Monday 25 April 2011

Carlo's Top 10 laid back tunes of May 2011

1. Flying Lotus - Mmm Hmm




Pre-release promos of Flying Lotus' Cosmogramma came in single-track form-- just one file containing the entire record, without any indexing. It was presumably a strategy to thwart leaks, but it also presented the record in an interesting way, since Cosmogramma is truly an album-minded statement that gains something from being experienced whole. It also highlighted the fact that, despite its impressive sweep and end-on-end listenabiility, this is a dense album with very few traditional "singles" to sing or hum along to. Even the track featuring Thom Yorke, "...And the World Laughs With You", was more of a throbbing interstitial.


All this makes "MmmHmm", the album's gorgeous centerpiece, even more of a standout. Featuring bass wizard Thundercat, the song seems to exist as an astral oasis amidst all the hyperspeed cosmic drama existing around it. The main melody has a breezy tropical air, even as Thundercat's folded-over lines mesh with the machine-like beat. It's a "moment in time" kind of track that you wish would last just a little longer, and that feeling wells up when "MmmHmm" starts mutating into the easy juke groove of "Do the Astral Plane". "Just be who you are," goes one key line-- wise advice from an artist who always seems to think ahead.








2. Noze - Cinq


Pailhès Ezechiel and Nicolas Sfintescu speak up for cosmopolitanism, piling styles high and enjoying the likelihood of fumbling something within their grasp. What starts out as friendly fun with “C’era Una Volta” ready to storm Latin quarters, gets sillier until ending up like an innocent cheeky child. Gallic charmer “Marabout” and “Dring Dring” with Riva Starr are natural successors to the infuriation of “We No Speak Americano” with their oompa riddims and Charleston kick steps – yet you still wouldn’t mind betting that this could cause Cossack-imitating, Balkan-banging havoc. The climax is the absurd blues of “Willi Willi,” an inside joke of dubious relevance.


It’s up to you whether you can handle what are certified split personalities of sobriety and puerility, as time and again Nôze demonstrate sensible and skilled opposites of a spectrum covered in clown paint. The melodic theatrics of “Cinq,” an electro-into-techno swansong of a stage show, the Sam Sparrow-esque finger-clicker “Exodus” and dub refresher “In the Back of My Ship” are the Frenchmen’s jesting given a dressing down, talented in jazz and funk on the humble. Dring is a gumbo with no half measures as Ezechiel and Sfintescu vie for your attentions almost by any means necessary. In a tech-world filled with monotonic basslines Noze stands up and delivers some of the classiest melodies around.











3. SebastiAn - Embody






The return of SebastiAn has been quite the subject for banter of recent, and this isn’t set to stop as Ed Banger will release his first LP in May called Total and will encompass a massive 22 tracks. Keep a look out for that. The piano roll, twang of bass and robotic vocal make for a track that sets the bar high and has the makings of a classic. The video is one to watch too, get on this!








4. Sinnerman - Nina Simone (Daniel Dubb & Sean Miller mix)








‘Sinnerman’ has been the highlight in DJ sets from Nic Fanciulli, Steve Lawler, Luciano & Mark Knight and looks set to be THE track of the summer rocking Miami as one of the stand out tracks of the conference setting Ibiza firmly in its sights. Taking that infamous Nina Simone sample, Sean Miller & Daniel Dubb have cleverly produced an infectious tech house groove, supported by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1, ‘Sinnerman’ will be an instant club classic on the floors that know; rocking the terraces all summer long.


Hailing from Canada, Sean Miller is a renowned DJ and producer gaining recognition from his peers and clubbers alike through a dedication to his craft that has earned him numerous releases on top labels with his DJ skills continuously packing out the biggest clubs from Global Gathering UK to Space in Miami. With big support coming from the likes of Joris Voorn and Lee Burridge, rising star Daniel Dubb looks set to establish himself at the forefront of house music as his deep sets and unique productions continue to earn him praise from all corners of the music industry.




5. dOP - Talk Show






Naming your debut album Greatest Hits tells you a lot about the artist(s) involved - in this case three Frenchman who go by the name of dOP. Famed for their live shows and quirky 12"s on the likes of Circus Company, Magicbag and Eklo, the trio also contributed their mixing skills to this year's Watergate compilation. Breaking up the traditional "snapshot of a night", they instead showed us what a club set from the group might sound like by using their own productions to frame remixes and collaborations with others, including fellow Frenchmen Nôze.
 
Opening up with the narcotic fog of 'Worm Hunting', a weave of samples and atmosphere, Greatest Hits moves into gear on 'No More Daddy' with its mid tempo groove and spiraling synths. '1 Gram' shows off the groups penchant for drama to full effect with a fairytale inspired break and hollywood strings that provide an interesting counterpoint to Jonathan Ille's raspy vocals. There's a rag time diversion on 'Talk Show', again propelled forward by the Ille's vocals and solid beats.


