1. Steffi – Fallin’ – Underground Quality US
2. Chymera – These Jagged Shards – Connaisseur Recordings DE
3. Joy Orbison – Ladywell – Doldrums
4. Roberto Rodriguez – Be Somebody – Freerange
5. Vince Watson Feat. Naomi Thompson – Mystical Rhythm (Vocal Mix) – Urban Torque
6. The Gathering – In My System (Chris Carrier Tex Mix) - White FR
7. Wax – 30003 – Hardwax DE
8. Discreet Unit – Shake Your Body Down – Prime Numbers
9. Freaks Feat. Robert Owens – Right Now – Rebirth
10. Darkstar – Aidy’s Girl Is a Computer (Kyle Hall ‘s Oats B So Deep Remix) – Hyperdub
11. Funk D’Void – Flealife – Outpost
12. Reel People Feat. Dyanna Fearon – Butterflies – Papa Records
13. Solu Music Feat. Kai Martin – I Feel (Chris Brann Remix) – Solu Music
14. Prommer & Barck – Pictures Of The Sea – Permanent Vacation
…as with all the other podcasts, there are a number of ways you can obtain this one. Firstly, via itunes. Alternatively, you can download the mix directly via this link.
Shur-i-kan from Freerange Records kicks off the year in style by dropping a superb selection of deep house, 60 minutes of quality dance music. Highly recommended.
Title: Shur-i-kan In The Mix January 2011 Duration: 01:00:07 Encoding: MP3 160 kbps File Size: 68.9 MB
Track Listing:
00:00 – Mic Newman – Not Enough Sleep – Tsuba
06:30 – Sebastian Davidson – That Song (Huxley Remix) – Enthousiaste Gasten
10:00 – Crazy Penis – Do It Good (Crazy Ps We Found The Parts Remix) – Om
14:20 – Bassfort – Last Night – Freerange
19:35 – AFMB – Backup Days – Drumpoet
26:00 – Jimpster – Cloudwalking – Freerange
31:00 – Manik – Gotta Have It – Dark Energy
35:20 – David August – Peace of Conscience – Diynamic
41:30 – Kevlar – Feelings Are Weapons (KinK Mix) – Nervous January
45:30 – Oliver Koletzki – I Might
50:00 – Martyn – Left Hander
55:00 – Steve Lynx & Hellrazor – I Don’t Think So
57:00 – Art Bleek – Night Nurse – Loungin’
10. Four Tet – There Is Love In You – Domino Records
Four Tet first came to my attention via the single Sing which features an epic 14-minute remix by Floating Points. The album is a lovely example of someone using merely a sampler and a whole array of expertly-selected samples to piece together something which sounds almost like acoustic music but using technology to achieve it. There Is Love In You is without doubt, a really pretty-sounding record.
This track was featured on the Med School compilation New Blood, and represents the more creative end of drum & bass. Compared to 99% of the drum & bass output of 2010, it really was a breath of fresh air; it’s experimental, fresh, clever and highly original, with it’s reverbed live drumming and soulful vocals. The mid-point of the track, where the drums are replaced with gentle percussion and reverbed finger clicks, is just superb.
8. Presence Feat Shara Nelson – Sense Of Danger (MCDE Remixes) – Juno
I developed a bit of a hunger for deep house earlier in the year, which resulted in me buying a ton of completely random 12″s from Juno. Out of these impulsive purchases, the best by far was the Motorcity Drum Ensemble Remix of Sense Of Danger, a broody, deep & soulful tech-house masterpiece with the legendary Shara Nelson on vocal duties. This is an absolutely superb record which, I suspect, in time, will become one of my all time favourite house records.
There was a golden era, back in the mid-to-late 90s, when the atmospheric drum & bass movement, driven by LTJ Bukem, was an immensely popular period in drum & bass’ history. Unlike a lot of drum & bass, this material has stood the test of time. PFM was a key component of that scene, so for a new PFM record to emerge, after years of absence, was a real treat. Equilibrium doesn’t dissapoint, it’s got a vibe that perfectly represents that era of drum & bass, and was a real surprise, and a delight ! It’s tracks like this that remind me that, musically, drum & bass really does have some of the best talent!
Black Sands is the third album from Bonobo; In truth, it’s the first Bonobo album I’ve bought, but I really like the variation in sound from track to track, one minute it’s drenched in electronic drums & screaming lead synth lines, the next minute it’s more like a full on band. It’s an album that keeps you guessing from track to track, and very enjoyable.
