First Floor #151 – Nobody Wants to Pay Anybody
a.k.a. How exploitation gets baked into the music industry, plus a round-up of the week's electronic music news and a new batch of track recommendations.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s exclusively made available to paid newsletter subscribers only. A brief overview of the latest one is below, and its paywall has now been temporarily removed for the next 24 hours.
THE COST OF PASSION
“The music industry runs on passion.”
Statements like that make for a snappy marketing slogans, but they aren’t entirely untrue. The music industry does run on passion, but not because those who work in it (or simply aspire to) are a uniquely driven bunch. No, it runs on passion in the sense that music—like most creative endeavors—is something that most consumers (and even some artists) don’t consider to be real work. Musicians usually aren’t seen as laborers; they’re thought to be “living the dream,” and while exploiting / underpaying / undervaluing them isn’t necessarily okay, it’s rarely regarded as a serious problem.
Journalist and artist manager Brandon Stosuy hinted at this in a tweet earlier this year.
What happens in a music ecosystem where artists—and many other folks in the industry—are seen as “lucky” to be doing what they do? And how has the industry developed to exploit that reality, creating systems in which even those who actively want to support artists frequently wind up putting their ethical quandaries aside in the name of easy / cheap / convenient consumption?
I put together some thoughts on the matter in an essay published earlier this week, and it’s now available (temporarily) for everyone to read in full here.
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, mixes, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
After a UK government committee last year called for a “complete reset” of the streaming economy, hopes were high that the country’s competition watchdog—the Competition and Markets Authority—would step in and make some changes to protect artists. However, those hopes were officially dashed this week when the CMA’s final report concluded that major labels and streaming companies were not making “excess profits,” and highlighted how the rise of streaming had benefitted consumers. While the report did acknowledge the economic difficulties faced by musicians and songwriters, it also determined that the problem wasn’t due to a lack of competition, and therefore declined to do a full market investigation, claiming that government intervention to boost competition would not “improve outcomes for artists substantially.”
What is corecore? An actual genre? An online joke? Whatever it is, it seems to be happening on TikTok, as Kieran Press-Reynolds explains in this intriguing new article for No Bells. It’s one of those reads that will likely leave most people over 30 feeling extremely old, but it also includes one particularly insightful (and moderately depressing) line that should speak to people of all ages:
It’s like there’s a desire for New Things but it’s expressed through an impenetrable irony about the hopelessness of there ever actually being another New Thing and the futility of even trying to start one.
First Floor readers might remember that I find digital cover stories to be inherently odd, but regardless of how it’s branded, Resident Advisor’s latest cover story—a profile of Helena Hauff written by Chloe Lula—digs into the German artist’s approach to DJing, her rejection of social media and more.
Mixmag also dropped a new digital cover this week, shining its editorial spotlight on rRoxymore. The accompanying feature, which was penned by Caroline Whiteley, tracks the French artist’s evolution over the years, and highlights how her refusal to settle into neatly defined categories has continually pushed her music into brave new territories. To mark the occasion, rRoxymore also put together an exclusive new DJ mix.
Physical Therapy—one of electronic music’s funniest people, as he demonstrated when he was interviewed here in the newsletter last year—was the guest on yesterday’s episode of the How Long Gone podcast, and while I admittedly haven’t had a chance to listen yet, it seems that hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart got the NYC artist talking about everything but the usual DJ discourse.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
John Talabot has a new album on the way… sort of. Last week the Catalan producer announced that he’d formed a new group called Miclono with fellow Barcelona resident Arnau Obiols. The two have been engaging in annual joint recording sessions since 2016, and now they’ve prepared their first full-length, Cluster I, which is set to arrive on February 17 via Talabot’s Hivern Discs label. Ahead of that, two tracks from the LP are already available here.
Canadian ambient artist Khotin has completed a new full-length for Ghostly International. Created following his move back to his hometown of Edmonton, Release Spirit is an album created without “the pressure of expectation,” and though it won’t be released until February 17, first single “Fountain, Growth”—which features vocals from Tess Roby—has already been shared.
Gold Panda’s latest album The Work surfaced last month, and this week the UK producer quickly followed it up with a Skee Mask remix of LP cut “Plastic Future.” It’s out now on City Slang.
Dance music isn’t generally known for its Christmas crossovers, but Finn has made a habit of getting into the holiday spirit. Having previously delivered three installments of the Christmas-themed Joy to the World mix series alongside frequent partner-in-crime I. JORDAN, the Manchester producer has prepared something different for 2022. No More Coal (A Christmas Dance Record) is a collection of “Christmas House jams” that includes collaborations with both I. JORDAN and Martyn Bootyspoon, and before it arrives on December 7 via his own 2 B REAL imprint, one song, “A Christmas House Track,” has already been shared.
Sven Väth has assembled a massive new compilation called What I Used to Play, and as the title implies, it digs deep into his own DJ history. More specifically, it focuses on the tunes that populated his record bag during the 1980s, and amongst its 36 tracks are songs from Kraftwerk, New Order, Frankie Knuckles, Yello, Primal Scream, Whodini and many, many more. More details can be found here, but the compilation is slated to arrive on February 3 through the Cocoon label, and will only be able physically, either as a triple CD or a 12-vinyl box set.
