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LOGOS MIX ART

Dusk & Blackdown’s Keysound Recordings label functioned as a home for experimentation and left-field recordings for the past several years, churning out more than their fair share of seminal records. With the recent spate of grime “revivalists” (sorry) in mind, the label has released the likes of Visionist, Rabit, Moleskin and others, preferring a sub-freezing, enveloping take on the traditional sounds of Wiley, XTC and Musical Mob. While their are more than enough examples to choose from, Logos‘ 2012 Kowloon EP exemplifies the brittle, yet protean sound that the aforementioned producers, Keysound and, especially, Slackk’s monthly mixes have come to exemplify. Crystalline in nature, Kowloon has been compared to the piano compositions of Phillip Glass, relying more on wispy melodies than on machinegun snare bursts or patois banter. 2013’s Cold Mission LP (also on Keysound) acts as an apogee of this sound, an exquisitely constructed 11 song album with several collaborations and out-of-nowhere interruptions to keep the listener on edge.

At this point, we’ve left it to other, more talented writers to espouse the venerable qualities and inherent frigidity of Cold Mission, so instead we reached out to the man himself (born James Parker) and asked for a contribution to our guest mix series. After a few months of emailing back-and-forth, we wrangled the following 30 minutes of hazy techno, forceful drum tracks and 90s Memphis rap. The track list has been left intentionally vague, but if you’ve been following us, you’ll surely recognize a few choice cuts and will surely recognize more as they emerge (or not) in the future. Enjoy.

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iamsu-grill-1 Coming out with his first official single, the Richmond, CA native Iamsu! enlists 2 Chainz and Sage the Gemeni for “Only That Real.” Over low synths that ooze between sparse hi-hats from producer P-Lo, Su gives us an account of where he’s been (New Orleans strip clubs) and what he’s been doing (throwing money/making it back) before giving it up to veteran 2 Chainz who has apparently been doing the same. But it’s Sage the Gemini who comes through with the best verse on the track with a voice sounding something like a gravelly Ty Dolla $. “Only That Real” will be the first single from Iamsu!’s Sincerely Yours LP due April. Stream below.

sinjin-hawke1It’s always a pleasure to post the best press shot in music, in no small part because the song it accompanies is always a smasher. Sinjin Hawke evolved into an unstoppable beast in 2013 through a series of remixes and collaborations and 2014 will likely end up being one of those “leap” years  for the producer that everyone talks about. Whether he’s revamping ghetto house or doing Just Blaze better than Just Blaze (or with Just Blaze for that matter), the Barcelona-based producer has elicited an innumerable amount of excited yelps from this listener. If I had to pick a highlight from Sinjin’s 2013 , it would have to be the establishment of the visual-focused Fractal Fantasy series, a collaborative effort with significant other Zora Jones that has featured L-Vis 1990, Morri$ and Ms. Jones herself. The latest Fractal Fantasy effort, titled “ThunderScan”, comes from Sinjin and Fade To Mind/Qween Beat talisman MikeQ. If you’ve followed Sinjin’s progression over the past several years, the vocal twists and irregular pacing will not come as a surprise, but with MikeQ’s ballroom “ha”s and crashes thrown into the mix, “ThunderScan” appears to exist in a wild, unpredictable state. Watch the video and it will all make sense.

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The kids from New York, RATKING, delivered another merciless, murderer of a track this morning. “Canal” sees emcee Wiki challenging anyone to piss on the city over a beat that sounds like a car alarm through a smashed-in window. RATKING takes on New York’s hip-hop history without letting it burden them and instead come through as brash but aware. “Canal” is the first single off the group’s debut album So It Goes set to come out April 8th. With a tracklist including production from the legend Young Guru and features from King Krule, Wavy Spice/Princess Nokia, and Salomon Faye this album is one of my most heavily anticipated of the year. Stream “Canal” below and view the So It Goes tracklist after the jump.

