Factory Floor – ‘How You Say (Daniel Avery Remix)’

London-based producer Daniel Avery, already wowed us with his excellent debut LP Drone Logic, belated discovery over the festive period. It’s a big old fashioned dance album, in the sense that it revolves around no nonsense synths with house/techno beats in a similar way to Underworld or Leftfield in their pomp, and is nothing short of amazing.

A couple of weeks back, he released this sublime new remix of ‘How You Say’ by Factory Floor, who’s own debut of motorik, bone-rattling analog magic from last year has plenty of it’s own spectacular moments. On this eight-plus-minute remix, Avery applies a foggy-hazy touch to transform the skeletal original into a more lush and blissful track.

‘How You Say (Daniel Avery Remix)’ can be streamed in full below, before its release on April 14th through DFA. Factory Floor also have a string of North American tour dates, if you’re on that side of the pond, check them here. 

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Imploded View – ‘Mixed View’

From his Longford hideaway, operating under the guise of Imploded View, Jerome McCormick has proven a reliable source of experimental, sometimes abstract but always interesting electronic music.

McCormick’s preference has always been atmospheric, downtempo and minimalist electronic compositions with sparse sounds, synths and all manner of analogue trickery. Dark, moody and immediately emotive, the music rarely if ever, emerges from first gear, preferring to meander through a vast and cloudy world of dreamy, chilled sounds and ambient dreamscapes. Having released album #2, Anomoly Domine only last year, this latest work from the Imploded View camp is something quite different. 

Mixed View is a remix package (plus two new originals) which sees the entrusting of remix duties to R.S.A.G, Christ, VHS Head, Daithi & Yimino. Of them, the standout’s are R.S.A.G’s rework of ‘The Keeping’ and VHS Head’s remix of ‘Julia Taxi’. R.S.A.G takes probably the most playful and laid-back of all Imploded View’s works and adds pep to its step so to speak, giving it a new lease of life with an irresistible groove, bounce and a swaggering cool confidence of David Holmes or Primal Scream. VHS Head meanwhile, takes the dark, moody melancholy of ‘Julia Taxi’ and turns it into a fascinating, futuristic and impermeable concoction imbued between rumbling sonic road trip of its psychedelic whirls and the dense ear-shaking beats and crunching bass. Just two choice cuts from a thoroughly worthwhile and enjoyable EP. 

Mixed View is out now and available here. 

Jezz At Home – ‘One Track Mind’

It’s been while since having call to talk about Lyon duo Tom Beaulaigue and Laurent Nivon, aka Jezz At Home. Since the genre hopping adventures of their debut EP, Mad, things have been regrettably quiet.

The duo have broken radio silence with new tune, ‘One Track Mind’. It, like previous tunes, incorporates their love of jazzy hip hop and encapsulates a belief that there are no borders or boundaries between genres. ‘One Track Mind’ opens with a gently pattering drum beat only to unexpectedly explode into glittery disco. This one’s got a serious groove and plenty of bounce, especially in that insidiously catchy, deep funky bassline. The plurality of the duo’s differing musical backgrounds, one techno & one hip-hop, makes for a intriguing and absorbing listen, but what makes them standout even further is their ability to assimilate them together into a slick, neat and cohesive production. Yet another slick and downright infectious feelgood production from the French duo.

Stream / Download ‘One Track Mind’ below. 

Introducing: Jaguar Mín

Jaguar Mín is the moniker of South Wales producer Harrison Banfield. Priding himself on his eclecticism, his ongoing series of short EPs feature contrasting styles, but with a focus very much on experimental side of electronic music.

Banfield painstakingly pieces together rattling, arrhythmic sound sculptures that sound like something altogether otherworldly and downright different. His most recent release, Poll / Splix, is an excursion to a duo of utterly eerie, chilling and unnerving tracks. ‘Poll’ in particular, with a swirling noise of odd samples, hard-hitting non-sequential beats and warped vocal, sets up a sinister, forbidding Aphex Twin-esque atmosphere. ‘Splix’ is marginally less off-the-wall but it’s just as inventive and thrilling exhibition of sound-manipulation.

Don’t just take my meager words for it, check out ‘Poll’ & ‘Splix’ below. The full package is available to download from bandcamp, just ‘name your price’.

Subaltern – ‘Black Cat’

Subaltern are Irish duo, Alex Lawes & Sean Merrigan, who have been making electronic music together for a few years now. 

So far the duo’s journey has seen them play support for Simian Mobile Disco, Felix Martin of Hot Chip and White Collar Boy. Yet in saying that, their back catologue is rather less than extensive, most likely due to a self confessed preference for analogue gear and “doing everything the long way around”. Enough digression. If the duo’s latest track ‘Black Cat’ is anything to go by, they’re on the right path.  ‘Black Cat’ is a whopper 8 minutes plus of mesmerizing, synthesizer-driven dance, not wholly dissimilar to the aforementioned Simian Mobile Disco. The track has been getting repeated attention the past few weeks, it’s absolutely immense. Certainly interested to hear more from Subaltern in the future and no matter how long the wait, if they keep to this level of quality, these two lads can take all the time they like.