Greatest Hits is put together with the pinpoint accuracy and artistic flair of a group who have been doing this for a long time, with the magical extra element being their unique vocalist. I am guessing I will be in the minority, but that is the one thing that has stopped me from totally connecting with dOP's debut album - on occasion Ille's vocals seem to veer into a karaoke Amy Winehouse - there is no let up, with most songs having a vocal part, and for me that takes away some of the sonic excitement. It is perhaps no surprise that the final hurrah of the album - 'Love Ride' and 'New York' is my favourite part - two songs where vocals are noticeably absent or at least take a back seat in the mix.


However, that is my personal take. dOP are sufficiently dynamic over the course of 14 tracks to be able to take swing, jazz, rave and all other manner of influences and work them successfully into the broad template of house music which is no mean feat when you consider how cohesive the album sounds as a whole. I have little doubt that if you like Greatest Hits, you won't like it any less because of their unique vocalist. Well worth checking.





6. Frivolous - River's Fate














Meteorology is the third album from American producer Frivolous. Released on Cadenza who put out his last 12" - Couples Therapy - this is his third full length effort after Somewhere in The Suburbs andMidnight Black Indulgence. Oh, and some 40+ 12"s over the last ten years.
The title of Meteorology is an oblique reference to some personal problems that the producer experienced over the last 12 months. Previously based in ever-blossoming Berlin he became dissatisfied with the city's (not often mentioned) darker side and cited a lack of creativity and innovation as his main reasons for wanting to leave. A golden opportunity was then presented in the form of an offer to move to a remote Pacific Island as part of a community of people who lived more synergistically with nature.
The resulting outpouring of ideas that he experienced in his tropical hideaway were tempered by the break of up of a two year relationship just before his girlfriend was due to join him on the island. The subsequent roller-coaster of emotions is therefore hermetically sealed in to the details of the music - conflicting and contradictory ideas pulling and stretching the music to breaking point and yet working in a way that makes the tension the most enjoyable part.
Motorik Berghain techno this is not, though it is still a collection of tracks that will probably find most favour amongst DJ's. With the exception of album opener 'One Final Solstice' almost all are post 2 am club friendly, but to wheel out a tired old cliche (it's Monday) they are equally at home, erm, at home.
The energy levels vary accordingly and it is difficult to pick a highlight as the tracks all have something special about them - 'Lunar Phaser' and 'Cinemascopique' are particular favorites, the latter feeling like eight minutes of a particular fast paced DJ set with the ominous bass-line being the only constant in the track that begins with gallic horns and a breathless sample and ends as serious jack-athon.
The use of layered samples and unusual sounds mixed with live percussion and jungle atmospheres is nothing new, but in the current climate of 'classic' techno an album that takes in the full sonic range is always going to stand out. Perhaps in some places I wished for a little more variety but that is a minor point that will probably be the most attractive thing about Meteorology to many people. Well worth checking.









7. Bibio - Lover's Carvings (Catz n' Dogz mix)




























Catz ‘n Dogz are back with their second full length artist album on mothership. The follow-up to 2008‘s “Stars of Zoo” is a clear break from convention and a further exploration of genres by this amazing Polish duo. Hence the new album’s title, “Escape from Zoo” the guys break free from the cage and run wild in a wilderness full of street bass, disco, R&B, deep house, hip-hop and more.


The new album took an entire year to create and has had vinyl singles dropping throughout this spring. It is a fantastic adventure through a jungle of genres including collaborations with heavy hitters dOP, Claude VonStroke and Jazzanova’s vocalist Paul Randolph. The guys have taken extra care to make it a special project with exclusive vinyl versions and bonus tracks. And one of the lead singles has already been blessed by a remix from the legendary Carl Craig.


If you don’t know them by now, their full Polish names are Grzegorz and Wojchiech but you can call them Greg and Voitek. As DJs you are likely to find them playing disco/deephouse at the small parties they organize frequently in Berlin and Szczecin as well as tech-house and techno at festivals and big clubs all over the world. Back in 2003 they started it all off by organizing a club night in their home town of Szczecin, Poland. This night soon became a residency and their reputation grew quickly. A radio show soon followed on Szczecin's ABC Radio allowing them to explore their creativity and gain a legion of fans. Soon after that, they began to produce records together as the techno centric “3 Channels,” eventually evolving into Catz n Dogz - a grooving, category-free mixture of modern music.

