©2012 NCUD/Moon is Half Records

The critical acclaim continued in 2006 with the release of Past Is Prologue on Miami-based IDM imprint Merck records. Ghostly met Scott Hansen in 2007, and like everybody else, we simply had to work with him.

In 2008, Tycho received a nod as one of URBmagazine’s “Next 100” artists to watch. Since 2007, Tycho, with great care, released sun-drenched, melodic singles for the 3 years, honing his sound and collaborating with even more live instrumentation. In 2011, his meticulous process sees the release of DIVE. The wait has been well worth it. (from Ghostly)

“Dive” album preview

Guillaume’s initial musical forays were as a percussionist in a funk band, after which he studied latin and classical percussions in college before discovering electro-acousticcomposition, which he pursued  further atuniversity. It was during this period that he joined [iks], a contemporary jazz formation with whom he recorded two albums and toured for several months in Senegal. Upon his return to Montreal, Guillaume decided to focus his efforts on composition.

Influenced as much by concrete music as by techno, which he discovered one night in the midst of a lightning storm, Guillaume founded Egg (MUTEK_rec, Karat, Floppy Funk), Luci (MUTEK_rec, Morris Audio), Chic Miniature (Raummusik, Musique Risquée), Flabbergast (MUTEK_rec), as well as the artistic collective Racam. He has toured with one or another of these projects in north/south America, Europe and Asia.
Since January 2007, Guillaume has reached European soil. Like many other, he chose Berlin as his new home base. Traveling all around the block, he’s always looking to get the dance floors grinning with guilty pleasure. C’MON NOW SHAKE THAT ASS!

As the year concludes, we find ourselves taking a wistful look back at the music that’s been produced and launched forth over the last twelve months. From a list of thousands we filtered it down to hundreds, and finally down to the forty that made the End Of Year polls. Whether you agree with the choices or not, it’s hard to argue the quality line-up compiled for this download album, an exclusive extract of those very choices.
In association with AllSaints and Clash, these are fourteen tracks that exemplify 2010′s place in music history.
Download, enjoy, and dance your merry way into January.

LCD Soundsystem – All I Want

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/01 I Can Change (Live).mp3
So farewell, then, James Murphy. After helping to redefine dance music in the Noughties via LCD Soundsystem the DFA don has decided to pack up and move to pastures new. Confirming a farewell tour with Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem leave on a high with ‘This Is Happening’. Rightly acclaimed, James Murphy’s production has rarely been so searching, so emotive and so self-assured. A vital album from a truly seminal group.

Chrome Hoof – Crystalline

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/02%20Crystalline.mp3
Electro-rock is a much abused term. Away from the world of Delphic, Two Door Cinema Club & Co. sit the adventurous sonic explorations of Chrome Hoof. Taking the genre to mean ‘electronic rock’ the multi-limbed London collective melt synths down into sparkling new shapes. Returning with their new album ‘Crush Depth’ the band have honed their often bewildering material into something approaching coherency. The sudden twists and time signature changes are still there, but Chrome Hoof simply have more light and shade, more depth to their experimentation.

High Places – Can’t Feel Nothing

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/03%20Can_t%20Feel%20Nothing%20remix.mp3
Originally from Brooklyn, High Places are an example of the exploration going on in American music right now. The duo mix acoustic instruments with electronic loops, abandoning buzz terms for something more worthwhile. New album ’High Places vs Man Kind’ was ambitious both in a sonic sense and its apparent need to retain a common humanity. Rightly praised, High Places are almost impossible to classify yet difficult to discount.

Lissie – In Sleep (Live)

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/04%20In%20Sleep.mp3
From Marianne Faithful to Cat Power, female songwriters have matched stunning beauty with tender songwriting. The next in that illustrious line could well be Lissie, whose debut album ‘Catching A Tiger’ is a deeply honest vision of Americana. Moving from alt country to sweet 60s pop, Lissie’s debut album is more than a mere conglomerate of styles. Rather, what emerges is a unique voice gathering together component parts. A stunning first step, ‘Catching A Tiger’ is made all the more effective by hinting at the glories which could follow.

The Phantom Band – Walls

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/05%20Walls.mp3
Enshrined as a hub of indie pop, Glasgow can be a tough place for guitar groups. The Phantom Band are about as far away from twee as it is possible to get, with their second album ‘The Wants’ being a Krautrock inspired journey through exhausting emotional terrain. Somehow eclipsing their critically acclaimed debut album, The Phantom Band have also opened up new avenues for exploration. Drenched in stark, folk derived influences what emerges as a brave, distinct new voice.

