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Author Archives: Gabe Meier

My TeamSupreme Stay Clean, The Interview

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July 11, 2012
2012, Interviews, New Music
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A beat cypher, what a novel idea. Could be interesting. Those were my first thoughts when a friend mentioned TeamSupreme to me. It sounded vaguely enticing, but an unrealistic novelty in reality. 12 producers using the same two samples and contributing one minute of beat action? No way that could work. If conducted by the wrong people, I figured it would be an utter disaster. Well what the fuck do I know? Directed by Dane (The Great Dane) and Preston (of Virtual Boy), TeamSupreme has been churning out their unique “cyphers” since April and have garnered respect from across the hip hop and electronic music spectrums. With a monthly spot at Los Angeles’ La Cita in place and a stable of producers ranging from (DJ) Nobody to Boreta of The Glitch Mob contributing to the weekly volumes. We wanted to find out more about the process behind TeamSupreme so we shot some emails back and forth with Dane and Preston. Here are the results. Can’t wait for Volume 3,000 to drop.

Give us a play by play of how TeamSupreme was consummated?

Dane: Me and Preston were hanging out and we decided to have a little unofficial project to make a beat in an hour at the same BPM with the same vocal sample, “My team supreme, stay clean” (a Biggie quote).  After we finished up we put them back to back and thought it would be cool to try it on a bigger scale with more producers. That first little project turned into TeamSupreme Vol. 1.

Who all is involved with TeamSupreme at this point? Is everyone located in LA?

Dane: We started with just our close producer friends mostly in LA or Orange County, but now we have people sending in beats from NY, Colorado, Portland and more.

Preston: Our usual suspects consists of Papi, King Henry, Great Dane, Preston James, Djemba Djemba, Fuzz, Kloud, DJ Nobody, Dot, ELOS, Kenny Segal, Nalepa, Snorlax and Colta. We’ve also had many guests including Boreta of The Glitch Mob and Kendo of Two Fresh.

Hit the jump for the full interview…

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New ANGO – “Paralyzed”

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July 11, 2012
New Music
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The LuckyMe seal of approval is as close to a guarantee as there is in the electronic music sphere. I don’t need to get into the label’s pedigree to illustrate this point. ANGO aka Andrew Gordon was born in Halifax (but now resides in Montreal) and is among the overflowing pool of up and coming Canucks. Gordon sings, and mans the drum machine, keyboard and electric bass for an impressive command of his synth oriented sound. “Paralyzed” is off of ANGO’s upcoming Serpentine mixtape, due on July 17 via LuckyMe. Some true to form future R&B shit right here. Stream below and download here.

The Gaslamp Killer Debuts New Single, Album Dropping In September

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July 11, 2012
New Music
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Since its inception around the mid aughts, the Los Angeles beat scene has turned out dozens of stars, garnering acclaim across the globe.  The residents of Low End Theory spend weeks at a time traveling and performing in locales as far-flung as Japan. Similar scenes have popped up in just about every city in the US spawning a whole new generation of talented DJ’s and producers. Flying Lotus is generally (and rightfully) credited as the breakout star, but another man, born William Bensussen, has had as much or more of a role in the promulgation of the City of Angels’ distinct sound. That’s right, the Mother.Fucking.Gaslamp.Killer. Known for his unparalleled crate digging, inexhaustible energy and the  sheer number of angles his hair can point simultaneously, GLK is one of the most visible members of LA’s music community. Despite this, his production skills are often overlooked. As of September 18, that trend will surely end. That’s the day Bensussen’s debut full length, the aptly titled Breakthrough, will smack everyone who’s anyone who’s anything across the face like a cold fish. September is a long ways away so the Killer let loose the first single from the LP for all the devout followers of the church of GLK. Head over to Pitchfork to stream the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson assisted track, which will hopefully be out in some other incantation in the near future, and start the countdown to September 18.

Jim-E Stack’s “Bubble Boy” Out Today On Body High

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July 3, 2012
2012, New Music
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Los Angeles has been the hub of club oriented electronic music on the West Coast for quite some time. That has resulted in dozens of artists labels dipping their toes into the melting pot of regional scenes that have emerged over the past several years. A number of labels have had success within the club realm, but only one, Body High, has mastered it with an impressive streak of fun-loving consistency. Sporting releases from DJ Sliink, Myrryrs and DJ Dodger Stadium, the young label run by Samo Soundboy (of DJ Dodger Stadium) and Jerome Potter (of LOL Boys) has taken the City of Angels by storm. Their newest release comes courtesy of San Francisco native Jim-E Stack in the form of the “Bubble Boy”. Stack has made quite a name for himself with his remix game, but his original work is a complex menagerie of club and hip hop influences. Whether drawing from New Orlans, Chicago or Baltimore, Stack has managed to infuse his own unique flair to original releases. Stream “Bubble Boy” below and head over to Boomkat to give some love in the form of paper money.

