Orbital Video Diary Documents Making Of New Album (2011) :: Video

Orbital
P&P share making of new album through video diary, updates on Facebook and Twitter

The brothers Hartnoll are back in the lab working on a new album, and this time they're sharing their progress with fans through periodic YouTube video diary uploads, Facebook posts and Twitter updates.  In their first charmingly sheepish video posted back in mid-February, we are introduced to "the map", a large scribbly thing looking something like a synthesizer schematic that is said to be a visual representation of their plans for the album. The Map hangs on the wall above their workstation, and though we can't decipher much on it, it shows us how much further along the guys are in their process.  My favorite bit in this video however is the brief live performance of one of their new tracks - it's sounding great!  Though they just put out the banging double-single Don't Stop Me / The Gun Is Good in 2010, their last full length Blue Album was released way back in 2004, so needless to say I am well excited for a new one.

Orbital - Video Diary Part 1 (16 Feb 2011):


Orbital - Video Diary Part 2 (18 Feb 2011):


Orbital - Video Diary Part 3 (4 Mar 2011):


Orbital - Video Diary Part 4 (14 Mar 2011) at Valencia gig:


Orbital - Video Diary Part 5 (25 Mar 2011):


To be notified of future video diary entries:

Connect with Orbital :: YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Official Site

Golden Girls - Kinetic (Lone Remix) :: Review

LONE.
Golden Girls - Kinetic (Lone Remix)
[R&S Records :: 2011]

Free Download

I love LONE. His lush and sparkling EDM gives me the same happy, carefree feeling I get from listening to multi-layered '90s ravey house from artists like Orbital and FSOL without the guilt of being stuck in an era long gone.  The UK artist has decided to give out a remix to prep everyone for his first R&S Records release Echolocations EP (due out April 11, 2011) and Lone-and-behold, it's an updated rework of the classic early-nineties warehouse techno single "Kinetic" by Golden Girls, a Paul Hartnoll (of Orbital) side project from the R&S archives.  It retains the emotional loveliness of the original while giving us everything we love about a LONE. track including upbeat dancey drum machine rhythms and warm, warbley synths.  Just beautiful.  Listen / download below.




Download Golden Girls - Kinetic (Lone Remix) :: .MP3


Pre-Order Lone - Echolocations EP (2011) :: R&S Records | Boomkat

Buy Lone - Emerald Fantasy Tracks (2010) :: Amazon | Boomkat

Connect with LONE. :: MySpace | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Missqulater - Unfinished Downer EP (2010) :: Review

Missqulater
Unfinished Downer EP
[Karakasa Music :: 2010]

Free Download

7/10

Missqulater's Unfinished Downer EP, released today by Karakasa Music, defies its own name.  This generous 5-tracker is a veritable fountain of pastoral pads and angelic voices behind manic DnB beats and old-school squelch that feels more like an upper than anything.

Track 1 "Proper Action" throws you right into the middle of the rave field with a driving acid bassline, persistent 4 on the floor, and atmospheric movie quote samples from Office Space.  "Back 2 Da Rooture" will keep you dancing and introduces the use of a chopped but relatively unaltered female voice which is a bit rare for this artist, but well executed. 

Anyone familiar with Missqulater's back-catalog will recognize in this EP a similar "uplifting" feel that his earlier work has, taking his brand of braindance to an almost spiritual place without sounding cheesy.  The album cover features a mysterious cavern lit by small candles - is this a place of worship?  Are these tracks actually hymns and prayers written for the Gods of Electronic Music?  Brothers and Sisters, let us rise from our DAWs,  turn to TB-303, Pattern 8, and meditate on the resonance of our bassline.  Amen break.

But Unfinished Downer isn't all about reaching a higher plane.  Track 3 "Pest" is a hot tub full of funky 80's flick "bwuh bwuh" basslines, sexy synth and lustful beats with busy 8-bit sounds spilling out over the edge.  Missqulater also uses these funny little pitched-up vocal clips that sound like mischievous characters from a Japanese cartoon that I've come to associate with his style.  "Scant 303" takes us even further into the netherworld and taps into some kind of eerie space mission broadcast, but "A Key Of Day" brings us back to our happy place.  This EP is a nice little slice of electronic dance music that is neither unfinished nor a downer, and I'd recommend it to fans of Orbital or Underworld style tunage.

