XLR8R Audio Podcast

Paul Johnson

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Last week, we here at XLR8R kicked off a month-long series of special podcasts to commemorate our 20 years of existence. Obviously, a lot of music has come and gone in the last two decades, so we figured the best way to celebrate our own little milestone would be to highlight a few of the artists whose output has helped define the era. This week, we've enlisted Chicago house veteran Paul Johnson, a producer and DJ with an impressive resume that dates back even further than our own.

Omar-S

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Believe it or not, XLR8R recently celebrated its 20th birthday. It's not an occasion we've been hyping with lots of fanfare—perhaps we're getting a bit shy about our advancing age—but we figured that we needed to do something to commemorate our two decades of existence. Ultimately, we decided to recognize the milestone via our podcast series. Granted, the weekly mixes are something that we're already fairly excited about, but throughout the month of May, we'll be taking things up a notch with a special set of 20th-anniversary podcasts, all of which have been assembled by influential veterans—artists whose work has risen above the trends and stood the test of time. First up, we have someone who's a true original—Omar-S.

Bondax

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Bondax has been simmering below the surface for a while now, but there's little question that last year's "Baby I Got That" took the teenage duo to a new level of recognition. Granted, the song is an almost impossibly catchy piece of sun-kissed electronic pop, but it's doubtful that anyone anticipated just how big of a single it would be. Now, nearly a year later, the UK outfit has only let loose a handful of additional tunes, yet it sits at the precipice of a full-fledged crossover—it's no stretch to say that Bondax has become something of a minor phenomenon. At the same time, it also feels like Bondax remains something of a mystery; the group simply doesn't have much of a track record. In fairness, the duo did just release the Gold EP and has said that a full-length will arrive later in the year, but we still wanted to know—and hear—more, which is why we invited the young Brits to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Cosmin TRG

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Cosmin TRG (a.k.a. Cosmin Nicolae) has been releasing music since 2007, yet it still feels like the man doesn't have much of a "story." That's not a slight, nor is it meant to imply that the Romanian-born artist is some sort of shadowy or secretive figure. It's simply an observation that he prefers to let his tunes do the talking, which isn't a bad course of action when one considers his track record. Over the past six years, Cosmin TRG has offered up more than his fair share of quality music, from "Put You Down"—the inaugural outing from Hessle Audio—to his 2011 full-length debut, Simulat. Later this week, Nicolae will be adding to that impressive body of work with his sophomore album for the 50Weapons label, Gordian, so we figured now would be a good time to ask the Berlin-based producer to also flex his DJ skills and assemble an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Dam-Funk

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0700

It's hard not to like Dam-Funk (a.k.a. Damon Riddick). The LA veteran is not only incredibly prolific, but his unique mix of West Coast G-funk, old-school electro, and vintage soul always sounds almost impossibly cool. Last weekend, he delivered one of the standout performances during the first go-round of Coachella's 2013 festivities—check our review for more details on that—and it's a safe bet that the man will be similarly charming when he hits the main stage again this Friday. With a new full-length reportedly in the works, we figured now might be a good time to check in with Riddick by having him put together a mix for the XLR8R podcast series. He was more than happy to oblige, and sent over a deliciously funky session that he's titled The Healing.

Ejeca

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Ejeca (a.k.a. Garry McCartney) burst on the scene in 2012—most notably with "You" (a collaborative track with Bicep) and the Horizon EP—and the Belfast-based producer's pace hasn't slowed in 2013. Shortly after we tabbed him as an "Artist to Watch" during Bubblin' Up Week back in January, the man dropped the Frequency EP via Last Night on Earth, and he has two more offerings making their way into the world this month—the Different Rules EP on Lokee Musik and the Life in Flux EP for 2020 Vision. Ejeca's profile is undoubtedly on the rise, although some of this momentum is undoubtedly due to the fact that he's often been lumped in with the current wave of '90s house and garage revivalism. Curious to find out if that was all the young artist had up his sleeve, we invited him to participate in the XLR8R podcast series. Much to our surprise, Ejeca used the opportunity to deliver a sort of mission statement, assembling a mix that not only explores multiple moods, sounds, genres, and tempos, but also consists of nothing but his own tunes, all of which are previously unreleased.

