First Floor #267 – A Bright Spot Among the Bad Vibes
Takeaways from the growing controversy around the Sónar festival, plus a round-up of the latest electronic music news and a fresh bundle of new track recommendations.
Is festival season over yet? I know that June has barely begun, and here in Barcelona, the behemoth that is Primavera Sound just had its opening concert last night, but after months of incredibly heated discourse—much of it related to KKR and the growing intrusion of investment capital into the live music industry—it does feel like the usual summertime excitement around the upcoming festival calendar has been dampened somewhat.
Maybe that’s a good thing. After all, I’ve previously made the case that a reduction in the sheer volume of festivals could potentially be a net positive for the music industry, and for all the strife and tension that the KKR debate has issued, it’s also prompted artists, the media and, most importantly, music consumers to think about the music ecosystem—and the money that funds it—in a more critical way. While there’s absolutely nothing new about corporations inserting themselves into culture, there does seem to be a growing sense that certain lines shouldn’t be crossed and not all actors should be welcomed into the music world, no matter how deep their pockets. For most music fans, “maximizing profits at all costs” isn’t high on the list of priorities, and in a time when many people feel like there’s no way to push back against the corporate status quo, the boycott of Sónar and other KKR events is in many ways rooted in a desire to reclaim some sort of agency. And regardless of whether or not you agree with the tactics beyond employed in this particular instance, I’d like to think that most of us can at least understand the underlying sentiment and motivation.
I also think that most First Floor readers have a desire to indulge, at least some of the time, in the routine happenings that keep electronic music rolling on a day-to-day basis. Today’s digest spends a lot of time focused on exactly that, rounding up news items, new release announcements and suggested reading links that popped up during the past week. I’ve also combed through the avalanche of new albums, EPs and singles that dropped during the past seven days, and from that have assembled a collection of top-shelf track recommendations. And if my own picks aren’t enough to satisfy your listening needs, I’ve recruited Turkish composer and sound artist Hüma Utku to share a special guest recommendation.
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
Every Tuesday, First Floor publishes a long-form piece that’s usually made available to paid subscribers only. This week, however, I penned an article about the ongoing controversy surrounding Sónar, and elected to publish it with no paywall whatsoever. The piece specifically examines the Barcelona’s festival latest public communication, which attempted to calm the growing furor around its ties to investment firm KKR, and also points out not only the misleading nature of the statement itself, but how the dance music press has largely chosen to amplify the statement’s claims while providing little to no analysis of its contents.
FIRST FLOOR LIVE
In just a few hours, I’ll be hosting a special edition of First Floor Live at Primavera Pro—the conference portion of Primavera Sound—with writer Liz Pelly. We’ll be talking about her celebrated book, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, its many critiques of the streaming giant and how the company has impacted the entire music ecosystem.
While it technically wasn’t a First Floor event, I did recently take part in a special live edition of the Pizá i Fontanals podcast, joining a lively panel discussion about the current state of music festivals. A recording of that conversation—which, to be clear, took place in Spanish—is now available, and if you’re interested in hearing me attempt to pontificate about culture and the music industry in another language, now’s your chance!
REAL QUICK
A round-up of the most interesting electronic music news from the past week, plus links to interviews, articles and other things I think are worth sharing.
With all of the current hubbub around Sónar, the fact that a similar conversation was playing out just a few weeks ago around London’s Field Day has largely fallen by the wayside. Yet writer Ed Gillett put that situation under the microscope in a thoroughly detailed and reported article he published yesterday via his Party Lines newsletter. The piece actually looks at more than just Field Day, examining the larger debate that erupted around the five festivals (Field Day, Cross the Tracks, Mighty Hoopla, Wide Awake and City Splash) that took place over the course of two weekends at London’s Brockwell Park.
Aside from the content itself—which is excellent, digging into the multitude of interests, concerns and conflicts that are influencing today’s live music industry—what’s also intriguing is that the article was originally commissioned for another media outlet. Gillett chose not to name said outlet, and stressed that he had no hard feelings towards the publication or the editors he worked with, but he did share that the piece was killed earlier this week “because of wider business concerns about the article potentially being seen as critical of Superstruct or festival organisers, and the risk of legal action.” Ironically, it seems that much-needed honest conversations about the intrusion of corporate capital and power into music are now being limited—at least in the professional media—by the very same forces that artists and fans alike are increasingly concerned about.Given the subject matter of Jeff Weiss’ upcoming book, Waiting for Britney Spears: A True Story, Allegedly, it’s most likely not something that will get a ton of coverage here in First Floor. Yet the LA scribe and Passion of the Weiss founder has long been one of the music world’s most vibrant voices, which is why it’s great that Sam Valenti took a closer look at Weiss’ work—and his talent for electric prose—in the latest edition of the Herb Sundays newsletter. As Valenti points out, “a good writer can make you interested in just about anything,” and having read the book myself, I can attest that although Britney Spears is the focal point, she’s merely the lens through which Weiss explores a multitude of meaty topics: tabloid journalism, the often nonexistent ethics of the media and music industry, celebrity worship, unbridled capitalism, the callousness of the average consumer and much more.
