XLR8R News and Features

Atlas Sound's Follow-Up LP Announced

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:27:30 -0700

Patron of the dark, shoegazing arts and lead singer for psych-pop outfit Deerhunter, Bradford Cox has has also explored the more introspective and quietly epic elements of songwriting with his solo monikerAtlas Sound.

Party Out of Bounds: Zizek

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:04:22 -0700

Global party professionals tell you the best places to get buck wild.

Holy Ghost!'s "I Will Come Back" Vid

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

In a double nod to New Order's "Confusion" video , as well as Arthur Baker (the producer of that famous single), New York's Holy Ghost! has a new video out for their track "I Will Come Back." The Green Label Sound-backed video not only features Baker himself playing, but a virtual recreation of the "Confusion" video. These nods to history, along with the group's vintage electro-disco sound, make for an entertaining and aurally pleasing experience.

Major Lazer pon de iPhone

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

In case you haven't gotten enough of the Mad Decent airhorn app for your iPhone or iPod touch (we haven't!), Diplo and his buddy Switch (as Major Lazer) have teamed up with software developer iZotope to create iDrum: Major Lazer, a remix app that lets you have your way with Guns Don't Kill People...

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GusGus Returns... on Kompakt

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:54:53 -0700

We weren't sure what to make of the switch, when Icelanders GusGus went from 4AD to their own Pineapple label and now to Kompakt, but after a quick advance listen to the band's 24/7, we've gotta say, we're pretty damn pleased that the Cologne techno powerhouse picked them up.

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Artist to Watch: TC

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

With drum & bass suffering from a perceived lack of creativity, an artist like TC (a.k.a. Tom Casswell) is a real breath of fresh air. Armed with frenetic beats and filtered synths, this Bristol producer is taking the genre back toward its rave-culture roots. TC’s tunes have been blowing up dancefloors since the 2007 release of his debut full-length Evolution, and his recent remix of Kid Cudi’s “Day ‘N’ Nite” has taken things to another level, with even the BBC putting his version on blast.

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Five Star: Move D

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Heidelberg producer/DJ Move D (a.k.a. David Moufang) tells us about a few of his current favorite house imprints.

Workshop

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Jahdan and Shadetek at it Again

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The last time we checked in with Jahdan Blakkamoore, the Brooklyn dancehall MC had just paired up with his Dutty Artz sidekick Matt Shadetek to unleash some serious tropical bass action on the Jahdan Blakkamoore Full Hundred for our XLR8R podcast.

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FACT Waxes Drexciyan

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:26:31 -0700

Our friends at FACT magazine have got a great 10-piece primer on the elusive Detroit electro-tech force known as Drexciya. Mssrs Gerald Donald and James Stinson kept their identities close over the many years that they were extent.

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Toddla T on Deck for Fabriclive 47

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Leftfield U.K. dancehaller Toddla T, already an XLR8R Artist to Watch, is no stranger to meshing a multitude of sounds into one solid, genre-bending style; elements of house, bassline, hip-hop, and world beat meet on the eclectic playing field of his productions.

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Dam-Funk Releases Toeachizown Vol. 1

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Back in May we ran a story on L.A. boogie revivalist Dam-Funk's upcoming debut album, Toeachizown, an epic body of work being released in separate volumes. The first of these installments, a thick-yet-smooth combination of analog synths and vintage drum machines called LAtrik, is available now through Stone Throw's website.

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Bodycode's Favorite South African Tracks

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

To celebrate the recent release of his latest LP, Immune, for Spectral Sound, we tapped Berlin-based house head Bodycode (a.k.a. Alan Abrahams, a.k.a. Portable) for his favorite tracks from his native South Africa.

1. Brenda Fassie & The Big Dudes "Weekend Special"

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Ty Braxton's New LP Set for September

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Referring to musicians as "genius" is becoming more and more difficult these days, but if and when they surface, it's nothing short of glorious. So you can imagine the joy rippling through XLR8R when news broke that Tyondai Braxton, frontman for math-rock masterminds Battles, is releasing a new solo album, Central Market, on Warp Records on September 15.

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Mum Announces New Album Details

XLR8R Magazine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:39:03 -0700

Music fans should be constantly thanking their lucky stars that Iceland exists. Between the religious experience of Sigur Ros' made-up language, the timeless vocal workouts of Björk, and the groundbreaking dance sounds of GusGus, the island country has given us plenty to get psyched about—so get ready for more.

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120 Minutes of Erol Alkan

XLR8R Magazine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:24:26 -0700

Founder of London club Trash and producer of Mystery Jets and Late of the Pier Erol Alkan rolled out his Fourth of July mix on BBC Radio 6 on Saturday. Sure, it wasn't exactly a holiday in the U.K., but who cares?—we're spreading freedom worldwide. Oh, and you've only got five days left to check out this indie-dance-house-whathaveyou mix, so stream it now.