Matthew Dear – Slowdance

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/06%20Slowdance.mp3
Techno is built on maverick spirits. Attracted to Michigan to be closer to techno’s Motorik roots, Matthew Dear is one of the most strikingly out there talents in dance music. Signed to Ghostly International, the producer returned this year with the nightmare oscillations of ‘Black City’. Easily his most accomplished work to date, Matthew Dear effortlessly combined the physical with the ethereal in an expression of 21st century gloom.

Perfume Genius – Mr Peterson

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/07%20Mr%20Peterson.mp3
A Seattle based solo artist, Perfume Genius specialises in the kind of skin crawling songwriting Nick Cave is capable of producing. With the same gleefully lo-fi attitude to production as a young Beck, Perfume Genius crafts material which is unexpectedly bizarre. ‘Mr Peterson’ is a twisted song about lost youth, spend in the company of a mentor who introduces the songwriter to weed and Joy Division. The homoerotic – even paedophilic – undertones are too strong to ignore, with the track ending in Mr Peterson’s suicide. Chilling, and difficult to forget.

Max Richter – Journey 1

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/08%20Journey%201.mp3
A classically trained composer, German born Max Richter is one of the few genuinely unclassifiable artists working today. Moving between electronic composition and daring avant garde pieces the producer is passionate about breaking down barriers between styles, genres and disciplines. Returning with ‘Infra’ Max Richter has once again challenged both himself and the listener, pushing his thought provoking compositions into new and exciting areas.

Walls – Gaberdine

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/09%20Gaberdine.mp3
An internet fuelled success story, London duo Walls released a handful of free downloads last year. Attracting the attention of German imprint Kompakt, the duo were able to work on a full length album. Glitchy techno, Walls absorb a diverse set of influences while still retaining their own voice. That rare beast, a side project which overshadows its parents, will Walls match demand for more material?

Avi Buffalo – What’s In It For?

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/10%20What_s%20In%20It%20For_.mp3
One of the year’s most prominent newcomers, Sub Pop signings Avi Buffalo do a neat line in intelligent post-Shins songsmithery. Hailing from California, the group have sunshine pouring through their music but it is a wrought with the darkness often associated with the West Coast. Alt rock noir, the band’s self-titled debut album has been justifiably lauded as one of the finest efforts.

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/11%20American%20Slang.mp3With the rise of groups such as Animal Collective, Gang Gang Dance et al there is a danger that simple, American blue collar rock could be forgotten about. Not with The Gaslight Anthem around, though, with the New Jersey group blasting back with their new album ‘American Slang’. Indebted to Springsteen’s legacy, The Gaslight Anthem add a punk urgency to the American liberal tradition. A hard working band for hard working times.

Male Bonding – Year’s Not Long

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/12%20Year_s%20Not%20Long.mp3What with the deluge of indie rock emerging from the United States its easy to ignore groups closer to home. Male Bonding hail from Dalston and despite sounding like Husker Du trapped in reverb drenched cathedral epitomise a new confidence in British guitar music. Debut album ‘Weird Feelings’ was striking, confused and deeply inspiration.

Maps & Atlases – Solid Ground

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/13%20Solid%20Ground.mp3Though their initial EPs marked them out as math rock stylists, Maps & Atlases broke down those preconceptions on their debut album ‘Perch Patchwork’. Sure, there is still plenty of math in there but above all Maps & Atlases are striving to find their own sound. Deeply ambitious, ‘Perch Patchwork’ was a triumph of new ideas and classic soundwriting, with Maps & Atlases balancing the two with rare grace and understanding.

No Age – Glitter

http://stream.unknownclubberz.org/AllSaints-Clash-Presents-The-Best-Of-2010/14%20Glitter.mp3
Sure ’Nouns’ was a good album, maybe even a great one but ‘Glitter’ took No Age into entirely new dimensions. Adding a sampler, a hell of a lot of feedback and an increasing sense of daring and the Los Angeles duo were able to cough up their finest work yet. Mixing electronics with post-hardcore riffs, No Age never forget the human dimension, wearing their hearts on their sleeves in a sentimental yet entirely unforced way.

Plastikman has been a large source of inspiration for me throughout my production carreer. When I try describe it to others, I fall short of words. Many times I have experienced this music in a way that is anything but ordinary. The tracks seem to evolve as if living … much like the name they all are very malleable in my mind.

This mix is a short representation of how I remember certain moments of experiencing Plastikman. All tracks used are normally much faster and higher pitched. Instead, I have chose to play them all at 90bpm to open up all of the dark and strange spaces from in between.

JPLS

Jazzanova’s DJ man talks about grooves, East Berlin and eclecticism on this week’s Exchange.

There’s a tendency to celebrate those who do one thing exceptionally well. Once upon a time, though, in electronic music that wasn’t the case. As one of the founding members of the Jazzanova collective, Alex Barck knows this well. His is a career built upon the idea that variety is the key to happiness.