First Floor readers are probably already aware that the streaming ecosystem is rife with problems, many of them fueled by the parameters of the platforms themselves, and one issue that’s become particularly acute in recent years is the rise of fraud and fakery. In a new feature for The Guardian, Eamonn Forde not only lays out what’s happening with fake artists, bot-driven stream farms and other attempts to game the system, but also highlights how the industry’s attempts to clamp down on that behavior has caused inadvertent blowback for artists—many of them independent—who’ve done nothing wrong and have little recourse when an error is made.
Dark Entries has been named Beatportal’s latest Label of the Month, and writer Marke B. is the perfect person to pen the accompanying feature. In it, he talks to founder Josh Cheon about the imprint’s trajectory over the years, and how what began as an effort to put some beloved old goth, synth-pop and post-punk records back into circulation has blossomed into something robust, celebrating electronic music’s darker and weirder corners while filling in many crucial blanks in the genre’s history.
The editorial arm of Nina platform—where, full disclosure, I previously had a monthly column—has had a particularly fruitful week, publishing enlightening Q&A features with experimental composer Kara-Lis Coverdale, Montreal duo and “scorched new age” purveyors Orchestroll (who just released their debut album, Corrosiv, via 29 Speedway) and unknown - untitled, a shadowy figure who heads up the bass music-oriented label of the same name.
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.
Ostgut Ton, also known as the in-house label of Berghain, is back. During the past four years, the imprint had been inactive, and was said by many to be done for good, but that hiatus came to an end last week with the surprise release of a new compilation called Klubnacht 01. Available now and featuring music from Verraco, Efdemin, Steffi, JakoJako, Azu Tiwaline & Cinna Peyghamy, GiGi FM, Cinthie, Hard Ton and more, the 18-track collection connects the dots between multiple generations of Berghain regulars.
Tim Reaper will likely forever be known as a junglist—the genre was the main topic of his First Floor interview last year—but as it turns out, the London artist has been secretly dabbling in other genres for quite some time. On the new First Rhythms EP, which is out now via Scratcha DVA’s DRMTRK label, he ventures into gqom, UK funky and grime, making clear that even when he’s operating below 160 bpm, he’s still capable of doing damage.
However one feels about the trip-hop “revival” that’s been happening in recent years, there’s little question that james K has (perhaps unwittingly) been right in the middle of it. Last year’s “Blinkmoth (July Mix)” single landed on plenty of “best of 2024” lists, and now the song scheduled to get another go-round as part of the NYC-based artist’s newly unveiled Friend full-length. Due to arrive on September 5 via AD 93, the album goes well beyond trip-hop, and is being billed as a “return to the core” that touches on james K’s past, present and future. The LP includes contributions from Adam Feingold, Priori, Patrick Holland, Special Guest DJ, Hank Jackson and Ben Bondy, and three tracks from the record—including new single “Play”—are already available here. A video for “Play” has also been shared.
Having previously released much-loved music as 2562 and A Made Up Sound, Dutch artist Dave Huismans has now cooked up a new moniker, ex_libris, and will soon be debuting the new endeavor with a pair of self-released, limited-run 12-inches. Both 001 and 002 are due to land on June 27, and though no full tracks have yet been shared, some preview clips can be heard here and here.
Last seen on the You Said You’d Hold My Hand Through the Fire album he did for Hyperdub alongside Iceboy Violet, Nueen re-emerged last week with a surprise two-tracker, U Don’t. Aside from the fact that the Barcelona producer contributed his own vocals to the opening song, the release wasn’t accompanied by much in the way of additional information, but it’s available in full now.
Car Culture is one of the many different aliases that Daniel Fisher, best known as Physical Therapy, has employed over the years, and the New Jersey native is now set to revive the ambient-ish project with the forthcoming Nothingburger EP. Slated to drop via the naff imprint, the record features collaborations with Patrick Holland and Priori, along with cover versions performed by Purelink and Hotline TNT. The whole thing will be available on June 19, but in the meantime, the song “Coping Mechanism” has already been shared.
