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New beats from The Red Planet

I just got introduced to Planete Rouge Records via a promo of their latest release, and I must say it's better late than never.  I'm pretty sure that these remixes of Fixmer/McCarthy's Look To Me / And Then Finally are the label's 12th release, and while listening to previous trax on the website I wonder how I missed this Planete Rouge until now.

The release features vocal and instrumental versions of Xenia Beliayeva's remix of Look To Me, which are a dance-floor killing blend of pumping electro-techno beats and industrial vox.  And the remix of And Then Finally comes from Kiko, who pumps out a tingly techno stormer that sounds straight out of the "rave in Babylon" scene of The Matrix.  Dirty.

Vocals on both trax are performed by McCarthy, of Nitzer Ebb fame.

PSR 002 now available!

Pawn Shop Records is pleased to release the debut single from Organachrome (Robert Steenkamer and Marc de Breyne).  Don't Say Drums Are Not Words is an experiamental deep house / dub disco track that speaks through drums, percussion, reverb and muddled African chants.  It's pretty awesome.  I know, because I helped make it.

Even more awesome are the remixes.  Syntax Error delivers an amazing electric-dub remix that sounds like a mixture of NIN and Gaudi.  Sultan Peppa gives us the batucada-infused deep house treatment, and provides a sweet drum tool, to boot.  Naw's mix rounds out the package, with another dub-tech mix lathered with waves of glitch beats and lush reverb.

Buy all the mixes at Juno Download or Xpress Beats today!

Little window into Koushik

I was recently tipped-off to a new artist who, based on the single trax that I received, reminds me of Caribou and Four Tet.  If Lying In The Sun is any indication, Dundas, Ontario's Koushik is going to gather hoards of fans.  His dusty drums, jazzy horns, and lush reverb cast a spell.

Koushik's debut album, Out My Window,  is out now on Stones Throw Records.

Around The World mash

In case you didn't get this the first time around, here is a Sultan Peppa mash-up of Daft Punk's Around The World, Nicky Vanshe & Dangerous Dan's Around The World, and Harold Faltermeyer's Axel F.

Enjoy the mp3!

DJ mix @ Remix This!

I recently laid down a DJ set at Matt Medley's Remix This! party, and he recorded it.  Check it out at djmedly.com/remixthis (just scroll down).  It's more than 1:30 of great party trax for you to stream or download.  Head down to Andy Pool Hall on a wednesday night, as Medley has a wicked guest DJ every week.

Todd Terje DJ mix komp

Todd Terje is one of my favourite music producers, and one of the frontmen for the cosmic disco movement.  His remixes and original material, with or without Lindstrom, are always uniquely creative and diverse, but his DJing is often even more surprising.  Have a listen.

WTF is going on at CKLN?

Denise Benson, whom was heard on CKLN 88.1FM since 1987, hosting her excellent, ground-breaking program, Mental Chatter, was canned last weekend.  Apparently 21 years as a volunteer, and one of the strongest advocates for the Ryerson University-based station.  Her program was one of the most popular, and it served as a great vent for the sounds of the Toronto's underground electronic music when outlets were very few.

Denise was, and always has been a great radio personality and equally nice person face-to-face.  She was a bastion for Ryerson and Toronto's musical culture.  Her dismissal was callous, and she now becomes one of a startling 25 volunteers dumped by the interim station managers over the past few months.  The reason's for the firings are unclear.  Perhaps the changes are indicative of a major programming overhaul, or a sign of any number of justifiable strategic scenarios.  One thing is certain: Regardless of the reasons, Denise Benson was certainly not shown due respect or class in her dismissal.

After more than two decades of devoted service to CKLN, this is the notice delivered via email to Denise from Interim Station Manager, Mike Phillips, last weekend while she was away on vacation: "Please be advised that your volunteer services at CKLN Radio Inc are no longer required effective immediately."  Signed, Mike Phillips, Station Manager. 

