First Floor #241 – Coping Mechanisms
a.k.a. A round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh batch of new track recommendations.
Well, that sucked.
Based on my slower-than-usual inbox during the past 36 hours, I’m guessing that much of the electronic music sphere is still coping with post-election malaise.
I am too.
That reality, however, didn’t stop Resident Advisor from yesterday publishing an engagement-baiting “news” item that purported to summarize the electronic music community’s anguished response to the situation.
Was this a necessary, or even useful, piece of content? No it wasn’t, and considering that the story was basically a sampling of social media posts that contained zero actual reporting, it wasn’t really news either. Resident Advisor barely even mentioned the election during the past few months, and that’s fine—the site’s focus is supposed to be electronic music, after all—but that does make this sudden interest in the topic ring rather hollow. Perhaps the story was RA’s way of signaling to its audience that it too was disturbed by the prospect of another Trump presidency—which, for the record, isn’t exactly a brave stance in electronic music circles—but what it really looked like was a craven attempt to stir up engagement by forcibly inserting itself into a wider cultural conversation.
Resident Advisor isn’t alone in this sort of behavior, although it was the only major electronic music publication to jump on this particular train. Even so, maximizing engagement is what modern editorial teams are routinely instructed to do, and as much as I hate to say it, what RA did yesterday seems to have worked. I can’t speak to the traffic numbers for the original story, but the associated Instagram post has touched off a predictable (and predictably nauseating) mini-firestorm, complete with obnoxiously jubilant Trumpsters and self-appointed experts angrily lecturing everyone about the origins and inherently political nature of dance music.
(If you’re wondering why I haven’t linked to either the original story or the Instagram post, it’s because I don’t want to reward this sort of content with more traffic. Even highlighting it to the degree I already have makes me feel a little uneasy, but if you’re dying to read this stuff, you won’t have a hard time finding it.)
When people, including many journalists, wonder why the music media has lost so much credibility with the general public, this kind of surface-level importation of cultural and political strife certainly has something to do with it. It’s not that a music publication can’t be political; Rolling Stone, for instance, has been openly political for decades, and regardless of how you feel about its stances, there’s no question that it’s made both investigative political reporting and long-form political commentary a regular part of its editorial coverage. Resident Advisor might have upped its community outreach and education efforts in recent years, and it’s made sure to adopt all of the requisite progressive vocabulary too, but electoral politics has never been a significant part of the site’s editorial. In the aftermath of Trump’s re-election, there’s plenty to say about what happened and what it all means, but RA’s “news” story didn’t add anything substantial to the conversation; it was just an attempt to capitalize on the fact that a whole lot of people were deep in their feelings yesterday—and feverishly clicking / scrolling as a result.
I’ve said this before, but I do think the quality of Resident Advisor’s editorial has noticeably improved in recent months. But it’s still part of a media landscape that’s utterly beholden to engagement at all costs., and in that paradigm, even the most noble journalists sometimes find themselves jettisoning their ethics and kowtowing to the image-oriented, conflict-amplifying algorithms of social media. (Then again, maybe it’s foolish to even use the word ethics in regard to Resident Advisor, which is not a traditional media outlet, but a ticket-selling platform and creative agency that leverages its editorial content—and, more generally, its clout within the electronic music sphere—to attract brand money.)
With four more years on Trump on the horizon, moral righteousness is about to become a very popular marketing strategy, and we’re bound to hear a lot of talk about solidarity and activism in the months ahead, even from places that were once thought to be largely apolitical. It’s unlikely that much of that talk will come from this newsletter—not because I’m not personally interested in the topic, but because I’m not interested in pretending that First Floor has ever been a project dedicated to electoral politics and political organizing. (There are plenty of writers and journalists out there who dedicate their lives to these topics, and address them far better than I ever could.) Still, I can say one thing with absolute certainty: superficial commentary in the vein of what RA published yesterday is ineffectual, and only adds to the paralyzing noise of the internet and its endless content silos.