As he prepares to head down to Australia, we thought it best to catch up with the Berlin-based DJ/producer. He’s got a new project under his belt with Christian Prommer, he’s busy starting up a new label to release the finished product and he’s as passionate as he’s ever been about music. From living in East Berlin before the Wall came down to his current status as an international DJ, Barck has plenty of knowledge to impart.

Mr. Spring is the man behind a string of records released over the last 8 years on the seminal German label Sub Static (directed by Falko Brocksieper and Cologne’s M.I.A). He develops a variety in sound ranging from the most intricate Techno, to forms of House that call on Mr. Jack in the most respectful manner.

Between then and now, John Spring presented many successful releases on labels like Crosstown Rebels, Resopal or Harthouse, licenced to the likes of Cocoon, DC10 and Four:Twenty. More recently, John Spring has been making a lot of waves as part of an anonym collective… that will stay that way, until further notice!

It is with immense honour that we not only send this new podcast episode to you, but that we also announce that John Spring took over Airdrop’s next record – AD018. It is set for release on the 18th of January 2011 and will laser-beam all your eardrums out.

Enjoy this very spontaneous John Spring mix. It made us tick all the required boxes at once and we are sure it will bring a lot of happiness and warmth to our cold homes!

Something a little different from me. Bringing the BMP and vibe down. A selection of a few favourite sounds and tracks from Hip Hop to Nu Jazz. Inspired by mushroom Jazz.
Come down to Greenwich Bar, Berlin every Thursday from 8PM. Deep House and Nu Jazz sounds.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=157812177563475
Website : www.greenwichbar.de

Hey planet earth, its Charlie taking over this post. I know our format is typically exclusive mixes for the Adventures of Soul Clap Podcast, but we had to make an exception for Dijon. Some of you might know I went to college out on the west coast, Pitzer College to be exact, in Claremont, California. There I met a HOST of characters doing the DJ thing in and around Los Angeles and throwing generator powered desert parties on most full moons aka Moontribe Parties. Thats where i first heard of Dijon, on my 18th birthday in the desert!

Dijon and I didn’t know each other that well, I was just a big fan. He had already graduated from neighboring school Pomona College but was still hanging around with the outlawed party fraternity/sorority (frasority?) called the Nappys. Another famous Nappy you might know is Dirtybird’s Christian Martin. Now I never joined those guys (final initiation involved taking a full balloon of NO2 and getting pushed down a staircase lined with mattresses!), but I sure did get crazy with those cats because they were full on raving! In fact, it was these parties and Moontribe that got Christian Martin to convince his then teenage brother Justin Martin, to leave their hometown in Connecticut and head west.

So, past spring Justin Martin came to Boston to play at our beloved Midweek Techno with our dear friend Heidi. The party was a smash and afterwards we’re hanging at Aldie St shooting the shit and talking about California and Dijon’s name popped up. Turns out he was massively influential to both of us and we found the man on Facebook. Thats how it happened!

Whew, that was a long story so lets talk music. This podcast is really special, its a rip of Dijon’s Easy Listening mixtape (yes a TAPE, two sided, remember?) from around 1999. I swear this tape was the ultimate after-rave, ride home soundtrack until I had to sell my car and no longer had a tape deck, wack. In my opinion it perfectly captures the early deep tech house sound that was coming from labels like Guidance, Svek, Swazak andPlastic City. It was also the first place i heard Black Science Orchestra’s – New Jersey Deep, which has since become a personal anthem. Easy Listening is seamlessly mixed and perfectly programed and has brought SO much joy and chill-out vibes to my life, I’m so happy to share with you!

Dijon’s is now finishing up graduate school in Geology in Rochester, New York. He is married with a new baby (congrats Jon!) and is really brilliant and talented dude! Check out his blog where you can follow his world travels, check out his ace photographs and listen to many more amazing mixes like this one!

Xhin (pronounced as “sheen”) has been crafting ominous cuts of cutting-edge electronic music since 1997. Building a forte in sound design, he is best described as a sound futurist. His identical rhythmic structure and compositional techniques which incorporate elements of techno, tight sub bass, ambient and IDM delivers a hint of chaotic soundscape amidst artistry. A Singaporean by birth and residence, he independently released “Xycle”, a self-promotional ep that made the industry to stand up to take notice, in early 2003. He then followed with his debut album, “Supersonicstate” the following year.

In 2006, his talent has been discovered by a German independent record label Meerestief. With a remix for Five Green Circle’s track entitled Ronan’s BBQ has created a storm over Europe, fully supported and charted by heavy weights from the world of electronic music.

An active DJ in the Singapore club culture he has played extensively in a number of clubs and various events like ZoukOut, Good Vibrations, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival, Singapore Fashion Festival and for fashion label Woods & Woods runways. In 2007, Xhin was invited to play at the important electronic music festival, C/O Pop in Cologne Germany and the first outdoor electronic music festival in Hanoi, together with various good acts from the far east.