Phillips' treatment of one of this city's best radio personalities and cultural contributors, Denise Benson, is shocking and deplorable.

Visit http://www.takebackourradio.blogspot.com, or http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18018193979 for more developments and background on the sad degradation of CKLN.

Rob S soul mix

One half of Pawn Shop Records' Organchrome, Robert Steenkamer has a new soul DJ mix that you'll love.  Grab it.

D&B - a religious experience

I've heard of the odd raver going into convulsions, but not without overdosing.  This is too funny, and ingenious.

Latest: Hatiras' power tool

The newest club track from Hatiras, Tom Le Douche, isn't going to top charts, but it will likely be heard in more electro-house mixes than most hits.  Why?  It's got the shuffling beats that DJs love to mix, and party peeps always move to.  It builds and grows.  Synths pulse, and panning engine-like sounds twirl.  It's also got some dope vocal scats that add tension.  Overall, it's a simply effect dance-floor stormer.

I've unzipped a couple promo packs from Thee-O recently, and though I don't usually go for progressive house, these deserve positive attention.  The first arrival features a track called Look Up At the Sky and a few remixes, available on Protium (August 21).  It's a solid bundle that could appeal to house, techno and trance DJs, though it's just Thee-O's dub mix that resonates with me.  I particularly like the clean, snappy percussion, and dub elements.

The other promo from Thee-o features Techlife and a remix from Facundo Mohrr (Argentina) that reminds me a little of Guido Schneider.  Deep and dark, stripped-down techno vibes for mind-mashed dance-floors.  Out on Sept 23 through Quimika Records.

An artist that caught my ear recently was Alex Moulton, whom has a fairly new album, Exodus,  filled with killer dance-floor bombs.  And what I love is that he can cross genre boarders with class and precision.  Amongst my favourite album cuts is The Sacrifice, with it's intense drumming and psychedelic elements.  Find it on Beatport, released in May '08 through Expansion Team Dance.

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And here's one of my favourite slow funk tracks - Yearning For Your Love, by The Gap Band.

Brickhouse's latest Sensation

Oliver Garcia deliver two stellar, old school-sounding, Detroit house tracks that could truly burn up ANY dance-floor.  Sensation - the title track - certainly lives up to it's name with a repetitive melody of building organ stabs, reverberating synth pops, and sassy female talk-over.  It may start out as an underground hit, but I predict that it will become a mainstream anthem in no time.  The other original Garcia track is Silver Surfer, which is a much deeper song, delivering a smooth and ethereal tech trip.

Brickhouse Records also includes two remixes which are also quite strong, and add nice variation to the package.  Jochen Pash & Norm give Sensation the deep old school Detroit house interpretation, and really redefine the song.  Reminds me of Aril Brikha, so it's quality.  Fans of Fidget, or whatever you like to call it, get their stutter-pump electro fix from HiJack's remix.  Again, quality, but really geared towards those sweaty college-crowd booz-a-thons.  Doesn't sound like much fun, does it?

Tech School: Bugnology 101

Fans of clean, Detroit-influenced tech-house should be excited to know that the third installment of Steve Bug's mix series, Bugnology, is out on September 26.  This mix is truly for the heads, and goes into hypnotic territory, with tracks leaning on a mixture of minimal tribal and deep tech elements.  True to form, this mix is blended with perfection, never allowing the deep, heady pulsations to fade, making track-recognition quite a challenge.  Because of this, it's hard to pick out the high points, but it should be no surprise that with tracks from so many artist-of-the-moment this mix hits all the right notes.  Amongst those featured are Lee Jones, Manuel Tur (Stimming remix), Tigerskin, Sven U.K. & Andomat 3000, Adultnapper, and many more.

Keep your eyes peeled for this mix, available through Poker Flat and their distributors.

Oh, and be delicate with your CD. Specifically avoid swatting flies with it, 'cause I've learned that they break when you do that.

