Simian Mobile Disco have become synonymous with tasteful and top quality production. This hotly anticipated LP lives up to all expectations of the duo. Carefully crafted electronic dance music, the album manages to transgress boundaries between genres at blending contemporary trends and musical maturity.

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Having never heard of Paper Diamond before, the Wavesight EP was my first exposure to his surprisingly deep collection of work. The Jeffrees label has had some quality releases on it thus far, but this is (so far) one that has given me the strongest urge to throw money at the artist in any way possible. Paper Diamond has delivered a short but sweet EP in the form of Wavesite, giving just the right amount of content that leaves the listener begging for more. He combines pop and bass in a way that compromises the integrity and quality of neither. It’s the logical conclusion to the unison of mainstream and subculture sounds many artists seem to be moving towards to but haven’t quite been able to achieve.

From the moment it begins, Turn the Lights Off is a treat for the ears, hooking the listener with some great sound mixing and beautiful synth echoes. (As much as I hate to tell you to listen to this in headphones, try to get a quality pair just to feel the sound sweeping around the inside of your skull. It’s quite the experience.) I hesitate to compare him to Dillon Francis, because that’s not where his sound is coming from nor where it seems to be going. However, this track in particular employs a familiar hundred-and-ten bpm, moombahton-esque groove. The vocalist here is a perfect addition to the track, lending an added smooth, almost r&b inspired punch without taking attention away from the intricacies of the rest of the song.

With AirLift, the only purely instrumental track on the EP, Paper Diamond once again hooks the listener with a startlingly intricate opening riff. There are many musical lines layered here, but not one sound becomes muddied by another. The sub-bass is perfectly sculpted to rattle around your insides, contrasting beautifully with the quasi-chiptune synths echoing overtop of a barebones (but effective) drop.  It’s a track very much in transit; like movement and feeling in the air, as the name so implies.

Can We Go Up teases at the very edges of dubstep without ever turning into a lurching halftime beast. It’s probably the least sonically complex song, but it’s the catchiest one that will fit nicely into any aggressive, bass-heavy set. Again, vocals lend without overpowering the track, and instrumentals are wisely left to their own devices, creating a song that builds itself into a roaring finish.

Paper Diamond excels at setting a sonic atmosphere through the way the sculpts his songs alone. Wavesight is sexy without being explicit, heavy without dragging down the sound, and unified in sound without any one song sounding like a carbon copy of another. His description implies that there are hundreds of tracks just waiting to be unleashed to the masses. Is this the case? The wait for new content is definitely worth it, as if the EP achieves nothing else it does leave the listener begging for more.

You can download the Wavesight EP for free from the Jeffree’s Tumblr or stream it from the Mad Decent Soundcloud.

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It seems like only yesterday that I was on here promoting the first big moombahton compilation put together by my moombahton/alt bass blog, 110BPM. Now almost two months later I’m back with the second edition.

For those of you that don’t have time to linger, listen to these four tracks (just below) off the compilation and then download it here*.  *Includes bonus track, CSK remix of “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber

Okay, now if those tracks caught your attention here’s a bit more about the compilation. It features 13 producers – predominantly from the West Coast – and its been structured a bit differently than normal. Instead of the bigger-name producers at the top, tracks are ordered in a way that they get steadily darker as you progress through the compilation. Maybe I pulled it off, maybe I’m just BSing- I’ll let you guys decide.

Download The 110BPM Collection, Vol. 2 (.zip)*

 *Includes bonus track, CSK remix of “Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber

- Ziad

As always, if you like the tracks be sure to check out the artists who made them.

Rankin, Manics, Ace Future, Froland, Fuss, Kovary, Outlandaa!, Neki Stranac, Colour Vision, CSK, Vonzie, 8cto, Melo

Related posts:

1. Download The 110BPM Collection, Vol. 1 [album review]
2. Dillon Francis – Something, Something, Awesome [album review]
3. The Partysquad – Badman Rave EP [album review]

The Partysquad, probably best known in recent months for their high-profile work on Major Lazer single Original Don, are interesting musicians in their own right; they’re a group that keeps up with the times and isn’t afraid to venture into any number of genres. The Badman Rave EP certainly isn’t their first dip into dancehall, but they do manage to freshen up the sound for larger crowds by inducing it with infectious hardstyle and house to make tracks that are nearly impossible not to dance to.

The title track, Badman, flicks between reggae grooves and a pulsing dancefloor beat that definitely gives the listener breaks between its hardstyle breakdowns. Where the track could be overloaded, it instead comes off as minimalistic in its drops, creating a nice contrast against its more melodic parts. It’s a bit unusual in its changing tempos for your typical dance track, but it definitely does the trick on the floor.

Go Down Low is one of the more Major Lazer-esque tracks on the album, written in a similar vein as Pon de Floor or Jump Up. However, it’s an infectious and well-written track in its own right. It perhaps does a better job as a straight banger than Badman does, in that its verses are just as danceable as its chorus. Gunshot is the day to this song’s night, so to speak; it’s happier in its melody and consistent in its rhythms, a perfect tropical daytime dance track.