DJ Qu

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:00:00 -0700

DJ Qu is not a flashy artist. Though the New Jersey native is essentially a house-music lifer—he detailed his early days as a house dancer in our Bubblin' Up feature a couple of years back—he continues to quietly go about his business, DJing around the globe and releasing a steady stream of quality deep house, mostly via his own Strength Music imprint. Gymnastics, his first and only full-length, dropped back in 2011, and although 2012 saw a handful of new records from Qu, we nonetheless found ourselves wondering where his creative head was at these days, which is why we invited him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Mark E

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Mark E is remarkably consistent artist, one of those guys who quietly releases at least a few records each year; they may never be flashy or over the top, but they're always full of solid tunes. Given that, it's easy to overlook his catalog, even after nearly a decade of releases and a discography that contains efforts for top-notch labels like Spectral Sound, Running Back, and Golf Channel, not to mention the numerous outings on his own Merc imprint. As if all of his solo activity wasn't enough, last year saw the launch of his Project E collaboration with keyboardist Nat Woodcock, which most recently yielded the Kinks EP. Clearly, Mark E is a busy man, so when an opportunity arose for him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series, we were quick to jump on it.

Bobby Champs

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Like many members of the UK's current crop of up-and-coming producers, Bobby Champs has a style that's hard to pin down. Falling somewhere between house, techno, and the increasingly nebulous terrain of bass music, his tunes are frequently marked by their propulsive drive and chunky low end. After making a splash in 2012 with releases such as Moonlight, Drag Queen, and the Steve Martin EP, the young, Brighton-based beatmaker recently kicked off his 2013 with a four-track effort for the excellently curated West Norwood Cassette Library imprint. Arguably Champs' finest release to date, the record indicates that he's poised to do big things in the months and years ahead, which is why we've enlisted him to put together a mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Nautiluss

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 07:00:00 -0700

Over the past year, XLR8R's love affair with all things Nautiluss (a.k.a. Graham Bertie) has been plainly visible to anyone paying even a modicum of attention to our coverage. After all, we gave his αlpha and Habitat EPs glowing reviews—the latter eventually nabbed the #15 slot on our list of the Best Releases of 2012—and we also labeled the Toronto-based producer as one of the year's Best New Artists. Now, the same week that Nautiluss is slated to perform at the XLR8R-sponsored Icee Hot SXSW Showcase, we've invited him to put together the latest installment of our weekly podcast series.

Versalife

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Boris Bunnik is a man of many talents, and perhaps more notably, many names. Over the past several years, the Dutch producer has turned out a steady stream of quality music while operating under a number of monikers, including Conforce, Hexagon, and Versalife, amongst others. While all of his projects vary somewhat, Bunnik can always be counted upon to mine vintage electro for inspiration, a trend that continues on his first Versalife full-length, Vantage Point, which drops this week via Clone West Coast Series. Given the occasion, we invited Bunnik to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Locked Groove

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Although it certainly wasn't our intention, it appears that XLR8R is currently in the midst of a week-long celebration of all things Locked Groove. Just yesterday, we tabbed his excellent new EP, Heritage, as an XLR8R pick, and followed that up by posting an exclusive stream of the whole record. As if that wasn't enough, the Belgian producer, born Tim Van de Meutter, has now put together a new mix for our podcast series.

Benjamin Damage

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Over the past few years, Welsh producer Benjamin Damage (a.k.a. Benjamin O'Shea) has been involved in a lot of quality music, yet it seems like he hasn't quite received his proper due, most likely because he's best known for producing in tandem with others. Back in 2010, he teamed up with Venom on "Deeper," the inaugural release from Doc Daneeka's Ten Thousand Yen label. And although that particular partnership didn't continue, Damage did find a kindred spirit in Daneeka, with whom he produced the stellar "Creeper" b/w "Infamous" single in 2011. At the behest of Modeselektor, the pair then relocated to Berlin and turned out a full-length debut, They!Live, which thrust the two producers properly into the spotlight. (Shortly thereafter, the duo also put together an excellent XLR8R podcast.) Now, more than a year after the release of They!Live, Benjamin Damage is fully stepping out on his own, following last year's "Swarm" b/w "Headache" single with a solo full-length, Heliosphere. The album drops later this week, so we figured it would also be a good time for Damage to go it alone on the DJ front and put together a mix for our podcast series.

