First Floor #221 – Post-Dubstep Memories
a.k.a. UK funky (and funky-adjacent) favorites, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh batch of new track recommendations.
Nostalgia is a funny thing.
As a general rule, I don’t like it. It’s the antithesis of progress, and in the context of today’s cultural landscape, it’s become a kind of security blanket, a familiar refuge from the seemingly endless onslaught of content and information. For artists, it’s frequently a kind of lowest-common-denominator cheat code, a way to connect with audiences that’s far easier than winning them over with something legitimately new. Add in the influence of algorithmically driven platforms, which long ago figured out that familiarity is far more palatable (and profitable) than pushing things forward, and it’s no wonder that even the supposedly forward-thinking, futurism-obsessed corners of modern culture (e.g. electronic music) often feel like they’re stuck in a rut.
Just this week, Elijah pointed out on Twitter that he’d heard more Vengaboys during the past three years than at any other point in his life. The reasons for that are myriad, and I’d argue that exploring why this is happening is a worthwhile venture—it’s certainly been a major focus of this newsletter during the past few years. But the downside of that effort is how quickly these conversations usually devolve into grouchy proclamations that things were better back in the day. Intergenerational tensions are nothing new, of course, but it is interesting to see how those crying the loudest today about the pervasiveness of nostalgia in contemporary culture are so frequently being motivated by a competing nostalgia of their own. It’s not that these people want to disconnect from the past completely; they just want their specific idealization of the past to be the dominant cultural paradigm.
Am I guilty of falling into that mode of thinking? Probably, at least on occasion. And if I were more cynical, I could pretty easily transform First Floor into a full-blown nostalgia warehouse, constantly cranking out retrospectives of old scenes and sounds while trumpeting their superiority to today’s electronic music offerings. Earlier this week, I published an essay that compiled a bunch of my favorite drum-heavy tracks from the early post-dubstep era, and going purely by the numbers, it’s done quite well. I’d love to think that’s because it presents a chance for younger readers to get caught up on something compelling they missed the first time around, but I’m guessing that a lot of the enthusiasm for the piece stems from older readers who are enjoying the opportunity to delve into their memory banks and revisit some old favorites.
Is that bad? Am I feeding the nostalgia-industrial complex? That wasn’t my intention, but maybe. You can find my essay below and decide for yourself—there’s currently no paywall on it—but apart from that, the rest of today’s First Floor digest is firmly focused on brand-new stuff. News, new release announcements, interesting articles from the past week… all of that is here, as is a fresh batch of track recommendations, all of them from new releases. I’ve also lined up a guest recommendation from How to Dress Well, although I must admit that I have no idea how he feels about nostalgia.
There’s a lot to get through, so 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 a piece inspired by a single song—Altered Natives’ 2009 track “Rass Out”—which I heard last weekend at Primavera Sound. In the days that followed, I began thinking about the track, and how it was part of an entire wave of percussion-led, and often kind of weird, tunes that were being rinsed during the early UK funky and post-dubstep era. It was a very specific sound during a very specific moment of dance music history, and after going down a bit of a rabbit hole, I decided to share some of my favorite songs in that vein here in the newsletter.
SOME OTHER THINGS I DID
Second Floor is my monthly column for Nina, and the latest installment, which went live earlier this week, takes an expansive look at contemporary Italian electronic music. Although the country is often assumed to only be a hotbed for glittery disco, rowdy bangers and Ibiza-ready tech house, my article focuses on its more experimental output, shining a light on dozens of Italian artists and labels that are committed to pushing the envelope, both at home and abroad.
For the 100th edition of his Deep Voices newsletter / playlist series, Matthew Schnipper invited people to take over his curatorial duties and “send in a song they think is under-loved.” I, along with about 50 other people, accepted the invitation, and took the opportunity to veer outside of my usual lane and write about something that has nothing to do with electronic music. (And for those who need additional enticement, it’s worth noting that the newsletter also includes recommendations from Hua Hsu, Amanda Petrusich, Ghostly’s Sam Valenti, RVNG’s Matt Werth, Chris Richards, Marc Hogan, Jeremy Larson, Sam Hockley-Smith and many, many other interesting people.)
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.
Music journalist Lauren Martin, formerly of DJ Mag, FACT and RBMA—where, full disclosure, she and I both worked for several years—announced on Monday that she’s returned to London and taken a position as the new Editor of Crack Magazine.
In other dance music journalism HR news, Andrew Ryce announced that he will be leaving his role as Resident Advisor’s Music Editor at the end of the month, following a 12-year run at the publication. According to RA, his role will be jointly filled by existing staffers Kiana Mickles and Rachel Grace Almeida.
