First Floor #193 – Promoting Yourself As the World Burns
a.k.a. The pressure on artists to speak out, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh crop of new track recommendations.
When the world is tearing itself apart and social media is overflowing with legitimately horrifying images, artists often find themselves in a very uncomfortable position. During a time when being online is practically a job requirement, is it their responsibility to speak out? What if they don’t know that much about the situation? What if saying something might realistically result in lost work, cancelled gigs or worse? And if they need to promote something—a release, an upcoming gig, etc.—how exactly are they supposed to do that without looking like an asshole?
In the face of the current crisis in Gaza, which seems to be growing worse by the day, many artists—and frankly, many people from all walks of life—are wrestling with these questions, and are essentially working without a clear roadmap of how best to proceed. That’s the focus of an essay I published earlier this week, which is available to read in full below.
Aside from that, today’s newsletter offers the usual weekly digest of electronic music happenings. I’ve pieced together news items, links to interesting articles, release announcements and a bunch of track recommendations, and I’ve also enlisted the services of enigmatic UK artist Forest Swords, who’s shared a recommendation of his own, one that he’s found soothing during these trying times.
Electronic music likely isn’t at the top of many people’s minds right now, yet the culture marches on anyways, and First Floor is here to point towards the best bits of it.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s usually made available to paid newsletter subscribers only. The latest one, which is now (temporarily) open to everyone, starts with the surreality of social media right now, and then examines how artists are attempting to navigate a system in which truly nightmarish imagery and urgent calls to action are occupying the same space as party photos and links to new releases.
THIS GUY STILL OWES ME MONEY
As mentioned last week, both here in the newsletter and on Twitter and Instagram, I was recently hired by Daniel Borine to do a large writing / editing / research project related to an upcoming release on his reissue label Family Groove. Although my work was completed on time, and to the satisfaction of everyone involved, Daniel is now refusing to pay me, and is in fact actively avoiding all of my attempts to make contact.
As a freelancer with virtually zero worker protections, I need help. This was a large job and I was promised (in writing) a sizable payment, and yet, after months of calls, texts, emails and messages (both from me and other people who know Daniel), I’ve received nothing but silence. Perhaps he thinks that if he just ignores me long enough, I’ll eventually just go away.
That’s not going to happen. Do you know Daniel Borine or Family Groove? (Just FYI, the label is based in Los Angeles and Daniel has long been a part of the digger scene there.) If you do have a way to reach him, please tell him to make this right. And even if you don’t know him, you can drop him a line at:
dborine@familygrooverecords.com
instagram.com/familygroove
facebook.com/familygrooverecords
Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks so much to everyone who reached out and offered to help last week. Hopefully this will all be over soon.
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.
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.
Having been involved in electronic music for more than two decades, I’ve experienced a lot of things, but I believe yesterday was the first time I’ve ever heard my voice sampled in someone’s DJ mix. That’s thanks to Laksa, who’s at the helm of the latest edition of Truants’ long-running Truancy mix series. In the accompanying interview, the UK artist explains my appearance in the mix, and also expounds on books he’s read, his practice (both as a producer and a DJ) and the re:lax label he recently started alongside re:ni.
Eris Drew has launched her own newsletter, Journal of the Motherbeat, which is billed as an “exploration of raving, turntables, spirituality, chaos, and nature, psychedelics & the body.” It went live last week with three separate pieces addressing topics both personal and practical, including stylus cleaning and the benefits of experiencing dance music with your eyes closed.
Speaking of newsletters, the latest edition of Ben Cardew’s Line Noise puts a spotlight on the Adamantium Rage soundtrack, which was recently reissued by Sneaker Social Club. (For the unfamiliar, Adamantium Rage was a 1994 video game that focused on Wolverine from the X-Men, and while the game itself wasn’t all that successful, its soundtrack—which was made by jungle producer Dylan Beale—has been retroactively described as a “proto-grime” effort.)
In the aftermath of the recent layoffs at Bandcamp, employee union Bandcamp United has filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Songtradr and Epic Games, claiming that the platform’s new and former owners engaged in unfair labor practices. The story was reported in greater detail by Raphael Helfand at The FADER, who explains that “if the companies are found in violation of the act, the board (a government entity) has the power to enforce the rehiring of laid-off employees and / or remedial pay for lost work.”
With his new album LXXXVIII arriving tomorrow, Actress is the subject of Mixmag’s latest cover story, in which he speaks to writer Marcus Barnes about the new record, the relationship between humans and technology, game theory and the impact of fatherhood upon his work. The UK artist also put together an accompanying DJ mix.
The Art of DJing continues to be Resident Advisor’s most rewarding feature series, and the latest installment features a thoughtful conversation between UK veteran dBridge and writer Emeka Okonkwo, who together unpack the former’s decades-long journey as an artist, his humble beginnings and his unique ability to move through different moods and sounds.