Lighterman has one of the strongest buildups on the whole EP, complimented with snare drums, truanced vocal clips and a pulsing baseline that’s the happiest punch to the stomach you’ll ever have. It will be interesting to see how DJs make use of the track’s wonderful contrast of high and low energies.

Pullup 2012 is the most house-influenced track on the EP, and therefore one of the ones you’re most likely to hear in played this summer. It’s not the most complex or catchy track in the world, but the sprinkles of Soca and Reggaeton throughout give it just enough of a flavour to spice up your typical electrohouse set.

Soundbwoi isn’t a strong or different end to the EP, but it’s a decent track in its own right. It would have done better placed near tracks such as Gunshot, but it’s understandable that the Partysquad wanted to spread out their more ‘daytime dance’ tracks. It’s got a good groove going to it, regardless of placement, and is pleasing to the ears if not much else.

The entire EP is driving and incessant, pulling the listener through a whirlwind of dance genres and beats. The minimal drops the Partysquad employs are a welcome break from this world we live in where drops are so often trash heaps to pile stray sounds on top of. The Badman EP is a great way to revitalize your sets with something that’s sure to make a crowd jump, bump, grind, and whatever else their feet desire.

Badman Rave EP is available on iTunes, Mad Decent’s Drip FM page (for subscribers only), and can be streamed on their soundcloud.

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The M Machine is a group not given to publicity, despite their presence on Skrillex’s Owsla label; they’ve clearly kept themselves on the down-low until they were good and ready to emerge, album in hand and ready for the masses. The San Fran natives have delivered the ambitiously-titled Metropolis Pt. I, implying that this EP will be completed by another later in their careers. That being said, the last thing that Metropolis Pt. I needs is something to help it succeed, as it is a beautiful (half an?) album.

The opening track, Immigrants, has an amazingly classic feel, harkening back to the early sci-fi movies of the past century. A beautiful, brief opening hooks you into the EP immediately, turning into synths that remind one of starting up a super Nintendo for the first time. It’s a bit of retro-dance glamour that’s a good opening for the album to come.

Deep Search has a great use of a 6/8 time signature that isn’t normally heard in EDM outside of ‘the drop’. One could draw comparison’s to some of deadmau5′ darker electronic pieces; however, what really draws one into the song is the utterly beautiful shift in tone about two minutes in. There’s an epic scale and grandeur to it, laying aside crunchier synths in favour of strings for a few moments to give the track a soaring melody. Although it returns back to its original thrum, the uplifting break in the middle forces it into an entirely new sonic context.

The next two tracks are very indie dance in tone; A King Alone and Faces both feature vocalists outside of the EDM norm. A King Alone manages to sound robotic without resorting to vocoders, which lends it a feel that can’t quite be described as organic but does make it feel very genuine. It’s a pretty track, and very lighthearted amidst some of the heavier tunes on the album. As the shortest song on the album, Faces is probably the most interesting lyrically. The vocalist, who remains nameless, lends a beautiful brassy jazz alto to a song which would otherwise be very creepy indeed.

The groans and strains of machinery and beastly, robotic footsteps open Black, definitely the most dance-oriented track on the EP. It’s not straightforward electro house, but it does have great aggression and hard-hitting synth punches. Of course, the piece does have a by now trademark sweeping cinematic break, seemingly continuing the story of Metropolis, but it does remember to go back to its dance-track roots. Instead of being just another house tune, the placement of this song amongst an album of mellower songs gives it the odd distinction as an electro-house breath of fresh air on an electronic album. It’s a brilliant move on The M Machine’s part and generates new interest in even the most jaded of electronic lovers.

When Shadow in the Rose Garden was first heard during the M Machine’s fall and winter tour, it was easy to assume that it was simply a remix of the beautiful Promise Me a Rose Garden. Fortunately, it is much more than that; it’s an all new drum-and-bass flavoured dubstep track, with some recognizable vocals and great halftime sections that aren’t cluttered by useless noise. It’s a nice balance of light and dark that echoes the themes of the EP as a whole.

This EP is a story beginning to end. It’s not a dance album, but a journey of discovery, as the album art implies. There’s a sense of wonder to this album, one that tells you neither the Artist or EP is overly concerned with being danceable or fitting inside of a genre bracket. It’s hard to find criticism with such a polished, packaged product that isn’t trying too hard be something it doesn’t want to be. It’s uniform, but not uninteresting 8-bit synths unite the sound, and the album’s progression is a perfect swell and release of energy and tension. If you want an energetic break from four-on-the-floor, I implore you to give this release a listen.

You can buy Metropolis Pt. I on Beatport or check it out on their Soundcloud.

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Bassnectar, to me, is an entity that seems to enjoy lurking on the edges of fame. He could easily headline larger festivals, yet he eschews the greater spotlight for (slightly) smaller stages.

His shows are legendary, one performance in Red Rocks racking up over $100000 in sound pollution fines for bringing his own speakers to an event. In spite of all this, many only know him from his brilliant remix of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Lights’, which is an excellent song in its own right, but is by no means representative of Bassnectar’s extensive library of work.

