Max Ulis | Seven
[ artwork by Tyler Fewell ]
In honor of The 2999 Project imagined by King Deluxe – the label based out of Salmo, British Columbia – Vancouver dubstep devotee Max Ulis has rendered a stark interpretation of a post-apocalyptic world. Furnished with sub-jarring bass and a vision of a distant future, this tune has been released free of charge in accordance with a series of other artists, such as Longwalkshortdock, Strangeloop and Raffertie, who have also participated in the project – read more about it here .
Everyone has been dead for a long time, the sky is grey and everything is covered in ash.
From the rubble new beings/plants are emerging.
alh
Excision | Shambhala 2011
The day has come.
Excision Shambhala Mix 2011
Track list:
- Excision – Triple X ft. Messinian
- Elite Force – Figured You Easy
- Excision & Skism – Sexism
- Zomboy – Pump It Up
- Skrillex – DnB Ting
- Audio – Cybatron
- Subshock – Back Up
- Dieselboy & Bare – WMFD
- Datsik & Subvert – Heart Stopper
- Run DMT – Solarize (Rmx)
- Nero & Skrillex – Promises (Rmx)
- Calvin Harris – Flashback (Millions Like Us Rmx)
- Bare – Droid X
- Bassnectar & Jantsen – Red
- Skrillex – Right In
- Noisia – Gutterpump (Pixelfist Rmx)
- Space Laces – No Mercy
- Twisted Ind – Heavy Metal (Crystal Clear Rmx)
- Excision & Downlink – The Underground
- High Rankin – Jungle (Neon Steve Rmx)
- Number Nin6 vs Torqux & Twist – Sentient
- Subscape – Screw up VIP
- Trolley Snatcha – Break Your Neck
- Addergebroed – Zodiak
- Ajapai – Blast
- Muffler – Move (Nightwalker Rmx)
- Adroa – End Boss
- Lil Wayne – Fire Flame (Shackles Rmx)
- Original Sin – I Love It
- Inside Info – Awkward (Excision Rmx)
- Original Sin – Original Bad Boy
- Dirty Deeds – Village Terror
- Specimen A – Flying Saucer
- Modified Motion & Faction – The Hammer
- Modified Motion – Now More than Ever
- El Diablo – Devil in the Machine (Liquid Stranger Rmx)
- Ganga Giri – Bayami (Liquid Stranger Rmx)
- Monstar – Bastard
- Tetsuo – One Day (Space Laces Rmx)
- Ajapai – Mobilized VIP
- Dirt Monkey – Imperial March
- Ajapai – Get Down (edit)
- Calvertron – Get Up
- Mr Boogie – Dead Junglist VIP
- Excision & Downlink – Swerve
- Jantsen – Let’s Get Ill
- Mark Instinct – Strawberry
- Prodigy – Spitfire
- 16 Bit – Surge
- Downlink – Station Seven
sam.i.am
Salva | Complex Housing
It’s been nigh on two weeks since Salva graced us with his presence with an opening slot at Shlohmo’s BlueDog show. Since then, I’ve been utterly entranced with his album Complex Housing, available for purchase here.
This got the man himself, Shlohmo, dancing, so get up and appreciate.
Salva – Wake Ups [juke] [recommended]
Salva – Icey [dub]
Be easy,
St. Patty.
Low End Theory Podcast | D-Styles & Tokimonsta
The Low End Theory (L.A.) crew has graced us with the latest edition of the Low End Theory podcast series with D-Styles & Tokimonsta for the guest-mix.
D-Styles & Tokimonsta – Low End Theory Podcast
Wolfey
Shlohmo | fine, thanks
Shlohmo gives us bits and pieces of the earlier experiments in the game he’s been playing so well as of late.
He instructs:
“not to take it seriously.”
We’ll do our best.
dear axe – Shlohmo [served chilled]
Shlohmo – fine, thanks [zip]
sam.i.am
Baths | The Vapors
Baths
is Will Wiesenfeld, a native of Tarzana, who in the last year has gone from contented obscurity to becoming somewhat of a luminary in the chill-wave scene. Under the monikers
Post-Foetus
and
Geotic
, Wiesenfeld self-released a number of albums, however he perfected his brand with the release of Cerulean, Baths’ debut album recorded over two months in the comfort of his own bedroom. In an amalgamation of traditional instrumentation, electronic aspects and ambient noise – clicking pens, rustling blankets, scissor snaps among other found objects – Wiesenfeld has managed to craft a series of inimitable melodies distinct to his aural oeuvre. There’s a warmth that emanates from Baths’ work and in regards to his live performances, he explains-
“The thing is. it’s not about the equipment live, especially with electronic music. That’s just gimmickry. It’s about your physicality – the actual human presence in the room.”