Besides releasing and remixing, Xhin also got involved in various miscellaneous projects like producing music and sounds for Nike, Nokia and fashion label like Woods & Woods among others. He also appeared as a special guest tutor on electronic music production using Ableton Live for Red Bull Music Academy Info Sessions II in Singapore.

In 2009, Xhin joined Berlin’s new techno label, Stroboscopic Artefacts to release his dark, intense and experimental sounds. From the results of his new releases for the label, he has done it again. Heavy rotation from the big boys like Speedy J, Luke Slater, Ben Klock and many more. This will be yet again the beginning of an old new direction for him to explore and experiment sounds even deeper for his future releases.

One will find Xhin’s work mind-blowing as it hinges on tomorrow’s cutting edge creations. SImply put, an aural feast for one’s mind.

Ad Noiseam

Ad Noiseam has been swimming against the flow since its inception in 2001. Mixing genres and formats, this label has made every possible atempt to blur its paths and not become a niche label. Noise, electronica, jazz, breakcore, dubstep, metal: over close to 130 releases (all of them on physical formats), Ad Noiseam has touched almost every possible genre of underground music, and intends at keeping it this way. Modern and indie in its relation to artists, shops and promotion, it’s in a way an old-school record label, which puts the quality of the music first, and not its genre or hype.

About the mix

Respectful of the high quality of the podcasts on Electronic Explorations, I wanted to do something special with this set. It’s easy for a label manager to record an hour long-advertisement for his roster, or to unleash dubplate after dubplate. After all, my job is to listen, select and work with tracks which haven’t been released yet. My intention here was different: on the one hand, I wanted to showcase what Ad Noiseam is about, but I also wanted to show that my words are not vain when I say that I like very varied genres of music. This is why there’s some Ethiopian jazz next to some doom metal here, and why some hot and fresh new track out of London might be mixed together with an old Diamanda Galas classic. It’s my opinion that if the tracks are good, they can be mixed and presented together easily. Moreover, this is not a club DJ set: I could start very slowly and take much time to bring the hardest material. I hope the listeners of Electronic Explorations will enjoy this set, and that it will stay as a (hopefully successful) experiment in genres mixing. This is what Ad Noiseam is about. And of course, thanks to Rob for the opportunity and his hard work.

Biography

Marko fürstenberg was born in 1976 in thuringia, germany. influenced by the 80s music such as depeche mode, a-ha and new order he was attracted to electronic music from its beginning. very early marko made his first steps in recording his own tapes as “dolby”.

In the beginning of 1995 he started dj-ing at several parties in thuringia and already then showing a techno-orientation originated from labels like x-trax, force inc., klang and later basic channel. a few years later he started creating his first own electronic sounds with a pc and thus he invested constantly in technical equipment. in 2000 his first project “vertikal 23” was established, in cooperation with local musicians. the outcome was a mixture between downbeat & trip hop but later on marko developed his own deep sound.

Providing his music on the internet, marko got in touch with the “thinner” netlabel, which published his first release under “dolby” alias in 2002. further releases followed also on other netlabels such as realaudio, stadtgruen and instabil, as well as remixes for digitalverein, rktic, lod and sarah goldfarb. the success story began: between 2003 and 2005 marko performed at some international festivals and clubs, e.g. in canada, greece, sweden, poland, suisse, austria, etc. after publishing quite a number of netreleases, his first vinyl track on “thinner allstars pt.1” (2003) was published under the pseudonym “surphase”. very soon after that marko decided to use his real name marko fürstenberg for his future work.

After moving to leipzig in 2006, marko approached a peak level in productivity, releasing a number of songs in rapid succession with labels like a.r.t.less, tfe and rotary-cocktail. marko’s success within the constantly changing techno scene didn’t come as a surprise: together with diverse dj partners as well as solo artist marko fürstenberg is now performing regularly in clubs & parties all over europe. his live sets combine classic dub-techno elements with current techno trends, which is much valued by his audience. with this kind of electronic music marko is considerably involved in the development of dub- and deep-techno.

Video

Marko Fürstenberg – Porn Infection (Das Kraftfuttermischwerk Softporn Edit) from Saint Sebastion on Vimeo.

At the beginning of 2010 I was asked by various Music blogs to compile my favourite tracks from 2009
I decided to make a mix from these 70+ tracks with the help of 2 friends, Tommy ‘Akira Kiteshi‘ and Matt ‘Mad EP‘

Fast forward a couple months and here we are !!!

Unfortunately due to timing constraints beyond Akira Kiteshi’s control, Tommy was only able to piece together the first 20 minutes of the mix, using 18 of the tracks available to him, however, you’ll agree its a bit special.

