Tommie Sunshine is amazing. If you don’t know that already, then you are in for a real treat. This Summer Soundtrack mix has made the rounds on-line because it’s excellent. Brooklyn remains one of the brightest and most vibrant centers for dance music of all stripes and Tommie Sunshine represents all the best reasons why! I should note that hearing Tommie Sunshine’s spring mix is part of the idea behind doing a summer series of my favorites mixes at all! Tommie Sunshine has been a fav since I heard his mysteriously sad track “Runway Runaway” on the classic Misery Loves Company compilation in ’02 from Ersatz Audio. Eight years on he’s even better and continues to be both astoundingly creative and productive. Enjoy this mix!
Don Rimini’s new Nlarge Your Pants EP is one of the best releases of the summer. I’ve already written about it over at NoVegans, so I won’t repeat myself here. I will say though that while every song on the release won’t be to everyone’s taste, Don Rimini’s impeccable blending of influences does make his EP standout affair. Rimini adds to the Summer Series this week with a mix dropped in support of the EP. With some of the best material from the EP here, the mix showcases Rimini’s electrifying vibe. Can a hard-rocking set have charm? I don’t know, it seems like an oxymoron to me, but I think that particular balance is exactly what Rimini strikes in this mix. It gets going, and doesn’t stop, and along the way there is an awful lot to like here! Listen to it once, and you’ll definitely want to get back to house!
So…I’m a huge fan of the Kitsuné series, and its always a delight to get to write about it now that I’ve started blogging. I wrote about the last compilation, The Cotton Issue, over at NoVegans as part of my spring collection series over there. It’s only fitting now that I’m starting a series of posts here at my own blog, that I start with Ponystep, the tenth in the series. So here’s the Minimix by Jerry Bouthier. By the sounds of things Ponystep is going to be a real pleaser. Even better than the rock-tinged idie dance sounds of The Cotton Issue. Anyhow, its a really short mix, but it gives an idea of the what to expect.. . .enjoy! -Minimix inside!->
As a follow up to the last post, here is an amazing set from Gavin Russom. Really, it is pretty special. A little bit of everything is here. It takes all kinds of wild directions, but bookended by Jelly Roll Morton and John Coltrane it makes sense in an inexplicably coherent way. At any rate its an impeccable selection of tunes that feel like they all bend time and space in some special way.
The Crystal Ark’s single is out now on DFA Records. Check out the instrumental in the first post on The Crystal Ark, and pick up or download a copy at your favorite place to buy music! If they don’t have it, tell them order it.
Here’s a mix from *the* Layo and Bushwacka. These guys need no introduction, and this mix is unsurprisingly first class. It’s been dropped in support of their new track “The Longest Day” out now on their label Olmeto Records. The release features an original mix with fantastic, spacious percussion, backed by a driving floor-filling remix by Mirko Longo. Check it out. Seriously. . .Check. It. Out.
The Psychonauts are Pablo Clement and Paul Mogg. A few years ago International DJ Gigolos brought it out a few years ago, and it was an oddity at the time. The remastered version shows how forward thinking it was. Waaay ahead of the curve.
This set is one that Paul Mogg of The Psychonauts did over at Resident Advisor, deifinitely my favorite online magazine for electronic news and culture (Nobody pays me for any of this so I’m not just saying that!). Mogg dropped the set in support of the re-released full length Songs for Creatures. Its a fantastic set that explores an electronic sound replete with organic and psychedelic elements. In fact the set that shows part of the sensibility that makes “Songs for Creatures” such a forward looking and still fresh slice of yummy electronica. Its great stuff. I like it particularly because this kind of a set why I even thought to start putting up this site in the first place. DJing at its best is so much more than playing either your own or other people’s music.
Jon Hassell & Brian Eno – Chemistry
Mosaik – Brass Cannon (Kreidler remix)
Four Tet – Love Cry (Girl With Money Losoul Edit)
Julijske Alpe – Industria
Kris Menace – Metropolis (Serge Santiago Italo Boot Edit)
TJ Kong – The Centre Of The World
DJ Hell ft. Brian Ferry – U Can Dance (Carl Craig Remix)
Andrew Weatherall – All The Little Things That Make Life Worth Leaving
Morel – True (The Faggot Is You) (Poof Daddy Remix)
Modest Goddess – Pan/Tone Remix
Citizen Kane & Sal Principato – Ledger
Mogwai – The Sun Smells Too Loud (James Holden Remix)
Hot Chip – One Life Stand (Carl Craig’s Paperclip People Remix)
Photonz – WEO
Massive Attack – Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)
DJ Harvey presents Locussolus – Gunship
Sempiternal – Amaranth
So since I’m posting about locals at the moment. I want to also take a second and shout out NC DJ Podcast. In a place like North Carolina electronica listeners can sometimes be dispersed pretty widely, even in a population centers like Raleigh. This podcast features DJs and artists of every variety of music and all levels of play–clubs, lounges, radio, studio, live. Always something worthwhile to checkout here, for the tunes and the skills.
Kris Menace‘s Work it Baby label is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Part of the celebration is a double CD set that make s the label’s amazing catalogue available in one place. The first CD features recent and unreleased tracks from the label that includes. With this posting I’m including one of the best tracks from the CD.
Work It Baby is a French House label that specializes in an energetic synth driven sound that takes inspiration from the west coast disco sounds of, say, Patrick Cowley. But this is not some Hi-NRG rehash–the releases consistent are more than the sum of their influences. That’s a good thing in this case–the sound of San Fran. disco can pretty easily become shlocky and cheeseball. Work It Baby is _never_ like that. Their tracks are invariably mostly propulsive dancefloor monsters that manage to strike chords that are at time down right inspiring. Ten years is a long time to be cutting edge in a genre like electronic music-everything is about the future, what is to come, what’s next, the new directions. Any artitst or labels who rest on their laurels for too long are pretty soon played out when they play out. Menace is still generating excitement through both of his labels. (Compuphonic is the other.)
