First post of the new year

It's finally here. 2009 was full of...well, lots of stuff, for different people. Some probably loved, others couldn't wait for '10. Either way, it's a new year, and time to look at my top 3 for 2009. Tracks and albums. I know this isn't a top 10, but I don't want to write that much, and I'd rather everyone check out the music instead of talking to me or reading what I have to say. Alright, let's head on in...



ALBUMS

3) The Whitest Boy Alive - Rules

Bubbly, catchy, poppy, Norwegian goodness. Musically interesting and engaging as well, "Rules" picks off where 2006's "Dreams" left off, continuing a string of glittering, joyful pop nuggets, perfect for jamming to, rocking out to, head-bobbing to, or all of the above. Favorites: 1517, Courage, Timebomb.

2) Dam-Funk - Toeachizown

It doesn't get much more mellow than trippy, glowing modern day funk straight out of L.A. Dam-Funk does it best when he's got only a Moog and a synthetic drumkit, weaving dense, boppin' rhythmic funk biscuits (24 in total) that sample the best of his epic, five volume EP releases all through 2009. A locked-in groove is never far away, and DF's masterpiece gathers tracks ranging from 2 minutes to 9 minutes in length. Good for listening at any time. Dreamy, sky-bound, trippy, ethereal, lush, groovy, this is funk in the most serious meaning of the word. Favorites: 10 West, Toeachizown, Candy Drippin', Galactic Fun, Flying V Ride.

1) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

Maybe it was just me, but in a year of dark, brooding, ever-pervading moody releases from all fronts, it's nice to hear something genuinely cheery, yet seriously cheerful. Not goofy happy. Honest to God, meaningfully happy and joyous. And nothing exhibited this better than Phoenix's third album, released right at the beginning of summer. The rhythms, vocals, melodies, everything just clicked. Not a single bad song on the album either, another fine example of quality over quantity. Say what you will about deep Pink Floyd albums, epic A Perfect Circle business, or Nine Inch Nails...whatever. Sometimes a little dose of happy can beat them all when the time is right. Favorites: 1901, Lasso, Rome, Lisztomania.


TRACKS

Scratch it. I'm going Top 10 for tracks.

10) Funkagenda - Breakwater (Dataworx Remix)

Thick, rumbling drums underneath a sheen of perfectly rhythmic toots of a pipe organ? Sign me up. Dataworx took a lush, clubby original and ran it through a tech house converter, flattening the track out before blowing it up and plunging it underwater. Beautifully rhythmic, while still retaining the effervescent, beach-time sensibilities of the original.

9) Andy Chatterley - Jets

Epic, furious monster of a track. Andy Chatterley's aptly titled techno cut on Saved Records is a wonderful example of a kitschy theme done correctly. A simple, metallic synth riff kept things in focus while the very electronic-sounding drums bounced and rumbled amidst the roar of jetplanes taking off and landing. The sudden, violent breakdown shook the entire track as a blaring siren rang out in fearful, menacing calamity. A monster, indeed, that shook both heads and bodies.

8) Stimming & H.O.S.H. - Radar

Funky tech house at it's best. Rippling and yawning for the first few minutes, Stimming and H.O.S.H. sent this whining, blaring freight train (literally) of a track up a proverbial and literal mountain of sound, the whole time the beat wavering and shaking in fearful, empowering audacity. Body-shaking and mind-numbing; the ballpark organ in the throes of death for the entire track. Definitely odd, but completely danceable and beautifully dark.

7) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)

A-Trak delivers with another quality remix, nearly on par with the untouchable remix of his of Sebastien Tellier's "Kilometer". Hip-hop tinged drums, a rubbery bassline, and excellent use of Karen O's vocals, this track is a winner from start to stop, and it really showcases A_Trak production abilities and how he can mold a track expertly while keeping it true to form, something most remixes fail to understand or catch onto. A club hit, in every sense of the word.

