Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Les Sins (Toro Y Moi side project), Gil Scott-Heron remixed by Jamie XX, and John Talabot




Les Sins is the new side project from Chazwick Bundick of the chillwave act Toro Y Moi. This new project is more disco/house than his former material. I'm really digging this. I'm glad he got more into producing dance music. Toro Y Moi sounds good in the club and all but it's not really a way to get a party started. Toro Y Moi is meant for the very beginning of the party or on the drive back home. Either way, it's always good stuff.

Chazwick started off playing in a band called The Heist and the Accomplice in high school with some classmates in South Carolina of all places. It's hard to imagine this music coming from someone who grew up in South Carolina but I suppose Washed Out came from the same place.

The release of Les Sins was put out on Carpark Records (the same label as Beach House, Light Pollution and Dan Deacon) and is heavy on the Daft Punk. Not in a bad way though like all these new electro wannabes. This comes off a bit more legit. The guitar work, samples, bass and drums are all very Daft Punk influenced. It sounds like it would be fun to produce this and even more fun to play live.

From the Lina 12" on Carpark Records:
Les Sins: "Lina" mp3
Les Sins: "Youth Gone" mp3



Jamie XX is remixing the whole Gil Scott-Heron (soul, jazz, spoken word, funk, and proto-rap artist) record, I'm New Here. When I first heard about this project I was very interested in hearing what this would sound like. The first track I heard remixed was "NY is Killing Me". It's a chill dubstep track with excellent high pitched female samples and of course Gil Scott-Heron samples as well. I really love the soul feeling of the song. It makes the cold production of Jamie XX sparkle. I'm really looking forward to hearing the rest of this project.





In the past week I could not stop listening to Spanish disco/house producer John Talabot. I first heard his single "Sunshine" sometime last year and haven't been able to hear enough of his production since. He's done remixes for artists such as the xx, Delorean, We Are Stranded and Tahiti 80 and he's also done countless edits. All of which have a sunshine tingled, disco/house take on the above mentioned artists. I just downloaded (literally it's playing in my headphones right now) his Summerized mix. If this is what Barcelona (where he's from) sounds like, I missed out last time I was there (in 2007). Talabot is also on the Permanent Vacation label which is the same as label as Tensnake and Azari & iii. I always close with this, but I'm looking forward to see what this guy produces next.

Tahiti 80: "Darlin (John Talabot's Oscuro Baile Remix)" mp3 (via XLR8R)
John Talabot: "Matilda's Dream" mp3
John Talabot: "Sunshine" mp3

L-Vis 1900 and Kingdom @ Czar in Tampa



L-Vis 1990 and Kingdom in Tampa
Monday November 2nd in Tampa, FL I was very lucky to see the UK DJ/Producer L-Vis 1990 and the DJ/Producer Kingdom from NYC. About 4 weeks before the 2nd I was told that these artists are coming to Florida and I was very,very surprised. Kids in Tampa don't really dig UK Funky, House or the sounds of the above mentioned future bass DJ/producers. Despite the Florida scene, I was excited nevertheless. I'd never seen DJs that I really love and this would be the first time so I started making plans with some friends to go to the show. Unfortunately, only 2 of my friends knew who or what the artists were. No Buneo.

On the way to the show we tried to sell some more of our friends on a free show in Tampa by no one is really into Tampa so it was a no go. I almost got my girlfriend to go but she had a school project due so that wasn't happening either.

I got picked up around 7 and hit the liquor store to avoid over priced drinks at the bar. We just ended up with a flask of whiskey and some smokes to keep us entertained for our 2 hour road trip.

We pull into Tampa around 9:30 and go to the club only to find it's not open yet (doors at 10:00). Food is on all of our minds so we hit up Tampa's famous Mema's Alaskan Tacos. The food is on point and we killed enough time just for doors at Czar to open. As soon as walked in I asked for the drink specials. As soon as the bartender told me they had $2 Rogue Amber and $2 Rogue Porter I almost did a triple back flip. In Gainesville, Rogues go about $5-$7 a pint. This was already a start to a good night.