Matt ‘Mad EP’ diverts away from the AK approach, staying close to his hip hop roots and the love of the cross-fader…. how the hell did he mix up 70 odd tunes into the space of 46 minutes !!
So ….. I gave these 2 producers the following tunes .. the rest is up to them !! .. oh and yeah, I know I missed out some awesome tunes from 2009, but its bloody hard to remember all the good music from 2009

[CD1] 13 F**king New Tracks

[CD2] 12 F**king Classics

cheers,

G-Stone Recordings Team

Pre-order the CD via Ninjashop and the first 20 orders receive an exclusive signed copy:
Ninjashop (USA) / Ninjashop (RoW)

Braddell could be said to be something of a trip hop pioneer, operating out of the Uterous Goldmine Studio, his ‘Hed Phone Sex’ album in 1995 brought dark surrealism to sampler music, and pre-dated DJ Shadow’s first album ‘Endtroducing’. All of this helped bring in a golden era of sampler based music, although on ‘On’, more live instrumentation is used than any other of the Funki Porcini albums previously. The greatest provocateur and humorist of the early Ninja period, Funki re-animates with his sound intact yet sounding utterly contemporary. Funki Porcini has promised to not let it go so long before his next release . . .

A young Simon Green (for it is he who is the monkey king) refused to be dragged down by the lazy journalistic prose that labeled him ‘chillout’ and ‘downtempo’. Far from it. He upped the stakes, and indeed, even stuck his neck out, moving from his original label Tru Thoughts to Ninja Tune, and set about taking things to the next level.

Cos it’s all about the levels with Bonobo. Not in a techy, studio kinda way, but in the levels of involvement with his music. On the surface there are the organic, pastoral atmospheres, the catchy melodies, the elements that caught people from his first album. You can engage with a Bonobo tune in that way if you wish, and will be well rewarded for it. But it’s the deeper, slightly hidden levels that you should investigate, for they bring the greatest prize. It’s these elements that he explored on ‘Dial M For Monkey’, as a greater focus on live instruments, the intricacies of rhythm, the darker shades of the soul, and almost a sleight of hand, that meant that you could be in one mood one minute, and the next you would somewhere different.

‘Dial M For Monkey’ showed the set of brass balls that Bonobo (like his namesake) had, and these would be tested again as he set about building his live band. He duly found the right musicians, self financing rehearsals, and fine tuning a live show that brought out the elements of his music that had hitherto gone largely unnoticed, as the band swung and rocked their way through shows at Glastonbury, The Big Chill, Jazz Cafe, and internationally exotic settings from Italy to Russia.

He set about building his DJ style in the same way, refusing to conform to the preconceived ideas of a laid back style, and aiming headlong for the dancefloor, with a heavy mixture of hip hop, weighty jazz, broken beats, Latin, funk, and soul, with the occasional cheeky bit of psyche rock and drum and bass thrown in. Just to keep you on yer toes right? Now a DJ of international repute, Bonobo has played all over the world, including playing to huge audiences in the USA and Canada with Amon Tobin, a progress culminating in Ninja Tune asking him to put together a Solid Steel mix album. Bugger the lounge, lets dance.

Now, with the expectations duly dispatched with the good hiding they deserve, the field is wide open for Bonobo to push himself even further, and we await the next album, due late 2005 / early 2006, with our minds well and truly opened to the possibilities.

“Lots of live shit”, says Bonobo.”Strings, horns, drums and vocals. More energy and a bigger, heavier sound”.

Come on then son.

Paul is not only a producer; he is also one of the rare genuine German Techno Live Acts, who still play live without laptop; just using his hardware. He has played at clubs and festivals all over the world since 1999.
Russia, Japan, Scandinavia Europe just to mention some places. His strength is defined by a timeless understanding of music and a distinct accuracy regarding arrangements as well as exploring new
sounds. With experiences at the legendary Omen club during Techno’s formative years in Germany in the early 90s and the sound of Detroit as a stylistic checkpoint in mind, Brtschitsch
developed his own narrative style over the course of twelve years, accessing a rich sonic pool, which is anything but related to the contemporary.

In 1996 Paul released his first record on the Tritone label which was directly discovered and played by worlds famous Jeff Mills.
At the same time he started to work at Neuton, a specialised vinyl distributior, where a lot of later becoming super stars used to work in the warehouse: Ricardo Villalobos, Heiko Laux, Anthony Rother, Andre Galluzzi
and Paul. That´s the reason why Taksi was founded in the same year with Pauls´s working mate DJ André Galluzzi. Their track „Schneesturm“ was picked up by Richie Hawtin´s Plus 8 and got a re- release including a remix of Richie in 2001. The duo released the full lengths „Rundfahrt“ and „Bordell“, as well as several tracks on labels like Force Inc., Ongaku and Music Man. Their Tracks become frequently played by DJ´s like Hawtin, Josh Wink and at least Sven Väth, which opens the door for André going as an artist to Cocoon in 2003.