Fresh off her excellent Tết 41 album, JakoJako has been tapped to curate a new compilation for the Air Texture label. Entitled Hardwired, it’s said to celebrate “the implicit connection between hardware-focused electronic producers,” and includes tracks from Rødhåd, The Field, Emily Jeanne and a litany of other artists. July 11 is the official release date, but the song “Passage” from Regent is available now.
HÜMA UTKU 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 Hüma Utku, an Istanbul native who currently plies her trade as a composer and sound artist from her adopted home of Berlin. Weaving together drone, ambient, field recordings, analog synthesis and a penchant for sonic exploration, Utku moves between light and dark, as comfortable crafting delicate textures as she is jagged walls of sound. Her most recent album, Dracones, arrived earlier this year via the storied Editions Mego label, and was actually inspired by her experience of becoming a mother. With its whirling static, industrial sound palette and insistent synth pulses, it’s an undeniably visceral record, and one that offers a healthy dose of both tension and catharsis over the course of its seven tracks. Utku’s choice here is a more cerebral listen, though it’s no less detailed, and demonstrates her passion for testing the limits of sound itself.
İlhan Mimaroğlu “Agony” (Turnabout)
Here we have a piece from electronic music pioneer—and fellow Istanbulite—İlhan Mimaroğlu. “Agony” is a nine-minute-long bit of sonic research and experimentation on the subject of where electronic sound sources stand in relation to field recordings of music concrète. Personally, what I find intriguing about the piece is how cyclically it evolves; there’s not really a linear narrative that leads to an end point or even progresses all that much. Instead, it offers continuing experiments of sound and movement, resulting in something that is so masterfully done and feels perfectly organic and tangible. Very playful yet scholarly, Mimaroğlu made a good point with this one.
”Agony” was released and pressed on vinyl in 1967, where it sits in good company alongside John Cage and Luciano Berio.
LISTEN UP
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.
Only Now “Beyond Repair” (Kush Arora Productions)
Most listeners who pick up Only Now’s new Timeslave III will probably do so to hear the Bay Area producer’s latest round of rapid-fire drum attacks and Indian-influenced industrial rhythms. They won’t be disappointed, as the album does have its fair share of high-octane percussive workouts, but some of its strongest material is actually that in which Only Now abandons drum programming altogether, indulging instead in the brain-scrambling possibilities of serrated textures and long-form drones. “Beyond Repair” howls and growls across nearly eight harrowing minutes, its far-off horns and chimes drifting through clouds of distortion as the song’s distorted basslines patiently stalk the landscape like a hungry apex predator.
Abul Mogard “Like a bird” (Soft Echoes)
Speaking of long-form drones, “Like a bird”—the closing number on Abul Mogard’s new Quiet Pieces—clocks in just shy of 11 minutes. Partially constituted of time-stretched and sonically manipulated samples of a “late uncle’s trove of beloved 78 rpm classical and opera records,” the LP has a distinctly haunted quality, as though its looming layers of distortion, static and melody are ghostly manifestations of long-lost friends and relatives. At the same time, their presence is not a menacing one; with its slow-burning whooshes and whirls, “Like a bird” is quite beautiful, and though it isn’t exactly soothing, it’s certainly meditative—at least for those willing to sit back and surrender to the journey.
espect “LQX” (Entangled Visions)
Feloneezy “Unlimited Peace 02” (appendix.files)
With a new Purelink album dropping into the world tomorrow, is ambient techno unexpectedly going to be the sound of the summer? Probably not, but there is a definite buzz around the genre at the moment, and anyone craving an extra dose of pillow-soft reverb and narcotic drift would be well-advised to check out the latest releases from espect and Feloneezy. The former, XLQ, features four tracks that are easy to confuse—each one is named after a different combination of the record’s titular letters—but the patiently rippling textures of “LQX” are uniquely alluring. Bathed in soft static and unfolding at a pace that might be described as “luxuriously zoned out,” the track directly echoes the work of dub techno giants Rhythm & Sound. The same could be said for much of Feloneezy’s Unlimited Peace, though the standout “Unlimited Peace 02” accentuates the music’s digital flutter with subtle new age feel, ultimately landing in a zone that sounds a bit like Holy Other trying to make a Japanese kankyō ongaku record.