The Cedaa Interview

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July 2, 2012
Interviews
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Amid the Evergreen trees and towering mountains of the Pacific Northwest, an emerging bass music music scene has spread its roots. From the experimental, earthy sounds of Dropping Gems (check out our interview with Aaron Meola and DJAO here) to the space age riddims of Ill Cosby’s Car Crash Set, the Northwest is quickly becoming a breeding ground for forward thinking electronic music. Simon Ho aka Cedaa is spearheading that movement. With a spot on Kingdom’s prodigious Fade To Mind label, Cedaa has melded the worlds of Chicago juke and Southern hip hop with effortless aplom. We spoke with Ho this past week in Seattle to find out more about his background as a drummer, favorite live experiences and faulty press sheets. The 21 year old is one of the rising forces in the West Coast’s distinct brand of club music and is pushing the proverbial bass music envelope in exciting, new directions. Hit the jump to catch the full interview.

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Gold Panda Remixes Minotaur Shock’s “Saundersfoot”

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July 2, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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Sometimes it’s frustrating when an artist teases his fans like Derwin Schlecker aka Gold Panda is doing right now. It’s been almost two years since the Panda’s last full length, Lucky Shiner, and while we’ve received several EP’s and 12″, nothing quite as revelatory as the album has surfaced. Nonetheless, when Schlecker drops bombs like his most recent remix of Minotaur Shock’s “Saundersfoot”, there’s not much to complain about. Apparently recorded through an old 1960’s German mixer, the remix maintains the raw analogue feel that Schlecker has maintained throughout his career. The simple yet beautiful chord progression allows the syncopated percussion to drive the track, reminiscent of Four Tet and Burial’s “Nova”. Sometimes frustration is misplaced. Stream the remix below and get it for free over at XLR8R.

Viette Presents Ratchet Blendtape Vol. 1

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June 27, 2012
Mixes
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This guy Viette has been on fire lately. For his latest feat, he’s let loose the Ratchet Blendtape. It’s like Girl Talk if Girl Talk was… you get the point. A more apt comparison is Ryan Hemsworth’s Truancy Mix and this is every bit as good (not a light statement). Whether effortlessly mixing Juicy J into Dark Sky, or laying Mike Jones over Rustie, Viette comes out on top. Check the full track list after the jump and stream and download below.

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Jim-E Stack Remixes Reptar’s “House Boat Babies”

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June 26, 2012
New Music, Remixes
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San Francisco native current New Orleans resident Jim-E Stack has been on quite a roll with his remixes. In the past he’s taken on A$AP Rocky, Kirko Bangz and LOL Boys to great effect his take on Reptar’s “House Boat Babies” is no different. This one’s got a nice tropical feel and expands into an ebullient dance riddim around 1:45. Stream below and download here in exchange for an email address.

Treasure Island Music Festival 2012 Will Feature The xx, SBTRKT, Toro Y Moi

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June 26, 2012
Festivals
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Imagine a beautiful fall day in The Bay, I know there aren’t many, but bare with me. You’re on the strange man made flotilla known as Treasure Island and facing the city of San Francisco. All around you are people of all age, race and gender. Directly in front of you is a stage with around 15 girls booty dancing with Buraka Som Sistema. Kuduro blast from the speakers as the crowd collectively loses their shit. It’s a strangely serene scene as the San Francisco skyline looms in the distance and water laps at the shores of the island. It makes for one of the most unique festival experiences you’ll ever encounter.

The 2012 edition of TIMF is similar to past year’s in that it splits the two days into basically dance/hip hop (first day) and I guess indie rock (second day). Day one is pretty perplexing honestly. While acts like SBTRKT, Matthew Dear, Grimes and Toro Y Moi are all enticing, why does Girl Talk command the closing spot? He’s been doing the same schtick for the better part of eight years now, a schtick that was never all that cool in the first place. Anyways, rant over. Day Two’s headliners more than make up for Day One’s fallacies.

What can I say about The xx that hasn’t been said? I’ve been known to make rash, sweeping statements, but I can say that they are without a doubt my favorite band. With M83, Ty Segall and Best Coast also on the bill, some of the best dance parties might actually take place on Day Two. Even if your not a huge fan of the lineup, I highly recommend checking out the festival for its location and superior production alone. Check out the lineup video below and the full bill after the jump.

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New Machinedrum – “Luster”

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June 25, 2012
New Music
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Whether he is working as Machinedrum, Sepalcure or Dream Continuum, Travis Stewart just continues to pump out forward-thinking tunes. Whether he’s delving into jukewith Om Unit, hip hop with Azealia Banks trance tropes with Lone, the North Carolina native just doesn’t stop. His newest tune, “Luster”, will be found on Electronic Explorations’ 50+ track compilation due on July 1st. A smooth percussion heavy cut meant for the club, “Luster” is just another success to add to Stewart’s rapidly growing resume. Head over to Little White Earbuds for a free download and stream below.