And on that note, who’s ready to talk about what’s new in electronic music?
Probably not many people, but it’s Thursday and that means it’s time for another edition of the First Floor digest. A whole lot of music has come out in recent days, both before and after the election, so I’ve put together a fresh batch of new track recommendations, all of them taken from new releases. I’ve also enlisted FELT founder Fergus Jones to drop by with a special guest recommendation, and I’ve assembled the usual round-up of new release announcement and suggested reading links as well.
I don’t know what’s going to happen to the world during the next four years, or even the next four months, but for now, I’ll still be doing this newsletter each week. At the very least, maybe it can be a welcome distraction from your doomscrolling.
Let’s get into it.
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.
In last week’s digest, I fawned over the first two releases from the newly launched False Aralia imprint, even as I simultaneously observed that it wasn’t entirely clear who was making the music or what exactly the label was all about. Some of that confusion has since been cleared up, as founder Brian Foote—who also heads up Peak Oil and is a longtime associate of the kranky label—sat down for an interview with writer Andrew Ryce in the latter’s Futureproofing newsletter. Aside from shedding some light on the story behind False Aralia, their conversation digs into the behind-the-scenes machinations of contemporary electronic and experimental music, and allows Foote—who also does PR work for select artists and labels—to speak about what it’s like to promote music in a hyper-competitive marketplace with a rapidly shrinking number of media outlets.
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.
Building upon the AE series that the UK duo first launched in 2015, Autechre this week released AE_2022, a new collection of live recordings that took place during 2022, 2023 and 2024. All 19 of the recordings run an hour or more, and are available now via Warp.
Shed and Ilian Tape seem like a match made in heaven, and the shapeshifting vetean popped up on the Munich label earlier today with a new EP called Applications. It’s available in full now.
After teasing listeners with the delightfully freaky “Drool” back in September, Fever AM co-founder Rhyw has today shared the news that the single will be part of a forthcoming EP. Slated for a November 28 release, Melt in Unison is playfully described as a “high-octane action comedy erotic thriller” and it’s also the first record on which the Berlin-based artist has utilized his own (heavily processed) voice. Two tracks— “Drool” and the newly unveiled “Calippo”—have already been shared here.
NYC producer Relaxer—who heads up the Lovers Rock label, is the co-founder of the Dripping festival / event series and also happens to be a member of freshly reunited post-punk band Black Eyes—has completed a new record. Entitled Break, it was born out of music he created after friends challenged him to put together a live drum & bass set. As demonstrated by opening track “Burning Spear,” which was shared earlier this week, the EP doesn’t adhere to strict definitions of what drum & bass is supposed to sound like, but it is a new stylistic turn from a project that had previously been (mostly) devoted to techno. The full EP also includes a pair of remixes from DJ Marcelle, and it’s due to arrive on November 29 via the 29 Speedway imprint.
After years of releasing solo work under the name Florian T M Zeisig, the German ambient / experimental artist—who’s also one half of projects like NUG, OCA and Unt—has this year been rolling out a new moniker, Angel R. His new alias already debuted on a couple of collaborative Somewhere Press releases with Alliyah Enyo, but now a proper Angel R solo effort is on the way for enmossed. It’s called Mossed Capable of Being Observant, and before it officially surfaces on December 3, lead song “Together” has already been made available.
Having previously teamed up in 2020 on the 032 EP, DJ Plead and TSVI (who used his Anunaku alias on that record) have joined forces once again. Their new offering is titled Caldo Verde, and like its predecessor, it’s slated for release via AD 93. Two tracks have already been shared here, and the remainder of the EP will be issued on November 29.
The first two no pare, sigue sigue compilations have proven to be some of the TraTraTrax label’s defining releases, and the Colombian outpost has just unveiled a forthcoming third volume. Billed as “16 bangers with a very diverse sound spectrum, all crossed by sharp and futuristic sound design,” it includes contributions from 3Phaz, LWS, Ma Sha, Pluralist, Coffintexts and a slew of other producers from around the globe. The complete compilation will be available on November 15, but four tracks from the record have already been shared here.