Meanwhile Paul focused on his own productions. Since 2000 he released three albums under his name on the Frisbee label to critical acclaim („Surftronic“, „Venex“ and „Memory“). He always followed the concept of creating an album like one of his Live Sets – soft build up, hard middle, and consolable ending – without forgetting to explore never heard sonic spaces. When doing so, Brtschitsch does not rely on laptops and software. His set up is much more complex, resulting in the fact that he really is playing live and not triggering loops or arranging his studio material in front of a crowd. His sets last for one and a half to two hours and are always spontaneously crafted according to crowd and atmosphere.

In summer of 2006 he moved to Berlin and dropped a release on world famous Berghain´s imprint Ostgut Ton. „Twirl/Under“ was the second realease on the fresh founded label. In the same year he released a record on Belgiums famous and historical Label MusicMan called Infrared/Lowrider. The following year Paul decided to found his own label “Rootknox”with the philosophy of an interactive developing tree: “together from the roots up to the
treetop”. Seven releases were already released until today, which are already “en vogue” from Europe over the USA to Russia and Japan. One of this releases is Paul´s 5th solo Album which came out in summer 2009 “Me, myself and Live”. The title shows his 3 facets as producer, live act and collaborator.

In 2007 Paul co-produced Anja Schneider’s album debut “Beyond the Valley” released 2008 on her world known Label Mobilee. Both have a good working flow in the studio that´s the reason why Paul is the co-producer of almost all releases which came out titled “Anja Schneider” in behalf the last 2 years. “Belize”, “Mole”, “Beyond the Valley” and several Remixes for artists like Butane, Samuel Session and even German´s Pop Band “Rosenstolz”were produced by Paul and Anja. Together with Gabriel Ananda he contributed a track on his Label Karmarouge. Paul latest releases are coming out on Rootknox containing remixes by Anja Schneider, Kollektiv Turmstrasse and John Selway.

Tour Dates For Bonobo:

04/02 – Toronto, ON – Opera House*
04/03 – Buffalo, NY – Tralf Music Hall*
04/04 – New York, NY – Music Hall Williamsburg*
04/05 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom*
04/06 – Boston, MA – Paradise*
04/08 – West Chester, PA – The Note*
04/09 – Asheville, NC – Club 828*
04/10 – Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall*
04/11 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks*
04/14 – Austin, TX – The Parish**
04/15 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live**
04/17 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theater**
04/20 – San Diego, CA – Casbah**
04/22 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre**
04/23 – San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine**
04/24 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom**
04/25 – Seattle, WA – Showbox At The Market**

* w/ The Invisible
** w/ Yppah

Their DJ-Sets cover a wide range of music from classic deep house and disco grooves all the way to peak time tech and minimal house burners all wrapped up in a stunning mixing performance that utilises turntables as well as the loopy and effect-heavy delights of Traktor technology. So better be prepared for some hot funk from these guys straight outta Germany!

This marks Vancouver-based Loscil’s first MUTEK appearance. Working in ultra-minimalistic electronic dub, his ambient creations have been presented through numerous releases on Chicago’s Kranky label, as well as on compilations on labels such as Idol Tryouts and Ghostly International. With his gentle, low-key downtempo, Loscil’s 2004 performance marked the beginning of the closing night at MUTEK in 2004.

DJ Food & DK showcase their impressive AV mix which took months to create.

Coined as “video turntablism”, the duo perform live on 4 decks and 3 mixers using Serato’s Video-SL plug-in for Scratch Live.

You can download the video by clicking here

Having worked together on the recent release ‘Ambient Film Themes Vol.2’ – which features avant garde film and documentary scores that blend electronics, orchestras and field recordings – the two artists have once again teamed up to put together an exclusive mix for Clash.

We caught up with them to find out more about the mix and their intriguing new album.

Clash: Tell us a little about the mix and some of your favourite tracks from it:

Casio: It’s some of my favourite tracks from the golden era of downbeat electronica plus some references to the 80s and 70s. Nowadays a lot of music is produced for specific occasions and therefore has only a short lifespan. The tracks in the mix are somehow timeless in my opinion.

Clash: How do you decide on what goes into a mix? Does it depend on your mood at the time?

LOPAZZ: That’s always different – playing peak-time, warm-up, podcasts – every time it’s different and new. Of course there are some tracks we play for years, our all-time-favourites! But it’s good to follow your mood and the crowd and somehow the customers/listeners’ choice. I mean, it doesn’t make sense to play techno on an ambient floor, right?