6) Calvin Harris - Flashback (Eric Prydz Remix)

Prydz rarely releases any remixes, but luckily, when he does, you KNOW they'll be quality cuts. Example? His typically, but beautifully proggy remix of Calvin Harris's "Flashback". Typical Prydz here ad nauseum: rhythmic, proggy synths, thumping, repetitive drums, it's all here. But Prydz cutting up and subsequent use of the vocals work absolute wonders, pulling a dreamy, velvety cloth over the listener's eyes and ears, plunging the track through a head-happy, whirling progressive house dreamscape that you can't help but dance too. Kudos to Prydz's production skills; this is an absolute winner.

5) Mayer Hawthorne - Green Eyed Love (Classixx Remix)

Lush, creamy, and shimmering: anything Classixx touches turns to gold. Stones Throw signer Mayer Hawthorne, with his Motown-via-a great white guy voice schtick (a great schtick at that) gets the indie dance treatment from Classixx. Lush synths billow, rise, and fall gently and beautifully against Hawthorne's exquisite voice. Dreamy, ethereal, with a dollop of soul; this track has it all. Best for sittin' and listenin', drivin', or just...relaxing.

4) Inpetto - Catwalk

Up to this point, I had never really been a fan of Inpetto. A slew of decent remixes and a few originals on Big & Dirty never really caught my attention, but then Catwalk came along and changed all that. A metallic, prog house beat falls into place alongside blippy, equally metallic synths, before...the sax solo. Holy shit, this came out of nowhere, but oh man, the rhythmic sensibilities soar afterwards, and the solo absolutely turns the song into a house must-have. Head and body music with a "sax"-ual twist. Aha.

3) Danton Eeprom & Radio Slave - Grindhouse (Dubfire's Terror Planet Remix)

Hoooooooly shit. Few things have more power than this track. Growling, heaving, menacing, viscous, powerful, absolutely clobbering. The bassline thunders along amid Eeprom's ghastly, haunting vocals; an air of fear and menace filling the air for the near 11 minutes this track hangs around. Barebones rhythm here works wonders, and this ends up being one of the best remixes of the year. Any time you thing about doubting the track, just wait for the hiss of the pistons and Eeprom's omniscient , commanding voice...then we'll talk.

2) Anything on Great Stuff Recordings.

There. I said it. This is my list, so if you disagree, fuck off. EVery single time I check for new tracks, I always return to Great Stuff. Butch, Lutzenkirchen, Ramon Tapia, Martin Eyerer, Namito, Oliver Koletzki...a bunch of excellent tech house producers that release amazing stuff every single time something new drops on Great Stuff. Ramon Tapia's Latin-esque "Sunka Sanka" and "Start It Up", Mike Monday's rhythmic, head-boppin' "Zum Zum", Butch's beautiful, starry-eyed remix of Luomo's "Tessio", Benno Blome and Martin Eyerer's eclectic "Pianoroll", Mason's atmospheric, techy "The Ridge", Lutzenkirchen's ominous "Borderline", the list goes on. Great Stuff is always 100% quality stuff. If it ain't broken, don't fix it.

1) Sebastien Leger - The People (plus Eric Prydz remix)

Leger at his experimental best. Taking a Marilyn Manson sample and completely fucking it up. Techy, violent, grating, an absolutely beautiful example of going outside of your comfort zone to wonderful results. Not only is the original amazing, but Prydz's remix extends it a bit and introduces each element to thunderous effect. Tweaking the vocal sample into the track's sole melodic element, underneath devastatingly simple synths and drums, this is a tech-prog-house joint that completely destroyed everything else I've heard this year. Maybe I enjoyed a few tracks more, but I can always return to this 10 minute sucker for a complete and fully enjoyed listen.



That is all. Enjoy! Give me your thoughts, and give everything a listen if you're of a mind. Happy New Year's to all. Let's make this the start of a great decade. '10.

-NL

Cosmic mindtrips: Apply within.

The night sky gleams a metallic gray, a thick coat of purplish-black spread slowly and evenly across it, like grape jam on a warm slice of toast. Solid colors and shapes melt away into an amalgam of mushy, cloudy hues, so to the surrounding sound glistens and glitters a final time, comforting and embracing in its soothing, effervescent, cosmic trance, before dropping off into a cascade of creamy synth melodies and smooth, spacey pads.