Metalheadz release one of their most pop tracks yet, the lovely “Open page” featuring the vocal talents of Riya, who has gone on to work with the likes of Total Science and D-Bridge, and has some of her own solo material on the way.
I first heard Sun during the Floating Points / Kyle Hall Rinse FM Session back in July; It’s a real off-the-wall, chirpy, cheerful house track with jazzy drums, funky synths and a lovely repeating vocal – it’s so simple, yet unquestionably infectious. It’s the sort of track that you know, as soon as you hear the opening few bars, that you need in your collection !
It’s been another very strong year for Floating Points, who was at the top of my favourite records of 2009 with the excellent “Love Me Like This”. His remix for Bonobo blends the excellent vocals of Andreya Triana with his own unique dubstep sound.
“Let’s Talk” was the long awaited follow up to their “Futurist” single on the excellent Naked Lunch label. “Let’s Talk” is such a mysterious record, I really didn’t know what to make of it on the first listen. My first thought was simply that it was too slow. Is this a deep house record? I really have no idea, but I don’t really care because the whole mood of the track is so wonky, dark, & fresh that the end result is a track that I’ve been coming back to again & again all year, and it just seems to get better every time I hear it. A truly fresh record.
This was such a late entry; I really struggled this year to find whole albums that I found enjoyable. Lots of album were so patchy this year, a few tracks here and there, but lots of duff fillers inbetween. “Total Life Forever”, on the other hand, was an absolute pleasure to listen to, right from the first listen. It’s interesting (to me anyway) that, for the second year running, my favourite album has been discovered via Spotify.
Like so many albums I buy, I’ve no idea how I came to check this out, maybe via the Mercury Music Prize, but I’m so glad I took the time to do so. Total Life Forever is incredibly melodic, varied, slick, powerful and exciting to listen to.
My favourite track is without doubt Black Gold, which continually builds up over six minutes into a blissfully loud, monumental crescendo ! It’s an absolute masterpiece.
Following on from last week’s world exclusive, Benji B premièred a further two brand new pieces of music from Photek on his flagship late night Radio 1 show.
It’s been almost ten years since Photek’s last long player, the epic Solaris- a breathtaking homage to Chicago house and Detroit techno… Never one to repeat himself, Photek’s new material is experimental, edgy, unique, and clearly illustrates his unrelenting desire to break new ground.
The new tracks, Avanlanche, 101, and This City can be heard via the audio clip below, and are likely to feature on Photek’s forthcoming album, due to be released in 2011.
For the latest Photek news, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter via the official Photek website.
Last night, Benji B delivered the world-exclusive first airing of brand new material from legendary electronic producer Photek, the first of this kind for at least 8 years.
The new track, entitled “101″, will feature on an as-yet-untitled EP, to be released early next year. An album of new material is rumoured to follow at some point during 2011.
It’s clear from the first listen, that “101″ has that unmistakable Photek sound, and if this is anything to go by, then his next album, the long-awaiting follow up to the awe-inspiring Solaris (2000), should mark a much-welcomed return from the legendary producer.
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Track Listing:
Robertinho Silva – Flange Dos Tambores
Liquid Liquid – Groupmegroup
Barry Adamson – Something Wicked This Way Comes
Money Mark – Caught Without a Race
Actress – Purple Splazsh
Mick Smiley – Magic (excerpt) / En – Ghosts
Doves – Black & White Town
Bloc Party – So Here We Are
Foals – Black Gold
Sideshow – Television – All Night Long Version
Erlend Oye – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Kings Of Convenience – Surprise Ice
Synkro – Letting Go (D-Bridge Remix)
Riya – Seems Like
ASC – Reality Check
…as with all the other podcasts, there are a number of ways you can obtain this one. Firstly, via itunes. Alternatively, you can download the mix directly via this link.
It Felt Like a Kiss is an experimental film by the British documentary maker Adam Curtis, the man behind The Century Of The Self, The power of Nightmares, and The Trap.
Curtis’ documentaries often have a paranoid sub-texture coupled with a superb soundtrack. His technique of using archive footage and eerie soundtracks appeals to me, because it seems to be the logical extension of how a lot of my favourite musicians work with samplers, but with the added angle of sampling not only sound but also video footage.
Rumour has it that, initially, the project was presented in the form of a walkthrough experience in a five-storey building. It’s hard to fathom just what that could have been like, but if the film is anything to go by, it was probably both puzzling & genuinely frightening at the same time.