You can give ‘Black Cat’ the once over below, and download it for free too. Sounds chaps indeed.

Best of 2013: Johnny Feeney’s Albums of the Year

The ever knowledgeable Johnny Feeney has frequently featured on the blog throughout this year, popping up time and again to share his musical musings and words of wisdom with us all. So ahead of my own list of albums of the year, Johnny has kindly compiled his top ten albums from 2013.

Before I leave you in Johnny’s very capable hands, I’d like to thank him for this, and all the other posts during the year. He’s a top man. So, without further ado, here are his top ten albums of 2013.

10. Creep – ‘Echoes’

Echoes, the Brooklyn electronic duo Creep’s second album, is a dark, atmospheric record laden with spectral, woozy trip-hop beats and are joined by lots of guest vocalists including Romy-Madeley Croft of the XX and trip-hop royalty in the form of Tricky.

9. Cults – ‘Static’

Static is a tightly packed album of breezy, infectious indie rock with lo-fi production and errs on just the right side of sickly sweet. There are some incredibly catchy songs on here that can lodge in your head for days. Great stuff.

8. Drenge – ‘Drenge’

This debut album from the Loveless brothers, Eoin on guitar/vocals and Rory on drums, is a treat of primal, visceral blues rock. There are some great clattering drums and thundering power riffs throughout. Raw and raucous, this is an excellent rock album.

7. London Grammar – ‘If You Wait’

Ploughing a similar furrow to the XX, Nottingham trio London Grammar specialize in beautifully understated, minimal pop on their debut album. In Hannah Reid, they have a commanding vocal presence that lends a gorgeous intensity throughout. Some real gems on here.

Introducing: Channel Swimmer

Channel Swimmer is the alias of Birmingham based Welsh beatsmith, aka 25-year-old Mathew Mayes, who, only a few months back, released his audacious debut  record to the world.

A culmination of five years work, Alphabet contains 26 tracks ordered from A–Z, and clocks in at a nice 1 hour and 45 mins. Daunting as that may sound, this lavish exploration through through genres, styles and eras, doesn’t for one moment enter the realms of tedium. In fact, as soon as you hit play on this meticulously crafted record, you will be lost in a sea of breathtakingly lush layers, choice samples and snappy beats, which maintains a shimmering warm glow throughout. Alphabet is one of those records which manages a real sense of familiarity without having heard it before. Touching on feelgood territories usually associated with the likes of Washed Out, The Go Team, late ’90s David Holmes and our very own, The Expert, he’s created a sound which oozes nostalgic feelings for all manner of hazy summer days and nights. Channel Swimmer spent his time with this one, letting things simmer until things were just right. 

There’s some choice cuts below but looking past that, you can pick Alphabet from bandcamp now, just ‘name your price’ and away you go. Dive in!

Introducing: Terriers | A belated intro to Dublin duo’s synth-driven minimal electronica

From the one that slipped under the radar department comes Dublin electronic duo, Terriers, aka Peter Ward and Ronan Downing.

The duo impressed on numerous occasions throughout the year, yet somehow managed to be overlooked. Their debut EP, Marie Celeste, kicked off an impressive 2013, while their latest tracks ’13/13′ & ‘For You’ adding further clout to their growing credentials as classy purveyors of synth-driven minimal electronica. Their inspiration is derived from an admiration of atmosphere, the grimey disarray of Dublin city and an overall love for melody and underground bass tones. Terriers’ compositions take on much of this character, providing predominantly downtempo, elegantly produced electronic jams with an after hours, late night atmospheric feel. They’ve captured both a vibe and a groove all of their very own, in short, fantastic stuff all round.  And a pleasure to finally put it into words. 

Like what you hear below? There’s plenty more where that came from on Soundcloud and you can get their Marie Celeste EP for free from bandcamp. Also, Terriers play Junior Spesh @ Twisted Pepper w/ Princess & Monto on Dec 12th. 

Introducing: Cotton Wolf

Information surrounding Cotton Wolf is pretty scant. What is known however; they are based in Wales, have received the seal of approval from Cian Ciaran (Super Furry Animals), who released their Catapelt EP through his own Strangetown Records.

Cotton Wolf’s furtive nature adds a level of intrigue and allows the music to simply speak for itself. Musically, the Catapelt EP is a very promising, downtempo, ambient and electronic excursion. There’s an exploratory feel to Cotton Wolf’s sound. Most tracks utilise a click-clack percussion, intricately pieced together with bass and all manner of sound effects and vocal samples. As a combination of bleeps, chimes, creaks and meandering synth notes push these sonic arrangements forward. It’s an incredibly impressive debut release, filled with pretty chilled but bright, beautiful, yet harsh sounding compositions at the same time. It is requiring of a good few listens for everything that’s going on to seep in (or perhaps that’s just me?).

You can check out ‘Cassette 98’ & ‘Napa’ below, two personal favourites from this incredibly impressive EP. You can also stream Catapelt here or buy it here.

