First Floor #190 – Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop
a.k.a. Worrying about Bandcamp, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh slate of new track recommendations.
I’m back. For real this time.
Note to self: Don’t ever again schedule a travel-intensive book tour during the busiest time of year for new releases. Earlier this week, I put together a list of all the potentially interesting things that had come out during the past few weeks while I was on the road, and it was more than 350 releases long.
I did not get around to listening to all of them. (I’m sorry!)
I did, however, at least manage to get back into my “normal” newsletter routine. Today’s edition does include a list of recommendations pulled from releases that dropped during the last week, and I’ve also put together a round-up of news, new release announcements and links to interesting articles / podcasts that popped up while I was away.
There’s also an essay. It’s about Bandcamp, and why those worried about its future have good reason to feel that way.
Anyways, that’s more than enough chit-chat from me. Let’s get started.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s exclusively made available to paid newsletter subscribers only. The latest one, which is now (temporarily) open to everyone, reflects on the news that Bandcamp is being sold for the second time in less than two years, examining not only what that might look like in the immediate future, but why it’s a troubling sign for a platform that has become an integral component of the independent music landscape.
OBLIGATORY BOOK MENTION
My first book is out now. It’s called First Floor Vol. 1: Reflections on Electronic Music Culture, and folks can order it from my publisher Velocity Press. However, if you’re outside of the UK, I’d actually recommend either inquiring at your favorite local bookshop or trying one of the online sales links I’ve compiled here.
ANOTHER THING I DID
The Culture Journalist is a podcast hosted by Emilie Friedlander and Andrea Domanick, and while the show is broadly focused on “culture in the age of platforms,” I was invited to appear on the most recent episode, which zeroed in on post-pandemic nightlife. As you might expect, I discussed my work with First Floor and the new book, but most of the conversation actually focused on the impacts of Covid, generational shift, social media and what could be described as “the Boiler Roomification of club culture.”
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the past few weeks’ most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, mixes, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
More than 15 years into his career, Pangaea is currently receiving more praise than ever, and having just dropped his new album Changing Channels—more on that later—the UK artist and Hessle Audio co-founder had a long chat with Tibor Heskett for a new Mixmag feature.
Continuing its recent hot streak, Scuba’s Not a Diving Podcast this week features an interview with 3024 founder Martyn, who talks about his long career, his history with drum & bass (both as an artist and an archivist) and the mentorship program he’s been running during the past few years.
Speaking of podcasts, the latest episode of Electronic Beats’ The Week finds host OttO Kent talking with music journalist and Crack magazine editor Rachel Grace Almeida about the rise of Latin sounds in European dance music, and the two specifically address the problems that arise (e.g. appropriation, tokenization, mischaracterization) when an outside culture suddenly becomes “fashionable.” (Many of these same issues were explored in my recent interview with Verraco, which, full disclosure, is also mentioned in the podcast.)
Call Super’s new Eulo Cramps album was released last week, and those looking for deeper insights into the record (and, more specifically, what inspired each of its songs) ought to check this Track by Track feature that the Berlin-based Brit penned for the Ransom Note.
Curated by Paul Purgas (one half of UK duo Emptyset), The NID Tapes: Electronic Music from India 1969-1972 is a collection of early Indian electronic music that was released last week. To mark the occasion, The New York Times published an article in which writer Hugh Morris talks to Purgas about how the project came together and where this music came from (short version: American experimentalist David Tudor brought a Moog to India, introducing the instrument to a group of local composers, who then began to experiment further) and also provides some fascinating historical context.
The latest edition of DJ Mag’s On Cue interview / mix series puts a spotlight on Gacha Bakradze, with writer Eoin Murray speaking to the Georgian artist about parenthood, his recent Pancakes album and his work as a co-founder of the Left Blank club / community space in Tbilisi.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past few weeks.
According to a news story from The Quietus, Shackleton has a new solo album on the way. Entitled The Scandal of Time, it’s said to feature vocalist Anna Gerth, who accompanies him “on some cuts which reference German folk songs and poems.” No audio has been shared yet, but the LP is slated to arrive on November 10 via his own Woe to the Septic Heart imprint.