FERGUS JONES 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 Fergus Jones, a Scottish producer who currently makes his home in Copenhagen, and also happens to be the founder of the FELT label. With releases from Civilistjävel!, Carrier, georg-i and other boundary-blurring artists, FELT has quickly established itself as one of the most impeccably curated outposts in all of electronic / experimental music, but Jones’ talents don’t stop there. He also makes brilliant music of his own, and just dropped his acclaimed debut album, Ephemera, via the Numbers label. A testament to both his musical skills and his wide-ranging tastes, the LP includes guest appearances from Huerco S., Laila Sakini, Koreless, James K and others, and here, Jones has gone even deeper into his listening palette, highlighting a vintage slice of indie pop.
Television Personalities “The Dream Inspires” (Overground)
Perhaps my favourite song from Television Personalities back catalog, “The Dream Inspires” is a prime example of Dan Treacy’s songwriting, but I think what especially catches me is the production on this track. It’s pretty crunchy, but there’s all this swirling reverb and delay on his vocal. That with the heavily chorused out-of-tune guitars gives the track a sort of otherworldly, melancholic feeling that seems to dissipate as the song comes to an end, as though he’s coming to terms with a painful realisation. Beautiful song.
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.
Fracture “First Aid Kid (Slow Ambient Mix)” (Astrophonica)
Over the past few years, Fracture’s multifaceted 0860 project has paid tribute to the legacy of pirate radio, and while that effort has unsurprisingly included plenty of thundering breakbeats and brawny basslines, his latest installment, SLOW860, showcases something deeper. With its woozy textures and persistent haze of radio static, the album—which is also available as a continuous mix—is inspired by The KLF’s seminal 1990 album Chill Out and Fracture’s own teenage experiences falling asleep to stations like Kool FM and Weekend Rush. It’s meant to be an immersive, long-form listen, but there are standout moments, including this new version of “First Aid Kit.” The original appeared on 2022’s 0860—the release that launched the project in the first place—but this “Slow Ambient Mix” is a fuzzy 4 a.m. listen, its cozy expanse conjuring memories of Angelo Badalamenti’s iconic Twin Peaks theme.
Submerse “Nobody Knows” (Future Retro London)
Sabola “Close Your Eyes” (Future Retro London)
Tim Reaper—who was interviewed by First Floor back in August—has become the poster child for what’s (somewhat inaccurately) been described as jungle’s “new generation,” and while his skills as a DJ and producer are undoubtedly impressive, it’s his curatorial efforts that provide the clearest window into the genre’s current wealth of talent. The first releases on his hyper-prolific Future Retro London imprint arrived in 2020, and since then, it’s quickly become an essential platform for old heads and new jacks alike. FR049 is the label’s first compilation EP, and it’s a multi-generational effort, showcasing different takes on atmospheric jungle from Nebula, ASC, Jesta and Submerse. The latter, a UK native currently based in Japan, also taps into a ’90s R&B vibe on “Nobody Knows,” which combines its booming drum attack with sweetly pitched vocal clips and a twirly synth loop.
Sabola’s “Close Your Eyes,” on the other hand, takes a more epic approach, its widescreen sonics taking cues from old prog and trance records—the tasteful ones. (There’s maybe a bit of new age in there as well.) Appearing on FR048, a split release with Eminence, it’s a promising debut from a new project by Montreal-based producer Adam Hodgins, who previously made music as Iron Galaxy and as one half of Solitary Dancer. Jungle and drum & bass, however, were some of his first musical loves, and if the melodic rumble of “Close Your Eyes” is any indication, he should dip into his own past more often.