New Tracks from Sliab Cuinciu: ‘Tricks’ & ‘Stay Gold’

Sliab Cuinciu has been, in my humble opinion, the finest new electronic producer to emerge from these shores in 2013.

The 24-year-old Wicklow beatmaker’s 8-track collection, ####, released earlier this year was pure gold; a spellbinding mix embracing all things hip hop, synth pop, disco and a wealth of electronic music, as well as soul, funk and rock. Yes, yes, all great you say but what of now? Well, the good news is Sliab Cuinciu has returned with two new jams, ‘Tricks’ and the aptly titled ‘Stay Gold’, and it looks as though there’s no chance of dropping the standard any time soon. Both tracks are smooth, cool as fuck hip-hop inspired electronic tunes, permeated entirely with a serious feelgood vibe. ‘Tricks’ bounces along some of the funkiest beats and bass you hear this side of the ’70s, it’s so irresistibly infectious. ‘Stay Gold’ meanwhile, has much more of a daydream quality, taking us on a tranquil wander through a land of ’80s synths and drums, much more indebted to the early days of hip hop. In short; two tunes as cool and refreshing as a breeze on a scorching hot summers day.  

You can listen / download (free) to both ‘Tricks’ & ‘Stay Gold’ below. And if you’re liking what’s on offer, you should definitely check out ####, it is available gratis from bandcamp.

Guest Post: Johnny Feeney Picks 3 Albums – Fuck Buttons, Big Deal & London Grammar

The ever reliable Johnny Feeney is back once again with another guest post about three albums that have caught his attention. With that I leave you in Johnny’s very capable hands.

Fuck Buttons – ‘Slow Focus’

Despite, rather surprisingly, Fuck Buttons playing the London Olympics 2012 opening ceremony last year and getting a taste for a wider audience, there’s still no fear of this Bristol electronic duo attempting to go even remotely mainstream on record. Slow Focus, their third studio album and follow up to 2009’s brilliant Tarot Sport, is a much darker affair than its predecessor. The album opens with ‘Brainfreeze’, an eight and a half minute barrage of relentless, bludgeoning electronica, and rarely lets off. ‘Year of the Dog’ is a deeply unsettling piece of work with its slowly-building-but-never-quite-getting-there synths and off-kilter strings, while the brilliantly sinister ‘Sentients’ pulses along menacingly. The closing 20-minute salvo of tracks ‘Stalker’ and ‘Hidden XS’ just may be the aural equivalent of getting attacked with a sledgehammer – but don’t let that put you off. The music is bleak, repetitive and hypnotic throughout and may not be to everyone’s taste. The longer and louder you listen to this album the more it reveals itself, and is well worth the effort.

Big Deal – ‘June Gloom’

For their second album, the London-based Californian duo return with a more fleshed out sound and more bite to their songs –the band had no rhythm section on their debut – and are much the better for it. Primarily an indie-pop/rock record, the boy-girl pair of Alice Costelloe & Kacey Underwood’s overlaid vocals nicely complement each other, while the music is breezy and catchy. This was released back in June and has a real summertime feel to it. The dreamy, upbeat tracks such as the rousing ‘In Your Car’ and ‘Call and I’ll Come’ effortlessly pull you in with their infectious hooks while the duo show they can also slow it down to excellent effect with the beautiful ‘Pristine’. Album highlight ‘Teradactol’ is a rockier affair with its dirgy guitars and snapping percussion but doesn’t veer too far from the template. The album tails off somewhat in the final third but still has its moments. All in all a fine attempt and hopefully a sign of better things to come.

London Grammar – ‘If You Wait’

It would be almost impossible to talk about British trio London Grammar without making some sort of comparison to the XX. Their band makeups are the same (one girl, two guys) and they both specialise in minimal, slightly haunting pop but, in vocalist Hannah Reid, London Grammar have a much more commanding vocal presence although she keeps herself restrained through much of this. The album opens with the delightful, sparse ‘Hey Now’ and is a sign of the pleasures that are to follow. The supreme ‘Wasting My Young Years’ opens beautifully with melancholy strings, delicate pianos and shimmering guitars before slowly building and easing off, building and easing off. The brilliant ‘Strong’ lopes along wonderfully with a solitary guitar line and stuttering percussion. The closing title track is a spellbinding masterclass in understated, stripped back beauty showcasing Reid’s vocals at their most potent. A superb debut album and one that proves once again that, sometimes, less is more.

Playlist #2

Right it’s time for round 2. It’s been a strange auld week with Easter, the long weekend, parades and gargling messing up my flow, so I didn’t really get around to posting some of the stuff I had hoped (next week I promise). This weeks playlist is a wee bit electro heavy with Free The Robots, Zombie Nation and Shout Out Out Out Out severely outnumbering Indie experimentalists Suckers and Soulful-Hip-Hop-ers Ozomatli. Maybe this blogging malarkey has cured me of my renowned predilection for NME type indie bands, or perhaps there all shite these days, who knows?

Mp3: Free The Robots – Orion’s Beltbuckle

Mp3: Zombie Nation – The Mind of Many

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