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Kaiser – Tasty Lazers Review

Tom — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 04:19:10 +0000

Tasty Lazers is the second EP from Bristol producer, Kaiser. Like his debut, The Art of War, the tracks are full of fluorescent synths and elaborate beats—but this time around Kaiser’s utilizing a wider spectrum of sound within a brighter mix. The highlight of the EP, “Polyphonic Pressure,” takes the soul and energy of “The Panopticon” and forms it into an epic future bass dance tune—of which I won’t admit to the number of times I’ve played.

Following the 3 original songs are 4 remixes of “Tasty Lazers” by Dev79 & Thrills, Kozee, BD1982 and Halp—all unique variations on the title track.

Tasty Lazers is out now at Juno and will be available everywhere else Feb. 14, 2011.

Stay tuned for upcoming releases on Slit Jockey including Sduk – You Nyt, Stagga – Wild for the Night, an EP from Dev79 & Thrills, and an LP by Sduk.

1. Kaiser – Polyphonic Pressure
2. Kaiser – Tasty Lazers (Dev79 & Thrills Remix)

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Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Rebellion Der Traumer

Tom — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 18:08:19 +0000

Rebellion Der Traumer, the latest album by Kollektiv Turmstrasse, is a departure from their previous minimal tech-house releases which both reflects their development over the years and proves that true artistry is in the ability to reinvent and grow.

Rebellion Der Traumer begins with the soft melodies and thin percussive bursts from “Affekt.” Over time, the songs become richer with drums, vocals, piano melodies, stringed instruments and organic atmospheres. Between the 10 full compositions are minute-long ambient interludes—all beautiful on their own—that serve as fluid transitions from song to song.

Rebellion Der Traumer is best heard from beginning to end. To catch and appreciate all the sonic details, listen with headphones or high quality monitors. Trash the speaker docks.

MP3 1: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Affekt
MP3 2: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Uneins
MP3 3: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Goldmarie

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Gold Panda – Lucky Shiner Review

Tom — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:06:59 +0000

Lucky Shiner is the debut full length album from UK producer, Gold Panda. This unique album borrows sounds from the past and shapes them into something exciting and memorable. This mixture of atmospheric electronica and organic sampling creates a warm and raw experience, often missing in today’s electronic records. Lucky Shiner is similar in style to Eleven Tigers, Take, and Four Tet releases, but by no means a reproduction. This album will shine long after the 2-month shelf life of all the Rusko and Benga-esque tracks that we constantly see come and go.

Gold Panda built a reputation back in 2009 by remixing tracks by The Field, Bloc Party, Little Boots and Simian Mobile Disco. Later in the year, he released 3 original EPs which got positive attention from both Pitchfork and The Guardian. Live sets were soon to follow which gained him a larger fanbase and established him as a recognized live performer.

This past October, Gold Panda released the Snow & Taxis EP, which includes remixes by Glitterbug and Throwing Snow. To hear more, check out Gold Panda on iTunes.

MP3 1: Gold Panda – You
MP3 2: Gold Panda – Marriage
MP3 3: Gold Panda – Vanilla Minus

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Halp – Leek

Tom — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:42:36 +0000

Just dropped by Beatport to pick up Halp’s debut single, Leek. This is one hell of a first release. The title track is a glitchy, fluorescent dubstep tune sure to make everyone go nuts on the dancefloor. The second track, “Slap Dash,” is a rude 8-bit chop-fest just waiting to be remixed by Slugabed and Pixelord.

As for the remixes, Seclusiasis really came through with a sick lineup of producers. Normally when hearing four remixes of the same song back to back, it’s hard to remember one from the other, but Doshy, Knight Riderz, Coco Bryce and AstroPoser all approach “Leek” a unique way to make this one of the best remix singles I’ve heard all year. So don’t wait until 11/22 to get your hands on this, it’s available at Beatport now.

MP3 1: Halp – Leek
Mp3 2: Halp – Leek (Doshy Remix)
MP3 3: Halp – Leek (Knight Riderz Remix)

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Broken Note – Flood EP

Tom — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:28:09 +0000

We’ve got some fresh tracks from Broken Note and they’re brutal! Flood EP is a 4-track release of new material, except for “Mask of Gas,” which was on their 2009 album, Terminal Static. The title track, “Flood,” starts off like an Amon Tobin tune from the Infamous soundtrack. After the dramatic build, we get hit with a crushing 4/4 beat which quickly morphs into chopped up grime rhythm! “Aporia” and “Bad Acid” are more familiar, yet make this a solid release.

Broken Note are currently touring through Europe and the United States. To hear more, check out Broken Note on iTunes.

MP3 1: Broken Note – Flood
MP3 2: Broken Note – Bad Acid

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Tipper – Broken Soul Jamboree Review

Tom — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:19:10 +0000

I’m gonna keep this simple and let the music speak for itself.

This album is incredible. Go buy it, download it, whatever you need to do to start listening to it right away. And when you get a hold of it, listen to it on a decent set of headphones or a quality system. I’m listening through a pair of passive Mackie HR-624’s with a super flat response and it’s intense. The depth of each track is absolutely insane and the production is near perfect.

As for the music, it’s beautiful. The deep bass from Tertiary Noise and Wobble Factor is still present but toned down to make room for strings, bells, tablas and a wall of organic synths, basses and atmospheres. It most resembles the 2005 release, Surrounded, but surpasses it in every way. I’m gonna quote Abdullah from mtviggy.com here, “Broken Soul Jamboree will remain his finest work until his next album comes out.”

To hear other releases, check out our previous Tipper review. Or to support the artist (and Sawtooth.fm in a miniscule way), you can purchase Tipper music on iTunes.