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mumdance - springtime

The pairing of Mumdance with Unknown to the Unknown is as exciting a premise as we’ve heard in quite some time. With releases on Keysound, Tectonic and several American labels under his belt, plus a few wildly successful collaborations with Logos, Mumdance has solidified his rave credentials and is ready for the big-time. The Springtime EP does not have a release date yet, but we’ve been gifted a taste of it in the form of “It’s Peak (Club Mix)”, a knife-like techno jam that has our legs moving in some type of way. “It’s Peak (Club Mix)” is spiky and inundated by a dripping water sample, but also retains its rave credentials and maintains a slinky quality. It’s everything at once, a quality that has rocketed Mumdance into the general consciousness over the past several years.

jubilee - pull ova

With 2012’s Pop It! EP, Jubilee made her purpose of fusing Miami bass with contemporary American dance music styles very clear. The EP was met with mixed reviews, but in the months since its release, the Brooklyn-resident and Mixpak reppin’ DJ/producer has proven the ability (again and again and again) to infuse the stripped down, booty-focused nature of Miami, Uncle Luke and strip clubs into a relatively contemporary formation. On January 28, we can all celebrate the Eastern seaboard and its respective dance sub-cultures via the Pull Ova EP, which also be released on Mixpak. The EP features a tone-changing remix from Salva, plenty of Miami signifiers and two wildly entertaining originals in “I-95” and “Pull Ova”. There are also plenty of nods to Chicago and Detroit, specifically with regards to jit and Dance Mania, references that are always appreciated. Stream the EP below and if you’re in the Brooklyn area next weekend, hit up the release party, which will also feature Dubbel Dutch, Dre Skull and others.

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22-year-old Teklife hitta DJ Earl released his TEK x TAR Vol. 2 ep as a follow-up to last October’s TEK x TAR Vol. 1 from label mate DJ Manny. Only three songs long, this ep finds its energy on the short and simple “Get Da Hoe” but reaches its footwork climax on “WTF?!? Life Sent It Up.” Starting off slow, DJ Earl feeds the listener repeated vocal samples, interrupting each other in a wash that becomes a prayer to Teklife. With sharp, morse code-like bleeps riding over doubled up pads on the bridge, DJ Earl gives us the impression that he’s sending this footwork straight to space. Stream TEK x TAR Vol. 2 below.

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With the second remix album of Seattle duo Cock & Swan‘s impressive album, Secret Angles, releasing on January 28th, Hush Hush Records let loose one of the more exciting tracks to be included, Chants’ spin on “Animal Totem.” From Wisconsin and working within Hush Hush’s Seattle network, Chants has created a sound indebted to winter nights and bottled up excitement. Accompanied by a fitting animated clip, this remix of “Animal Totem” pulls the listener out of the drowsy synths with short cuts of Ola Hungerford’s vocals. Stream the remix below and hit the jump for the video.

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Last week, Run The Jewels (Killer Mike and El-P) released the European version of last year’s murderous self-titled album. Along with a Dave Sitek remix of “Sea Legs” and an all-new RTJ song “Pew Pew Pew”, this version of the album sees Seattle production duo, Blue Sky Black Death, taking on “36″ Chain“. Instead of indulging the original’s war-lust, BSBD flip it with their tried-and-true cloud stilo giving it a slow progression that shapes “36” Chain” into an underdog victory epic. Stream the remix below.

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Last weekend, Warp-signee, Patten, let loose a small collection of edits spanning from FKA Twig’s “Ultraviolet” to Burial’s “Untrue“. Although he didn’t make it easy to download the pack, once you maneuver his newly designed website (click on the perforated circle symbol) you will be rewarded by the kind of experimental, drowned out edits that the London producer has come to be known for. These songs will have you grasping at trails of familiarity before they ultimately wash over you, leaving you stranded somewhere unexplored. With a new album, ESTOILE NAIANT, due out February 24th, these loosies will do more than tide us over.  Download the full set from Patten’s website here and stream below.