Trail mix

Well, I get all sorts of different sounds dropping into my in-box, which I LOVE, 'cause I connect with so many different forms of music.  I'm not really different than the vast majority, but some people get stuck on something and put their blinders on.  For awhile, when I was fresh from high school, I used to be like that towards anything not electronic, but thankfully I've come back to all of my senses.  Having said that, most of what I cover here is electronic, and the following are trax ranging through a few of those styles.

Not my pick for every occasion, but Eddie Silverton's latest release is a pair of moody downtempo tracks that will surely find themselves in a soundtrack's colder, introspective scenes, hense the titles, Unclear Questions, and Winter's To Come.  As always, the production quality is superb, and he nails the vibe.  Silverton's got my seal of quality.

Switching gears, Danny Tenaglia delivers his new mixed compilation featuring a selection of cutting edge, quintessential minimal tech-house trax, that he aptly titles, Futurism.  Some of the artists featured in this two-disk mix are Wighnomy Brothers, Guillaume & The Coutu Dumont, Mastiksoul, Fred Gianelli, and Joris Voorn.  It's Tenaglia's first compilation in 6 years, and the timing is synchronized with his first original production since 2004, called The Space Dance.  As you'd expect, his new track is fever-pitched, and relies on psychedelic elements to make a frantic dance-floor a guarantee.

Taking the electro-tech road, and paving way to new heights are Toronto's MC Flipside and Hatiras.  You know, I wasn't in to Spaced Invaders, the break-out track by Hatiras.  But he's been making steady progress over the years since, and has established himself as a clear heavyweight in the club scene over past year or so.  Sure, he's a killer DJ, but it's his string of chart-topping trax and remixes that have sent his stock rising.

With Hatiras' success, many of Toronto's emerging talents have been getting closer attention. MC Flipside, who's no stranger to the scene, having been a respected MC and DJ in the city for at least a decade, is among those to get increased props.

Hatiras' latest remix of MC Flipside, The Rubdown, is amongst his best, as his wide array of effects techniques will have even the best producers guessing at his methods.  And dance-floors will simply lose their minds.

Rodrigueaz at home on the Freerange

Freerange Records' never disappoint fans of clean, cutting edge productions of dance-floor filling tech-house.  So, whenever I get one of their new releases I get very excited.  Thusly, you must keep your eyes out for the forth-coming two-tracker from Roberto Rodriquez, as his presence on this prestigious label is justly deserved.

The title track, Besomebody, will strike a chord with the audience with the simply uplifting lyrics, and put a charge into the dance-floor with deeply sensual tech-house beats.  This one kind of reminds me of Underworld, whom are one of my all-time favourite electronic bands.  The complimentary track is Singularity, which reminds me of The Persuader on Svek, and those old records were brilliant.  And if someone were to tell me that Roberto Rodriquez was actually Audiomontage I'd be equally convinced.  That's some strong company.

Available on September 29th in fine digital shops.

DIOY,Y? Giveaways

British band, Does It Offend You, Yeah? are performing live at the Drake Hotel on August 4th, and if the show's not sold out, you should get your tickets now!  Their debut album, You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, is kick-ass.  Blending Electro and Rock into a vibe that clearly takes inspiration from Digitalism, Daft Punk and Justice, DIOY,Y? have a rambunctious sound.

I have 5 copies of the album that will go to the first five requests in my email inbox.  To get your copy, come out to Andy Pool Hall this Wednesday, July 30, where I'm DJing with Matt Medley for his Remix This! weekly party.

SP featured at Remix This!

I've been featured on DJ Matt Medley's Remix This! blog in lieu of my DJ set this wednesday.  Have a look at the post and check out all of the other dope artists showcased in previous postings and events.  His nights are a lot of fun, and the concept is simple, but unique - all music played must be remixes, hence the slogan: Remix This! "Completely unoriginal music."

Wednesday July 30, at Andy Pool Hall (489 College Street), Toronto.  No cover.

