First Floor #104 – The Benefits (and Costs) of Friends with Benefits
a.k.a. A look at one of music's most prominent crypto communities, plus a round-up of the week's electronic music news and a heap of new tunes.
A SMALL CHANGE
If you’re a free subscriber to the newsletter, you’ve likely noticed this already, but I’ve made a slight change to the First Floor delivery schedule. In the past, the newsletter’s long-form content (e.g. essays, interviews, etc.) was first sent exclusively to paid First Floor subscribers. As of this week, it’s now being sent to everyone at the same time, but there’s a catch: free subscribers to the newsletter will only be able to see an extended preview of the content.
Just FYI, those essays and interviews will still eventually be made available to everyone, as I’ll continue to take down the paywall for 24 hours on Wednesdays when the free edition of First Floor (i.e. the one you’re reading now) goes out. But if you don’t want to wait for Wednesday to roll around—or if you simply don’t want to ever deal with a First Floor paywall again—then I’d encourage you to become a paid subscriber.
In all honesty, paid subscriptions are what keep this thing going, and if you read First Floor on a regular (or even semi-regular) basis, your financial support would be very much appreciated. (And if you work in music, culture or tech, there’s also a good chance that you can write off your subscription fees as a tax-deductible business expense.) Go ahead, click the button below.
AN INSIDE LOOK AT MUSIC’S MOST EXCLUSIVE CRYPTO COMMUNITY
PLEASE NOTE: This piece was originally published yesterday and made available to paid subscribers, but the paywall has now been temporarily removed for the next 24 hours. If you’d like exclusive first access to long-form First Floor pieces—and unlimited views of all newsletter content—then please sign up for a paid subscription.
Crypto mania is seemingly inescapable these days, and even in the world of independent and “underground” music, the hype can often feel overwhelming, especially as the dollar figures involved rocket into the stratosphere. In recent months, an online community called Friends with Benefits has become arguably the most influential DAO (decentralized autonomous organization) in music, growing from what was initially a sort of private online chat group into a multi-million-dollar entity. (With the organization’s token price currently over $100, the DAO’s valuation is technically over $100 million right now, and entry to the community requires potential members to both be screened by a committee and hold more than $8000 in tokens.)
How did Friends with Benefits begin, how does it work and what exactly is it doing? Is it just a private Discord server, or something more? And what does it mean when venture capital comes sniffing around and the financial aspect of the organization potentially puts the DAO out of reach for the average music fan? Hoping to find out, I spoke with Friends with Benefits founder Trevor McFedries and the organization’s Operations Lead, Patti Hauseman.
Regardless of whether you’re a crypto cynic, a Web3 evangelist or fall somewhere in between, the conversation is worth a read, and hopefully sheds some light on a phenomenon that’s still largely a mystery to most people.
To read the complete interview, please click here.
REAL QUICK
A round-up of of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, mixes, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
I swear that First Floor isn’t about to become a crypto-oriented newsletter, but Mat Dryhurst shared this fascinating article last week (written by Ali Breland for Mother Jones) that explores how the irrational (and blatantly unfair) economics of the real world set the stage for the current crypto boom.
For those interested in a more critical view of what’s happening with crypto, Gabriel Meier (who also runs The Astral Plane label) wrote this dense examination of Web3 through a Marxist lens. It appears in the first issue of the newly launched Bellona magazine.
Turning to environmental concerns in music, this New Statesman piece by Ellen Peirson-Hagger and Katharine Swindells compares the carbon footprint of streaming to that of physical releases. (Given the sheer scale of streaming consumption these days, the numbers aren’t encouraging.)
Holly Herndon shared some clips of her recent lecture / performance at a Sónar event here in Barcelona, where she took the stage with Mat Dryhurst, Tarta Relena and Maria Arnal to discuss her work and (amongst other things) demonstrate the possibilities of timbre transfer. I was actually lucky enough to witness the event in person, and while I had no real concrete idea what timbre transfer is, it seems to essentially be a technology that morphs the human voice into the sound of an instrument or, incredibly, the voice of another human. The show demoed several different uses of the technology, and in one particularly “wow”-inducing moment, Dryhurst took the mic and essentially sang one of Herndon’s songs in her voice.
