Video Premiere: Castanets, “On Beginning”
- story Sam Hockley-Smith
Remember that point after the Postal Service record came out when all sorts of dudes made their acoustic guitar sound vaguely processed and everyone was supposed to like it because it was a perfect union of the electronic and the organic? Snooze City! We bring that up because Ray Raposa bka Castanets has been using that technique pretty much since he first starting putting albums out. Only difference is that he does it with restraint and he does it well. “On Beginning” is built on a series of rapidly pulsing steel drums sped up to sound like blinking stars and—of course—Raposa’s nasal, fractured voice. Video wise, this could have been made on MS Paint, until you realize that some of those floating circles actually contain images of trees, tiny little worlds floating around the soothing, sterile white background. Is this what it’s like to go to an expensive rehab center? Castanets’ Texas Rose, The Thaw, & The Beasts is out today.
Video: Venom & Damage, “Deeper”
We’ve been burying our faces in UK funky house as of late, fiendishly copping anything we can find by Crazy Cousinz, Roska, Fuzzy Logik, Geeneus, NB Funky etc, yearning for its clacky percussion and liberating synth riffs. Brit duo Venom & Damage not only did the only version of Jeremih’s “Birthday Sex” that we can listen to without puking, they also made the single most next level video we have seen perhaps all year. It is an acid-neon wolf wandering the earth, skies and a crossword puzzle. It is to promote the song “Deeper” off their forthcoming mixtape, Maximum Carnage II (best) and as a piece of internet art, it is genius. We are considering moving to London based off this alone. Cory Arcangel: betta watch ya crotch! (via Club Bass & Wine)
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posted on Sep 3, 2009 in MUSIC VIDEO tags Crazy Cousinz, electronic, Fuzy Logik, Geeneus, Jeremih, NB Funky, Roska, uk funky, Venom & Damage
Stream: Nic Sarno, “Perculator”
Nobody will deny that Cajmere’s classic “Percolator” continues to influence the direction of all stripes of electronic/dance music—its twerky burps sound new as a baby’s behind and the beat lives on. Besides, who can forget how the genius pronounciation of “Per-cue-lator” added nuance to the rhythm? Nic Sarno, Milanese DJ/producer and friend to Crookers, clearly hasn’t, and his bouncy new track “Perculator” is almost like an inverse to the original: boingy drums where the burps would be, a subtle hint at the sound of drip coffee being made, with what appears to be a lyre sample on melody. Crookers were apparently not supposed to post it so don’t try to steal it or anything, but stream it and imagine yourself frugging lead at a raindance-y dance party.
Stream: Nic Sarno, “Perculator” (via Crookers)
Schlachthofbronx, Belly Full of Pills Mix
For the Bavarian bass party in Schlachthofbronx’s release schedule, these German pranksters compiled a mix of wobbly house excerpts from their forthcoming Belly Full of Pills. The proper EP features Slush Puppy Kids aka South African bros Spoek Mathambo and Big Space, while this preview showcases their overdriven house synths on reggae/reggaeton beat patterns and gets fairly nasty on the vocals to frame the confluence of flashing lights with flailing booty. Also, it’s possible they are inventing new genres: At about 9:15, it gets real Addams Family-y with the organ tweets… should we call it haunted house? Ha!
Download: schlachthofbronx, “Belly Full of Pills Mix”
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posted on Aug 19, 2009 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Big Space, electronic, Schlachthofbronx, Spoek Mathambo
Freeload: Ducktails, “Beach Point Pleasant”
- story THE FADER
There are certain things artists can do to make us at least consider listening to their music. Usually we’re sold if they provide a soothing break in the day through some combination of references including: the beach, the sun, outer space, and/or relaxing in a soft chair. Ridgewood, New Jersey’s Matthew Mondanile aka Ducktails uses his roots in drone and other weirdo jams as a launching point for his spiraling guitar and ambient keyboard epics about relaxing and vacations. If it were the ’80s, Mondanile would be a surf rat who looked like beef jerky, but the musical climate has changed since then. He’s actually a 23-year-old who makes music that MySpace categorizes as “Tropical/Psychedelic,” which is about as perfect of a description of what he does as any. Download “Beach Point Pleasant” below and check out Mondanile playing as Ducktails on December 10th at Matchless bar in Brooklyn, with a whole bunch of dates around New York and Jersey to follow.
Download: Ducktails, “Beach Point Pleasant”
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posted on Dec 9, 2008 in MP3 / STREAMS tags Ducktails, electronic, experimental, freeload, psych/folk