The first 2 DJs are not really mixing and just kind of playing whatever to get people into the mood. The first DJ, Rob Wonder played some Burial and that's about all that was memorable. It wasn't a bad set but one that I ignored. The second DJ was Blu Jemz, who is a Turntable Lab Radio DJ. He's set was all over the place as well. He wasn't mixing but dropping tracks and not really sticking to a genre or meshing too well. I think maybe both these guys can kill it but since they're opening they were playing whatever.

By the time Kingdom got on the decks I already had 3 pints and a shot so I was feeling pretty good. Kingdom started off with the track "I Need Love" by Roska. I was already into this seeing that I've never heard anyone play this track out live before except and my friend and frequent DJ partner Ernie.
Everyone started gathering around as soon as Kingdom hit the decks to see what this guy was going to do/play. He played pretty chill for about forty-five minutes until L-Vis 1990 hit the decks. HOLY SHIT!

When L-Vis started playing his first track, the crowd really started to move and get into the Kingdom/L-Vis realm of musical selection. I got really excited and was surprised kids were getting into it. I was losing my shit and I was wishing I had a posse of friends to enjoy this with. I couldn't really tell you too much what L-Vis played but it was great, exciting and fresh sounding. I know he played a few tracks off his label Night Slugs which he runs with fellow DJ/producer Bok Bok. The weird thing was is that this club didn't have any dance lights. If they had them, they were not in use.

In the end most kids left early but L-Vis's set just got better and better as the night went on. I ended up being asked to leave as I was talking with Ezra Rubin (Kingdom) and James Connolly (L-Vis 1990) about how kids in Florida don't like house music very much, but they're more into hard electro and heavy dubstep. I almost see that stuff as the metal or pop-punk of the electronic music scene. On the ride home I slept the entire time and woke up in home in Gainesville, FL.


L-Vis 1990: "Forever You"
Kingdom: "Mindreader "

Friday, November 26, 2010

Here We Go Magic Video for "Casual"



Here's a new video from the Brooklyn band Here We Go Magic for the video "Casual". It's one of my favorite songs on their new  record and a pretty intense video. It reminds me of the last HEALTH video I saw for the song "We Are Water". Funny thing about this video is that my girlfriends mom was in town and I thought she was reading while I was watching this video. She in fact wasn't reading, but overlooking my shoulder (at least I think) while I was watching this video on my laptop. She gave me a look after I was done and noticed her like I was a creep. Maybe she didn't see it at all and just gave me a look. We never discussed it. I'm very glad about this.

Pitchfork keeps getting these great videos first before others do so hats off to them, I guess.

Here's the HEALTH video as well for a reference.


HEALTH - We Are Water from City Slang on Vimeo.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Morgan Packard



The first thing I heard when I listened to the first track off the album Moment Again Elsewhere by Morgan Packard was the producer Jan Jelinik. I haven't thought about that name in a few years. Sitting here this morning though with a hot cup of tea and the light breeze of fall coming in from the window made this record sound perfect for my daily routine of music exploration.

I knew nothing about Morgan Packard until this morning but now I'm very glad I stumbled upon this minimal, organic, electronic composer. I also knew nothing of the Brooklyn-based label that he's on named Anticipate Recordings. The label, who is headed by fellow electronic, ambient, and experimental producer Ezekiel Honig has other minimal, electronic artists such as Klimek, and Mark Templeton. If you get a second, read their demo policy, it's really great. They won't sign you unless you only want to be on their label, and love their label and what they're about.

Moment Again Elsewhere also has hints of organic sound such as twinkling piano which is very reminiscent of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians. There are other organic instruments on the record too such as saxophone and accordion. If you have not got from what's written above, this record is not for the club, but for the bedroom or home LP player. This is a dense listening experience, but it's worth your time.