Buh Records has seen its profile grow significantly in recent years, but the Peruvian experimental outpost has actually been active for nearly two decades. Writing for The Quietus, Jakub Knera spoke to label founder Luis Alvarado for the newest edition of the publication’s The Strange World of… series, tracing back the Lima imprint’s roots and highlighting some of its key releases, both new and archival.
The history of dance music often jumps straight from disco to house and techno, but a new book by writer Steven Vass looks to fill in a few gaps in that story. Entitled Let the Music Play, which one can only assume is a reference to the Shannon classic of the same name, the book focuses on how R&B, funk and disco were transformed in 1980s by the emergence of synths and other bits of new music technology. It’s scheduled for a February 5 release via Velocity Press, but it’s available for preorder now. (In the interest of full disclosure, it’s worth repeating that Velocity Press also published my own book earlier this year.)
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
TSVI, who also makes music as Anunaku, dropped a surprise new album this week. Entitled Stella Remota, the record was still in the works when the London-based Italian producer unfortunately lost of his project files in a Dropbox mishap last year, but he still had the (not entirely finished) songs on his hard drive. After sitting on those tracks for more than a year—during which time he stumbled across the music while his mother was dealing with a serious illness—he’s now decided to self-release the album, which he says was a “light guiding me out of the darkness.”
It’s well known that Blawan has a serious passion for heavy music—which he discussed here in the newsletter when I interviewed him and Pariah about their Persher project—and apparently he’s now funneling that passion into a new solo endeavor called God, Your Children Are Bored. Over the past month or so, he’s self-released a handful of tracks via Bandcamp, the most recent being the colorfully titled “Dramatic Social Spew.”
Nosaj Thing’s Continua album was one of 2022’s sleeper gems, and to mark the one-year anniversary of its initial release, the LA producer has offered up an instrumental version of the record. It’s available now via the LuckyMe label.
Peach launched her Psychic Readings imprint last year, and now the London-based Canadian is set to return to the label with a new record, Fortune Two. It’s due to arrive on November 21, but lead track “The Art of Casting Spells” has already been shared.
Longtime Ilian Tape affiliate Stenny popped back up on the label this week with a surprise two-tracker. Onda / Quadra is available now.
The self-titled debut album from a.s.o. (a.k.a. Alia Seror-O'Neill and Lewie Day, who also makes music as Tornado Wallace) has been garnering rave reviews, and now the trip-hop-leaning pair has followed it up with a.s.o. remixed, on which tracks from the LP are reworked by Maara, Purelink, Cousin and Day himself (who’s billed as Lew E). The EP is out now on Bandcamp.
The production skills of NYC artist Doctor Jeep have been celebrated many times here in the newsletter, and he’ll soon be delivering a new EP. Machine Learning will be his first appearance on Identified Patient and Gamma Intel’s increasingly impressive Nerve Collect label, and though it won’t arrive until November 21, two tracks from the EP have already been shared here.
Having released The Red Hunter album last year, Steffi has now assembled an all-star crew for The Red Hunter (Remixes), which is scheduled to drop on December 8 via the Candy Mountain imprint she runs with Virginia. The full collection, which includes efforts from Barker, Doc Sleep, Convextion, JakoJako, Violet and several others, is already streaming here, while both the digital and physical versions of the record can be preordered here.
FOREST SWORDS 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 Forest Swords, a UK artist who’s spent the past decade-plus unearthing jagged, not-quite-pop gems from the dark spaces between industrial, hip-hop and electronic music. (He also notably tends to distinctively adorn those gems with spine-tingling bits of guitar.) Having recently dropped an arresting new album, Bolted, he stops by here to share something that’s become one of his favorite coping tools.
Seefeel “Climactic Phase No.3” (Too Pure)
Like a lot of people, I’ve been filled with a lot of personal anxieties, and the current situation in the world—conflict, climate, catastrophe—doesn't really help that. I’ve been seeking out music that just soothes my brain and actually I rarely turn to strictly beatless ambient music for that. Seefeel have been my go-to recently; their drum machines and guitar loops sound like the heart beating and blood pumping, the vocals swirl like inhaling fresh air, and the whole thing just makes me feel refreshed and present, and really alive. I feel a little bit ashamed for discovering them so late, but I'm happy they’re in my life now.
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.
Jordan Nocturne “Over & Over (feat. Ready in LED)” (Polari)
Harnessing the neon-streaked power and celebratory spirit of vintage freestyle and Hi-NRG, “Over & Over” is the glorious opener of Belfast producer Jordan Nocturne’s new Dolly EP. Ukrainian artist Ready in LED is on vocals, her soulful sass sure to appeal to anyone who’s ever let loose to a Company B record, but it’s Nocturne who provides the song’s glittery magic, his gleaming synths, Italo-flavored churn and R&B-infused rhythms coalescing into something that’s sure to brighten up even the darkest of dancefloors.