It’s hard to follow up a ‘breakout’ album (so to speak) but Lorin Ashton completely blows Divergent Spectrum out of the water with his new EP-cum-LP, VaVaVoom. It’s been marketed as an EP, but all signs point to album, with its eleven (well, technically ten, as one is a collection of fragments and clips) song tracklist and an audio layout that more closely resembles a finished story instead of just a part of one.

The title track of the album features Lupe Fiasco, a smart move by any means. It really sets the tone for the rest of the album as something not wholly consumed with dubstep and instead obsessed with quality, varied bass. There are some great bits of rapping on this track, managing to avoid sounding weak while keeping the lyrics on topic to the theme of the album. It’s nice to get something that sounds so heavy without losing momentum with the vocals (as was the unfortunate case for Swedish House Mafia and Knife Party’s ‘Antidote’, which was an amazing song until somebody started autotuning over it.)

Empathy is an interesting follow-up; a song caught somewhere between chill-out and aggressive that isn’t heard all that often. I’m not entirely sure the rap verses are needed and may be a bit jarring over the vibes of the rest of the track. The female voice which echoes throughout lends more than enough to what could have easily been a repetitive mess if it were made in less capable hands. As it is, Empathy is a hypnotic counterpart to the thuggish opening track.

Ugly, premiered before the EP even came out, is an exhilarating face-first launch into drumstep. The snare drum solo that opens the track is gets you in just the mood for a fast-paced thrash fest, and the rest of the track delivers nicely in an almost tribal fashion. Ping Pong features one of the most innovative samples I’ve heard as of late: the sound of a table tennis match. Its genius is in its simplicity, and it’s really nice to hear some of these strange hollow noises that don’t come out of a synthesizer easily. Pennywise Tribute is as it sounds, a straightforward tribute to the rock music that Bassnectar is clearly influenced by. It vaguely reminds one of his remix for Gogol Bordello’s Immigraniada, and is bound to be a nice change-up sprinkled amidst heavier dubstep pieces.

I’m not quite sure if the second half of the album is my favourite, but I can certainly say that it’s moodier than the first. ‘What’ is a personal favourite, and sets the tone for the rest of the tracks nicely. Like some unholy combination of Flux Pavillion and Major Lazer, the track is a bit of a whirlwind of reggae influenced vocals, screeching, bassy halftime sections, and brief snatches of drum and bass. ‘Like This’ is a good bit of mid-range dubstep, but it’s a track easily lost amongst songs which hit heavier, harder and faster. It’s not bad by any means, but it /is/ the weakest of the EP, as so often is the case with a good song surrounded by great ones.

Laughter Crescendo is an interesting piece and a great throwback to the early Bassnectar days. It’s a remix of a decade-old song and a tribute to an older, more hallucinogenic sort of sound. Bassnectar himself has stated that he doesn’t like to dwell in his musical past, but if this what it sounds like when he does I wish he would dwell more often. It’s a dreamscape of layers of laughter, alternating between joyous and slightly disturbing atmospheres. Is the laughter insane? Is it happy? We may never know,but the track is done with a light touch that isn’t seen very often and should be celebrated when it is. Butterfly and Nothing Has Been Broken are very ouch the same form of song; slow, booming bass, technically dubstep but actually more atmosphere generating than anything. Vocals weave and soar while the bass is low and throbbing, enough to rattle your sinuses inside of your head. I guarantee that these two will be setpieces of this year’s string of Bassnectar shows.

Bassnectar has a particular talent for sculpting basslines that lift a song from the ground-up instead of simply weighing it down. I’m still not quite sure how he does it. This EP isn’t as varied in genre as some of the EP’s we’ve heard so far this year; albeit, we’ve been spoiled in terms of artists genre-hopping from place to place. That being said, VaVaVoom does have enough change-ups to further cement that Bassnectar certainly isn’t a one trick pony by any means. Maybe it will encourage some producers to be more creative with their bass and move beyond one-track tunes and random assortments of screechy noises. There’s a such thing as musicality in bass and I’m happy to see it have a revival.

You can buy VaVaVoom via Beatport, His Website, or stream via Soundcloud.

Related posts:

1. New Bassnectar Dubstep Remix of Deftones
2. Five Gnarly Bassnectar Tracks
3. Preview the new Bassnectar LP, coming next month

Mord Fustang has been quickly climbing up in the world of Electro House. With huge tracks like Super Meat Freeze and A New World, he’s demonstrated again and again that he has the raw talent necessary to be a huge name in the EDM community.

Probably the most notable Estonian producer out there right now, Mord Fustang always impresses with his wild synth work and incredible attention to detail; his songs are always tweaked to perfection on even the most subtle levels. If you listen closely, you’ll almost always hear at least four lines running simultaneously. It’s pretty freaking ridiculous.

In any case, his first EP was released recently. Here we go.

