First Floor #218 – An Unlikely Prophet
a.k.a. Steve Albini's thoughts on dance music, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh slate of new track recommendations.
One of the most interesting things about the contemporary music industry is how many of the traditional “rules” and accepted ways of doing things have more or less gone out the window. What’s the best way to market and promote a release? What formats are important? How often should an artist release music? Is press coverage important? Do you need a manager? A booking agent? A publicist?
There was a time that questions like these had relatively straightforward answers, but in a world where the music industry—and, frankly, music culture itself—have been turned upside down by the internet, streaming and social media, it’s become a lot harder to generalize how anyone should approach anything. “Do what works best for you and your audience” is probably the closest thing to a concrete rule in 2024, although that’s admittedly not all that helpful for someone who’s just starting out. (There’s a reason that the market for people offering various forms of “how to make it in the industry” has arguably become bigger and more lucrative than ever, but that’s something I should probably tackle in a different edition of the newsletter.)
In the face of that, it’s been refreshing during the past week or so to revisit the words of Steve Albini, a massively influential figure who championed the idea of people making music for their whole lives (if they so desired), but also recoiled at the idea of conflating artistry with commercial success and careerism. In the wake of his recent death, I’ve gone through many of his writings and interviews—and, to be honest, I’ve really only scratched the surface—and I also found that Albini, despite being a noise-rock legend, surprisingly had a lot to say about dance music over the years. His thoughts on the genre weren’t very positive, but what’s even more surprising is that how much of what he said has proven to be spot on, particularly in the context of today’s hyper-commercialized industry.
That realization fueled an essay I published earlier this week (find that below), but today’s First Floor digest also has all of the usual electronic music goodies you’ve come to expect. News, new release announcements, articles I found interesting… it’s all here, along with a big batch of new track recommendations, all of them taken from records that dropped during the past week. And just to sweeten the pot, I’ve also enlisted Drum & Lace to pop in with a guest recommendation of her own.
Want to get caught up on what’s been happening in electronic music? You’re in the right place. 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 about Steve Albini, and specifically his thoughts on dance music. Although he openly loathed the genre, and club culture in particular, his observations, some of them first uttered decades ago, wound up being remarkably prescient, to a point where even dance music diehards have spent the past week celebrating his legacy.
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.
Jeff Mills is the subject of a new feature in The New York Times. Written by Mike Rubin, it does provide something of a career overview, but it also digs into what the newly blonde-haired techno icon has been doing in recent years, specifically in terms of his efforts to take his craft beyond the confines of the club. The piece also features input from Theo Parrish, Mike Banks, Sweater on Polo and others.
UK bass staple Geeneus isn’t someone who grants many interviews, which makes it somewhat puzzling that he recently chose to speak to Dazed of all outlets, but a new article by Sam Davies includes extensive quotes from the Rinse FM founder about the history of the station, which is about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. His responses do seem a bit cagey at times (although that could also be a byproduct of the editing process), but given his usual silence, it’s interesting to read anything about what he’s been up to, especially in light of Rinse FM’s programming changes and expansion during the past few years.
I’m guessing that even Steve Albini’s biggest fans are starting to feel fatigued by all of the articles about him that have surfaced during the past week or so, especially when so many of them have been published in places that normally would have never given his work much attention. That said, Grayson Haver Currin—who actually interviewed Albini last year—penned an excellent tribute for Pitchfork, and The Wire, which coincidentally has Albini’s band Shellac on the cover of its current issue, elected to share the full transcript of Emily Pothast’s conversation with the group. (Pothast wrote the Shellac cover story, and her chat with the band was one of Albini’s final interviews, if not his very last interview.)
Manchester mainstay Finn has launched a self-titled newsletter, and its first edition revolves around the magic that happens when dance music is pitched up or down. He begins by reflecting back on the Jungle House mixtape he released a few years back, and then offers up a selection of his favorite mixes by other DJs in which “stuff is played dead fast or dead slow.”
The Blackest Ever Black label voluntarily closed down in 2019, but what has founder Kiran Sande been up to since then? Quite a lot, actually, as I found out while reading a new feature that Louis Pattison put together for Bandcamp Daily. The article details his efforts to set up a store in London (it didn’t go well), and also spotlights Sande’s new label, Lost Domain, which is focused on freetekno and other high-tempo sounds.