MP3 1: Tipper – Herriot Method
MP3 2: Tipper – Tit For Tat
Mp3 3: Tipper – Big Question Small Head
Mp3 4: Tipper – Hourglass Infringement

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Eleven Tigers – Clouds Are Mountains Review

Tom — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:34:52 +0000

One of my favorite albums from 2010 is Eleven Tiger’s Clouds are Mountains, released by Soul Motive Records. It’s one of the few records that successfully spans all bass music genres including ambient, dubstep, garage, breaks, drum n’ bass and techno styles. The album shares similarities with Burial, Boxcutter, Kryptic Minds, The Orb and Gold Panda releases.

Definitely check this album out, I’ve been listening to it over and over. If you purchase the actual CD, you’ll get a beautiful fold-out poster and liner notes designed by Eleven Tigers (Jokubas Dargis).

To hear more tracks from Clouds are Mountains, check out Eleven Tigers on iTunes.

MP3 1: Eleven Tigers – Sparkles
MP3 2: Eleven TIgers – Stood Up

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Album Review: Architect – Consume Adapt Create

Tom — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 04:21:02 +0000

Consume Adapt Create has been Daniel Myer’s largest and most successful departure from industrial and EBM since Haujobb’s 1999 album, Ninetynine. This latest release from Myer’s Architect project is a contemporary fusion of dark breaks, drum & bass, hardcore and dubstep. While Myer should be praised for masking any influences in previous work—including prior Architect releases—it’s refreshing to compare these new tracks to other artists. “So I Went Out” is reminiscent of something off a Broken Note release, while “The Beauty and the Beat (Rokka)” takes cues from artists like Enduser, Dieselboy and Silent Witness. Beneath these influences though, lies a core of solid arrangement, unique soundscapes, heavily distorted basslines and complex beats.

To further appreciate Consume Adapt Create, check out these other notable releases from Myer: Haujobb – Solutions for a Small Planet, Haujobb – Ninetynine, Haujobb – Vertical Theory, Destroid – Silent World, Architect – Galactic Supermarket and Clear Vision – Deception. Check Discogs and Wikipedia for a full (and ridiculously extensive) discography. ~ tom

MP3 1: Attack Ships on Fire
MP3 2: So I Went Out
MP3 3: The Beauty and the Beat (Rokka)

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Review: Pierce Warnecke – The Electronic Heart

Tom — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:58:25 +0000

The Electronic Heart is the latest EP from producer/video artist Pierce Warnecke. It’s a 6-track electro-glitch feast for the senses. As the title suggests, there’s a good balance between organic and synthetic properties here. The music is almost entirely made from distorted synth sounds but the arrangements are incredibly sophisticated and human. The EP starts off with a straightforward lo-fi electro track—but as it progresses, the beats become more fragmented and unexpected. In “The Art of Error,” sounds are skipping, splitting and regenerating into new forms—creating the perfect soundtrack to a cellular-level science video.

Warnecke is incredibly successful at making everything sound machinelike. Hi-hats sound like hydraulic pumps, pads sound like electrical surges and the beats pump, pulse, tick, breathe, repeat, spin, click and power down. In “Excision of the Heart,” a robot voice repeats “H. E. A. R. T.,” while synth arpeggiations mimic an internal body process reacting to the removal of a human heart. Things begin to spiral out of control by the final track, “RnBeast,” which is chock full of millisecond samples and florescent rainbow-style synth riffs. If this EP were to represent the health of a patient during medical procedures, they would have definitely died by the end. It’s safe to say they didn’t go without a fight. ~ tom

To view Warnecke’s experimental video projects, check out www.vimeo.com/user1185399. To purchase or sample more of The Electronic Heart, visit iTunes or BEE Records.

MP3 1: Pierce Warnecke – Used Romamtricks
MP3 2: Pierce Warnecke – Excision of the Heart

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Artist Spotlight – Dominik Eulberg

Tom — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:43:51 +0000

German DJ/Producer, Dominik Eulberg, is one of the most innovative minimal/techno artists of the decade. Drawing his inspirations and sounds from nature, he creates complex organic arrangements that build and evolve effortlessly. Each sound is treated like a musician in a symphony—weaving in and out of an electronic landscape. At an average of eight minutes, Eulberg’s tracks take on a life of their own—progressing through multiple moods and styles. Most critics that concentrate on his ambient and more organic tracks fail to recognize the darker and dissonant tunes that Eulberg is so great at creating. Conjuring up hard driving beats and warped distorted synths seem like second nature.

Ever since Eulberg stepped foot on the scene, he’s been picking up awards and nominations. Best Newcomer of the Year, Top Producer, Best Remixer, Best Remix, Top DJ—and the list goes on and on. He’s remixed tracks for artists including Hot Chip, Gabriel Ananda, Extrawelt, DJ Hell, Steve Barnes, Roman Flugel and Nathan Fake—many of which received awards. When Eulberg’s not in the studio or above the dance floor, he can be found in the woods observing birds and soaking up new inspirations. ~ tom

Below are a few original tracks and collaborations. Check out Eulberg on iTunes for more full length albums and remixes.

MP3 1: Dominik Eulberg & Gabriel Ananda – Eucalypse Now!
MP3 2: Dominik Eulberg – Sansula (Oder Der Letzte Grund)
MP3 3: Extrawelt – Was Ubrig Bleibt (Dominik Eulberg’s Das Es Remix)
MP3 4: Dominik Eulberg – Der Traum Vom Fliegen
MP3 5: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Luechtoorn (Dominik Eulberg Remix)

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