Once in a while, one needs to substitute rhythm with substance and completely engulfing atmosphere. These selected tracks will do just that. It is never too late, too early, or too soon for chill-out cuts.

This first track comes from Altair Nouveau's Space Fortress EP on DFA Records. Although a much more pop-oriented affair, "Sorcerer" maintains bubbling, arpeggiated synths that wrap around yourself softly and comfortably, like a velvet blanket in the middle of winter. The squelchy main synth line bounces through the front door on a bed of heavy, throbbing snares and kicks. The underlying synth simmers for a moment before launching into the soaring, mind-numbing synth hook, sling-shoting the listener through a cosmic star field of lush, spacey synths and smooth, grooving drums. Short, but indubitably sweet.

Altair Nouveau - Sorcerer by paul solardisco

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This next cut comes off the [FREE!!!!!] Ghostly International x Adult Swim compilation, Ghostly Swim. FLYamSAM's absolutely dope "The Offbeat" sounds like J Dilla in space. Clobbering live drums shake your core while the loopy, cosmic synths set a gooey, surreal backdrop that almost begs you to lie back, relax, and let your mind stray... After a minute or so, things launch into space, and a razor-sharp backing synth adds a hefty dollop of trippiness onto the already loose and lax production of this stellar instrumental. Even shorter than the last, but well worth at least one listen.



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This final tune comes from another face from Ghostly: Michna. "Swiss Glide" kicks off with a game of pool before bringing in a groovy, zaggying beat that reminds me of RJD2. The sighing, hollow vocal samples give way to a sensual, moody brass section that sounds wonderfully bronzed and dated, perfectly in place with a soundscape as sharp, bumpy, and laxly produced as anything I've ever heard. Things tighten up soon after, and this is no insult to Michna: the organic, live-sounding elements of the track progress smoothly and flow wonderfully, like a late-night lounge groove. Check out Michna's album "Magic Monday", also released on Ghostly, for more cerebral-by-way-of-the-feet goodies.




That's all. Relax and enjoy your nights. Lights out.
-NL

What modern funk sounds like.

Recently, I have found myself more and more enjoying Dam-Funk, an L.A.-based producer with a knack for modern funk.

I'm not going to outline any specific tracks of his, instead, I'm simply going to outline his style on the whole and give a few of my favorite tracks of his to check out.

Dam Funk is funk. Not in the joking sense of the word, either. He literally is funk reincarnate. Warm, lush synths, luscious, creamy pads, sultry Moog riffs and vibrant swathes of color and mood permeate every single track of his. I cannot even describe the best of his tracks, either. They just give off a feel-good, joyous, wonderfully catchy, funky vibe that grabs you by the head and the hands and will no doubt send you into the grooviest of trances you've ever experienced. Funk, when done right, is a beautiful, sexual, sensual, powerful sound that creates a mood and atmosphere all its own. Usually, you get cheesy porn funk. This is the real deal. And damnit, it sounds absolutely amazing. Cop his 12" releases, 5 EP set, or 2 CD album, all out on Stones Throw and all available digitally as well. Below are a few of favorite cuts. This is definitely up for album of the year in my book.










Enjoy. This is love-makin' music right hurr.
-NL

Spotlight: Stimming

Some producers' sound can be defined in a word or two. Dubfire? "Bass, kick." David Guetta? "Commercial shit." EDX? "Repetitive prog." Luckily, some producers swing between specific techniques from track to track while staying comfortably within the boundaries of their own personal sound. German DJ/producer Martin Stimming undoubtedly falls under the "tech house" catchall. However, his specific techniques and personal stylings warrant a more specific definition of his sound: "funky, bouncing tech house with emphasis on the funk." Yeah, it's a little more than two words, but Stimming's sound is something all his own, and it's something I've grown to love in recent weeks.

