First Floor #211 – At Least People Are Talking About This Stuff
a.k.a. Weighing in on the James Blake / Vault situation, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh bundle of new track recommendations.
The one thing that people who are really active on social media tend to forget is that not everyone else is active as they are. (Twitter users are especially guilty on this front.) Every week, I see some argument, gaffe, controversy or other drama break out online that seems like a VERY BIG DEAL, and then I’ll bring it up in conversation with someone, only to find out that they have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about.
And this doesn’t just happen with “normal,” non-industry people. (I long ago learned that trying to discuss social media drama with civilians is usually a waste of time.) I’m talking about artists, industry professionals and folks who generally live and breathe the same sort of music that I do. It seems that many of them are just… living their lives in the real world, largely unconcerned with who’s posted the latest eye-opening Twitter thread or a particularly savage quote tweet.
Yes, I am very jealous of those people.
Seriously though, I’ve been thinking more broadly about how “those people” are actually far more representative of the listening public than the folks who are checking social media 20 times per day. It’s been said countless times that “Twitter isn’t real life,” but that doesn’t seem to stop its most dedicated users from assuming that everyone, or at least everyone who matters, keeps up with everything that’s being said on there. I myself have been guilty of this, particularly when it comes to a topic like streaming. Seeing as how it’s been discussed to death online during the past five-plus years, I’ve openly questioned—including here in the newsletter—who possibly hasn’t by now developed an opinion on the matter.
And after seeing the countless streaming-related conversations that James Blake touched off in recent weeks, especially in the wake of his recent Vault announcement, I got a pretty definitive answer:
A whole lot of people, that’s who.
That reality factored into an essay I published earlier this week, in which I (somewhat reluctantly) shared my thoughts on what increasingly feels like Blakegate. (Vaultgate? Whatever you want to call it, it’s become a real mess.) That piece, which is currently paywall-free, can be found below, but of course there’s a lot more to enjoy in today’s First Floor digest.
Read on for news items, new release announcements, links to some fantastic articles and, of course, a bumper crop of track recommendations, all of them from records that dropped during the past week or so. And while most of the recommending has been done by yours truly, I did invite a special guest, Darwin, to drop by with a selection of her own.
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, is an essay looking at a topic that’s been all but unavoidable in electronic and independent music circles during the past week or so: James Blake and his endorsement of the newly launched Vault platform.
OTHER THINGS I DID / AM DOING
The latest installment of my monthly Second Floor column dropped earlier this week on Nina, and it takes a hard (albeit generally loving) look at progressive house, a misleadingly named genre that’s experienced many ups and downs since it first surfaced more than three decades ago. Prog heroes like Sasha and John Digweed of course appear in the text, as do many of their ’90s counterparts, but I also made a point to highlight the new strains of the genre—both good and bad—that have emerged in recent years.
I’m in Brussels today, and later this afternoon I’ll be taking part in a public conversation as part of this year’s Listen Festival. Moderated by Richard Akingbehin, co-founder of Berlin radio station Refuge Worldwide, the event is called Our Scene – Reflections on Electronic Music Culture. We’ll be covering a variety of topics, including my work with First Floor and the current state of electronic music. If you’re in town, the event is free, and anyone interested in attending can register for a ticket here.
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the last week’s most interesting electronic music news, plus links to interviews, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
With her Moves in the Field album due to arrive on March 29 (i.e. tomorrow), Kelly Moran was the subject of a beautifully written feature by Grayson Haver Currin that The New York Times published earlier this week. The new record is of course discussed in there, but the remarkably personal piece also touches on divorce, acid trips, personal tragedy, newfound friendships and more.