Dusky

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

2012 was a good year for Dusky. Although the pair's 2011 full-length debut, Stick By This, put the London outfit on the map, last year saw an impressive run of releases that included a solid EP for Aus offshoot Simple, the first record for Loefah's new School imprint, and the Flo Jam EP, whose title track quickly became one of the most rinsed tunes of the year. Now that the calendar has flipped to 2013, the duo of Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman stands as one of the UK's most buzzed-about young house acts, and next month, the producers will be making their first musical statement of the new year with the Nobody Else EP. With another solid campaign seemingly on the horizon, we thought now would be a good time for the group to put together the latest installment of the XLR8R podcast series.

Leon Vynehall

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Leon Vynehall only released two records last year, but the Brighton-based producer undeniably made his presence known in 2012, even as he refused to reveal his true identity. His last record, "Gold Language" b/w "Don't Know Why," had quite an impact—it prompted us to profile Vynehall as part of our Bubblin' Up series—and now he's followed it up with another strong effort, the three-track Rosalind EP, which is currently streaming in full on XLR8R. Given Vynehall's ascendant trajectory, we figured now would be a good time to invite the UK beatmaker to participate in our podcast series, and he responded with a mix that quite possibly raises more questions than it answers.

Ulrich Schnauss

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Although XLR8R covers many different corners of the electronic spectrum, it's fair to say that we haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to drum & bass as of late. That being said, we still have a soft spot for the genre's heyday, and it appears we're not alone. Ulrich Schnauss may be best known for the serene, shoegaze-flavored electronic soundscapes he's been turning out for more than a decade, but when we asked the German veteran to participate in our podcast series, he elected to eschew his signature style and instead delve into his past. The result? A 78-minute offering he's calling Drift to the Centre: Deep Atmospheric DnB from the Golden Age, a mix which also happens to represent the largest spotlight XLR8R has shone on drum & bass in quite some time.

Basic Soul Unit

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

Surveying the career of Basic Soul Unit (a.k.a. Stuart Li), it's hard not to wonder how the Toronto-based producer hasn't become a bigger sensation. That's not a knock on his reputation; without question, folks in the know place Li's output in the upper echelons of house and techno. It's just that he remains a sort of producer's producer, even after spending the last decade dropping records via a litany of highly respected imprints. Ostgut Ton, Crème Organization, Mule Electronic, Mathematics, Versatile, Nonplus—they've all released music by Basic Soul Unit over the years. Just recently though, Li made his boldest move yet, offering up his first full-length, Motional Response. While only time will tell if the record is the one that finally pushes Basic Soul Unit fully into the spotlight, it certainly caught our attention enough to prompt us to invite him to participate in the XLR8R podcast series.

Trus'me

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

When it comes to forthcoming house albums we're excited about in 2013, it's safe to say that Trus'me's Treat Me Right is currently sitting at the top of the list. Granted, it's only January and not that many new full-lengths have actually been announced for 2013, but new music from David Wolstencroft is something worth celebrating, regardless of what page the calendar is turned to. The Manchester-based veteran and Prime Numbers boss last released a Trus'me album in 2009, so now that he's properly revived the project, we figured it would be a good time to extend an invite for him to contribute an exclusive mix to the XLR8R podcast series.

South London Ordnance

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 07:00:00 -0800

The beginning of each year is always a time for looking ahead, which is why South London Ordnance is a particularly fitting choice for the first XLR8R podcast of 2013. Granted, the UK producer had himself a rather solid 2012, dropping well-received releases on a myriad of labels and snagging the #4 slot on our list of the year's Best New Artists. Nevertheless, the general consensus is that even brighter days are ahead for the youthful beatmaker. With South London Ordnance riding a wave of momentum and currently sitting atop of pile of as-yet-unreleased heaters, we figured now would be a good time to enlist him for exclusive mix. Even better, the selection ties right in to our ongoing Bubblin' Up Week, as the producer was the subject of his own Bubblin' Up feature just a few months back.