Peverelist “Pulse XIV” (Livity Sound)
Speaking of artists revisiting their jungle roots, “Pulse XIV” is a twirly highlight of Peverelist’s new Pulse Echo EP. It’s also an outlier on the record, which is largely dedicated to more house- and techno-oriented sounds, but one characteristic that unifies the record—and the entire Pulse series, which is now four EPs and more than 18 months deep—is an underlying sense of freedom and fun. UK bass music does tend to be an awfully serious endeavor, but Bristol mainstay Peverelist now seems more interested in following his artistic whims than adhering to the po-faced norms of the genre. That’s doesn’t mean he’s gotten silly or irreverent—there are no PC Music-isms or overt pop tropes here—but it does mean that “Pulse XIV” exhibits a certain looseness, its swirly melodies drifting through the clouds—and sounding almost psychedelic—as the track’s drums boom and bounce below.
Sonia Calico “Tiangou” (More Time)
The incorporation of gqom, amapiano and other South African rhythms into the wider bass music sphere is often characterized as a UK phenomenon, particularly when it comes to generating new hybrids of those sounds. Sonia Calico, however, hails from Taiwan, and “Tiangou”—a hypnotically high-stepping highlight of her new Moonlight EP—sounds like something Scratcha DVA would play on the radio, or maybe even produce himself. In fairness, More Time is a UK outpost, but listening to Calico’s crooked drum patterns and bent basslines, it seems clear that in a digital world where music culture moves at the speed of the internet, even the most regional of dance sounds rarely stay regional for long.
Dubbel Dutch “My Way” (Rare Earth Tones)
After being completely off the radar for more than five years, Dubbel Dutch—who talked about his extended hiatus in a First Floor interview earlier this year—has jumped back into the fray with both feet, offering up a string of new releases during the past few months. The latest is Anthems from the Abyss, and while its contents are all new material created in 2024, even Dubbel Dutch admits that there’s a current of nostalgia running through the record, which harkens back to some of his early 2010s releases on labels like Mixpak and Palms Out Sounds. More specifically, it leans into the specifically American variant of bass music that emerged during that era, which was as influenced by hip-hop, R&B, dancehall, Chicago house and East Coast club music as it was by anything from the UK hardcore canon. The standout “My Way” leans heavily into its chopped diva vocals, and its rubbery rhythm cooly rides along a wonky bassline and a repurposed (and slowed) Baltimore club beat.
MOY “Supermassive” (Analogical Force)
Rephlex diehards will find a lot to love on Supermassive, the latest EP from UK producer MOY. The record’s energetic title track straddles the line between breakbeat techno and the more jovial corners of IDM, yet it’s the song’s wiggly acid lines that prove most charming, darting to and fro amidst a feverish sea of glassy chimes and smacking percussion. There’s a lot going on here—”Supermassive” is probably too restless and hyperactive for most dancefloors—but even with its repeated switch-ups, it’s ultimately kind of a heady tune, one whose subdued chords convey an unusual sense of calm. Think of it as chillout music for people whose attention spans have been obliterated by the internet.
Legowelt “Ghost Stories from a new House” (Clone)
How many records has Legowelt released over the course of his career? It’s difficult to know, especially when his many, many aliases are factored in, but the total has to be in the triple digits. With all of that music out in the world, the Dutch artist has carved out a very particular—and very synth-centric—sound world, even as he continues to pull from electro, house, techno, boogie, new wave, ambient and a slew of other genres. What’s more impressive is that he’s managed to do so without his records sounding stale; his new A Field Guide to the Void LP is a vibrant effort, and “Ghost Stories from a new House” is a real highlight, its jittery synths providing a neon glow as the song’s smeared vocal ominously whispers and wails atop a steadily thumping kick drum. Not many people could make something this haunted also sound so perky, but such is the magic of Legowelt.