The Vapors is from a collection of post-Cerulean material, Pop Music / False B-Sides, released this summer. Download below or just purchase the entire album here .
The Vapors – Baths [chill-wave]
alh
Skream | Anticipation (ft. Sam Frank)
Oliver Jones a.k.a. Skream (London, UK – Tempa , Disfigured Dubz )- a legend in dubstep, rarely keeps us waiting too long for fresh releases. He has got to be one of the most prolific and industrious producers working in electronic music. Not every track is a classic- but his list of classics is long.
Today we have a 320 preview of his soon to be released track- Anticipation featuring the vocals of Sam Frank. If you are familiar with the last track Skream did with Sam Frank, Where You Should Be , then you will surely be eager to have a listen to this one.
Anticipation (ft. Sam Frank) – Skream [dubstep] [recommended]
Wolfey
Shambhala 2011 | Episode 3 of 4: Saturday
-
- Photo by T
The hump of the weekend brought the big guns out, big names and big sounds, in addition to a fine accumulation of neighbor hood bad men.
Lyricist, Zumbi , and wizard, Amplive , raised the bar for hip-hop acts at Shambhala, and I’d argue that it was not met again. The duo has been generous as of late. If you’re still hungry, visit the dot com .
Infinite – Vs. Lee Bannon – Zumbi [hip-hop]
Playing With My Tremelo – Amp Live [beat] [recommended]
Differ.e.n.t. – Amp Live [beat] [recommended]
Familiar faces of the unfamiliar Vancouver ware house scene, Basketball , brought their hallmark tribal energy to the Rock Pit. The four piece of live electronics, spirited vocals, and layered percussion, dished out a uniquely primal sound. They hollered in their native tongues (Croatian and English) over pulsating subs. These guys are apart of the west coast label, Lighta! Sound , a collective that was well represented this Saturday night. Here’s a taste of their first experiment. Their latest release, Maw , can be acquired at bandcamp .
Suspiros de Chile – Basketball [indie] [bass]
Vancouver stationed, Taal Mala, continued the LIGHTA! onslaught, with a chilled, yet ecstatic set. This BCIT grad is notoriously possessive of his consistently relevant music (his style tends to evolve with the trends of electronica) but he does dole out his mixes like rice at a wedding. The first showcases his current style. The second showcases my preferred period in his career. Both are worth your time and speaker. When you’re sold, spend some cash at his dotcom .
Taal Mala – Bass Coast 2011 Mix [future-bass]
Track list available here
Taal Mala – like clockwork [dub]
Track list available here
The following set sparked an undeniable feeling of pride. Not in myself, of course, but in Downlink ‘s progression as an artist. This being my fourth time seeing him, from the tiniest club and seemingly nested under Excision’s wing, to the Village stage, his development in to the polished monster he has become is stark indeed. Every trusted associate agreed; Downlink had the best set of any Rottun Record artist. It had a story; an ebb and flow that is so seldom present in a heavy dubstep performance. His new material was refreshing in terms of rhythm and synth, building our anticipation for his coming releases. Furthermore, he honoured the expertise of our dear friend, and uncanny talent, Sub-Antix , by playing out his recent release ‘ Culture Shock,’ with heated reception from the Village audience. To top it all off, Downlink wished our very own lowlife, Rader , a, “happy fucking birthday.” I was, and still am, applauding. Until he unleashes his new work, peruse his fine collection at beatport, and enjoy an All Hallow’s Eve favorite.
Culture Shock – Sub Antix [dub] [recommended]
Downlink – Halloween 2009 DJ Mix [dub]
Track list available here
Yet another Lighta! torrent proceeded. Max Ulis was followed consecutively by Self Evident at the beach stage. They, “played a perfect mix of the most current and progressive dancehall, dubstep, and techno,” reports the respected opinion of Mr. O’Neill. While associate, J. Perchie, noted their consistency, as well as Max Ulis , “being the standout.” These guys can be caught all over Vancouver, so I suggest you keep your eyes glued to the Lighta! Sound facebook page . Max is known as a staple in the Vancouver electronic scene where as Self Evident has been recently working like a battery to produce a slew of new music. Have a listen to the tracks below, then eagerly await the next Lighta! event.