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 recommend that you either inquire at your favorite local bookshop or try one of the online sales links that have been compiled here.
JUST ANNOUNCED
A round-up of noteworthy new and upcoming releases announced during the past week.
Shackleton has become quite the collaborator over the years, and he’s now found a new partner-in-crime: avant-folk explorer Six Organs of Admittance. The two have teamed up on a new full-length, Jinxed by Being, that Drag City will be issuing on June 28. In the meantime, LP cut “Stages of Capitulation” has already been made available, along with the song’s official video.
Speaking of unexpected collaborations, Demdike Stare and Dolo Percussion (a.k.a. Future Times founder Max D) joined forces on a new self-titled EP that dropped last week on the former’s DDS imprint. It’s available on vinyl exclusively through Boomkat, who posted a few preview clips and cited the record as a product of the “UK x US brukbeat axis.”
TraTraTrax co-founder Verraco—who was interviewed by First Floor last year—has a new EP on the way. Working with the Timedance label for the first time, the Colombian artist has titled the new record—which is described as “exploring the intersection between the sacred and the erotic”—Breathe... Godspeed, and it’s due to arrive on May 31. That said, the song “Godspeed >” is available now.
DJ Lag will likely forever be associated with gqom, but the South African artist has apparently widened his sound palette on his forthcoming sophomore album. Entitled The Rebellion, it’s said to include elements of amapiano, drill, hip-hop and more, and it’s slated for a June 21 release through the Black Major and Ice Drop labels. Ahead of that, first single “Oke Oke,” which features Spanish artist Jazz Alonso, has already been shared.
As reported by The Quietus, KMRU has completed a new album called Natur. Consisting of a single, long-form composition, it’s been a staple of the Kenyan sound artist’s live sets for some time, and though no audio has been shared yet, the LP is going to be released via the Touch label on July 26.
In recent years, K-LONE‘s output has mostly surfaced through his own labels, appearing on Wisdom Teeth (the imprint he runs with fellow UK producer Facta) or the smaller Sweet 'n' Tasty and Wych outposts he runs on his own. However, for his next project, a two-part EP series entitled Catching Wild, he’s linked up with Aus. The first EP will be released on May 17 (i.e. tomorrow), though one track, “Give It Up,” has already been shared, and the second will follow on June 28.
Rezzett (a.k.a. the long-running collaboration between Lukid and Tapes) quietly self-released a new EP last week. Puddings is described as “a little something for the afters,” and it’s available now.
DRUM & LACE 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 Drum & Lace, a London-based Italian artist and composer whose electronic creations often have a notably cinematic feel. (Given that she also makes music for film, television and other media, that makes sense.) While her music skews ambient / experimental, her forthcoming, water-inspired new album ONDA does dabble in dancefloor rhythms, and before it arrives on June 21, she’s taken the time to share one of her favorite recent finds.
Craven Faults “Odd Delf” (Leaf)
I’m always in search of music that will resonate with me on multiple emotional levels while also satisfying my love for synthesized textures. Most recently I happily discovered Craven Faults’ “Odda Delf,” which definitely hit the spot. Full of swirling synths and melodies, as well as a constant driving beat that feels almost primordial, this track feels like an emotional odyssey that for me taps into strong feelings of nostalgia and angst, while at the same time also providing some real sonic comfort—it’s like a big drone blanket. The way the track builds, in a very meditative and hymn-like way over the course of its 10 minutes, has made this a piece of music that I’ve gone back to often during the last couple of months. The rest of the record that this track is taken from, Standers, is also sonically thrilling.
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.
Mall Grab & Flansie “You (MG Drumvip)” (LOOKING FOR TROUBLE)
A testament to the power of a pitch-shifted vocal, “You” is a shuffling—and intensely catchy—dance-pop earworm that Mall Grab & Flansie dropped last year. This new “Drumvip” version isn’t a major overhall of the original, but it is a bit more club-ready, with Mall Grab cranking the percussion as the chipmunk charm of the song’s vocal refrain burrows into your brainstem. This one has about as much nutritional value as a pack of Starburst, but it’s just as colorful—and just as satisfying.