The first track I'd like to highlight from Stimming defines his native Hamburg sound and style perfectly in its name: "Funkworm". That's exactly what this sounds like. A murky, writhing, wriggling, funked-out worm of a guitar riff plonks its way into your head and stays firmly anchored under equally dirty, gritty drums that practically reek of wet dirt and freshly cut grass. The kick and gravel clap practically drive you headfirst into the ground, giving this cut a very earthen feel that perfectly compliments the annelid on which the song is based.

Stimming - Funkworm

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This next cut finds Stimming reveling in hissing synths that claw at your feet for the first minute or so under scarce, intermittent hi-hats and snares that gather build under a solid kick pulse. The glib vocal line says it all: "Just say hey, do you want to funk with me?" The jazzy hi-hats and claps solidify the structure while the synths percolate underneath, warming the entire track while licking at its feet for a good minute or so again. This is signature Stimming we're hearing now. A groove that warms, jars, and shakes you all over. The synth line skates over the vocal line which almost sounds like a joke, but there is no denying the heavy, pulsating bodytrap Stimming has set here. Not his best, but "Funk With Me" is another quality Stimming outing that definitely goes for the body over the mind.

Stimming - Funk With Me

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"Magdalena" finds Stimming teaming up with fellow Hamburg producer Einmusik for a much more straightforward, techier approach to tech house. An unrelenting bassline starts things up with a hint of that sexy, grooving Stimming rhythm hinted throughout the track. However, the groove is traded in favor a body-rocking synth line and more progressive sensibilities. The groove is still present, but it's definitely in the background here. But what I love about this track so much has to be that same synth line. This is a much more immediately danceable track that rolling right off your arms and back with a palpable shake. About three and a half minutes in, the menacing vacuum of a synth takes over and the rhythm kicks into overdrive. There is no way you can't move your body to this. Absolutely unrelenting. While other Stimming tracks usually kick back and let things build slowly, this cut definitely mans the helm and drives things straight into the proggier reaches of tech house, but that's perfectly fine. The results are massive, rhythmic on a level that progressive house rarely attains, and completely danceable with a killer, soul-sucking synth line that damn near forces you to get on your feet and dance.

Stimming & Einmusik - Magdalena

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This last cut returns Stimming to what he does best, and along with fellow German/Diynamic producer H.O.S.H., Stimming crafts a spacey, dubbed-out mind and body trip that you won't soon forget. Things start off in the outer reaches of space. A humming kick/to combo create the structure while a barely-there synth chimes in every measure to signal something is still happening and that this track hasn't all but flatlined. Every so often a few claps and a sinister hiss of a maraca shake foreshadow something more...but what? At 1:40, we find out. Ahh, glory. That warm, inviting Stimming drum sound. Wounded horns penetrate the background on occasion, and soon peak in an eerie, trainwreck of a climax that sounds...wonderful. Hi-hats, claps, and that bloody catchy maraca shake...the rhythm is undeniable here! It's classic Stimming, and that same whining, groaning synth line twists and turns through the...oh goddamn it. It's a train. Modulated and probably beaten senseless, this train winds up a cold, lonely mountain of sound, once in a while tooting to let us know it's almost approached the station. And then...what a breakdown. A bluesy organ all of a sudden breaks the clouds and shines down in all its melancholy glory to signal another "what-the-fuck" moment in a track full of them. But up against those Stimming drums...god does it sound good. Then everything drops out, only the claps and the hi-hats sounding off as the train's whistle mournfully toots off in the distance. "Radar" has holy crap written all over it, but it's a wonderfully unexpected track that pleases, if not with a crease on the forehead for the whole time you're listening to it.