The EP leads (or ends, my iTunes can’t decide which order it wants to put it in) with a track simply entitled “Windmaker”. It’s more reminiscent of some of Mord’s older work, such as Lick the Rainbow, with an incredibly long lead-up to the main section of the song, and with lots of repeating synths banging out a melody for pretty much the entirety of the 6:00 track. It’s good, but there are better songs to come.

Next (again, I might be doing this backwards) comes Super Fever. This song, while still having an obscenely long intro, is closer to tracks like A New World than Windmaker. It’s more upbeat, with vocal chopping and high synths heaped on for good measure.

This track, more than any of the others, kept reminding me how unique Mord Fustang’s style is; you couldn’t possibly mistake his work for that of any other artist out there. And that is a great thing, there’s plenty of cookie-cutter electro out there, we definitely don’t need any more!

Up next comes the eponymous song of the EP, Welcome to the Future. Despite the track probably being the furthest departure from Mord’s previous work, this song is an absolute masterpiece. He scales the energy back a bit in the beginning, but in its place he puts in Skrillex-status vocal rendering, perfectly rounded synths, and ridiculously catchy melodies.

The pure quality of his workmanship blows me away. Everything is perfectly in place, every offbeat hi-hat, every funky synth line, everything down to the smallest detail. Wow.

Finally there’s the aptly named track “The Majestic”. This song takes the cake for craziest synth line, without a doubt. There’s a manic, vaguely Irish sounding synth running through the whole track that honestly just made me want to stand up and jump around for a while.

After listening to Welcome to the Future on repeat a few times, this track was a little underwhelming, but it still must be noted that the craftsmanship is impeccable, even if the synths get a little repetitive by the end. I just can’t get over that synth.

All in all, I think it’s a pretty strong showing for the first EP of an emerging artist such as Mord Fustang. I can’t wait to see how his style evolves and changes, and trust me, this guy is going to be huge.

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It’s here!!! “Victor”, the Zeds Dead & Omar LinX collab that Cal spoke of in his latest Zeds Dead profile has arrived via Mad Decent’s free music imprint Jeffree’s! This is a huge release for the Salacious darlings as they continue their ascent to the top of the electronica world. A Mad Decent affiliated release is just what these guys need to give them that extra boost towards international acclaim. If you have any interest in EDM or hip-hop the Victor mixtape will blow you away. No, I’m not exaggerating. This is definitely one of the best Zeds Dead releases to date and the fact that it’s free is just icing on the cake. I mean, 30 minutes and 28 seconds of striking dubstep-infused-hip-hop (or is it the other way around?) with Omar LinX rapping over some of Zeds Dead biggest hits like “Eyes on Fire” and “Rude Boy”; what more could you ask for?!

All 7 tracks on the mixtape are magnificent but I just can’t get over the 1-2 punch of “No Prayers” and “The One”. Both begin with sentimental piano, vinyl crackle, a female vocal sample and jazzy cymbals that segue into a standard boom-bap beat. Then, Omar LinX spits his opening line and it feels like you’re listening to an old school sample-based hip-hop track until Zeds Dead hit you with a shot of bass wobble and crisp 3/4 beats. They balance each other out perfectly; nothing is overdone or embellished tastelessly. There are few who could meld these two genres together with such tact and ease…but  Zeds Dead & Omar LinX are among those few.

Cop the entire Victor mixtape here:

Related posts:

1. Zeds Dead: Living Dead Tour + new mixtape news, stream their newest song, download 3 free tracks
2. Omar Linx – A Cold Welcome
3. Zeds Dead & Omar Linx – Rude Boy Remixes

Little did I realize, however, that their Producer/DJ Kno had released his own solo album the previous year. After being tipped off to this fact by a friend earlier this month, I’ve had the album on steady rotation. Less publicized and less hyped, this album is still a diamond in the rough.

While Oneirology could be described as a concept album relating to our relationship between life & dreams, ‘Death is Silent’ could be considered Kno’s musical journey into the exploration of life & death. Be warned: This album is nothing like what you’d expect from a Cunninglynguists release. 

However, most of the tracks have vocals from familiar guest names that you see on most CL releases, and from the CL members Deacon and Natti. However, the level of the game has been stepped up - Over top the mesmerizing beats from Kno, the level of maturity and reflection apparent in the rhymes on each track blew me off my feet after a few listens. 

The production value on each track continues to set the bar higher and higher for others in the genre.  And as an added bonus for listeners: The instrumental version of each track is included on the release.  Deeply reflective and incredibly emotional, this isn’t an album for banging at the party – I’d recommend it on a long walk.

Buy the album @ QN5 Music

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Belgian techno & house producers Maarten Elen and Jonas Kiesekoms, aka Mumbai Science, have released the third and final part of an EP trilogy that first began in January under the moniker Unified Theory. The project seems to be as much a concerted marketing push as it was an experimental + learning phase. In their words:

“With this trilogy, we feel like we experimented with genres like New Beat, Future Techno, Acid and Electro… In a way, we tried to reinterpret and contemporize everything we liked from our youth… Well, we just made something we think is quite cool.”