Once Pitchfork was hit with restructuring and mass layoffs back in January, a lot of people assumed that the site was all but done for. More than two months later, however, Pitchfork is still alive and kicking, and though its overall output has definitely been reduced, the publication’s slimmed-down editorial team admirably continues to do some very good work. It’s anyone’s guess how long that will last—music websites do have a tendency to die slow deaths—but it was encouraging to see the return of Isabelia Herrera’s column last week. The NY-based writer focuses on “the undefinable sounds of Latin America and its diaspora,” and her latest installment specifically looks at “Latin club,” examining both what it is and why the term is far from ideal (if not outright problematic). Herrera also takes the time to highlight five different recent label compilations, which collectively demonstrate that regardless of whether or not you call the music Latin club, there’s no denying the breadth and depth of talent in that sphere.
OBLIGATORY BOOK MENTION
My first book is out now. It’s called First Floor Vol. 1: Reflections on Electronic Music Culture, and you 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.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
Skee Mask quietly slipped out a new EP this morning. The seven-track ISS010 is available via Ilian Tape.
Right before he released his last album, 2023’s Dust World, Matrixxman gave an interview to First Floor in which he said he wasn’t feeling very inspired by techno. It seems that feeling may have carried over to his next album. Identity Crisis won’t arrive until April 5, but Matrixxman—who will be issuing the record through his own label, The Grid—has already shared two tracks, “How Could I” and “88 Keys,” both of which are essentially hip-hop / grime cuts.
NUG is an ongoing collaboration between ambient / experimental artists Florian T M Zeisig and PVAS, and the duo’s next album, Bong Boat, will soon be released on the West Mineral Ltd. imprint. Recorded in a small Bavarian village, it’s said to narrate a “solitary day out on a boat in nature,” and though it’s due to surface on April 5, two songs from the LP have already been shared here.
Fresh off the release of last month’s Hot As Hell EP, NYC-based producer Braille (who some may remember from his days as one half of Sepalcure) has completed a new full-length. Triple Transit is rooted in multiple ideas, including moving beyond Sepalcure, getting back to his musical roots and his newfound passion for modular synthesis, and it will be released on June 20 via Hotflush. In the meantime though, he’s today dropping the two-track Dirt Fam. The titular cut will also be on the upcoming LP, but the B-side, “Want It (See It Feel It Be It)” is exclusive to the Dirt Fam release.
Scratcha DVA (a.k.a. Scratchclart) last week activated his DRMTRK label to surprise everyone with a new, two-part EP, DRMTRK XXVII. Containing both new tracks and some new versions of previously released material, it’s been divided into Light and Dark halves, both of which are available now.
More than a decade has passed since the the sudden death of Trish Keenan cut short both her own life and that of the group Broadcast, her long-running project with James Cargill. Nevertheless, Warp Records has announced two upcoming releases that will supposedly be the final output from the beloved duo. The first, Spell Blanket, is a collection of sketches and demos created between 2006 to 2009, which were supposed to be the foundation of the band’s unfinished fifth album. It’s due to arrive on May 3, but one song, “Follow the Light,” has already been shared. The second release, Distant Call, won’t surface until September 28, and it contains early demos from 2000 to 2006, many of which were eventually worked into Broadcast albums like Haha Sound, Tender Buttons and The Future Crayon. Opening cut “Tears in the Typing Pool” is available now.
Having previously performed together across a series of club and festival gigs, techno veterans Surgeon and Speedy J have now completed a collaborative album, which they’ll soon be releasing under the name Multiples. A collection of fully improvised, one-take tracks the pair recorded over the course of two days in Rotterdam, Two Hours or Something has been picked up by the STOOR label, which plans to drop the LP on May 17. In the meantime, several songs from the record have already been shared here.
Marie Davidson has linked up with Soulwax’s DEEWEE label, which will soon be issuing her foul-mouthed new single, “Y.A.A.M.” The original version can already be heard here, but the full release, which includes an acapella and a remix from Soulwax themselves, will arrive on April 3.
Just one week removed from the release of his soundtrack for the film Reality, Nathan Micay has offered up the music he made for a 2023 documentary called Time Bomb Y2K. The complete score is available now via LuckyMe.