In a move designed to increase monetization possibilities for users of its platform, Mixcloud has added a tipping functionality. This quick how-to video explains how people can put it to use.
Black Artist Database (formerly known as Black Bandcamp) has launched a new initiative, the Black Creative Database, which is meant to serve as a directory of Black videographers, writers, conference speakers, illustrators, photographers, editors and creatives of all kinds.
Andy Barker, a founding member of seminal UK outfit 808 State, passed away over the weekend, and Carl Loben (DJ Mag’s Editor in Chief) paid tribute in this obituary.
With a new album—his first LP of original material in more than 25 years—due to arrive in December, Japanese artist (and former video game composer) Soichi Terada was profiled by Marcus Barnes for Crack magazine.
Another Japanese artist of note, minimalist Midori Takada, was interviewed by Patrick St. Michel for The Quietus.
Every week is a busy week for DJ mixes, but several intriguing ones have surfaced in recent days:
Anthony Naples delivered a guest mix for Beats in Space.
Italian ambient artist Grand River is at the helm of this week’s RA Podcast.
Fresh off the release of his new Concealer LP on Planet Mu, Relaxer did a mix for Inverted Audio.
DJ Voices shared a recording of her nearly three-hour set from this year’s Honcho Campout.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases that were announced during the past week.
Loraine James has offered up a new EP as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp. Entitled Wrong Name, it plays on the various misspellings of Loraine James, and the UK artist says it will only be available for a week, so anyone interested should grab it now before it disappears.
Kenyan beatmaker Slikback also unveiled a new name-your-price EP last week. It’s called Sometimes I Just Want to Feel and it’s available now.
Early next year, Chinese experimental artist Pan Daijing will return to the PAN label with Tissues, a studio recording of an opera she first performed at London’s Tate Modern back in 2019. The full release is scheduled to arrive on January 21, but one track, “Part Two - A Found Lament,” has already been shared.
The next release from Livity Sound will be a collaboration between celebrated bass maestros Hodge and Simo Cell. The Drums from the West EP is set to drop on November 26, but lead track “Medusa” can be heard now.
Harpist Mary Lattimore is seemingly always releasing something (that’s not a complaint), and last week she offered up GAINER, a long-form collaboration with ambient / experimental outfit GROWING. It’s available now.
MY WIFE HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
My wife Dania is a wonderful person, but she has little regard for my taste in electronic music. Head of the Paralaxe Editions label, she often describes the music I like with words like “cheesy,” “simple,” “predictable,” “boring” and, worst of all (in her mind), “happy.” In contrast, I think she has a fantastic ear, and I’m constantly amazed by the obscure gems she unearths, both from record bins and the dark corners of the internet. Given that, I’ve asked Dania to share some of her finds with the First Floor audience. Each week, she highlights something that she’s currently digging, and adds some of her thoughts as to why it’s worth our attention.
Morteza Mahjubi “Improvisation in Bayat-e Zand (Yek Shakheh Gol #169)” (Death Is Not the End)
Hello. I discovered this through my Bandcamp feed this morning. (Thanks to Adam Badí Donovan of Warm Winters Ltd. for buying this before me.) Selected Improvisations from Golha, Pt. I is a collection of Persian-tuned piano pieces from composer Morteza Mahjubi. Written for the Golha (Flowers of Persian Song and Poetry) programmes on Iranian national radio, they were broadcast between 1956 and 1965. The whole release is worth hearing, but enjoy this beautiful piece, which opens up with some Persian poetry.