Karakasa Music
With only a handful of releases under the Karakasa Music umbrella so far, it's clear that they are about quality over quantity and have a passion for unique, inspired IDM.  With 5 solid EPs out from H.P. Sneakstep, Mitch Murder, and now Missqulater, Karakasa is shaping up to be a netlabel to keep permanently on your radar.  They are also extremely accommodating from the listener's perspective, hooking up fellow audiophiles with a buffet of file types and qualities.  You can even download the Unfinished Downer EP 32-bit .wav master files and go skinny dipping in a sea of audio data.

Listen:


1. Proper Action
2. Back 2 Da Rooture
3. Pest
4. Scant 303
5. A Key Of Day

Download Missqulater - Unfinished Downer EP (.ZIP)  :: MP3 VBR | MP3 320kbps | FLAC 16-bit | FLAC 24-bit | WAV 32-bit (masters) | Archive.org Download Page

Connect with Missqulater :: MySpace | Twitter | SoundCloud

Vertical67 - Daydreamer (2010) :: Review

Vertical67
Daydreamer EP
[Schwa! Records :: 2010]
Free Download

8.5/10

If you're on the prowl for summery electronic music, here's a good one for you.  Vertical67's "Daydreamer" EP out recently via Schwa! Records is a breath of fresh air, and as the cover art suggests, could very well be the perfect audio companion to any activity on a warm summer afternoon, such as relaxing in the shade or cycling through the city.

Here Vertical67 blends dreamy IDM with upbeat acid house, achieving a nice balance of energy and feel-good melody.  Opener "Awaiting This Moment" gets things started with a laid-back bpm and a classic house dance feel that is sure to get your toe tapping.  Around the 2:06 mark is the moment I was waiting for with enthusiastic bursts of sprinting synth piano rolls backed by a solid 4-on-the-floor and a warm, underlying trance pad. Stand-out track "Sunday Afternoon Jam" is a creative melodic piece comprised of bubbly bass, syncopated rhythms, and a peculiarly cute synth lead that reminds me a bit of Global Goon's "Vatican Nitez".  The atmospheric reverb in this track is a lush wonderland where the haze of yellow incense and purple bumble bees swirl around your head as you sink deeper into a bed of fluffy green grass.

I enjoy the way Vertical67 applies his psychedelic influence without being too obvious about it.  "Cosmic Falafel" incorporates subtle tongue clicks and some textural microsounds you can almost feel in the back of your sinuses whilst headphone listening, and "Moondance" gives us an acid bassline that occasionally flutters up into 8-bit-ish bleeps.  The entire release is sprinkled with abstract samples and brainy changeups, but still maintains a steady dance floor feel, rounding out nicely with a solid remix from Volitune.

Information found on the Schwa! Records site says this EP "features mostly tracks comin out of jamsessions with hardwaresynths and TR-606 and some other bits created under the influence of chocolate cookies, sunshine and other nice things" which, I have to admit, makes me love it even more.



Download :: Vertical67 - Daydreamer (90 MB .ZIP, 320kbps .MP3)

Connect with Vertical67 :: MySpace | Facebook | SoundCloud

Volitune - C EP (2010) :: Review

Volitune
C EP
[The Centrifuge :: 2010]
Free Download

9/10

There were a few awesome new releases over the weekend but the one that really stands out and satisfies my braindance bug is Volitune's "C" EP.  Along with his 5 new tracks come 3 excellent remixes by fellow electronic artists that are so varied, the whole collection feels like 8 unique tunes.  Volitune's sound is reminiscent of early IDM and oldskool-ish Detroit house but he waves his magic acid wand and whips up a new blend of sonically pleasing braindance laced with live bass guitar, creative riffs, and vintage gear.  Opening track "Exotica" is a fast-paced, jazzy, drill 'n bassy number that makes me wonder if Volitune's last name is secretly Jenkinson.  The 3 remixes of this track by Oxynucid, Mrs Jynx, and Scrubber Fox respectively take it into 3 entirely different directions, all of them good.  As the album moves on, the mood shifts to a bit of a funkier, head-nodding, foot stomping, acid house frame of mind with some tricky beat programming and a dash of sinister downtempo mixed in for good measure.  I have absolutely nothing bad to say about this release other than it's over too soon.

