Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Shit Robot 'I Got A Feeling' (DFA 2245)
Shit Robot
I Got A Feeling
(DFA 2245)
1. I Got A Feeling
2. Norfolk Nights
Shit Robot isn't the sort of name you hear every day and, as a result, Marcus Lambkin's DJ/producer alias isn't one that's easy to forget. But it's Lambkin's music that has truly left an indelible impression on dance music lovers' minds, and his newest release is no exception. On the heels of 2009's "Simple Things (Work it Out)" -- itself the follow-up to 2006's epic successes "Chasm" and "Wrong Galaxy" -- Lambkin has delivered two new tracks that seem to effortlessly set just the right mood for the dance floor.
Side A, "I Got a Feeling," plays like a song in two complimentary acts. In the first half, Lambkin builds slowly from minimal beginnings; in the second, he ups the ante with nods to house and a pleasant easing of prior restraint. In fact, it isn't until almost the exact midway point of the song that vocals -- provided, notably, by Saheer Umar, one half of New York City dance duo House of House -- first appear. From here onward, things really get going, with electro-handclaps, bassy synths, spontaneous buzzings, a driving beat and Umar's echoing vocals all heaped upon each other -- blending enough to give the track depth and weight, but distinct enough that any reveler can appreciate the precise, purposeful placement of each element.
Side B, "Norfolk Nights," quickly lays down a foundation of old-school beats, then gets to work building slow, space-y synths atop. Lambkin resists expectations by dropping the beat and letting things get eerily -- and unexpectedly -- quiet before he starts from scratch and builds from the bottom up all over again, one cosmic synth pattern at a time.
Lambkin grew up in Ireland and spent several years DJ’ing in New York City -- where he met friends and cohorts James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy of DFA -- before moving to his current home of Stuttgart, Germany. This impressive new 12" was recorded in his home studio between constant gigs and endless tours DJ’ing around the world.
http://www.myspace.com/shitrobot
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shit-Robot/35532775551
Monday, February 22, 2010
The Crystal Ark 'The City Never Sleeps' (DFA 2241)
The Crystal Ark 'The City Never Sleeps' (DFA 2241)
1. The City Never Sleeps
2. The City Never Sleeps (Instrumental)
After five weeks of performing and traveling around Brazil, long-term DFA stalwart Gavin Russom returned home with not only a love for the music he'd discovered there, but also a newfound source of inspiration for his own meticulously crafted recordings. The Brazilian music driving Russom's sonic explorations included forms as eclectic and varied as Carioca Funk, atabaque drumming, Tropicalia and South American style rave. At the very same time, Russom was working toward a sound in the image of seminal tracks from Praga Khan and Nikki Van Lierop, with special inspiration taken from their Phantasia "Inner Light" and "Violet Skies" 12"s. The material that grew out of these disparate inspirational points – and became The Crystal Ark, Russom's latest project – is a perfect distillation of those varied sounds into infectious, spellbinding dance floor music.
"The City Never Sleeps," The Crystal Ark's first 12" release, is an exercise in musical restraint, tension and release. The single begins – the temptation is to add "innocently enough" – with heart-rattling bass. That naked pulse is intertwined with hissing cymbals, percussion and suddenly distinct handclaps; from there, Russom adds and removes layer upon layer of sonic elements: wiggling electric impulses; shuffling percussion; panting vocals. These sounds roll over and under each other, pushing to the forefront and then disappearing beneath the surface. It's a slow climb to a taut, suspenseful mélange of sound that breaks – finally – into a dizzying rush of spectral vocals, acoustic drumming and driving, repetitive rhythms.
Viva Ruiz, whose vocals figure prominently here in both spoken and sung form, has shaped the track's intense feel with lyrics "found... through dreams and dance." Russom has performed and recorded for DFA extensively – as Black Meteoric Star and in collaboration with Delia Gonzalez on a number of singles and projects. The Crystal Ark continues to establish Gavin Russom's talent as a singular producer as well as recording artist.
http://gavinrussom.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gavinrussom
Michoacan 'In The Dark Of The Night (DFA 2235)
Michoacan
In The Dark Of The Night
(DFA 2235)
The one-two kick drum beat that starts "In the Dark of the Night" functions as a bit of a tease. Instead of just establishing the languid pace of the track, it has the power of suggestion, and its stark nakedness raises the question of just what will happen when the music fully launches. When, a few seconds later, a punch-drunk, flanging keyboard enters the procession, it's the first clue that we are in for an off-kilter ride; the sauntering bassline that next appears adds a springy, funk bounce. But it's the tripped-out, multi-tracked vocals of Fernando Miranda Rios – a.k.a. Michoacan, the producer behind this slow reveal – that give the song its peculiar, space-y vibe; it's a bit like David Byrne with funk aspirations. Taken altogether – and there is plenty more, including tinkling piano notes; bits of percussion; and electrical washes – there's a vaguely cosmic feel. The song coalesces, using funk to lure you to the dance floor, then intoxicating you to keep you there.
The Side B re-mix – courtesy of Italy's Clap Rules – actually feels like more of a re-build: The song has been taken apart and put back together with all brand new parts. Instead of the more relaxed, dazed funk at the core of the original, it's a glittery, disco ball-splattered track with funk elements scattered here and there, and glossy keys all around.
"In the Dark of the Night" is Michoacan's debut DFA release. He has already created music for Grayhound, Headinghome, Lektroluvv, Smash Hit Music Co., Speak Recordings, Bearfunk and Tiny Sticks.
http://vimeo.com/8747759
http://www.myspace.com/michoacanmusic
http://www.junodownload.com/charts/dj/728038-Michoacan_dfa/363052-Chart/
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