And check out Medley's electric mash-up of the Syntonics' Don't Stop, Pop and Trans X's Living On Video!

Pawn Shop Records 001 is here!

Pawn Shop Records' first release hits online stores Thursday, July 24!  Sultan Peppa's Intense Love track, with remixes from Stephane Vera, Hakan Lidbo and naw, will be sold through XpressBeats.com, JunoDownload.com, and DJDownload.com.

The Original blends elements of electronica, electro house, and cosmic disco into a marching robot dance track, unlike anything you've heard before.  Vera's epic rendition twists this track into minimal, warehouse terrain, with touches of acid that will have you looking over your shoulder.  Lidbo's mix pumps up the volume and the tempo, blazin' out a heavy electro-tech banger that scream Love Parade.  Rounding out the package is a dub-tech mix from naw, who uses cascading reverb over layers of glitchy techno beats to create a gelatinous cyborg.

Support from Jeff Bennett, Andy Roberts, Jamie Kidd, Nate Wize, Markus M, Adam Khan, Sean Kosa, Matt Gracie, and DJ Efsharp.

Summer Heat

It's been awhile since I recorded a mix, and the last one was on the Electro-Funk tip, so this Tech-House mix was particularly overdue.  Stream The Heat, or right click and download this sizzling 70-minute set.

Features trax and remixes from Joris Voorn, Guido Schneider, John Spring, Troydon with Datakid, Butch, Monochrome, Jeff Bennett, Alexi Delano, and more!

Tabasco is definitely hot

The first release on Dreielf Records fell into my inbox a few days back, and features a really hot track, Tobasco by Kohlbecker & Eilmes, with equally dope Alexei Delano and Andre Crom remixes.  The original track rolls along with a rumbling, minimal techno vibe, until suddenly, a few minutes in, a mexican trumpet solo takes the stage.  With the two elements carrying through the rest of the song you might expect it to be dysfunctional, but it's actually captivating.  Unique work, boys.

Keeping in gear, Crom's remix is playful and hypnotic, with repetitive bongos, and the trumpets tweaked into acid noodles.  Proper.

Rounding out the release is Delano's remix - my pick of the litter.  It's a much more minimal rendition, with higher doses of LSD created by a wild twisting of the trumpets, and spacious synth pad throbs.  It needs to be heard to be understood, so go buy it and the other mixes at Beatport, available later this month or in early August.

Zaki gets deep treatment

Sadly, I haven't heard the Zaki Ibrahim album yet (though I'm told it's in the mail), but the remixes that arrived recently are deep and delicious.  Ron Trent delivers a afro-house mix of Connected which is jazzy and soulful, as expected.  Trent's work is always inspired, and feels like a warm Summer day, tempered by a light breeze.

There are also two dynamite remixes of Money, and the first of which is by King Britt.  His mix is best described in the same way as Trent's remix, actually, and is similarly exceptional.  I often find it hard to unearth quality deep house that isn't too close to tech-house, but these take me back to the days of Joe Claussell's Language album on Ibadan.  Both are very lush with percussion and reverb.

My pick of the Money mixes comes from Nate Wize, whom is steadily becoming one of my favourite local producers.  His mix is still high on the afro tip, but with a more stripped-down and bright production style in which he embraces a beautiful sax element.

Tings get remixed

The Ting Tings are fun band, and their songs are playful and catchy.  Particularly, Shut Up And Let Me Go, which everyone knows from it's play in an iTunes commercial in heavy rotation.  That can be a challenging remix assignment for guys who normally make tech and club house, but Chris Lake, Haji Emanuel, Tocadisco and Tom Neville all took on the task.  Out of the entire package it's Neville's dub and vocal mixes that really stand out, with a filtered disco vibe that is reminiscent of Daft Punk's Around The World.  It's a sure-fire party anthem for Summer '08.

High on Tech

Much to my delight, I've been given a plethora of great tech-house and minimal music over the last few days, and here's a run-down....