Follow Dania on Twitter, or check out her monthly radio show on dublab.es.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following is a selection of my favorite tunes that came out during the past week or so. The ones in the ‘Big Three’ section are the songs I especially want to highlight (and therefore have longer write-ups), but the tracks in the ‘Best of the Rest’ section are also very much worth your time. In both sections, you can click on the track titles to hear each song individually, or you can also just head over to this convenient Buy Music Club list to find them all in one place.
THE BIG THREE
Mucho Sueño “Relacional” (All Centre)
Mucho Sueño “Rendering” (All Centre)
As a general rule, comparisons to Aphex Twin should probably be avoided—after all saying that something “sounds like Aphex Twin” could mean a thousand different things—but as I listened to “Relacional,” the title track of Mucho Sueño’s new EP, the work of Richard D. James is exactly what came to mind. More specifically, the song recalls some of the seminal UK artist’s more tender moments, its plinking, childlike melodies drifting across an expanse of soft pads and atmospheric calm before the track splinters into an array of squirrely rhythms and rotund bass notes. The Chilean producer has clearly soaked up a few lessons from ’90s-era Warp and classic IDM, but “Rendering” shows that his skills aren’t limited to the experimental realm. While the tune isn’t exactly linear—there’s a bit of swing in those drums—it’s got enough thump to liven up a dancefloor, even as its pastel melodies sweetly float atop the proceedings.
Sustrapperazzi “Business Meeting” (Ilian Tape)
Sustrapperazzi “Ridiculous” (Ilian Tape)
Sustrapperazzi “Memphis” (Ilian Tape)
Imagine Ruff Sqwad making a beat tape for Stones Throw, and you might get something close to Return from Shibuya, the latest entry on Ilian Tape’s new-ish Beat Series. Crafted by UK producer Sustrapperazzi, who was apparently linked with Ilian Tape by none other than Skee Mask, the release injects the wobbly basslines of early grime into the soulful, sun-soaked sounds of LA hip-hop’s digger contingent. The jazzy, almost orchestral groove of “Business Meeting” could have been cooked up by someone like Madlib, and a similar aesthetic colors “Ridiculous,” which thickens up the basslines while also tossing a few old-school mobile phone chirps into the mix.
Of all the tracks on the record, the closing “Memphis” might be the most enjoyable, as Sustrapperazzi largely sets aside his UK palette and indulges in the familiar triplets and epic melodies of Southern Rap. It’s not quite Three 6 Mafia—the song’s instrumental nature has a lot to do with that—but the song’s hazy, candy-colored crawl and buzzy bass definitely conjure visions of cruising down the boulevard in a tricked-out Cadillac.
CUB “Reason Doesn’t Sleep” (L.I.E.S.)
A long-running collaboration between techno veterans Karl O’Connor (a.k.a. Regis) and Simon Shreeve (a.k.a. Mønic a.k.a. Future Materials), CUB is a project that only appears intermittently, but when they do, the UK duo brings plenty of firepower to the table. Their latest EP, The Dynamic Unconscious, first surfaced during the final days of 2020, but it’s now been given a higher-profile release on L.I.E.S., which feels like an appropriate home for the thundering rhythms of a track like “Reason Don’t Sleep.” The song’s industrial thrum will certainly ring familiar to anyone who’s lived through the onslaught of EBM-influenced techno in recent years, but it’s important to remember that acts like CUB—and the Downwards label they’ve long been associated with—played a huge role in inspiring all those black-clad pretenders in the first place. O’Connor and Shreeve don’t pull out many bells and whistles here, but they don’t need to—every metallic thud and murky texture is exactly where it needs to be.
BEST OF THE REST
Kerim Bey “Syzygy” (Science Cult)
The new 214 817 972 compilation is designed to showcase some of the electronic music talent coming out of the Dallas metro area—the record’s title literally strings together the region’s three telephone area codes—but of all the Texans on display, it’s Kerim Bey who shines brightest. A longtime metal drummer, Bey has built “Syzygy” atop a sturdy breakbeat, but it’s the song’s simmering synth tones—which sound like the noises a computer would make in a ’70s sci-fi flick—that are sure to tantalize listeners.
