On May 27, J-Cush’s Lit City Trax imrpint will release DJ Marfox’s Lucky Punch EP, the first non-Portuguese release from the Lisbon-based artist. “Terra Batida” is the first taste of the EP, which should (hopefully) launch Marfox’s defining sound into a whole new arena. Lit City has progressed through footwork and grime already and Marfox’s myriad kuduro/tarraxhina hybrid tracks should fit in perfectly with the label’s idiosyncratic vision. Stream “Terra Batida” below and prepare yourself for May 27.
New Music
Cairo Liberation Front Remixes SBMG’s “Oeh Nah Nah”
If you’ve followed Cairo Liberation Front over the past year, you’ll have surely noticed their willingness to expand their sound into new territory and have especially shown a willingness to experiment with American rap. The Tilburg-based trio are the first act outside of Egypt to take on electro chaabi (otherwise know as mahragrant) and have taken to the wedding music-born style with an intense fervor. For more on electro chaabi, see Generation Bass’ ahead of the curve coverage, The Quietus’ exposes, or Mumdance’s recent crossover mixtape. There’s a wealth of information (and misinformation) on this rich musical style and at this point, we’re certainly not the outlet to be making definitive statements on it. Anyways, CLF recently released their first official remix, a take on Amsterdam-based duo SDMG. Playful handclaps and a childishly captivating synthesizer melody set off SDMG’s Dutch rapping, which is incomprehensible to my ears, but sounds wonderful in this context. Stream and download below.
New Anthony Naples – “Perro”
At some point over the past two years, Anthony Naples crossed the threshold from “talented newcomer” to “New York City dance music talisman”, but you’d be hard pressed to point out exactly when the transformation occurred. From his very first release on Mister Saturday Night (the Mad Disrespect EP), people flocked to the young, modest producer and by the time the “P O T” single was released on Proibito in 2013, a full blown Naples folklore had developed. It doesn’t hurt that Naples exclusively releases on reputable outlets like Rubadub and The Trilogy Tapes along with the aforementioned Mister Saturday Night and Proibito, was recruited by Four Tet to open his U.S. tour, and has garnered plaudits from just every publication on either side of the Atlantic. But the truth is that much of the Naples folklore has arisen organically as a result of the outstanding quality of each and every release since the barnstormer that was “Mad Disrespect”. In May, Naples will release his second EP on The Trilogy Tapes, anchored by the following “Perro”. It’s dusty, roughhewn and slightly psychotropic, all too common descriptors for a Naples song, but ones that function for a reason.
Premier: Hollow Legs – Don’t Send me
In a land with rife with failed labels and half-baked marketing ventures, it’s always a pleasure to come across an outlet that appreciates the simple things and puts its focus solely on turning out a coherent, well-conceived final product. Fresh faced London imprint Club Soda Records fulfills that ethos, drawing lines across myriad UK “bass” genres, but touching on grime and garage primarily. In february, the label released parjo01‘s Shadows EP, a tightly wound affair with a high quality dub and some aggro patois chatter. On May 5, the label will release Hollow Legs’ Grillin’ Me, a patient EP with a razor sharp amphetamine edge. “Don’t Send Me”, the EP’s closer, might be the heaviest effort on the release, featuring punchy kicks and grime-worthy bass hits. It’s all about club sensibility here and it’s clear that Hollow Legs and Club Soda know a thing or two about what sounds good and right on a large rig. Stream/download “Don’t Send Me” below and hit the jump for a preview of the full Grillin’ Me EP (which also features remixes from Clueless and Blnd!).
New Grenier & Archie Pelago – “Swoon”
On first listen, Grenier and Archie Pelago seem an odd pairing, the former cultivating a strong following in the ambiguous West Coast “bass” scene under both his Grenier nom de guerre and his DJG alter ego, while the latter’s live instrument-based house output have endeared them to the NYC faithful. That being said, Grenier has released his fair share of chunky house and Archie Pelago show an unrestrained willingness to collaborate and experiment so maybe that reactionary observation isn’t so accurate after all. In May, UK label Melodic will release Grenier meets Archie Pelago, a 12 track effort that promises to usher in Summer with a light-hearted, meticulously textured take on the four-on-the-floor blueprint we all know and love. The album was conceived on a “hazy, early spring afternoon in the basement of an art gallery in San Francisco”, but that doesn’t mean it’s full of dense, elegiac house that is only fit for the most adventurous dance floors. Instead, Grenier meets Archie Pelago is an immediately accessible, gratifying affair, featuring alluring strings, twangy bass and a cohesive Summer sun thread that rejects the pastiche that come of live instrumentation in dance music.