Inbox: Major Lazer

XLR8R Magazine — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

This time around, XLR8R comes pon some dense lingo from Major Lazer, the playful persona of DJs Diplo and Switch. The two wax Jamaican about topics ranging from DJing New York to vending-machine jerk chicken to... burning hair with lazers at a show.

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Captured Tracks Festival Starts Today

XLR8R Magazine — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Those of you without a beach to comb or a BBQ to raid this holiday weekend might want to detour over to the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn. That’s because the folks at Woodsist and Captured Tracks have got a special two-day fest coming your way and the line-up is absolutely killer. Noiseniks and all can get their fazers set to stun as hitmakers from the Woodsist/Captured Tracks ilk zap some fuzz and scuzz straight to your skull.

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Falty DL Interview and Album Preview

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:39:13 -0700

From our friends at SonicRouter, a nice little interview with the man known as Falty DL(a.k.a. Andrew Lustman), and a quick preview of his upcoming LP on Planet Mu. Check it!

Grandmaster Flash Is a DJ Hero

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:42:24 -0700

As if that needed to be said... What we mean to say is that Grandmaster Flash is just one of the turntablist icons to be featured in Activision's new DJ Hero game, and we gotta admit, we're sort of stoked on this one. The hip-hop DJ legend lends his voice and knowledge to the game's tutorials, teaching players how to use the killer control surface while expounding on the game's mechanics.

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Bjork Does Guest NPR DJ Spot

XLR8R Magazine — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 09:53:53 -0700

High priestess of weird pop Björk recently laced stuffy NPR listeners with a survey of her favorite musical things, among them, Syrian musician Omar Souleyman, London's Micachu and The Shapes, Eyeless in Gaza, and fellow Icelandic singer Ólöf Arnalds. Check it all out here.

Party Out of Bounds: Top Billin

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:33:45 -0700

Global party professionals tell you the best places to get buck wild.

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Waterfront Wednesdays Kicks Off With Ark

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:38:46 -0700

Starting tonight, and happening each Wednesday throughout the summer, Waterfront Wednesdays will host a slew of amazing artists at Water Taxi Beach in New York (across the river from the United Nations in Long Island City).

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M.I.A. Directs Rye Rye's "Bang" Vid

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:28:09 -0700

photo Josh Sisk

B-more queen Rye Rye gets the video treatment from her mentor M.I.A. on this clip for "Bang," replete with lots of lo-fi tape effects, neon lights, and hard-hitting beats.

Artist to Watch: Toddla T

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0700

While the hype over bassline house has already begun to subside, Toddla T’s dancehall-infused take on the sound is still revving up dancefloors on both sides of the Atlantic. The 23-year-old producer was born Tom Bell, and grew up listening to “Biggie and right boyish hip-hop,” but later opened his mind to more electronic sounds once he began sampling, and eventually playing, Sheffield’s underground rave circuit.

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Take a Ride Through L.A. With Busdriver

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:00:00 -0700

The dublab collective has been offering free films for streaming via its website as part of the the VisionVersion film series, which follows L.A.-based artists around the city. Next up? It's none other than Busdriver, whose installment was filmed from his own vehicle as he cruises around Echo Park. Watch it here, where you can also download a version for your iPod.

In the Studio: Trackademicks

XLR8R Magazine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Oakland-based rapper-producer schools us on his post-hyphy synth-hop.

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Free Mix From the Wireblock Crew

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Jack Revill (a.k.a. Jackmaster), Neil Morton (a.k.a. Nelson), and Calum Morton (a.k.a. Spencer) are the three heads behind Glasgow, Scotland's Wireblock imprint, and for their next project, they've crafted a free, three-part mix to Resident Advisor's fine site (there's an extensive feature on the label up as well).

Download now, all ye who love electro, dubstep, techno, grime, and U.K. funky house. And then keep an eye out for our feature on the label in August's Labels We Love issue.

Wireblock:

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Mary Anne Hobbs' Wild Angels

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:45:11 -0700

BBC Radio 1 host and undisputed First Lady of Bass, Mary Anne Hobbs, is set to release her third compilation, Wild Angels. As usual, dubstep is the main ingredient here, but don't expect Benga or Skream to appear on the tracklisting. Rather, Hobbs has chosen to showcase artists like wonk master Hudson Mohawke, up-and-comer Untold, and L.A.'s Nosaj Thing, whose music is more IDM-via-hip-hop than it is dubstep. So perhaps it's more appropriate to say that bass is the main ingredient to Wild Angels.

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ZZK Records Summer Tour

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:00 -0700

ZZK Records and Zizek Urban Beats Club will continue spreading the gospel of cumbia this summer, embarking on another tour that stops in Europe and North America. Uproot Andy, King Coya, Fauna, Oro11, and a few others associated with the crew will be sharing the Latin sounds in various cities and festivals. Pick this up in the meantime.

07/02 Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07/08 New York, NY - Latin American Music Conference ^

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Ras G: Into the Outer Reaches

XLR8R Magazine — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

An L.A. jazzhead launches FlyLo’s Brainfeeder imprint into the outer reaches.

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