Danny Daze has been working on his debut album for quite some time, but just yesterday the Miami native revealed the details of its forthcoming release. The record is called ::BLUE:: and it includes 19 tracks with a runtime of more than 90 minutes. The conceptual piece is also “intended to be absorbed in one uninterrupted sitting (preferably blindfolded) to coax the listener into creating their own visual accompaniment.” The LP is due to surface on November 17 through Daze’s own Omnidisc label, and he’s also developed an accompanying full dome A/V show, which first debuted at Art Basel last year and will debut in an updated form at next week’s III Points festival in Miami. A VR headset version is on the way too, but in the meantime, Daze has shared a single track from the album, “Silver Box,” which features Nick León and Jonny from Space.
Raptor house creator DJ Babatr recently teamed up with fellow Venezuelan Arca on a new single, “MK3TreF.” It’s available now on Bandcamp.
Back in 2020, Hudson Mohawke and Tiga teamed up on a joint single called “Love Minus Zero.” At some point, that became the official name of their ongoing collaboration, which will release its first album, L’Ecstasy, on December 1 via the pair’s Love Minus Communications label. Several tracks from the LP, which features guest appearances from Abra, Channel Tres and Jesse Boykins III, can already be heard here.
Anenon has a new album on the way, one that the saxophonist and producer says is marked by a sense of “kinetic and messy honesty.” It’s also possibly his least electronic effort to date, relying instead on improvisation and a “reductive, almost entirely acoustic approach consisting of piano, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet and field recordings.” The new record is called Moons Melt Milk Light, and while Tonal Union will be releasing it on November 17, the LP’s title track has already been shared.
Rhyw, the Berlin-based Welsh / Greek artist responsible for one of last year’s best club tunes (“Honey Badger”), has completed a new EP. Mister Melt will be issued by Fever AM—the label he runs with Mor Elian—on November 3, but opening cut “Engine Track” can be heard now.
Jay Glass Dubs dropped a new album last week. Entitled You Would Love Me Now and billed as being on a “velvet trip-hop tip,” it features vocals from Christina Vantzou, Richard Youngs, Spivak, Louis Onuorah Chude-Sokei and others, and it’s out now via the Athens artist’s own Extended Techniques imprint.
Silent Servant will soon be appearing on the Tresor label with a new EP, In Memoriam. The LA producer and Sandwell District member sees each track on the record as a tribute to a specific corner of dance music history—the song titles provide a hint about what he’s referencing—and though the full EP won’t arrive until November 24, opening number “M-87” is available now.
Four years removed from his last solo record, Midland has lined up a new EP, You Never Take Me Dancing, which he’ll be releasing through his own Graded imprint on November 17. The UK producer describes the record as a “new chapter,” and he’s already shared opening track “Drift into the Algorithm.”
Florentino joined the XL label roster last year, and will soon be dropping his debut EP on the vaunted imprint. Kilometro Quinze features appearances by Shygirl, DJ Python, BAMBII, KD One and Baby Cocada, and though it’s due to surface on October 20, two tracks (2022’s “Constrictor” and new single “Pressure”) have already been made available here.
Bruce intriguingly drove into vocal-driven pop earlier this year with the Not EP, and the UK artist is now poised to continue that journey with Ready, a new EP that the Timedance label will be issuing on October 20. Ahead of its arrival, two tracks from the record can be heard here.
JAYMIE SILK HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
First Floor is effectively a one-person operation, but every edition of the newsletter cedes a small portion of the spotlight to an artist, writer or other figure from the music world, inviting them to recommend a piece of music. Today’s recommendation comes from Jaymie Silk, a Parisian artist who’s spent much of 2023 leading the charge to “put the groove back” into techno and house music. Whether he’s dropping genre experiments, summertime bangers, autobiographical work or conceptual outings, Silk is someone who always brings the heat, and he knows how to turn up the tempo without sucking the soul out of his tunes. (Recent EPs for the Sous and HE.SHE. THEY labels also demonstrate this talent.) Here he displays his penchant for online digging, and in the process also weighs in on one of the most controversial topics in contemporary dance music.