The last chapter of this trilogy features two tracks: “Alchemy” and “Chemistry”, both of which use hypnotic looped + screwed vocal samples and harder techno-style synths.

Elen and Kiesekoms have an eclectic slate of remixes for a range of record labels and artists from hard electro to techno. They include Mixhell (Boysnoize Records), Goose (!K7), Crookers (Southern Fried), Alex Gopher (Go 4 Music), Shameboy (East), Highbloo (Lektroluv) and Jaymo & Andy George (Moda Music).

http://mumbaiscience.net/
Released: Mar 19, 2012 by lektroluv records

Related posts:

1. Domeyko/Gonzalez EP Release
2. No Rain (Joel Mull’s After Rain Mix) – Adam Beyer, Joel Mull
3. RJD2 Hosting Next Installment of Dubspot Workshop Series, Focusing on Composition

Hey Internet, Ziad from music blog 110BPM here.

We recently put together a compilation of exclusive tracks from 11 of the finest producers in moombahton and now I’m proud to share them all on Salacious Sound.

I don’t want to get too philosophical here, but the goal of this compilation is really to showcase innovative originals and remixes that break the trend we’ve been seeing lately, while still being tunes you’d want to rage to.

My top picks? CSK’s original named after my city of residence, “Vancouver,” Aylen’s bass-heavy remix of “Infinity,” and Deep End’s rework of the iconic track “California Dreaming.” The whole thing is available for free via our mediafire so click the all caps hyperlink down below. If you want to hear some more moombahton, head over to our site for all the free tracks your heart could possibly desire.

Oh yeah, and follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook if you’re into that kind of thing.

DOWNLOAD THE 110BPM COLLECTION, Vol. 1 (.zip)

- Ziad

Like these tracks? Be sure to give the involved artists a listen:

Aylen - http://soundcloud.com/aylen

8cto - http://soundcloud.com/8cto

JoNny Chino - http://soundcloud.com/jonnychino

CSK - http://soundcloud.com/cameron-s-kay

FOOD_LION - http://soundcloud.com/mick-mcadams

Robert De Long - http://soundcloud.com/robertdelong

King Kong - http://soundcloud.com/kkingkong

Th0r - http://soundcloud.com/tfienberg

Oh, Beats! - http://soundcloud.com/ohbeats

babySTEPS - http://soundcloud.com/babySTEPS

Deep End - http://soundcloud.com/officialdeepend

Related posts:

1. Download The 110BPM Collection, Vol. 2 [Album Review]
2. Listen and Download: MoombahDeep Vol. 1 – a 14 track compilation album
3. Dillon Francis – Something, Something, Awesome [album review]

Life is a Fight to not like the track by the same name!

Then there is Teleguide, very mellow and under-the-radar kind of sound, but also seems to have a very ominous feel to it; it is a transcendental kind of song. One I would probably listen to while snowboarding nonchalantly down the mountain.

Enjoy, And Support Uppermost!

Don’t be intimidated by it’s size, take a listen!

It is on Beatport, iTunes and his own personal site Uppwind.

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Falling Up is without a doubt the standout track of the EP. It’s got all the trademark Dillon Francis cheerfulness with a drop that’s more jaunty than it is heavy. I’m a huge fan of the drop, actually; it morphs from chiptune into a 6/8 beat (that he manages to, remarkably, pass off as a 4-on-the-floor sound). This track will no doubt be a popular summer standard for 2012.

Dill the Noise delivers a near-seamless blend of Francis’ own style and that of Kill the Noise, offering a back-and-forth rapport between optimistic highs and compressed siren lows. It’s the longest track on the album, and it needs all the time it can get to develop properly.

In contrast, Now Hear This is a bit of a disappointment, if only because it seems so called-in. It’s a good representation of Francis’ newfound groovy moombahton, sure, but that seems to be where it ends. It features a little more of a crunchy drop, a few more glitchy melodies; unfortunately Falling Up does everything it does, but better.

The main shortcoming of the EP is also, paradoxically, one of its strengths: all of the tracks sound a little bit too alike. Now, this isn’t a problem, per say; it’s a great sound that stands out as unique in the EDM landscape of today. He’s established his sonic trademarks well, but I fear that if he comes to rest too heavily on what he already has he may get stuck in a rut of his own creation. That being said, enjoy this EP for what it is: a high-quality departure from the norm, and surely, one of the best EPs of the year thus far. Buy it if you haven’t already.

A special shout-out goes to I.D.G.A.F.O.S 2.0, a free track distributed to all those who attended the online Facebook EP release. It’s definitely gotten quite the makeover since the first version of it was released last year on Mad Decent. The introduction has been entirely overhauled, exploring a much more minimalist sort of sound. It’s a pity nothing was done with the drop but it’s so good (and so free!) that I forgive it, but it’s a shame. I would have loved to see what Francis would have done with it if given the time.

