First Floor #126 – Bucolic Psychedelia and Immersive Nightmares
a.k.a. A round-up of the week's electronic music news, plus a fresh crop of new track recommendations.
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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.
Chal Ravens’ writing is always a must-read affair, and this DJ Mag cover story she put together on Batu—who just released his long-awaited debut album—finds the Bristol artist in a particularly reflective state of mind.
Over the past 18 months, Raj Chaudhuri (a.k.a. Raji Rags) and R&S Records have been engaged in a conflict stemming from the former’s departure from the label. After first airing his concerns—which stated that R&S “doesn’t support Black and women artists sufficiently”—via social media in October 2020, Chaudhuri subsequently filed a case with the UK employment tribunal, citing unlawful dismissal, racial discrimination and harassment. This week, that case was dismissed by a judge, who stated that Chaudhuri was not in fact an employee of the label, but a “independent freelancer and an entrepreneur.” The Resident Advisor news story on the matter contains much more detail, including Chaudhuri’s intention to appeal the decision (and his lawyer’s clarification that “allegations of racism were not examined or decided upon by the tribunal”), but in the meantime, R&S has claimed victory, issuing a statement insinuating that Chaudhuri is under investigation for blackmail and is now potentially responsible for “costs in excess of £95,000.”
There’s been a lot of turnover at Resident Advisor during the past two years, most visibly amongst its editorial team, and as part of the company’s larger restructuring, they’ve announced the creation of a new governance board that includes its “two founders (Nick Sabine and Paul Clement), its new CEO (David Selby) and its head of community (Amy Van Baaren),” along with the community voices of “London-based producer, educator, music technology consultant and CDR founder Tony Nwachukwu; Lisbon-based Carin Abdulá, director of cultural production agency OUTER and curator and strategist at Tresor in Berlin; and curator, DJ, festival producer and consultant Lauren Goshinski, who lives in New York.”
Speaking of Resident Advisor, the site enlisted writer Peter Kirn to put together a primer on soundsystems. The article—which features the input of various soundsystem leaders from around the globe—lays out all of the component parts, gives advice on how to start building and also contextualizes the role of soundsystems in various genres and the community at large.
Writing for SSENSE, Nathan Reese penned an in-depth profile of LA outpost Leaving Records, diving deep into the label’s growth, evolution and “all genre” approach, along with its signature series of outdoor ambient music events.
This week Holly Herndon held the first auction of works created using her Holly+ online tool, which allows people to upload any audio file and receive a download of that music sung in her voice. The “Season One” offerings—all of which were approved for sale by the Holly+ DAO—included 70 songs from a vartiety of artists, including Colin Self, Claude Speeed, Maelstrom, Thys, Matthewdavid and many others.
Hyperdub has pointed out that the five-year license for Diggin’ in the Carts—a collection of vintage Japanese video game music the label put together in partnership with the Red Bull Music Academy—is set to expire in June. Anyone interested in its rare contents, many of which were literally sourced directly from the chips of old games, should act fast and grab the compilation now.
Disco Pogo, a new biannual, dance music-focused print magazine from the founders of famed ’90s outlet Jockey Slut, is set to launch later this month. The first issue, which features Sherelle and Gilles Peterson on its covers, comes out on May 25 and can also be pre-ordered here.
In a new feature for Bandcamp Daily, Collin Smith tracks the growth of the iconic dembow rhythm over the past 30 years, speaking to ethnomusicologist Wayne Marshall and a number of artists (including DJ Python).
Need help navigating the world of digital distribution? DJ Mag’s Declan McGlynn has written a handy (and remarkably thorough) guide that both lays out all of the particulars and compares the costs / benefits / offerings of the various companies catering to people who self-release their music.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases that were announced during the past week.
Following a pair of excellent 2021 EPs for Leaving Records, Time Wharp will soon be releasing a new full-length on the label. Spiro World is slated to arrive on June 17, but ahead of that, the NYC artist has already shared one of its songs, “Lupron.”