Sofia Kourtesis “Madres” (Ninja Tune)
With her new Madres album recently capturing Best New Music honors at Pitchfork, Sofia Kourtesis doesn’t really need the endorsement of relatively niche publications like First Floor, but the Berlin-based Peruvian has landed here all the same, for one simple reason: she has a genuine knack for weaving dreamy pop hooks into her buoyant house beats. Inspired by mothers everywhere—and especially her own, who fought and beat cancer during the making of the record—the LP emanates a real sense of emotional depth, with Kourtesis earnestly pondering (in both English and Spanish) notions of love, loss and family amidst a deliciously fuzzy assortment of colorful melodies and slightly swung, Latin-tinged rhythms. As with much of her previous output, the album is perhaps better suited for daydreams than the actual dancefloor, but that doesn’t make the pastel textures of “Madres”—the LP’s title track, which opens the proceedings on a very high note—any less potent.
INVT “MUCHO CALOR (feat. Coffintexts)” (Self-released)
With the electronic music world taking a greater interest in Latin rhythms during the past few years, guaracha has become something of a buzzword—Resident Advisor even published an explainer of the genre earlier this year—but INVT are no newcomers to the sound; having grown up in Miami, the duo have always been surrounded by Latin music, and their new CALENTÓN EP capably pushes guaracha into new territory, combining it with elements of acid, dubstep and Carnaval music. Fans of hybrid creations will find plenty to enjoy on the record, but standout cut “MUCHO CALOR,” a collaboration with fellow South Florida upstart Coffintexts, is actually a relatively straightforward tune, one which adds a bit of seductively ravey flair—and what sounds like a more booming kick—to the the genre’s usual lopsided gait.
Ma Sha “KV December” (Nervous Horizon)
Stuffed with existential dread and mind-bending sound design, “KV December” is the cracking highlight of Elastik, the debut EP from NYC producer and Kindergarten Records founder Ma Sha. Though it’s clearly rooted in dubstep—the moody kind that legendary labels like DMZ made their calling card—the track isn’t some “hoodies up, heads down” affair, as its thrumming bassline has been playfully stretched in a manner that’s almost cartoonish, lending the song both a sense of prankstery fun and a hint of jaw-dropping, EDM-adjacent spectacle. The work of artists like Hudson Mohawke and Rustie comes to mind, and while Ma Sha’s music doesn’t exhibit quite the same level of manic glee, she’s seemingly just of capable of crafting tunes that make people excitedly stop and ask, “What is this?”
Millia “Untitled Dub” (UwU dust bath)
Salamanda “Mirror Mirror” (UwU dust bath)
NYC outpost UwU dust bath debuted in a rather impressive fashion last year, quietly dropping a self-titled EP from Purelink, well before the Chicago trio became the toast of the ambient set. (That said, the group’s more recent Signs release is 100% deserving of the accolades that have been thrown its way.) More than a year later, the young imprint has suddenly returned with a new offering, UwU all starz, which lives up to its title by compiling tunes from Maara, Roza Terenzi & D. Tiffany, RAMZi, crimeboys, Simisea and several other artists. From a purely curatorial standpoint, there’s little to complain about, and thankfully the actual contents of the record rise to that same standard. It’s not surprising that Millia (a.k.a. one third of Purelink) delivers one of the best tracks; his “Untitled Dub” is a sneakily hard-hitting exercise, one whose triumphant, almost regal boom seems to emanate from a subterranean cave. At the other end of the spectrum, South Korean duo Salamanda have contributed the vibrant “Mirror Mirror,” a spritely number whose jovial drift and weightlessly ringing chimes prompt questions like, “What if Candy Land had a new age soundtrack?”
Gregg Kowalsky “Brass Dolphins” (Mexican Summer)
Although Gregg Kowalsky’s catalog dates back nearly two decades, Eso Es is the LA-based ambient / experimental artist’s first full-length since 2017. The layoff doesn’t seem to have dulled his skills, as the LP pilots a hypnotic course through vivid patches of stripped-down, ’70s-style synthesis. The word “cosmic” comes to mind, but Kowalsky’s aims ultimately hew closer to Earth, particularly on the brilliant closing number “Brass Dolphins.” With its plinky tones and floaty pads, the song inspires thoughts of spring mornings and serene gardens, not outer space.
Kin Leonn “your spectrum” (Kitchen)
Whenever anything is written about Kin Leonn, it seems to be mentioned that he’s known, at least amongst his peers, as “the ambient boy from Singapore.” It’s an unusual descriptor, especially for an artist who dropped his first album in 2018 and now resides in London, but regardless of where he lives or whether or not he still qualifies as a “boy,” Leonn’s new mirror in the gleam album is a sumptuous listen, one that reaches its satisfying peak on “your spectrum,” a woozy gem that sounds like something Ryuichi Sakamoto might have come up with if he’d been tapped for the Lost in Translation soundtrack. Delicate without being fragile, the track is stuffed with tiny details, and its assorted elements gradually blossom over the course of six minutes, the song’s underlying warmth growing stronger with each passing moment.
That’s it for 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.)
Have a great rest of the week,
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.