Work It Baby, well, works it. One of the surest signs of that is the selection of artists in its catalogue. Patrick Alavi of Germany has been shining more brightly with each release. His own boutique label, roXour, is celebrating its 5th anniversary right now. His 2004 track “Power” gets a remix from Menace for the anniversary disc. This track manages to showcases all of the best features of the label-an extraordinary build with increasingly complex synth elements that final explode into an aurora borealis of color. The music is like a laser light show, and no worhtwhile dancefloor could resist this track for very long–Menace’s skillful briliance is that he so ably brings his voice to an artist’s track without undermining the spirit what made the original so fantastic in the first place.
Here’s is a cool mix of hip-hop, electro, and techno from Vinyl Life, a trio out NYC at the moment making some buzz with their upcoming, self titled artist album. It’s a very cool, retro synths and well worth checking out. Wrote a little more on these guys over at the blog for WKNC.
Check out “Jack the Hype!”
Fast Eddie–Yo Yo Get Funky
Sterling Void–Serve it Up
N-Joi–Techno Gangsters
Hugg and Pepp–Snabeln
Doug Lazy–Let it Roll
Twin–For Those Who Like To Move
Fast Eddie–Jack to the Sound
Nightmares on Wax–I’m for Real
The Crucibles–The Letter (contagious Dub)
Joey Beltram–Energy Flash
Josh Wink–516 Acid
Zombie Nation–Filter Jerks
Scram–Revelation
Armando–151
Fast Eddie–Acid Thunder
Fake Blood–Mars
Giorgio Moroder–The Chase
Adonis–no Way Back
Bang the Box–Jack Master
Continuous Cool–Manual
Second Phase–Mentalism
Welcome to Soul Reflector–a blog for EDM music selectors everywhere. I’ll be featuring EDM tracks and sets from my favorite artists and DJs, as well as playlists and clips from my radio show on WKNC in Raleigh, NC. . .BTW: WKNC is simulcast live with a webcast at wknc.org. Occasionally I may post some extra, useful chatter. My radio sets are always live and usually vinyl, but for this inaugural post I did a special digital mix. Take a listen to it!
For this particular show I had a special guest, DJ FM of djfm.com–a very cool and talented DJ and producer out of North Carolina. . .he started out as a metalhead apparently, but has been making some killer electronic tracks for a while now. I’ll talk a little more about him in later posts without a doubt! My blog will support and promote electronic music on every level–local, state, national, international, outernational. . . no boundaries, no borders, no divides here–it’s about supporting the most massive tunes and keeping an ear to the ground for the best recent and upcoming stuff. There’s a lot planned for the near future, so keep checking out the site! In the meantime enjoy the set!
Benko Gambit Setlist June 30th
WKNC 88.1 FM/WKNC.org–
Hemiptera–Low Hand. Hemiptera, a married duo, have been guests on my show before so it just seemed right to start with them. Dark, minimal track with morphing layers of syncopation, set a trajectory for the mix to come.
Monkey Brothers–Manuela (Original Mix). Keeping to the minimal, dark elements of the opening tracks this one is a scorching bit of NYC techno.
Snuff Crew-Control. The darkness starts to jack with this one–currently a favorite track. Soon to be released on International Deejay Gigolo, I can hardly get enough! The minimalism begins to thicken a bit with the squelchy 303 lines, that gives the whole a sinister undercurrent.
DJ Hell–Wonderland. Onto the Guru of International Deejay Gigolo’s, DJ Hell. . .this one’s from the recent Teufelswerk double LP, and is a complex, layered, protean piece of sonic nutrition. It’s deepening complexity moves the mix into its next stage of airy, driving tunes.
Oscar G–Innosense. The lead track from the multi-disc artist release. Elements of progressive and electro balance nicely over an organic percussive pulse.
Tiefschwarz feat. Seth Troxler–Trust. I love the talking tracks–there is something so poetic when an artist builds a track around a human voice that’s just talking. This little gem has Seth Troxler musing on immaturity and relationships over deep pulsing drums and a bass line that’s as on the brink as the relationship in the song.
Shit Robot–Simple Things (Serge Santiago Version). Shit robot’s releases on DFA have all been monsters, and this one is no exception. Clocking in at a clean 10 mins in the Serge Santiago remix its worth every second. If Trust is about how hard it is to be in a relationship, Simple Things is about how hard it can be not to be in one.
Tom Neville & Guy Williams–Take No Prisoners. Massive track! This track is both smart and sexy, patiently building groove that doesn’t stop. The title is what this song doesn’t do.
Rockers Hi-Fi–Push Push (M.A.N.D.Y.’s Pusher Remix). This track is one of those tracks that I’ve heard in many different versions, over the last few years. Every version sticks with you, though. A special version of a special song.
Louie Vega vs. DJ Pierre–Da Jungle (The Klienteles Italienisch Workout Mix). I’ve been playing this song in every remix available because they are all fantastic. It brings out the best in every one!!!
Steve Porter – Control (Original Mix). Wow. Just wow. . .last year this time I was having burgers with this guy, and had noooo idea this was to come.
Dave P & Adam Sparkles–Delaze. Featured this track a few weeks back, and then a mix by these guys. Love it love it love it–it’s bonkers, but oddly perfect.
Ronski Speed–Are You ? (Sun Decade Mix). A bit of a departure for me, but a great track. I’ve got a soft spot for the progressive scene because up in Virginia, these were the folks hyping me