Lawrence English and loscil are both veterans of the ambient / experimental circuit, and after years of running in similar circles, they’ve come together to make a collaborative album. Entitled Colours of Air, its primary source material was a “collection of recordings of a century-old pipe organ housed at the historic Old Museum in Brisbane, Australia.” The kranky label will be releasing the LP on February 3, but one track, “Violet,” has already been shared, along with an accompanying music video.
Osàre! Editions—a label run by Elena Colombi—dropped an interesting new compilation last week. Inspired by the writings of bell hooks and the work of other feminist thinkers, The Male Body Will Be Next Pt. 1 is rooted in the idea of fostering “cross-gender solidarity through music and art,” and the genre-hopping collection includes tracks from Laurel Halo, upsammy, Sepehr, Solid Blake, Brainwaltzera and several others.
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 if you prefer to listen to them all in one place.
THE BIG THREE
DJ Stingray 313 “Serotonin” (Micron Audio)
DJ Stingray 313 “Potential” (Micron Audio)
Electro is one of those genres that seems to have a “revival” every five or ten years, but even during those moments when its popularity has waned, it’s hard to find anyone with a bad word to say about DJ Stingray. Simply put, the guy is the real deal, a Detroit native who worked with Drexciya and has subsequently spent decades not only sharpening his skills, but continuing to push their aquatic legacy forward. (Considering that he also spearheaded the groundbreaking Urban Tribe project, his own legacy isn’t too shabby either.)
The Aqua Team LP is a reissue—its tracks were first released across two EPs in 2007 and 2008—but even now, the record sounds like a missive from the future. Electro and techno are the most obvious touchstones, but Stingray also brings an attention to detail that rivals that of Autechre, so that every bleep, bloop and snap sounds like it’s been lazer cut and subsequently polished beneath a magnifying glass. Picking favorites is difficult, but “Serotonin”—arguably one of the most “Drexciyan” selections on the LP—is a feverishly percolating thrill ride that also brings some ethereal vocals into the mix, while “Potential” does away with breakbeats entirely, delivering a squelchy acid-techno romp that quite literally talks of destiny.
Azura “Theme from Azura (House Version)” (World Building)
Who is Azura? When the name first appeared in 2017 on the (honestly brilliant) “Paraíso ’89” single, the track was essentially billed as a long-lost gem from a “short-lived group,” but now, five years later, the World Building label has dropped “Theme from Azura,” touting the a record as “a pumpin’ sun-drenched follow-up” from the “mysterious duo.” So… we’re supposed to believe that Azura, whoever they are, got back together after more than 30 years to make some new music? That narrative doesn’t quite add up, but even if World Building is simply having some fun with its audience, “Theme from Azura” is fantastic.
“Paraíso ’89” was steeped in the sound of Italian dream house, and while “Theme from Azura” maintains a similarly smooth vibe, it probably owes a greater debt to Larry Heard and the deep house records that came out of early ’90s New York. The 12” contains an ultra-plush “Dream Version” that’s perhaps better suited to the bedroom than the club, but it’s the “House Version” that maintains a grown-and-sexy atmosphere while also catering to the needs of the dancefloor, pairing its cooly confident bounce with vintage synth stabs and a hearty helping of canned saxophone.
Ocean Stirs “Luminescent (Tim Reaper Remix)” (Another Place)
Another Place is a new offshoot of the hotly tipped X-Kalay label, and though its exact objective isn’t completely clear—the official description merely says, “Same faces, new signal, different intent”—the imprint officially launched last week with Luminiscent, a retro-flavored, breakbeat-centric EP from UK producer Ocean Stirs (who also makes music as Tom Jarmey). His originals are certainly worth a listen, but it’s fellow Londoner Tim Reaper who truly deserves the spotlight here, as his rework of the record’s title track transforms what was a heads-down jungle roller into an openly joyous rave throwback. Offering up this kind of full-throated euphoria isn’t Reaper’s usual calling card, but he steps into the role beautifully, and even gives the track a bit of extra juice by repurposing the vocal from 1993 house classic “Do You Feel Me” by N.Y.’s Finest. What results is a truly vibrant slice of dance music, and if this is what Reaper sounds like when he’s in nostalgia mode, maybe he should cast his gaze backwards a little more often.
BEST OF THE REST
Cratan “Lazka” (Index Marcel Fengler)
The new 10 Years Index Marcel Fengler compilation features tunes from techno veterans like Dasha Rush, Etapp Kyle and The Advent, but it’s young Dallas upstart Cratan—who also makes music under the name Decoder—that delivers the record’s knockout blow. “Lazka” is a blazing techno cut, and while its jagged synth swells and sci-fi sound palette nod toward Y2K-era raving and the punkish electro of artists like Vitalic, the song’s 150-bpm pace should also be fast enough for the Zoomer set.