The closure of Amsterdam nightspot De School last year was greeted with countless tributes and quite a bit of fanfare, but this week the club unveiled Het Archief, an online archive that contains more than 800 recordings of DJ mixes from the venue’s eight-year run.
In the latest bit of “we can’t have nice things, especially on the internet” news, MixesDB announced this week that it will be shutting down on June 29. A massive, user-generated database that was first launched in 2006, MixesDB is one of the largest online repositories of information about DJ mixes, and contains a extensive archive of not only recorded gigs, but radio shows and podcasts, often with detailed tracklists. Its impending closure represents a staggering loss of historical information, and what’s most frustrating is that it’s rooted in a technological issue, namely that “the website code is completely outdated and cannot be run on modern servers anymore.”
Daddy Kev, the veteran LA-based engineer and producer who founded Low End Theory, this week launched musiclawyer.ai, an AI-powered online app that seeks to provide artists with “legal clarity by identifying potential issues with recording agreements.” The site allows users to upload contracts, and then choose whether they’d like ChatGPT or Gemini to analyze the document. As he explained in a Twitter thread, it’s still in beta, and is meant to be a tool for “clarification and insight,” not a replacement of actual legal advice from an attorney.
In a story reported by Resident Advisor’s Nyshka Chandran, it appears that a serious dispute has erupted surrounding famed NYC party The Loft. First launched by David Mancuso in 1970, the event is a bona fide nightlife institution, but in the wake of his death in 2016, it’s been controlled by a nine-member board. In a statement sent to RA, Richard Horstman II—Mancuso's nephew and the administrator of his estate—accused five former members of that board of theft, financial misconduct and “deceptive, aggressive” behavior that runs counter to the late icon's wishes. These members—Luis Vargas, Edowa Shimizu, Sandy Moon, Ernesto Green and Douglas Sherman—apparently withdrew funds from The Loft’s bank account, set up a similarly named rival company and have effectively taken control of the party’s name and events, all without the consent of the estate or the other members of the board.
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.
Galcher Lustwerk did some digging through his archives and dropped a surprise release last week. LUSTWERK III, which is out now, is an album-length collection of previously unreleased tracks that he recorded between 2014 and 2018. Many of the songs were either part of 2018’s “White Material Records Mix #4” or outtakes from his 2016 LP, Dark Bliss.
Floating Points has offered up a new single called “Del Oro.” It’s not yet clear whether the song is a standalone release, or a precursor to a forthcoming new album, but it’s available now via Ninja Tune.
Following up on his “Honey” single that surfaced back in April, Caribou this week let loose another new song, “Broke My Heart.” Arranged in collaboration with his longtime pal Four Tet, the song is out now via City Slang, and its associated music video has also been shared.
After nearly a decade without releasing new material, this week Rustie teamed up with the Warp label to drop a new single, “Black Ice Mudra.” It’s available now.
Jamie xx has a new album on the way. In Waves features guest appearances from Honey Dijon, Robyn, Kelsey Lu, Panda Bear, The Avalanches and others, including his bandmates from The xx, Romy and Oliver Sim. The LP is slated to arrive on September 20 via Young, but a new single, “Treat Each Other Right,” has already been shared, as has the song’s official video.
Colombian outpost TraTraTrax continues to expand its operations, this week launching a new series of split releases. The plan is that each release will contain only two tracks, with each song being contributed by an artist whose work resonates with the label’s vision. Split 1 is out now, and features tunes from Nervous Horizon co-founder TSVI and raptor house originator DJ Babatr.
Up until now, the entire can you feel the sun catalog has consisted of music from label founders Call Super and Parris. However, that will soon change, as they’ve invited their friend Peach join in the fun. The London-based Canadian has prepped a new EP, Charmed, and though it’s scheduled for a June 28 release, opening track “A Pretty Planet” has already been shared.
New music from Loefah always feels like a moderately big deal, but it’s rather intriguing that the next record from the dubstep icon and Swamp 81 boss will arrive via famed footwork outpost Teklife. The Jump Start EP will surface on July 12, and while no tracks or previews have yet been made available, the record will include a remix from the late DJ Deeon.
Luke Slater is a man of many aliases, and they all seem to be busy. Only a couple of weeks removed from the release of his new Saturn to Home album as L.B. Dub Corp, the techno producer has unveiled a new EP from his Planetary Assault Systems moniker. Deep Heat Vol. 5 will be issued by Mote-Evolver on June 14, though some preview clips have already been shared here.
Ambient / experimental artist Dylan Henner has a new album out. In truth, the word “new” is relative, as the LP is actually his reinterpretation of Raymond Scott’s Soothing Sounds for Baby. (Released in 1962, it was created with infants in mind, but wound up being an important precursor to modern ambient music.) Henner’s take on the material, performs Raymond Scott's Soothing Sounds for Baby, is out now on the Dauw label, and the digital version is currently available as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp—but only through June 14.