Since their first record on Trenton in 2005 the guys have appeared on the brightest underground labels such as Trapez, Crosstown Rebels, Pokerflat, Boxer, Dirtybird, Leena and their own Channels Records. Currently they collaborate both with Mothership and Get Physical and have launched a new label PETS which aim is to promote Polish artists. They also started their own party “Pets Gone Wild” at the best club in Poland called SQ and are hoping to help break down doors for up and coming Polish producers who may have been overlooked in the past.







8. Todd Terje - Snooze For Love (Running Back)




Running Back showcases the housier side of Scandinavian disco hero Todd Terje with 'Ragysh', a long, sun-drenched piece of epic build-ups and progressive grooves. 'Bonysh' shines with more experimental and minimalistic percussions, while two versions of 'Snooze 4 Love' deliver cosmic melodies galore. Sweet. The film clips are from 'Fantasmagorie' by the legendary Emile Cohl...





 9. Guillaume And The Coutu Dumonts - 32 Tonnes Du Pigeons



There are many producers of electronic dance music that rely on the same sound palettes or, even worse, repeat the same 1, 4 or 8 bar pattern so many times that the listener becomes stupefied by monotony.  Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts doesn’t have this problem. Breaking the Fourth Wall is rich with different timbres and compelling grooves.  It’s one of the most exciting and interesting single-artist CDs I’ve heard in the dance music category in months.


Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts is a musician out of Montreal named . . . wait for it . . . Guillaume Coutu Dumont (Ringo should have thought of this).  He started out as an anthropology student, began playing percussion at age 17, got involved in a funk band, dropped anthropology and was accepted into a music program in percussion, and then shifted into electro-acoustic composition.  Finding the academic environment too narrow and limited, he split and began making his own music. Breaking the Fourth Wall is his second album.


If I had to give a single characterization of the type of music Dumont produces on Breaking the Fourth Wall, I’d say something like tribal but that doesn’t really do it, he uses a variety of percussion instruments, synths and even vocal lines to build layered grooves that are often very strong in rolling, propulsive rhythms.  He also makes exceptionally good use of jazz-influenced horns.  Before firing up Tuned In To Music I spent many years deeply involved in listening to and learning about jazz.  I’ve often wondered why dance music producers don’t make more use of jazz instrumentation. Breaking the Fourth Wall is an excellent example of just how well jazz-influenced horns can work in dance music context.


While not everything on Breaking the Fourth Wall works for me, the album is filled with original and interesting tracks.  Album opener “Mindtrap” combines a Miles Davis style muted trumpet with a powerful driving rhythm. ”32 Tonnes de Pigeons” is moves along with a Farfisa organ based groove as Dumont drops in a ghostly trumpet that is very reminiscent of Nina Rota’s instantly recognizable theme from The Godfather.  He then works in a smokey late-night sax and it all hangs together beautifully.  ”Walking the Pattern” and “Decennie” are built around samples of either a preacher addressing a congregation or an organizer motivating an audience. ”Radio Novela” features vocalist Dynamike over a groove that’s so deep and funky I simply cannot stop playing it.

When you delve into the software that is available to electronic music producers you immediately realize that the possibilities for manipulating rhythm, timbre, instrumentation, groove, melody, and just about anything else you can think of are virtually limitless.  You also realize that the producers of electronic dance music have barely scratched the surface of what the tools they use will allow them to do.  Guillaume Coutu Dumont ain’t like that.  He’s thinking outside the box and the result is that Breaking the Fourth Wall is a solidly grooving album that doesn’t sound like yet another genre-driven dance music CD.  Check it out.  Highly recommended.






10. Wareika - Riders On The Storm



Tartelet Records presents an off-kilt cover of The Doors' legendary Riders On The Storm by Wareiika. Creating ep’s for well-known quality labels such as Eskimo Recordings, Future Classic, Liebe/Deatil, Motivbank or Connaisseur, and always providing something special for compilations like Satoshi Tomiie’s famous “Renaissance", Wareika’s work has inspired people around the world who like to listen closely. Like Ricardo Villalobos, who contributed a remix of their jazz-meets-techno epic “King’s Child", they have been lately compared to the great St.Germain.


Hamburg based Wareika with “ASCENDING/DESCANDING" take a trip to the world of 7/8 rhythms, all the while keeping your feet in movement, as they progress way-down-to-africa  in a 5/4 groove caravan with “BARACUDA", making you feel like a fish able to swim in the sand. Throughout the album, Jakob Seidensticker, Florian Schirmacher and Henrik Raabe create a tight FORMATION back to back as a band. They are constantly developing their musical approach by incorporating solo piano interludes demonstrated in full-flex with a mind-blowing 10 minute jazzistic improv on “RIDER’S ON THE STORM” to give this Album the intimate feeling of having an eclectic ensemble playing for you, be it in your living room, or on a festival stage.