11 km/h love “Wicked Games” (Self-released)
I usually dig my music through SoundCloud. Although I’ve come to appreciate the platform less and less over the years, its algorithm is perfect for me to find tracks from small indie artists. Last week I came across this track, a remix of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” by 11 km/h love. They only have 46 followers on SoundCloud, but I was impressed by this song, which has that ’90s trance feeling and is full of emotions. I LOVED it immediately. To me, it’s proof that there still are artists trying to do their best, with passion. To all the house and techno DJs out there, please stop playing these cheesy edits that are basically just an acapella, a bassline and a drum loop. Remixes and bootlegs are an art; even though they’ve become more and more trendy, that art ought to be respected.
A few weeks ago, we were having heated debates about edits in the house and techno scene. Coming from the club scene myself, I’m used to playing edits as well as making lots of them to play in my sets. This track is perfect to bring into the discussion. It’s nothing cheesy and superbly produced.
NEW THIS WEEK
The following is a selection of my favorite tunes from releases that came out during the past week or so. 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.
Dunk & Theoretical “Transition” (ThirtyOne)
Today’s batch of recommendations happens to include quite a bit of drum & bass, and “Transition”—the lead track off a new collaborative release from Brazilian producer Dunk and Russian outfit Theoretical—is easily the biggest bruiser of the bunch. Sharp, precise and armed with menacingly serrated synths, this tech-steppy cut offers about the same level of warmth as the sentinels in The Matrix films, but it’s infectiously bouncy all the same, its merciless swagger capable of luring even the most timid clubbers onto the dancefloor (and possibly into the meat grinder).
DJ Chromz & Tim Reaper “Diff Selection” (Future Retro London)
There’s no shortage of new drum & bass releases these days, but even as the genre continues to experience something of a renaissance—one that’s been going on for several years now—not many producers seem to be focused on ragga jungle, a variant that at one point during the ’90s was seemingly everywhere. DJ Chromz, however, is someone who’s determined to fly the ragga flag, and he’s teamed up with Tim Reaper for two tracks on FR024, a new EP that also features a pair of tunes from Artificial Red. “Diff Selection” is the record’s best offering, and despite its ragga leanings (e.g. dub-indebted basslines, cut-up dancehall vocals), it also taps into the spirit of classic hardcore, mixing a bit of old-school rave energy into its frenetic drum attack.
Calibre “No Stopping” (Signature)
Calibre “Treason” (Signature)
Earlier this year, Calibre played at a Boiler Room event in Amsterdam—his set can be viewed online here—and used it as an opportunity to play a bunch of his own unreleased tunes. This week, seven of those tunes have officially surfaced on the Belfast drum & bass veteran’s brand-new album, Rudy, which he himself describes as a “liquid funk” effort. There’s a definite smoothness to LP highlight “No Stopping,” though the track’s floaty pads and floatier vocal melodies do nothing to detract from its smacking snares. The low end of “Treason” is even sturdier, the song’s taut bassline steadily expanding and contracting as the occasional patch of birdsong flies overhead. It’s not heavy per se, at least not in the cartoonish manner that word usually implies, but Calibre definitely knows how to put bassweight to good use.
Superabundance “Dex Holo” (Future Times)
Superabundance “Crossfade Diving” (Future Times)
Superabundance (a.k.a. the ongoing collaboration between Washington DC artists Jackson Ryland and Max D) isn’t really a drum & bass project, but much of the duo’s new Extrasolar LP does operate in territory that could at the very least be described as jungle-adjacent. There’s plenty of techno in the mix too, and album standout “Dex Holo” admirably fuses the two genres, wrapping its galloping breakbeats in spacey chords and wonky twirls. There’s a notable (and enjoyable) looseness to the record, and that carries over to the freewheeling “Crossfade Diving,” a track whose frantic beats satisfyingly rumble their way through a meditative, almost dreamlike haze of wooshing textures. Songs like these aren’t easy to classify—and frankly, neither is the rest of Extrasolar—but the music is immensely satisfying all the same.
