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nguzunguzu

if there was one proper criticism of Los Angeles-based duo Nguzunguzu entering their latest Skycell EP, it was their relative lack of restraint when compared to some of their compatriots (Jam City, Slackk, Visionist) in the grime/club music world. There was (and occasionally still is) a certain balls-to-the wall quality in the music of Asma Maroof and Daniel Pineda that surely ingratiated the duo to their fans, but after a long period of releases, their tracks tended to sometimes lull this particular listener into a  daze. Of course, that perception was crushed alongside expectations with Skycell (out now on Fade To Mind), a masterful collection of tracks that are far more sparse and mechanical than anything they’ve released in the past. Not ones to let momentum slip away, Asma and Daniel recently contributed a remix to Darkstar’s HD7 EP (out now on Warp) and the results are breathtaking. The juxtaposition of an almost trance-like chord progression with percussion more typical of Nguzu’s recent output (and the output of much of the F2M/Night Slugs fam) is something I wouldn’t mind seeing more of in the future. Stream/download the remix below and cop the EP here.

boards of canada

First off, it took me a while to totally get Boards Of Canada. See, I was six when Music Has A Right To Children and didn’t get around to the duo’s deeper catalogue until last year. If you were worried though, it finally clicked for me around the time I was revisiting Hi Scores. There’s a supernaturally grounded quality about BoC that I still haven’t been able to put my finger on, but it’s there. On June 10, BoC will release Tomorrow’s Harvest on Warp, their first full length since 2005’s The Campfire Headphase. You can listen to “Reach For The Dead” now. It’s excellent in that BoC way. Oh and pre-order the album here. Please.

mount kimbie

First debuted by Ben UFO on the Hessle Audio Rinse.FM show, the long-awaited first single from Mount Kimbie’s sophomore LP has finally come in a swirl of clicking four on the floor madness. More than that, we now know the title (Cold Spring Fault Less Youth) and exact release date (May 27) for the album. If that isn’t enough for you, “Made To Stray” is up for free download at this very moment. That’s right, brand new Mount Kimbie at your fingertips for no cost whatsoever. Long time listeners might be a little surprised at the direction Dom and Kal have taken on “Made To Stray”, but if you checked out our interview with the London duo, then the use of analogue drum machines and the steady kick drum should be a welcome addition to the use pot and pan percussion and elastic vocal work. “Made To Stray” also heavily features a vocalist and while the track certainly falls outside of the standard pop realm, it’s about as traditional an effort as we’ve seen from the duo. Then again, one of the major concepts behind Kimbie’s music has been to insert dubstep/house/garage/techno sensibilities into a more traditional song structure, something made abundantly clear on “Made To Stray”.

The auteurs of one of the finest, most groundbreaking electronic albums in recent memory, Dominic Maker and Kai Campos, recently embarked upon a quick jaunt across North America to showcase new material from their upcoming full length and a more developed live show.  While the members of Mount Kimbie took in some Los Angeles poolside vibes the day before their LA appearance, (reviewed as an incredible musical journey in which the concepts of time and place ceased to behave according to their usual rules and regulations) I had the pleasure of sitting down with them and hearing their answers to my star-struck, stammered queries.  The transcription that follows sheds some light on the intentions with their live show, a few of the more technical aspects of their live and studio setups, the creative process, and more.  They confirm a new record out on Warp before summer of 2013 and hint that some James Blake collaborations may see the light of day in the upcoming year as well.  I had a fantastic time chatting with this pair of gentlemen and am pleased and honored to share their insights with you.

Hit the jump for the full interview…

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