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Hrdvsion Mix For The Astral Plane

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December 5, 2013
Mixes, New Music
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A few months ago, Nathan Jonson aka Hrdvsion posted a remix of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, which quickly began making its way around Internet circles, drawing both predictable ire and joyful admiration. Many first time listeners might have assumed that Jonson was just another Soundcloud denizen, striving for quick, shocking results, but that would short-change both the man and the remix. The fact that the remix spread so quickly (Skream picked it up early) and garnered Hrdvsion so many new fans is a testament to both the relative insularity of his music and its innate demonstrative capabilities. Nathan and his brother Mathew (Wagon Repair boss and minimal impresario) grew up in Victoria, B.C. on Canada’s Western shore and have virtually been inundated in electronic music culture their entire lives. Fast forward a decade or two and both brothers now live in Berlin, collaborate often and strut their unique take on Berlin’s own techno tropes on labels like Rinse Recordings and Crosstown Rebels.

Never one to be defined by the genre/sound he’s currently working in, Nathan has produced and performed at every conceivable BPM, imprinting his reticent outlook on everything he touches. His Astral Plane mix exhibits this in oft-unbelievable fashion, opening with Boyz II Men and finishing with FKA Twigs, a bevy of curve-balls thrown in for good measure. The rhythmic components range from the understated to the bombastic while the melodies are brightly timbred and infectious. With a decade-plus career under his belt, it’s clear that Nathan has no interest in slowing down or muting his past, present and future influences. Which brings us back to the “Call Me Maybe” remix. Hrdvsion is the rare breed of producer willing to walk the line between idiosyncratic experimentation and populist relatability, bringing a live performance ethos and rich musical history into modern dance music.  Stream/download Hrdvsion’s guest mix below and hit the jump for the full track list.

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Strict Face Mix For The Astral Plane

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December 3, 2013
Mixes
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strict face cover art

A few weeks ago, Wiley ignited a debate regarding the distinctions (or lack thereof) between grime and hip hop via his Twitter (as he’s prone to do). The conversation over whether grime is more firmly placed in the hip hop continuum or the hardcore ‘nuum has raged since the London sound’s arrival in the early 2000s and while authoritative sources like Wiley have had their say, the answer is ambiguous at best. A more prescient conversation between hip hop and grime has arisen (or at least been given its fair due) over the past few years and it’s one that focuses not on genre semantics, but on finding new ways to incorporate tropes from both sounds into exciting new hybrid tracks. This conversation is largely held in London and hubs of American club music like Newark/New York and Chicago, but some producers who reside outside of those meccas have taken it upon themselves to stretch, reorganize and, in some instances, rip apart the line (real or imagined) between hip hop, grime and R&B.

Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Strict Face is an exemplar of the genre blurring, blueprint trashing ethos laid out above. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when we fell in love with Strict Face’s music. It could have been when a friend sent his Velour/Ciara bootleg our way. Or maybe it was when we found out he produced Le1f’s “Autopilot”. Regardless, we’ve been smitten ever since and have consistently rated him as one of the more convention-less, innovative producers in the extended grime world. For the 10th edition (!!!) of our guest mix series, Strict Face laid down nearly an hour of club-ready material, matching ethereal melodic content with the heft of tracks from JT The Goon, Air Max 97 and Blackwax. While largely composed of what is commonly considered to be instrumental grime, the mix traverses effortlessly into the R&B and hip hop realm, matching vocals from the likes of Tinashe and A$AP Ferg with the clicks and bass stabs that pervade the eski style. In the end, Strict Face falls more towards Kelela or Murlo than Ruff Sqwad or Roll Deep, preferring to update the sounds up yore with modern signifiers than purely channel the originators. Stream/download the mix below and hit the jump for the full tracklist.

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Rushmore Mix For The Astral Plane

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November 20, 2013
Mixes
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It’s always interesting to witness disparate (in both a stylistic and geographic sense) musical scenes interacting, referencing and building off of each other. It’s also no surprise that we’re big fans of collaboration and intertextuality in these parts so you can imagine how pleased we were when Trax Couture bossman Rushmore agreed to contribute to our guest mix series. On his own time, the London-based producer makes machine music pure and simple. Rushmore’s tracks are industrial in nature, drawing on London’s ‘nuum fascination to bring together grime, dubstep and techno. He also draws much inspiration from Chicago and New York, specifically the sharp, linear lines of ghettotek and the lewd abrasiveness of ballroom, both of which are clearly apparent in his productions and mix work.