Peverelist “Pulse VIII” (Livity Sound)
Few artists are more familiar with the nuances of the hardcore continuum than Peverelist, but even as the Bristol stalwart refuses to be pinned to any one corner of bass music, it’s fair to say that his productions rarely hit 160 bpm. “Pulse VIII,” however, bucks that trend, its cracking percussion diving headfirst into jungle as the Livity Sound founder unfurls a dazzling array of shiny synth riffs. There’s no other song quite like it on the new Pulse Modulation EP, and while there’s a a certain classic sensibility to the tune (i.e. comparisons to the ’90s wouldn’t be out of order), “Pulse VIII” never feels like a lazy retread. On the contrary, it’s an indication that Peverelist may have unlocked something special by shifting his preferred tempo into a higher gear.
Pangaea “The Slip” (Hessle Audio)
When the time comes to sum up dance music in 2023, most of the attention given to Pangaea’s brightly colored Changing Channels album will surely focus on “Installation,” the playful, Basement Jaxx-esque banger the UK artist and Hessle Audio co-founder first released as a single earlier in the year. That tune is an undeniable good time, but LP standout “The Slip” makes clear that Pangaea has more than bouncy exuberance to offer. Built atop a sturdy tech-house rhythm—one that’s been nicely adorned with Latin-style shakers and an almost serpentine bassline—the song is perhaps more of a confident groover than a riotous anthem, but its bubbly vocal chops and perky percussion keep things plenty lively, and prove that its creator is more than capable of commanding the dancefloor, even when he doesn’t have the “fun” knob cranked to 11.
Only Now “Fate Pt. 1” (Self-released)
Only Now “Vengeance II (feat. Dave Sharma)” (Self-released)
Even when he strips the drums completely out of his productions, Only Now has a knack for brute force. “Fate Pt. 1,” the opening number on the Berkeley producer’s imposing new Fate / Will EP, is closer to drone metal than anything specifically designed for the dancefloor, yet there’s something hypnotic about its jagged guitar riffs and undulating waves of distortion, the song’s towering tones broadcasting a raw, almost primal sense of power. “Vengeance II,” on the other hand, is a full-blown percussive assault, one that utilizes a myriad of traditional South Asian sounds and rhythms, expanding upon the blueprint of 2021’s invigorating Indian Unclassical Vol. 1 while offering the same sort of visceral release one might find in the mosh pit. Getting pummeled rarely feels this good—and almost never sounds like this.
Azu Tiwaline “Mei Long” (I.O.T)
“Mei Long” might be the most techno track Azu Tiwaline has ever produced. Taken from her new album The Fifth Dream, it’s still bathed in the soupy reverb and mystic atmosphere that colors much of the Tunisian artist’s LP, but it’s also got a storming, relatively straightforward rhythm, one whose metronomic march conjures thoughts of both ceremonial drums and a long night at Berghain. Nevertheless, this isn’t some Ostgut Ton tribute, and Tiwaline smartly deviates from the grid while sprinkling in some dubby weirdness and subtle hints of North African melodies. Is it a banger? The answer likely depends on who you’re asking, but it’s definitely got enough heft to keep the normies on the dancefloor.
Bas Dobbelaer “Submerge” (Something Happening Somewhere)
What if Tangerine Dream had gotten really into dub at some point? With “Submerge,” Bas Dobbelaer appears determined to find out. A low-key highlight of the Amsterdam producer’s new Binding elements album, it’s a relatively delicate tune, its melodic tendrils gliding through the air like dandelion seeds, but the song is built atop a weighty bed of muffled thuds and crackling static, preventing the whole composition from floating away and evaporating into the ether.
Mary Lattimore “Blender in a Blender (feat. Roy Montgomery)” (Ghostly International)
Discussions of Mary Lattimore’s music often start and end with the harp, but while the Los Angeles artist’s chosen instrument does have a certain regal majesty, it’s her ability to fold in other sonic elements that truly elevates her music. The addition of collaborators also helps, and her new Goodbye, Hotel Arkada album includes contributions from The Cure’s Lol Tolhurst, Meg Baird, Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell, Samara Lubelski, Walt McClements and New Zealander Roy Montgomery, who guests on LP highlight “Blender in a Blender.” The song does feature more than its fair share of exquisite plucks and pristine melodies, but they’ve been dusted with delicious reverb and joined by Montgomery’s triumphant guitar work, which closes out the track with dreamy riffs that bring to mind Ride and other like-minded shoegazers from the early ’90s. Who knew that a Mary Lattimore could rock like this? Perhaps she should do it more often.
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.