PRZ “You Don’t Exist” (Clone West Coast)
The electro vibes are strong in Texas, and PRZ—who runs the Chateau Royal imprint alongside his label partner Rapha—calls Houston home. “You Don’t Exist” appears on his new Wishmaker EP, and brings to mind the propulsive, future-retro aesthetic that defined early ADULT. releases. Bright and upbeat, it’s also a reminder that wiggly electro just might be the best electro of all. [Quick correction: Apparently PRZ and Rapha are actually from Herzeliya, a city just north of Tel Aviv in Israel. For some reason the Chateau Royal Bandcamp page says “Houston,” which led to the mistake in the original text.]
Good Moon Dear “Ditto” (Unfiled)
With its rhythmic percolations, Point, the sophomore album from Icelandic producer Good Moon Dear, owes an obvious debt to labels like Livity Sound and Hessle Audio, but what makes a song like “Ditto” stand out from the post-dubstep crowd is its minutiae. Dotted with crunchy bits and bobs, not to mention some finely chopped samples of human breath, the track sounds like something experimental artists like Perila or Ulla might make if they were tasked with cooking up a tune for the club.
City & i.o “Unkind (with Dis Fig)” (Éditions Appærent)
City & i.o “Marrow” (Éditions Appærent)
“Unkind” and “Marrow” are two very different songs, yet they both appear on Chaos is God Neighbour, the latest full-length from City & i.o. The Canadian pair have filled the LP with plenty of emotional (and musical) tumult, but “Unkind” is downright delicate, with soft piano, Dis Fig’s ethereal vocals and the sounds of a distant rainstorm coalescing into a sort of quasi-lullaby. “Marrow,” on the other hand, is jagged and tense, its sharp guitars, clanging drums and distant yowls sounding like an Unwound outtake from the mid ’90s.
Seb Wildblood “Night Ride (with Lex Amor)” (All My Thoughts)
“Night Ride” belongs on the radio. A one-off single from Seb Wildblood, it’s not a big, happy pop song—it’s actually a bit gloomy—but there’s something sticky about the track’s smooth synths and cooled-out bounce. There’s a blazed, late-night vibe at work, and fellow UK artist Lex Amor artist notably heightens the atmosphere with her introspective talk-rapping. (In truth, it’s arguably her contribution that makes the song truly pop.)
96 Back “Don’t Die (feat. Joe Paisan)” (Local Action)
Capping what’s been a busy 2021, young UK producer 96 Back just dropped Love Letters, Nine Through Six, a new full-length that stands out not only for its nimble rhythms and playful sensibility, but also for its creator’s determination to populate the record with a variety of vocal experiments. The slippery “Don’t Die”—a collaboration with Joe Paisan, one of 96 Back’s oldest friends—takes a few cues from the Fractal Fantasy school of production, combining high-gloss melodies with beats that pull equally from hip-hop and footwork, but the song’s vocal acrobatics, as twisted and processed they often are, give the track a notably human feel, even as it hyperactively bounces across the dancefloor.
Nick Malkin “Untitled” (Mondoj)
Nothing Blues, the latest release from LA musician Nick Malkin, was apparently “made for solitary, homebound introspection,” and after hearing “Untitled,” I’d wager that the influence of Arthur Russell also factored in somehow. Stripped down and bathed in ambient room noise, the song is centered around what sounds like a cello (it’s definitely a string-based instrument), its softly warbling bellows enveloped by a sense of quiet melancholy.
Dusky “Local Newspaper” (17 Steps)
Dusky isn’t cool. I know that. You know that. They probably know it too. Rightly or wrongly, the UK duo is often written off as the poster children for a certain brand of overly safe, whitewashed post-dubstep dance music that flourished during the mid 2010s, but even as they’ve been dismissed by the tastemaker crowd, Dusky has soldiered on, and just dropped a new album. It’s called JOY, and while LP highlight “Local Newspaper” probably won’t win any originality contests, it’s still a well-crafted piece of piano-driven, nostalgia-soaked breakbeat euphoria. You might be embarrassed to put this one on, but everyone around you will be glad that you did.