The Sick One – Self Evident [dub]
Neverstop – Self Evident [beat]
Floating With The Tide – Self Evident [future-bass] [recommended]
I Don’t Like You – Max Ulis [dub] [recommended]
Slow Drug (Max Ulis Remix) – Pj Harvey [dub] [recommended]
The anticipation surrounding Excision ‘s 2011 Shambhala mix was almost tangible. We all asked the questions; how could Kelowna’s king of filth tour with the stadium hopping Deadmau5? Would this new relationship taint his trademark sound? Can he live up to what are widely considered to be some of the greatest dubstep mixes ever created? The answers are; “money,” “not yet,” and “eeeuu-not reeeally” It was pretty good, and very heavy. Granted, a number of tracks smeared that snear we all pursue so fervently across my willing face, but it wasn’t particularly memorable, nor clever. His very recent release, X-Rated , pleasantly surprised us with some gems, and though this is not a glowing recount, I will most certainly howl in excitement when this mix is released. Here’s a little something to spawn some much-needed nostalgia:
Excision – Shambhala 2008 Mix
[dub]
[recommended]
Track list available here
As expected, A.Skillz brought the party to Fractal Forest. Samples from, and remixes of, a number of the 20th century’s most iconic tunes (Public Enemy, NWA, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Black Sabbath all included) were juxtaposed cunningly by the contemporary ordure of Koan Sound, Skrillex and alike. To put it bluntly, his set was fun, and I mean playground-bouncing-cotton candy-faced-pillow-fighting fun, albeit with an extra dollop of sub-bass. In addition to the success of his time slot, his smiling remix of “California Soul” was played more frequently than any other tune all weekend, excluding the dozen or so rehashings of Rolling In The Deep.
California Soul (A.Skillz Remix) – Marlena Shaw [breaks] [recommended]
A. Skillz “Beats Working Volume 1″ (Dj Mix 2011)
Track list available here
The disappointment of Bonobo ‘s no show was in some way eased by Malente ‘s stellar performance in what would have been his time slot. It was spacious in the Rock Pit, but in a comfortable way. I stood at the very front and watched every flick and twist he carried out on those Pioneers. It was house music, I suppose, but there was something more charming about it. Perhaps it was the sampling, the clever layering of melodies and bass lines, or his acute ability to work the knobs on his decks. Whatever it was, it was phenomenal. His soundcloud is stocked with goodies, if you feel so inclined.
Carcola (ft His Majesty Andre & Lazy Ants) (Malente Remix) [bass] [recommended]
Marcellus (Malente Remix) – Light Year [house]
Malente – Dj Mix 2010 -12-15
[house]
[bass]
[recommended]
Track list available here
The night began to end at 4:30, with a rhythmic and haunting exhibition from Brooklyn’s Night Slug , Kingdom . He looked over the scattered crowd with the serene intimidation of a meditated heron slinging a baseball bat over its shoulder. I’ll admit it, he looked cool; like he knew exactly what he was doing. And he did. His set was commanded by percussive arrangements and, to be honest, it was my first time hearing anything like it. It was intricate and punchy, whilst maintaining the spooky quality his time slot offered. Head over to Night Slugs and spend a dollar.
Monster ( Kingdom’s Nicki-centric Edit) (Dirty) – Kanye West [hip-hop] [bass]
Hottest Dub In America – Kingdom [future-bass]
Kingdom – FADETOMIND Mix for Oki-ni
[future-bass]
[recommended]
Track list available here
See you Sunday night.
sam.i.am
Mosca | Bax
Mosca is Tom Reid (UK). With releases on Night Slugs, Fabric, and Domino in 2010 and 11, Mosca has been busy crafting crisp forward-thinking UK garage. He has also done some remixes for Four Tet and Foals.
Describing his sound in an interview for Mixpak [25.01.2011] he comments, “I think that this sound is just kinda of post funky, which is obviously a UK thing… but really what is it? Just a take on house which is so global its ridiculous.”
If you’re interested, read this interview by Fabric London [07.29.2010] here .
Check out his Square One EP on Night Slugs as well as his other releases here . Please support the artist, if he moves you.