Volitune - C EP
[The Centrifuge :: 2010]
8 Tracks



FREE DOWNLOAD
 
Tracklist:
1. Exotica (Fast Mix)
2. Flunk
3. Mellowave
4. The Whip
5. Dead Street
6. Exotica (Oxynucid Remix)
7. Exotica (Mrs Jynx Remix)
8. Exotica (Scrubber Fox Remix)

If you like this, you should also check out Volitune's first EP "Binary Waves" available for free download as well.  Volitune - Binary Waves :: FREE DOWNLOAD

Connect with Volitune :: MySpace | Facebook | Soundcloud

Missqulater - Acid House/Breakbeat/IDM Artist from Japan

Missqulater 
Unpredictable modern acid house injected with a collage of electronic styles, lush melodies, and complex beats that defy you not to dance.
Free Downloads + New Album On The Way

27 year old Japanese electronic music maker Missqulater admittedly doesn't speak or write in English very well, but when he speaks to us through the universal language of music, his message is loud and clear. He exercises modern braindance composition techniques and sounds while honoring the classic acid house rave dance movement with an unmistakable throwback flair. Having listened to a lot of acid house and breakbeat in the late '90s and early 2000s, I can't help appreciate these stylistic homages that may be lost on newer / younger electronic fans, but there is definitely something for everyone in Missqulater's music.

When you sample the first track on his 2008 EP release "Landschaft", you will hear it begin with an Aphex Twin inspired orchestral pattern, but it is quickly layered upon with a quick beat, a lovely melodic synth lead and other rhythms that give it Missqulater's own unique flavor.  Throughout his 3 proper releases you'll find beautiful melodies intertwining with complex breakbeats, acid basslines, and funky interludes that often have me asking, "How did he come up with that?"  Vocals are scarce, but always sampled or vocoded and add a modest dose of funkiness, which comes as a relief to those who appreciate instrumental tracks.

Missqulater - Landschaft EP
[Tres Catorce Netlabel :: 2008]
7 Tracks



FREE DOWNLOAD + STREAM

As you listen to each of Missqulater's releases in chronological order, you can hear his sound palette and style become more varied.  His All Things Considered LP encapsulates such an explosion of ideas and wide assortment of styles but still maintains a signature sound.  The track Primal Zuper Acid is classic 4:30am rave while "Stop Smoking Peace Light" features soothing pads and sometimes dissonant chords overlapping eachother backed by an acoustic drum kit playing freeform jazz, yet somehow it all still fits within the context of this IDM album.

Missqulater - All Things Considered
[Love Love Records :: 2009]
17 Tracks

FREE DOWNLOAD

His latest output is an E.P. titled "Transaction Acid" released earlier this year and is probably his most complex yet most ravey so far.  It opens with a fast tempo'd, optimistic acid jammer overlayed with distant angelic choral pads and busy rhythm synth and continues to evolve into some pretty nostalgic, party-tastic dance tunage. 

Missqulater - Transaction Acid EP
[Tres Catorce Netlabel :: 2010]
7 Tracks



FREE DOWNLOAD + STREAM

I wanted to know a little more about the man behind the cat face and where he gets his inspiration so I sent out a couple of questions like a message in a bottle across the Pacific Ocean and was happy to discover it had floated back with answers from Missqulater himself.

Bc:  Who has been your biggest inspiration to make music?
Missqulater:  My best hero was Michael Jackson in my childhood and now is Luke Vibert.  Luke is my fav and my best teacher.

Bc:  What has been your favorite live performance so far?
Missqulater:  Mogwai. I was Teen and shocked, The Loud Noize and Silence Melanchoric was so sweet!  Electronic Side, Squarepusher and Mouse On Mars, Juan Atkins are Farburous.

Bc:  What is your favorite style to compose?
Missqulater: Based On ACID House, Breakbeat, Electronica, IDM.  Twist many Knobs Of Synths, and Chopped The Breakbeats On Computer.

Bc:  Who are your favorite "up and coming" artists right now?
Missqulater:  Beatwife, End Pitch, Lactation Sandwich, Shiv, Psyspy, Acid Druid, Llen Rain Recordings

Bc:  When will your next release be?  And will it be an E.P. or L.P.?
Missqulater:  Soon My New LP coming On Spanish Netlabel "Tres Catorce Netlabel"  This Album taste is "Ravy-Acid breaks", Dont Miss It :)

Bc:  What did you have for breakfast today?
Missqulater: Haha, I didn't.  Nothing 'cos I am Hangover now (Thankful for holydays).  Just Drink Fresh Orange juice and Listen to "Polynomial-C" by Aphex Twin.

Hook up with Missqulater online at the links below and stay tuned for a review of his next album.

Missqulater :: MySpace | Twitter | SoundCloud