Related posts:

1. Hear Dillon Francis’ new EP before it’s release [stream]
2. Dillon Francis Remixes Digitalism’s Circles
3. Daily Tracks: Dillon Francis, gLAdiator

Since then it has been my pleasure to present his work on three other occasions, always with a track that has managed to absolutely exceed my expectations. Take his remix of Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow, for example. I think at the time I was getting around 10 same-y sounding Wiz Khalifa remixes a week, forgetting same-y sounding dubstep. But somehow he found a sound that challenged the norm, and made something truly unexpected and exciting out of the ordinary.

His name is Vlsonn, and yesterday he released a three-track EP via Sincerious titled ‘The Skinny’, which includes his original conception of the EP’s namesake track, and two remixes by Wireman and Blynk.

The original does a great job of building atmosphere and tension, and providing release with the familiarity of the somewhat somber main synth line juxtaposed with the complex, shuffle-y, and decidedly upbeat percussion arrangements.

And the remixes are both outstanding choices to accent this EP, taking the listener through the spectrum of dubstep.

The Blynk remix has a much more familiar and, at times, west-coast dubstep feel. It uses inviting synth accents on the main melody, and a simple but effective kick-centric percussion pattern which definitely got my head nodding.

The Wireman remix is a percussion-centric number, with a big dynamic range and much more empty space than the other two contributions. The main melody is used extremely sparsely though effectively, teasing the listener and providing that excitement of something familiar, until in the latter half it is filtered in before a break providing something of a build-up effect, then chopped and screwed. Very exciting!

The EP was released for free via the Sincerious Bandcamp

Vlsonn on Soundcloud

Blynk on Soundcloud

Related posts:

1. Wiz Khalifa – Black and Yellow (Vlsonn Remix)
2. Toronto Noise Makers Madrid, Vlsonn, and Young Empires
3. VLSONN Remixes Blue Neptune

Last week’s Tuesday Top Ten saw Cal profile the up-and-coming “future garage” producer Ghostek. Thereupon, this free compilation from the Russian electronic label Square Harmony arrives right on queue.

The compilation, entitled ‘Deep Lane’, is an impressive exhibition of rising garage producers with dynamic styles. “Future garage” may be somewhat of a controversial characterization but I feel that it embodies the nature of this compilation well. As with any sort of “post” or “progressive” genre, future garage is merely a classification of an evolving sound that incorporates elements of other genres.

Ghostek‘s new-ish (it’s a re-edit) track “Feathered Skies” is an accurate representation of this futuristic garage style. One of the most captivating tracks on the compilation, “Feathered Skies” features a wash of ambient sound textures underlying a traditional, off-kilter garage beat complemented by an R&B vocal sample that wouldn’t sound out of place on a UK funky track.

This mysterious producer seems to be gaining momentum every day and it’s no surprise considering the polish of his work. Let’s hope for a full-length release sometime in the near future…

Some other highlights from “Deep Lane” are Klatu‘s orchestral opener “Unlock Heal”, Essay‘s enchanting Sunstep Edit of Bunte Bummler‘s “Come Home”, Detz‘s “All I Have” and Kontigo‘s “Forever”.

Related posts:

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2. Introducing New UK Garage Virtuoso ‘Sorrow’
3. New UK Garage Release By Audioplayerz [Track + Mix]

Escape from Electric Mountain is a brilliant bit of departure from Feed Me’s earlier electro-house driven EPs. You’ll still get that trademark glitch-meets-dubstep sound, but you shouldn’t be surprised to hear a fair amount of progressive house tracks mixed in with the bunch which are, frankly, a breath of fresh air.

I really wish the intro swing of One Click Headshot continued throughout the song; it’s a delicious bit of stomping that gives the entire track a much-needed groove. Comparisons will be drawn to Skrillex’s ‘Reptile’ — some vocals sound directly sampled –  and I guarantee a good amount of mixes and mashups of the two tracks. I’m a bit more excited by the crazy bit of headshot rant sampling that gamers may recognize from the Toronto-based webseries Pure Pwnage. It’s probably the most cheerful track on the EP.

Trapdoor and Whiskers are great examples of what an effective music collaboration /should/ be; there aren’t any distinct ‘you take this part, I take that part’ sections. Feed Me melds his own sound with that of Hadouken! and Gemini seamlessly.

If you’re going to take any one track as evidence of Feed Me’s progression as a producer it’s got to be Relocation. The prog-house chords are a nice Deadmau5-influenced bit of the album. Watch out for the Blood Red easter egg.

Trichitillomania (despite sounding alarmingly like his previous track Chain Smoker) is probably the most recognizably ‘Feed Me’ track off of the EP, and features some great crunchy synths. Embers is a personal favourite. Originally, I felt that this bastard child of prog and electro jumped genres a little too often without warning. It took me a few listens to really think of it as a cohesive track, but after a few dedicated sessions I warmed up to it.