Keeping track of all the Palestine- and Gaza-related benefit compilations coming out is a challenging task right now—although these recent guides from Pitchfork and Resident Advisor can help—but ENOUGH!, a new release that surfaced last week on the Dreaming Live label, warrants special mention. Among its 63 tracks are contributions from Simo Cell, Legowelt, Drew McDowall, Suzanne Ciani, Juliana Huxtable & Via App, Martin Rev, Aaron Dilloway, Bok Bok, Sarah Davachi and many, many others. The entire collection is available now, and all proceeds “will support Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah's Children's fund.”
HOW TO DRESS WELL 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 How to Dress Well (a.k.a. Tom Krell), an LA-based artist who during the past 15 years has often been hailed for his “outsider pop” and “alt-R&B.” In today’s increasingly genreless music ecosystem, those descriptors now seem somewhat ridiculous, particularly in light of his latest album, I Am Toward You. Released just last month, the LP takes his music in a decidedly freakier direction, and here, Krell highlights a song from an artist whose adventurous spirit mirrors his own approach to creation.
Cora “Come On” (Calax)
Cora Emens was and is a sex educator. She was married to and extensively collaborated with Fluxus GOAT Willem de Ridder, and she also recorded heaps of music and “erotic” recordings over her entire life. Her 2021 reissued-slash-new self-titled record on Calax Records (an awesome label that also recently put out a SICK Daniel Malempré record) is awesome to listen to—and it transmits a freedom in being oneself that I find totally irresistible and inspiring. I have a mantra/song on my new record, I Am Toward You, where I sing, over and over, “The only true joy on earth is to escape from the prison of our own false selves.” I have the feeling listening to this Cora LP that she has found that joy—and that in addition to sharing some amazing tunes with us, she also presents a model of sorts against which we all might measure our own process of becoming ourselves.
RIYL Voice Actor, Ingus Baušķenieks, NSRD, Tirzah. Huge thanks to my big bro Pete Swanson for pointing me towards Cora in the first place.
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.
Peder Mannerfelt “Flash My Flip Phone” (Peder Mannerfelt Produktion)
Peder Mannerfelt is a treasure. A veteran producer with no hint of middle-aged grumpiness, he’s someone who appreciates the gaudiest pop music, but never relies on obvious tropes or cheap nostalgia to make his own tracks bang. And though he’s well versed in techno, house, bass music and a slew of other sounds, he remained utterly unconstrained by fixed notions of genre, his enthusiastic experiments fueled by the knowledge that innovation and having fun don’t have to be mutually exclusive. A lot of artists, especially within his generational cohort, could learn a lesson or three from Mannerfelt, but even if his refreshing creative perspective is completely set aside, there’s a lot to love about the Stockholm-based producer’s latest single, “Flash My Flip Phone.” A crunchy techno bopper with a deliriously swung rhythm, it does have something of a retro feel, but that’s only because its “melodies,” if you want to call them that, have been constructed out of old-school dialtones and ringtones. Is it a bit goofy? Absolutely. But it’s also a joyous romp, one that just might send ravers—or at least the ones old enough to remember the pre-smartphone era—giddily tumbling into a k-hole.
Jamie Unknown “Pressure” (Time Is Now)
Looking for a wubby garage banger? “Pressure,” the title track of Jamie Unknown’s latest EP, should do the trick. While the London producer doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel here, he clearly understands all of said wheel’s contours, infusing the song’s shuffling scamper with enough industrial-grade bass to make Mala jealous. Add in the track’s pitch-shifted vocal hooks and a few snippets of speech from what sounds like a UK roadman, and this is a little bit of dancefloor gold.
Mxshi Mo & Hagan “African Technology” (More Time)
I’m guessing that plenty of people who read my aforementioned “Partying Like It’s 2009” essay looked at the list of tracks I assembled and thought, “Why don’t they make tunes like this anymore?” It’s a fair enough question, as dark, drummy productions and syncopated rhythms can seem wildly out of place among the neon-streaked silliness that’s characterized much of post-pandemic dance music. But for those willing to look beyond the nonsense that pops up on their social media feeds, I have good news: there’s still a lot of this music being made, and a lot of it is coming out of the African continent.
That includes Nkanyiso, the debut album from South African producer Mxshi Mo, a gqom-centric LP that also features mutant collaborations with the likes of Skream, Scratchclart, Fiyahdred and a handful of vocalists. On the standout “African Technology,” he teams up with London producer Hagan, and their moody production sways with a confident cool, hypnotizing listeners with its clacking percussion and rubbery bass stabs.