Experimental stalwart and Shelter Press co-founder Félicia Atkinson has completed a new album, Image Language, that will be released on June 24. Before it arrives, the French artist has made LP track “Becoming a Stone” available.
UK bass producer Ploy launched his own Deaf Test imprint last year, and he’ll soon be returning to the label with a new EP, Unit 18. Opening cut “Stinky” has already been shared, and the full release will drop on July 1.
Fresh off the release of his Memoryland Enhanced collection, Canadian artist CFCF released a new one-off single last Friday called “Sunrise Blue.”
Delicious Intent, the second half of Aquarian’s Mutations EP couplet for Dekmantel, will be released on May 30, but the Berlin-based Canadian has already shared the record’s title track.
Levon Vincent has a new LP on the way via his own Novel Sound imprint. Silent Cities is billed as his first album “for the home stereo or for headphone listening,” and though it won’t be released until June 10, closing track “Sunset” is already available.
The Hearing Experience is a new single series from SA Recordings in which artists are asked to explore “their their relationship with the act of listening.” Future entries will appear in the weeks ahead from Damsel Elysium and Tara Clerkin Trio, but the latest single comes from Copenhagen artist Astrid Sonne, whose “How Far” dropped earlier this week.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following is a selection of my favorite tunes from releases 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 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
Adam Badí Donoval “Grandma’s Tape” (The Trilogy Tapes)
Anyone paying close attention to the inner workings of avant-garde and experimental electronic music is likely familiar with the name Adam Badí Donoval; he’s one of those people who quietly gets things done. A strong advocate for Eastern European artists and scenes—he himself lives in Bratislava—he works as a music writer and mastering engineer, and also heads up the excellent Warm Winters Ltd. label. His own music, however, is less known, though that’s likely about to change now that he’s just released an album on The Trilogy Tapes.
Entitled Sometimes Life Is Hard and So We Should Help Each Other, it’s an ambient-ish (and largely collaborative) record that often combines delicate instrumentation with bits of drone and assorted field recordings, ultimately sounding like a lighter, less haunted version of what artists like Perila are doing. The whole thing is worth a listen, but LP closer “Grandma’s Tape” is truly exceptional, despite the fact that it was largely sourced from an old anti-anxiety cassette that Donoval literally found at his grandmother’s house. After recording the audio into Ableton using a wobbly old walkman, he added some extra warble and hiss, and wound up with something that’s almost devotional in nature, its paternal voiceover sounding oddly comforting amongst the song’s melodramatic swells and digital detritus.
The Thousand Order “Entry Code” (International Chrome)
The Thousand Order “Telepathic Intelligence” (International Chrome)
To kick off its new Data Planet cassette series, International Chrome enlisted the talents of The Thousand Order, an international trio consisting of Detroit’s François Dillinger and UK producers Cyphon and Obzerv. Their eponymous album is touted as an exploration of electro’s “darker” side, and opening cut “Entry Code” certainly lives up to that billing, marrying robotic, Kraftwerk-style rhythms with a piano melody that recalls The Omen, The Exorcist and other vintage horror flicks. More energetic is “Telepathic Intelligence,” which borrows heavily from the Beat Street family of breakdance-ready beats, but thanks to its recurring (and highly digitized) vocal growl—which sounds like something you’d hear when a demon appears in the “ancient temple” level of a random old Nintendo game—it’s also a bit sinister.
T. Williams feat. Terri Walker “Heartbeat (Mosca Remix)” (Local Action)
Summarizing more than a decade of activity isn’t easy, especially for a label that’s been both busy and eclectic, but sometimes the beginning is the best place to start. This Mosca rework of T. Williams’ “Heartbeat”—which first appeared on Local Action’s third release back in 2010—leads off the imprint’s Do What You Want Forever anniversary compilation in fine style, its UK funky-indebted drums shimmying alongside the song’s wonky (and infectiously bubbly) bassline as Terri Walker classes up the joint with her soulful vocal stylings. Though it’s ultimately just one slice of the Local Action pie—and for the record, the new compilation also includes high-quality tunes from DJ Q, India Jordan, Finn, Yamaneko, UNIIQU3 and several other label regulars—it’s a bona fide classic.