Morgan Packard: "Unveil" mp3


This song has been in my head all day.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

John Roberts New Album Glass Eights


By the cover of this record you might think it's a goth/tech record, or maybe a Bauhaus rip-off, or  maybe some crust punk LP. I guess the closest guess would be the goth /tech record but you'd still be missing the point. Glass Eights is John Roberts first full length LP and it's released on  Dial Records, the label that have other new house/minimal artists such as Pantha Du Prince, Efdemin and Isolee who just released a new single. They're one of my favorite lables and they're based out of Hamburg, Germany focusing mainly on deep house with a lean on academia of house music. Besides Kompakt, they're my favorite minimal record label.

This record wasn't really made for the club but more made for the bedroom. I heard the whole record the first time while my girlfriend was working on a project for art history on Frans Hals and I was geeking out on some music. She asked who the artist I was listening to was and I was caught off guard; she usually refers to my music as beeps and bloops and ignores my music (or at least seems to).

The record comes off romantic from the beginning. I can't tell if it's a romantic love for Chicago House or for a lady or what. The Berlin based artist only speaks with sounds, not words. I feel it has to be for a girl though. The song titles scream longing with "Even or Not", "Dedicated", or "Navy Blue". The record has an overall melancholy feel to it. The off kilter pianos sound like they're recorded in a 1920's abandoned home in the South surrounded by oak trees with a spooky amount of Spanish moss in them.
I think I'd really like to see in an old 1950's Disney style cartoon with dancing oak trees with plenty  Spanish moss in them surrounding an old run down house with the roof hinged off and a piano player (John Roberts) inside conjuring up souls with the music he plays. Hopefully that's not too abstract. Sounds like an awesome video though.

I'm pretty sick right now and Glass Eights (sounds like a John Cage record title) record is keeping me company. This is one of the stranger blogs I've written in a while so hopefully it's alright. Listen to this record though, it won't be a regret.

John Roberts: "Porcelain"  mp3 (via Pejhy)
John Roberts: "Pruned"  mp3 (via Keytars and Violins)



Watch this video from about 1:30 into it on mute and play any of the John Roberts music. It's kind of what I'd want out of him for a video. At least watch until the part with the castle and the souls.













Friday, November 5, 2010

DMCA Reads My Blog?



Look what was in my e-mail today (see below). I found this pretty funny. I guess I'll be more careful before I post tracks that are on 1,000,000 other blogs before my blog. What a boring job the DMCA must have. The funny thing is, I don't know what track the warning was for. It doesn't say. Is it for Shed, Flying Lotus, No Age or Deerhunter? They did take the blog down so make sure you have all the new records by the above mentioned artists. They're all really great.

Blogger has been notified, according to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that certain content in your blog is alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others. As a result, we have reset the post(s) to "draft" status. (If we did not do so, we would be subject to a claim of copyright infringement, regardless of its merits. The URL(s) of the allegedly infringing post(s) may be found at the end of this message.) This means your post - and any images, links or other content - is not gone. You may edit the post to remove the offending content and republish, at which point the post in question will be visible to your readers again.

A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement. If you believe you have the rights to post the content at issue here, you can file a counter-claim. For more information on our DMCA policy, including how to file a counter-claim, please see http://www.google.com/dmca.html.

The notice that we received, with any personally identifying information removed, will be posted online by a service called Chilling Effects at http://www.chillingeffects.org. We do this in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can search for the DMCA notice associated with the removal of your content by going to the Chilling Effects search page athttp://www.chillingeffects.org/search.cgi, and entering in the URL of the blog post that was removed. If it is brought to our attention that you have republished the post without removing the content/link in question, then we will delete your post and count it as a violation on your account. Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Primary 1 "Never Know" Video


(via Pitchfork)

This reminds me what could have been of David Bowie in the 80's if he would have worked with Prince instead of doing all those awful albums like Tonight, or Never Let Me Down. I know those records aren't the worst but come on, they're pretty bad. This is a really cool looking video either way.