Laksa, who spent most of 2023 focused on the RE:LAX imprint he runs alongside fellow UK producer re:ni, last week returned to the Ilian Tape label with a new EP. Out now, it’s entitled Voices and was cheekily described by the Munich outpost as a collection of “lyrical zonked tech steppas.”
Between his solo work and his collaborative Flower Storm project with Kasra V, Sepehr has been rather busy during the past year or so, and now the NY-based Iranian artist is making the leap to the Dekmantel label with a new EP. Genesis Domain is said to explore a “fictional metaphysical zone,” and before it surfaces in full on May 10, the title track has been made available.
Given his highly prolific nature, Legowelt prepping a new EP for release isn’t the most surprising news, but the fact that his next record is called The Sad Life of an Instagram DJ proves that the Dutch veteran hasn’t lost his sense of humor. Those looking for laughs will also enjoy that the EP closes with a song called “No One Wants to Buy My NFT,” and while that won’t be available until the full release drops on May 3 through the Selvamancer label, opening cut “Alpha Juno Storm Watch” is out now.
DARWIN HAS BETTER TASTE THAN I DO
First Floor is effectively a one-person operation, but every edition of the Thursday digest 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 Darwin, a Berlin-based Canadian who’s worked tirelessly during the past decade to make the German capital a proper home for bass-heavy sounds. Aside from her own speaker-rattling DJ sets, she also heads up the peerless REEF party and the SPE:C label, both of which have become crucial hubs for low-end fanatics in Berlin and beyond. Here, Darwin highlights a classic record that helped set her on her present musical path.
2562 “Basin Dub” (Tectonic)
When I was asked to do this, I got quite sad about how I consume music these days, as I feel like I am constantly in a race to filter through the hundreds of releases per week and select things based on a narrative I’ve envisioned for my next shows. I started reminiscing about when I used to listen to music for the sheer fun of it and the album format was so much more prolific than it is now. 2562’s Aerial came out in 2008, and aside from arguably being my favorite album of all time, it’s also a record that still feels fresh every time I hear it.
I crave space in tracks. It creates a sonic divide between weight and weightlessness, and this album nails that for me. It’s tough to pick a favorite track because it constantly changes, but I will highlight “Basin Dub” here. The melancholic pads on the intro take you into this somber space, but as soon as the bass drops, there’s this sort of instant relief and comforting aura. This track makes me smile and feel safe, and it’s trippy af.
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.
82J6 “Geschlossen (Maison Mix)” (Offen)
The Offen imprint doesn’t put out a ton of music these days, but with selector extraordinaire Vladimir Ivkovic at the helm, the curation is always on point. 82J6—who also happens to be the label’s art director—is responsible for the latest release, a digital single featuring two versions of “Geschlossen.” Billed as “deep hypnosis for advanced dance floors,” the record delves into what’s essentially a loopy take on funky techno, with Offen also suggesting that it sounds like “post-hardbass on - 20%.” However the record is categorized, the music’s inherent bounce—which is more pronounced on this throbbing “Maison Mix” of the track—takes nothing away from its subtly dazzling nature, a quality enhanced by 82J6’s use of brain-tickling poetry fragments from the late Marianne Moore.
Erol Alkan “A Hold on Love (trip-mix)” (Phantasy Sound)
Though he’s been DJing since the early ’90s, Erol Alkan didn’t release his solo debut until 2013, and when the Illumination EP dropped, opening cut “A Hold on Love” immediately became one of his signature tunes. A decade later, the UK artist has offered up two new versions of the track, and, much like the original, they both borrow pretty heavily from Inner City’s iconic “Good Life.” (To be clear, the lead melody is an interpolation, not a sample.) This revved-up “trip-mix” comes especially close to the Detroit classic, and while that might provoke a bit of scattered grumbling, Alkan’s production is so joyful, lively and true to the spirit of 1988 that even skeptics will likely find themselves unable to stay off the dancefloor.