“Swoon” is the first single from the album and epitomizes everything noted above, from the tightly wound rhythmic structure to the melancholic string work. On a simple level, the song is elegant and beatific, offering up the perfect soundtrack for a day party, but that’s not all it offers. In its composition and instrumental arrangement, “Swoon” conveys a range emotional concepts that belie the melancholy strings that makes up the brunt of its melody. There are hints of triumphalism in the horns and an obstinate digital futurism in the synthetic bleeps. Overall, the song’s whole is far more valuable than its constituent parts. The album won’t be released until May 19, but you can stream “Swoon” now and pre-order the full LP here.
New Sage Caswell – “Street Lite”
Los Angeles-based producer and sometimes Body High affiliate Sage Caswell released a strutting new EP this week on French label Decabaret, his first official release of the year. The EP, Tribute 2 CC Archer, builds on the rough-around-the-edges house template he’s manufactured (often alongside Cromie), but adds a certain flair that allows the music to rise above the dusty drums + cyclical chord melody + ethereal vocal sample template. “Street Lite” does not appear on Tribute 2 CC Archer, but the track is a belter in its own right, a chugging scythe-like number that matches rusty nail percussion with a dose of filter-heavy chord work. Like most of Caswell’s productions, it fits in perfectly with the late night club aesthetic and that’s right where it belongs. Stream below and head over to XLR8R to download “Street Lite”.
New Tsvi – “I Married The Woman Of My Dreams”
London producer Tsvi first caught our attentions through an exuberant edits package that captured the adventurous spirit of devil mix grime, only if it had the propulsive nature of percussive techno. Lacking any pretension, Tsvi’s work has an intangible immediacy to it and despite having a relatively small footprint, it’s clear that he has the panache to join a rarified stratum of artists. “I Married The Woman Of My Dreams” is the latest Tsvi jawn and, for now, the only track on his Soundcloud. In a recent Bok Bok interview, the Night Slugs head honcho referred to an aesthetic he calls the “hyper-real”, a distinctly hi-fi sound that retains an innate natural sensibility. It can be seen in the Classical Curves cover art, Girl Unit’s Hysterics project and, as far I’m concerned, “I Married The Woman Of My Dreams”. While Bok Bok’s use of the adjective “wooden” is a little convoluted, the conflagration of metal, earth and space in the aforementioned projects in undeniable. We might have a hyper-real movement on our hands so keep an eye out for Tsvi.
Murlo Remixes Cherish’s “Unappreciated”
Continuing his string of impressive R&B remixes, Murlo has sunk his teeth into Cherish’s overlooked 2006 roller “Unappreciated”. The Jermaine Dupri produced original is subsumed in playful squarewave synths that are given free will to dance over a simple kick pattern. Left-field is entering an interesting phase where producers are finding new ways to aid and abet a vocalist without being entirely derivative of Timbaland or the Neptunes. It wouldn’t surprise me if Murlo turns out to be one of the producers to break that regressive influence-based duopoly either, what with the near-perfect roll of flips he’s got going at the moment.
New Motions – “All Gone”
Since Grown Folk broke up last year, Brendan Neal and Drew Kim have turned their attentions toward their respective solo careers, the former getting snapped up by Body High (and getting nods from Skream, Jacques Greene and other heavy hitters), while the latter dipped his toes in rap production and is prepping a release on Sinden’s Grizzly imprint. Today, we’re focusing on Brendan, now known as Motions, and his upcoming debut EP for aforementioned Los Angeles club outpost Body High. Set for an April 29 release date, the All Gone EP will feature Neal’s pristine take on mid-tempo house across four tracks. Stream the EP’s title track below and head over to Resident Advisor to receive some insight into Neal’s relationship with Samo Sound Boy and Jerome LOL and his goal of imbuing All Gone with outside-the-box production methods.
Visionist Remixes Glasser’s “Shape”
Alongside Hyetal, Kowton and Deetron, Visionist has taken part in remixing “Shape” from Glasser’s 2013 LP Interiors. While oversized remix packages are rather common in the contemporary pop music landscape, this one comes through on numerous levels with each remixer properly reworking the ghostly singer’s original into something fit for their idea of the club. The London grime non-traditionalist churns “Shape” into a hypnotiq piece of beat work, predictably devoid of percussion. It’s orchestral in its effect, but relies almost entirely on Glasser’s beatific vocals and a simple, harmonizing melody. It’s Visionist at his weirdest, but the thread of the original offers a recognizable pop trope that functions on a similar conceptual level to much of VIsionist’s solo work, especially when the throbbing, uncontrollable sub bass kicks in for the second half of the remix. The Shape Remixes single is out now on True Panther.