Casio: It depends very much on the mood. I was loosely listening to my records with the plan to do a downbeat mix with musically appealing tracks. I collected some more records that I needed for it and then in putting it together kicked out what didn’t really fit, mix-wise.

Clash: Some favourite tracks to play live?

LOPAZZ: I’ve got some all-time-favourites like Metro Area, The Other People Place, Ron Trent, Man Parrish and so on – but I also have a look on new releases and artists.

Casio: I used to do a lot of DJ sets in bars and so on, but recently I’m mostly playing house and techno.

Clash: How about the best live shows you’ve ever played?

Casio: They were all so great. Sometimes I’m having a hard time topping myself.

LOPAZZ: Ha ha, right – I think our show on Pelorinhou Plaza in Salvador was the most inspiring one! We were one of the few electronic artists ever allowed to play there!

Clash: What makes a good remix for you?

Casio: A good remix has the characteristics of the original as well as the footprint of the remixing artist sounding good together.

LOPAZZ: I like remixes that sound completely different though some of the original sounds or patterns have been used!

Clash: Tell us about your new album, ‘Lopazz & Casio Casino – Ambient Film Themes Vol.2’:

Casio: We made a lot more changes in the tracks compared to the original soundtracks than on the first volume. Because some of them were only working with the pictures, some were too short, and some needed a more acoustic, analogue feel to them.

LOPAZZ: Right, but we followed the same rules – mixing the tracks with original sounds captured at the shootings, like city sounds, animals, singing monks…. We wanted to get a fluent mix, a travel-music-album.

Clash: You took sound recordings from various parts of the globe as part of the project – how were these used in the final product? And how did you decide what sounds to record?

LOPAZZ: It’s supernatural to me! Sometimes I travel with the film crew to locations such as Mongolia, Macao, Ethiopia, South Africa and my ‘Kook Kook’ tour led me to places like Brazil, Ecuador, Lebanon and I always record sounds and moments. I started doing field-recordings as a little boy and now it’s part of my profession. LOPAZZ records always have this analogue feel (I don’t like this expression) – I use real acoustic instruments or my voice to create sounds I need for dancefloor tracks or scores.

Clash: Yours will be our first DJ mix of 2010! So – a few generic New Year’s questions: Tell us about the best New Year’s Eve you’ve had:

LOPAZZ: With Casio on a fancy LSD-Party (in the early 90s) – now we don’t do that anymore – we changed to ecstasy pills, hahaha….

Clash: Any New Year’s resolutions?

LOPAZZ: No meat, no alcohol, no drugs – at least for the first two days in 2010.

Casio: A little less of everything that’s bad for my health.

Jesse provided two links, one to download his latest songs and the other to a recent feature on ‘Yes Yes Y’All‘. The feature was very brief; it consisted of a song called ‘Angels’ with some artwork done by his friend Chelsea and a few words from Jesse. “Gilles Peterson really liked my music for a couple months and played it like 3 times or something. I also enjoy Synthesizers and Batman“.

I sent back an email to Jesse, “Yes, we do like your music, a lot!” We couldn’t believe that this was actually from a 17 year old. Jesse’s age is something that constantly interferes with his music and success. People don’t respect him enough, they promise him things, but never actually follow through with them. However “I don’t want to be just judged by my age, but I do because I’m not 100% confident in my work.”

Jesse’s been pigeon holed into many genre. Someone asked him, “Your from that beat dimension, right?” hmmm. He doesn’t know what genre he’s in, it doesn’t matter to him. “I really don’t know what it is, it’s up to the listener…all I know is that it comes from somewhere inside of me, it’s reflective of my current feelings and experiences. If anything the listener should decide. Naming it would be unfair, I just make it.” Jesse listens to all types of music, especially jazz, “I became very interested in jazz at 16…I would spend all my money on records. Sounds from Impulse, Strata East, 60′s Blue Note and Blackjazz really helped me understand how limitless a genre jazz is.”

Jesse uses Ableton and a host of sounds to make his music. ‘Angels’ features vocals from Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Angel Eyes‘. Ultimately it’s just the beginning of his beatmaking career. “Apart from samples I use a lot of synths for effects, strings, basslines or whatever. My dream is to work with analogue musicians…I have a lot of ideas revolving around working with real musicians…full string sections, more layered pieces.” Untill he does find some musicians; I guess he’ll have to make do with the support of his friend Ben Thomas aka Singing Statues and the breakbeat, hip-hop, electro man Moonstar. Ben has opened up Jesse to a lot of music and film, “Ben has been a huge influence on my sound, I’m a huge fan of his work. Moonstar has also been a big help to my music…he’s really helped how I look at music.”

I think Jesse’s music is very good and I hope to hear more from him. He already has label interest so I hope he’ll release some of his music soon. For now we’re offereing a free download of a song by Jesse called ‘In Flight‘. Enjoy the mix and I’ll leave you with a few words from the man himself.