If you’re coming to this album expecting another straight-out ‘trademark’ track from this album (see also: Cloudburn, Pink Lady, Strange Behaviour) you probably won’t find it. There are plenty of high-energy quality tracks (Whiskers, Trapdoor) and fun bits of crunchy electro (Trichitillomania, One Click Headshot) but the whole album definitely takes on an exploratory tone. I find that a lot of albums written on tour such as this one lack a certain depth, or perhaps something differs in the mastering. The bass could have been a little more intense, the highs just a little more soaring. But these are minor grievances; the EP is a great listening experience from beginning to end and what it may lack in any capacity is made up for in sheer originality. An Escape from Electric Mountain, indeed.

Feed Me’s Escape From Electric Mountain is available now on Beatport.

Related posts:

1. Feed Me – To The Stars EP
2. Feed Me vs. Knife Party vs. Skrillex – My Pink Reptile Party (Maluu’s Slice’n’Diced Mashup)
3. Feed Me – Trapdoor (Ft. Hadouken)

In advance of his first full-length effort I interviewed Alex Syse, aka Basic Physics, so that you guys might get a taste of the man behind some of 2011′s biggest and baddest blogosphere bootlegs. That’s often a dirty word – bootleg – in this industry. It usually connotes a lack of originality, and almost invariably a lack of production quality.

But Alex is breaking that mould, and constantly pushing the talent behind his very popular work forward. In just a year, he’s come from receiving over a hundred thousand plays on his Ghost on a G6 mashup to releasing a 16-track album loaded with both originals – a big step – and the quality bootlegs we’ve grown used to. I’m taking my first listen now, and I’m impressed. There was obviously a ton of care and attention to detail that went in to this album.

Download the full album for free at the bottom of the interview, and support Basic Physics on Facebook.

Cal: A/S/L?

Alex: Alex Syse, The Northwoods aka Minneapolis, Minnesota

Cal: What is your background in music? How were you trained?

Alex: From an early age, I was interested in how music was made. I had a brief stint with the piano, guitar, and drums in middle school but the simplicity of being limited to one instrument was always a turnoff to me. However, this helped lay a foundation to know what was in key, how to play certain notes, and how composition worked. After middle school, music took me on a journey from hip hop to jam bands (I saw Umphrey’s Mcgee nearly 100 times) to indie rock and finally electro. As college began in 2007, MSTRKRFT, Daft Punk, Justice, and Pretty Lights were in constant rotation on my iPod. After listening to countless electronic artists, it gave me the itch to dive into creating my own music. After acquiring Ableton Live, I began sifting through the manual and the whole trial and error process. It was during this time that Girl Talk was blowing up. I had the opportunity to see him at Summercamp in 2008 and that sparked my interest to not only listen to more mashup music, but create music of my own.

Cal: How would you describe the genre of music you make/perform?

Alex: The genre of music I create would be categorized as Electro / Hip Hop / Pop Mashup, but I don’t want people to be afraid of that word (“mashup”). Like all genres, the mashup game is saturated with lots of artists and various styles. When I’m producing a mashup, I want it to be big, memorable, worthy to be considered one of the best, and in most cases, should make you want to dance your ass off. Some people like to do it for fun. I want to do it for more than that.

Cal: In your opinion, which is the manliest instrument? (physical/virtual/corporeal)

Alex: The “Magic Pipe” that That 1 Guy uses during his live sets. (If you don’t know, get familiar!)

Cal: I noticed that there is a bunch of rocketship / space / blastoff type imagery and language surrounding the album launch – any particular reason?

Alex: The first album I released was “Nightlife in the Northwoods” in April of 2011. The goal with that project was to get my name out there. With the album titled “Lift Off”, I’m hoping it will do just that, lift off my career. I would like to think I’m one of the best in this genre and I hope that this album gets the attention of many. Besides taking my career up to different level, I thought it would be fun to run with the “Lift Off” concept. Apollo 13 was one of my favorite movies as a kid and once I found soundclips from the film, I had to use them! The album art, created by the great Joshua Bull, was his interpretation of “Lift Off” and I thought he did a phenomenal job.

Cal: How many tracks have you made which haven’t made their way on to the internet?

Alex: Roughly 20, including 3 original productions. Patience is critical when transitioning from mashups to originals.

Cal: So your name is Basic Physics – which of Newton’s laws is the best? Why?

Alex: Newton’s Third Law: To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I think this one is the easiest to understand so it is my favorite. Anything with an equation (Newton’s Second Law) is in a league of it’s own.

Cal: The genre-space you are making music in is competitive, wouldn’t you say? What do you think Basic Physics brings to the table that gives you a leg up on the competition?

Alex: Absolutely. The amount of mashup / DJs that have sprung up in the past year to year and a half is staggering. The emergence of a DJ being a “rockstar” has turned a lot of people on to EDM and producing in general. Since I started in the Spring of 2010, I have learned so much from a musical standpoint and a marketing standpoint (graduated with a Marketing degree this past December). At the end of the day though, my drive and passion to succeed in music will be my greatest attribute. I have so much more planned then just mashups and I can’t wait to release it to everyone.

Cal: Any goals for your production career that you’ve set? (short or long-term)

Alex: Transitioning to more remixes and originals is in the short term goals. I’m ready. As far as longer term goals, I would love to collaborate with some of my favorite producers down the road, get official support from some of those artists, climb the Beatport charts, meet Pete Tong, play at the likes of EDC, Ultra.