BEST OF THE REST
BFTT “Disp” (TT)
Avernian “Three Faced (feat. oldyungmayn)” (More Time)
Energy levels seem to be rising all across dance music these days, and that goes double when it comes to bass music. “Disp,” a standout from BFTT’s debut album Redefines, opens with pitchy squeaks and occasionally detours into patches of gauzy serenity, but those things are ultimately upended by the song’s scuzzy bass and pummelling percussive assault; it’s a great tune, but it’s also somewhat akin to going a few rounds with a heavyweight boxer while Aphex Twin plays in the background. Even more menacing is “Three Faced,” which appears on Maadi, the debut LP from fellow Manchester artist Avernian. Heavily steeped in dancehall, the high-stepping track is something of a lumbering beast (albeit a groovy one), its sludgy, distorted low-end sure to test the limits of any soundsystem.
Dwarde “Wilderness” (Future Retro London)
Have we reached peak jungle yet? Probably not, but with a veritable flood of drum & bass records dropping each week, the curatorial prowess of people like Tim Reaper has become all the more important. The latest offering from his Future Retro label is a split EP from FFF and Dwarde, and the latter is responsible for “Wilderness,” a jazzy-yet-banging tune that impressively nods to the ’90s with its fluttering woodwinds and bassy thrum. Not many drum & bass producers these days opt for basslines that sound like an actual stand-up bass, but Dwarde is clearly sharp enough to realize that there’s nothing wrong with following in the footsteps of greats like Roni Size and Adam F.
Mobbs “Rocco” (Chrome)
Operating in the shadowy space between grime and drill (with bits of hip-hop and dancehall thrown in for good measure), Mobbs makes music for late-night drives through half-abandoned urban landscapes, infusing his neck-snapping beats with woozy, elastic basslines and a healthy sense of dread. His work isn’t terribly far from what fellow South London producer Nammy Wams is doing, and “Rocco,” a highlight of the new Untitled LP, intriguingly sounds a bit like the theme to a random ’80s cop show—if said theme was reimagined by a lean-loving Houston rap producer.
Kr!z “Vortex” (Blueprint)
Ignez “Aura” (Token)
At this point, techno is a global enterprise, but as these two tracks show, it’s still a relatively small circuit. Kr!z’s new Neutrino EP is out on UK label Blueprint, but the Belgian artist is also the founder of Token Records, which just issued Ignez’s new Nadi EP. Both records are stuffed with hard-charging gems, and while “Vortex” offsets its muscular throb with sci-fi synths, “Aura” follows a moodier path, supplementing its booming kicks with ominous pads and dramatic splashes of symphonic melody.
Delicious Inc. “Eau de Chanté (For Men)” (Fabric)
TSHA’s new Fabric Presents mix / compilation weaves together tracks old and new, but as its smiley-riddled cover indicates, the general vibe is pure PLUR. Bright colors and positive spirits abound, and while it’s full of quality selections, Delicious Inc.’s “Eau de Chanté (For Men)” is a sassy standout. First released in 1995, it’s essentially a bouncy house cut, but the track’s confident vocals—which borrow heavily from the traditions of ballroom and vogue—take things to another level by serving up a little bit of runway-ready attitude.
Meduna “Nafiltida (Quizzik Remix)” (6 Plusten)
Electro tends to grab the most attention when it’s lightning fast and razor sharp, but the genre’s dreamier variants can often be just as rewarding. Meduna’s original “Nafiltida” offers a fuzzy, soft-focus take on neon, Miami Vice-style glamor, but this remix from fellow Brazilian Quizzik pilots the track into the cosmos. Dialing back the song’s percussive punch, he allows its wiggly melodies to take the lead, ultimately landing on something that sounds like a laid-back exercise in outer-space synth-funk.