Bax – Mosca [post-funky] [uk-garage] [recommended]
And also here is a mix he did for Fabric London last summer-
Fabic Live Guest Mix – Mosca [07. 29. 2010]
Wolfey
SBTRKT | Xfm Mix for Mary Anne Hobbs
Aaron Jerome, more widely known as SBTRKT , is a rapidly emerging electronic act based out of London. Having released tracks with Brainmath , Ramp , Numbers and Monkeytown , his most recent record is a self-titled debut through Young Turks . “Most of my ideas are written at night,” he explains. “Late at night, when everything around is silent- that atmosphere is where most of this record came from and for me, it explains it’s sound.”
Despite the electronic essence of his music, Jerome is continually reinventing and reforming his live shows, an enthusiastic experiment pertaining to the marriage of audio performance and visual style. Currently, SBTRKT’s live sets consist of Jerome on an acoustic drum kit with extra electronic triggers close at hand and accompanying him on stage is Sampha , the brilliant vocalist appearing on a number of tracks on the debut, including two of my favorites: “Never Never” and “Hold On.” If you are ever lucky enough to catch a SBTRKT show (maybe say, on the 25th of October at Fortune Sound Club in Vancouver) a pleasant surprise awaits in the physical form of an elaborate tribal mask. Jerome plays all of his shows wearing this mask and when asked to comment on it’s significance, he had this to say:
“It reflects that in worldwide tribal societies, wearing a mask would evoke the spirit of an ancestor or animal and [masks] are prominently used in ceremony and celebration. It’s about uplifting the soul and challenging the normality of electronic music and production.”
SBTRKT’s most recent release is a mix specifically crafted for the Mary Anne Hobbes Primetime radio show on Xfm .
Xfm Mix for Mary Anne Hobbs – SBTRKT
Wala
x
Rustie | Ultra Thizz
Rustie (Warp), a.k.a. Russell Whyte is a young London-based bass-music producer. He was born in Glasgow where he grew up playing the guitar and listening to staple rock artists like Hendrix and Nirvana. His older brother bought him most of his early record collection and he discovered electronic music through artists such as Drexciya, Juan Atkins and Jeff Mills , all of whom heavily influence his current productions.
If you’re feeling it, purchase his music here .
Ultra Thizz – Rustie [future crunk]
Play Doe – Rustie & Joker [future crunk] [dubstep]
Wolfey
Homework | Rally Racquet Club
[Frankie Knuckles at the Warehouse - Chicago, 1977]
This is sexy classic house music- a poppin’ bass line, raw soulful vocals, silky pad melodies, driven along by warm filtered piano chords drenched in reverb.
I tip my hat to this Amsterdam-based duo, Homework - this production is timeless. Pick up their EP here .
Homework – Rally Racquet Club [disco] [house] [recommended]
Wolfey
Hidden Cat Bootleg | Rollingstone – The Weeknd
This is a bootleg of “Rolling Stone” off the Weeknd’s 2nd release, Thursday from North Carolina based house producer- Hidden Cat .
Nice- nice- very, very nice.
Rolling Stone (Hidden Cat Bootleg) – The Weeknd [uk-garage] [r&b]
And cop the original mix here -
Love-
Wolfey
Poolside Remix | When Am I Going To Make A Living – Sade
This is a gleaming funktified disco at its best from breakthrough L.A. based duo Poolside ( Future Classic ). The production is impeccable. Wiggle your butt to its undeniable bass groove, silky soulful vocals, the killer sax solo-
Pick up their recordings here -
mmmm.
When Am I Going To Make A Living (Poolside Remix) – Sade [disco] [recommended]
Wolfey
Thom Yorke & Gilles Peterson | BBC Radio 1
For those of you who are not already acquainted with the BBC Radio 1 series, this is an excellent introduction.
Thom Yorke co-hosted Gilles Peterson ‘s weekly episode tonight and left us less than patient for what’s to come over the next couple months. In addition to spinning tracks from the likes of Thundercat, Modeselektor, Massive Attack, Jai Paul, and Flying Lotus, Thom announced that his most recent project, Atoms for Peace – a band comprised of himself, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and producer Nigel Godrich – will be releasing their debut album in the near future. And if you need another reason to tune in, the highly anticipated remix of Bloom by Jamie XX is premiered near the end of the show.