Disclosure

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 07:00:00 -0800

As 2012 rapidly comes to a close, it's obvious that Disclosure has been one of the year's breakout acts. The youthful UK duo has been on our radar for a while now—we profiled the brotherly outfit in our Bubblin' Up series back in March—but its recent run of releases, which included "Tenderly" b/w Flow," The Face EP, and "Latch," has the pair primed for a proper pop crossover, particularly once its forthcoming full-length debut drops sometime in 2013. Yet even if Disclosure's biggest impact on the music world is still to come, its influence on 2012 was undeniable; the duo's refashioning of vintage house and garage tropes into bouncy, vocal-driven gems has not only spawned legions of imitators, but is also indicative of how a significant portion of the electronic-music world has turned its attention to the '90s when mining for inspiration. In many ways, Disclosure's music was the sound of 2012, or at least one of them. As such, it's fitting that the duo would deliver the final XLR8R podcast of the year.

Legowelt

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0800

Clearly, Legowelt (a.k.a. Danny Wolfers) is a bit of an eccentric. For more than a decade, the Dutch producer has been turning out various shades of electronic music, utilizing literally dozens of different monikers in the process. The man works at a remarkably prodigious rate, a pace which incredibly only seems to increase with each passing year. Amidst all the releases—not to mention the countless tracks he posts online that never officially see the light of day—Wolfers somehow manages to not only maintain a true clarity of artistic vision, but also an impeccable level of quality. Dabbling in house, electro, techno, disco, '80s funk, freestyle, and more, Legowelt can always be counted upon to celebrate the wonders of vintage synths and drum machines, yet his music never comes off like a rehash or a simple exercise in nostalgia. His latest outburst is The Paranormal Soul, a full-length for the storied Clone imprint. The album dropped last week, so we figured now would be a good time for Wolfers to work a bit of his weird magic on the XLR8R podcast series.

The Crystal Ark

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0800

It's not often that XLR8R receives a podcast that was conceived as a "meditation tape," but Gavin Russom has never exactly been a "normal" artist. Over the years, the veteran NYC producer has taken numerous musical forms, the only constants being his affinity for vintage synths and his affiliation with the seminal DFA label. His current focus is The Crystal Ark, a Latin-tinged collaboration with vocalist Viva Ruiz. Following a pair of initial singles in 2010, the group released its self-titled debut full-length last month, and the activity hasn't stopped there. Just yesterday, the duo premiered a wild new video for album cut "We Came To," and now, there's this exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Redshape

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0800

Redshape (a.k.a. Sebastian Kramer) is a difficult artist to pin down. On the one hand, he wears that creepy red mask. Then again, the German techno auteur comes across in interviews as a relatively normal, even thoughtful artist, as he did in our recent in-depth conversation about his new album, Square. Regardless of what exactly makes the man tick, it's clear that he has a very particular artistic perspective, along with a clear vision of how to achieve it. We've been clamoring for a Redshape podcast for some time, so when Kramer sent along this exclusive mix, which he cheekily entitled 6 Min Too Long for One Side of a Tape, we were excited to explore its depths. That said, as soon as we saw the tracklist, we knew that the mix wasn't exactly what we had anticipated, but when it comes to Redshape, perhaps it's better to simply expect the unexpected.

Dublab

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 07:00:00 -0800

We don't like to make too many assumptions here at XLR8R, but we figure that most people who have taken the time to peruse our website have at least heard of Dublab. After all, the self-described "community-supported web radio station and creative collective" has been operating out of its Los Angeles home base for 13 years now, during which time it has served as a sort of launching pad for countless beatmakers of the hip-hop, electronic, and experimental persuasion. In truth, even assigning those few genre descriptors is a bit of a disservice, as part of what makes Dublab so special is its ongoing dedication to free-form programming and open-minded listening. The station has been rather busy of late, releasing the eclectic Dublab Presents... Light from Los Angeles compilation right before launching into its annual fall fundraiser, which is affectionally referred to as the Proton Drive. In light of all this activity, we figured now would be a good time to invite the Dublab crew to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Azari & III