Ricardo Donoso “Master and Emissary” (Denovali)
This one is all about the drums. A standout from Ricardo Donoso’s new Progress Trap LP, “Master and Emissary” opens with a spacious, IDM-esque procession of moody synths and a few scattered rhythms, but once the Boston musician lets the percussion fly, it becomes a pummeling assault, galloping along like a spooked horse.
Breaka “Solaria” (Breaka)
Even as electronic music has become flooded with ’90s jungle throwbacks during the past few years, surprisingly few of today’s artists are channeling the heady, jazz-infused aesthetic once championed by artists like LTJ Bukem. “Solaria,” however, bucks that trend, as London beatmaker Breaka has constructed a laid-back, melodic groove that recalls classic tunes like Adam F’s “Circles,” but also updates the template, weaving in some footwork rhythms and some sneakily potent waves of crunchy bass.
Atrice “Q” (Ilian Tape)
“Q” is the title track of Atrice’s new EP on Ilian Tape, but the song’s thick, sludgy bass sounds more like something you’d hear on classic dubstep labels like DMZ or Deep Medi. The music itself is sparsely constructed, but the Swiss producer has filled every inch of blank space with ominously rumbling low end, giving rise to a song that slouches along with the destructive force of lava oozing out of a volcano.
TOMO & Plastique01 “Lost in Detroit” (Mechanical)
Techno masters like Robert Hood and Juan Atkins set a very high bar back in the day, but Mechanical made a good call when it evoked their names in the promotional text for “Lost in Detroit.” Crafted by TOMO & Plastique01, two members of Italy’s De Rio collective, the song taps into the Motor City’s fleet-footed, futurist spirit, and does so while also folding in some dreamy arpeggios that could have been lifted from a ’90s trance record (a good one).
Richard Fearless “Rotation Axis” (Drone)
The word “rave” may be in the title of Richard Fearless’ new Future Rave Memory LP, but in reality, the album’s contents occupy a hypnotic, static-laced space far away from the dancefloor. “Rotation Axis” has an industrial tinge, but it’s essentially a dreamy ambient number where the UK veteran’s lightly plinking melodies and hovering drones meditatively intermingle across seven minutes of narcotic bliss.
Mosca “Cordite” (Rent)
Mosca was responsible for the first-ever release on Night Slugs, so perhaps it’s appropriate that his new single “Cordite” feels like an update to one of the label’s most iconic releases: Jam City’s Classical Curves. Maybe the similarity simply boils down to the fact that both “Cordite” and Jam City’s “The Courts” employ the sound of squeaking sneakers, but beyond that, both releases have a real sense of ambition, using creative sound design to push club music beyond its natural limits (without getting into full-blown experimental territory). There isn’t a neat genre descriptor for this one—I’m not even sure if the track has any proper drum sounds—but it bangs nonetheless.
Ricky Force “All I Need (Tim Reaper Remix)” (Future Retro)
Before last week, Future Retro had been solely focused on the collaborative Meeting of the Minds series, in which label founder Tim Reaper teams up with some of the brightest talents in jungle and drum & bass. That changed, however, once he heard “All I Need,” a rumbler from Irish producer Ricky Force that is now the lead track on FR001, Future Retro’s first “normal” EP. The record also includes a song from Basic Rhythm and a couple of remixes, and while the original “All I Need” is certainly potent, this Tim Reaper rework is something for those in search of a proper drum workout. That said, it’s no mindless banger, retaining just enough wistful melodies to make for a thoughtful listen—even when you’re off the dancefloor.
That’s all for this edition of First Floor. As always, thank you so much for reading the newsletter, and I do hope you enjoyed the tunes. (Don’t forget, you can find them all on this handy Buy Music Club list, and if you like them, please buy them.)
Have a great week,
Shawn
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn or drop him an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.