Tenzella “Rosa” (Hardgroove)
Tech house has undergone something of a critical re-examination in recent years, but what about housey techno? That term admittedly lacks a bit of pizazz, but it’s the best way to describe “Rosa,” a standout cut from Liverpool producer Tenzella’s new Hard Grind EP. It’s not a flashy tune, but it is an effective one, and between its insistent pulse, proggy synth procession and subtle rhythmic swing, it ultimately sounds something like John Digweed and Masters at Work teaming up on a one-off techno experiment.
SW. “TROPyCALLhytsrIA” (Avenue 66)
An artist who always manages to fuse the needs of the dancefloor with the outer reaches of the subconscious, German eccentric SW. has created a deliciously heady house tune with “TROPyCALLhytsrIA.” A bubbly highlight of the genre-melding producer’s new okALGORYTHM album, the track hints at the late-night soul of classic Larry Heard, but with its loopy birdcalls and percolating click-clack, it’s perhaps closer to a meditative jungle retreat than a wild dash through the club.
Nu-Cleo “The Deep (5AM)” (Forbidden Dance)
The title of the new Bridges: An American - European Dance Connection compilation is rather self-explanatory, and while old-school house heads will likely flock to tracks from Midwestern heroes like Gene Hunt, Boo Williams and Rick Wilhite, Italian producer Nu-Cleo makes an impressive case for the record’s European contingent with “The Deep (5AM).” Reminiscent of early-’90s NYC acts like Dream 2 Science, it’s a deliciously soulful tune that layers its lush textures atop gently tumbling percussion and a sturdy (albeit pleasingly chill) house beat.
Andy Martin “Iztaccihuatl” (Diaspora Echoes)
To inaugurate his new Diaspora Echoes label, Mexican-Jamaican producer Andy Martin has gone conceptual with the Antiguos Astronautas LP, imagining a narrative in which pre-Colombian civilizations are placed in a futuristic, sci-fi scenario. “Iztaccihuatl” is the album’s dubby closer, a heads-down, eyes-closed techno cut that beeps like an EKG machine as its squiggly synths and and stuttering drum patterns keep things moving toward what sounds like a hopeful future.
Resocode “Mythos” (Model Future)
The opening track of Resocode’s new R/CODE:GENESIS-EP1, “Mythos” sounds like electro filtered through the lens of ’90s video game soundtracks, but given that its creator is apparently only 18 years old, it’s unlikely that he actually spent much time parked in front of a Super Nintendo console. That said, the cheerily colorful song still has an effervescent sparkle, its fluttering synths conjuring images of sunny skies, good friends and summertime hangs at the local shopping mall.
Arcane & Jon1st “Bloodstone” (Defrostatica)
Bloodstone is the debut collaboration from UK bass producers Arcane and Jon1st, and the EP’s title track is a skillfully executed hybrid. Moving between passages of floaty ambience and percussive outbursts that pull from techno, footwork and drum & bass, “Bloodstone” charts an unconventional path—one that’s been fleshed out with cinematic swells, disembodied vocal melodies and brawny (albeit unimposing) sheets of sub-bass—but in the hands of this talented duo, it’s a remarkably smooth ride.
Noémi Büchi “Memorizing by Heart” (-OUS)
Is that a harpsichord? Not many artists manage to sound futuristic while dabbling in sounds that once entertained 19th century aristocrats, but Noémi Büchi is a special talent. “Memorizing by Heart”—a highlight of the Swiss composer’s debut album Matter—does exude an orchestral flair and a certain air of regality, yet it never feels like a stuffy museum piece, as Büchi folds in cinematic strings and fuzzy plumes of washy, Enya-like melodies. The powdered wig set never heard anything like this.
Ura “Baby with a Halo” (Motion Ward)
Ambient comes in all shapes and sizes, and though “Baby with a Halo”—the title track of Ura’s new album—at times sounds like a twinkly underwater lullaby, it’s also clearly the work of someone who’s spent plenty of time nodding along to rap beats. There’s just no hiding those wonky, angular basslines, and while the song ultimately sits miles away from the club—”barely there” is perhaps the best way to describe the Montreal producer’s drum programming—it probably owes more to Lil B than Brian Eno.
Sulk Rooms “They Believe Letters Keep Me Company” (Decaying Spheres)
Less than a month removed from his (also excellent) Viewers release, UK artist Thomas Ragsdale has let loose another collection of tunes from his Sulk Rooms project. Inspired by thoughts of “secretive cults and societies,” Ceremony is effectively a study in post-rock sonics and quietly sinister drone, and “They Believe Letters Keep Me Company” strips that formula down to the bone, its ominous, reverb-soaked slow burn sounding like something Mogwai might come up with if they were hired to score a Scandinavian vampire flick.
Havenaire “Transition” (Past Inside the Present)
Swedish ambient artist Havenaire didn’t offer up much in the way of explanatory context with his new album Transitions, but the record’s sprawling title track certainly feels like an ode to finding peace and letting go. A pillow-soft expanse of static and worldess (albeit angelic) vocal fragments—fans of Julianna Barwick will likely approve—the song stretches across the horizon and beyond, leaving plenty of room for whoever’s listening to feel what they need to feel and (hopefully) let the healing process begin.
That brings us to the end of today’s newsletter. Thank you so much for reading First Floor, 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.