Verraco “0∞” (Timedance)
As a co-founder of the TraTraTrax label, Verraco—who was interviewed by First Floor last year—has received a lot of accolades for his role in putting contemporary Latin electronic music on on the global map. That’s all well and good, but after hearing his new Breathe... Godspeed EP, I’m thinking the Medellín deserves to be lionized for something else entirely: breathing new life into wobble bass. The brawny sound, once thoroughly abused by Rusko, Caspa and the countless brosteppers who popped up in their wake, is all over Verraco’s latest record, and it sounds great. It’s perhaps most prominent on “Breathe... “Godspeed >,” a bassy marauder that’s been getting a lot of play in recent months, but it’s most creatively employed on “0∞,” a skippy techno hybrid whose crunchy bursts sound like blasts from an alien raygun. Like all of Verraco’s productions, the track has a real heft, but here, his sound design skills are on par with what you might hear during the climax of a summer blockbuster. It’ll still make you want to dance, but you might be wide-eyed and awestruck while you’re doing it.
Dreamrdreamr “Synced Sorrow” (all my thoughts)
Another entry for the big-room sad canon, “Synced Sorrow” is a sentimental highlight of dreamrdreamr’s new Through the Elements EP. In theory, it’s a dancefloor cut, but the song’s featherlight, not-quite-techno beats are likely better suited for getting into your feelings in your bedroom than raving at the club, and its wordless, post-Burial vocal fragments are all steeped in melancholy. About what exactly? A broken heart? Family troubles? Loneliness? Depression? All of the above? In the end, it doesn’t really matter, because “Synced Sorrow” is a wistful gem, even if it winds up leaving a few tears on your pillow.
Sacre “Give Them Peace” (Plor)
Orchestration of My Joy, the new full-length from Sacre, was born out of an interesting premise: the artist’s realization that he doesn’t “really know how to chill.” He’s likely not alone in that, particularly given the constant barrage of stimuli and content we’re all being subjected to these days, but Sacre has channeled his restlessness into this record, anxiously working his way through blurred passages of ambient and IDM-ish deconstructions. It’s a woozy listen, to be sure, and even gets a little downtrodden at times, but Orchestration of My Joy is never static or sedate. LP standout “Give Them Peace” is one of the more propulsive tracks on the album, and though its brawny bass groans ultimately take a back seat to the song’s staticky textures and ghostly melodies, one never gets the impression that its creator has surrendered to despair.
COLA REN “Riot on the Hush (K-LONE Remix)” (AMWAV)
Fresh off her Forest Drone EP—which was covered in more detail in last week’s newsletter—COLA REN has offered up another new release. Well, sort of. The Chinese producer’s Hailu EP dropped in 2023, but now she’s returned with Hailu Remixes, which compiles reworks from Salamanda, Will Hofbauer, Al Wootton, Sam Goku and others. That’s an impressive slate of talent, and many of the remixes are quite good, but it’s K-LONE’s take on “Riot on the Hush” that shines brightest, transforming the pastoral new age of the original into something a bit more sparkly and energetic. What results is still too mellow for most dancefloors, but its radiant glow is sure to cast on spell on anyone in earshot.
Ali Berger “Rhythm & Simplicity” (Scissor and Thread)
A hardworking talent who’s quietly churned out dozens of releases during the past decade-plus, Ali Berger is one of those artists who rarely seeks out the spotlight for himself, even as he consistently gets namechecked by respected DJs and producers. Most of his work in recent years has been issued via his own Trackland imprint, but the new Serious EP is his debut for Scissor and Thread, and it fits right into the label’s catalog of tastefully low-key house music. “Rhythm & Simplicity” opens the record, and its subdued, albeit undeniably soulful, groove immediately taps into a deep house lineage that includes the likes of Larry Heard and Move D. Berger may make his home in Pittsburgh, but there’s a little bit of classic Ibiza in this tune’s DNA, as it’s not hard to imagine “Rhythm & Simplicity” playing in the background as people relax by the pool and take in a Mediterranean sunset.
Priori “Thick Air” (naff)
This but More is an album with a capital A. The latest long-player from Montreal mainstay Priori, the record not only contains 14 tracks, but also includes forays into ambient, new age, IDM, house, techno, drum & bass, shoegaze and numerous points in between. It’s a risky path to take, and one that would lead many artists into self-indulgent oblivion, but Priori has crafted something both nuanced and truly compelling. Held together by mood, not genre, it’s not a chillout record, per se, but it does reward those willing to slow down and surrender to its ethereal haze. One never gets the feeling that Priori is in a rush to hurry things along, even on songs like “Thick Air,” where a steady kick drum has been introduced to the mix. The cozy track is technically a lush slice of dub techno, but as its persistent pulse trundles through a blissful expanse of soft pads and softer static, it’s easy to imagine its creator handing out blankets and pillows to anyone who happens to be listening.
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.