“This mix was made at my house, and also at my buddy Evan’s house (he also helped me with some of the ideas and later transitions). The inspiration for the mix came through re-visiting a lot of old ninja tune records, and hearing that the sound of spoken word, layered over funky beats and rhythms. Some of the stuff on the mix is re-edited and some parts of the mix have a combination of more than one song playing at once. The photograph I provided for my mix was taken by my good friend Vince Malik. I hope you enjoy the mix as much as I had making it. This one is for your Sunday morning.”

DOWNLOAD: ‘In Flight’

BEN NEILL is a composer, performer, producer, and inventor of the mutantrumpet, a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument. He has been called “the mad scientist of dancefloor jazz” (CMJ), “a musical powerhouse, a serious and individual talent” (Time Out London), and “a creative composer and genius performer” (Time Out NY). Neill’s music blends electronica and jazz, blurring the lines between DJ culture and acoustic instrument performance.

Neill has recorded eight CDs of his music on the Thirsty Ear, Astralwerks, Six Degrees, Universal/Verve, New Tone and Ear-Rational labels. His most recent CD Night Science was released in September 2009. His music has been featured on numerous compilations including Wired Magazine’s “Music Futurists”. He has performed extensively in a wide variety of international settings including the Sleepless Night Miami, Cite de la Musique France, Berlin Love Parade Germany, Spoleto Festival Italy, Umbria Jazz Italy, Bang On A Can Festival New York, ICA London, Istanbul Jazz Festival Turkey and the Edinburgh Festival UK to name a few.

In Neill’s live performance, laptop computers merge his three-belled, digitally interfaced mutantrumpet with live MIDI controlled digital audio and video. In addition to controlling digital audio in real time, Neill literally plays the moving pictures, making the images an extension of his electrified horn. In 2008 Neill constructed a new mutantrumpet with the help of a residency at the STEIM Studios in Amsterdam. Neill originally worked with synth pioneer Robert Moog to design the early version of his instrument.

In 2008 Neill composed original music for two films. Guest of Cindy Sherman was produced by Sundance Channel, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and shown in film festivals around the world. 911-911, an animated film by artist Mel Chin, premiered at Tribeca Cinemas and was presented at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2009. In 2005 Neill presented his collaboration with visual artist Bill Jones titled Palladio, an interactive movie based on Jonathan Dee’s 1998 novel of the same name. Palladio was premiered at the New Territories Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, and at the Thalia Theater/Symphony Space in New York City.

Neill is also active as a sound and installation artist. His collaborative works with Bill Jones have been exhibited in museums and galleries including Sandra Gering Gallery New York, Exit Art New York, Wellcome Gallery London and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Neill’s installation/performance Green Machine was shown at Paula Cooper Gallery New York City. ITSOFOMO, his collaborative piece with the late artist David Wojnarowicz, has been exhibited widely in venues such as The New Museum New York and PPOW Gallery New York, and was featured in the PBS documentary Imagining America.

In 2002, Neill “made music industry history” (MSNBC News) by releasing Automotive (Six Degrees), an album entirely comprised of extended versions of music he originally wrote for Volkswagen TV and Internet commercials. He supported the release of the album by performing on an 18 city tour of the House of Blues and other major music venues in the US and Canada. Television appearances have included CNBC, Tech TV Screen Savers, Wall Street Journal Report, and Media Television Canada. Neill and Jones video remixes were presented at Sundance 2004 and have been aired on Fox TV network.

A native of North Carolina, Neill is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music. He studied composition with minimalist composer La Monte Young, and has collaborated with numerous other composers and musicians including DJ Spooky, DJ Olive, Dub War, Helmet’s Page Hamilton, Rhys Chatham, Nicolas Collins, David Behrman, John Cale, John Cage, and Coil.

To this end, we present a round up of this year’s Cross Section download albums. Each bursting with a month’s worth of tunes from the band’s we write about.

Check out your favourites and discover 2009′s wealth of great, new talent.

Visite www.clashmusic.com

It’s taken us the best part of a year to get a Podcast mix from our Album Of The Year 2008 winner, but it’s certainly been worth the wait.

The Norwegian genius is still largely unknown on these shores, but the aforementioned Ralphorama! has charmed everyone who’s come near it, with its technicolour mix of electro, hip-hop, folk, downtempo and disco grooves combined with superb vocalists. He hails from Bergen, the city that brought us the likes of The Whitest Boy Alive and Royksöpp, and with his Jack Herren band has played some of the biggest festivals in Europe – including on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage.

His long-awaited podcast for us features a heap of new material from his studio, as well as all manner of disco grooves new, old and re-edited. If you like what you hear, make sure you check out the album…