Stimming & H.O.S.H. - Radar




That's all for now friends. Next time I plan to check out one of my favorite labels and mine it for some gems to share with all of you! Until then, keep on listening.
-NL

Short 'n' simple

I've spent most of the day fine-tuning my second big mix, while even takes on a kind of theme, believe it or not! Just shy of an hour, hip-hop, rap, electro, and indie dance/disco come together wonderfully and completely danceably. It took a looooooong time, but I am finally done. Yes, it's not the best production, but I'm losing sleep, this is destroying me! But I love it. I'll upload it later onto Mediafire. Until then, check the track-list:

1) Intro
2) Lupe Fiasco - Mastered
3) John Dahlback - Sidewalk feat. Elodie / Foremost Poets - Moonraker (Acappella)
4) DJ Mehdi - Signatune (Thomas Bangalter Edit) / Foremost Poets - Moonraker (Acappella)
5) Jesse Rose - Touch My Horn
6) Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho
7) Kid Sister - Right Hand Hi
8) Boys Noize - Oh! (A-Trak Remix)
9) T.I., Bun B, & Slim Thug - Three Kings (Ratatat Remix)
10) Clipse - Mr. Me Too feat. Pharrell
11) The Bloody Beetroots - Awesome feat. The Cool Kids
12) Kid Sister - Pro Nails (Bag Raiders Remix)
13) R.Kelly - Hair Braider (Starkey Remix)
14) Kid Cudi - Make Her Say feat. Kanye West, Common, & Lady Gaga (Sammy Bananas Remix)
15) Lily Allen - Smile feat. Wale [Remix]
16) Kanye West - Diamonds are Forever feat. Jay-Z

Get hype. S'coming soon!!!!!
-NL

Sometimes the air works better than the ground

Great title, right? On a late-night Beatport binge I encountered two tracks that immediately struck my fancy. Consequently, they both deal with planes. Holy. Freaking. Moly.

The first comes from Andy Chatterley, who in the past has worked with, of all people, Kanye West! Surprisingly, or perhaps not so, the man can churn out warm, dark-side-of-the-moon techno bombs like nobody's business. "Jets" was released to little fanfare back in January on Saved Records, but it's become one of my favorite tracks of the year, easily, with only a few listens.

"Jets" happens to be very aptly titled. A lush, planetary/spacey rippler of a techno track, this near-eight minute rhythmic space odyssey pulses and gyrates through razor-thin, wiry-sharp drums and hisses before a lunar bounce of a tom turns the gravity on the entire track down to zero. Planes take off and land haphazardly throughout the track, all while things seem to remain grounded, even if every sound bounces off the beautifully, empty-sounding synth riff that eerily permeates the track every four bars or so. Blaring, scooping sirens turn things up a notch and set the threat level alert here on red: something's about to crash and burn. The drums pull out for a minute or so as the main synth line hovers and chimes in thin air, as if bouncing around on a sonic moon bounce. The sirens come in as one final jet lands. Apparently, everything's closing...all the planes are landing, everything quiets, then...BOOM. The sirens rise in full swing, a flock of jets land and take off in a cacophony of jarring, pulsating, absolutely incessant techno rhythms. A beauty of a track that builds slowly and palpably before a militant, commanding climax that satisfies everything the body wants it to. This one's for the body as much as it is the mind. We are clear for takeoff.



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This next one comes from German minimal/techno DJ/producer/mastermind Martin Buttrich, known in the past for "Full Clip", a thoughtful, minimalistic composition released on Carl Craig's iconic Planet E Communications. At nearly eleven minutes, this will be a journey and a trek for those unfamiliar with atmospheric, attention-to-detail minimal techno.

"Stoned Autopilot" kicks off with light drums, before a fuzzy, one-note bassline rolls in under a bed of hi-hat sheen that lets some much-needed light in. The futuristic, trancey synth line rises from the depths, creating a somber, bleak atmosphere of a track that somewhat reminds one of the feeling you get when you look to the horizon on a freezing winter morning: desolate, yet familiar, with a hint of warmth and depth that isn't always noticeable or comforting. Luckily, around 3:40, a menacing, subby bassline adds not only harmony to the barebones melody, but the track begins to take on a fuller structure, with an additional crying, twisting synth line to add to the already cold, blank face of this cut. A little past the halfway mark, everything again comes into focus, and a buzzing, 16-bit ring sounds like the receiver in the cockpit of a plane, only no one's around to pick it up. Consequently, the plane goes into freefall. The low-end heavy, killer bassline takes front stage to ominous effect. The track gathers structure completely, but the vehicle remains helpless. Not until the end does it regain that same spacey, bleak sound it had in the beginning. This plane is headed for the ground, but it goes out with a bang, not a whimper. A track that tells a story like this does not come by very often. EVery sound plays a role, and it works both the mind and the body unlike anything I've ever experienced or heard before. Hats off to Buttrich, who is quickly becoming one of favorite producers.