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:00:00 -0700

XLR8R has been following the exploits of Azari & III for quite some time. Back in the summer of 2010, we did an in-depth feature on the elusive outfit, and in the months and years that followed, we've seen the Toronto-based group turn out a solid array of singles, videos, and even a self-titled debut full-length, all without thrusting themselves completely into the spotlight. Even now, as the album is being reissued today—surprisingly enough, via the Dim Mak imprint—and the group is set to embark on a large-scale North American tour put together by Barcelona's Sónar festival, the popularity of Azari & III can largely be traced back to one thing: the music. Effectively mining the best bits of late-'80s/early-'90s house and techno and brilliantly incorporating live, attitude-laden vocals into the mix, Azari & III's output may lean retro, but it remains thrilling all the same—as does the prospect of the group putting together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Cajmere

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Chicago's history is full of house-music legends and innovators, but few figures loom larger than Cajmere (a.k.a. Curtis Jones). While he's perhaps better known these days as Green Velvet, Jones first made his mark as Cajmere, heading up the influential Cajual label and dropping a slew of influential tunes, most notably "The Percolator," which remains a classic floor-filler to this day. Yet the quality Cajual releases didn't stop there, and now, more than two decades after the imprint's founding, the Strut crew has stepped in to commission Only 4 U: The Sound Of Cajmere And Cajual Records 1992 - 2012. The two-disc collection features some of the finest gems from the Cajual catalog, some of which also appear on this exclusive mix Cajmere has put together for the XLR8R podcast series.

Daniel Maloso

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:00:00 -0700

Many words can be used to describe the Cómeme label, but dull is not one of them. Over the past few years, the Matías Aguayo-led imprint has established itself as a bit of a wild card, a hub that brings together electronic oddballs from across Latin America, all of whom are putting their own unique spin on various strains of house, techno, and disco. One of those artists is Daniel Maloso, and next week, he'll be releasing In and Out, an album which happens to be only the second full-length that Cómeme has ever released. The LP—which can be streamed in full here—finds Maloso experimenting with a myriad of funky sounds, many of them sounding as though they were ripped from the early-'80s disco-punk era. Delivering his proto-house sounds with Cómeme's usual flair, Maloso has shown himself to be as potentially fascinating as the rest of his labelmates. Considering that raves are still coming in for Rebolledo's XLR8R podcast from last year, we figured that we wouldn't regret inviting Maloso to put together his own contribution to the series.

Kim Ann Foxman

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 07:00:00 -0700

New York's Kim Ann Foxman might be best known for her previous work with Hercules & Love Affair, but over the past few years, she's also been gradually building a solid discography of her own as a solo artist, dropping a number of remixes, a collaboration with Kink and Neville Watson, and her own excellent single, "Creature." On October 22, she'll be releasing her next salvo, "Return It," via London's Needwant imprint. Ahead of that, she'll also be spinning as part of an absolutely stacked line-up on October 21 at Fabric's 13th Birthday. Clearly, Foxman is taking some major steps toward establishing her own artistic voice, which is why we figured now would be a good time to get a closer look at her musical vision by inviting her to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Deadbeat

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 07:14:36 -0700

Like many of his Canadian techno brethren, Deadbeat (a.k.a Scott Montieth) long ago left his home country and resettled in Berlin. That aspect of his story may not be particularly original, but the course he's subsequently plotted with his music most definitely is, as Deadbeat continues to innovate while exploring the murky sounds of dub techno. The most recent chapter of that exploration is Eight, his latest LP. Now, just weeks after its arrival, Deadbeat has put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Max Cooper's Decibel Mix

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 07:00:00 -0700

As most XLR8R readers are likely aware, the annual Decibel Festival is descending upon Seattle this week, and bringing with it a stunning array of electronic artists. Given our excitement about the festivities, we're running a special series of Decibel-themed content throughout the week, and have elected to include our weekly podcast as part of that. Making that choice was easy; much harder was actually choosing an artist to do said podcast, as the festival line-up literally features dozens of producers and DJs whose names have appeared on XLR8R over the years. In the end, we decided to go with someone who might seem a bit unexpected—Max Cooper. Admittedly, the UK producer isn't someone whose name loudly rings out. Much like his music, the man's profile is understated, to say the least. Yet he's also a seasoned artist who continues to turn out quality music; his lengthy discography is full of releases that can ostensibly be categorized as techno, albeit a melodic, cinematic strain of techno with hints of glitch and a quiet elegance that's unique to the genre.