Chloé & Vassilena Serafimova “White Circle Canteen (Krikor Emotional Remix)” (Lumière Noire)
Released last year, the Sequenza LP was the result of an unlikely collaboration between French producer Chloé and Bulgarian marimba player Vassilena Serafimova, and now the pair have begun enlisting artists to rework tracks from the record. First up is Krikor, who transforms the bucolic psychedelia of the original “White Circle Canteen” into something that’s both darker and more dramatic. Marimba melodies remain the main attraction, but here they take on a slightly haunted character, flanked by emotive strings and murky drones that sound ominous enough to get anyone’s heart beating a little faster than usual.
Eversines “Uitzicht” (De Vlieger)
New age bliss and bubbly breakbeats find a way to not just coexist, but thrive together on “Uitzicht,” the mesmerizing lead cut on Eversine’s new Achterna EP. The record also features an Eris Drew remix of the title track, but it’s “Uitzicht” that feels most transcendent, its gleaming melodies—which admittedly verge on classic trance sounds—cooly gliding atop the song’s spirited (but not overpowering) bounce. Deployed at the right time, this one could be a definite “tears of joy on the dancefloor” kind of tune.
Caroline Partamian “Side A” (Self-released)
Full disclosure: Caroline is an old friend of mine, and more than a decade ago, I even released an album from a rock band (The Splinters) that she was in. That being said, her life has changed quite a bit since then—after years in Brooklyn, she’s now based in the California desert—and so has her music, which now primarily focuses on long-form ambient / experimental compositions. Rooms is her first solo tape, and it opens with 13 minutes of chimes, echo and reverb, bringing to mind the work of artists like Laraaji, but during the closing passage of “Side A,” she suddenly picks up the guitar and begins banging out grunge-style riffs while filtering in whispered snippets of her own voice. It’s an unexpected turn, albeit an utterly compelling one.
Luca Lozano “The Illest” (Klasse Wrecks)
Taken from WRECKS 4 WAVE, a split cassette that Luca Lozano put together for Tokyo record store Wave alongside his Klasse Wrecks co-founder Mr. Ho, “The Illest” is something of an epic. Clocking in at just under 10 minutes, it’s essentially a dreamy slice of slow-burning, long-form acid house, though its ramshackle rhythms and assorted bits of analog skronk do give the track a lovably unpolished feel.
Slikback “THROUGH YOU” (Self-released)
If my calculations are correct, 22122—which, like all of Slikback’s recent music, is available as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp—is the Kenyan producer’s sixth release of 2022, and given that pretty much everything he does gets mentioned here in the newsletter, it’s admittedly difficult to continue finding new ways to praise his obvious talents. That said, “THROUGH YOU” perfectly exemplifies the increasingly (and thrillingly) amorphous character of bass music, bouncing between trap and footwork amidst a daunting brew of serrated bass stabs and gnarled digital crunch. Even better, the whole thing sounds IMAX-level large, as Slikback has seemingly mastered the art of making even the grottiest street bangers sound like something for the big screen.
Hüma Utku “Dissolution of I” (Editions Mego)
A Turkish composer and sound artist based in Berlin, Hüma Utku crafts immersive, avant-techno nightmares on her new album The Psychologist. Even as she veers far away from the dancefloor, her music retains a real sense of power, its industrial-strength percussive hits rattling skulls and demanding listeners’ attention. Still, songs like LP highlight “Dissolution of I” do offer more than a brutal sonic assault; using groaning strings, oozy bass swells and buzzing swarms of static, Utku conjures a genuine sense of drama, her stark soundscapes retaining a hypnotic allure that’s bound to attract even the wariest of listeners.
That brings us to the end of today’s First Floor. Thank you so much for reading the newsletter, and as always, I do hope that 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.)
Until next time,
Shawn
Shawn Reynaldo is a freelance writer, editor, presenter and project manager. Find him on LinkedIn and Twitter, or you can just drop him an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.