Heather Stebbins “Sun Flood” (Outside Time)
As someone with a documented weakness for the work of experimental / avant-garde cellists, I suppose it’s no surprise that I’m be enamored with On Separation, the new album from Washington, DC-based composer and sound artist Heather Stebbins. Arriving via the brilliantly curated Outside Time imprint, the record is billed as a “meditation on nostalgia,” and opens on a high note with the warbling sounds of “Sun Flood.” Wonderfully unhurried, the song emits the soft-focus warmth of an old Super 8 film, with Stebbins’ scratchy field recordings and swirling echoes gradually giving way to a choir-like procession of striking (albeit largely unintelligible) vocal clips. Sitting somewhere between devotional music and Steve Reich-ian minimalism, it’s a quietly engrossing affair.
Jonnnah “Still Here, Playing Gtr (feat. Pavel Milyakov)” (co:clear)
There’s a lot to love about Jonnnah’s new Me, With You release, including the deconstructed jungle and waterlogged, Burial-esque vocals of “U Made Me” and the seasick wonkiness of “La Première Tente.” But the Lyon-based producer strikes a particularly hypnotic chord on opening cut “Still Here, Playing Gtr.” In truth, that chord is most likely struck by Pavel Milyakov (a.k.a. buttechno), whose moody guitar wanderings find a comfortable home amongst the song’s tactile haze and low-key bass rumbles. Dripping with ennui, this is digital sadcore for the YouTube generation.
Volodymyr Gnatenko “Nsumuna” (Kalahari Oyster Cult)
Although Kalahari Oyster Cult has never stuck to a strictly defined sound palette, Volodymyr Gnatenko’s new Mershley album is something of an outlier in the label’s ever-growing (and generally dancefloor-focused) catalog. Taking cues from classic IDM, dub ambient and even old video game soundtracks, it’s a richly detailed effort, one in which the Ukrainian artist impressively maintains a contemplative flow, even as his rhythms twitch and spasm like a toddler who missed their afternoon nap. The colorful standout “Nsumuna” is downright serene in its opening minutes, but it gets wiggly in a hurry, taking cues from artists like Aphex Twin and Plaid along the way.
Vardae “Voices of Depossession” (Samurai)
Flaming As a Cloud, the new EP from Vardae, was actually inspired by an acoustic performance from vaunted ambient group Son of Chi, who played around a campfire at Ouroboros—a festival that the French producer founded several years ago. The record, however, is not exactly a tranquil listen. Hypnotic? Trippy? Psychedelic? Yes, yes and yes, but Flaming As a Cloud is a collection of dynamic techno tunes, and the percussion-driven “Voices of Depossession” is a clear highlight. Built atop organic (or organic-sounding, at least) drum loops, the track’s relentless whirl is made all the more potent by Vardae’s squelchy, rapid-fire synths and spooky, quasi-shamanic vocal textures, resulting in something that’s perfect for breaking your brain—or simply allowing it to fly off to another plane of consciousness.
Dr. Rubinstein “Take This Pill” (Uppers and Downers)
Acid has long been Dr. Rubinstein’s primary calling card, but “Take This Pill”—the title track of the Berlin-based artist’s latest EP—is a proper acid ripper, and might be the best thing she’s ever done. Considering the sheer volume of acid cuts that have been released over the past 35 years, making something that stands out is no easy task, but Rubinstein effectively taps into old-school rave aesthetics, outfitting her tweaky lead lines with zooming sound effects, dramatic string flourishes, high-stepping beats and a vocal refrain (“take this pill”) that will resonate with just about anyone who’s ever ingested a little something to enhance their party experience. The funny thing is, this tune is so electric that no additional substances are actually needed to fully enjoy its manic grooves.
Poor D’Jarr “Skooma Dealer” (Kaizen)
It defies logic that Poor D’Jarr—an artist who hails from Athens—could make a gqom tune on par with some of the best stuff coming out of South Africa, but “Skooma Dealer” ticks all the right boxes. Swaggering and swaying drum patterns? Yes. Nimble string stabs? Yup, that too. Charmingly canned flute melodies? Absolutely. Wonky basslines that bend and stretch like silly putty? You know it. A seemingly endless array of guttural grunts and vocal exclamations? Of course. In other words, Poor D’Jarr has done his homework here, and aside from being a highly compelling tune, “Skooma Dealer” is proof that within the context of an ever-expanding, global hardcore continuum, no sound or aesthetic stays in any one place for very long.
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 Instagram—and make sure to follow First Floor on Instagram as well—or you can just drop Shawn an email to get in touch about projects, collaborations or potential work opportunities.