Thom Yorke & Gilles Peterson – BBC Radio 1
alh
Skream | Demented
Skream has bestowed upon us some free skank not less than an hour ago. This release is given out on behalf of Florida’s Dubstep Cures Cancer. Please ‘like’ their efforts on facebook ; your support goes directly to cancer research.
Be easy,
Rader
Joker | Back In The Days (Ft. Buggsy, Shadz, & Scarz)
In promotion of his upcoming debut LP entitled ‘The Vision’ Joker (Kapsize, UK), the unmistakable ‘purple’ synth virtuoso, brings us some grime from the streets of Bristol.
Good luck keeping up with the first MC’s flow-
Wolfey
James Blake | BBC Radio 1
It was only a matter of time. In what’s been aptly referred to as ‘the most eclectic session in months,’ James Blake , during his inaugural set on The Essential Mix, drops a slew of his own unreleased tracks as well as a kaleidoscopic selection from artists such as Salem, Eric Satie and Stevie Wonder.
James Blake – BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix
alh
Radicalfashion | Odori
In 2007, Hirohita Ihara, an experimental pianist and composer, surfaced on the international scene with his beautifully crafted debut album Odori. Since then, he has unfortunately disappeared beneath the waves of obscurity, leaving us this album as the only recorded ripple of the potential of this Japanese genius.
Never before have I experienced anything quite like the ethereal, crystalline beauty of Ihara’s twinkling piano and glowing strings; he ties down these dreamy instrumentals to unconventional drum programming, utilizing the pop and hiss of old vinyl recordings on “Thousand” and the slam of a door on “Ballet.”
Radicalfashion’s music has never been made available digitally, but for those interested, you can grab a hardcopy here , or just enjoy the free gems below.
Radicalfashion – Thousand [classical] [serve chilled]
Radicalfashion – Ballet [classical] [serve chilled] [recommended]
Be easy,
St. Patty
Ras G | Down 2 Earth
As the title suggests, Ras G is channeling some other-worldly vibes with this one. Since the early nineties, Gregory Shorter, Jr. has been a notable presence in the Los Angeles hip-hop/beat scene, distinguishing himself through the use of healing tones (specific sound frequencies said to have restorative effects on the body and spirit), jazz-funktified rhythms and celestial inspiration. The producer eloquently describes his own sound as-
“…ghetto sci-fi – an extraterrestrial soundwave transmission of dub, whitenoise, glitch, off-kilter boom-bap and sound bites.”
Ras G’s preoccupation with the exosphere serves him well in the abstract brand of beats present in his latest LP, Down 2 Earth ( Ramp , 2011). In regards to standardized musical categorization, he explains-
“As opposed to riding trends and waves, I try to bring forth the music that I really feel. It’s my offering to the world.”
Purchase Down 2 Earth here.
alh
Thom Yorke | Guest-Mix on Mary Anne Hobbs’s “Music Response”, XFM
This is a 25 minute mix Thom Yorke just put together for this evening’s broadcast of Mary Anne Hobbs’s new show “Music Response” on XFM.
Thom York Mix – as featured on Mary Anne Hobbs’s “Music Response” [09. 15. 2011]
Wolfey
Soloman | Zoop Di Zoop
Here is a huge dub from UK bass man Soloman (aka Saul Mountford). Residing in Stoke, Britain, he offers up sounds comparable to his compatriots such as Adam Badklaat and Jakes .
This low-life pays allegiance to some respected and rising imprints such as Beats & Bars, Krypled Brain Records, Bassclash & Betamorph.
A glorious arrangement of stainless steel synths that’ll get you up out of your throne-
Soloman – Zoop Di Zoop [dubstep] [recommended]
Bless,
Rader
Girl Unit | Wut EP
Girl Unit is a 25 year old producer from London (UK).
Describing his own sound in an interview for INHABIT, he comments,
“It’s quite diverse in that respect that I really like very up front, very physical dance music that’s got 808 drum patterns. With the second EP I just thought, I’ve made this one record and I dont want to back it with two house records. I really just wanted to keep the whole thing together. I’ve always liked working within that 140 bpm kinda crunk framework. So my sound is always caught somewhere in between.”
Girl Unit has several releases on Night Slugs . If you like his sounds, please purchase his tracks here .
Showstoppa – Girl Unit [future crunk]
Wut – Girl Unit [future crunk] [recommended]
Bless-
Wolfey
