Slidecamp | “Geometer”
This is news that’s been a long time in the making. SF/LA duo Slidecamp (aka Boreta and Comma) are finally releasing their self-titled first album on Alpha Pup Records offshoot Glass Air next Tuesday, September 6. Check out the first cut, titled “Geometer”, below—it’s a chillwave dreamscape workout, and one hell of an opener. If you haven’t heard these guys before, you’re in for a special treat that Bay Area residents in particular have been eagerly awaiting for several years, now. Our Friday has been made, that much is certain.
Tycho | “Hours”
Holy wow, the new single by Tycho is incredible. “Hours”, off his upcoming album Dive (due out November 15 on Ghostly) shows the producer at his very finest, sounding tighter and better-defined than ever before. The folks at XLR8R have made the song available for download, so grab it here—you can also listen to a streaming version below.
Mix of the Moment: Slash Dot Dash Podcast 006: Kenneth Christiansen
Over the weekend, Slash Dot Dash released the sixth installment of their podcast series, featuring a three hour dub techno mix from Echocord and Pattern Repeat label boss Kenneth Christiansen. If you’ve been convinced at this point that dub techno is boring, this is a mix you need to hear, because it is quite seriously faith-restoringly good (and how it’s done, to be honest—ed). Rather than a mix that drives on forever toward nowhere, here you’ll hear all the things the more boring contributors to the genre left us to believe were verboten: creamy synths, warm soundscapes, catchy hooks, and danceable beats, even. Christiansen goes out of his way to keep things interesting by doing what every DJ ought: he takes his banner genre and forces it to its very edge in every direction possible. This is an excellent introduction, a brilliant refresher, and for those of us who drank the kool-aid and never looked back, a whole lot of told ya so.
Slash Dot Dash Podcast 006: Kenneth Christiansen by Slash Dot Dash
John Beltran | ‘Ambient Selections’
Flawless is not one of those terms that should be thrown around casually in describing music—especially electronic music, in all its derivative, self-referencing, constantly impossible to qualify and classify guises—and yet somehow, the latest release by John Beltran, titled Ambient Selections (Delsin) is just that: utterly flawless. To be fair, this isn’t your regular album, but rather a retrospective of Beltran’s entire career as an ambient electronic producer, yet it’s a detail that is easy to let fall by the wayside. What stands out instead is the painstaking care with which this entire collection has been pieced together; the passage of time is virtually unnoticeable from one song to the next, a sure sign that Beltran’s overall aesthetic—though variable throughout his career when viewed in normal time—has overall been unchanging, and to some rather impressive ends.
Says John of the compilation…
“I have personally selected these songs from eight of my albums which span 16 years, though the compilation also includes two brand new, unreleased compositions, “Expecting” and “Miss Weird”. I believe all of these songs have, and will continue to, stand the test of time because, in my humble opinion, they are my best ambient works. I have always felt I have had the most unique, loyal fans in the world, so this compilation is dedicated to them, from me, with love.”
This album is especially recommended if you’re a fan of Brian Eno, Donnacha Costello, Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works I and II, and the Merck catalog.
Edit: Check out the listening examples below!
New Gold Panda Track | “MPB”
It’s been nearly a year since Gold Panda’s celebrated Lucky Shiner arrived, and though the Ghostly artist has recently re-released some of his older material for the Detroit label, it is only now that he’s finally provided us with a peek into what’s next for him. Along with the announcement of his Fall tour dates comes the brand new free track, “MPB”, for your listening pleasure. (Audiophiles: you can also grab a WAV copy via his site.) Though the track itself is largely samey relative to his previous material, it does to some degree sound as if he’s taken the time to notice a few of his contemporaries—we’re guessing comparisons to shy Danish outfit Jatoma will be forthcoming. You can hear and download “MPB” below.
MPB by Gold Panda
The Most Perfect Song.
After being reminded today of my extreme love for Aphex Twin’s Selected Ambient Works 85-92, I submit to you the one song that stays with me always: the impeccable second track, “Tha”. I consider this to be better even than Paul Simon’s “Graceland” (which always moves me to tears when he sings, “and she said losing love/ is like a window in your heart/ everybody sees you’re blown apart/ everybody sees the wind blow’”); better than David Bowie’s heartbreaking solo toward the end of his and Queen’s epic collaboration, “Under Pressure”; better than Sam Cooke’s masterful “A Change is Gonna Come”; better even than pretty much anything the Beatles’ catalog has to offer (which is a grave statement if you know my rabid love of the Fab Four). For me, this is the best there is, and it never fails to soothe, even on the darkest days.
It’s almost time for the rain to begin again here in Northern California, and this is just the right speed.
Lone | Exclusive Mix for Bleep & Bloc Festival
Lone: Bleep X Bloc Promo Mix 2011 by Bleep on Mixcloud
Late last year, UK-based producer Lone decided to surprise his listeners, by changing tack. His previous work had largely relegated him to being disregarded as part of the never-ending roster of artists whose aesthetic apes Boards of Canada, so it was quite a pleasant surprise to see him step out from behind such well-worn territory with his most recent release, the stunning Emerald Fantasy Tracks (Magic Wire Recordings). (Lovers of analog especially—take note!) Now Bleep has an exclusive mix by the producer, in advance of his performance at the Bloc Festival in Manchester.
You can also find more mixes from artists to be featured on the Bleep stage at their Mixcloud page.