Lucky for all of us, his second 12″ (also the second in Trax Couture’ss HOT series) will be released in early December. You might recognize “Bloodlines” from Neana’s guest mix last week and the rest of the EP follows similar contours, repeatedly throwing jagged rhythms and undulating sub bass at the listener. To celebrate the EP release, the House of Trax folks (Rushmore and Fools) are throwing a party in London with Georgia Girls. The function will occur on December 6 at Birthdays and is sure to feature plenty of choice cuts from the HOT crew. Stream/download Rushmore’s mix below and hit the jump for a full tracklist.

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Shlohmo & Jeremih Reconvene In The Boiler Room

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November 13, 2013
Live, Mixes
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Earlier this year, Yours Truly got Shlohmo and Jeremih in the studio together as part of their “Songs From Scratch” series. Then “Bo Peep (Do U Right)” came out. Then the two performed on stage together. And then they performed together in the Boiler Room. After Shlohmo laid down a solid 20 minutes of choice Houston cuts, some Andre Nickatina and his signature “Hail Mary” screw at the Wedidit x Boiler Room function a few weeks ago, Jeremih joined yung Henry on stage for a rendition of “Bo Peep” and a medley version of “F U All The Time” the two performed together earlier this calendar year. Jeremih’s performance was choppy at times, but the resonance of the event can still be felt. It’s a testament to institutions like Boiler Room and RBMA that us fans are able to consistently indulge in collaborations like this. Hopefully, Jeremih’s long delayed Thumpy Johnson LP is on the way soon, maybe even featuring some more Shlohmo production.

Neana Mix For The Astral Plane (plus Favorite Drum Tracks)

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November 12, 2013
Interviews, Mixes
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neana art FINALDrum tracks are simultaneously primitive and futuristic, drawing on both history and an admirable refusal to kowtow to the past. Modern drum tracks often utilize breaks that are decades old, but sound like nothing ever heard before. Over the past few years, labels like Night Slugs, Hessle Audio and Keysound Recordings have been delving into the realm of drum tracks, their respective artists massaging the ‘nuum sounds of grime, jungle and techno into a whole new beast. Peverelist, Pearson Sound, Objekt and more have set the pace for this fresh, percussive sound, but lately a new crop of producers, Akito, Visionist and Helix to name a few, have taken the torch and ran with it. Today we’re focusing on London-based Neana who’s garnered quite a bit of attention in recent months as a constant fixture in Bok Bok’s Rinse.FM mixes.

Drawing on a wide range of influences including noise act the Fuck Buttons and jazz drummer Roy Brooks, Neana has honed his ultra-percussive sound through a series of bootlegs, taking on the likes of Kingdom, Dizzee Rascal and Kanye West. As for Neana’s guest mix, it’s a 45+ minute exhibition through kicks, snares and breakbeat science, broken up with Jersey club and ballroom. Neana draws from American and British producers equally, amalgamating the wildly popular sounds of London with the still relatively insular sounds of Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore and New Jersey. Check out and download the mix below and hit the jump for the track list and Neana’s favorite drum tracks. We bet they’ll surprise you in the best way possible.

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Bobby Browser Mix For The Astral Plane

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October 29, 2013
Mixes
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bobby browser artIt’s not everyday that you get an electronic music producer who learned to improvise, using a wide range of hardware, before they learned to make songs using software, but that’s exactly what Oakland-resident Bobby Browser did. Born Andre Ferreira, Browser tells of an influential trip to Europe that stoked his interest in dance music and, later, participation in a rotating quartet of hardware obsessives called Party Effects. It wasn’t until 2010 or 2011 though that Browser started recording his own tracks and subsequently linked up with Los Angeles-based imprint (and Not Not Fun sister label) 100% Silk to release the (functionally titled) Just Browsing EP, a four track collection of patient, fulfilling house tunes. Later, Ferreira would release the Still Browsing EP (also on 100% Silk), continuing his exploration of funk-oriented basslines, whispering synth work and delectable restraint. For his Astral Plane guest mix, Ferreira has taken us back to his improvisational days, crafting nearly an hour of free-wheeling beats on a Teenage Instruments OP-1. At times, the mix veers towards meandering beat-less sections, broken only by an acid squelch or a crunchy lo-fi kick drum. At its best, the mix offers an idiosyncratic blend of left-field beat-work and a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of one the most promising West Coast producers. Stream/download below and hit the jump for a list of Browser’s upcoming tour dates!

