A stunning EP from Zach Saginaw, personally I think its his best work to date. Very moody and heavily melodic, tons of tasteful effects on the signature gear that you always hear him on.
Two years after Shigeto released his second full-length, No Better Time Than Now, the busy Detroit polymath, born Zach Saginaw, has finally taken a break from his endless hustle to update everyone on his current musical headspace. “I’ve been on the road for a long time now and also have been working on other projects,” he explains. With projects that include working on a new live ensemble arrangement, playing electronics in a jazz quartet, recording with Detroit rappers, and building a new studio, it’s no wonder we haven’t heard much from him since 2013.
“I haven’t found the next step for me yet. I’ve been making loads of music as always, but I’m still looking for that concrete new path.” Shigeto’s Intermission EP takes its title quite literally, then, presenting a snapshot of the artist’s transition between ideas and inspiration. Indeed, listening to these six eclectic tracks evokes a dynamic sense of exploration, excitement, and stylistic freedom.
Saginaw describes Intermission as a collection songs that “point to the past, present, and future.” His inimitable hallmarks are certainly there: the heavy drum-machine knock and jazzy synth flourishes of “City Dweller”, that airy thumb piano in beat suite “Do My Thing”, and “Pulse”‘s percussive, polyrhythmic grooves. They mingle with some fresh sounds from Shigeto, too. Mystic pads creep into the mix—especially on beatless, textural drifts “Gently” and “Deep Breathing”—and there’s a decidedly unhinged touch to how the producer uses samples, almost like he’s teaching himself a new language. But don’t get it twisted, there’s no grand vision this time out. “They’re not meant as a strong message,” Saginaw clarifies, “but more of a taste, like a halftime show of sorts.” So if Intermission is here to hold us over until Shigeto’s next big event, the record’s palpable depth and complexity say quite a lot about where the man is now and where he’s headed.
This album by Viers has been on repeat, i’m always a sucker for dub techno, its the buried swells in the repetition and the right amount of change throughout the album. Give it a go on some headphones and dive into detailed design work, it won’t disappoint.
Like a glittery rework of something from Koyaanisqatsi, Anenon is back with an almost 8 minute cut to announce his new EP on Friends of Friends.
As a solo artist, head of Non Projects and one of Los Angeles’ most talented contemporary jazz musicians, Brian Allen Simon aka Anenon has managed to meld disparate forms of electronic and classical music, bridging the gap between eras, technologies and sonic space. The ‘Camembert’ EP is Anenon’s first release on Friends of Friends and functions as a sort of introduction to ‘Petrol’, a full length set for a January 22 release date. ‘Camembert’ exudes the range in expression and breadth of talent that Simon represents, touching on jazz improvisation, techno and palatial ambient over its four tracks without ever seeming to lose focus. It’s not everyday that an EP traverses genre barriers and balances the experimental with the populist, but Anenon has the sheer musical ability and refined sensibilities to walk the line between all of it.
We couldn’t recommend Mark Barrott any higher, I actually think the B-side is better than the A-side, well its less PBS Nova in my mind. B2 Der Stern, Der Nie Vergeht really swept me off my feet, soo genuine!
A1 Right 4 Me
A2 The Mysterious Island Of Dr Nimm
B1 Cirrus & Cumulus
B2 Der Stern, Der Nie Vergeht
Two years ago, as his first summer in Ibiza beckoned, Mark Barrott was heading off to bed one night when he had an idea for a track. That was the first track to feature the infamous Uruguayan Botanist Dr Nimm and spawned what ultimately became the first Sketches from an Island EP.
Although International Feel are known for sometimes been a little mysterious and contrarian, that first EP was only a 300 press as Barrott didn’t think that many people would be into what he called ‘slow, weird music’…it turned out he was wrong, it sold out on the day of release and that coming winter, he hunkered down to work on what became last years acclaimed ‘Sketches from an Island’ LP, lauded by everyone from Terje to Trevor Jackson, it’s evocative, melody driven atmospherics and beautiful birds of paradise artwork has taken on a life of it’s own.
He briefly broke cover again last winter with those Tuff City Kids for the Balearic classic ‘Balanzat’ and again in April this year, with the ultra deep ‘Bush Society’, but as soon as the first sunset of the year forms on the horizon, Barrott’s thoughts always go back to his beloved Sketches project and he now returns with four new tracks for EP 3, again with beautiful artwork from Stevie Anderson.