As usual, Jeff Bennet's Kung Fu Dub label sends a couple bomb trax, this time in the form of remixes of his song, Plumes.  The deeper of the two is courtesy of Stickroth And Ercolino, who's style is like that of Theorem, Timewriter, or Robag Wruhme, with lush pads, snappy drums, and pulsing synth stabs.  Simply beautiful.  The other remix is from Baseks' with his Plumes Of Smoke version.  Though this is also quite deep, it's got a dark side that reels in the listener, and I think it'll stir quite a frenzy on the dance-floor.  I can't wait to test it's trippy dub echos and clever, rumbling percussion on the heads.

Another nice deep, progressive tech track came from DeepSound Records based in Montreal.  Two mixes of Max Julien's Organ Grind, including the original, which is the only one for me.  It's got a chugging percussive section, washed-out synth atmosphere, and Kinda reminds me of JayDee's Plastic Dreams through the organ riffs.

Big City Beats supplies the mother load with killer trax from three artist, with related remixes.  BCBT109 has 5 trax, starting with Amir feat. Eric D. Clark's original and instrumentals versions of Body Circuit, which are deep house IMO, but not far from tech-house in song construction.  Lots of forest sounds add some environment to the track, with persistant chants of "gotta keep on... gotta keep on moo'ving."  Classic stuff there.  It's a really warm, catchy track that builds perfectly.  Love it.  The remixes are class too - especially John Spring's Summer Sunday Afternoon mix, which works at any time of day, as I found out last night!  Signature Spring chug, with clever, intricate percussion, and touches of acid.  Slammin', top-10 stuff!  This solid package also features a smooth and airy sizzler from Pelle Buys, and pressure-bringing techno version from Berovic & Leicher.

Also from Big City Beats comes a release featuring two original trax with two complementing remixes (BCBT110 - out ???).  Side A features Broombeck's Monoturn, with Sebastian Lutz remix.  The original sounds a little like Mathew Dear, or a Dumb Unit release, with skippy percussion, playful baseline, and tricky edits.  The Lutz remix takes off where the original left off, with some nice variations, but ultimately sounds too much like the name of the track.  On the flip, you get two solid remixes of Virginia Nascimento's Easily.  The Bee-LOW mix is my favourite, as it uses Viginia's vocal's to perfection (though I've not heard the original).  This mix sounds like it could have come out of Luciano's studio, which is to say that it's SICK!  Another Top-10 track here.   Groove Rebels complete the release with a stripped, dubby, and tripped-out take of Easily that will surely bring dance-floors to a state of chaos.  Deadly stuff, through and through.

But wait... THERE'S MORE!

I'm always digging for twisted tribal trax like the ones feaured on Suchtreflex newest release, this time from Monochrome.  Shifty percussion, including some funky African instruments, is what Monkey Business is all about.  I have no doubt that if zoos were to play this to the primates, we'd see mad dance-floor skills previously undocumented!  Also complementing are Wooden Fist, with an irreverent swagger that would please Jacob London fans, and Drum Gard, which has a dirty baseline, Chicago beats and horns that destroy!

I'm with Notwist

Notwist isn't the typical fare that I hype here, but I just returned from the cottage, where the new album, The Devil, You + Me would have been a great soundtrack.  It's a beautiful collection of indie pop-rock songs that will surely appeal to the many fans of bands like Feist, Akron Family, Caribou, and Broken Social Scene.

One of the most interesting songs on the album is On Planet Off, which is reminiscent of Thom Yorke, Massive Attack, Bjork and NIN.  Crispy, crunch, stuttering beats, a an eerie melody, and deep lyrics.  Sounds tasty, doesn't it?!

And they're performing at Lee's Palace in Toronto on October 10th, so keep your eyes peeled for tickets!