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Kahn Lays Down Roots & Foundation Mix

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October 24, 2013
Mixes
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kahn

Whether you prefer Kahn’s straight up dubstep excursions with Neek, soundsystem culture tributes as Gorgon Sound (also with Neek), or his left-field grime machinations with Bristol’s Young Echo collective, it’s undeniable fact that the Bristolian has had a huge impact on the UK scene in recent years. This week, he surpassed the 20,000 follower mark on Soundcloud and, as a thank you to the fans, laid down nearly an hour and a half of reggae, dancehall and other Jamaican music that has melded his sound. From the big man himself:

I put this mix together to give thanks to everyone who has been supporting and following my journey in music so far, whether you’ve been there from the start or have just found me today.

Reggae and dancehall music is a great passion of mine and over the years I’ve collected many records which I rarely have a chance to play out at shows. I decided to use the milestone of 20,000 followers on Soundcloud as an excuse to put together a mix of some of my personal favourites, both as an enjoyable way to mark the occasion and to hopefully give you a glimpse into part of the foundation of my sound as Kahn. To give some background and context to what I do.

For someone as uneducated about reggae, dub and dancehall as myself, this mix offered quite a bit of insight into what feeds into the various jungle-derived sounds the UK offers. Stream/download below and hit the jump to get a taste of Kahn’s contributions to last month’s war dub battle.

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Lake Haze Mix For The Astral Plane

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October 23, 2013
Mixes
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lake haze

The Unknown To The Unknown roster is made up of a wide-ranging group of producers that, more often than not, bely the expectations set upon them by fans and the music media. Elusive Portuguese-bred producer Lake Haze fits that bill to a T, spilling out a bubbly, direct take on garage and bassline for the ‘nuum-focused masses. With only one release to his name (the aptly titled Late Night Trip EP) and another UTTU release on the way, we didn’t have a ton to go on when we first up Lake Haze for a guest mix, but the mix manages to function as both a comprehensive introduction to his influences and DJ stylings, as well as a surefire party starter. Made up of a combination of UTTU classics and choice bassline cuts, this mix has enough curvaceous low end and patois for even the most jaded listeners. Hit the jump for the full tracklist and download below!

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Download Oneman’s Solitaire Vol. 2

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October 14, 2013
Mixes, New Music, Remixes
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oneman

The past nine months have been tough, what with Oneman only appearing on Rinse.FM for two hours every Tuesday! It’s been nine months since the release of Solitaire Vol. 1, the London-based DJ’s self-released, rapid-fire mix au jus and it’s about time we receive another 80+ song peppering of the finest in grime, dubstep, drill and R&B. Like most Oneman efforts, Vol. 2’s highlights come in the form of idiosyncratic mixes between of-the-moment hip hop and ‘nuum-style UK tunes. Rising Glacial Sound artist Rabit has quite a presence in the mix, as does the drawling Memphis style presented by the likes of Lil Ugly Mane and Denzel Curry. Check out the cover art and tracklist after the jump…

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Ryan Hemsworth & ASAP DJs At Boiler Room NYC

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May 22, 2013
Live, Mixes
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asap yams

It’s impossible to understate the impact that ASAP Yams’ Tumblr has had on the ASAP sound and hip hop as a whole. If you’ve listened to pre-LiveLoveA$AP Rocky material, then that is very clear. Before meeting and being inundated with Yams’ knowledge and cultural breadth, Rocky was another run-of-the-mill New York MC almost entirely bereft of the fashion image he has now come to embody. There would be no purple in Rocky’s sound, no coke and white bitches if it wasn’t for Yams. Recently, Ryan Hemsworth and the “ASAP DJs” went b2b at a special Boiler Room NYC event (similar to the one they pulled off in London last year) and I can’t figure a more perfect manifestation of Yams’ influence. Hemsworth, in many ways, follows in the steps of Yams as cultural kaleidoscope, bringing a deep knowledge of 90s hip hop and popular culture to an increasingly young fan base. The mixing across the hour and ten minutes Hemsworth and the ASAP crew were on the decks is spotty at best (some have blamed a faulty needle), but that’s not really the point. Rocky actually spends the most time behind the decks, but again that’s not really the point. Yams’ influence is palpable as Rocky and Hemsworth bounce between club edits and late-90s Houston, Atlanta and Memphis with a choice Young Scooter number thrown in for good measure. Like Yams’ Tumblr, the mix is an amalgamation of the origins of contemporary hip hop sounds thrown into a blender with the best of 2013.