Boys’ Shorts “Dark Room Rendez-Vous (Mala Ika Remix)” (Live at Robert Johnson)
The closing number on the new On the High Line - Remixed EP—which also includes reworks of Boys’ Shorts by Jordan Nocturne and Alinka—Mala Ika’s take on “Dark Room Rendez-Vous” initially seems like a pretty standard slice of Italo-flavored techno. That’s not a complaint. I’ve long been a sucker for this sort of neon-streaked, Moroder-indebted glamour, but the Paris-based, Guadeloupe-born artist adds in an extra treat, employing a little synth line that’s highly reminiscent of Bananarama’s 1983 pop smash “Cruel Summer.” That similarity might be a coincidence, and maybe I just watched The Karate Kid (which prominently features the Bananarama song) too many times as a kid, but it’s enough to put Mala Ika’s remix over the top.
Airdrop “⑈” (CloudCore)
If this title of this Airdrop song didn’t make it clear already, the CloudCore label has cultivated an aesthetic that’s both lighthearted and hyper-online. Yet rather than surrendering to the singularity and embracing the seeming infinity of cyberspace, the London outpost has instead put a premium on scarcity, digitally releasing one track each Friday and putting it on sale for one week only. It’s a unique approach, and one that’s built a passionate community around the label by rewarding those most devoted to the CloudCore mission. And yes, that approach also means that anyone who wants to get their hands on “⑈” needs to do it TODAY, which is 100% advisable because the song is a cheeky slapper. Combining the drum programming of Ploy or early Overmono with the crunchy mania of peak Ed Banger, the song undeniably packs a punch, but its goofy energy ensures that any clubbers getting smacked around by Airdrop’s percussive thwacks will still have a big smile on their face.
Regent “Aphid Riot” (positivesource)
For years, Blue Hour has nimbly walked the line between techno and trance, and with the positivesource label—which he launched in 2021 alongside Philippa Pacho—he’s passed that tradition down to a new generation of artists. In truth, the positivesource catalog has so far leaned a bit harder towards the trance side of the equation, but as “Aphid Riot”—the title track of Berlin-based producer Regent’s latest EP—demonstrates, it does so without descending into over-the-top ridiculousness. The song does have an anthemic streak, but there are no big breakdowns or epic builds to be found. “Aphid Riot” simply goes, flexing its brawny synths and swaggering across the dancefloor as a series of sweetly pitched vocal snippets dart in and out of the proceedings.
MALO2K “Surge (con Nafftero)” (N.A.A.F.I)
Chilean producer MALO2K describes his new Surge EP as “latintek, a sound created in the bowels of South America and conceived out of rave culture.” That sound takes several different forms across the record, but the EP’s title track—a feverish collaboration with Buenos Aires artist Nafftero—is built atop a turbocharged dembow rhythm. Yet there’s more to “Surge” than its galloping drum attack, as the song also employs a recurring vocal riff that’s halfway between Enya and a cathedral choir. MALO2K isn’t the first person to draw connections between the church and the club, but he does seem to have discovered a new way to simultaneously tap into the magic of them both.
Hekt “Main Tab” (Numbers)
Formerly one half of the (frankly underrated) duo Code Walk, Danish artist Hekt makes a strong impression with Lens, his debut solo EP. A charmingly uncouth effort, it references techno and big-room bass music, but the specter of SOPHIE looms large here, infusing the music with both a sonically adventurous spirit and a playful, borderline cartoonish sense of maximalism. “Main Tab,” one of several highlights on the record, pulls from old-school grime, but its rubbery bounce and bright colors create an almost carnival-like atmosphere, conjuring images of a devilish clown maniacally laughing in the DJ booth.
Jlin “Challenge (To Be Continued II)” (Planet Mu)
Akoma is already being hailed as Jlin’s best album to date, and considering the sheer volume of accolades that have been thrown her way since the Indiana native and former steel worker debuted in 2015 with the Dark Energy LP, that’s really saying something. LP cuts like “Borealis” and “The Precision of Infinity”—collaborations with Björk and Philip Glass, respectively—will likely continue to draw most of the attention, but it’s “Challenge (To Be Continued II)” that feels like best showcase of Jlin’s talent, despite the fact that it’s the shortest track on the record. There are nods to footwork of course, but the song feels more like a rap instrumental, one whose percussive acrobatics specifically reference the bombastic tradition of HBCU marching bands, but also sound like the drum patterns of South Asia and the Middle East. The only downside is that it’s only two minutes long.