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Like I said, planes. So cool. Two amazing tracks that I'll continue to enjoy for a long, long time.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then music is worth at least twice that much.
-NL

A fresh, ocean breeze

It's a cold day today, no denying it. It's also Sunday, which signal the end of what has been one of the best and most enjoyable weekends of my entire life. Had a great thanksgiving, spent time with a lot of great people, made new friends, applied to the University of Iowa, it's just been a stellar weekend. In light of this, I'm going to review pleasant, wonderfully crafted EP by Toolroom regular Funkagenda, which happens to be one of the few EPs on which every single remix brings something different to the table. It's something of a guilty pleasure for me, but every single time I listen to it I enjoy every bit of it, which is something that cannot be said for every electronic music EP I've listened too, much less on tech and progressive house house monolith Toolroom.

"Breakwater" sounds like it should: aquatic, breezy, subtle, and comfortable. The original club mix kicks off with heavy low-end bass and drums, even throwing in the occasional submarine sonar bleep. It's traditional progressive house fare; a chunging, unforgiving bass and kick, a hovering, single note synth, a simplistic, bright main synth riff, reserved crashes to signal that something's about to happen; this is pattered, structured progressive house with a slight eye for atmosphere. Near the middle, though, the glittering main synth line drops, and all of a sudden, you're on the beach, feeling the sand under your toes, the waves caressing your feet, the sun warming your entire body with its soft, blanketing rays. This definitely is not as much of a banger as it is atmospheric progressive house, which ends up giving the track a confusing ending while never deciding if it fully wants to go for mood or for the dancefloor. Too bad more progressive house can't work small wonders like Funkagenda can.

EDX pops up next with his shorter, ready-for-the-dancefloor spin on the track. All the elements of an EDX track are here in full force: his trademark synths, his signature proggy, hissing drums, and the same exact rhythm he uses for most of his remixes and originals. Don't expect anything different from EDX here, it's traditional fare for him. But that doesn't mean it's bad. His mainly body-pleasing brand of rhythmic, one-trick-melodic-pony progressive house fits the bill well, and the soothing, aquatic nature of the original fits well into the EDX template. Complete with a typical synth breakdown, albeit one that's a little more laid back. Progressive house at its most predictable (but it still sounds pretty good!)

Dataworx takes a turn next, removing the beach-time sensibilities of the original in favor of a sickly, ominous tech house mood. The mechanical, metallic drums take center stage for the first few minutes before the beginning of the signature riff is teased, soon piping church organ-style right alongside the drums perfectly. The main riff dances drunkenly once, while the pipes continue in the background, creating probably the most danceable atmosphere on the entire EP. Wonderfully rhythmic while barely melodic and harmonic, this is a tech house treat for the feet.

The final remix comes from the able hands of British DJ/producer Dave Seaman and Greek DJ/producer Stelios Vassiloudis (or Stel, as he's credited here). The duo's "Waveforce Mix" sounds completely correct: a vicious, unrelenting bass sounds deep and heavy in the ears, and that trademark dance hi-hat drops to focus the beat and rhythm down the progressive house (beaten) path. The main riff sounds, this time, trumpeted and extra bright, before being submerged headfirst underwater again. Claps and hisses drive the track along with faint harmonies playing in the background. A few minutes later, the same riff twinkles into view with a bell-sounding synth this time, and the track even glitches up a bit, sputtering and gasping for air before the wave of the bass crashes down again right on time. While not the best remix of the EP, it's head-pleasing, clobbering monster of a track that makes you think a little while keeping that same progressive house feel.




You can download the entire EP here as a .rar file. Enjoy, and always keep those ears peeled.

Funkagenda - Breakwater EP

-NL