Drone “Slingshot” (1985)
Headed up by Alix Perez, the 1985 label tends to offer one of two things: dubstep (usually of the wobbly variety) or drum & bass. That’s not a complaint—the imprint is actually quite good at both—but it does make Drone’s “Slingshot” something of a surprise. While the rest of his new Cellular EP deals in lurching rhythms and chunky slabs of bass, “Slingshot” is a frenetic, footwork-infused hybrid, one whose electric spirit and rapid-fire drum programming recalls the work of Ramadanman and early Addison Groove. Mellow it is not, but nobody is staying still when this one comes on. (And for those interested in a more detailed accounting of 1985’s history and current activity, DJ Mag last week made the label the focus of the latest edition of its ongoing On Cue interview / mix series.)
Aural Imbalance “Frozen Tears” (Spatial)
Both Spatial and its parent label Auxiliary primary function as outlets for veteran producer ASC, but the California-based Brit does occasionally cede the spotlight to a select crew of like-minded artists. Aural Imbalance is one member of that crew, and his new Retrospective Feelings EP feels like a love letter to the atmospheric drum & bass of the mid-to-late ’90s. The parallels are obvious here—Photek, Adam F, etc.—but there’s a real elegance to the record, especially on the twinkling “Frozen Tears,” which takes as many cues from Brian Eno and Harold Budd as it does anything from the hardcore continuum.
Stevie Cox “Jecht Shot” (Remmah)
Though it’s far too lively to be described as “atmospheric,” the title track of Stevie Cox’s new Jecht Shot EP is undeniably lush, unfurling its cracking Amen breaks alongside a sumptuous stew of (melodic) drone and reverb. As such, it’s tempting to stand back and soak in the grandeur of what the Glasgow-based artist (and Sub Club resident) has assembled, but “Jecht Shot”—which Cox says is inspired by Japanese role-playing games—is very much a dancefloor tune, a drum & bass cut whose sparkling allure works hand in hand with its low-end bump.
Tal Fussman “Even Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” (Rekids)
Do you like “Strings of Life”? How about Underground Resistance? It’s a safe bet that Tal Fussman does, as his new Definition EP has been stuffed with all sorts of Detroit-isms. Plenty of techno producers have gone down this path before, often with mediocre results, but Fussman has clearly done his homework here. “Even Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day” is an obvious standout, and though it clocks in at more than seven minutes, the track spends more than half of that time patiently percolating. It’s not until the song’s latter half that Fussman unleashes a dramatic flurry of string flourishes, injecting a stirring bit of pageantry into what’s otherwise a confidently cool tune.
Tom Carruthers “Pump It Up” (Risk Management)
Keeping up with Tom Carruthers is no easy task, as the UK producer sometimes drops multiple tracks per week on Bandcamp. That said, his more “proper” releases, particularly his three albums on L.I.E.S., have always been worthwhile, and now Carruthers has been tapped to inaugurate L.I.E.S.’ new Risk Management sub-label with Cold World, a four-track collection of sleazy, ’80s-style house jams. Perfect for dark corners and crimson-lit basements, the tunes are both stripped-down and sinister, and the grotty acid of EP highlight “Pump It Up” conjures memories of Chicago legends like Adonis and DJ Pierre.
Boaksi “Wanna Be with You” (all my thoughts)
I’m often reluctant to describe music as “pleasant.” For whatever reason, it just sounds insincere to my ears, as though I’m trying to find a nice way to say that something is mediocre. Is that just a reflection of my own hangups? Possibly, but when I listen to “Wanna Be with You”—the closing number on Boaksi’s new Keep Movin' EP—“pleasant” is the word that keeps coming to mind. That’s not a backhanded compliment! “Wanna Be with You” is a lovely bit of low-key, not-quite-house music. Melody-rich, static-dusted and just a little bit sad, it’s the sort of song whose undulating melodies and ramshackle rhythm are perfect for sitting on the porch and wistfully watching the sun go down with a cold beverage in hand.
Paul St. Hilaire & René Löwe “A Faith (Vox Mix)” (Kynant)
First issued in 2003, “A Faith (Vox Mix)” is a legitimate dub techno classic, but listening to it now—it’s just been reissued by Kyant—there’s absolutely nothing nostalgic about its appeal. Both Paul St. Hilaire and René Löwe were part of the Basic Channel universe, so it makes sense that a collaboration between the two would traffic in the same sort of weightless grooves and soft static that powered Rhythm & Sound’s best material. Sonically dense but never oppressive, this “Vox Mix” is also deeply soulful, its disembodied vocal exuding not only a sense of emotional intelligence, but also warmth, adding a human touch to a song whose spacious expanse feels downright otherworldly.
