying on an arsenal of analogue equipment; an MPC, TR909, Sequential Circuits Drumtraks, Juno 106, Polysix and FX.
It’s a joy to hear these beatsmiths work with and against their equipment – their talents paradoxically limited and enhanced by the constraints of their chosen media. These struggles ensure that the tracks played out aren’t merely facsimile copies of their computer generated brethren – they become as the artists put it “bespoke versions” – tailor made to their equipment’s exacting demands.
Listen, download and enjoy below,
-St.Patty
Egyptian Hip Hop | Yoro Diallo (Lone Remix)
Lone has put together a shimmering hypnotic remix of Egyptian Hip Hop’s “Yoro Diallo” from the GOOD DONT SLEEP EP via R&S.
Check out the original mix here.
See Previously:
Wolfey
Disclosure | Lividup (Waze & Odyssey Remix)
Waze & Odyssey haven’t carried out a drastic overhaul with their remix of Disclosure’s “Lividup” from their smash debut EP The Face. Nevertheless, I think this adaptation is definitely worth listening to. It’s a little bit meaner than the original.
If you’re raving to this, be sure to cop a free download from Greco Roman here.
Wolfey
RL Grime | † Halloween Mix 2012 †
Earlier this morning, RL Grime dropped a mixtape in celebration of this All Hallows’ Eve and a tribute to his muse, the Goosebumps legend RL Stine who introduces the mix with that voice that has been sending chills down your spine since childhood.
Play safe tonight-
Download || † Halloween Mix 2012 † – RL Grime
Tracklist
1. Elm Street Intro Ft. RL Stine
2. Nitemare – DJ Funeral
3. R U Ready – TNGHT
4. Many Men (Wish Death) – 50 Cent
5. Pockets – RL Grime
6. What Happened – Thugli
7. Won’t You (Be There) (Baauer Remix) – Nero
8. CLIQCLIQ – ??????
9. Backseat Freestyle – Kendrick Lamar
10. Shawty – Teeth
11. First 48 Interlude
12. Flood – RL Grime
13. Low MF Key – Amber London
14. Drippin – Kid Ink
15. Tha Black God – SPVCXGHXZTPVRRP
16. R.I.P. Tribute – DJ Funeral
17. Destroya – Paleman
18. Rainbow Colors Ft. Lil’ Flip – Three 6 Mafia
alh
Justin Jay | Dirtybird Halloweend Mix
Dirtybird Records continues to showcase its stacked roster with this hour of unabashed funk from 19 year old prodigy Justin Jay. Jam-packed with cuts varying from Justin Martin’s retouches of recent label signee French Fries; Eats Everything‘s Trubble; Julio Bashmore side project Velour‘s The Scent of Romance, and of course a few original tracks from the man behind the controls.
While the mix forgoes halloween classics like The Monster Mash, the beats here are definitely spooky enough to fuel your ghoulish weekend’s festivities.
-St.Patty
Good Kid m.A.A.d. City | Black Hippy Remixes
Perhaps the only thing more exciting than Kendrick Lamar‘s splendid album dropping today are the new remixes coming out of the Black Hippy camp. Available on an exclusive release through American retail giant Target, these splendid posse cuts showcase the wealth of skill at work within Kendrick’s crew.
With Kendrick at the helm, and Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q and Jay Rock snapping hungrily at his heels, the Black Hippy boys have certainly made their case as the most talented clique in hip-hop.
Stream both tracks below, and cop the exclusive Target issue of the album here.
Swimming Pools (Black Hippy Remix)
The Recipe (Black Hippy Remix)
-St.Patty
Fulgeance | Step Thru LP
For those of you who remember Fulgeance‘s 2010 Glamoure EP, your excitement is surely palpable at the mere sight of the Caen France native’s name. While he has undoubtedly stayed busy since that release with two solid LPs and a handful of EPs, nothing has quite caught our ears in the same fashion as Glamoure did until now.
The primary reason for this is growth. While a track like Raw employs similar production tactics to his earlier work (with masterful effect), Step Thru‘s greatest moments come with the Frenchman stepping out of his comfort zone. Wet, for instance, is a massive slice of seismic funk far heavier than any of Fulgeance’s previous work, and this trunk-rattling swagger suits him well.
Download || Fulgeance – Wet [320kbps] [recommended]
-St.Patty
Bat For Lashes | All Your Gold (Hercules & Love Affair Remix)
Ever since their phenomenal 2008 eponymous debut, New York’s Hercules & Love Affair have delicately walked the line between disco and house, yet all the while maintaining their dripping, melancholic sound.
Their latest work, a retake of Bat For Lashes‘ All Your Gold is without a doubt the most straightforward house release for the DFA signees, and it’s bouncy rhythms and jangling keys slough off Hercules & Love Affair’s usually sombre mantle with ease.
~St.Patty
NYC 73-78 (Beck Rework) | Philip Glass
At last, we see a glimpse of the bold project “Rework: Philip Glass Remixed.” With a team of artists that includes Amon Tobin, Nosaj Thing, Memory Tapes, Dan Deacon, and others, our expectations were certainly high.
Beck‘s rework does not disappoint – spanning an epic twenty plus minutes, Bek David Campbell’s contribution to the album is a carefully curated selection of Glass’s hugely influential work – stitched together with snippets of Campbell‘s own voice and wild percussion, like a patchwork quilt.
While it’s lengthy running time and experimental nature may seem daunting, the piece rewards the listener with intricate, mathematic rhythms and delicate harmonies.
-St.Patty