Peder Mannerfelt “Scouse” (Fever AM)
It’s not easy to stand out on a compilation that includes tracks from Karenn, Mor Elian & Rhyw, Lurka and a number of other bass-wielding heavy hitters, but Peder Mannerfelt has done just that with “Scouse.” The fun-loving Swede rarely plays it safe, and true to the spirit of It's Elastic (and the Fever AM label in general), the track is both a banger and a little bit weird. Driven by a marauding techno stomp, “Scouse” has also been adorned with all sorts of blurps, squawks and other bits of twisted funhouse-esque sound design, including some thunderous outbursts that almost sound like yelping dogs. Conventional it is not, but that’s what makes this tune such a rollicking good time.
John Barera “Music Room (Ali Berger Remix)” (Fortune Signal)
Although much of post-pandemic dance music has been dominated by nosebleed-inducing tempos and a brazen disregard for traditional notions of good taste, 2024 has seen a slow pivot back towards classier and more nuanced sounds. That’s good news for Ali Berger, a hardworking, Pittsburgh-based artist who’s spent years dropping a steady stream of precision-crafted house and techno cuts, primarily via his own Trackland imprint. (His appropriately titled Serious EP, which arrived earlier this year on Scissor & Thread, was also very good,) Last week, Berger popped up on Queens House, the latest EP from NYC-based producer John Barera, where he dials back the jazzy elation of the original “Music Room.” His understated remix takes the song in a more soulful direction, its tinkling pianos and silky pads borrowing from the microhouse playbook—and coalescing into something that’s perfect for the latest of late-night dancefloors.
Soshi Takeda “Rainstorm” (100% Silk)
Japan has long been a reliable source of exquisitely produced deep house, and over the past few years, Soshi Takeda has proven himself to be a reliable torchbearer for that legacy. Secret Communication is his latest effort, and it’s almost impossibly smooth, as Takeda pairs his subtle sense of funk with pillowy, new age-indebted textures. The latter element looms large on the standout “Rainstorm,” a gorgeous tune whose gleaming melodies recall both the mystical escapism of old Pure Moods compilations and the dreamy soundtracks of classic PlayStation RPGs.
Bas Dobbelaer “Submerge (Leif Remix)” (Something Happening Somewhere)
Released more than year ago, Bas Dobbelaer’s Binding Elements album is not the sort of record that’s usually followed up with a dedicated remix EP. Yet the Dutch artist’s decision to buck convention proved wise, as Binding Elements Remixed—which features reworks from Leif, Ben Kaczor, Dwaalgast, Moon Patrol and Will Oirson—contains some really choice material. It’s UK producer Leif who shines brightest; while the original “Submerge” was a delicate tune that dusted Tangerine Dream-style melodies with a touch of dubby minimalism, Leif’s version takes the music airborne, brightening up the sound palette and making the song’s fluttering synths sound positively majestic.
OKRAA “Para Desaprender” (A Strangely Isolated Place)
Even with all the hype around Latin artists and sounds during the past few years, Colombian producer OKRAA hasn’t gotten a whole lot of shine from the trend-chasing corners of the electronic music world. Fans of ambient music, however, fawned over his 2022 debut album, 1994, a richly detailed effort that exuded a palatable sense of grandeur. OKRAA’s newly released follow-up, La Gran Corriente, is no less epic in scope, but it does intriguingly find him incorporating breakbeat and electro rhythms into several tracks. “Para Desaprender” is the best of those, and even with its gritty, glitch-strewn underbelly—which wouldn’t be out of place in a Gesloten Cirkel production—the song still has a sort of cosmic magnificence, as though its creator set out to soundtrack the climax of a big-budget sci-fi flick.
Tommy Four Seven “O M 3” (47)
Tommy Four Seven is primarily known as a techno artist, but some of his most impressive work is the stuff that shows little concern for the dancefloor. “O M 3,” which appears on the new Species-4 compilation EP, isn’t exactly ambient—it’s far too menacing for that—but it is moody, and brimming with post-industrial menace. Built atop a slow-boiling rhythm, the sludgy track prowls with the confidence of an apex predator, its cyborg-like synths scanning the perimeter for signs of rogue humans.
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.