Latest from MARS

One of my favourite record labels on the planet, Heya HiFi, showcase the debut of a rising talent - M.A.R.S. (aka Matthias Adam Ram Scheid).  Apparently best known in Austria for his organic live sets, he's put the right pieces into this composition, called Remote Area.  M.A.R.S. has clearly referenced the sounds of Africa, fused them with old school electro and house, and created something fresh and classic all at once.

The Bangana remix is a very unique contribution to techno, which builds in an entrancing pattern, reminding me, a little bit, of Carl Craig.  Also in the package is a remix from Alf Tumble that is the rendition I'll likely place most often.  It bounces with a familiar SUMO flare, and could fit into different kinds of sets, perhaps appealing to a broader audience.

In all, a fantastic release! Get it now, at fine online distributors, such as Traxsource.

Idiots need not listen

Deepgroove have delivered the goods, as promised.  This time they appear as Idiotproof on Jesse Rose's Made To Play imprint, and introduce us to The Deacon.  Apparently this came out in February, but I must have missed it.  None-the-less, I'm happy it found a way to me at last.  It's a twisted, strutting electro track that makes me imagine a shy club kid on their first all-nighter, squeezing through the crowd, with wide eyes and sweat-drenched clothes.

Finally, the Realest day has come

A couple years back, Toronto's Agile and Detroit's Frank N Dank spent some time in the studio working on a really dope track, The Realest, but it stayed locked in the computer... until now.  It would have been a real shame to keep this gem hidden any longer.

Honestly, I'm not a Hip Hop head, so I'm naturally more drawn to the sexy, soul-jazz vibe of the instrumental version, but those who are big into the genre are going to LOVE this track in it's original, existential style.

Agile, as well as being a killer producer (see Brassmunk), is one of my favourite DJs, so I recommend you check out his podcast.

MGMT is served some Justice

So, I'm really digging this hot new band, MGMT.  From what I've heard, they have a smart, boarder-crossing blend of rock and electronica, and know how to write great lyrics, which is refreshing.  And I've already shared the bumping, unreleased Nate Wize remix of Electric Feel, but now there's one from Justice!  Sick?  Yeah - very.  Only pacing in at 107bpm, but loaded with typical Justician stomp and funky flare.  I've tested it on the floor, and it rips.

The album came out in January, so you can find it on iTunes, or Columbia Records.

Loungez & Couches is for sofa surfers

Slick tech-house producer, Jeff Bennet, has a new downtempo project, Loungez & Couches, that is due to drop soon, featuring the mysterious Eddie Silverton.  The 14-song LP is perfect for fans of the Cafe Del Mar or Buddha Bar series, Jazzanova, or Thievery Corporation, with it's mellow vibes, smooth percussion, and rich world music influences.

Here's a tasty tease from the album, called Fusionist.

Sexuality sells at American Apparel

One of the latest Parisian electro-pop acts to gain international, critical acclaim is Sebastien Tellier, due in large part to his latest album, Sexuality.  It was recorded with Daft Punk's Guy Manuel De Homem-Christo as producer, so it's hardly surprising that people have paid attention.  And there have been several scorching remixes from that album to get a serious club caning over the past year, further boosting sales and raising eyebrows.  The Donovan remix of Sexual Sportswear is one such rendition.

Record Makers and American Apparel have a new partnership to help promote Sexuality in North America, where they think Tellier can get rich and famous, there-by selling T-shirts in bright colours.  The promotion starts on July 22nd (in advance of the wide release in October), and it's going to be awesome for everyone involved, including you.  Especially if rad kids and hipsters, such as yourself, return to actually buying there music (in CD or vinyl format no less).  It's an interesting experiment, to see if a guy with a song called Sexual Sportswear can parle that into sales of American Apparel.

Though I am a bit cynical, I do see this as a fitting partnership, given Tellier's style, and the brand's image of youth and overt sexuality.

And, if you're living in or around Toronto, then you can catch Tellier live at the Mod Club on Monday August 4, at 8p.m.