Kangding Ray “Asymmetric Lifeform” (Spazio Disponibile)
Just the idea of Kangding Ray releasing a record on Donato Dozzy and Neel’s Spazio Disponibile label is enough to get techno nerds excited, but the appeal of the French producer’s new Polar EP thankfully goes beyond the names of everyone involved in bringing it to fruition. Dubby, psychedelic and impeccably detailed, the record is perhaps better suited to the head than the hips, but that doesn’t make its contents any less spellbinding. “Asymmetric Lifeform” is especially good, its skittering rhythms harkening back to ’90s IDM and golden-era Warp as the song’s warbling tones lend the proceedings an almost underwater feel. Think of it as the perfect soundtrack for an expansive—and pristinely decorated—aquarium.
H TO O “Ever” (Wisdom Teeth)
Both K-Lone and Facta come from a dance music background, but their Wisdom Teeth imprint is probably best described as “club adjacent,” and, in all honesty, the UK outpost is often at its best when it abandons the dancefloor altogether. The new Cycle album is the label’s first release from Japanese duo H TO O, and it’s delightful. Bright, colorful and full of wonder, it’s far too energetic to be classified as ambient, but it is drumless, relying instead on a joyous (and subtly complex) array of bloops, chimes, pings and other melodic elements to keep things jauntily moving. The whole record is enchanting, but closing track “Ever” is particularly spritely, its gleaming tones radiating an almost child-like glee as they frolic to and fro.
marucoporoporo “Reminiscence” (FLAU)
“Sounds like Grouper” is a common descriptor in ambient / experimental circles, but it’s rarely applied to artists from Japan, which makes the music of marucoporoporo—who resides in the city of Ama—a rather intriguing proposition. In truth, the Grouper similarities largely boil down to her avant-garde approach to folk and predilection for textured sonics, but marucoporoporo’s songs feel far less haunted and melancholy than those of Liz Harris. That’s not to say that they’re shiny and happy; solemn is a more apt description, and “Reminiscence,” which closes out the new Conceive the Sea LP, definitely shrouds its beauty in shadows, filtering its softly strummed acoustic guitar through a smudgy cloud that largely consists of marucoporoporo’s own voice.
Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements “The Poppies, the Wild Mustard, the Blue-Eyed Grass” (Thrill Jockey)
Although Mary Lattimore has never been shy about indulging in long-form compositions, the LA-based harpist does seem to (mostly) rein in her songcraft whenever the time comes to make an album. That impulse, however, does appear to have eased up a bit on Rain on the Road, her new LP with accordionist Walt McClements, as the record includes two different songs that exceed the 12-minute mark. “The Poppies, the Wild Mustard, the Blue-Eyed Grass” is actually the longest track on the album, and it’s exquisite. Buffeted by the sounds of rainfall, birdsong and other field recordings, it’s primarily a showcase for Lattimore’s patient plucks, which flutter and glide through what feels like the sonic equivalent of a blooming royal garden. Delicate, beautiful and also adorned with McClements’ evocative wanderings, it’s a beguiling piece, one that could easily go on even longer without sparking a single complaint.
Luka Aron “Variation 2: XV (XXVII III XXI IX)” (Warm Winters Ltd.)
XV XXVII III XXI IX: Variations & Coda is nothing if not ambitious. A four-part suite by German composer Luka Aron (who resides in Stockholm), it was created by an ensemble of “bass clarinet, contrabass, euphonium, foghorn organ, harpsichord, serpent, shō and trumpet,” along with a variety of both analog and digital synthesis. That’s a lot for one artist to handle, yet Aron impressively gets the whole thing moving in a unified direction, letting loose brawny, deeply resonant drones that sound like something from the symphony hall, but still have enough heft to shake even the sturdiest of structures. “Variation 2: XV (XXVII III XXI IX)” is probably the record’s most imposing offering, as it builds into a towering, rock-solid wall of sound that evokes thoughts of a cathedral organ on overdrive. It also brings to mind the work of artists like Tim Hecker and Stephen O’Malley, and though it’s not quite metal—perhaps it’s “metal-adjacent”—the song’s larger-than-life sonics are enough to make anyone in earshot feel a little nervous.
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.)
Have a great 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.