The Invisible Man “The Flute Tune” (Blank Mind)
Remembrances of breakbeat hardcore often focus on the genre’s brain-scrambling sonics and smiley-faced glee, but a new compilation, Lost Paradise: Blissed Out Breakbeat Hardcore 1991-94, has a different story to tell. Highlighting tunes with a more celestial bent, the record makes clear that breakbeat hardcore was just as diverse as the many, many styles that sprouted up in its wake. The Invisible Man’s “The Flute Tune” might be the best track on there, and it isn’t brash, loud or stuffed to the brim with apocalyptic air-raid sirens. There’s still some rave euphoria in there—the song’s disembodied diva makes sure of that—but even with its rattling breakbeats, the track is undeniably chill, with new agey melodies and jazzy grooves that have more in common with the seminal work of LTJ Bukem, Roni Size and Photek than the stereotypical hardcore sound.
Losssy “Monday (I’ll Turn a New Leaf)” (Fever AM)
Formerly known as unperson, UK producer Losssy heads down a decidedly colorful road on Our Old Haunts, his first release under the new moniker. Inspired by the dancefloor but not necessarily designed for club deployment, the record is heavy on sound design, weaving its vibrant textures and colors around busted (albeit lively) rhythms in a way that feels like an updated take on the golden era of IDM. “Monday (I’ll Turn a New Leaf)” closes out the EP on an especially high note, its primary melody fashioned out of what sound like synthesized clips of the human voice. What results has an almost alien quality, but the song is so chipper that it’s a lot closer to E.T. than The War of the Worlds.
Ogive “Absorption Net” (Room40)
Seven years removed from the project’s debut album, Folds, Ogive—a collaboration between experimental composers Chris Herbert and Elías Merino, both of whom have extensive solo catalogs—has returned with a new full-length, Opalescentia. A deeply textural effort, its zoned-out pieces exude a sense of real-world physicality, guiding listeners through billowing clouds one minute and over a craggy mountain range the next. With its intermittent percussive outbursts, the LP isn’t exactly ambient, to but it is elegant, even on jumbled standout “Absorption Net,” which buries its trundling rhythm beneath an ever-shifting array of shimmering synths and scratchy static.
Oisatsana “Past Life” (surf)
The surf label never provides much information about its releases, but with the new press.relief EP, it did at least leave enough breadcrumbs for me to determine that Oisatsana is a self-described “sound explorer” from Madrid who’s also made music under the name How to Levitate. His new record charts a course through distortion-laced ambient expanses, inviting listeners to revel in the beauty of every tiny crackle they encounter along the way. Comparisons to the West Mineral / 3XL / Motion Ward universe seem obvious, but Oisatsana’s music is more weightless than world-weary, particularly on the warmly glowing highlight “Past Life,” which seems to patiently drift toward a golden horizon.
T.R. Jordan “Swapped” (Past Inside the Present)
The second installment of a trilogy that began with 2022’s Dwell Time, the sensibly named Dwell Time II showcases more ambient tape-loop experiments from Washington DC composer T.R. Jordan. Lush and profoundly patient, the album was primary created using a Library of Congress C1 cassette deck and a Roland RE-201 tape delay, and while it’s rooted in seemingly mundane sounds, Jordan elevates them by zooming in, slowing down and focusing on the majesty of the smallest details. The whole LP is gorgeous, but “Swapped,” with its evocative chords and persistent (albeit pillow-soft) fuzz, is perhaps the most mesmerizing track on the record, or at least the one that best lends itself to a few minutes of wide-eyed daydreaming.
That brings us to the end of today’s First Floor digest. 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.