‘Right 4 me’ feels like the natural successor to the sunshine in a bottle vibe of ‘Baby Come Home’ and he also revisits the bizarre world of Dr Nimm (this time via his Mysterious Island ). The polyrhythm’s of ‘Cirrus & Culumus’ trace his love of Ghanan Music & Steve Reich and closing track ‘der Stern, der nie vergeht’ is reminiscent of every beautiful sunset you’ve never seen, blended with the delicate sounds of Roedelius and recontextualized for his Sketches world.
Although now firmly entrenched in his Ibizan compound, this summer will see Barrott break cover to take up a residency at Harvey’s Mercury Rising night at Pikes and also provide sunrise sounds at this years final Garden Festival, before decamping back to Ibiza to start work on the second Sketches from an Island LP.
This is the 2nd of 3 singles from the Heathered Pearls album. The Fader had the exclusive for most of the day but I finally got it up here. The song features my good friend Thomas Mullarney III aka Outerbridge aka 1/2 of Beacon.
It’s not often that you can pre-order a record online and, while you’re at it, add the sculpture that’s photographed on the album cover to your cart as well. To Heathered Pearls, also known as the Polish-born and Brooklyn-based artist Jakub Alexander, it’s all part of his obsession with texture on his new release, Body Complex. Today we’re premiering “Warm Air Estate,” a gracefully unfurling techno cut featuring wispy, Rhye-esque vocals courtesy of Outerbridge from the electronic and R&B duo, Beacon.
“Warm Air Estate,” which Alexander calls “the misfit on the album,” is true to its name in warmth and beat-driven resplendence. “In the early stages I had it paired up with a song that didn’t make the album that my friend Tycho was going to play on,” Alexander told The FADER, “When I listen to ‘Warm Air Estate,’ I think more about the early stages of it; it only had this gliding emotional feel to it which I loved, but it was missing something. [Outerbridge] delivered this game-changing angle to it. I was going to go with a Detroit ambient techno with strings route but it ended up being this other animal that really made it a special one for me.” Ghostly International will release Body Complex on August 7th (pre-order it here).
Been digging through a lot of the Phonica Records catalog since the staff has such a great ear over there. One of the best finds besides the upcoming Moire 12″ was this Art Crime EP, its the right amount of melody before a dance track loses its underground appeal.
Art Crime follows up 2014’s exceptional ‘Never Look Back’ 12” on WT with the ‘Obsession EP’ on Phonica!
Russia’s Art Crime seemingly came out of nowhere with his first record and it blew us all away at Phonica. Lead track ‘Release’ was pure nineties house nostalgia, a huge reverbed piano over skipping drums that became an instant Phonica classic. We just couldn’t get it out of our heads!
Needless to say we reached out to Art Crime instantly, hoping to lure another 12” of material from him and with the ‘Obsession EP’ we are blown away with the results. Art Crime has delivered another anthemic record, four tracks of melancholic house music, sounding both of the past and future.
The title track ‘Obsession’ is another massive piano laden House beauty, permeated with shim- mering synth stabs. Up next is ‘Show Interest’, with its almost-oriental synth melody glowing over a cold arpeggiated electro pulse. On the flip, ‘Eye Contact’s glacial pads and piano are followed by ‘Rise Fall Run’, the most restrained track of the set, an etheral journey through the clouds.
As with his first 12”, Art Crime is behind the front cover artwork, with the reverse based on Jack Featherstone’s layout for our previous release.
CFCF will be releasing an LP on Joel Ford’sDriftless Recordings, the first taste is very sincere and studio session like, the recording is very roomie so in headphones you feel like its a personal concert in a sunlit glass dome.
This new Keep Shelley In Athens is sort of love/hate, I think the singer has finally found her voice, the production is there too but the male vox idea falls a bit on the stale side and adds a character to the music that makes the project feel like its a bit lost in its course.
Digging through some slightly older Terreke posts, found this reliable boy in the list.
The West Coast mid tempo veterans over at Dream Chimney are releasing edits on a new label American Standard, also check this stunner of a mix from Daniel T. who’ll be up to bat next on the release schedule.