You’ve got to have a dream. If you don’t have a dream, how are you going to make it come true.

Related posts:

1. Basic Physics – Winter Warmup EP
2. Daily Tracks: Dirtyloud x Dada Life, Lazy Rich, Basic Physics x Mord Fustang x Daft Punk x Mike Posner
3. Streetlab Releases Full Length Bootleg Album

An awesome new artist has crashed on the electronic scene. Going by the name Wick-It The Instigator, the Nashville native has just come out with an album comparable to the likes of Pretty Lights (consensus.)

This ingenius ensemble of mixes features music spanning genres and samples from notable Tarantino films, two of which lend their name to the album.

Featured hip-hop artists include the emerging Yelawolf and a veteran to the game Busta Rhymes, and many more!

Pulling from his roots in hip-hop/turntable music, Wick-It has fused some music from the recent developing electronic scene. He demonstrates his mixing skill in a remix of the the Motley Crue classic “Shout at The Devil”.

Wick-It The Instigator is definitely one to watch in the new year.

If you would like to download this album and anymore of his music check out his soundcloud.

Related posts:

1. Pretty Lights – We Must Go On [MP3]
2. Monthly Best of the Blogosphere: February 2012
3. Curtis Santiago: Artist, Musician, Social Commentator

It’s only been one year since the birth of Edinburgh, UK-based netlabel Cut Records but their ninth release and first of 2012 is a rightful indication of Cut’s maturity. Founded by DJ/Producer/Designer DFRNT in January 2011, Cut plays host to an assemblage of upstart UK producers. Suave, chilled-out dub-techno with elements of UK garage is the predominant style found on the majority of Cut’s releases.

As I said above, Existance’s ‘Miles Apart EP’ is a strong indicator of how far Cut has progressed in the past year. ‘Miles Apart’ is one of Cut’s strongest releases thus far and the 3 tracks play like a cumulative statement of Cut’s catalogue. Leadoff track ”Miles Apart (Concepts)” is a gorgeous melange of deep-dubstep-influenced rhythms and downtempo ambience. “Uninhabited” and “Pelennor Fields” are rife with piano flourishes, reverberating synths, and breakbeat rhythms that owe more to Garage than Dubstep.

Aside from their fantastic music, something truly mature and admirable about Cut is their mission statement:

    “Cut is a netlabel providing free music with an emphasis on quality. Our aim is to                                                                                

show you that free music can be as valued and highly regarded as any other.” (via Bandcamp)

On the heels of the SOPA/PIPA shenanigans, this goal seems especially profound.

The Miles Apart EP is available as a ‘pay-what-you-want’ download on Cut’s Bandcamp:

Visit www.cutmusic.org for more brilliant Cut releases

Related posts:

1. DeadMau5 Comes Home!
2. 2010 in Review: The Top Ten Most Popular Posts of 2010
3. Slugabed “Rides the Moonbeams” On New EP + Video

Still riding the success of last year’s magnificent LP ‘No Plans‘, Halifax native and progressive hip-hop producer Ryan Hemsworth has generously released upon us a brand new EP entitled ‘Kitsch Genius‘.

2011 was a big year for Mr. Hemsworth to say the least. He produced several tracks for the up-and-coming Green Ova rapper Shady Blaze, remixed the legendary ‘BasedGod’, and his instrumental LP ‘No Plans‘ even earned him a spot on Spin Magazine’s 20 Best R&B Albums of 2011 Feature (It’s described as electro-soul with an 8-bit Castlevania twist).

With the release of this new EP, 2012 is shaping up to be an extraordinary year for Hemsworth, quite possibly even more so than 2011. ‘Kitsch Genius‘ is a remarkable step forward for Hemsworth and his distinguished avant-hip hop production.

“Gucci Anthem” enters into some new territory with its house-like piano loop and stuttering beat centred around a Gucci Mane vocal sample. Similarly, “Faith In Something” lays a wash of gauzy synths overtop a Rick Ross vocal sample. It all makes for an intriguing listen and an oddly fascinating contrast between delicate kitsch and hip-hop swagger. As far as I’m concerned, Ryan Hemsworth is making some of the most innovative hip-hop this side of Clams Casino.

‘Kitsch Genius’ is available on Bandcamp as a ‘pay what you want’ download:

Bonus: if you haven’t heard these Shady Blaze tracks, they’re killer…

Shady Blaze – Dreamin’ (prod. by Ryan Hemsworth) by Ryan Hemsworth

Shady Blaze – No Fear (prod. Ryan Hemsworth) by Ryan Hemsworth

Shady Blaze – Celebration (prod. Ryan Hemsworth) by Ryan Hemsworth

Related posts:

1. Electro-Hop Beatsmith Ryan Hemsworth Remixes Lil’ B ‘The Based God’
2. Round Table Knights – Say What (Ruen & Ryan Evans Remix)
3. Ryan Smith’s New Indie Rock Album